On the Petals of a Flower, I found something that does not belong to me

37

For those who have fallen.

 The next morning, we stopped right outside the village. When we gathered together, the Sect leaders nodded to each other and nodded to me as well. Then we moved on.

 The village looked like a deserted one. Fog, smoke, and a pungent, sweet-sour smell wafted through the air. Some houses on the right and left were demolished, while others were dilapidated. There was no one on the street.

 "Where is everybody?" did Jin Guangyao. He seemed hesitant. Maybe he didn't have great experience in battle.

 "You do not often see the residents wandering around here. Not for some time."

 We all turned to our right. A blurred figure appeared in the fog. At first I couldn't even tell who it was even with my lenses. But when he got close enough, I noticed that he was an old man with brown frayed robes. Like mine in a way. Only mine had been cleaned.

 "I am Su Ming. The head of the village."

 The Sect leaders greeted him and he reciprocated.

 "You'll see the monsters are as soon as you leave the village. Be vigilant though. You may be attacked when you reach the last houses."

 "Thank you. Gather the inhabitants in one place. We may need to evacuate," Nie Mingjue ordered. Anyway, the village was close to the area.

 "Yes," Su Ming bowed and passed us, heading in the opposite direction.

 I looked at the houses. They were all wooden and old-fashioned. From a window a child looked at us. Then a woman pulled it back.

 "Let us go. Watch out from here on out. We do not know what we will encounter. And prepare to fight with your swords. Our powers are not valid here," Mingjue said.

 I felt guilt in my heart, but I ignored it. I had to concentrate. Let's even make the monster's powers nullify.

 I approached Nie Mingjue. "I want a sword too. Or a knife. Something to protect myself."

 "You do not need it" he didn't take his eyes off the road and around. His body was on alert. "We will protect you. If you do not decide to escape like last time."

 I scoffed. The fog began to thicken. "I will not escape. But I want a knife. Please" I stuck almost next to him. I could hardly see him now from the fog.

 As soon as I saw him he shrugged his shoulders and then one hand put something inside mine. It was a handle. And it was a knife.

 "Thanks!" I did and held it in my hand.

 The fog started to thicken and our group gathered around like animals when they feel danger coming.

 "Stay close!" Nie Mingjue shouted. Something was stinking here. It was the first time I had seen such dense fog. It seemed unreal.

 At some point, the fog began to dilute and the houses to the right and left as well.

 "Watch out from here on now," Nie Mingjue said. The rest followed his example.

 "Luo! Luo!"

 I turned my head back. One disciple shouted the name of another.

 "What happened?" asked Jiang Cheng.

 "Luo" made the disciple and was turning around like a maniac. "He was behind me. He is gone!"

 "Yitsen? Yitsen? And Yitsen too!" shouted another.

 "And Yao!"

 We all gathered out of the fog and away from it.

 "Someone took them!" made a disciple.