Curse of the Supreme Blood

The early morning sun struggled to pierce the thick canopy of the ancient forest, casting speckled patterns of light across the leaf-strewn ground. A gentle breeze stirred the trees, whispering secrets of unseen dangers. Zhang Wei's group stirred from their makeshift camp near the waterfall, their expressions grim as they worried over the health of their comrade Lei Chen. Lei Yun was but a shadow of his former self as he flitted all over his twin brother.

Lei Chen, though still pale, was finally able to sit up with some support. His wounds, bandaged with layers of herb-soaked fabric, had knitted together leaving only a scar, but each movement drew a wince from him. Mei Ming handed him a wooden bowl filled with steaming herbal broth.

"Drink this," she urged softly. "It'll help restore your strength. Your wounds are healed, you only need to recover your strenght"

Lei Chen nodded, his grip steady despite the lingering ache in his body. He drank slowly, savoring the warmth that spread through his chest.

Zhang Wei paced near the edge of the clearing, sharpening his blade with steady, deliberate strokes. His gaze flickered toward the path ahead, then back to Lei Chen.

'How are you feeling? Zhang Wei asked Lei Chen

'I can walk. Though tired' Lei Chen replied

"We move at noon then," Zhang Wei announced firmly. "We can't afford to stay here any longer."

Li nodded in agreement. "Staying still makes us easy targets."

Lei Yun, still hovering protectively near his twin, hesitated. "Are you sure he's ready?"

"I'm fine," Lei Chen rasped, struggling to rise. His legs trembled, but he steadied himself against the rock wall. "I won't slow you down."

Mei Ming stepped forward, placing a gentle but firm hand on his shoulder. "We'll take it slow. No one's rushing."

The group gathered their belongings in silence. The forest seemed to hold its breath as they set off, following a winding, moss-covered trail deeper into the unknown.

Hours passed as they moved through the dense forest, alert for any signs of danger. Each step was cautious, every snap of a twig sharpening their focus. They saw several ordinary herbs but didn't bother to pick them as they had far more rare ones in their pouches.

Lei Chen leaned on a sturdy branch Mei Ming had fashioned into a walking stick. His breathing was steady but laboured as he was still quite weak. He needed plenty of food and rest. The food was available since they had abundant from the meat of the basilisk stored in Li and Zhang Wei's storage packs but the rest was not enough. Still, he pressed on without complaint, hobbling along with the walking stick. Although he still felt tired, the broth he was constantly being fed served as a source of energy for him.

Mei Ming scouted ahead, his keen eyes scanning the path for ambushes or wild beasts. Lei Yun stayed close to Lei Chen, ready to support him if needed, while Li and Zhang Wei guarded the rear.

The trail led them to a shallow brook cutting through the forest. Its crystal-clear waters sparkled invitingly under the scattered sunlight.

"We rest here," Zhang Wei declared, already surveying the area for threats.

 Mei Ming knelt by the brook, filling a waterskin while checking its purity. "Lei Chen, sit down. I need to check beneath the bandages especially the one on your thigh to be sure that its properly healed."

Gratefully, Lei Chen complied, easing himself down by the water's edge. The cool stream soothed his aching limbs. Mei Ming unbound the bandages on all his wounds and as happened when they had earlier used the Hibiscus Bloom inside the Basilisk lair, the wounds were all totally healed, leaving only a thin scar behind. For the deeper wound on Lei Chen's thigh however, although the wounds were healed with the usual thin scar, the scar was tinged by a dark black line that seemed to be pulsing.

Mei Ming touched the dark line and it felt like something was trying to escape her touch. Something slithered beneath her touch.

'Do you feel anything when I touch this dark outline? She asked Lei Chen

'Yes, it feels like something is moving. Its trying to get away from there but seemed trapped' Lei Chen replied as he also touched the outline

'I think the blade that was used to stab you is poisoned. That's the poison trying to escape the other part of your body.' Replied Mei Ming as she retrieved a vial from her pouch

'Senior Brother Zhang Wei' she called 'Please make a nick anywhere along this black outline. I believe the poison is trying to get out. I need to capture it'

Zhang Wei looked long and hard at Lei Chen, Mei Ming and the black ring surrounding the scar as if he was contemplating something. Then he brought out a small knife and lightly nicked the left area of the wound, close to the inner thigh.

To the surprise of the others except Mei Ming and Zhang Wei, a tiny worm-like substance started oozing out of the wound but Mei Ming already had a tiny bottle positioned exactly where Zhang Wei had made the nick. On oozing out therefore, the dark worm like substance oozed into the bottle and was sealed up tight on completely flowing out.

On a closer look at the bottle, one could see a tiny black worm moving all over the inside of the container.

'I've never seen this kind of a poison before. We need to take it to elder Han for proper study' said Zhang Wei, handing over the bottle back to Mei Ming who then kept it in her storage ring.

'Guys, I actually feel much better. It initially felt like something was draining my energy despite being healed. I guess it was the worm' said Lei Chen excitedly as he felt less drained than earlier. He stood up without being helped and walked around without a cane, although it was obvious that he still needed strength. His pallor also looked much rosier than before.

The others cheered him up as he walked around, visibly happy to see his much cheerful outlook and complexion. Lei Yun was especially happy at the improved state of his brother as he heaved a sigh of relief and plopped down on the grass to get much needed rest from the physical and emotional exhaustion of his twin's ordeal.

'Let's eat' called out Zhang Wei

As they rested and ate, Li kept watch, his sharp eyes scanning the shadows. "I still can't shake the feeling we're being followed."

'I need to go scout then.' Said Zhang Wei as he moved stealthily into the dense forest. After about twenty minutes, Zhang Wei returned from his scouting run. "The trail's clear ahead, but I found tracks... human tracks. Two sets, a few hours old."

Everyone tensed. Zhang Wei rose, gripping his sword hilt. "We keep moving. Li and Lei Yun, take the rear guard, I'll be in front, while lei Chen and Mei Ming should be in the middle. Lei Chen, if you feel tired, let us know. If Gao Fen and Wu Han are ahead, we'll find them soon enough."

They thronged ahead but did not catch up to the party ahead of them. Lei Chen only took a moment to rest in between as they continued their chase. By nightfall, they reached a small clearing protected by towering rocks. A natural barrier, perfect for a secure camp. They set up a small fire, its glow barely reaching beyond the immediate area.

While the others rested, Li remained awake, his gaze fixed on the darkened forest. His mind replayed Lei Chen's description of the ambush, each detail stoking his anger. The fire inside him seem to be boiling and was about overflowing. 'I hate betrayals' something from deep inside him growled, startling him as he thought the words were from someone else only for him to realise, they were from him

Footsteps approached, causing Li to be more alert and on his guard. It was Mei Ming, carrying a bowl of freshly brewed herbal tea and broth swimming with basilisk meat. The aroma of the spirit infused meat filled his nostrils causing him to salivate. The aroma from the broth reminded him that he had barely eaten earlier as he was consumed by fury at Gao's betrayal and could only swallow a few spoons of broth.

"You should eat more, and rest," she suggested, her tone gentle but firm.

"I can't," Li muttered, voice low. "Not until we settle this."

Mei Ming sighed, sitting beside him. "We'll get our chance. But not if we push ourselves too hard. Remember we have an advantage over them since Gao and his group are not aware that Lei Chen didn't die. They would not expect us to know what happened. We therefore need to strategize properly and make use of the advantage we have. You've been on guard for close to a week now without any sleep. You need to rest."

Li clenched his fists, then slowly exhaled. "I know... but I can't let this go."

She placed a comforting hand on his arm. "None of us will, remember, vengeance is best served cold."