The sun rose. Quinn Shepherd stood up, slid Worryless Sword into the scabbard he carved last night, and kicked the Dragon-Qilin awake, then called to the two White Bat Demons.
The Dragon-Qilin crawled up, eyes bright: "Cult Master, what's for breakfast today?"
Quinn rummaged through the Glutton Dragon Pouch. There were only a few Scarlet Fire Spirit Pills left, but it was enough to fill him up.
The two White Bat Demons released their claws, dropping from the eaves to the ground. The three monster-monks opened their eyes, fetched fresh water and cakes from their packs—their food was made by pressing insects into cakes.
All monks of Little Thunderclap Temple are born monsters, eating anything and not bound by the strict rules of Great Thunderclap Temple. These three monster-monks are all birds or beasts, and prefer insects—so for convenience, they press them into bug-cakes.
Steadfast-Awakening broke off half a bug-cake for Quinn. Quinn tried it and found it surprisingly fragrant and crisp.
The beast horde began to move out. Everyone in the ruin followed them, each on guard. Quinn, however, was a bit distracted. They were already near the western edge of the Great Ruins, and he was eager to see where the darkness vanished.
Since the darkness in the Great Ruins always comes from the west, there must be a source. If he could find where it began, maybe he could uncover the origin of the Great Ruins catastrophe.
The beast horde left the ruin. Quinn glanced back and froze for a moment—he saw the Jewel Incense Carriage rolling toward them as well. The couple with the black scarf and little red flower, and the man with the white cloth-wrapped head were gone; instead, a male and female deer, both spotted with plum-blossoms, were pulling the carriage.
The stag's antlers were wrapped in white cloth, while the doe's ears were tied with a black scarf. She wore gold and silver necklaces and bangles, plus a little red flower, and on her forelegs were a dozen gold, silver, and jade bracelets.
"So they were demons all along."
Quinn blinked. Last night, he hadn't realized the young couple were beast spirits; they hid their demon aura so well that even he was fooled. Turns out they were two deer cultivating into human form.
"Their cultivation art is rather remarkable—must be an orthodox method. Are they travelers from the Western Lands?" Quinn wondered.
The hundred-plus foreign divine-ability cultivators silently followed behind the carriage. Quinn looked over and saw a small head with two braids poking out of the carriage, glancing back, only to be pulled inside by two pale hands as the door shut.
Quinn looked away, seated himself on the Dragon-Qilin’s back. Worryless Sword was ready to draw at any moment, and the flying swords in his Glutton Dragon Pouch were restless.
The two White Bat Demons glided up soundlessly, weaving through the beast horde, while the three monster-monks strode along, sleeves billowing and bird-claws pounding the earth—each step covering a great distance.
Ben Coates’s eyes darted around, scanning the area. Right now, they were mixed in with the beast horde. The Great Ruins’ strange beasts included some extremely powerful ones, and the herd had its own rules. If anyone started a fight inside, it could enrage the beasts—and they might attack everyone.
At last, the beast horde began to disperse.
Suddenly, the two deer bolted, dragging the carriage at full speed. The hundred-plus divine-ability cultivators immediately accelerated, howling in pursuit.
"Princess Mother, don’t run!" (奶夔, in Miao language: means Princess Mother)