Like a Ray in My Night (Part 4)

674 A Bad Feeling

As soon as Mei Chao Bing stepped out on the other side, his heart started to race. This was the intuition honed through years of cultivation. Something was wrong or something would go wrong any moment now. He could feel it. His muscles tensed and he glanced around the place they had reached vigilantly.

He actually knew where they were: This was the underground palace they had discovered and investigated before, the place where he had killed Qu Yijun. Well, at least this was the same building. They weren't in that corridor though but instead in the main hall which held the array on the ground that they hadn't been able to decipher and the murals on the wall that somehow seemed to be related to the guardians of the four great righteous sects.

Mei Chao Bing couldn't care less about that right now. They didn't know his Master's plan in all that much detail and while this might have something to do with the abilities, he had no idea how that fit into everything else they knew. Maybe it had only been a feint and the palace actually had another purpose. It may have simply been a site to test whether his senior martial brothers were able to use the skills of the Lin family or perhaps this place hadn't been recently built but was instead related to something that had happened a long time ago. He wasn't that familiar with the demonic faction that he could answer any question without a doubt.

Either way, he had a bad feeling. It shouldn't be related to the place itself though. After all, he had been here before and hadn't felt anything like that. No, something was different and this feeling got worse with every breath he took since they had stepped through that strange portal just now.

He tried to fit the details he noticed around him to what he remembered of this place but nothing of any magnitude seemed different. Then was it about the disciples that were now here? Or had his Master prepared anything? He couldn't see any hints of that though ...

His gaze darted around while Feng Bai Xiao seemingly leisurely walked to the middle of the room. When he finally stopped, he turned back to look at them, his gaze only faintly brushing over Mei Chao Bing's figure before turning to Lei Chen and Yun Bei Fen who had followed behind him.

The portal behind them closed, cutting the connection between the headquarters and the underground palace. The faint light that had emanated from it vanished at once and plunged the room into darkness.

Mei Chao Bing's gaze immediately flickered to Yun Bei Fen. His little bunny's cultivation wasn't high and he wasn't sure if he would be able to see in the dark.

Yun Bei Fen indeed seemed surprised but Lei Chen was still holding onto him so he didn't panic. Anyway, not to mention that someone was directly next to him, he also knew that Mei Chao Bing was still there. How could anything happen?

Lei Chen's level might not be much higher than Yun Bei Fen's at this time but the foundation was definitely there. He didn't react at all to the lack of light and simply pulled Yun Bei Fen over to the middle of the room to where Feng Bai Xiao stood.

Mei Chao Bing's eyes widened and he lunged forward before he even understood what was going on. He stretched out his arm, trying to grab Yun Bei Fen and pull him back while throwing an attack his Master's way with the other hand.

The spiritual energy hit Feng Bai Xiao's shoulder but it might as well have been a drop of water. He didn't even seem to notice it. The hand that he had lifted still shot out.

Mei Chao Bing finally managed to grab Yun Bei Fen by the shoulder and pulled. The person fell into his arms and he hugged him tightly, vigilantly staring at his Master through the darkness.

Feng Bai Xiao didn't care. He lowered his hand and simply requited his gaze.

Mei Chao Bing's heartbeat continued to race. He hesitated for a moment but then threw up a sliver of spiritual energy, lighting up the surroundings. When he looked at Yun Bei Fen's figure in his arms ... he could only stare at him in a daze.

There was a faint red mark on his forehead where Feng Bai Xiao's hand had touched him. Even worse was the fact that his eyes were still open but ... he didn't seem to react at all. He wasn't moving. Not even blinking as if he couldn't perceive the bright light that had suddenly appeared above.

Mei Chao Bing's hands trembled. He didn't want to assume the worst. It ... it couldn't be true. His Master wouldn't kill Yun Bei Fen. If he did, what did he have left to threaten him with, after all?

He took a shaky breath and pressed his hand onto Yun Bei Fen's chest, just wanting to make sure. As a result, he actually felt nothing. There was no heartbeat and he couldn't feel him breathing either.

Mei Chao Bing gulped, unable to believe what was happening. His Master needed him to do something. He wouldn't let go of the one bargaining chip he had. There was nothing else he cared about after all. He wouldn't ... he wouldn't do this. At most, he would hurt him but he would never go further than that. It just ... couldn't be.

He cradled Yun Bei Fen in his arms and finally looked up, his brows furrowing tightly. He should feel enraged but, right now, he had to do his best not to shiver. He just ... felt incredibly afraid that he might have lost Yun Bei Fen while he was right in front of him.

"Just what ... did you do to him?"