Soul Land: A Foreign Fantasy

Have you ever caught a rat?

I haven't, at least not by hand. After all, they are too quick to catch. But this quickness slowly overcomes their sense of security, and so the seed of pride begins to grow. This pride makes them sure that they won't be seen, yet in the end, when they find themselves in a cage, their shattered pride does not compensate for their loss.

Similarly, on one cold night, a beautiful little rat went out on an adventure, full of confidence and pride. Yet, it didn't know that this time her journey wouldn't be the same, as three little devils waited with an alluring trap to catch the little rat.

"Quite a beautiful story, isn't it, Wang Ying?" said Sheng Zhi, holding his book in his hand, with Wang Ying's status open on one page. He looked through it indifferently, as if there was no one hanging upside down from a tree, sobbing.

[Name: Wang Ying]

[Age: 9]

[Spirit: White Spear]

[Soul power: 12]

[Unable to view (Spirit Master Rank Needed)]

"Hey Zhi," Jin called out, his voice ice-cold and trembling with desperation. The night air wrapped around him like a frigid blanket, biting at his exposed skin as he sat on the unforgiving ground, half-naked and bound with rough cords. His tone wavered between confusion and indignation as he repeated, "Hey Zhi, I understand why she's being punished, but what about me? Why am I here, shivering in the dark?"

Despite his pleas, Sheng Zhi remained unresponsive, his attention seemingly fixed elsewhere, detached from the turmoil simmering around him. In a shadowed corner, Chen stood quietly, wishing he could fade into the walls and escape Zhi's judgment. The unyielding authority of Zhi loomed over them all, an unspoken truth rooted in the sibling dynamic. He may have been the youngest, but his dominance prevailed firmly over Jin, Chen, and even Wang Ying to some extent. The weight of that control hung heavy in the air, amplifying the tension of the moment.

"Brother Zhi, please, I beg you, let me go!" Wang Ying cried out, her voice trembling with a mix of fear and desperation as she hung upside down from the sturdy branch of a gnarled tree. The chill of the evening air sent shivers through her body, and the ropes, crafted from An Chen's Darkness, coiled tightly around her limbs, unyielding despite her frantic struggles. The dark, ethereal bindings seemed to absorb her attempts to break free, their resilience a testament to the power that had woven them.

"Are you two sorry?" asked Sheng Zhi, his gaze indifferent toward Jin and Ying.

"We are!" shouted Jin and Ying, their bodies cold and their consciousness on the verge of giving in if they stayed any longer that way.

"Okay, Chen, release them," spoke Zhi, turning away. The black rope loosened, letting Ying fall onto the cold, hard ground. Similarly, Jin's hands were untied, and he rushed towards his clothes, hoping to warm himself as quickly as possible.

Sheng Zhi sighed, incredulously. He had never thought that his elder sister, Wang Ying, would run out at night every other day to hunt spirit beasts. Moreover, his brother Jin, who had discovered it by mistake, had kept quiet about it. Indeed, he was disappointed.

"Brother…" Chen began, but before he could complete his words, Zhi interrupted, "I know, Chen."

He looked towards Jin and Ying, who were trying to warm themselves. "I'll say it only once. Today, the three of us will accompany you on your hunt."

Ying stood frozen in disbelief, her eyes wide as she processed Zhi's unexpected announcement. "What?" she gasped, the word tumbling from her lips. This was utterly bewildering—her younger brother, usually so bound by rules and conventions, was now proposing to take on a role she never imagined he would entertain: her partner in crime. She glanced over at Jin, his steady nod confirming that this wasn't a prank, and then shifted her gaze to Chen, who mirrored the mix of astonishment and intrigue on her face.

In that moment, Ying felt a whirlwind of emotions swirl within her; part of her wanted to burst into laughter at the absurdity of it all, while another part of her was almost on the verge of tears, torn by the drastic shift in their dynamics. She had always sought to uncover a vulnerability in Zhi's steadfast demeanor, yet now that it seemed she had found one, the thought of wielding it felt like a dangerous temptation she was reluctant to allow.

After a moment of contemplation, she reluctantly acquiesced to their unconventional venture. However, the gravity of the situation weighed heavily on her mind. "If we're going to do this, we need to be prepared," she declared firmly, her voice echoing with resolve. "Let's carry daggers, just in case trouble finds us." The three of them exchanged determined glances, all in agreement, ready to embark on a perilous adventure that lay ahead.

After that, Wang Ying took the lead and guided them all through the forest. The overgrowth wasn't large, but it was troublesome. The presence of the mist valley somehow added a hallucination effect to its surroundings. Therefore, if you didn't know the correct way, you were likely to get lost and never return.

"All right, we are almost there," said Ying, as she navigated through the forest. At a distance, a bright light could be seen, and a group of young spirit masters, none older than 15, stood in the clearing. The disciplined blood inside Zhi kept surging, but he wasn't able to do anything. On the other hand, Jin and Chen kept admiring the young spirit masters.

"That's an unbelievable sight," a voice came from the crowd. "The disciplined boy, Sheng Zhi, with his group."

It was Zhu, or rather, he was called by his real name, Hu Chun. His spirit was a panda, which fit him quite well, though Zhi thought it should be a pig instead. Chun was the son of the richest man in the village, so he was quite arrogant. But he was at least good-hearted. He may be troublesome sometimes, but he was more helpful than he appeared. Zhi could easily guess that this entire setup was the work of this person.

"You know what I'm going to ask," said Zhi in a curious tone.

"I know," said Chun with a smile. "And I also know what you're going to ask after that."

"That makes it simple."

"Indeed, we'll leave in five minutes."

"We'll be ready by then."

"Great, then I'll take my leave."

"Wait, I have one thing to request."

"A request from Zhi? Then I must fulfill it. Speak your mind."

"We want the spirit rings of three spirit beasts."

"And they are?"

"Shadow wolf, golden beetle, and void elemental."

"That's quite tricky," said Chun, with a troubled expression.

"Why?"

"I know the location of the elemental and the shadow wolf, but the golden beetle is tricky."

"Why is that?"

"I know it lives in the elemental's cave, but it's too small, quick, and hard to find."

"We'll take care of that. Just bring us near the location," said Zhi with a straight face.

"As you wish," replied Chun with a smile.

Chun left them and moved back into the crowd, dividing them into different teams according to location.

"He's a good leader, isn't he?" asked Chen.

"Yeah," replied Zhi, as he adjusted himself for the wild.