Voices rose near the front of the caravan.
"We just fought a pack," one guard said, irritation clear in his tone. "At least let everyone catch their breath."
"And tend the horses," another added. "They're spooked."
Wu Zhen wiped his blade against the grass and glanced back toward the forest. "If more beasts show up—"
Chen Ming spoke without turning.
"If there had been only one beast, it would have been fine," he said. His voice carried evenly, stripped of emphasis. "We killed an entire pack, the smell of blood will attract more demonic beasts, we have already caused too much commotion, it may even attract some bandits."
No one answered at once.
Gu Han looked at Zhou Kang. Zhou Kang met his gaze and nodded.
"He's right," Gu Han said. "We should move before more trouble finds us."
Reluctant murmurs followed, but no one argued further. Drivers climbed back onto their seats. Reins were gathered. The caravan lurched forward again, wheels grinding against stone as it pressed deeper into the forest.
It did not grow quieter.
The next beast came less than a quarter hour later—a dark-furred boar that burst from the undergrowth and charged straight at the lead wagon. Zhou Kang intercepted it with a short thrust, spear punching through its shoulder and dropping it hard into the dirt.
Not long after, something smaller followed. Then another.
A serpent slid down from a low branch and struck at a passing horse, only to be cut apart before it reached flesh. A lean, foxlike beast darted in from the side and was crushed beneath a blade before it could turn.
None of them came in groups. None of them were difficult.
They were simply there.
"Again?" someone muttered.
"This is the third one," another said, breath roughening. "What is this forest made of?"
Weapons rose and fell. Blood darkened the ground in short, uneven trails before the caravan rolled past and left them behind.
Exhaustion crept in slowly, carried by repetition rather than danger. Guards wiped sweat from their brows. Shoulders tightened. Movements grew sharper, less patient.
Chen Ming watched.
His eyes narrowed.
He drew his sword slightly and brought it close, inhaling once. The scent clung to the steel, heavy beneath the sharper tang of blood.
As I thought.
He sheathed the blade and looked toward Wu Zhen. "I'll be back."
Before Wu Zhen could respond, Chen Ming nudged his horse forward and rode past the central wagons, weaving between trees until he reached the front where Zhou Kang was riding.
"We should stop," Chen Ming said, drawing even with him. "And clean away all the blood from the wolves."
Zhou Kang frowned. "What do you mean?"
"These wolves must have eaten night-blooming redleaf," Chen Ming said. "It leaves a scent when digested. Demonic beasts are drawn to it."
Zhou Kang's expression shifted as understanding set in.
Zhou Kang frowned.
"But where would we wash all this off?" he asked.
"There's a lake nearby," Chen Ming said. "Not far."
Zhou Kang studied him for a moment, then turned his head. "Li Sen," he said. "Move up to the middle and take the position with Wu Zhen."
Li Sen nodded and guided his horse forward, easing the pace so the formation could shift without disorder.
Chen Ming turned his mount and rode ahead, guiding the caravan off the main path. The forest thinned gradually, trees giving way to open ground where the earth dipped and leveled out.
The lake came into view between the trunks.
Its surface lay still and dark, reflecting the broken canopy above. Reeds clustered along the edges, their tips bending lightly with the breeze. Smooth stones lined the shore, worn pale by water over time. The air there felt cooler, carrying the clean scent of damp earth and moss.
The caravan slowed and stopped.
People climbed down from the carriages. Horses were led toward the water, reins loosened. Weapons were lowered and set aside, the tension easing from shoulders and hands.
"Finally," someone muttered.
"I thought that smell would never come off."
A guard splashed water onto his arms and sighed. Another laughed quietly as he rinsed his blade, watching the red fade and disappear into the lake.
Zhou Kang raised his voice. "Wash everything," he said. "Weapons, armor, clothes if you have to. Don't leave a trace of blood."
There were no objections.
Chen Ming moved away from the others and knelt at the edge of the lake. He dipped his sword into the water and wiped it clean with slow, deliberate strokes. Blood thinned, then vanished entirely, the blade catching faint light beneath the surface.
He did not look up.
Behind him, Zhou Kang approached Tian Qiao and Gu Han. He spoke quietly, gesturing toward the forest and then the water, explaining in low tones as Tian Qiao listened, his expression tightening slightly while Gu Han's gaze drifted toward Chen Ming.
The lake remained still, ripples spreading outward where steel met water, then smoothing over again as if nothing had passed through.
Tian Qiao moved away from the lakeside without drawing attention.
He adjusted his robe as he walked, steps light, and approached the carriage with the horizontal strip curtains once more. He stopped beside it and lifted his hand.
His knuckles tapped softly against the wood.
A strip shifted. A slender finger pressed it down, just enough for a single eye to look out.
A calm voice followed. "Why did the caravan stop?"
Tian Qiao lowered his head. "The wolves we killed earlier had eaten a certain flower," he said. "Their blood carried a unique scent that attracted other demonic beasts. To avoid further trouble, we needed to wash away all traces of it."
There was a brief pause.
"Who discovered this?" the voice asked.
Tian Qiao hesitated only a fraction. "It was that Body Reinforcement brat."
Silence followed.
The strip did not move.
After a moment, the voice spoke again. "Find out who he is. What's his background."
Tian Qiao straightened slightly, surprise flickering across his face before he masked it. He bowed again. "As you wish, young miss."
He added, smoothly, "There is no need to worry now. The forest should end in two or three hours. Even if there is a chance of an ambush, we can push through quickly and leave it behind."
A faint nod answered him.
The strip fell back into place.
Tian Qiao smiled.
He turned and walked back toward the lakeside, where Gu Han and Zhou Kang stood a short distance away, voices low as they spoke over the map.
Tian Qiao joined them, his expression easy.
"Brothers," he said lightly, "what is the background of that Body Reinforcement kid?"
Both Gu Han and Zhou Kang looked toward him.
Gu Han and Zhou Kang both paused.
Zhou Kang was the first to react. He turned slightly, brows drawing together as he looked at Tian Qiao. "Why do you want to know that?"
Tian Qiao's smile did not change. He lifted one hand and brushed a bit of dust from his sleeve before answering. "The kid seems to have some potential," he said. "For someone in my line of work, it never hurts to know more people."
Gu Han glanced once toward the lakeside, then back. He gave a small nod. "He is indeed talented," he said. "But none of us know anything about where he came from."
Zhou Kang folded his arms loosely. "That's the truth. We've never heard him talk about his past."
Tian Qiao tilted his head slightly. "But he's part of the Iron Fang Gang, isn't he?"
"He is," Gu Han said. "But he didn't grow up with us." He paused, as if choosing his words. "He showed up about a year ago. Boss brought him in himself and told us to look after him."
Zhou Kang shifted his weight and continued, "He keeps to himself. Doesn't drink with us. Doesn't ask questions. No one knows his background."
Gu Han added, "Boss usually assigns him work alone. Killing rank one demonic beasts. Gathering herbs. Things like that." He exhaled quietly. "In fact this is his first job with the rest of us."
Zhou Kang opened his mouth, hesitated, then closed it again, his gaze drifting briefly toward the forest before returning.
Tian Qiao listened without interrupting. When they finished, he nodded slowly, the corners of his mouth lifting just a fraction.
"I understand," he said. "Thank you."
He reached into his robe and took out a small device, glancing at it briefly before slipping it back into his pocket.
"The afternoon is already passing," he said lightly. "If we want to clear this forest, we should move."
Gu Han and Zhou Kang nodded.
They turned to gather the others. Reins were untied. Weapons were secured. The brief stillness by the lake faded as voices rose again and the caravan slowly re-formed, wheels creaking as it set off once more toward the shadowed path ahead.
Chen Ming guided his horse back into position beside the central wagons.
Wu Zhen glanced at him as he settled in, then his eyes dropped to the small pouch hanging loosely from Chen Ming's hand. It was tied with plain cord, darkened slightly where moisture had soaked into the cloth.
"What's that?" Wu Zhen asked.
"Just some herbs," Chen Ming said.
Wu Zhen looked at the pouch again, then shrugged and faced forward.
The caravan moved on.
The forest closed around them once more, the lake slipping out of sight behind the trees. The road narrowed again, damp earth pressing in beneath hooves and wheels. Branches creaked overhead as the canopy thickened, light breaking into thin, uneven strands that barely reached the ground.
The sounds of the forest followed them.
A distant cry echoed and faded. Leaves rustled where nothing could be seen. Somewhere deeper within, something heavy shifted its weight and went still again.
The line of wagons pressed forward at a steady pace, guards alert, hands never straying far from their weapons as the Blackwood Forest swallowed them whole.