{Yu Yang's point of view}
Ever since that day, guilt has been eating up at me. Without Yue Liang by my side anymore, I constantly feel lonely… Like the voices gnawing at my skin.
The Demonic Cult… Just trying to survive..? A community..? Family?
Surely not… He's been there since he was six, that was probably the brainwashing speaking.
But even if it was, I can't help but wonder if what I did was morally right? In the murim world, things have always been black and white, or else there would be no movement. But what if it was more than that… This isn't some story about a hero and demon king, but rather two groups of people trying to live life the way they see fit.
Getting up from my bed, I open the curtains to be greeted by the morning sun, distant chirps of birds and running water from the waterfall not too far away. The now empty house smells of just cedar wood, dust piling up at the window sills as I'm too busy to clean.
Perhaps I should just… Infiltrate the Demonic Cult… But they'll sense my Ki, so I'll have to stay in civilian areas.
Having made up my mind, I pack my bags and set off south towards the heavenly demon's domain.
It was only a half day's walk to reach a trade route between lands that would let me avoid the war.
"Excuse me young man, are you perhaps the Heavenly Monkey?" An old man pointed out my hair as I waited in line at a soup stall.
"Ah… Indeed I am."
"My son admires you quite a lot… Killing those dirty cultists."
"A- All in a day's work."
Before the old man could continue on with his nonsense, I had fled the scene, going into a tavern to rent out a room for the night.
"Room 114, here's the key."
"Thank you."
I'll have to get rid of this hair somehow… It stands out too much. Perhaps I can dye it with some pen ink.
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Looking at myself in the mirror, I couldn't help being charmed by my own reflection. A hot manly stud that any woman would fawn over.
Black hair isn't too bad. I might even keep it.
Hmm… It's getting pretty late, I should go down for dinner sometime soon.
Cleaning up the place, I put on some suitable clothes and head downstairs into the restaurant, taking a table as I order a bowl of noodles and a side dish of pork belly when out of nowhere, a duo from the Orthodox faction walks in, immediately making eye contact with me.
"Greetings brother, may we join you for a meal?"
One man, decently built and tall, rough facial features with a short beard. The other a woman, she's covering her face with a veil and hat, so it's hard to make out much of her. But from the scent coming from her alone, it's intoxicating, like poison from the Tang Clan.
"Of course. Feel free to join."
The two nod and bow ever so slightly, taking a seat across me. "So, why did you dye your hair, brother? Are you trying to escape the mighty buddha's eyes?"
Direct, to the point. Probably someone high up in the ranks if he knows my identity and chooses to talk to me like that.
There's a sword at his waist… A Wudang engraving.
"I'm not… I'm trying to infiltrate the Demonic Cult."
It's better if I don't mess with those people… The Wudang are considered the most pure of all 9 Great Clans. The moment I show weakness towards them, I'll be considered an enemy…
I don't fault them for their extreme ways, but perhaps they are just obvious.
"I see, very well then, Brother Yu. I am Xiao Myeong. This is sister Meihui Tang. We've been dispatched by the Murim Alliance to keep watch over you since we've gotten reports of you heading towards the trade routes to the land of demons."
"I see… I'm sorry for having to bother my brothers and sisters."
They're wary of me. The Tang girl hasn't even spoken once yet either.
Once the food had arrived, we took our time eating before setting out, hitching a ride from a trader that was headed in the same direction.
"So, are you three heading to the land of demons for vacation? They just had some big funeral so now prices are cheap."
A big funeral..? Was it for Gu Xing..? Did he perhaps hold some role of importance there? Perhaps that would explain why he was so reluctant to let go of the Demonic Cult.
Xiao shakes his head, his hand already on his blade in preparation for anything. "No, we're going there to collect some herbs for our ill master."
"Oh my, is that so? I hope you guys succeed and your master gets well."
"We'll take your consideration."
After three days of travel, we reach the main city in the land of demons, the land of the heavenly demons abode.
It's… No different from our own cities… The only difference is the lack of warriors patrolling the streets.
Children running around and playing with one another, street vendors and storekeepers making an honest living. But everything seems almost too peaceful for the Demonic Cult, like they're trying to hide something sinister.
Whispering, "Brother Xiao, Sister Meihui, don't things seem too peaceful? It's almost like they're hiding something sinister here… We should investigate once the moon rises."
"Of course Brother Yu. I'll go find us a tavern to stay in, Sister Meihui will stay with you."
"Understood, shall we meet back here in an hour?"
"That seems reasonable." Xiao reaches into his pocket, handing me over a few talismans and a bag of coins. "Stay safe, and make sure to test for poison before eating anything, the talismans should neutralize any poison you intake."
"Thank you, have a safe trip."
Brother Xiao quickly departs, leaving Sister Meihui behind with me. It's been nearly four entire days and she's yet to have spoken a single word.
"So… How about we find some things to eat."
Sister Meihui simply nods and walks off into the direction of a food vendor selling candied fruits, putting up her hand to show the number four.
"Two silver pieces for that."
That's it? They sell it cheaper here than they do around the Murim Alliance. Two silver for a bunch of fruits, candied sugar and the seller's time and labor is basically the best fair deal you can get.
"Do you want a bag or plate?"
Sister Meihui palms her hand, creating a plate-like shape and the shop vendor instantly recognizes it. Once done with the transaction, Meihui leaves without anything happening, returning to my side as she stands there and eats.
"Aren't you afraid they've tampered with the food?"
Meihui shakes her head, opening her robe just enough to reveal the dozens of needles hanging on the inside.
Of course she wouldn't be worried about things like poison and such, she's a part of the great Tang clan.
An hour goes by as we return to our meeting spot, regrouping with Xiao as he leads us towards the inn he had booked. It wasn't anything great, nor was it as poor as we expected. Three beds, a few storage areas and a bar downstairs.
Brother Xiao removes the sword from his waist, tucking it under his pillow as he replaces his sword with a dagger. "Night falls soon, let's go downstairs and see if we can get any information out of the drunkards."
"Why the dagger though?"
"Because my sword has the Wudang's engraving on it, it would basically be a huge target on my back."
"Fair enough."
With the short exchange over, the three of us leave the room and head downstairs. The busy bar bustling with drunken men and rowdy groups, filled with joyous laughter and even some desperate sobs of heartbreak. The air was filled with a scent of beer and meat, a well kept place without dust in sight.
Deciding to go down one at a time, we split up for the sake of convenience, and to draw less attention towards us. If the three of us suddenly split up to different tables after walking down together, that in itself would be pretty suspicious.
"Excuse me gentle men, may a younger brother join for a drink?"
"Of course! Grab a bottle!"
Sitting down between two men, the other 3 drank away without care. Everyone in the Demonic Cult is so unruly, like wild animals without restraint…
One of the drunk men tosses me a bottle, filling it with some of his own beer. "So, what brings a young man like you here?"
"I'm here to pick up some herbs for my ill master. He's been suffering from Ki deviation due to rushing his mastery."
"Aha! What a shame… After the fourth night a funeral is held, the entirety of the Demonic Cult will go into silence for one week."
Funeral… It must be Gu Xing's..? Right?
At the thought of Gu Xing's passing, the beer and lack of food in my stomach churns, the feeling of illness and nausea taking over as the overwhelming feeling of guilt crushes me.
Guilt..? No it's probably just the beer… I haven't eaten much so it was a bad idea to drink.
"Ahem… What for? Is it out of respect for the fallen?"
"I guess you could say that… But rather, it's to let the heavenly spirits in our lands cry for the loss of their children."
"Heavenly spirits? As in the zodiac animals?"
The old man shakes his head before taking another sip, "Think of them as the guardians of the Demonic Realm. A dragon, a fenghuang, the qilin and the four perils."
"Would you mind explaining..? My master hasn't taught me much outside of herbs, so this is a chance for me to learn more."
The old man lets out a hearty laugh, slamming down his beer onto the table. "Of course! You must already know the dragon has always belonged to the Demonic Realm if you know of the Zodiac Animals, so allow me to explain the rest to you, youngster.
The qilin is akin to a deer with the scales and head of a dragon, arriving at the death of someone important to our realm, leading them into the afterlife. As for the fenghuang, it's a fiery bird that brings life and rebirth. Within the last thousand years, the phoenix has yet to choose anyone, only scattering its feathers as it flies about.
As for the four perils… They were once humans, communities that have taken the form of evil from their grudges. Huandun, a faceless creature with yellow wings and six legs that brings chaos where it wanders. Qiongqi, a human devouring monster. Taowu, a creature of ignorance that guides humans away from enlightenment. And Taotie, a gluttonous beast that devours other beings."
"So the four perils are calamities that are confined within the Demonic Realm? What happens if they break out of here, or if they come into cities during the week of silence?"
"The three mystical creatures are given a chance to mourn and claim the lost, while the four perils will be given their opportunity to join the realm of the living through the dead. Once they've joined our realm, then they are free to leave the Demonic Realm."
I nod in understanding, following along quite easily despite the noise from the rowdy drunkards around us. "Well thank you, here's some silver coins for the drinks. I think I'll be leaving now, it's already late and I plan to wake early tomorrow."
"Of course, have a good rest younger brother."