WangXian Forever 3

Chapter 60 Menace

A chill enveloped Wei Ying, tendrils of fear curled around his heart, as the echoes of the laughter faded away. He struggled to remember something but it faded. Red eyes gazed at him curiously, through the misty fog.

He stared, confused. Red eyes, red eyes...did he know someone with red eyes? He felt as if this was of the utmost importance.

These red eyes however, did not seem friendly at all. He could see an anger, and malice woven with hatred.

"Who are you?" He asked, sure that the laughter still echoing in his mind had come from this creature.

"Does it matter?" She slithered closer, never taking her eyes off him.

The fog seemed to be repelled by her body; as she drew closer, the air cleared slightly and Wei Ying could make out her languid shape. Her body formed a wide circle around him, overlapping thrice before he saw her head.

She zoomed in, butting his body with her snout, and her forked tongue tasted the air around him. Confusion clouded her eyes, piercing him with her attention.

"Perhaps, I should be asking you that? You smell...different."

She curled closer to him.

Wei Ying flinched when her tongue licked his face.

"You taste different too." She added, twisting around him. "Who are you? Why," she drawled cunningly, "are you so important to them?"

"To who?" Wei Ying twisted around to face her, not liking his vulnerability.

Her tail wound around his body, loosely at first. He shivered, not out of just fear which lingered, but the chill from her cold scales seeped into him and sucked out all the warmth. He wanted...he wished...for what?

"I could crush your puny little body, like this." Her muscled body drew tighter around his, squeezing him until he was gasping for breath. "But where's the fun in that?" She let go of him abruptly.

Wei Ying fell on the ground, desperately trying to suck in air.

*******

Lan Zhan watched the blue flame grow stronger from his ring. He willed himself not to panic, to move faster through this debilitating haze, a single-minded focus on his goal. WangJi continued to repel the fog, so at least that he could see a little way ahead.

The peculiar smell became stronger, almost a physical presence, but he forced himself to ignore it. His sense of direction was lost; the low visibility banishing any idea of where he was going. He could even be moving in circles, but he rejected that thought immediately. He cocked his head, listening...there were voices...?

He used the sound as a guide, determining his footsteps, running lightly through the trees. Wait for me, Wei Ying. I am coming.

*******

She was playing with him, Wei Ying realised, as he picked himself up from the ground again, panting. Her massive strength could crush him like a petal. She could end this so much faster, so then...why wasn't she?

"I must say, you are persistent. You've lasted longer than...most prey." She hissed appreciatively.

"Why don't you just kill me?" Wei Ying thought fast. He could not win a physical fight, so attacking her just as he was, wouldn't work. Think!

"I could," she agreed. "And yet, it's been a long time since I enjoyed myself like this. It's almost a shame to kill you."

Her body began to tighten once more around him, but Wei Ying had been gathering his strength. He used her own body as leverage and leapt out of her trap. He took off running, no idea where he was going, but it was anywhere that she wasn't. He could hear her behind him, gaining fast, perhaps listening to the noises of his running feet. He slid to a stop, using the trunk of a tree as cover.

His breathing stuttered as he strove for calm, in through the nose, out from his mouth. Seconds passed and he felt her presence.

She hissed, perhaps in anger or annoyance, closer now.

"Where are you, little boy?" She said in a sing-song voice. "You can't escape. I cannot let you."

She came closer still. Wei Ying held his breath, not daring to make another sound.

*******

XiChen tended to the wounded outside the gates of Cloud Recesses, trying to keep his suspicion at bay. Their injuries did not seem consistent of people who had been attacked by a snake. Or any creature.

Their wounds looked...self inflicted.

He had seen his fair share of body hurts, injuries from collision, battle scars, mutilation of the highest degrees. But this...did not fit.

He watched the leader of the group make up more lies to fool the healers, but what could he say?

Jiang Cheng joined him. After a few seconds, he pulled him away.

"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" He demanded.

XiChen gave him a subtle nod. They were being watched, albeit covertly.

"What are you going to do about it?" Jiang Cheng kissed his cheek and used the close proximity to talk.

"Can't allow them inside, so send them away after treatment. Follow them." XiChen took in a deep breath of lotus scent, calming himself.

He turned to face the group, smiling.

*******

Lan Zhan was running, and he almost tripped over something lying on the ground. He stopped to examine it. His blood ran cold, as he picked it up.

Chenqing.

Wei Ying! Where are you? He scanned the trees and thought he saw movement. He ran towards it, praying he wasn't too late.

*******

Wei Ying turned to run but found himself face to face with his nemesis. She almost smiled.

"There you are! I thought I'd lost you." She purred, slithering closer.

Wei Ying reached for Chenqing and...came up empty. He felt around his waist, with no luck. Had he dropped it? Where?

She laughed, watching his every move, seeing his thoughts one after the other as they crossed his features.

"You cannot escape. You are mine now." She slid across the ground, gaining momentum as he withdrew, backing away from her.

"That's it!" She suddenly snarled. "Enough!"

Her tail whipped around and slammed into his body, throwing him off the cliffedge into the air.

He screamed as he fell.