WangXian Forever Book 10

Chapter 76: Punishment 2

Hui Gai constructs a barrier between all of them, including the First Prince, and the bucket. That's their first clue. The second clue that whatever is coming out of the cave is dangerous, is when he changes his mind and makes a clear, weighted bubble around them.

They're protected from every direction, and able to see clearly. Not only that, they have a clear and unobstructed view of the mouth of that cave.

The little golden bugs in the bucket become agitated and as they roll around in there, the force of their panic tips the bucket over. They can sense something coming...

A cacophony of whistles and high-pitched frenzied squeaks are heard, and then it's pure chaos.

Hundreds and thousands of tiny rodents with huge, hungry eyes descend from out of that darkness, millions of tiny feet scampering out with the agility and dexterity that leave the viewers in awe. They pounce on the tiny golden bugs with a ferocity that belies their cuteness, and Wei Ying is reminded of his one encounter with a bushbaby.

Once on a night hunt, he'd been minding his own business up a tree, waiting for his spirit lure flags to attract something, when a slight noise to his left made him turn his head very slowly. Two huge shining eyes stared back at him, too big for that cute, small face, and then vicious, razor-sharp teeth ripped the head off the praying mantis clutched tightly in its tiny paws. It chewed slowly too, as if savouring the experience, wanting to make it last longer. One more crunch, and the praying mantis was gobbled up.

Wei Ying switched trees.

Now, looking at the feeding frenzy, Wei Ying glances at his best friend. Hui Gai is watching the First Prince with a calculating expression on his face.

Outside of the safety bubble, the tiny creatures have finished what little food there was, and the majority of them go back into the cave with the same amount of muffled noise.

But the ones that are remaining are acting weird, uncoordinated and stumbling, collapsing onto the ground where they are, still twitching as spasms take over their tiny bodies.

"Um...are they dead?" Wei Ying asks Hui Gai.

"As good as," he replies cryptically. "Go on, pick them up," he orders the First Prince. With a wave of his hand, the bubble disappears and the bucket previously half filled with Tiger's Eye bugs becomes bigger.

The First Prince tries to protest and is immediately zapped by the new collar around his neck that Wei Ying had not noticed until he saw it emitting a current of sizzling red energy.

"Hui Gai?" Wei Ying asks him, with a brow raised.

"The collar?" Hui Gai grins as if he's talking about the weather. "That's because the Prisoner thinks I want to hear whatever rubbish comes out of his mouth. A new development," he adds.

"How does it work?" one of Hui Gai's demons asks.

Without a second thought, Hui Gai hands over a small device. The three demons start playing with it, and Wei Ying has the startling view of the First Prince breaking out into untimely spasms periodically while trying to pick up the rodents from the floor. But the problem is, every time his collar goes off, if he happens to be touching one of the little creatures at the time, the current goes through him and into the not-bushbaby he's holding. That has the effect of resuscitation, and the tiny body springs into action, giving him a little bite to make him let go and then off it scampers back into the cave.

Meanwhile, the demons playing around with the remote control haven't even noticed the results of their actions. Completely oblivious to the pained yelps of their prisoner, they start fighting among themselves, and Hui Gai has to pinch the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes with exasperation.