Chapter - 9 Women in purple
Ishita was confused. Seeing Aman staring so intently, she tensed up, thinking he was alerting her to something serious.
She grabbed her glass of water, slowly taking a sip while trying to act casual.
Then Aman spoke.
"That woman… she's walking weirdly. As if… ahem, ahem…"
Ishita froze.
Her mind was racing--was she poisoned? Was she an assassin? Was she some kind of hidden expert?
Then it clicked.
Her eyes widened in horror.
She instantly spat out her water, nearly choking. "A-Aman!!! What the hell!?"
Aman simply smirked, acting like he had just made an important discovery.
After finishing their meal, the two stepped out of the restaurant into the cool night air. The town had quieted down, with only a few people still wandering the dimly lit streets.
Aman suddenly turned into a dark alley.
"Where are we going?" Ishita asked, already sensing trouble.
Aman didn't answer. He jumped onto a nearby rooftop in one fluid motion.
Ishita sighed but followed after him. "Okay, seriously, what are you up to now?"
Standing on the roof, Aman's gaze swept across the town. Then, he started speaking in mysterious riddles.
"She was there in the auction house."
"She bought medicinal herbs."
"She walks strangely, as if she's injured."
"All of this… connects to something greater."
Ishita frowned, trying to piece it together. "Okay, so she's injured and bought medicine. And?"
Aman continued in his serious, deep tone.
"That means she's hiding something. She could be someone important, or involved in something big."
Ishita slowly nodded. It was a reasonable theory. But then, she asked the most important question.
"But… why are we getting involved?"
Aman turned to her, his expression dark, his voice deep with mystery.
"Because she is... hot."
Silence.
Then--
SMACK!
Ishita whacked him on the head. "YOU IDIOT!!!"
Aman rubbed his head, grinning. "Ow, ow! Come on, it's not just that--"
"You JUST RECOVERED from an accident, and now you're chasing unnecessary trouble! Why!?"
Aman sighed dramatically, placing a hand on his chest as if he had been deeply moved.
Then, with a straight face, he said, "God created such a wonderful creation… how can I bear to ignore it?"
Ishita stared at him, utterly speechless.
For a moment, the two just stood there in silence.
Then--
SMACK!
She hit him again. "STOP SAYING NONSENSE!!!"
Aman laughed, dodging away before she could hit him a third time. But his eyes flickered back to the woman in purple, now slipping into the shadows.
Jokes aside--there was something off about her.
"That woman--I've been observing her since the auction house. She walks strangely, as if injured. And considering she specifically bought medicinal herbs, it's likely she's trying to treat herself. Injured people don't usually wander around alone at night unless they're trying to avoid something or someone.
Just then, they spotted the woman in purple heading toward the town's exit. Without hesitation, Aman began following her, and Ishita sighed before trailing behind him. Due to her injuries, the woman couldn't move as fast, but she had a plan--the jungle. The thick tree cover would provide the perfect place to hide. Thinking she was smart, she slipped into the forest.
Aman and Ishita, however, soon noticed something else--a group of ten fully cloaked figures silently pursuing her through the trees.
As Aman sprinted forward, his ADHD-fueled mind went into overdrive.
What goes best with French fries? Cold chili cola or chocolate milkshake? he pondered. Depends on the situation. Movie theater? Definitely soda. Driving? Maybe soda too. But late at night before bed? Chocolate milkshake, hands down.
His thoughts continued spiraling. Speaking of milkshakes... are there dairies in this cultivation world? Wait, cultivation world? Right, I was chasing someone. But as the wise sage Future once said: "Chase a check, never chase a--" Hold on. Why am I even chasing her? I don't even know. Maybe I should go and ask her why I'm chasing her.
By the time Aman snapped out of his thoughts, he realized he had lost track of the woman entirely. He skidded to a halt, forcing Ishita to stop abruptly beside him. "Aman, what are you doing? We lost her!"
Aman's competitive gaming instincts kicked in. He didn't panic; instead, he quickly formulated a plan. Without hesitation, he climbed up a tall tree, scanning the area for signs of life. He wasn't looking for humans--he was looking for animals. Specifically, carnivorous ones with a keen sense of smell. Since the woman was injured, she would likely be emitting a faint scent of blood--something unnoticed by humans but easily detectable by creatures like wolves.
"Ishita, bad move going into the jungle while bleeding," he muttered to himself. "She might be hiding from those guys, but if she's not careful, the predators will find her first."
Now, it was a race. Aman wasn't just looking for her anymore--he was also searching for whatever might be hunting her in the dark.
Aman watched as the bear charged through the undergrowth, its heavy steps leaving deep imprints in the forest floor. He wasn't disappointed that there were no wolves—this terrain wasn't mountainous enough for them. But a bear? That was promising. Animals like these had a natural instinct for blood, and it was likely chasing after something—or someone.
Meanwhile, deeper within the forest, the woman in purple was reaching the limits of her endurance. Her breath was ragged, her vision blurred, and every movement sent waves of pain through her battered body. The ten assailants had encircled her, their weapons gleaming under the fractured moonlight.
She took a deep breath, steadying herself. If this was to be her final battle, then she would not fall like prey. Her trembling fingers uncorked a healing potion, downing it in one swift gulp. A surge of warmth spread through her veins, dulling the worst of her pain, but she knew it would not be enough.
With no other choice, she drew her sect's treasure—an ancient sword, its blade whispering with an eerie hum as if it carried the voices of those who had wielded it before. She pressed the tip against her palm, letting her blood seep into the engraved sigils. The sword shuddered in response, a cold brilliance pulsing from its core. The night trembled as the air around her grew sharp, charged with unseen power.
One of her attackers sneered. "Still struggling? Just accept death."
The woman only smiled faintly. "Death? Perhaps. But not before I drag you all with me."
And with that, she moved.
Like the last ember of a dying star, she erupted into motion, her sword carving arcs of silver fire through the darkness. The first man fell before he could even raise his blade, his throat opened in a spray of crimson. The others hesitated for a fraction of a second, and in battle, hesitation was death.
"The candle's flame flickers, yet it still burns bright. The dying lotus still perfumes the night. And though the stars fall, they shine as they die— For even in death, they blaze through the sky."
Her footwork was unsteady, her strikes slower than they should have been, but there was no denying the lethality in her movements. Every step she took was a declaration of defiance. Every attack, a whisper of wrath.
One of the men swung at her, and she barely managed to twist away, the blade grazing her side. Blood seeped into her robes, but she did not falter. She retaliated with a vicious downward slash, her sword splitting through steel and bone alike.
Another enemy lunged. She spun, using her momentum to cleave through his torso. Another. A well-placed thrust sent him reeling. Her movements were a dance of death—elegant yet desperate, beautiful yet tragic.
But exhaustion was creeping in, her limbs growing heavier with every strike. The last few foes realized this. They surged forward together, overwhelming her.
A dagger slipped past her guard, burying itself into her shoulder. She gasped but did not fall. Instead, she pulled the blade from her flesh, her own blood dripping down the hilt. With a savage grin, she rammed it back into her attacker's chest.
And then, silence.
The battlefield was nothing more than a graveyard now, the scent of blood thick in the air. Bodies lay scattered like fallen leaves, motionless beneath the indifferent moonlight.
The woman staggered to a nearby rock, dropping onto it as she struggled to breathe. Her sword slipped from her fingers, the glow fading from its surface. She had won… but at what cost?
She tried to meditate, to gather what little energy she had left, but the world around her was tilting. Her fingers trembled. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears.
Then, from the shadows, came a deep growl.
The bear.
It stepped into the clearing, eyes gleaming with predatory hunger. It had smelled the blood. It had followed the trail. And now, it had found her.
She tried to stand, but her body refused to obey. Her vision swam. Her legs gave out beneath her, and she collapsed onto the dirt.
Her last thought before the darkness swallowed her was not of fear or regret—but of annoyance.
"Really? This is how I die?"
Then, the world went black.
Aman watched as the massive bear roared, its maw wide open, revealing jagged fangs soaked in hunger. Its dark, matted fur bristled as it charged toward the unconscious woman. Aman didn't hesitate. With a sharp exhale, he unsheathed his sword, its steel catching the moonlight. His body moved on instinct, dashing forward with precise footwork. As the bear lunged, he twisted his blade upward, slicing through the beast's thick hide in a clean, practiced motion. The creature staggered, letting out one final, ear-splitting growl before collapsing with a heavy thud. The scent of blood thickened the air.
Aman stepped over the lifeless beast, his eyes now drawn to the woman in purple. She was slumped against a rock, her breathing shallow, her once-elegant robes drenched in crimson. Her body was broken but stubbornly alive. For all the power she displayed moments ago, she was now at her most fragile. He sheathed his sword and crouched beside her, sliding his arms beneath her delicate frame before lifting her with ease.
"We need to get rid of the blood scent," Aman muttered, his voice steady despite the situation. He turned to Ishita, who was still perched on a nearby tree, watching everything unfold with a scowl.
Ishita sighed, arms crossed. "I told you not to get involved, but nooo, you had to play hero."
Aman ignored her complaints and nodded toward a distant shimmering light beyond the trees. "There's a lake nearby. We'll clean her up there. Blood will attract more predators if we delay."
With that, Aman sprinted through the dense forest, carrying the unconscious woman effortlessly in his arms. The moon above cast long shadows against the trees as he weaved through them, his sharp instincts guiding his way. Ishita followed, though her muttered grumblings of annoyance never ceased.
When they reached the lake, its waters glowed under the silver light of the stars. The air was cool, and the rhythmic sounds of gentle waves lapping at the shore created an oddly peaceful contrast to the chaos they had just left behind. Aman carefully set the woman down near the water's edge, her head resting against a smooth rock.
"You clean her up," Aman ordered, stepping back as he turned to Ishita.
"Excuse me?" Ishita blinked, her brows furrowing. "You're the one who picked her up, and now I have to do this?"
"She's unconscious. I can't do it." Aman shrugged nonchalantly. "You want her waking up and thinking I took advantage of her?"
Ishita rolled her eyes. "Fine. But you owe me." She knelt beside the woman, beginning the slow process of cleaning her wounds and rinsing away the blood from her torn robes.
Aman, meanwhile, straightened up, dusting off his clothes. "I'll head back to town and get her some new clothes and supplies."
"Great, you go on another pointless errand while I play nursemaid." Ishita scowled but didn't stop her work.
"Glad we're on the same page." Aman grinned before swiftly disappearing into the shadows of the forest, already plotting his next move.
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End of Chapter 9