"Hey, keep your mouth covered!

" Hao Xuan swiveled around and quickly fixed the mask hanging from Salome's face.

Salome stood there with wide eyes, admiring the new environment while Hao Xuan tightened the oxygen mask around his face. He had thick brows, a bulky build like a bodybuilder's and a big forehead. He had short hair that looked like they were cut with a blunt kitchen knife.

Seeing as Salome was still busy looking around instead of paying attention, Hao Xuan flicked his forehead angrily.

"Hey, pay attention. Do not take this off? Okay?

" he reminded him for the third time with knitted brows.

Salome nodded innocently,

"Okay,

" and started walking while Fortis lazed around atop his head. That was the first time Hao Xuan had seen Fortis being so friendly with anyone other than him. Well, him and Yun Wentian.

Hao Xuan looked at Salome's slightly hunched back and couldn't help but curse his own luck.

The duo strode into the valley filled to the brim with toxic fumes.

The walking city was supposed to pass by on the other side of the cluster of these active volcanos so they had to go through this place.

Salome was the native man Hao Xuan had rescued from the double-headed feline beast. He woke up a couple of hours after Hao Xuan had sent Gavril away. Hao Xuan asked him a few questions but soon realized that something wasn't right. It was like talking to a wall.

After having Baracus perform a basic scan, it turned out Salome wasn't 'all there'. He had suffered from serious brain damage when he was in the womb and was born with severe behavioral problems, among other things.

Strangely enough, it was this same incident that made his body so strong. He had the gift of innate strength and was 4-5 times more powerful than an average person. Unfortunately, he was already around 20 years old and didn't cultivate so this was the most he could achieve unless he encountered a heavenly treasure or something similar.

Hao Xuan tried to take Salome back to the village he came from but when he got there it turned out to be abandoned a long time ago.

**

"You live here?

" Hao Xuan asked suspiciously as he stood at the village entrance and examined the surroundings.

Most of the wooden houses had broken windows and doors. Weeds were growing everywhere and there was a thick damp smell everywhere, like still water.

"Salome lives at the village elder's house!

" the bulky young man said as he started running straight across the village. He had referred to himself in the third person which although odd, wasn't anything big.

Hao Xuan followed after him and came to a stop next to a barn near a large house. This house was abandoned as well with not a single sign of life anywhere. Hao Xuan went into the barn and saw Salome standing next to a pile of hay.

There was a rough hide blanket to the side, an old lantern-like object and some other things wrapped neatly in torn garments.

"This...is where you live?

" Hao Xuan asked softly as he looked around.

The roof had cracks and holes everywhere, the door could be opened with a slightly strong gust of wind and the windows didn't have any glass or other material to stop the cold air from coming in.

"Ahan,

" Salome nodded with a cheerful smile. He quickly went over to things wrapped in old garments and unwrapped one of them. It was some sort of cured meat. Salome took the entire thing and handed it to Hao Xuan.

"Eat, it's really good!

" he said with twinkling eyes.

Hao Xuan didn't know what to say. He took a small bite and acted like it was the most mouth-watering thing he had ever eaten.

"So good!

" Hao Xuan handed it back to him with a thankful smile.

"Do you live here alone?

"

Salome turned his head from side to side,

"The other's went to buy food from another village, they will be back soon. I will protect the village until then!

"

"Ohh...

"

Hao Xuan went out and inspected a few nearby houses. They had all been cleaned up. Not a single object was left behind.

They had obviously packed up and left without Salome. Leaving him here alone with a fake promise. What would he know? Thinking about such wretched people, Hao Xuan couldn't help but grind his teeth in anger. And as soon as he started to get angry, the headache came back.

He lit up another cigarette and went back to the barn.

"Do you have any family? Mom, dad, siblings?

"

"Everyone in the village is Salome's family!

" he replied happily.

*Sigh*

'An orphan most probably. Even if he has some living family members, they have probably abandoned him long ago...'

Hao Xuan could up and leave right now if he wanted. No, that's what he should have done. Salome wasn't his responsibility and he had a lot of other things to take care of as well, things that would get a mortal killed. But...

Looking around at the grim barn he called home, the bleak condition of the village, it was unlikely that anyone would be coming back any time soon. Salome could be living here for several years, that is if a beast didn't wander in and kill him.

The food he had was limited and running out.

'I doubt he can hunt or cook... Won't it be the same as killing him if I just leave right now? Chances of survival are slim to none.'

*Sigh*

Another deep sigh. Hao Xuan didn't really believe in fate or destiny, something that defined how he would be living his life, but maybe it wasn't just a coincidence that he fell here.

"Ah Fuck it,

" Hao Xuan said throwing his hands in the air, giving up. He peered towards Salome who was busy 'fluffing' the hay to take a nap and his resolved solidified.

"Oi, come with me, I'll take you to the nearest city.

"

**

That's how it went. But he had seriously underestimated how burdensome traveling with a mortal was. He had to stop every few hours to rest and eat. His legs got tired so Hao Xuan had to carry him on his back for a long while.

It should have taken him less than 10 hours to cover the distance but now it had already been over 40 and they were still a fair bit away.

Hao Xuan could have flown using Nidhora's power but it didn't come free. His body had to take the brunt of it which further destabilized his physique center.

Hao Xuan had just bent down and light up his 17th cigarette in a row using a nearby stream of flowing lava when his ears twitched. The sound of falling rocks came from the right side.

"Hmm?

" he turned around and squinted his eyes, focusing in the direction of the sound.. Through the toxic fog, he could see a vague silhouette trying to climb up the valley's side.