Tian blinked.
He turned it left and right.
"This?" He let out a dry laugh. "It looks dull. This is a normal sword."
Kirin did not react. "That is because it is incomplete."
Tian lowered it slightly. "Incomplete?"
"It requires eight crystals to awaken its true power," Kirin said. "Only when it absorbs all eight can it cut through Wuxian."
Tian stared at the blade again.
"Huh?"
Leon suddenly stiffened.
He turned abruptly toward the tunnel behind them.
"We need to move," Leon said. "I can sense movement nearby. They will be here soon."
Kirin nodded once.
Leon led the way down a narrow passage.
Tian walked beside Kirin, the sword still in his hand.
"Where do we even get these eight crystals?" Tian asked in a low voice.
Kirin looked ahead. "I do not know."
Tian stopped for half a second. "You don't know?"
"We must find someone who can detect them."
Tian's steps slowed again. "There's someone who can detect where they are?"
"Yes."
"And you didn't bring that person here first?"
Kirin remained silent for a while. "I was sealed for a thousand years. I woke up with limited strength."
Tian squinted at him. "So you don't know where the crystals are. You don't know how long it will take. You don't know how strong Wuxian has become."
Kirin glanced sideways at him.
"That is correct."
Tian's eye twitched. "Seriously? I thought you were a holy being."
"I am," Kirin replied without hesitation.
He stepped closer.
"Sorry, Your Highness." He leaned down, face only inches away.
Tian froze.
Golden eyes met his.
Tian stepped back quickly. "What's with you-."
Leon cleared his throat ahead of them.
"Your Highness. Lord Kirin. There is an exit this way."
He pushed aside a concealed stone panel at the end of the tunnel. Cool night air flowed in. Beyond it stretched a forest path hidden behind the palace hill.
Leon turned back toward Tian.
"We must leave the capital now."
Tian looked at the dark trees, then at the plain sword in his hand.
They were one step from the forest when the fresh night air was replaced with a stench…rot, wet soil, and blood.
Leon halted.
Shadows shifted between the trees as seven figures emerged from the dark. Parts of their bodies were bent inward, their skin was gray, and parts of it were torn, showing raw flesh.
Veins were black beneath the surface. Their eyes glowed faint red inside hollow sockets, their mouths hung open, teeth jagged and uneven, with strings of dark saliva dripping to the ground.
Some wore scraps of palace guard armor, rusted blades dragged against the dirt. One's neck was twisted too far to one side, its head hanging as it stared at Tian without blinking. Another's chest was caved inward, ribs visible through split flesh.
Tian's stomach dropped.
Leon moved first, stepping forward to block the path. Kirin shifted in front of Tian.
The ghouls screeched, and they lunged.
Leon dashed toward the closest two. His sword flashed smoothly, slicing through the rotted flesh. One head rolled across the ground, another split at the torso and collapsed.
Black blood spilled onto the grass.
Three rushed from the left, Kirin raised his hand, golden light burst outward. It pierced through their bodies in an instant.
They fell before reaching him, smoke rising from the holes burned through their chests. The remaining two crawled forward even with broken limbs.
Kirin's eyes hardened.
A second wave of light struck them.
"We should hurry." Kirin said.
Seven corpses were now laying scattered on the grass.
Tian stood frozen, his grip tight around the plain sword.
"What the heck are they?" he shouted.
"They are ghouls," Kirin answered.
"What? You never said we'd run into ugly creatures like these!"
Leon wiped his blade clean on the grass and kept scanning the trees if there were more ghouls to appear.
Tian pointed at one of the bodies. "That one was wearing palace armor!"
Kirin's voice lowered. "They were once human, but Wuxian turned them into ghouls. There aren't only ghouls, but many other more."
Tian stiffened.
"Seriously!? I want to go back," he said quickly. "Kirin, send me back."
Leon turned to him. "Your Highness, calm down. We will not let anything touch you."
Kirin faced him fully.
"Don't worry, Tian. I will protect you," he said without hesitation.
The forest remained quiet, but distant howls echoed somewhere far beyond the trees.
Tian swallowed, his heart beat pounded fast inside his chest.
'Studying or-'
He looked down at Kirin's outstretched hand. After a brief pause, Tian grabbed it, and a low sigh escaped his mouth.
Kirin's fingers closed around his. Leon stepped ahead, leading the way into the forest. Together, they left the hidden passage behind.
They walked for hours to get as far away from the castle as possible. Tian let go of Kirin's hand.
Kirin turned to look at him. "What's wrong, Tian?"
Tian crouched down. "I'm so tired, I feel like my legs are gonna give up."
Kirin smiled. "We'll rest here for the night and continue tomorrow." He glanced at Leon, who immediately understood.
Tian looked down at the grass. "What? Sleep here?"
Kirin nodded. "You need to get used to stuff like this. A long journey lies ahead of us."
Tian groaned and stood up, leaning back against a soft boulder near a tree. "I miss my soft bed already."
After an hour, Leon was sleeping against the tree, positioned guardedly. Tian was sleeping against the boulder. Kirin was still awake, staring at him.
Then he walked over to him and sat beside him. Slowly, he pulled him onto his chest.
Tian's head rested against his chest, mumbling in his sleep. Kirin smiled and calculated in his head how far they'd walk towards the next city tomorrow.
******
Morning light filtered through the trees.
Tian stirred slowly, something warm pressed against his back. He blinked.
He shifted slightly and felt a steady rise and fall behind him.
Tian frowned and turned his head.
Kirin's face rested inches away.