Era of the Black Tortoise

At this very moment, Zheng Fanren’s life was no different from that of an ant, and the arrows in the forest were proof enough of this fact.

“Are we going to die?” asked the girl on his back. Her voice, a blend of fear and defiance, was a little unclear.

“I won’t die so easily. If anyone dies first, it’ll be you!” he replied.

She knew that if her death could ensure the boy’s survival, the one carrying her would not hesitate for even a blink of an eye. Still, she obediently clung to his back, motionless, afraid to waste an ounce of his strength and not daring to utter another word.

A barrage of arrows, like a torrential downpour, whistled through the air from behind. In an instant, the heavy sound of their breathing vanished, replaced by a terrifying silence.

The arrows, sharp as daggers, pierced the thick trunks of towering pine trees, each impact resonating like knives stabbing into thick stacks of wet paper. The pines shuddered under the onslaught.

The only sound in Zheng Fanren’s ears was the relentless, threatening thrum of arrows. He knew all too well the terror of this deathly music, which drove him to move and dodge with every ounce of speed he could muster. The girl on his back bit her lip with all her might, focusing every thought on suppressing the scream that threatened to escape her throat.

Suddenly, Zheng Fanren hooked his left hand around a slender pine, using all his strength. With a powerful swing, he hurled both their bodies aside. Arrows grazed his arm, drawing blood as, in an instant, he propelled them more than