Red Talon Piercing The Darkness

Looking at the place that Lan had just disappeared from, Hong Zhao sighed. He was happy that he had a guide through this world, yet he wished she could be just a little more upfront with him. The few times that she had appeared, it was only to give him a little knowledge, then disappear again. Though he was making his way through the ranks just fine without her assistance, he wished he knew where she stood with him. More times than not, she would tell him that she wouldn't coddle him, yet other times, she appeared and made changes to him without his approval. Wasn't that coddling him?

With his new strength, Hong Zhao felt that if he were to have a rematch with the old disciple, he would be able to kill him in one move. He was astounded by the amount of strength he was able to amass in just a few weeks, with almost no effort on his part aside from genocide and swallowing a pill. If it were that easy to gain strength, how exactly was Li Xiao able to seal other's cultivation bases?

"Now that we have supplies taken care of, don't you think we should take off?" Ren Cai asked as she placed a drop of blood on her new storage ring. As she inspected what was inside, her eyes lit up.

"Now is as good a time as any, I suppose." Hong Zhao smiled yet again at his partner's childish expression. If one didn't know her, they could believe she truly was a child.

Taking one last look at the room he had considered home for the last number of weeks, Hong Zhao shut the door one final time before turning to the stairs. It might have been a detour from his task, but he had gained quite a bit through this pause. Not only had he replenished his cultivation resources, but he also obtained a skill to gain finances in the future.

As he climbed down the stairs, he saw Lang Xinyue and his wife sitting at a table which was full of food. When they saw the two kids descending the stairs, they both lit up in smiles. "I was wondering how long you two would be up there." The old man said as he dished up two plates of food and set them at two empty spots. "I know you will be leaving today, but could you stay long enough for this old couple to enjoy your company just a little longer?"

Hong Zhao was about to object until Ren Cai stepped on his foot. He glared at her, then looked at Lang Xinyue, who had a pleading expression on his face. With a sigh, he went to one of the empty places and sat down.

The two travelling companions sat together and ate the food that old man Xinyue put in front of them. If nothing else, Hong Zhao would miss the many delicacies the inn had to offer. He was not at all excited about going back to his travel rations, yet if he used that logic, they wouldn't ever leave.

The four talked for hours about Hong Zhao's experiences out in the forest, yet the young man would not divulge how strong he truly was. Even omitting a little of his experience, the rest of the story still made quite the tale. As they talked, the sun rose high in the sky, and the two didn't worry about leaving until it began to set. When it finally did, they excused themselves and dawned their qi blocking uniforms. When they came back into the dining area, both old cultivators blinked their wide eyes.

"We can't sense any qi from you two. If it weren't for us looking directly at you, we wouldn't even notice you." Lang Xinyue stared as he circled Hong Zhao. "Just what is this material made of?"

Hong Zhao smiled as he looked at the old man. "If I told you that, I'd have to kill you." He chuckled at the old man's expression before waving his hand jokingly. Though he did this, he still didn't tell the man what he wanted to know. If he did, he could see the shadow panther population dwindle, and he didn't feel like being responsible for wiping out Shadow's family.

"Well, since this will be the last time we see you for quite some time," Lang Xinyue brought out a ring and handed it to Hong Zhao. "This may not be the sapphire hammer pendant, but it should help you get started on your profession." After giving the ring, he walked back to his wife and put an arm around her waist. "We hope you will be willing to visit this small village again one day."

Without looking in the ring, Hong Zhao bowed to the older couple. "Thank you for your hospitality. I almost feel like I've not done enough to deserve such kindness."

Lang Xinyue bowed back to him. "It feels more like we haven't done enough to deserve such kindness from these extreme experts. Not only have you taken care of the bandits, but you have also helped increase the reputation of this small inn. We already have many reservations for tomorrow morning!"

"Tomorrow morning?" Hong Zhao looked questioningly at the old man. "Where is everyone today?" He had just noticed that no one else was within the inn as they had been eating, nor while they were talking.

"We decided to close the inn for a private party, just to see you off." Lang Xinyue said while giving a sheepish smile to his wife, who seemed to be glaring daggers at him. "I wouldn't have been able to say goodbye the way I would have wished had this place been filled to the brim with other experts."

Hong Zhao chuckled one more time before heading to the door. "I'm sure we will see each other again in the future. Maybe we will stop by the inn again on our way back home." He said non committedly.

"Yes, I'm sure we could make that happen." Ren Cai smiled as she bowed towards the older couple.

Hong Zhao and Ren Cai exited the inn and made their way to the gate. The old couple followed them until they reached the exit. The two young cultivators waved their goodbyes and made their way to the path leading to Yuan City. Though they were almost a month into their journey, it still had just begun. "I told you we should not have stopped." Hong Zhao sighed as he thought of all the time they had just wasted. "We will have to pick up the pace now. Do you have a movement ability?" He asked Ren Cai who just looked at him questioningly.