The Untamed 2: The Unlikely Hero -Book 1-3

13. Lost

14.LOST

They had left early that morning from Gusu and had elected to travel by sword.

It had taken Huang Jin most of the morning to get the hang of it. Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian stayed back with her and gave her pointers, until she had figured it out, and could keep up with the rest of them.

Huang Jin had gotten terrible sleep, yet again. Her entire body felt like she had been hit by a sack of bricks. She was so unbelievably tired. Made especially worse because she was having to use most of her spiritual power just to propel her sword forward through the air.

This just wasn't going to be her day either, was it...

She had spent most of the morning trying to avoid everyone's eye contact, and told everyone that asked that she was fine. Throwing up a fake smile every time they stopped to rest.

She didn't care if they believed her or not. She just wanted to be left alone. Her irritation at everyones concern was almost visible on her skin, only made worse by the fact that Jiang Cheng had been watching her the whole day.

It may have been fun, if she hadn't already been annoyed at her lack of control. She would have teased him, or joked around with him, but she had to concentrate and focus just to keep her sword stable enough for her to ride it. It had taken everything she had to keep the swirling mist of resentful energy from being visible.

Breathe, Huang Jin. You can do this.

They had stopped several times throughout their journey. At a small well, or a passing river to rest, but the group of cultivators all traveled quickly.

They made it to the outskirts of Yunmeng just as the sun was just setting, and stopped at the first small village they could find that had a large enough inn to house them all.

They all immediately began to unpack, and order food from the innkeeper. The younger disciples stayed downstairs to ready everyone's tables for dinner and talk amongst themselves, while the elders went upstairs to unpack and relax before dinner.

Huang Jin had only barely closed the door to her room when she felt a heavy presence behind her in the hallway. The hairs on the back of her neck rose and a brush of resentful energy crept up her spine. When she whirled around, there was nothing there.

Huang Jin...get a hold of yourself...there's nothing there, it's all in your head.

Her heavy eyelids pulled at her, and she shook her head. She leaned against the door, closing her eyes, and tilting her head back, breathing in deeply, trying to focus her control.

I can't keep doing this. I need to get this under control....Her mind raced as she tried to keep the energy from overwhelming her. The swirling mist began to seep from her skin.

She wasn't going to be able to last the night. She had to set the plan in motion. A single tear slid down her cheek.

A voice from her right spoke into the silence, "You are losing it." Her eyes flew open and she looked into the eyes of Wei Wuxian, standing at the end of the hallway. His eyes showed only concern.

Huang Jin choked on the tears she held back, and she lowered her head. She really was going to miss them. She needed this plan to work.

She knew that with the spirit flag symbols written on her, and with the amount of energy that was building within her, she knew it would attract the demon. She knew she could use this terrible curse given to her, for some type of good...

She looked back at him, her face lit up with the beautifully gentle smile she normally wore. "Yea...that's an understatement my friend. Can we go somewhere else please? I don't know how much longer I will be able to control it." Her face lowered, her control beginning to slip once again.