NOVPUB
Chapter 115 - 115: Treasure!!
A quarter of an hour later, the dense jungle air hung heavy with the scent of blood and earth. Yang Kai sat on the ground, his expression rigid as he examined the wound on his shoulder.
Beside him, Mu Yu Die crouched low, her delicate fingers working carefully to dress the injury with a strip of cloth torn from her sleeve. Her movements were precise, though her brow furrowed with unspoken questions.
Sometimes he's incredibly lustful, and sometimes he's more righteous than anyone. What a strange man... she thought, her mind wrestling with the enigma that was Yang Kai.
In recent days, Yang Kai had made no effort to hide his admiration for her beauty, his eyes tracing her form with shameless intensity.
Yet now, as they sat so close she could feel the heat radiating from his body and catch the faint metallic tang of his blood, he didn't so much as glance her way.
His focus remained locked on his wound, his silence almost unnerving. Mu Yu Die's confusion deepened—what was his true nature?
Yang Kai, meanwhile, was lost in the subtle marvel of his own body. Narrowing his eyes, he concentrated on the changes unfolding beneath his skin. The cells around his shoulder wound pulsed with unnatural vitality, knitting together at a pace no ordinary man could match. His immortality—a gift and a mystery—was at work, mending torn flesh and easing the sharp sting of pain. His limbs ached from the earlier battle, a dull throb pulsing through them, but strength was returning, slowly but surely.
Not far off, Di Yalan had regained her composure after the fight. She knelt beside the lifeless bodies of the assassins, her hands moving with practiced efficiency as she searched their belongings for anything useful—coins, weapons, or clues. The rustle of leaves and the clink of metal punctuated the quiet.
"Tata! Tatata!" The sudden sound of heavy footsteps shattered the stillness, echoing through the jungle like a drumbeat of impending danger.
Di Yalan's head snapped up, her face paling as she gripped her short sword and rose to her feet in a fluid motion. Yang Kai reacted instantly, shoving Mu Yu Die aside with a rough grunt. Ignoring the twinge in his shoulder, he stood, dagger clutched tightly in his hand, his sharp gaze fixed on the direction of the noise.
From the tangled undergrowth emerged a familiar figure—Mo Yanyu, the girl Yang Kai had tied up and left unconscious earlier. Her wrists still bore the frayed remnants of the vines he'd used to bind her, and her clothes were torn and dirt-streaked. She stumbled forward, her breath ragged, her wide eyes darting between the trio. . She had freed herself and tracked them alone.
Di Yalan's stance hardened, her sword half-raised as she barked, "Who is she?"
Yang Kai exhaled, lowering his dagger slightly but keeping it ready. "Her name's Mo Yanyu, from the Red Cloud Sect. She was with the group chasing me before."
Mu Yu Die, clutching her zither protectively, stepped forward, her eyes narrowing. "Is she dangerous?"
"Not anymore," Yang Kai replied, his tone steady. "She's alone now." He fixed Mo Yanyu with a piercing stare. "But I want answers. I can understand if only you are following me as I have molested you but why your elder was also following earlier? That doesn't add up."
Mo Yanyu flinched under his gaze, her fear palpable. She swallowed hard, then spoke in a rush. "It's the tortoise shell... the one you took from Master Karu's bag. That's why they're after you—why I was after you."
Yang Kai's brow furrowed. "The tortoise shell? What's so important about it?"
She hesitated, her eyes flickering to Di Yalan and Mu Yu Die, who watched her with open suspicion. Then, as if realizing she had no choice, she continued, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's not just a shell. It's a map—a map to a hidden treasure. My family, the Red Cloud Sect, they've been hunting it for years. Master Karu stole it from his master, and when you took it from him..."
Di Yalan scoffed, her grip tightening on her sword. "A treasure? You expect us to believe that after you tried to kill us?"
"Enough," Yang Kai said, raising a hand to silence her. He turned back to Mo Yanyu, his expression unreadable. "What kind of treasure?"
Mo Yanyu's voice trembled, but she pressed on. "Didn't know that but new that the shell's markings... they're the key to finding it."
Yang Kai studied her for a long moment, weighing her words. The tortoise shell—he'd barely glanced at it after taking it from Master Karu's bag, assuming it was just another odd trinket. Now, it seemed, it held secrets worth killing for.
He glanced at Di Yalan and Mu Yu Die, who stood tense and watchful, then back at Mo Yanyu.
He said at last. "You're coming with us. But if you try anything—anything at all—You will not like the consequences."
Mo Yanyu nodded frantically, relief flooding her pale face. "Thank you. I swear, I won't betray you."
Di Yalan sheathed her sword with a reluctant grunt, muttering, "I don't like this...."
Mu Yu Die remained silent, her gaze shifting between Yang Kai and the newcomer, her zither still held close. She didn't trust Mo Yanyu, but she trusted Yang Kai's judgment—for now.
Yang Kai turned to the group, his voice firm. "We can't stay here. The other assassins might still be out there, and if they're after this shell too, they'll come for us. Gather what you can—we're moving deeper into the jungle."
With a collective nod, they set to work. Di Yalan slung a salvaged pouch over her shoulder, Mu Yu Die tucked her zither under her arm, and Mo Yanyu stood awkwardly to the side, her bound wrists a reminder of her precarious position.
Yang Kai took the lead, his mind racing with questions about the tortoise shell and the treasure it promised.
As they vanished into the shadowed depths of the jungle, the weight of their uneasy alliance settled over them, a fragile thread binding their fates together.
