Spring arrived gently. A soft breeze carried the scent of blooming flowers from the backyard. The afternoon sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dancing shadows on the ground. A warm and peaceful atmosphere enveloped Saint Village, though unease began to creep among those gathered in the simple room.
"I'm going to Anxi Village," Su Jin said with a serious expression.
"What exactly happened in that village?" Jing Liu asked curiously.
"Traveling merchants and wanderers passing by that direction smelled blood and saw signs of burning. Even the river water flowing from that village had turned blood-red," Su Jin replied.
After hearing this, Arthur considered two main possibilities. One was the work of soul beasts. The second—which Arthur truly hoped would not be the case—was the work of evil soul masters, which would make this mission extremely dangerous for Su Jin. But Arthur couldn't tell Su Jin that.
"How cruel. Could it be the work of mountain bandits?" Uncle Jack said angrily.
"No. Mountain bandits wouldn't dare attack a village directly. Especially since this area is still fairly close to the Spirit Hall branch in Nuoding City. It's more likely the work of soul beasts," Su Jin said. However, he also considered another possibility. He didn't voice it directly, believing Arthur and Jing Liu were still too young, while Uncle Jack didn't know much about soul master affairs.
"What about the Heaven Dou Empire's army? Will they send any help?" Arthur asked, curious about their response.
"Yes, they will help and act as the front line, but they only send a small number of troops because the Heaven Dou Empire's army is generally not permitted to leave the cities they guard. However, there are certain situations where they are allowed to move. Usually, they aren't stationed in every city—only medium to large ones. Small towns and villages are only required to pay taxes, and troops are only sent if something like this happens," Su Jin answered with a sigh.
After hearing that, the three of them also thought about their own village, Saint Village. Although it was fairly close to Nuoding City, they would still be in trouble if the same thing happened. Especially since most of the villagers were farmers, and only a few were hunters—and even they had no spirit energy.
"So, what do you say? Can you accept my request?" Su Jin asked seriously.
"Alright, I'll accept it. But I don't promise to protect him forever. I'll look after him at least until he's strong enough to protect himself. By the way, what's your younger brother's name?" Arthur replied.
"Good. That's more than enough. His name is Su Yuntao. He's fourteen years old and reached level ten just yesterday. He's been an apprentice at the Spirit Hall branch for the past year, and he'll be officially accepted once he adds a spirit ring. Tomorrow, he's leaving for the spirit hunting forest," Su Jin said.
"But aren't you heading to Anxi Village tomorrow? Then who will accompany him to get his spirit ring?" Arthur asked. Although he had suspected that the younger brother in question was Su Yuntao, he hadn't expected him to be only fourteen. If so, perhaps his age and Tang San's wouldn't be too far apart.
"Yes, that's exactly why I want to ask you to help him get his spirit ring. Oh, by the way, about Su Yuntao..." Before Su Jin could finish, there was another knock on the door.
"Excuse me, big brother. Isn't this chat going on a little too long?" said the person knocking on the door.
The spring breeze blew gently, carrying flower petals that fluttered and fell outside the window. The day was turning to evening, and shadows stretched across the wooden floor of the room. Yet, tension was beginning to replace the warmth of what should have been a peaceful season.
TO BE CONTINUED...