At night, on the outskirts of the Dark Forest, the camp had fallen quiet.
The campfire had been banked low, leaving only a few dark red embers flickering in the ashes. The patrolling guards had begun their second shift, their footsteps passing slowly along the edge of the camp before fading into the distance.
The Chief had assigned people to keep watch. Deputy Chief Tie Xiong personally checked the outer perimeter before returning to his place and sitting down. Most of the villagers were asleep. A few children nestled in their mothers' arms, breathing softly.
The occasional cry of a night bird came from afar, only to be scattered by the wind through the trees.
Shen Fei had been leaning against a large tree, regulating his breathing.
The Dark Prison Reincarnation Art had just completed a full cycle, and the spiritual power in his meridians slowly gathered back into his dantian. He opened his eyes, ready to circulate it once more, when he saw Mingyu floating over from the center of the camp.
Mingyu still looked the same: an arm-sized humanoid, ink-black all over, with clearly defined facial contours but no details.
It hovered a foot above the ground, the inky edges of its body rippling faintly in the night breeze like a tightly compressed mass of mist. It floated up to Shen Fei, stopped, and tilted its head slightly.
Shen Fei stood up, brushed the dirt from the hem of his clothes, and spoke softly. "Senior Mingyu, is something the matter?"
Mingyu did not answer immediately.
It hovered where it was, its ink-black body still, a sheen slowly shifting across its surface. Several breaths passed before it raised its tiny hand.
The hand was only as long as an adult's thumb, with no distinct joints, merely the outline of