Dawn broke grey and misty over Feng City, with an unsettling stillness that made even the roosters crow half-heartedly. Alex and Jin Hao prepared their gear while the City Lord provided final instructions and supplies.
"The Whispering Woods got their name from the way wind moves through the ancient trees," Feng Yuan explained, handing them a detailed map. "But lately, people claim to hear actual whispers. Voices calling from deep in the forest."
Jin Hao perked up. "Voices? What kind of voices?"
"The kind that make grown hunters abandon their camps and run home to their mothers," the City Lord replied grimly.
Alex studied the map, noting several marked locations. "These X marks?"
"Places where Feng Long has been spotted over the years. His favorite resting spots, good hunting grounds. If he's injured or..." Feng Yuan's voice caught, "...if someone has trapped him, these would be logical places to check."
The two young cultivators set out after a hearty breakfast, following a well-worn path toward the forest. The Whispering Woods loomed ahead like a green wall, ancient trees stretching up beyond sight.
"Brother," Jin Hao said as they approached the tree line, "I've been thinking about animal psychology for my communication pills."
"Dangerous territory," Alex muttered.
"What if attraction isn't just about appearance, but about pheromones? Chemical signals that bypass conscious thought and trigger instinctive responses?"
Alex gave him a sideways look. "Please tell me you're not planning to test pheromone pills in a forest full of potentially hostile wildlife."
"Well, not on purpose..." Jin Hao's grin was far too innocent.
They entered the woods, and immediately the temperature dropped ten degrees. Massive trees blocked most of the sunlight, creating a twilight atmosphere even at midday. Strange fungi glowed softly on tree trunks, and the air carried scents of moss, decay, and something indefinably wild.
"Stay alert," Alex warned, drawing his sword. "And Jin, no experimental pills unless we're about to die."
"Define 'about to die,'" Jin Hao replied, already pulling ingredients from his pack.
For the first few hours, they searched methodically, following Feng Long's scent trail with the jade slip's guidance. The trail was faint but detectable, leading deeper into increasingly dense forest.
"Look at this," Alex called, kneeling beside a massive tree. Claw marks scored the bark eight feet up, fresh enough that sap still oozed from the wounds.
Jin Hao examined the marks. "Lion claws, definitely. But these look... playful? Like he was sharpening them, not fighting."
They continued following the trail, which meandered between clearings and dense thickets. Jin Hao busied himself collecting forest specimens for his experiments, chattering about various plants' alchemical properties.
"Oh! Shadow moss!" he exclaimed, practically diving into a patch of black, velvety growth. "Perfect for stealth pills! And look—Ghost Orchids! These only bloom during times of spiritual disturbance!"
"Ghost Orchids?" Alex paused his tracking.
"Legend says they feed on lingering soul energy. They bloom when spirits are active, or when powerful emotions leave impressions on the area." Jin Hao carefully harvested a few specimens. "The fact that they're blooming now..."
Alex felt a chill that had nothing to do with the forest's cool air. "You think something died here?"
"Or something very emotional happened. Love, rage, fear—strong emotions can leave spiritual impressions that last for months."
They pressed on, the scent trail growing stronger. By evening, they'd reached a section of forest where the trees grew so thick that Alex could barely see twenty feet in any direction.
"We should make camp," he decided. "It's getting too dark to track safely."
Jin Hao was examining a cluster of luminescent mushrooms. "Actually, these provide excellent light! And if I combine their extract with Night Vision Grass..."
"Jin. No pill experiments after dark in a haunted forest."
"But—"
"No."
They found a small clearing and made a simple camp. Jin Hao grumbled as he prepared their meal over a small fire, while Alex kept watch on the surrounding darkness.
That's when they heard it.
A low, rumbling roar echoed through the trees, followed by what sounded distinctly like... moaning?
Alex jumped to his feet, sword ready. "That came from the north!"
Jin Hao grabbed his pack of pills. "It sounded distressed! Maybe Feng Long is hurt!"
They extinguished their fire and crept through the darkness, following the intermittent sounds. The roaring continued, mixed with other noises that made Alex's face heat up despite the cool air.
"Is that..." he began, then stopped.
"Yeah," Jin Hao whispered back. "I think so."
They reached a rocky outcropping where the sounds were clearly coming from a cave entrance. Warm light flickered from within, and the air carried a musky, animal scent.
"Should we..." Alex started.
Another roar echoed from the cave, followed by what was unmistakably a feminine moan of pleasure.
Jin Hao's eyes widened. "Brother, I think we found Feng Long."
"But what's he doing?"
"Well," Jin Hao said thoughtfully, "when two lions love each other very much..."
Alex's face turned bright red. "We can't just barge in!"
"But what if he's in danger? What if some female demon is using seduction techniques to drain his cultivation?"
They crept closer to the cave entrance, curiosity overcoming embarrassment. Peering around the stone opening, they saw...
Feng Long, magnificent in his golden-maned glory, was indeed in no danger whatsoever. Beneath him, a beautiful lioness with silver-streaked fur was expressing her appreciation for his... attention... in ways that made both young men's eyes bulge.
The massive lion's silk-smooth coat rippled with each movement, and his partner's responses suggested she was very much enjoying their romantic interlude.
"Oh," Alex squeaked.
"Oh my," Jin Hao added.
"OH MY ANCESTORS!" both lions roared simultaneously, suddenly noticing their audience.
Feng Long leaped away from his companion, both beasts scrambling to look dignified while clearly embarrassed beyond measure. The lioness tried to hide behind Feng Long's bulk, her golden eyes glaring at the intruders.
"HUMANS!" Feng Long's voice boomed through the cave. "How dare you intrude upon private moments!"