Three days was enough for the three to get the proper rest. Hualia with her ever rotten mood when she heard that her Young mistress was going out again to a yet, another mission. Wenru was like a maiden that had been raped all day without stopping.
"It's okay, it's nothing to worry about. I survived the last one, didn't I?" Wenli had tried countlessly to make them understand the missions must go on and on.
Whatever they say or do, it cannot change the orders of the dean. Else, they would land on the streets like the last time. Though it was just the night, they experienced poverty and hard life after the massacre that went on at her father's residence.
On the fourth day, they all departed.
"Again, on a dangerous quest. I can't believe I'm risking my life for these."XiMei blurted feeling wronged.
Wenli chuckled.
"I guess, we have all right to badmouth that dean of ours. We're still teens. How can she send us to our death zone." Wenli added.
"Ayiooo... Teacher LuPeng, what happened? You looked like you had a bad time these few months."
Most certainly, LuPeng had been through a lot. His master was as rough and as careless, almost making him lose his life in the process.
Since his spirit animal had not yet been formed, the master tried many ways to get him. Be it a death or alive situation.
It was toxic learning from his master, but what could he do?
If others could ask him, he would be glad to be on many missions as the Dean Liu wishes for him, with this ladies as his companions.
Don't get him wrong, he's not a womanizer, nor was he trying to in anyway, take advantage of them. Well, it was quite tempting having a cute and hot girl walking with you. Not for the fun, but for the hope the girls carried high for him.
XiMei and Wenli were aware that the man they call teacher is nothing but a powerful human. But the meaning was that, any spiritual core, that can function without the help of the spirit animal was quite useless.
All three of them have defaulties in many ways.
Firstly was the blue phoenix without power, the first was a girl with a weak spirit animal that depends solely on the great martial arts skills and her dominance as the blue phoenix.
The other who has magic but no spiritual core, learned a new trick when they were at the academy, she was ready to try out but yet not perfected.
And the last a spiritual core, without a spirit animal, that made him dependant on the girls that called him with respect.
He felt pathetic. At least Wenli can perfect in her training and be a powerful warrior maybe being like the purple phoenix.
XiMei could be like his master. The powerful magician the cultivation world has ever known.
But he? He would continue to struggle to learn more but be struck in the same place. And yet, he dared to accept the name those powerful girls praise him with.
"Is something bothering you?" XiMei asked again now coming closer to him, jolting him, away from his thoughts.
LuPeng placed his on the hilt of his sword tightly. "I'm okay. We have to reach the city, in other to take rest at a comfortable place. It doesn't fit you girls to sleep outside this cold weather."
"What a gentleman." Wenli thought to herself.
XiMei modded, "we're ready to hike with you down the mountain teacher LuPeng."
As the psychologist she was, she was able to read between the lines, but wasn't sure what exactly was going on, but she knows that this man standing beside them, felt inferior to them.
********
In the dragon slaughter of heartless beams. Inside the volcanic pier, on his never changing throne of thorns, sat the handsome Hua Wudi. The popular dragon King.
A man walked in, almost with a steady yet, quick steps. Kneeling in front of him the high thorny throne, head lowered to his lowest.
"What is it that is so important to deserve death this early?" He asked.
The man knew that this was Hua Wudi's resting period and knows nothing but one thing, never disturb his rest. But the news he has, is more important than his life. Because, once Wudi finds out without him being told, his death would be times two of what he has ever dreamed of.
"I'm sorryYour Majesty, but I bring news." He said head still lowered.
With the wave of his hand, the man was ordered to speak.
"Your Majesty, the young demon you placed at the dead-alive desert, has detected three cultivators from the same academy heading there." He announced
"Sure, that dean knows how to send her students to die. Why are they there. The beast at the dungeon has fed on the flesh of the previous students." He paused before speaking again, patting his own hair.
"Feed them to the beast. That's what we do always, why are you suddenly asking? It's not like you don't know what to do." Wudi asked, not out of agitation, but out of careful examination. Thinking of how to end the man's life for ruining his day with some useless information.
Like the previous time. He had gone through all the troubles sending for those students, only to be battered with disappointment that he furiously send them to their early grave. Now, the same news? When he was still getting over the anger that was still smitten all over him. Yet, this man kneeling in front of him has the guts, to kneel there all confident that things would turn out the way he wanted it to be.
"What made you so confident?" Wudi asked.
"Because among the students is the daughter of the Zhu family you spared." The man announced, making Wudi tilt his head ever so slightly.
"Well then, make it look like a robbery. No reckless moves." He commanded.
********
XiMei and LuPeng didn't know what happened. It took them weeks to get to the so called location of the dead-alive desert, with the compass XiMei's master had given them.
And the next thing they knew was them, in front of a beast, being tied feet and hands with no surge of strength to break through the shackles. And what's more terrifying was that in front of them was a malicious beast gnawing at them waiting for orders to claim his food.
While on the other hand, Wenli woke up in an unknown place. A burning place. Maybe because her spirit animal is also a fire creature, it wasn't that scourging, but most uncomfortably, deadly.
"You're awake!" She jolted from her sitting position to the direction of the voice.
"Who?" She asked. The aura coming from there, tells her one thing. This, is the person's turf. Don't mess with him or play smart. Her spirit animal is weak, and is not sure if it would be able to hold on, once he unleashes his power.
"The master is coming, please spare us your time."
Wenli said nothing. There was no way of escaping. Speaking of which, where are her friends? Why is she the only one here?
Moments later, she felt a person's presence because of the hot breathe from the person's nostrils around her neck, for a short moment before she felt normal again, yet uncomfortable.
"Who are you? And what did you do to my friends?" She asked, not daring to look at the person behind her.
"Is this how you treat a person that saved your life?" He asked.
"My life? Saved?" She asked, trying to remember.
"Tisy... How can you forget so soon?"
That was when it hit her. Hua Wudi!!!! That murderer!!!
*******
Wenli couldn't believe it but she did.
XiMei has revealed to them that she can turn into sprite animals herself. But she has a permanent transformation which she was not yet sure of.
The three woke up at the door of the academy. Looking at the sign, WANGSHOU ACADEMY boldly written.
She remembered everything like the back of her head. And her last statement.
"Yes! I'll become your ally. I'll be a loyal servant to you." She remembered.
She also remembered the blood oath that came with it. The unbreakable blood oath. An oath only Wudi can break.
She just couldn't believe it.
"I... Suddenly became my enemy's ally?!!!!" She screamed in her head. She has to tell her friends the truth, but not now. She just can't bring herself to tell them.