Super Gene

Qu Lanxi and Chu Ming were engaged in merry conversation as they walked, but that soon came to an end when they entered the field and caught sight of their Ink-Sword Tree.

They had spent the last three years cultivating it, and in a few more days, they’d have been able to harvest the thirty-four ordinary gene weapons. But now, the tree had suddenly died.

It had once borne an abundance of emerald leaves, but now only a few yellow leaves remained stubbornly clinging to its withered branches. The ink swords that once inhabited the tree had all disappeared, too. Mounds of dead leaves and rusted blades were all that remained, scattered about.

”How did that happen?!” Chu Ming ran in front of the Ink-Sword Tree, digging through the leaves like mad. He grabbed one of the rusted swords that had broken in half, following its fall.

Qu Lanxi’s face was robbed of all its color. The last three years of her effort had been squandered overnight. She wouldn’t receive any of the fruits of her labor, so her heart and mood were swiftly crushed.

”Someone is here! And he looks injured.” Qu Lanxi ran in front of the tree, looking at Han Sen as she came.

”A person?” Chu Ming was vacant-minded when he asked, unsure of how to respond to the tree’s death. He looked over to where Qu Lanxi was pointing, and saw a man lying on the ground.

Chu Ming quickly ran over to him, grabbed him by the collar and shouted with great anger, ”Did you destroy our Ink-Sword Tree?!”

Blergh!

When Han Sen was grabbed and shaken by the angry shouting man, his organs were injured. He tried to speak, but could only spill blood from his mouth.

”Did you do it? Answer me! Did you ruin our tree?!” Chu Ming continued to shout, shaking Han Sen. The tree’s death had really thrown him for a loop.

”Are you crazy? Don’t you see how injured he is? What, do you want to kill him?!” Qu Lanxi pulled Chu Ming away from Han Sen, and then knelt down to inspect him.

”Lanxi, this man has just randomly appeared in our garden on the same day our tree happens to be ruined. Put two and two together, would you? He is obviously responsible for this!” Chu Ming was consumed with madness.

”Chill out. Ask him politely first. He’s human; a friend, at that. I don’t think he’d try to harm us on purpose.” Qu Lanxi said as she checked out Han Sen.

”But...” Chu Ming tried to say something, but fell short.

Qu Lanxi shook her head and said, ”Ask him later. Right now, he is far too injured. Let’s help him recover first; you can ask all the questions you desire later.”

Qu Lanxi then summoned a turtle and told Chu Ming to help lift Han Sen and place him on the turtle’s back. After that, they would depart the garden.

Chu Ming was struggling to accept the death of the tree, and he was fuming mad at the likely culprit. Still, he was willing to oblige her request, and he lifted Han Sen onto the turtle. Then, they returned to a wooden cabin that was not too far from the tree.

Qu Lanxi brought over some medicine and applied it to Han Sen’s body. The medicine was intended for fixing simple things.

”He’s too injured. We need a doctor.” Qu Lanxi frowned.

”Doctor? This yahoo might have killed our Ink-Sword Tree! Who cares if he’s injured? Why should we fix him on our penny? We spent everything we had on that tree, and toiled to nurture it for three years, with the dream that we’d live a better life once its fruit matured. But now? It’s all gone. Where am I supposed to get that money now, huh?” Chu Ming was furious.

Qu Lanxi understood where he was coming from, but she was conflicted with the desire to help the injured man. She didn’t know how to respond.

”I appreciate your concern, but I’ll be fine in a few days.” After the rest, Han Sen was feeling a little bit better, and his voice had now returned to him.

”Oh, so you can talk now? That’s great news. Hey, tell me something here; did you destroy my tree? And if you did, why?” Chu Ming was keen to begin his interrogation.

”Don’t hurt him.” Qu Lanxi stopped Chu Ming, and then looked at Han Sen and asked, ”Who are you, injured one? And why were you in our garden?”

Han Sen sighed and said, ”My name is San Mu. I was attacked by a creature and ran this way. I saw the tree fall victim to that putrid beast, and I believe that is what caused it to die. It is my fault, though; do not worry, I will accept full responsibility and be sure to pay you back in full.”

”Hmm, you have wealth? And you’re willing to pay us back? Well, alright then. One ink sword’s price is equal to that of a portion of ordinary creature flesh. We had thirty-four swords in total, so give me the flesh of thirty-four ordinary creatures. Do that, and I’ll let you off the hook so you can sod off back to where you came from,” Chu Ming said.

”Don’t worry, a San always pays his debts. As soon as I’m back on my feet, I’ll get to work on paying you back.” After a brief pause, Han Sen continued to say, ”Is there a shelter nearby, in which I could teleport back to the Alliance?”

The Blood-Pulse Sutra could fix him, but it was too slow. If he could return to the Alliance, he could heal at a much quicker rate.

When Chu Ming heard Han Sen was willing to pay him back, his mood had considerably brightened. He said, ”You are joking? Haha! What a joker. The spirit won’t let us go back.”

Qu Lanxi looked at Han Sen and asked, ”San Mu, which shelter do you come from? And which creature did you encounter?”

”Pah! Where else could he have come from, girl? He most likely came from the Thorn Forest; what other place has sordid creatures in these parts, eh?” Chu Ming interjected.

Han Sen sighed in relief. He believed Chu Ming to be the biggest idiot he had met in a long time. With that information, making a story wouldn’t be so hard.

”Yes, you are right. But I haven’t been in the Third God’s Sanctuary long. I am unfamiliar with this area.” Han Sen suddenly coughed up some blood.

”Oy! Don’t die yet. You owe us money, remember?” Chu Ming was a little repulsed.

Chu Ming then thought something had to be amiss. He stared at Han Sen and said, ”Wait, if you only just entered the Third God’s Forest, where are you going to find us ordinary flesh?”

”Well, can I pay you back in the Alliance?” Han Sen asked.

”We can’t leave this place, so what would be the point?” Chu Ming suddenly felt the clouds of doom return to fog the clarity of his mind and said, ”Oh, no. No. Nooo! This guy can’t pay us. He can’t pay us!”

Qu Lanxi sighed and then said, ”Well, let’s just focus on fixing him first.”

”No, you *sshole! Give me my tree back!” Chu Ming’s mind returned to the three years he spent carefully tending to the tree. He looked like a broken man.

Qu Lanxi stopped him and said, ”What would be the point in killing him? When he has healed, perhaps he can pay us back some other way.”

”Geez, calm down, you two. I will pay you back.” Han Sen couldn’t blame them for their reactions, and he could tell they must have endured a difficult life where they were.

Having a three-year dream taken away from you was something no one could take very well, so Han Sen could understand their anger.

But Han Sen was confident he could get better, and once his health returned, paying them back would not be too difficult. All he was unsure about was how to adequately return the favor they did by saving his life, despite the trouble he had caused them.