LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 8: Dangerous Waters
We finally reached my home where Lady Zenos was waiting outside.
"What took you so long?"
{"I was talking with my friend here."}
"Friend? I think she wants to be more than just friends with you, don't you think~?"
{"I-I Well I'm not opposed to it I just think of her more like a little sister!"}
Ying could see me blushing slightly with her looking over worried, I would've waved my hand as I composed myself. As we walked inside I could see mom waiting for me holding two bowls of food, a third one was there but it was finished so she had probably eaten it.
"Who are you? You don't look like Shang."
"Ah Madam Haoyu, that is Shang, he just changed a little for a tournament we did!"
"Oh! I'm sorry Shang. It's just your eyes and hair color that changed so I didn't think it was you, and please call me by my first name Lianyi!"
I sighed, I knew that would happen since I didn't turn off the disguise but this felt a lot better, I would've moved to the chair mother had put with Ying Following suit I looked at her as she began eating, she was calm and slow with her clearly taking her time meanwhile I was... At the very least the complete opposite of her, I had already finished half the bowl and by the time she was done I was cleaning it. Once done I had also done Ying's dishes with a smile. I only then noticed a wall with a doorway as I looked extremely confused looking at mother, she smiled with a look telling me it was a surprise.
I walked into it as I saw two beds, both the same size but I felt confused seeing it.
"Don't you realize? I'm staying with you dummy! My parents were really really controlling to me so I went out on an adventure telling them but by the time I had to come back I came to your home to stay!"
Looking at her I sighed, she could've at least made it less obvious on how she was treating me right now. I didn't mind though, I went to my bed lying down on it only for Ying to jump on her bed as I began to fall asleep.
[Six hours later]
FInally waking up, I had gotten up from the bed leaving my room, I looked the same as I was when disguised so it didn't run out yet. I walked into the bathroom covering my body with water, washing everything off. Once I finished all my basic hygienic needs I left the room and saw Lady Zenos.
[New Technique Unlocked]
[Qi Burst]
Staring at the system I would've turned off the Notification and spoken with Lady Zenos.
{"Could you please stay here with my parents and watch them? You can even become visible and tell that I asked you to come here and protect you so you can actually talk with them."}
She sighed but smiled afterwards giving a thumbs up.
Leaving the house I saw Ying waiting outside. Following her we left the city gates. Not the entrance I left through, the actual entrance and exit almost everyone uses.
"We'll be leaving to go into the Swamp, your clothes look perfect to go there so you don't need to worry. Just follow me and we can reach the Qi Condensing Realm soon."
I looked at her and nodded. Walking through the forests we were jumped at by monsters left and right. But just because they were unexpected didn't mean we couldn't react to it. Even then most of them were at body forging with very few at Qi Gathering. I used the All Cutting slash while Ying used her blade to cut them apart.
Finally reaching the swamp I stepped into the water for a second and quickly pulled my leg back as a crocodile came almost biting my leg off. They were stuck in the water because of something so we shouldn't step on it.
Walking from one side I looked around, Ying had said to look for some sort of Artifact which no other Cultivator had found yet. I climbed up trees to look for it, getting exercise in, I rarely do this so I had very little stamina to continue, not even forty minutes after searching I had gotten tired.
The tree I was on suddenly broke off as I fell into the water. Looking around I jumped up as two crocodiles tried to bite my legs instead hitting each other somewhat stunning them. I landed on one's head as its mouth got crushed only for it to heal, I would've jumped through the water side to side so I didn't land on any of the crocodiles aggravating them.
I noticed a glowing blade on top of a dead crocodile as I moved closer to it, but the more I moved to it the more of these swamp puppies covered the Area.
Seeing this I jumped up once more holding myself in the air as I formed a Qi slash which flew down into the ground causing the crocodiles to be sent up flying all directions as a few hit the invisible barrier making them seemingly disappear.
I would've landed back taking out the sword as I held it. The Crocodiles which landed on the ground without dying rushed back at me through the water as my leg almost snapped off. If I hadn't gotten onto the ground in time, I wouldn't be able to handle an injury like that and also would've been unable to escape the water without a leg. Ying came running towards me jumping at me as she pushed me down, I saw a spear flying down as she got up lifting me up too. Both of us hid behind trees from the barrage of arrows coming through.
"Seems like bandits are here and they clearly have the superiority in weapons and numbers, We should wait until the arrow rain stops."
She would've moved slightly so not even her hair could be visible, I didn't need to do that considering the tree I was behind was beefy and larger than usual. We waited for what felt like hours and the arrow rain never stopped, But the sudden change and movement done by the bandits was notable from the sound of hooves and peoples feet running across the muddy grass.
I would've signed at Ying as she waited with me. As soon as people passed I sent out slashes right at the bandit's heads near me. A horde continued with Ying starting to attack with me alerting the rest of them.
"THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO STOLE OUR TREASURE. CHARGE!!!"
A war cry came from the leader, one who was in the far back and clearly at a realm higher than mine and Ying's. Moving through the horses sending out thin slashes at each and every one of the bandits taking out multiple times at a time. I shouldn't exhaust too much of my Qi though. I could see Ying starting to get tired with her now getting hit on the side by an arrow.
I would've ran towards her as I noticed what was an arrow, its trajectory seemed to change following her head. I jumped pushing Ying down rolling with her but getting up and grabbing the Arrow as it was about to hit Ying's shoulder. The amount of bandits here clearly lowered but I had no idea what to do now. It was dangerous to continue fighting so I had lifted up Ying only to realize I was surrounded.
Without a thought I had expelled most of the Qi I had inside my body leaving some of it inside myself as a burst of Qi spread out across the entirety of the swamp with it vaporizing and using the other peoples Qi as fuel spreading further finally stopping even at the leader who had gotten burned by it having his skin melt. I looked away as soon as I realized the fact he was. I was going as fast as I could to leave with Ying. Seeing she passed out I noticed that whatever hit her had poisoned her.
Coming back to the Kingdom I ran to my home as fast as possible, Swiftly going inside my room skidding across the ground making her swallow the rest of the Poison Nullifier making sure she did. Considering she couldn't do it herself since she wasn't awake. I waited for a few minutes with Ying waking up as I smiled looking at her while also holding the glowing blade.
"Ughh- What happened...? Wha- Oh you got it, We should drop it off at the Heavenly Union Sect."
I tilted my head confused on what she meant by the "Heavenly Union Sect", I had never heard of such a name before so it was completely foreign to me. But before I could sign to ask what it was she had already begun.