A Sudden Calamity

In front of the stove

Hu Liena watched Qian Yun working hard at the stove and smiled. "Not bad. Judging by your looks, I thought you were some young master who'd run away from home. I didn't expect you to be so quick at chores."

Qian Yun didn't take it to heart. "It's just washing dishes. How hard can it be?"

Hu Liena smiled but said nothing.

Qian Yun glanced at Hu Liena, who was working alongside him, and casually remarked, "You're pretty good at cooking. By the way, was that Ghost Moth we had today really a Spirit Beast?"

"Of course it was. Didn't you taste the difference?" Hu Liena replied without hesitation.

Qian Yun tilted his head back and savored the memory. "It did taste quite a bit better than ordinary meat. I've just never seen a Spirit Beast before, so I was curious."

At that, Hu Liena stopped working too. She tilted her head and grumbled, "I've never seen one either. They never take me along when they go hunting. It's so annoying."

"So Grandpa Village Chief really is a Spirit Master?" Qian Yun wanted to see a Spirit Master with his own eyes and watch one use a Spirit Skill. If he didn't have to worry about seeming strange, he would've asked Grandpa Village Chief to demonstrate one.

"Ah! I've actually seen that!" Hu Liena said excitedly. "I once saw Grandpa cultivating. A Spirit Ring appeared beside him. It was light and airy, and white. It was so beautiful."

"Oh?" Her description made Qian Yun even more eager to see one.

"But it's nothing special! I'm going to become a powerful Spirit Master too, with a beautiful Martial Soul and pretty Spirit Rings!" Hu Liena seemed to have found an outlet for her feelings, and even let slip the dream she'd kept secret.

Once Hu Liena realized what she'd said, her face turned bright red. She pouted and glared at Qian Yun. "This is my secret... You're not allowed to tell anyone, or I'll..."

Hu Liena fumed for a while, but couldn't think of what to do to him. Qian Yun naturally didn't feel like provoking her. Instead, something else she'd said caught his interest.

"Why is wanting to become a Spirit Master a secret?"

Hu Liena's expression froze. She slumped onto the floor, looking dejected. A sadness far beyond her years crossed her young face as she pouted. "Grandpa and A-Qiang are always against me becoming a Spirit Master. They say all I need to do is find a good family to marry into when I grow up."

"I..." Qian Yun was at a loss for words. He felt that the village chief and the others were wrong, but what could an outsider like him say?

"Don't worry. You'll definitely become a Spirit Master." Qian Yun looked at her and spoke with conviction.

Hu Liena looked up in disbelief, meeting Qian Yun's gaze.

"Really?"

"Of course." Qian Yun nodded.

Hu Liena stared into Qian Yun's clear eyes, lost in thought. A moment later, she seemed to realize she'd been staring.

"Good. You know what's what," she said, then got up and started working again.

Qian Yun smiled. Knowing the original story, he wasn't worried at all. Hu Liena would not only become a Spirit Master, but also grow into one of the finest members of Spirit Hall's younger generation.

The two of them continued working in silence. Before long, the pile of dishes was clean and sparkling.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

A series of dull knocks suddenly sounded.

They turned around and exchanged a glance. Who would be knocking in the middle of the night? And at the kitchen door, of all places?

"Who is it?" Hu Liena called toward the door.

Bang! Bang! Bang...

The only answer was another series of dull knocks. Hu Liena's face darkened. She was about to march over and teach that deaf idiot a lesson when Qian Yun swiftly grabbed her.

"What are you doing...?" Hu Liena asked, confused. Before she could finish, she saw Qian Yun frowning and motioning for her to be quiet.

Seeing his expression, Hu Liena finally sensed that something was wrong. The knocking continued, growing louder and more violent. Now that she listened closely, was that really knocking? It sounded as if someone was slamming their body against the door! Fortunately, the door opened outward, making it extremely difficult to break through from outside.

Qian Yun frowned, his heart pounding.

The blood-red moonlight shining through the window, the unceasing pounding at the door... An ominous feeling rose in Qian Yun's chest. He took Hu Liena's hand and led her to the pile of firewood. There, he picked out a thick wooden stick and weighed it in his hand.

Seeing him, Hu Liena's eyes widened. Her small, trembling hand grabbed his arm.

"Don't be afraid. The door's holding him back. He can't get in." Qian Yun held the stick in one hand and shielded Hu Liena with his body.

"Okay." The girl who was usually too restless to sit still now trembled all over.

There was one thing Qian Yun hadn't said: it was already too late to run.

If they stayed there, they'd only be waiting to die. Their only chance of survival was to find an opening, get outside, and find the village chief and A-Qiang.

Qian Yun turned to Hu Liena, who was on the verge of tears, and did his best to give her a reassuring smile. "Close your eyes. We'll rush out in a moment. No matter what happens, don't open them."

Hu Liena wiped away the tears clouding her vision and asked in a trembling voice, "Qian Yun, we'll both be okay, right?"

Qian Yun nodded, and Hu Liena finally closed her eyes.

Bang! Bang! Bang...

The noise outside was no longer just knocking. The person was pounding on the door. Qian Yun watched the door latch, which was already close to giving way, and figured it could hold for only five more hits.

Five, four... three. Take a breath. Don't panic. Two...

Qian Yun lowered his stance and silently counted down to the moment the door would break.

Finally—

One!

Bang!!

The door burst open. Qian Yun grabbed Hu Liena and dashed through the opening.

By the light of the flames, he saw that, just as he'd expected, someone had been slamming into the door. He'd been wondering who it was when his shoulder crossed the threshold. In a fleeting glance, he finally saw the person's face!

"A-Qiang?!"

Qian Yun brushed past A-Qiang. Who else could this red-eyed man with the twisted face be?

No wonder... No wonder! He'd wondered why A-Qiang hadn't come to save them. It turned out he'd been here all along.

Before Qian Yun could recover from his shock, a blast of scorching air rushed down his throat.

"Cough, cough." Qian Yun glanced back at A-Qiang, then ran toward the courtyard exit, guided by his memory of the day. A-Qiang is here, so where's the village chief?

Still wondering, Qian Yun dragged Hu Liena through the thick smoke. He soon found out where the village chief was.

At the courtyard entrance stood the village chief, holding a torch. Qian Yun's face darkened as he slowly backed away without a word.

The village chief approached them with bloodshot eyes. A pure white ring floated beside him. His trademark little deerskin cap was nowhere to be seen.

Flames curled behind the village chief. His black-and-white hair whipped about as he slowly walked toward them. His gaunt body seemed like a mountain, bearing down on Qian Yun until he could barely breathe.

In his current state, Qian Yun had no chance against the village chief. On top of that, the moment he entered the courtyard, his head had grown heavy. Even walking had become a struggle.

"Qian Yun, are we there yet? My head hurts so much. I can't take it anymore. I opened my eyes... Village Chief!" Hu Liena opened her eyes and turned deathly pale at the sight before her.

The courtyard that had once held so many warm memories was now engulfed in flames. The crackle of breaking timber filled her ears, and scorching smoke beat against her pale face. All she could see was a scene from hell. And the person responsible was the last one she would have suspected: the village chief?!

"Village Chief, is that you?" Hu Liena asked in a trembling voice. The red-eyed man before her, his face filled with murderous fury, was so unfamiliar she could barely recognize him.

Qian Yun gripped her wrist tightly, stopping her from rushing over.

Who could have guessed that hearing the word "Village Chief" would trigger something? The village chief let out a beastly roar and charged at them in an instant.

"Ah!" Over Hu Liena's piercing scream, Qian Yun barely managed to dodge. But they were driven back into the burning house.

Qian Yun had barely escaped one disaster, and now he had to face the village chief's pursuit.

"It's over. We're done for."

Just then, another figure rushed out of the smoke. The tall figure slammed into the village chief and sent him flying. The two of them disappeared into the sea of flames.

"Village Chief! A-Qiang!" Hu Liena screamed in anguish, using up the last of her strength.

Qian Yun gritted his teeth and scooped up the unconscious Hu Liena. With his head growing heavier by the moment, he couldn't tell whether he'd be able to get out. But he had to try to find a way. Flames surrounded them, broken beams kept falling from above, and the scorching heat was enough to roast them alive.

At last, a broken beam crashed down right in front of him, snuffing out their final chance of survival.

Lying on the ground, Qian Yun clutched the unconscious Hu Liena, trying to shield her as best he could. He didn't know how long passed. His consciousness seemed to return once more, and in a daze, he felt a force rising from within and gradually enveloping them both. In his final moment, he thought he faintly heard a voice:

"First Spirit Skill, Gale Wave!"