🌱CHAPTER 11: Mist Ninja
The forest was quiet that night. The trees stood tall on both sides of the narrow road, and their leaves moved gently in the cold wind. Hmmm… Elder Han Zhen stepped onto the dirt path and paused for a moment. Frostpetal Town was close by, it was only a short walk ahead, and the smell of cooking smoke drifted faintly from that direction.
He bent down.
"Ahh…" his knees cracked a little. "Too old," he muttered.
He picked up a few stones from the ground. The stones felt cold in his hand. He slowly turned one stone on his palm, and drew a short line on the dirt with his finger, then he pressed the stone down into the lines he had drawn.
Scrrch… scrrch…
He picked another stone and held it between two fingers. His brows tightened as he moved his fingers slowly in the air, drawing different shapes and lines that only he could understood.
Then he carefully placed the stones on the ground and connected them based on the marks. Little lines. Or circles. There were also Little symbols that looked simple but complicated at the same time.
He let out a light breath.
"whezssss…"
The he stood up and stepped back. The array pattern he had drawn was now spreading across the dirt like a like vines.
His eyes carefully followed it from left to right, making sure every piece sat in the right place. He tapped one stone with his toe. "Tsk... Not good." Then He bent again, moved it half an inch, and nodded.
Then he stood there waiting. Soon. The sound of horse hooves could be heard.
Thud… thud… thud… thud…
The sounds were Slow and steady, like someone trying not to draw too much attention. Elder Han Zhen's face didn't change. He just pushed his cloak back and watched the path ahead.
The carriage appeared through the muddy path. Two brown horses were pulling it forward. Their breaths came out like small clouds of smokes in the cold air. There was a man in black robes sitting at the front of the carriage, and holding the reins. His hood covered most of his face, but Han Zhen could see part of his jaw and a thin scar near his chin.
Han Zhen whispered under his breath, "That should be him..."
His voice was soft like a whisper.
The carriage got closer And Closer by the seconds.
The horses started to slow down when they saw Han Zhen standing in the middle of the muddy road. The man in black paused and stared at him for a few seconds, like he was trying to confirm something. Then he pulled the reins and the horses stopped.
Hnnnhhh… they breathed as they settled.
The man jumped down. Thud!.
He walked toward Han Zhen with quiet steps. His boots made soft sounds on the dirt. Tap… tap… tap… He stopped a few feet away and bowed his head a bit in greeting.
"Elder Han Zhen."
Han Zhen didn't say anything. He just reached into his robe and pulled out a small pouch. It made a light clink and chimes sound when it moved. He threw it gently toward the man.
Fwip!!!… dunk!!!.
The pouch landed in the man's hand. The man opened it slightly and saw the spirit crystals glowing inside.
They looked brighter than mortal coins. They held real essence and were more valuable than coins. Enough to buy rare herbs. Enough to make a man rich if he knew where to sell them.
The man touched one crystal with his finger and nodded.
"Payment received."
He walked to the back of the carriage. And lifted the wooden latch and opened the door. Inside the carriage, there were wooden cell cages. People were locked inside them, they were sitting still on the floor. One of them was Yin Zhe.
The man took a step back, placed two fingers on the hilt of the sword behind his back, and whispered something under his breath.
Fsshhh…
Mist rose from his hand. It flowed like smoke, then turned sharp like thin blades. The mist spread through the inside of the carriage. It wrapped around the wooden cell mates. It touched their skin.
Tissss…
One by one, their bodies went limp and they fell unconscious. Their eyes were now closed. And Their breathing slowed down. They all fell asleep like someone had blew out their candle flames.
Han Zhen watched without blinking.
The man turned his head. "All sleeping."
Han Zhen nodded once. "Good. Leave the carriage. The crystal should cover the cost."
The man didn't argue. He looked at the pouch again, then tied it to his belt, and took one step back. Then another.
He lifted his left foot, pushed slightly off the ground..
Hup!!.
He shot upward.
His body moved like a shadow that was breaking free. He grabbed a branch overhead, he landed lightly on it, and stood there like a bird. Then he turned and leaped to another tree's branch.
Thup.
Thup.
Thup.
From tree to tree. Like a squirrel. His movement was fast but very light. Almost silent.
Han Zhen let out a long breath. "Hooo…" He shook his head slowly.
"So he's actually a mist ninja, not a cultivator…" he muttered. His voice carried a bit of tired humor in it. He watched the man disappear deeper into the forest and out of his site.
"Hmph."
He pulled his cloak tighter around his shoulders.
Han Zhen just stood there, looking at the empty path where the ninja vanished.