Maiden Of The Splitting Moon

Ming Yue could almost see fire spit from her mouth as Matron Shuang's eyes reverted to their draconic form. 

"Where is he?" she asked Elder Shu, "I'm going to incinerate him for what Kong Zhi did."

Sparks flew as each word was filled with viciousness. 

The Elder held his hands forward, trying to placate her. 

"Calm down, he isn't alone. In fact, we have to gather everyone here and leave this place. It is no longer safe and I simply do not have the strength to repel this many. We have to head for the human settlements."

"What? What do you mean?"

The flames surrounding Matron Shuang died down as her eyes were filled with dissatisfaction. 

And the commotion had attracted many of the villageres, surprised by the Matron's sudden outburst.

"Is something wrong, elder?"

"What is it, elder? Has something happened?"

Everyone began to gather around as did Hua Xiong, who exited her small home and joined. 

Elder Shu looked at them all. Everyone's eyes were filled with a bit of fear, worrying that the worst was to come. He sighed, his face was grim as he revealed the news. 

"Kong Zhi has brought an army numbering in the hundreds of thousands. A few minor formations had been tripped by them but it wouldn't be long before they reach this place. With that said, all of you must leave, head towards the human territories. Take what you can and go, leave now."

They were all shocked. 

"But Elder Shu, what about you? Will you come with us?" they all looked at him, concern written across their faces. 

But the elder shook his head.

"I have been the Forest Keeper for several centuries and I am at the end of my lifespan. This place shall be my grave. Go now, leave while there is still time."

No one moved, they were unwilling to go. For the duration of this war, many of them had fled, searching for a peaceful life, looking to just survive. 

Then one person stepped forward and kowtowed to him. 

"Thank you for all that you have done."

They then stood up and left. Following this first, everyone else did the same and they shwoed their gratitude in unison.

"Thank you, Forest Keeper. We will not forget the kindness you have shown to us and we will not let it go in vain."

One by one they went to their homes and began packing. Those sleeping children were awakened by their parents, surprised to find that they had to go. Some cried while others kept their tears in. Hei Yue and Xiao Yin were also surprised to watch them go, the two beasts saw the saddened faces and returned to Ming Yue. 

She looked at the two but gave a helpless look. 

"I can't do anything here."

The injured, the elderly, women and children, they all left with heavy hearts, knowing that this home of theirs would be gone. 

Elder Shu watched them go before looking at who was left, Hua Xiong, Ming Yue, and Matron Shuang. His eyes then rested upon Hua Xiong, a green light shimmered within his pupils. 

"Hua Xiong, come with me."

He then brought her away, back to his home, leaving the Matron with Ming Yue. 

It was just Hua Xiong and the Elder in his little abode. She looked at him, her eyes glistening with tears, ready to fall at any moment. 

"No, it can't be this way, Elder Shu. First the sect and now the village, I cannot just lose two homes like this. There has to be another way. There has to be."

Her voice was trembling, weak and incredibly soft. She could barely keep herself together. The Elder looked at her tenderly.

"It has only been a few months since I found you and yet you have become a part of the village in mere days. Your kindness is what has brought more joy and life, never forget it."

Afterward, he placed his finger on her forehead, an emerald light glowing from where it was. 

"Within these last moments of mine, I will bestow my strength, my dao, the Dao of Flourishing Life. All of my experiences and knowledge in your mind and within your heart, memories of this place."

"Wait n-!"

Before she could even protest, it had begun. 

Matron Shuang was quiet but it wasn't hard to see that she was trying her best to restrain her anger. Even now, her eyes were still in their draconic form, glowing with a bright golden color. She then noticed Ming Yue's stare at her.

It was then that she stopped her fit of anger and tried to recompose herself.

"I apologize, I must have frightened you", she said. 

"No, I was just curious. What did Kong Zhi do? I have heard of his tyrannical nature but I've never seen him before."

Ming Yue shook her head and instead asked the Matron. 

Despite being here for half a year, she never quite invested much attention to the war itself. Now it seemed that she truly was gonna be a part of it.

Hearing her questions, Matron Shuang let out a long sigh. 

"He's a brutal man, only searching for more men to join him and more ways to increase his army. Those that refused faced death. Those that died in battle were deemed weak. There is only one goal in front of him, to enter the Human Continent and take it for himself."

"After all, the Demon Continent is a ruined place, the Calamity destroyed it to the point where survival of the strongest mattered. You must've seen the state of things, the ground is nothing but dead soil, barely anything grows. This forest only came to be from as the constant bloodshed wet the soil and revitalized it. Even then, no fruit grew out, you would find no food here, not even a berry bush."

"Kong Zhi was one of many youths who fought to live another day. Fed up with this life, he sought to take control of the continent and then move to the Human Continent. In this conquest of his, he has done many things, killing, conquering, destroying."

Her face was bitter at this point. 

"About two years ago, he ventured into the forest with his men and captured one of my kin, my child in fact. I had been away to hunt and came back to find my child nowhere to be found. By the time I had realized what had happened, it was too late. They were long gone."

Her aura rose up as she raised her fists. 

"Now that he has decided to return, I will get my child back and show him the wrath of a mother. I don't suppose that you will also be fighting."

Ming Yue nodded. 

"My friend is here and I owe her my life. If she is prepared to fight, then I shall join her. If anything, we also have this tortoise, no?"

Matron Shuang looked at her strangely before understanding. 

"That is no tortoise, rather it is not even a living being". she explained, "That is the culmination of the Elder's power but whether or not he can do it again, that I am unsure of."

"A culmination of his power? What do you mean?"

"Elder Shu has been the Forest Keeper for a very long time. Along with him being a Liferoot Demon, he has gained a connection with the forest itself. The trees, the plants, the roots have become his eyes and ears. If he exerts enough strength, he can utilize the forest in various ways such as creating that tortoise. That is his strongest technique and to use it would require immense power, somehting he might not have enough of."

Matron Shuang then looked at Ming Yue with a serious face. 

"With that said, are you still willing to stay here and help him?" she asked. 

Ming Yue nodded. 

"With or without, I still have a debt to pay to her."

The Matron smiled. 

"Good."

At that moment, the Elder's Hut began to shuddder and hum as a glowing emerald aura leaked through the cracks. 

Matron Shuang's eyes widened in shock. 

"So he's really going to do it and to a human at that."