Chapter Twenty-Seven: Crimson-Refined Bees

Chapter 27: Scarlet-Refining Bees

Mo Fan sat blankly by the campfire, his heart elsewhere. His eyes, like a stray cat eyeing a forbidden treat, kept darting toward the icy-faced Lin Xiaojun. As he watched, he began to giggle foolishly, drool trickling down his chin. He didn't know when he had become so wretched, but he enjoyed this version of himself. He didn't have to live in fear or worry about who was killing whom; simply watching the young woman opposite him brought him a strange sense of comfort.

Alas, that peace had vanished from his world the moment he contracted the venomed-blood affliction.

The Shura Martial Academy! I must go, no matter what. I have weathered worse storms than this, so what is there to fear? I must also uncover the truth behind the incident at Undead Peak. When that time comes, will your impression of me improve?

Mo Fan stared intently at the girl, his eyes filled with the hazy, budding affection of first love.

*Whoosh, whoosh!*

The cries of nocturnal birds echoed through the Misty Forest, accompanied by chilling gusts of wind that made Mo Fan shudder.

"Big Brother, we’ve been waiting here for quite a while. Does that kid really have the guts to come? He’s already exposed; once he steps out of the wine shop, nothing but a ruthless hunt awaits him."

"Indeed! And it’s not just us eyeing him."

"True. I doubt the three great clans of Dongyang County will let this opportunity slip. They struggled to find him before, but now that everyone knows he’s here in the Panlong West Ridge, this muddy water is about to get very dark indeed."

"Forget it. Let’s just rely on our own skills."

The burly man who had been at the small wine shop led a group of youths toward the West Ridge. By some turn of fate, they ended up behind Mo Fan and his companions, despite having set off first.

"Big Brother, there’s light over there!" A sharp-eyed youth spotted Mo Fan’s campfire from afar and, in his excitement, was the first to rush toward it.

"Who’s there?" Mo Fan hadn't fallen asleep. He sensed the youth while he was still several meters away. He rose to his feet, feeling tense, and cautiously stepped forward to block the path.

"Ouch!" Caught up in his excitement and moving through the dark, the youth hadn't been paying attention and slammed directly into Mo Fan.

"Ah, Big Brother! A monster!" Dazed from the collision, the youth recoiled at the sight of Mo Fan, convinced he had run into a beast. The West Ridge was known for nocturnal, hulking, thick-skinned creatures.

*Rustle, rustle!*

The burly man and his dozen followers caught up, drawing their weapons and pointing them straight at Mo Fan.

"He is no monster. He is the Mo Fan you are looking for!" A cold voice drifted from behind, causing Mo Fan to shiver.

"You hate me that much?"

Mo Fan turned his head to look at Lin Xiaojun as she approached. "Is that so?" he asked, his expression unreadable. For some reason, her words caused him a sharp, aching pain in his heart.

"Yes!" Lin Xiaojun replied firmly, her face as cold as ever. "I promised Brother Xia that I would not kill you with my own hands, but what you have done is unforgivable."

Her words wounded Mo Fan deeply. He had not realized that her bond with Shangguan Wudi was so profound that she would view him—the man accused of killing her lover—with such irreconcilable hatred. He had to uncover the truth behind that incident as soon as possible, or else...

Mo Fan watched Lin Xiaojun standing in the darkness. He felt nothing but a deep, unexpressed affection for her. She walked past him without a glance, addressing the burly men. "Today, whoever kills him, I, Lin Xiaojun, guarantee your unconditional entry into the Shura Martial Academy."

"Really?" The youths looked at Mo Fan like wolves, their eyes burning with greed.

"This is a letter of recommendation. Whoever kills him takes it," she said coldly, producing a letter from her robes. She turned to Mo Fan. "And as for you, if you kill them, I will give this to you as well—though for you, it will be a death warrant."

With that, she tossed the letter into the night air.

Watching Lin Xiaojun retreat to the side, her face devoid of emotion, Mo Fan felt a crushing sense of loss. It turned out she held only hatred for him, all for the sake of that man named Shangguan Wudi.

*Clang!*

The burly man moved first. A letter to the Shura Martial Academy was far more attractive than anything the three great clans had offered. He would not miss this chance.

Mo Fan closed his eyes, shifted his stance, and moved. He was filled with rage. He did not want to kill, but he was always forced into it.

"Brother Xia, shouldn't we go over and look? Lin Xiaojun hates that young Mo to the bone," Yao Xin said by the campfire, looking worried.

"No need. I trust him," Xia Houji replied, tossing a piece of firewood into the flames with a confident look. None of them had slept; whether due to the mountain chill or something else, they remained alert. Yao Xin kept glancing toward the darkness where the sounds of clashing steel rang out, hoping the boy would return. She didn't know what had come over her, worrying about a mere brat.

Elsewhere in the dark, Mo Fan, like an enraged lion, struck down the last opponent. Under the blowing night wind, he said gloomily, "Are you satisfied now?"

Leaving the unmoved Lin Xiaojun behind, Mo Fan walked into the night, feeling profoundly empty.

"Humph!" Lin Xiaojun let out a cold snort. Ignoring him, she glanced up, caught the letter as it drifted down from the night sky, drew her sword with a sharp *clang*, carved a line of text onto the burly man’s face, and vanished into the shadows.

The sun rose earlier in the mountains than elsewhere. Mo Fan, having not slept all night, stood facing the dawn, telling himself, "The more it is like this, the more I must enter the Martial Academy."

He habitually rose early to fetch water and wash his face to start the day refreshed. Glancing at the three who were still asleep, he wandered off. This was a desolate wilderness with no rivers. He carefully gathered dew on large leaves, which was far purer than river water.

*Buzz, buzz!*

A low, rhythmic humming sound approached from the misty forest.

Xia Houji, whose cultivation was higher than the others, sensed the anomaly first. He stood up, gripping his long sword, and was instantly struck by terror at the sight before him. Thousands of bees were swarming at the entrance between the mist and the outside world, sealing it off completely.

"What is this?" Lin Xiaojun and Yao Xin awoke, their faces turning pale.

"Scarlet-Refining Bees!" Xia Houji gripped his sword, ready to strike. He knew well how lethal these creatures were, yet he couldn't fathom why they were here. They were supposed to live in places of fire—they survived by devouring it.

"You're all up! I..." Mo Fan walked over with a leaf full of dew, preparing to invite them to wash up before they entered the Misty West Ridge.

*Snap!*

The leaf dropped to the ground. The circling bees were startled by the sound and instantly grew frantic, scattering in all directions.

"Oh no!" "You useless fool!" "Little brother, you've ruined us!"

Mo Fan, Lin Xiaojun, and the others turned and fled as the finger-sized bees chased them across the mountain. Mo Fan covered his head and ran for his life. Alas, he could not escape; a group of large bees caught up and surrounded him, attacking with a frenzy.

*Bam! Bam!*

The bees slammed into him, knocking him down, his limbs going numb and his chest tightening.

"Watch out! These aren't ordinary—they have cultivated to the strength of the Mortal Body stage of the Body Tempering Realm!" Xia Houji appeared just as Mo Fan was knocked down, his sword flashing as he cut down the bees surrounding the boy.

"What? Mortal Body stage?" Lin Xiaojun shouted, her face changing as she wielded her own sword to fend off the swarm.

"Little brother, what kind of trouble have you brought us into!" Yao Xin, despite her fear, couldn't help but tease him.

"Buzz, buzz!" The massive swarm continued to block the entrance.

"Brother Xia, what do we do? We can't stay here forever," Lin Xiaojun asked, looking toward him. He was the one she trusted most, yet he had no answer.

"Find the queen," Mo Fan said coldly. "And kill it."