Zhang Qiling

The sound grows closer from all sides and even though Qiling was ready to fight, he had a bad feeling about the way it sounded so light and strange. He expected more lizards from the sandstorm, but now he had doubts about it and a quick glance at Shades made it clear that he was confused too.

"You can't tell either?" Xiazi asked Qiling and, having received verbal confirmation, Zhang Qiling simply jumped up the wall around two meters and a half high, to get a better view of what was coming towards them. Once above, he almost cursed at the impressive sight, because that was the kind of thing he hated the most about the plagues of the desert. From what he could see, the sand was covered in moving red and still looming on them, like a wave over the golden sand.

It was a rare occurrence, even near underground tombs, but again, trials were always the hardest to overcome and the most unpredictable. Still, his heart clenched in concern as he watched in some disbelief, the wave of huge red ants marching through the desert, and each of the hundreds of them was the size of half an index finger. In such numbers, they could gnaw a man to the bones in less than an hour. Worst of all, none of his many abilities were useful in dealing with the deadly wave that was coming. Now they were in really deep danger, so he did the only thing he could.

"Climb the wall now! Wu Xie, give me your hand!" He screamed as he flattened himself against the top and reached out for him to grab it.

"What's out there?" Wu Xie couldn't help asking curiously.

"A wave of marching red ants from the desert! Come on, we can't fight them with weapons!" Qiling urged him on and instantly Wu Xie jumped up to grab Qiling's hand and felt his center of gravity go to hell at Qilin's strong pull to put him over the top. Xiazi grabbed Xiao Hua's hand once more and after giving a few steps of impulse, he jumped the wall with Xiao Hua hanging from his arm and as soon as he leaned over the narrow space, he pull Xiao Hua up to stand sat on the wall, like him.

Xiao Hua was surprised that Hei Xiazi had the same kind of strength that Zhang Qiling had previously displayed. All tomb raiders knew that Qiling was almost inhuman in many ways, but he never expected the same from his friend. He was always joking or teasing, so he hardly took him seriously during their years of friendship, but now... after what he had just witness, he might have underestimated him all along.

"Climb! Climb! Climb!" Xiazi urged the rest of the group as he stared at the red wave in horror. Qiling was right, there wasn't much they could do to fight insects, even if they were larger than normal, other than the fire and Qilin's blood only two of them have, but that was their secret and they had unwanted grave robbers among them. However, Xiazi was sure that Zhang Qiling was not going to risk Wu Xie's life for nothing, as he was his test, so if Qiling acted to save a life so he would.

Pangzi took out from his pack a small bottle of oil they used for torches and spread it down, once everyone was up and all those who carry oil did the same and just in time, as the first wave was under their wall.

"Go to hell!" Pangzi yelled, throwing an ignited a lighter down, which set fire the long line of oil they created, incinerating ants and creating a protection bellow them.

"This will not last long, we need to keep moving!" Ning yelled.

"That's easier said than done! Be my guest and lead the way, but if you fall, its death sentence for sure. Those ants will eat you alive like piranhas on fresh water!" Pangzi shouted back.

Qiling knew also that the fire will not keep the hundreds of ants away for too long, so he looked back at Wu Xie, who was looking down anxiously and make his choice. Using his sword he cut his hand and throw the rushing blood ahead and grabbed Wu Xie's hand with his non bleeding one and pull him behind him as he started to move over the wall.

The ants parted ways were his blood had landed and the others followed his bloody path.

"You... how?" He hear Wu Xie ask, but he ignore him, rushing as much as he could, before he too could be overwhelmed by the numbers of the deadly insects, trying to reach them and for a while it worked, even when their advance was slower than they wished, but their wall simply came to an end to open sand, full of ants.

"Torches!" Qiling instructed as he closed his hand with force to draw more blood to throw it down, to give them at least a clean spot to land.

"This is madness, we are going to die eat by ants!" Mop yelled in panic.

"Shut up you idiot and take out your torch, or I will push you down myself." Ning warned him.

"Zhang Qiling, from now on you are my Xiaoge!" Pangzi exclaimed as he watch him jump down to the sand and use more of his blood to create a narrow line to run into.

"Wu Xie! Hurry!" Qiling ignored Pangzi and urged the young man to jump down too, which he did, but not having his same ability, he clashed into the sand in all four, luckily inside the clear ring he created for him. Qiling help him up and hurriedly pull him forward in a dash, as the others jumped down one after the other, to follow their lead, while carrying torches to prevent the ants from coming too close to their heated line.

"Run faster, Xiao Hua!" Xiazi yelled in front t of him.

"I'm trying my best!" Still, Xiazi thought that Xiao Hua's speed was still slower than he wished, most probably because of the torch he had holding in his right hand, which was close to be extinguish by the rush.

"Throw the torch, you don't need it!" Xiazi demanded.

"What? This may save my life!" Xiao Hua refuted behind him with ragged breathing.

"Trust me, you don't need it close to me! Give me your hand!" Xiazi slowed down enough to offer his hand, as Xiao Hua throw the torch away and grab it, dashing at Xiazi's wanted pace.

"Damn bromance bug! You are all crazy!" Pangzi cursed as he dashed after the two 'couples'.

Adrenaline and fear keep them in a mad dash. Moving forward without a guided direction like they did before, just the most convenient path with less ants. However, when the path become more ruins than sand, Wu Xie tripped with a rock, letting go of Qiling hand's and falling to the side, where the red ants were, hurting his own hand as he fall.

"Wu Xie!" Qiling stopped in his desperate rush, but too late, as Wu Xie was already surrounded by ants.

"Run! Leave me behind!" Wu Xie yelled, but to his surprise no ant came close to him, even when they surround him, like they were been repelled by an invisible force.

"Get up, you fool!" Xiazi yelled, seen in surprise that the kid had now enough protection from the Qilin's fire to repel insects on his own, just like they could.

Qiling moved, as the ants parted as he walked among them and pull him up to keep running, this time after Xiazi's lead.

After a while of running for their lives, lost in the outer ring of the Devil City, finally, they leave the red wave behind. Even though not all survived the rush, as some fell, like Wu Xie, but we less luck, most of the group manage to do so and they finally stooped when reaching an almost in one piece temple in their path and went in.

Qiling inspect it thoroughly, before giving his approval and when he finally did, they all stumble to the floor in exhaustion by the intense ordeal.

"Damn it, that was too close. I hate cursed dangerous ants the most." Pangzi whisper as he try to even his fast breathing.

"Is everyone alight?" Wu Xie asked from his spot in the floor in which he was also panting.

"I have some bites." Mop said.

"You are damn lucky to be alive at the pace you were running, don't complain for a bite of two." Pangzi scold him.

"Let's just rest while we can." Pan Zi said and as he did, up above their small temple, a thunder flashed while the sky begin to darken.

"What now? The thunder tribulation?" Pangzi asked expecting that thunders will strike their hiding place.

"This is the Devil City, what where you expecting? It's weird no matter where you run. Let's just rest for a while." Xiazi said, sat by the fallen Xiao Hua.

"Fair enough." Ning said as she drink some water.

Some distance away, Wu Xie sat and looked at Qiling, which was, as usual staring his way not far from him.

"Xiaoge..." Oh, so he was back to Xiaoge? Qiling smirked and watch as Wu Xie came to his side of the temple to sit by his side.

"Was it because of your blood that those ants didn't cover me when I fell?" Wu Xie asked almost in a whisper, his curiosity so plain to see in his big eyes. He didn't respond the question, though, one because he could not tell him about their secrets when he was still been tested even if he wanted it and second, because there was someone eavesdropping them, probably hopping to hear such answer.

"Will it kill you to give me some answers? Come on..." Wu Xie insisted. He was so trusting... Qiling almost sighed.

"Rest, you are tired." Qiling simply said and Wu Xie notice then that Qiling looked paler than usual and with a good reason. He had used his blood several times to open a path for them, so even if he was inhumanly gifted, he must feel the drain nevertheless. Thus he decided to ask the question later and opening his backpack, he reached for his bottle of water and offer it to him.

"Here, drink. You had lose so much blood already... you should take care of yourself too." Qiling stared at him for a few seconds, before he reached for the offered water and drank from it. He was glad that Wu XIe was no longer mad at him and been honest with himself, it lifted a weight from his shoulders that he was not aware he was carrying. He smiled unconsciously, making all those who witness it drop their jaws open.

"I'll be damn, maybe they married indeed..." Pangzi whisper before starting laughing, to Wu Xie's embarrassment. The Wu Family was perhaps doomed indeed. Xiao Hua sighed, too tired to say anything back to help his cousin. He too was facing his own dilemma with the one sit by him. How much of him, he truly knew? Perhaps it was about time to re-evaluate it again.

That place was a trail indeed.

AN: Here you go, a fast update which answer at least one question. The Qilin's fire give Wu Xie the ability to repel bugs and insects, so Xiaoge had one thing less to worry about. Hope you like it, take care, until next time. 😘💕💕💕💕