Emphyreal Divide

Chapter Eight

The three teens walked the riverside carelessly, their pace a leisurely one, as if they were without a specific end goal in mind. It would almost seem to be a casual afternoon walk if it weren't the dead of the night, if their swords weren't drawn, had one not had a bow held in hand. Though they walked on with an air of what was almost nonchalance, their eyes were kept sharp, each searching the shadows around them for the slightest indication of movement. The woods were still around them, the only sound to be heard the rustle of wind through the treetops and their own footsteps, the dull thud that accompanied each step only ever broken by the snap of a twig underfoot, or a stumbling step that sent one lurching forward further than intended. That silence alone was enough to put the three of them on edge— a silent night was never a good one. That sentiment was clearly not held by Fairy, however, who chose to run ahead of the three of them, tail raised and wagging, darting off in pursuit of the smallest sound or at the slightest smell.

"Was Sect Leader Ouyang certain this was the right direction?" Jingyi grumbled from Jin Ling's left, absentmindedly crossing his arms as he did so. "We've been walking alongside this river for half the night and seen nothing."

"It's good if it's nothing, Jingyi. Remember, Sect Leader Jiang said those reports were without provocation," Sizhui said, tactfully reminding the two why exactly they were there. It was only by the behest of Sect Leader Jiang that they were allowed on this particular night hunt, especially given the rather dubious nature of it.

In the past few weeks, small cities and villages throughout BalingOuyang territory had been experiencing a rash of unprovoked assaults by both resentful spirits and fierce corpses, destroying buildings and villages, and even killing people in a few instances. Allegedly, most of these attacks had occurred in the northern region of Baling, along the stretch of border they shared with Yunmeng, some even claiming reports of movement up into YunmengJiang's territory. Thus, YunmengJiang had sent a group of disciples south to investigate, with Jin Ling in charge.

Jin Ling gave a harsh huff, resisting the urge to cross his arms in petulant fashion, knowing that in doing so he would only be echoing Jingyi's own actions. He found himself rather perturbed by the lack of fierce corpses in the area, a hint of frustration and anger curling in his chest as the night dragged on with no developments. He had hoped tonight would prove he was able to be a bit more independent, would prove he was capable of handling himself and others on a hunt, would prove that he would be capable of taking on the responsibility of Sect Leader when the time came. Unfortunately, it seemed that tonight he wouldn't be given the chance to. "Just because Sect Leader Ouyang told Uncle the Fierce Corpses were showing up without provocation doesn't mean they really were. That just means he didn't know why they were showing up."

"That's true," Jingyi added, brows drawing together in thought. "Then we should find out why, right?"

"Well we aren't fighting any fierce corpses, are we?" Jin Ling shot back, rolling his eyes as he did so. Jingyi pursed his lips, giving Jin Ling an exceptionally dirty look as he did so, stopping to face the other teen. Jin Ling simply brushed him off in response, trapsing ahead, nervously bouncing the string of his bow against his inner arm as he walked. Their best bet was to keep moving, to try and find something worth mentioning when they returned to Lotus Pier. He wouldn't let this be a waste of their time, to be a pointless mission.

"Maybe we should meet up with the YunmengJiang disciples, they might have found something we haven't," Sizhui suggested, speeding up to fall into step with Jin Ling.

"Not likely," Jingyi added, voice carrying a hint of bitterness. Sizhui shot him a warning look, and Jingyi quickly scrambled to tack on an explanation, "We would've heard something if there was fighting. It's quiet tonight."