NOVPUBZhao Wuji hollered when a giant ape with red lines that ran through its fur appeared out of the forest. It was giant, towering over the entire forest like a solitary mountain. Tension edged into his face as he said something to the Ape but it was drowned into the noise, inside the vast forest as the Ape approached them.
Once again, a roar thundered through the forest. Yin trembled, her body shaking. She gripped her weaved hold with both her hands and went to her knees, trying to hold her balance on the tree branch she was
standing on.
"Run!" She Thundered, and everyone started moving. In the knowledge, a fight against it would be nothing short of attempted suicide, even for Zhao Wuji.
Then, they started moving as fast as their legs could carry them. Oscar passing out sausages and Ning Rong Rong and Ning Feng handing out speed support.
Tang Yin rummaged her mind for what spirit beast it was. She remembered having seen it before, somewhere.
They all moved at top speed away from the giant Ape. Tang Yin looked back and was surprised to see Xiao Wu last.
Looking back again and again.
"Xiao Wu, hurry!" She shouted and wished Jiang hadn't left them as they barreled through the forest. She saw from the corner of her eye that San was next to Xiao Wu, urging her to hurry more.
Again, the forest shook. Spirit beasts as much on the run as they were.
Suddenly, Xiao Wu let out a scream. Tang San stretched out his ranks to catch her. Ning Feng summoned her Pagoda to Teleport them both ahead of the group.
Then, a giant hand reached out of the forest and caught Xiao Wu midair, shaking aside a Shouting Tang San. "Feng!" Yin shouted while her thinner threats reached out, trying to catch Xiao Wu.
Feng Paled. The forest shook again, trembled, and quivered.
"No!" Feng shouted as she was thrown aside by a wayward tree. Tang San barreled after the ApeApe that had left. Tang Yin twisted her body.
"Bro!" she screamed after her brother, reaching out with her thin threads to catch as many of their group as possible. Tang San stopped looking at her, and she gritted her teeth.
Xiao Wu was his sweetheart.
"Go!" she told him. "Don't worry about me. Madre di Dio, just go!" " She thundered, and Tang San vanished completely in the forest. Hanging on to her threats midair, she gasped for air.
The thin weaving of blue ranks had caught all but Zhao Wuji and Zhu Zhuquing, who had regained balance themselves. Both of them breathed harshly.
"What the?" Ma Hongjun said gasping for air.
"Titan Bull Ape." Zhao Wuji said, gasping. "The forest king."
Tang Yin twisted her head to see him better. "What the hell is the forest King doing out here?"
"I have no idea," Zhao Wuji said, his voice a hitch higher than usual. Usually, they stay at the core of the forest." Then he looked around, spotting everyone. "Where is Tang San?" he asked, and Yin nodded toward the forest King had gone.
"Following Xiao Wu." She told him.
"Is he mad? This is ...." Zhao Wuji stopped himself and then looked at Yin. "Really? Even if it meant leaving you alone?"
Yin used their weave to unravel and landed on the ground, slowly getting the others down. "Yes. I have you to keep me safe, right? Xiao Wu has no one out there."
That they could understand. Ning Feng walked to Tang Yin and put her hand on Yin's shoulder.
"H-He will be F-Fine." She told. Tang Yin folded her arms in front of her.
"Of course, this is San we are talking about. I would never doubt his ability to keep himself safe." She told Ning Feng.
"Y-You worry anyways."
"I am his sister." Yin smiled, agreeing with Feng. Yes, she worried for him. But contrary to that, not because she thought he wouldn't be able to keep himself safe but rather because of another thing. His horrible habit of placing his security last in a situation of conflict worried her. There was something between them, so she shrugged. "It's my job. To worry about him."
That's what older Sisters do.
Tang Yin looked at the forest. Disaster had stuck. Trees had fallen, the carcasses of unlucky spirit animals had been buried beneath them, and the faint smell of lingering fear was in the air.
"We need to go after them." Zhao Wuji said, his teeth gritted.
Tang Yin agreed with him. San would need all the help he could get.
"Get some food into you kids. We go straight after." The rest nodded, and Oscar conjured sausages before Ning Feng gave everyone small lunches.
They all wolfed down their food before Dai Mubai took the Helm, with Zhao Wuji at the ready. They then headed right into the forest, following the path of destruction ahead. 𝖓𝔬𝖛𝔭𝔲𝖇.𝔠𝔬𝖒
Their mood was grim, and not even Ma Hongjun and Oscar, who tried their best to loosen up the mood, eventually withdrew their efforts and followed in silent determination.
Eventually, they grew all Tired. Tang Yin felt the point where her attention was slipping fade at some point, going into the same state she knew from her former life when driving long hours.
That moment when you passed being tired and were just present, snapping your attention at everything that arose but remained focused on your path. When the world was a bit fuzzy despite being fully present.
They were so deep in the forest that the sounds around them began to re-emerge from the surroundings. Despite the destruction still evident, the trees turned taller, and the landscape became even wilder.
Tang Yin noted it would have been a place of incredible beauty, one she could get lost in exploring if it wasn't for her brother's life hanging in limbo.
Suddenly, something snapped her attention. She could not quite put her finger on it, but she knew.
Tang San was in danger.
San.
