Chapter 105: I Want a Toy
The sun shone brightly, roasting anyone below it. The horse moved slower as it was dehydrated sooner than the usual. But today was a little different.
The heat in the surroundings was heavier than the day before, giving more pressure toward Mingyue's party. Not only that but also a burnt smell lingered in the air. It was an unpleasant journey, especially for Mingyue.
Sweat after sweat trickled down until she was covered in her own sweats. She had been covering her nose and mouth using some spare fabric, but the burnt smell was still there. It was a torture.
The people from the Turtle Shell Mercenary group were fine since they were trained to get used in any kind of climate. Fu Tao was also fine since he didn't care about it.
Liao Yun whined all day as she mounted on a horse, but now she was out of strength as she didn't say a word anymore. But the gaze in Liao Yun's eyes was scary enough to make the other didn't disturb her.
". . . Is that a smoke?" Fu Tao's voice broke the tense atmosphere.
As Fu Tao's voice was heard, all of them gazed at the same direction.
Mo Hua's body trembled a little while Hao Bo and Liang Chun's face darkened. Their expression was grave, even other people could see their anxiety.
". . . Can we go to that place?" Hao Bo asked as she kept her gaze toward the direction of the smoke.
"If it is not a long detour, it should be fine." Fu Tao scratched his head as he looked at the unresponsive Liao Yun and the sweaty Mingyue. It was clear that the pair didn't bother and didn't want to bother with it.
"No, we won't make any detour. It is our destination, or I should say it was."
…
A place full of dirt and black smoke filled the desolate place. Very few wooden weren't burnt as the place was razed until it was flat. A faint black smoke arose from the blackened ground as if it was mourning.
Even though it was hard to detect, a few faint traces of blood could be seen on the burnt ground. Not only that but also a large number of footsteps was moving at the destroyed place.
Hao Bo and Liang Chun were moving around the desolate place, while Mo Hua guarded around. Qin Yi stayed behind in the wagon.
As Hao Bo squatted down and inspected some traces of footstep, Liang Chun came.
"I just found some trace of wagon or carriage. The culprit should be pretending as a merchant." Liang Chun reported her findings with sour looks. "But why are these people aiming for a small village like this place? There is nothing valuable in this place."
Shaking her head, Hao Bo stood up as her gaze swept around the place. "There is a valuable, and they have burnt those without value."
At some concealed corner, there was some body without any life laid down. Some were hidden under the burnt wooden-made building, some other were burnt to death. A face full of helplessness could be seen even though the face was all burnt. But, there was one similarity in any of the bodies.
" . . . Only the old are killed, while there is no the young or women's body. Their aim is as clear as the sun." Hao Bo's hands were clenched as her body trembled. Her expression was not good as there was a sign of wrath. She was barely able to hold her anger inside.
"Slavery, isn't it." Even though Liang Chun was more composed, she would have a pained expression every time she saw a body without life. "Fortunately, Qin Yi didn't come out of the wagon."
"It is good. She is more suitable for good news rather than this kind of thing." Hao Bo closed her eyes for a while. She didn't like this feeling.
As both of them were down, a voice full of vigour resounded in the desolate place. "Ooi, I found a survivor!"
Surprised, both of them looked at each other. As they nodded toward each other, they went to the source of the voice.
Even if it was only one person, they wanted to save that person. Even if they couldn't exact revenge for the kidnapped and the killed villager, at least they didn't want to let the last villager died. It was not related to their chivalry, but rather a salvation. If they didn't do anything, their heart wouldn't have any peace.
…
Unlike the Turtle Shell Mercenary group, Fu Tao and Liao Yun were taking care of the horses and wagon. Since Hao Bo and Liang Chun were eager enough to roam around the razed village, Fu Tao didn't object while Liao Yun didn't care about it.
Liao Yun wished for a fight, thus this situation ignited her spirit a little. But after seeing the desolate place and some burnt bodies, her spirit was dampened. She felt that she was being played.
Mingyue didn't move around because she was not used with the burnt smell. Especially under the hot weather, the bad smell became unbearable.
"Hey, Yueyue. Is there no one alive here?" Xiao Wu's voice resounded.
"There should be none-" As Mingyue shrugged her shoulder, someone's shout cut her sentence.
"Ooi, I found a survivor!"
It was Mo Hua. It was a surprise that someone with timid personality had a loud voice.
"Yueyue, didn't you just say-"
"No, you heard it wrong. I haven't even finished my sentences." Mingyue was old enough to be shameless, especially in front of her familiar.
". . . Really?" But even so, Xiao Wu was not the same pure her like four years before. She was used by Mingyue's antic for the last four years.
"Ehem. Who do you think is the survivor? A male or female?" Mingyue shamelessly redirected the conversation as she went to Mo Hua's position.
Not only Mingyue, but all other were coming. As the sole survivor, that person should have an important hint. About the burnt down village, about the culprit, and many more.
As Mingyue almost arrived, she could see that all other people had gathered. Mo Hua was digging through the burnt building's leftovers together with Fu Tao. Both of them were careful with of their movement, but fast enough to save the survivor as soon as possible.
A small and frail hand protruded from the ruins as if asking for a help.
Time moved slowly, but the safety of the survivor was assured.
A small boy. He had no consciousness when he was rescued, but his breathing was steady. His shirt was torn and there was some burn mark. But with some weird luck, there was no burn mark on his body. It was miraculous because it was almost impossible for a little kid to survive a fire. And a few days should have passed since this village was razed.
Looking at the small boy with interest, Mingyue didn't move her gaze at all.
"So, what will you do with this brat?" Liao Yun knitted her eyebrows as she looked at the small boy.
"Sending him to the nearest village should suffice, but I want to avoid that." Hao Bo shook her head.
It was impossible for the sole survivor to live peacefully in another village. Not only the survivor was only a newcomer in the new village, the villager would think of the survivor as a plague, a bad luck bringer.
Taboo subject.
"But we cannot possibly babysit him all the time, right?" Liao Yun shrugged her shoulder as she grew annoyed.
[It is better if you have a plan, but it turns out you didn't have a plan yet.] Liao Yun wanted to complain, but she didn't have any strength. She was already annoyed with the heat and she didn't want to waste any strength to talk about some random kid.
The people from the Turtle Shell Mercenary group grimaced as they heard Liao Yun's sentence. It was a normal sentence without any meaning behind it, but for them, it was akin to complain.
Indeed, they were the one wished to come. They wanted to check any survivor, and they found the sole survivor of this purgatory. But there was nothing else they could do.
Sending the survivor to some random place was akin to run from responsibility. They also couldn't possibly to bring the small boy along with them. They were not a babysitter and they didn't have any responsibility to always take care of him, but leaving the small boy alone would leave a bitter taste.
Mercenary was a dangerous job, unlike what most people thought, unlike what most youngling adored of. With one misstep, a group of mercenary could be wiped off. Thus, bringing along the small boy along with the Turtle Shell Mercenary was also out of the question.
As they were in a headache, a small voice akin to a salvation was resounded, "Just bring him along. I will take care of him."
Hao Bo was surprised!
Liang Chun and Mo Hua were also surprised!
Liao Yun twitched her eyebrows as she thought, [. . . Can you not add more burdens?]
All of them were looking at one direction, at the source of the voice! A little girl mounted on a white deer yawned lazily.
But as all of them were looking at the same person, they had one thought. [Seriously?]
Full of scepticism.
Seeming to understand their hesitation, Mingyue pouted and mumbled, "Little Yun has smelly tofu as her toy, so I want one for myself too." But her mumbling was loud enough for the rest of the party to hear.
Hao Bo and Liang Chun had a weird expression pasted on their face as they took a few steps back, distancing themselves from Fu Tao. Mo Hua was busy enough with the small boy in his arm, making him disconnected with the rest of the party and the conversation.
On the contrary, Qin Yi was interested with a flushed face. She was all smiling and clapping her hands. Full of vigour and eager. Her eyes glowed as she threw a mesmerized gaze toward Liao Yun and Fu Tao. "What? Don't tell me it is a forbidden love? Toy? Is it a toy play? Toy Boy? Or Boy Toy? Oh my, what did she do and what play is that? Kyaa!"
But fortunately, both Liao Yun and Fu Tao didn't understand what kind of spell which was muttered by Qin Yi.
"So, you just want to have something like him?" Asked Liao Yun while she pointed her index finger toward Fu Tao. Of course, she didn't spare a glance toward Fu Tao.
Fu Tao wanted to cry as he was being treated as a thing by Liao Yun. But, he wasn't daring enough to talk back, thus he kept his silence.
Nodding eagerly as if she was a chick pecking on grains, Mingyue blinked her eyes a few times and stated her wish, "Un! I want to have my own follower myself!"
"Damn, who will be the one taking care of this kid then? I don't even believe you can." Liao Yun narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. Not to say to have a follower on her own, but her follower was a little more capable than any other tribesmen back in the settlement. Thus, if Mingyue wanted a follower, her own handyman, that certain someone should be a little capable. When Liao Yun took a better look toward the small boy, she twitched her lips.
[Heck! Will he be your babysitter or little Yue will be the babysitter? Don't tell me this brat will be handed to me. . .] Liao Yun held her forehead, but she didn't realize that she was being observed with a pair of ogling eyes.
"Oh? Don't tell me this is a neglecting play? No wonder, no wonder. Muehehe. . ." Qin Yi wiped the drools flowed out from her mouth unconsciously. Her gaze swapped between Liao Yun and Fu Tao repeatedly. As she was filled with her various imaginations, she didn't realize when Hao Bo went closer and finally whacked her head.
"Ouch!" As Qin Yi was pulled back to the reality, she shot a wronged looks toward Hao Bo. She was all teary while she covered the place where she was whacked with both of her hands.
"Don't do something stupid. Bring the wagon here."
…
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
FrostDream193
FrostDream193 10/10 finished
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