[Wutong Prefecture Demon Hunting Department, Affairs Hall.]
[Looking at the bright-eyed girl with dazzling teeth, slightly older than you, greeting you, you find her face strangely familiar.]
[For you, indifferent to many people and many things, after such a long time, you had already put this seemingly clean and pure girl out of your mind.]
[Ruan Xiuxiu saw your hesitation and her originally smiling face immediately dropped, somewhat depressed: "Little junior brother, have you forgotten me so quickly?"]
[Familiar tone and appearance overlapped, and suddenly you realized, remembering the girl you once met in front of the Sword Viewing Forest on Yunluan Mountain.]
[Ruan Xiuxiu, the direct disciple of the Sword Observation Elder, is said to also be the future inheritor of Yunluan Mountain's Sect's Treasure Sword.]
[Among those in Yunluan Mountain, she counts as one of the few who harbored goodwill towards you, though there was no real connection, being future colleagues within the Demon Hunting Department, it's necessary to maintain appearances.]
[So you nodded your head in greeting, seeing your response made the girl beam happily, her eyes turning into crescent moons, looking completely unburdened.]
[As if the so-called 'Demon Slayer' was not a gamble of life and death, but merely an adventure, sightseeing rather than risking life.]
[The two of you undertook the 'Demon Hunting Order', and after understanding the basic information of a place called Lancang River, you set forth under Xiang Zhulu's instructions.]
[It's said that the Ancient Hong Sword, sharing the same Jiao Dragon Blood as you, is just one step away from the second step 'Great Innate', seeking to consume humans for the 'human aura'.]
[Circulation Qi Collection takes the essence of all things, spirits' qi, nurturing sword qi, majestic qi... all can serve as mediums to step into 'Great Innate'.]
[Monsters and demons collect humans' spirits' qi and the incense from their tributes before reaching the second step 'Great Innate', for thus they can shed their demonic traits and blend into the crowd.]
[If the Ancient Hong Sword achieves 'Great Innate', not only would the two of you find it hard to resist combined, capturing him again would be as difficult as climbing to the heavens.]
[As martial artists, traveling a hundred miles a day is ordinary, you and Ruan Xiuxiu spent five days and covered six hundred miles, arriving at the grand, incessantly flowing Lancang River.]
[On the river's surface, the waves are turbulent, fishermen standing on black awnings and sampans can occasionally be seen. Seeing this scene, doubts rose in your mind; with a Flood Dragon causing chaos, why dare people still fish in the river?]
[Accompanying Ruan Xiuxiu, you reached the riverside fishing village recorded as slaughtered empty in the Demon Hunting Department files, only to be amazed to discover each household populated, completely different from your imagined desolation.]
[Hearing movement at the village entrance, a fisherman in coarse cloth black coat, looking rather lean, about forty or fifty years old, carrying a fish spear, led several hands from the village.]
[He could see your and Ruan Xiuxiu's distinctive attire at a glance, the texture extraordinary.]
["Where do you prestigious guests come from? I'm the chief and village head of this place's fishermen," the fisherman's eyes flashed shrewdly, disguising his greed well, he courteously spoke softly.]
[To this, you glanced at him coldly, sensing something amiss.]
[But on one side, Ruan Xiuxiu was raising her treasure sword, mimicking her senior sister's demeanor, and haughtily showed the 'Demon Hunting Order' at her waist.]
["Wutong Prefecture Demon Hunting Department Copper Seal Patrol, heard the chaos caused by Jiao Demon here, came specifically to slay demons!"]
["If you are being held hostage by the Jiao Demon, and plundering this place, just speak straightforwardly, we will definitely cut off its head and exterminate!"]
[Her eyes full of bright innocence, yet no lights at all inside the village despite the setting sun.]
[As twilight draped over Ruan Xiuxiu's shoulders, she imagined herself being revered and admired as if she were receiving homage but...]
Nightfall approaches, riverside village.
Rustling sounds.
With Ruan Xiuxiu's words concluded, waves of disturbances echoed.
Then...
A dozen or more people stood outside the village, their gaze fixed on the pair, almost every hand holding blades, ironware, surrounding the two from the Demon Hunting Department.
"There's no Jiao Demon here, Honorable Demon Hunting Department officers."
"But one thing you mentioned correctly, which is indeed months past, this place was empty, it's only recently inhabited."
"Here, near Lancang River, with favorable terrain, nets cast for fishing always reap plenty of catch."
"We fishermen living off water seek to buy a house in the city, to register residency, requiring such a place for hope."
"Don't cause trouble for us poor people."
The fishermen leader spoke with a hard tone, holding a transparent stone, showing little fear despite facing two first-step martial artists.
Ruan Xiuxiu was stunned.
This was entirely contrary to what she expected.
And seeing the stone in the fisherman's hand, Song Chai Xin simply smiled softly:
"Memory Stone?"
"Who gave it to you?"
"The Jiao Demon?"
The fisherman's face changed.
Song Chai Xin merely sniffed lightly, as a Jiao Dragon kind, sensitive to the scent of blood.
Even with the village deliberately hiding it, he could still detect the faint smell of blood wafting from each person.
Among those present...
Almost none have not seen blood.
"The Demon Hunting Department possesses a secret treasure capable of monitoring, revealing demons' aura within its jurisdiction, the Jiao Dragon's details thus exposed."
"Furthermore, with the riverside village completely empty, the Demon Hunting Department naturally presumed those lives were devoured by the Jiao Demon personally."
"But actually not,"
"This village, you took advantage of the Jiao Demon's momentum, slaughtered completely, and offered as tribute to it, right?"
"When the Jiao Dragon turns, rivers and streams quake."
"You sacrifice faith and lives to it."
"And in return, it rewards you with abundant rare catch, providing each of you a handsome profit, promising a stable life thereafter."
Song Chai Xin draped in Profound Robe Cloak, in the cold winter months, his voice chilling, coupled with that cold face bearing fangs, jolted those people suddenly shifting expressions, even raising their weapons:
"You're talking nonsense!"
Someone outright denied.
But some leaned on the fisherman's possession of the Memory Stone, capable of imprinting images.
Stirring the crowd, they sidled up to the duo:
"The Demon Hunting Department slays demons, moreover, those officers' rules are extremely strict."
"We mere lives might be killed if caught, but now possessing the Memory Stone, even backed by that one, he dares not annihilate us?"
"As long as one person sends the Memory Stone out, him killing us means burying his own reputation, prospects, future here!"
"We eke out a living by the riverbank, having never done such things, why pin it on us?"
"Exactly, today rather risk life, demand fairness, for if he attacks, he destroys his own future!"
"Drive these two away!"
Crash!
In an instant, dozens of people were advancing towards Ruan Xiuxiu and Song Chai Xin!
Ruan Xiuxiu didn't panic too much.
But at this moment, cold sweat had already appeared on her white forehead. Watching the approaching harpoons, she could even smell the scent of blood on them...
During her training outside the mountain,
Ruan Xiuxiu had thought about encountering demons, about fighting demons to the death in order to defend the Dao of humanity, even if it meant losing her life.
But she never anticipated that the most terrifying thing was not the demons, but the human heart.
Deceit and intrigue, she couldn't even understand why people would collaborate with demons!
But...
Ruan Xiuxiu had forgotten,
Even though the Great Zhao was established, most of those sitting in the Divine Temple were still of demon origin.
Even the Government Office and the Demon Hunting Department, how could they eradicate all the demons in the world!
Protecting just a small area was already their limit.
If all of this was true and not just Song Chai Xin's wild guesses, then what difference would these people have from demons wearing human skins?
But on the other hand, if these speculations were not true and everything was just pieced together from clues and wild imaginings...
If they acted, would it not mean recklessly taking lives?
Even though taking lives callously is a common sight for a Martial Artist, it's a different matter when one acts as a part of the Demon Hunting Department and a disciple of Yunluan Mountain; if her actions were recorded, this...
Under the illumination of dusk, she looked at the crystal-clear Memory Stone and the harpoon almost stabbing at her.
Ruan Xiuxiu's first reaction in her mind.
Was actually to retreat, rather than drawing her sword to intimidate these desperados.
She stepped back, the wind lifting strands of hair from her temples, revealing a hint of hesitation in her eyes.
And this slight intention to retreat was seen by the fishermen, who were a bit fearful and hesitant.
Instantly, their fear vanished without a trace.
Then, looking at this silhouette as radiant as the Ming Pearl moon.
In the eyes of some, there was even a flicker of greed, and with a shout, they wanted to raise the harpoon and advance to capture her!
However...
Just when Ruan Xiuxiu was retreating again, being heavily surrounded, her brows tightly furrowed, contemplating whether to 'embarrassingly flee.'
Bam, bam, bam!!
A series of punches landing on flesh, ongoing without stop.
"Sometimes, the more you're bound by rules, the more arduous your path becomes."
"Even if, subconsciously, you believe they might be wrong, without concrete evidence, you hesitate to make a move."
Whoosh~~
The cold sea wind, accompanying the descent of dusk, blew Song Chai Xin's hair wildly.
As the fishermen rioted, finally, after standing motionless like a clay idol for a long time, he slowly opened his mouth, his voice deep, at the same time...
Step by step, with punches thrown.
In a few steps, his fists were already stained with blood.
"In such a situation, it's like falling into a mire. The 'weak' who hold a handle will become more reckless."
"But why are you hesitating, wavering?"
"Is it just the rules in your heart binding you?"
"But you only need to know you are right, don't you?"
"As long as you are right, just throw punches."
"Even if a thousand points of blame aim at you, so what?"
Ruan Xiuxiu stared blankly at Song Chai Xin, at the cloak sleeve that changed from pristine to blood-stained.
Then...
The young man's steps were steady, his punches like raindrops, standing like on the other shore of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.
Just in a few breaths!
In the field, only the village chief holding the Memory Stone remained standing.
"You threaten a cultivator, betting they care about their future?"
"If it were anyone else, perhaps it would be hard to say."
"But..."
"I've lived my life as if walking on thin ice, and you think you can gamble your life with me by the reptile behind you?"
"You dare."
"What was said just now was merely speculation from following the vines, but your actions prove that you're just demon lackeys, not village fishermen."
"I trained in martial arts to break free and not be restrained."
"Do you wager on my compassion?"
"You'd be better off, kneeling and begging me!"
As the Memory Stone finished recording and flashed with light before flying away, the fisherman was already trembling uncontrollably, completely at a loss.
The person before him, is he a Demon Hunting Patrol...
Or a living demon?
Until ————
A youth with a slight resemblance to Song Chai Xin, except with Jiao Dragon horns on his head, a tail under his robe, a thin layer of scales covering his face, smiling wickedly,
he slowly grasped the flying stone, emerging step by step from the Lancang River behind the riverside village...
This farce finally entered its main act.
"Ancient Moon..."
"After all this time, not seeing each other,"
"You've truly made me, look at you with new eyes."