Spring Winds
Chapter 70: Stampede (3)

"Senior Sister!

Go faster; they're catching up!" ('A `)

"I'm trying," Senior Sister gritted out as she fueled more power into her blade, sweat starting to pearl on her forehead, and the crease between her brows grew more profound.

"How close are they?!"

"Uh!" Looking over Senior Sister's shoulder, I saw that the raging beasts tailing us seemed to inch closer and closer the further we strayed from the rest.

Aiyah, separated from the others once again!

It's like Heaven's want Senior Sister and I to fend off the wild by ourselves! ヽ(`д´;)/

"Caw!"

Swooping out from the stampede, a giant bird came straight towards us with a raging fury! "What the hell is that!"

Senior Sister looked back briefly before focusing her attention on the path ahead. "It's a Fiery Flame Pheasant, a level-eight spirit beast."

"Eh?!

That giant bird is an overgrown chicken?! Σ(゜゜)

Oh, if that's the case, then it doesn't look scary at all! Though, where did it get its flame name from…

"Caw!" Then the bird just had to open its enormous beak, letting out another skrill cry; it did not open in ways that a beak should!

"Okay, okay! This is not your average bird!" ∑('＝';)

How does a bird's beak open four ways with a thousand rows of teeth! How does that make sense!

And why does it breathe fire! ∑('＝' lll)

Whatever the case is, there's no way I'm letting this ugly chicken come near us!

"Nine Winds' Arrow!"

"Caw!!!" The pheasant shrieked as five of the nine arrows struck its body; however, it only seemed to enrage it, as the arrow holes healed in a blink!

What kind of crazy bird is this!

I was sure that it would work! It worked well against others… kind of.

"It's a level-eight spirit beast," Senior Sister interjected as she skillfully maneuvered atop the treetops. "Simple attacks like that wouldn't do much good other than angering it.

Why don't you use this opportunity to show this senior what you've learned."

"Herm, Senior Sister, you know that I focus on external martial arts; I'm stupid when it comes to other things."

"Sigh," Senior Sister shook her head, "Work hard, Junior Sister."

"Hah?"

Suddenly, Senior Sister leaped off the flying blade!

What! Σ(ﾟ口ﾟ;)//

Aiyah! Is Senior Sister planning on taking the bird by herself?

The sword beneath my feet started to quiver from the sudden moment and the loss of power.

Wah, Senior Sister, how could you do this to me?! (＃｀^´)ﾉ

With the sudden movement and the loss of power, the sword began to fall, bringing me down with it!

Aiyah, why can't things go smoothly for once? ('A ` )

Grabbing the hilt of the sword, I had no choice but to try to get myself to fall amongst the trees and hopefully not get trampled by a thousand pairs of feet.

"Fuah!" Crashing through the leaves, I reached out for any holding that I could replace.

Looking down at the giant gorge below with some scary stone spikes, I hung like a monkey on a vine as I gripped onto a thin tree root.

Whelp, that was close.

My hands started to grow a bit clammy, and my vision slightly blurred as I began to think back on my entrance exam for Yun Cai Peak.

All of those cliffs and sudden drops, super fun.

Ah, sh*t, Naran, why did you have to think of that of all places! ＼`•̀益•́´／

While cursing myself for my wandering mind, the ground started to tremble as I felt the stampede some closer to my location.

Ah, wonderful. How great. ヽ(;▽;)ノ

From my limited viewpoint, I could see the charge leader look down the gorge that they had blindly run to. Luckily for me, it seems that they haven't spotted me as suddenly chaos ensued.

I couldn't see what exactly started this new scuffle, but it seems like another beast sought the opportunity to usurp the throne, to which they failed.

Thus leading to the battle between the beast kings and everyone else involved.

While that is great for me, as that means I won't need to deal with a horde of monsters, at the moment; I am still hanging off a cliff!

As much as I wish to climb up, I didn't want to be spotted by those monsters.

Hmm, decision decisions.

Get mauled by a horde of beasts or possibly fall to my death, impaled by the spike below…

Aiyah, my arm hurts.

You know what, I'll take my chances with the beasts. _(:」∠)_

Stabbing Senior Sister's precious blade into the gorge wall, I had no choice but to use the prized blade as mere support.

With this new leverage, I pulled myself up out of my tight situation and sat over the massive ravine's edge. Falling into my back, I let my legs dangle over the edge after I yanked the sword free and casually laid it down by my side.

"Hah, what a day, and it's only technically begun," yawning, I closed my eyes and gave myself a quick break. Though this might not be the best idea as any poisonous bug could creep up and take a bite from me, I was too tired to care.

Ah, those spirit beasts are going at it. The sound of feral cries and flesh ripping continued for some time before they began to die down.

Whether they be spirit beasts or not, they're still beasts at heart. The same could be said for men.

"Yawn."

"Enjoying yourself?"

"Ehmm," I hummed at Senior Sister through closed eyes. I wonder what expression she has on today.

The cold stranger look or the annoyed look.

Or, maybe if I'm lucky, I can see Senior Sister's cute embarrassed face again! ( ◕v◕✿)

Ah, but I haven't had an opportunity to do anything since I was already on thin ice based on Senior Sister's attitude.

Thin ice for something that I still don't know yet! (#｀ε´)

Opening my eyes, surprisingly, what greeted me wasn't the 'Senior Sister looks' that I had expected.

It seemed to be something an in-between the embarrassed Senior Sister and the calm Senior Sister.

Strange, what brought out this new change? !?(･_･;?

I was sure that I would get my butt handed to me by the end of this…

Wait, could it be that Senior Sister is waiting for me to drop my guard before, bam! Unexpected harsh training?!

"Are you done looking," Senior Sister spoke up, breaking me away from my momentary panic.

"Eh," I nodded as I lifted my hands for her to grab.

"Sigh," taking hold of both of my hands; Senior Sister pulled me. Grabbing her sword, she placed it back into its sheath. "How are you? Are you hurt?

Did-

Why are you smiling like that?"

"Ah, nothing," I said with a smile. "It's just nice to see you treat me normally again."

Senior Sister froze for a second before sighing as she straightened out my clothes. "Let's head back.

We don't have time to waste."

Why is Senior Sister dodging the topic? (´･_･`)

---

The flight back was relatively peaceful other than the weird silence between Senior Sister and me.

But of course, one should not expect tranquility in this terrain.

"Caw!!!"

Hah?! Σ(ﾟ口ﾟ;)//

Out of the bush was the same fire chicken that attacked us earlier!

I was sure that Senior Sister managed to finish off that overgrown chicken! How could it have come back?!

"Hah, I forgot about its mate," Senior Sister muttered as she started to speed up her pace.

"Mate?!"

"Caw!!!" The chicken released an atrocious shrill cry that made me cover my ears as they started to ring.

Suddenly, I felt heat come our way!

"Senior Sister, dodge," I cried out as I leaned heavily on Senior Sister so that she would swerve out of the direction of the fireball coming our way.

I felt the searing heat of the attack scorch across my back as I narrowly missed it!

Just what did that chicken eat to get such a fierce breath!

Unfortunately, it threw us off the path due to my sudden actions as we started to swerve awkwardly through the air. "Junior Sister stop-

What are you doing!?"

"I don't know" — shaking my head as I tightly held onto Senior Sister and braced myself for the inevitable impact that would come from our erratic movement — "but we're going to crash!"

"No, we're not!" As Senior Sister attempted to regain control of the haywire vehicle, we spiraled through the air, straight for the cave mouth!

Thus meaning, straight towards the others! ∑('＝';)

"Quick! Move out of the way!"

Seeing that we were flying closer, the juniors came out to see what was happening. However, as soon as they noticed our flight's erratic behavior, they started to back up to give us some space for landing.

"Ah! We're going to crash!"

"We're not going to crash, Junior Sister!"

"We're not! Let go; you're holding on too tight!"

"Wah!" Senior Sister, don't kick me off, ah!

I'll be good, I'll be good!

"Sigh," an exasperated sigh escaped Senior Sister's lips as she wrapped her arm around my waist tightly, as I felt the sword jerk, awkwardly. "Hold on, then!"

"Wah!"

Senior Sister suddenly sped up so fast that I swear that somewhere left behind, my soul left my body!

"Mnh!"

Feeling the contents of my stomach wishing to lurch out of my mouth, I forced down the acidic bile as I tried to breathe as Senior Sister made a beeline for the cave. "Ugh.. how much longer…"

"Not long," Senior Sister responded as she held onto my dead weight.

Ugh… the world is spinning for me… (ｏ＿ ＿)ｏ

"Mmph!"

"Hold it in, Junior Sister."

I'm trying, Senior Sister!

Lucky for us, we managed to make it into the cave with the other junior just before the bird got to us.

Ignoring the question that the disciples began to throw at us as soon as we landed, I pushed them out of the way to give myself someplace.

Ducking into a corner, I proceeded to throw up my dinner and some breakfast. I felt Senior Sister pull back my loose hair as I gagged at the smell.

Handing me the waterskin, I gulped it down, grateful. "Thank you... Senior Sister."

"Ehmm," Senior Sister hummed as she wiped my mouth with her handkerchief and tucked the loose hairs behind my ears.

However, it looks like Fiery Flame Pheasant wasn't done with us as it made a beeline for the cave.

Only for it to make a sickening thump as it collided with an invisible force field.

What… just happened? (o_o ;)

"Oh yeah," one disciple thought out loud. "We placed up a barrier."