4 Power of blood

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The Green Lakeshore - Afternoon

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On the lake shore, there are two people a boy and a girl in early teens talking and giggling with each other while waiting for the fish to take their bait. They are Zhu Wushang and Xiao Lan; the bucket at the boy side is full of fish until there's no space to put any more fish.

A boy quickly set the hook and swing it up in one strike. At the end of the cord; a big delicious looking jade fish has been hooked up from the water and fall to the half empty bucket at Xiao Lan side as she cheering loudly for the boy.

"Here the spirits jade fish. Now you won't lose face, and you won't get teased by godmother when we return." Zhu Wushang said with a carefree smile.

"Thanks, Wushang" Xiao Lan hug Zhu Wushang before carrying her bucket that's full of fish and wait for Zhu Wushang whose cleaning up the site where they are fishing.

"I'll make spirit jade fish for supper, stay and eat with us Xiao Lan," He tells Xiao Lan after finished with the cleanup and keep all of their fishing gear in the bamboo basket on his back.

"Um! Definitely!" Xiao Lan accepts without thinking, Who's going to miss the food from the chef that has a skill equal to the most celebrated spirit chef in the capital.

This is the regular interaction between them for more than 6 years since the first time they met. Zhu Wushang thought that this light heart and carefree life would continue on a bit longer, but the reality proved to be otherwise.

Both of them walking hand in hand together until reaching the small passageway between the forest and the lake, but Zhu Wushang frowned and stop in his track.

"Hm? What's the matter Wushang?" Xiao Lan ask.

He didn't answer but pick up the small stone at his feet and throw it at the air in front of him.

The invisible spirit qi wall obstructs the throwing stone path, and he frowned even deeper, he slides his hand in the pocket inside his chest and brings out the poisoned dagger. He looks at the forest and brings Xiao Lan to move away from its border.

"Xiao Lan be alert, stay behind me."

He whispers to Xiao Lan and looks at the black substance at the edge of his dagger. It's the potent poison that's he concoct without the spirit qi by the pure alchemy skill of his. He is confident that his poison can kill even the Spirits Commander realm expert If... he manages to wound that experts with his dagger.

Fortunately, his dagger is a King Grade dagger that his father gave him to protect himself, that means he can cause a wound to Spirits King expert even that wound is just a scratch, but it's enough for his poison to do their job.

He might not have spirits roots, but his perfect inner qi cultivation makes his battle power to be no less than the peak of Spirits Warrior realm.

He heard the sound of many light footsteps from the forest border and many grey wolves appear from the forest followed by the Spirits dire wolf. It seems like the Spirits dire wolf is the leader of this pack.

He looks at all of the wolves that try to surround them; thinking about the area restriction formation that he discovers a moment ago surely this is the human-made disaster. Fortunately, he already secures their back by turning their back to the lake. And if no one interferes with the lake, there should be no dangerous creature within.

The Spirits dire wolf howl in command and three of the grey wolf paunch at them. Zhu Wushang quickly intercepts these three wolves. He quickly slashes at the first one before he kicks at the second one and stabs at the third. Within five breath two of three wolf stop breathing and the one that survives has a minor injury at its neck.

He sheaths his dagger and unsheaths it again to re-coated the poison that already used on the two wolves. He never thought that the safety protocol that he always prepared all the time will be of use today.

In this situation, he really wants to escape and bring Xiao Lan along with the life-saving treasure like those experts in the story that his father usually told him. But unfortunately, those kinds of treasure need spiritual qi to activate, and he didn't have that.

Unknown to him that if he had one and have spirit qi to use it right now, he can't use it because Xiao Lan has been sending the SOS to everyone in Zhu Manor at the start when Zhu Wushang discovers the area restriction formation with her communication seal. But, She can't contact them at all. And all of the teleport and life-saving treasure in her body also didn't render useless by this formation. It's like her connection to these treasure has been interfered by stronger spiritual qi.

The Spirits Dire wolf see this, and its intelligence eye looks at Zhu Wushang dagger before release its spirits qi aura.

[Peak of Spirits commander realm spirits beast!!]

The alarm inside Zhu Wushang heart rang, the pressure of this Spirits Commander realm spirit beast pressures him to kneel to the ground and all of the wolf paunch at him.

But at this a moment, the spirits pressure from the Spirit dire wolves significantly lower and the figure of Xiao Lan shot passed him and intercept all of the wolves that target him.

[Spirit commander primary stage!?]

"Don't you dare touch him!!"

Unlike her normal childish behavior, Xiao Lan fiercely attacks the wolf in front of her and using her element spirits qi without reserve. The fireball flies and the lighting spark everywhere. Some wolf got burned alive some has been shocked charred black.

Xiao Lan fights with the pack of the wolf while he's protecting himself from a stray wolf that chooses to attack the easier target and kill the wolf that tried to sneak attack on Xiao Lan. The pack of wolves has been thin until there are only ten wolves left including their pack leader the Spirit dire wolf.

Both of them fight for a long while, but Xiao Lan that use her spirit qi without reserve didn't have any sign that her spirits qi is any lower than before while he's exhausted and panting heavily.

It's dark but the wolves still not go anywhere or show any sign of fear or retreat like it has been trained to kill. Zhu Wushang looking at his surrounding and found out that the formation of the wolf is looking suspicious. He's looking at the position of the group of 4 wolves that stay back in an area that always a blind spot for Xiao Lan.

At this moment the dire wolf attacks Xiao Lan with all of the wolves except these four wolves. Zhu Wushang immediately looking at the position of the four wolves that station at the back, but he found the empty spot instead. He is looking harder and saw the white fang of those four wolves appear from the dark.

These four wolves fur turn from grey to black to camouflage themselves in the dark of the night and use it's to attack Xiao Lan unnoticed.

[Damn it!! Shadow wolf!!]

The shadow wolf is the wolf that specializes at hunting in the night, and its camouflage ability is well known to many people.

Zhu Wushang rushed to intercept those four wolves, He slashed at the first one with his poisoned dagger and threw the blade to the one that out of his reaches but nearest to Xiao Lan.

At this moment Xiao Lan fights with all of the wolves in front especially the Spirit dire wolf that has higher cultivation than her. She can't protect herself from two shadow wolf at all.

[Damn it!! I can't make it!!]

He pushes Xiao Lan out of the way and taking the consequence himself.

Both of his arms got chomp down by two of shadow wolves that try to sneak attack on Xiao Lan while the spirit dire wolf bite at his torso. His blood gushes out from all of the wound and enters the mouth of these three wolves including the spirits dire wolf.

"Wushang---------!!!" She shouts with a heartbroken tone and trying to use all of her strength to strike at all of the wolves in anger.

But before she can reach her target, Those three wolves howl and attacking each other like it has gone insane, flesh and blood of those three wolves flying around while the remaining wolf that didn't affect by insanity just trembling in fear and run into the forest without looking back.

The victory goes to the injured spirit dire wolf that has higher cultivation than both of the shadow wolves. It's howling in insanity before it's eye turn blank and collapse on the ground without moving again.

"It's… It's dead?"

Xiao Lan pulls Zhu Wushang King grade dagger out of the corpse of a shadow wolf and walking cautiously to the body of the Spirits dire wolf before stab at its head two times to make sure that it's dead.

"Wushang!! Wushang!!!" She quickly goes to the side of Zhu Wushang and checking his pulse.

"Phew."

She is sighing in relief after knowing he still alive then she brings the storage ring from her chest inner pockets inside her robe. She activates it and produces the jade bottle full of Blood clot pills that usually use to stop the bleeding.

"Shang'er!! Xiao Lan!!!" Zhu Songtian shouting voice aloud from a distance. In a moment he flew through the air and flew down to the side of Zhu Wushang and Xiao Lan.

What he saw is Zhu Wushang in an unconscious state with blood stain around his body and many of the wolves corpses lying around the area including the spirit dire wolf. He grits his teeth in frustration then kneel to Xiao Lan.

"Eastern general Zhu Songtian greet her highness. I deserving death a thousand time to let a group of the assassin to…"

Before Zhu Songtian continuing further, Xiao Lan waving her hand interrupt.

"Stop with the pleasantries general Zhu. We should bring Wushang back to your manor and heal him.

"Yes! Your Highness"

Zhu Songtian agrees then quickly bring Xiao Lan to grab on his arm and pickup Zhu Wushang and fly through the night sky.