Ashes Of The War God

Chapter 7: The Bounty Hunters

Three days passed in Mountain Vale Village. Chen Feng's shoulder healed faster than normal. The old grandmother's medicine was incredibly effective, but something else helped too. The jade pendant fed him small amounts of energy each night while he slept.

His strength grew steadily. Not back to what it was in those brief moments of power, but better than his three years of weakness. He could walk without pain now. His hands stopped shaking. His breathing came easier.

On the morning of the fourth day, Lin Yue burst into his room without knocking.

"Chen Feng, get up. We have a problem."

He sat up quickly. "What is wrong?"

"Bounty hunters. Three of them just arrived in the village asking about a man matching your description." Lin Yue looked worried. "They are professionals. Not like those bandits in the forest. These men know how to fight."

Chen Feng stood and reached for the Liu family sword. "How much time do I have?"

"Maybe an hour. They are questioning the village elder now." She grabbed his arm. "But there is something else. One of them carries a Spirit Detector. It is a device that reveals cultivation levels and sealed power."

"Then they will know what I am."

"Exactly." Lin Yue pulled him toward the back door. "Grandmother has a plan. Come on."

They found the old woman in her herb garden, digging up strange roots. She did not look up as they approached.

"The hunters will find him within the hour," she said calmly. "The Spirit Detector will light up like a festival lantern when it gets near him. Even with the seal weakening, his divine core is unmistakable."

"Then what do we do?" Lin Yue asked.

The grandmother held up a twisted black root. "This is Shadow Veil Root. Very rare. Very expensive. When consumed, it hides a person's cultivation completely for twelve hours. Even a Spirit Detector will show nothing."

Chen Feng frowned. "If it is so valuable, why are you giving it to me?"

"Because I owe you a debt. A very old debt." The old woman finally looked at him. Her eyes were sad. "I was there, Chen Feng. A thousand years ago. I was one of the divine physicians in the Heavenly Palace. They asked me to help create the seal that trapped you."

Silence fell over the garden.

"You... you knew who I was this whole time?"

"From the moment Lin Yue brought you here, I recognized the jade pendant. It is the Divine War Seal. Only one person in all of existence ever wore it." She handed him the root. "I refused to help them seal you. I told them what they were doing was wrong. So they exiled me to the mortal world and took my immortality."

"Grandmother, why did you never tell me this?" Lin Yue looked shocked.

"Because some secrets are too dangerous to share." The old woman turned to her granddaughter. "But now the secrets are coming out anyway. Eat the root, Chen Feng. Hide your power. Then leave this village before those hunters bring death to innocent people."

Chen Feng bit into the root. It tasted horrible, like rotten meat mixed with dirt. But almost immediately, he felt something change. The constant hum of energy from the jade pendant went silent. The warmth in his chest disappeared.

He felt completely ordinary. Mortal.

"How long will this last?" he asked.

"Twelve hours. After that, you will shine like a star to anyone looking." The old woman picked up another root and put it in a cloth bag. "I am giving you three more. Use them wisely. Eventually, you will run out, and then hiding will no longer be an option."

Footsteps approached from the front of the house. Voices called out.

"Lin family! We are looking for a fugitive. Open your door!"

"Too late," Lin Yue whispered. "They are here."

"Then we face them." The grandmother stood up and brushed dirt from her hands. "Lin Yue, put away your weapons. Chen Feng, act weak and scared like you did for three years. Let me handle this."

They walked to the front of the house. Three men stood in the doorway. All wore leather armor reinforced with metal plates. The leader was a tall man with a scarred face and cold eyes. He held a strange device that looked like a compass with glowing crystals.

"Good morning," the old woman said politely. "How can I help you?"

The leader held up a drawing. It showed Chen Feng's face. "We are looking for this man. Chen Feng. The Liu family is offering five hundred silver coins for his capture. Have you seen him?"

"I am Chen Feng." Chen Feng stepped forward, making his voice shake. "Please, I did nothing wrong. The Liu family is lying."

The leader looked him up and down. Then he raised the Spirit Detector and pointed it at Chen Feng.

The device did nothing. No glow. No reaction. Completely dark.

The leader frowned. "This says you have no cultivation at all. Not even basic energy." He looked at his companions. "The fugitive we are looking for displayed master-level sword techniques. He destroyed a city street with one attack."

"That cannot be me then," Chen Feng said, still acting frightened. "I am just a servant. I cannot even lift heavy boxes."

One of the other hunters spoke up. "Maybe the Liu family description was wrong. Maybe it is a different Chen Feng."

The leader studied Chen Feng for a long moment. His eyes were suspicious. "Show me your hands."

Chen Feng held out his hands. They were calloused from three years of menial work but showed no signs of weapon training.

"These are not a warrior's hands," the leader admitted. He turned to the old woman. "Has anyone else come through your village in the past few days? Anyone suspicious?"

"Just the usual merchants and travelers," she replied.

The leader nodded slowly. He did not look completely convinced, but the Spirit Detector did not lie. "If you see anyone matching this description, report it immediately. There will be a reward for information too."

The three hunters left. Everyone remained silent until they disappeared down the village road.

Lin Yue let out a breath she had been holding. "That was close."

"Too close." The old woman looked at Chen Feng. "You cannot stay here any longer. Those men may come back with more questions."

"Where should I go?"

"East. Toward the Crimson Wastes. It is a lawless region where no one asks questions and bounty hunters rarely go. You can hide there while you recover more of your power." She pulled out a small map and pressed it into his hand. "There is a town called Red Sand. Find a man named Zhang Wei. Tell him Hua Ren sent you. He will help."

"Who is Zhang Wei?"

The old woman smiled sadly. "Another person who owes you a debt from your past life. He was one of your generals. He has been living in the mortal world for five hundred years, waiting."

"Waiting for what?"

"Waiting for you to come back."

Lin Yue suddenly spoke up. "I am going with him."

"Absolutely not," her grandmother said sharply.

"Grandmother, Chen Feng does not know the land. He does not know how to survive in the Wastes. He needs a guide." Lin Yue's voice was firm. "And you know what the prophecy said. You know why my mother died giving birth to me. You know what I am supposed to do."

The old woman's face fell. She looked suddenly very old and very tired. "I had hoped to keep you safe. To let you live a normal life."

"What prophecy?" Chen Feng asked. "What is she talking about?"

Lin Yue turned to him. Her eyes were steady and determined. "My mother was not fully human. She carried phoenix bloodline. Before she died, a diviner told my grandmother that I was born for a specific purpose. To stand beside the War God when he returns. To be his anchor to humanity when he forgets what it means to be mortal."

Chen Feng stared at her. "You knew who I was?"

"Not until three days ago. Grandmother told me everything after you fell asleep the first night." Lin Yue picked up her bow and quiver. "So I am coming with you. This is my destiny too."

"No. It is too dangerous."

"Everything is dangerous now." She smiled. "Besides, you still owe me for saving your life in the forest. I am collecting that debt."

The old woman sighed. "You are as stubborn as your mother." She turned to Chen Feng. "Keep her safe. Please. She is all I have left in this world."

"I will protect her with my life," Chen Feng promised.

"See that you do. Because if she dies, I will find a way to make even a god suffer."

An hour later, Chen Feng and Lin Yue stood at the edge of Mountain Vale Village. The sun was high. The road east stretched before them toward the Crimson Wastes.

"Ready?" Lin Yue asked.

Chen Feng touched the jade pendant under his shirt. It was still silent, hidden by the Shadow Veil Root. But he could feel it there, waiting.

"Ready."

They started walking. Neither of them looked back.

Behind them, hidden in the shadows of a distant tree, the scarred bounty hunter watched them leave. He held up the Spirit Detector again.

It was glowing now. Brightly. Pointing directly at Chen Feng's retreating back.

The leader smiled coldly. "The Shadow Veil Root. Clever. But I have been hunting for thirty years. I know every trick."

He turned to his companions. "Follow them. Keep your distance. Let them lead us away from the village. Then we take him when they camp for the night."

"What about the girl?" one asked.

"Kill her. She is worthless. We only get paid for him."

The three hunters melted into the forest, following their prey.