Jiangjiang the Skeleton Spirit - Chapter 6

I had no intention of going back to Song Yuhuan, so I settled into the bamboo cottage.

By day, I went up the mountain to hunt and gather mushrooms. By night, I hung from the crooked tree and basked in moonlight.

Life was just as it had been before.

Except there was no Sister Suhe, and no Song Yu.

Only me.

One night, as I was about to climb the tree as usual, someone knocked at the gate.

“Is anyone home?”

I couldn’t recognize the voice.

“I’m passing through. Could I have some water?”

I hesitated, then climbed down and opened the gate.

The man was dressed in black. A silver mask covered half his face, making it impossible to see exactly what he looked like.

He was tall and broad, casting his shadow over me.

I looked him up and down. “Wait a moment. I’ll get it.”

I turned to go inside, but heard a rustle behind me.

When I looked back, I saw that he’d followed me without asking.

Annoyed, I said, “Stand right there. Don’t come in.”

He stopped and nodded apologetically.

I poured him a bowl of water. But when I returned to the courtyard, he was gone.

As I wondered where he’d gone, a dull pain struck the back of my shoulder.

I turned. He stood with his hand held like a blade, staring at me in confusion.

I understood at once and threw the water in his face.

“I don’t have your human pressure points! You thought you could knock me out with a chop?”

Seeing his plan exposed, he put his hand to his mouth and whistled.

At the whistle, several men in black vaulted in from outside and surrounded me.

I hadn’t offended anyone since attaining human form. Did they really need all this to capture me?

I tried to see the face beneath the mask. “Why are you taking me? I haven’t done anything to you.”

The man laughed. “Everyone has a weakness. Once I have Song Yuhuan’s, how could I fail to control him?”

I frowned. “I’m not his weakness. Taking me won’t do you any good.”

He clearly had no interest in wasting words on me.

He waved a hand. “Take her alive.”

The black-clad men swung their blades at me. I hurled the bowl away and ran clumsily in the opposite direction.

Skeletons were different from other spirit beasts. We had no spiritual power.

Though we neither aged nor died, being dragged back by these men was bound to cost me a fair bit of skin.

Seeing them close in, I flung a bamboo basket at them.

It did no good.

At the last possible moment, a figure in plain-colored clothes stepped in front of me.

I recognized that back without having to guess.

The masked leader suddenly sounded excited. “You’ve come.”

Song Yuhuan all but spat the name through clenched teeth. “Wurile.”

So he was Wurile, the northern leader?

Song Yuhuan turned his head slightly. “Find somewhere to hide.”

Not wanting to burden him, I said a few words of caution and hid.

Song Yuhuan was extraordinarily nimble.

He fought with perfect composure. None of these men was his match.

With A-Pei helping him, Wurile was visibly losing ground.

He tilted his head and produced a crossbow from somewhere.

Drawing back the string and loading an arrow, he aimed its sharp point straight at Song Yuhuan as he fought.

Song Yuhuan had no time to deal with it.

Seeing the danger, I ran from my corner. “Song Yu, watch out for the arrow!”

What I hadn’t expected was for Wurile to suddenly turn his aim toward me!

“Die!”

The arrow sliced through the air toward me.

In the next instant, someone caught its sharp point.

Still shaken, I looked at Song Yuhuan beside me.

His eyes were venomous. He looked as if he wanted to devour Wurile alive.

Wurile watched him in satisfaction.

“Yunfu Powder from the north. Song Yuhuan, wait for death.”

Wurile strode away. A-Pei tried to pursue him, but Song Yuhuan stopped him.

Watching blood stream from his hand, I panicked. “Why is your blood black?”

He didn’t answer. His gaze held me, looking me over again and again.

“Why did you leave without a word…? Don’t be angry anymore…”

Before he could finish, he collapsed heavily against my shoulder and lost consciousness.