Beginning Beyond The Horizon

The five Tanzanie spent the entire day setting up two wick tents near the garden. They did not want to build the shelter next to a tree in case the peacocks came back to perform their dance. Their original plan was to just build a large shelter, but they ended up not having enough branches to build a shelter big enough for five people, so they decided to build a small wicki-up shelter and an intermediate wicki-up shelter. They covered both shelters with three thick layers of colocasia leaves.

U-ri placed all the cooked food on a clean colocasia leaf. He looked at the four men who were spreading the final layer of colocasia leaf over the smaller wicki-up shelter. He walked to the men and said, "It's time to eat. I think it will be good enough for our temporary stay."

Michio took the vine from Hajime's hand and tied the door panel made of Colocasia leaf to the door frame. While tying the vines, he said, "Hajime, after dinner, I will shave your head."

Hajime asked, "Have you noticed that my hair and skin are no longer as golden as before?"

Michio tied two knots to secure the door panel. He turned to look at Hajime and said, "Well... you're right. The golden color seems to have faded a bit."

Hajime said, "Then I should eat another golden berry?"

"Good idea," Abrafo said, coming out from behind the wicki-up shelter. "Let's go eat first."

On the ninth day, the five Tanzanies walked into the market and went straight to the inn where they had signed a business agreement with Yun. As soon as they entered, a staff member came directly to greet them and led them upstairs.

The entire floor was deserted, with only twenty well-dressed guards guarding Yun and Bi. The five Tanzanies walked to the table where Yun was sitting. Yun did not speak but looked at Yul with a smile and continued to stare at Yul.

Abrafo whispered, "Look, look...this is what I'm telling you. Lady Lai has developed feelings for Yul."

U-ri whispered, "Stop talking." He walked closer and placed the three bags of two hundred hairpins on the table. "This is our promise to you."

Bi placed the two pieces of paper on the table and said, "This is a banknote worth two thousand silver leaves. You can take it to any bank in Misnix to exchange for silver leaves."

Abrafo picked up the bank note and said, "Are you sure this is legal? Don't get me wrong my lady, but trusting people these days can often get you hurt."

Bi said, "Sir, you don't have to worry, the Lai family has banks all over Misnix." She placed a piece of metal between her two fingers on the table. "Even if you lose your banknotes, as long as you have this bank tag, you can still withdraw money from any Lai family bank."

Abrafo picked up the banknotes and bank tag. Your family certainly knows how to run a business," he said, handing U-ri the three items.

U-ri said, "Now that our business is done, we'll take our leave. It's been great doing business with you."

The five Tanzanies turned to leave, but Yun said, "I still have another business offer for the five of you."

Yul turned and looked at Yun. "We made enough money to travel, so we stopped taking any business," he said.

Yun stood up and led Bi towards the five Tanzanies. "But this is not an ordinary business," she said.

Abrafo said, "My lady, I don't mean to be disrespectful to you, but we're not interested."

The five Tanzanies turned and left, and Yun said, "However, if you are still staying in Minix, the person you offended last night will not let you go."

Yul turned around and asked, "Do you know who wants to capture U-ri?"

Yun said, "I have doubts, but I am not sure, but if you accept my business, I will give you this person's name."

Abrafo asked, "Who is this person?"

Yun said, "Let's make a deal. The five of you will participate in the competition and enter Scattered Forest on behalf of the Lai family."

Hajime asked, "Why should we represent your family?"

Yun said, "Representing my family, I can temporarily protect you from those who want to harm you. To be honest, I do not have high requirements for you, if you can eventually enter as one of the top ten of the competition, that is it. You do not have to come out as the champion. You just have to get what I want, and then I'll tell you who that person is."

"What do you want?" Yul asked.

Yun smiled at Yul and said, "I prefer us to sit down and talk instead of standing." She walked back to the round table.

Yul looked at U-ri and asked, "What do you think?"

U-ri said, "Let's see what she will say. We can decide later whether to accept her offer or not."

Abrafo said, "Why should we accept her offer when we can easily defeat those people?"

U-ri said, "Heh, do you still have the brains to think about the future? Once you successfully defend yourself once, it does not mean that the dangers in the future will stop."

Hajime said, "I agree with U-ri Let's see what she says."

The five Tanzanies walked to the table, sat around it, and looked at Yun. "What's your offer?" Yul asked.

Yun looked at the five Tanzanies and explained. "Through history, the Kingdom of Misnix has always been known as the City of Phoenix. South of Chanyi City, there is a magical forest called the Scattered Forest and within this strange forest there is a place called the Phoenix Chamber." The five Tanzanies looked at each other. From their expressions, Yun knew the men gave her their undivided attention. "People believe that every few hundred years, a pure golden phoenix egg is born. People who eat the golden phoenix egg can cure diseases, keep fit, and stay young forever."

Sitting at the table and listening to Yun telling them the story of the Phoenix Chamber, Yul was not interested in the Phoenix Golden Egg, but it made him doubt whether the key they were looking for was within the Phoenix Chamber. When Yul looked at his friends' faces, he knew they thought the same thing.

Yul asked, "All we have to do is bring you a pure golden egg?"

Yun nodded.

Abrafo said, "It is quite simple. Let us put it this way, if we bring you eggs, how about a little more money in our account? How about a few thousand silver leaves?" He chuckled. "It seems you are not lacking."

Yun said, "I'll add three thousand more, but if you really want to make big money, just win the game. Ten thousand gold leaves are guaranteed. The fighting part might be easy for you." She looked at Yul. "The difficult part is to bring the pure golden eggs out of the Phoenix Chamber."

Michio, who was already eating as soon as he sat down, quickly swallowed the food, and asked, "What's so difficult about taking out an egg?"

Yun said, "Once entering Scattered Forest, a person can only withstand the poison within three hours. Within these three hours, if you want to survive, you must find the entrance to the Phoenix Chamber."

Hajime asked, "What if we can't find the entrance to the Phoenix Chamber?"

"If you can't find the entrance to the Phoenix Chamber, you will die after three hours," Yun said. She looked at the men sitting at the table with her. "After two hours passed,the more air you breathe, the more poisons enter your body. First your mouth becomes dry, then you break out in a cold sweat, then you feel hot and cold. If you have these symptoms, get out of Scattered Forest as fast as you can. If you do not inhale too much poison, there is still hope you will survive. If after the first symptoms you still do not find your way out of Scatter Forest or the entrance to the Phoenix Chamber, your vision will worsen, and you will start to hallucinate. If you are lucky and find the entrance to the Phoenix Chamber, then you are likely to survive. Beyond the three hours mark, you will become increasingly tired as you walk, your breathing will slow down, but your heart will continue to beat faster. If you develop these symptoms, you will die within the next few minutes whether you find the entrance or not. If you reached this point, your heart has reached its structural limits and your heart continues to beat faster until it ruptures within your chest wall, and finally you die." She looked at the men sitting at the table. "Afraid?"

U-ri said, "Well, my lady, this job is a little too risky for us. We must discuss it before answering you."

Yun said, "You have to make a decision quickly, because the departure date is set in six days time." Yun looked at the men. "I know that your house has been burned down, and you have no place to live now. Since I invite you to be my guests, please stay at one of our guest houses. I will let Bi lead the way." She stood up and looked down from above at the men. "There is nothing hidden about my intentions. Whether you are willing to help me or not, I will treat you as a friend, so as a friend, don't refuse this offer."

U-ri stood up and said, "Then we will trouble Lady Lai for the next couple of days."

Yun said with a smile, "I am very happy to have you all as guests." Yun smiled at the five men once more and walked away with the twenty guards she had brought, leaving Bi behind.

Bi said, "Let me show everyone to my lady's personal guest house."