Zaujan, Crow and the boy stride in the middle of the night. Across a forest, through a canyon and along the street of Jujiang. Even in night, the city is still bustling since it was the Hub of the Eastern Region Donglan.
Crow and Zaujan is walking along this bustling street, still wearing their mask, yet not a single eye follows them, just a few curious glances and most of them is towards the boy who is carried by Zaujan.
Crow, who had 'disappeared' for 3 years is foreign to the current political situation of the Hazhui (Great Heavenly Land) and is perplexed at how openly they can walk without a single wary person screaming that there is someone from the Demonic Sect here
"…Lord of Blood, tell me what happened in the past 3 years?"
Crow asks as she tug at Zaujan robe like a clinging daughter, but she quickly fixed this action and took a few steps back.
Zaujan almost laugh at her action, but he quickly composed himself and answered.
"The Tang Dynasty has lost the mandate of Heaven, Hazhui is in chaos as the 4 side of the Heaven all split and become each other monarch"
Crow then asks again, this time, her voice is filled with excitement
"Then has the Southern Wind Blows?"
"Not yet"
Zaujan said with a bit of regret in his voice, yet it was masked professionally with elegance
"The Southern Kingdom is now ruled by the Mugeon family who declared themselves the Mugeon Dynasty. The Western has now become the Zhao Dynasty, and the East becomes the Shu Dynasty"
Zaujan answered, he then turned into a desolate alleyway before jumping towards the roof of a building, Crow follows suit behind him.
Zaujan then sit in the top of the roof in a lotus position, but Crow opted on standing instead.
"Now…"
Zaujan then does a complex hand signal, then, with each gesture a golden light flow before dissipating into the thin air.
Crow knows that it's a signal to announce their arrival to the Crimson Birch Heavenly Pheonix (Court of the Demonic King). She tried to memorize it, but she fails due to how complex the signal is.
Zaujan look at her attempt and chuckles before speaking in a gentle tone
"Little Mei, I am well aware of your current confusion, please ask me anything"
Crow, whose name is Hu Mei is flustered for a second before speaking
"…I am not little, not anymore"
Zaujan chuckles and continues with an amused voice
"Alright-alright, let's hear your question"
At his words, Hu Mei sat beside him and ponder at the city-lit landscape and the grassy plain beyond, the lamp dim the stars so she can't see it clearly which is disappointing. Then, she asks
"Why did Jujiang let us in? And the people didn't care about us?"
"Jujiang is their own government now, ruled by the mayor they opted to stay out of the Shu Dynasty expansion which warrants an animosity with them"
Zaujan paused for a second before continuing
"So, the mayor hired us, Demonic Sect Warrior to protect Jujiang under a condition that we can conduct all sort of operation inside Jujiang, which was why nobody seems to care about us."
Hu Mei nods slightly and ask again
"What sort of operation does the Demonic Sect wanted to do?"
"…Its confidential"
Hu Mei laugh, she expects that, but she asks anyway since she is curious
"Figures…"
Zaujan smiles faintly under his mask at her mark, this time, she is not the Hu Clan princess, but an ordinary girl.
But that happiness last for a short time as a whistle was heard. It was faint, but for both of them it was loud enough.
"The Demon King has expected us, come…"
Zaujan stands up and jump, roof to roof under the guise of darkness followed by Hu Mei
They have now reached a pagoda. Guarded by around 100 men, each one can take on an army by themselves.
The moment Zaujan and Crow step into the courtyard of the pagoda, they both bow respectfully
"We are here on the order of the Demon King, as written" they said
Several burning red eyes emerges from the shadow, one of them approach. He wears a Blue Demon mask and wears a full black robe.
"You may enter" it said in an obscured voice
Zaujan and Hu Mei soon enter inside the Pagoda. There, atop a throne of full gold. Sit a figure in crimson robe with a phoenix symbol sewn across. White hair due to aging and wrinkled face shows his age yet it didn't hide his gallant form, charisma and sheer pressure. It was the Demon King himself.
"We Greet the Demon King!!" Zaujan and Hu Mei shout as they bow respectfully
The Demon King gesture them to stand up, the gesture is simple yet full of command.
He then slowly moves towards Zaujan and spoke
"So, that boy…" He asks, his own voice is charged with power and is filled with dignity.
Zaujan bow, but due to the boy still in his shoulder, he can't bow deeply
"Yes, your lordship Demon King. He is the one your lordship has been searching" Zaujan said.
The Demon King then gesture him to put the boy down which he did.
"Hmm, quite a profound core…." The Demon King approach the boy, examining him like a weapon, his hand hovers above his form and brushed his white snow-like hair aside. Revealing a face that could enchant men and women alike, its so beautiful its borderline unthinkable how can such face be in a male's body.
"Quite beautiful too, if not for his muscle I might've mistaken him for a girl…" He said as he takes a closer look to his white, pale face. Then he looks at his bare chest that has a scar and examined it closely
"This is the Scythe of the Death God scar, no?" He asks, Hu Mei face instantly falls, and she bows deeply, sweat forming in her hand.
"F-Forgive me your lordship, I didn't mean—" she stutters, but Demon King just laugh at the sight and forgive her
"Its fine, just a mere flesh wound…" he said as he examined more closely at the boy energy, revealing a hole in his chest that leads to nowhere. Nothing can be seen inside due to it being black and dark, as if something is covering it.
"And the hole. Did you do it?" he said, frowning his brow and tried to put his hand inside.
"N-no your lordship" Hu Mei answered in between nervous voice "He already has that hole even before I slash him with the Scythe of the Death God"
The Demon King then nod at her answers and stand up once again. His black robe cascading elegantly.
" Have you known of this boy physique?" The Demon King ask with growing curiosity
"I yet to know your lordship, but he has a constitution so fierce that I have to resort on using my Foundation Technique" Zaujan said with quite a bit of pride strewn of his face.
"To think that this boy could make the Lord of Blood use his Foundation Technique. Very impressive" The Demon King said with amusement.
"I would love to see this boy true ability… What was his name?" The Demon King said with a slight smile
"…My apology your lordship, I have yet to know" Zaujan bow deeply
"Ah, is that so… then it was unfortunate that we have to wait until tomorrow" The Demon King chuckles before he gesture for the Acting Guardian to come.
Then out of thin air, a man with a clear face yet fierce eye, Short black hair with ponytail behind and red glowing eyes.
The Demon King then climbs back up to his throne and bellows out an order
"Listen up, we leave this place at dawn and return to the Demonic Sect at once!" The Demon King said, clear and concise. His voice is powerful enough that it shudders Zaujan and Hu Mei
"As you wish, long live the Demon King!" The Acting Guardian said as he instantly vanishes into the air
The Demon King waved his hand, and the Acting Guardian know instantly what he has to do as he vanished once more into the thin air.
Zaujan and Crow, still bowing. Await the next order from the Demon King
"Now, Little Mei…" Demon King said
Hu Mei shudders, another cold sweat falls "Yes, Mas— I mean your Lordship"
"At ease Little Mei… So, how is the journey?" The Demon King ask as he walks back towards the throne.
"…It is fruitful, this one come to learn the many aspects of battle and the way of life and have not done anything to disgrace the Sect" she said, her face eased up a bit.
"I have heard a whisper from the wind that you are now known as Head-pecking Crow. What a terrifying name for my disciple" he said, his face constructed in such a way that it seems as if he was ready to eat her soul.
Crow gulps before saying "Then the wind is indeed loyal to the Sect, it is indeed true that this one was known as Crow, yet this one didn't know about the Head-pecking parts that was told" she said
"Well, I suppose a whisper is a whisper, breeze are still a breeze no matter how strong it is. Nothing good came out of a Rumour" he said with a satisfied voice as he turned his back towards them.
"Well then, enough with the talking. Zaujan, I hope that you treat that boy well. Once we return, I would like to know his constitution that you told me," As soon as he said that he vanishes without a trace alongside the golden throne
Zaujan then slowly rise, he was prepared to pick up the boy, but Hu Mei stops him from doing so
"Mei?" he asks
"Let me check him too, what does mast— I mean, his lordship sees in this maniac" she said as she clears the boy face of his hair.
She saw a gentle face, smooth, round and feminine. Though she can see the dried-up blood of his massacre, it was covered up by his heavenly beauty.
She was considered one of the Sect beauties, yet this boy looks more female than her.
'Its just as master said, he looks just like a girl'
she thinks as she cups the boy face, connecting her Core to his to see deeper
What she feels, is nothing… No, she was prohibited from feeling it since her energy was stopped abruptly.
Normally, a manipulated energy won't just suddenly cut off unless the user dies or the energy contact with a much-concentrated Inhibition than the user.
Hu Mei is confused and scared. She is at the Celestial Realm, and her control of energy is profound enough to alter the weather for 5 minutes. Yet her energy was cut off so easily for some reason.
All this question yet not a single answer, she cannot see deeper. This boy becomes more mysterious the more she tries to understand him. Just like how the Moon continues to fleet no matter how tall you climb.
"Zaujan, what are the chances that he is a Fallen?" she asks
"Low, very low… If he is indeed a Fallen, there will be a sign of Erosion on his body" Zaujan said, tapping his mask as if thinking.
"Yet his Inhibition is abnormal, my energy was cut off as soon as it contacted his Core. That cant happens unless the Core is hyper-active and shoots out Inhibition anywhere" she said in visible confusion and bewilderment.
"…There is a reason why the Demon King covet him so… Nevertheless, forgive me for this late announcement" Zaujan then bow to Hu Mei
"Congratulations Miss Hu Mei, for completing the Seven bird descend trial" he said with a proud voice
"Mmm, I was lucky to be alive up until now. But let's not dwell on that matter, we must complete his lordship order first and foremost" she said as she stands up and exit the Pagoda, followed by Zaujan
Zaujan saw her back, her mannerism is already that of a head clan. He is proud that the girl he used to cradle has grown so much, yet he is also sad at the loss of her innocence and immaturity.
.
.
.
.
Jiangnam Region. The southern most region of the Ning Realm, no allegiance to any current Kingdom. There, a Palace was built in the middle of a busy street, surrounded by trench filled with clear water. It was more akin to a fortress
In front of its gate, many people gathered around to witness the return of their ruler.
The Demon King and his entourage arrived in a convoy akin to an envoy of an entire nation. Met with celebratory joy and religious chant as the crowd welcomed their King
"Settle down!" a guard trying to deter the growing crowd
"O mighty monarch, bless us!"
"Demon King!"
"O Demon King!"
"Demon King!"
But the crowd pay no heed to the guard, they are overjoyed to even witness his convoy finally returned
"Demon King Has Arrived!" The Acting Guardian shouts, it was met with instantaneous, almost uniformed bow by everyone presents
"We Greet the Demon King!" All of them shouts, bowing as deep as they can, almost worshipping. It was as if the wind itself ceases blowing. Everyone, from children, adults, guards and labourer. All shall bow to the Demon King
Yet their person of worshipped and unending respect, are currently dreading over the reception
"Who announced my return!?" he asks, his tone demanding and dark
"T-The crowd themselves happen to be here…" the servant said, but they instantly fall when they forgot the honorific "F-Forgive me your lordship. This idiotic servant fails to address your lordship as such" they said as they all bow
"I forgive you servant… Pay it no heed" the Demon King said as he watches the bowing crowd in worry.
'Have I been too scary? Or terrorizing? Or both?'
He thinks to himself
"I am deeply grateful your lordship… Truly, I would give up my life if your lordship said so" he said in over-gratitude
This response deeply displeased the Demon King, though he paid it no mind. Knowing that if he refuses his fervent prayer, it's just going to complicate thing even more. Even then, he is really worried about the fanaticism of his followers
The Demon King finally returned to his rightful throne; the golden throne called the Monarch of Blood. A Divine artifact loyal only to the Demon King. His arrival was met with all the Lord
The Demon King walks in regal and dignified posture as he recalled each Lord one by one
The Lord of Sword, Musashi Gen
The Lord of Poison, Liu Haite
The Lord of War, Nazawa Aigen
The Lord of Blood, Hu Zaujan
The Lord of Steel, Damascus
The Lord of Merchant, Lago Namen
And The Lord of Lord, Acting Guardian Viren
That is all, the Demon King then sit on his throne and gestured to the Lord to sit as well
"The Lord of Bloom has yet to return?" He asks with genuine concern
"It is most unfortunate that Lady Akiri has yet to return, her illness is still running rampant inside her body" Viren answered
"Her illness seems to be grave; the last time I saw her is 8 months ago. I hope for her fast recovery" The Demon King said as he leisurely sits in his throne
"I am sure that Lady Akiri would have a speedy recovery after your lordship prayer" Viren bowed
"Enough with the flattery. I will make this fast, each Lord will speak of the detail, event and complications that has transpired" he said with commanding tone
"" Yes, your lordship Demon King!""
Then, Gen Musashi answered, "Lord of the Sword reporting, the movement of the Southern Kingdom 5th army is approaching Jiangnam Great River, the scout we sent has returned safely and is currently on the way towards the Sect for further reports" he said with confidence as his hand dangling around his robe
It was then followed by Haite Liu, "Lord of Poison reporting, the medical hall is functioning as usual and is having some difficulty cultivating the Devil Snare" she said with gentle yet dangerous voice
"So, it seems that the Devil Snare is indeed quite troublesome to cultivate, should you need assistance, be sure to let me know" The Demon King replied
"I am ashamed to have to accept the assistance your lordship, I will make sure that the difficulty will be dealt with" she said as she bowed
"No need to be ashamed Lord Liu, to know of one own shortcoming is honourable. I am thankful that you aren't blinded with pride" he said, his voice laden with compassion
"I am grateful for the praise your lordship" she said as she sits once more
The Lord of War then reporting "Lord of War, Aigen Nazawa reporting, the amassing of troops and armament has been going smoothly. The only difficulty is in the transportation of the Siege machine" he said
"Hmm, what sort of difficulty?" The Demon King demand elaboration of the ambiguous explanation
"Yes, the difficulty is the fact that the northern outpost has no decent road. Therefore, the transportation of the Siege machine was severely hindered. But I have taken the liberty of communicating with the Northern mayor regarding the issue"
he explained with grim face
"I hope your lordship wont mind the fact that I have undermine the Demon King influence"
"Oh, not at all, it alleviates a great deal of my duty since you have found a solution by yourself" The Demon King is smiling brightly, making Aigen grim face slightly brighter as he bowed and sit once more
"The Lord of Steel, Damascus reporting" said a man with dark face and extremely developed body "The production of weapon is going smoothly, as long as the supply of steel is unhindered, there will be no issue" he said with a smile as he delivered good news
"The Lord of Blood, Zaujan reporting. The training of several disciple has been completed. The first year were all impressive, the senior one is especially bright. I have high hopes for the future of the Demonic Sect" Zaujan said beneath his mask as he bowed, though everyone can see how happy he is
The Demon King nod and gesture to the Lord of Merchant to make his reports
By far, he was the youngest and newest Lord since the previous Lord of Merchant has taken a step back to allow his inheritor to shines
"T-The Lord of Merchant, Lago Neman reporting. To be frank your lordshii—I mean Your Lordship…" He was visibly tensed up, jumbling his words and shaming himself. Yet none of the Lord jeer or even smirk at his behaviour
"At ease Lord Lago" The Demon King said with a reassuring smile
Lago was in awe for a moment before continuing his speech "Y-Yes your lordship, I will continue the report"
He then pulls out a thick leather book and opening it
"The southern city has seen a steady influx of goods from the Silk Road to the point of overflowing, but the escort guild responsible for distributing these goods were… Slacking off for a better of a word" his words cause some slight discomfort to the rest of the Lord, especially The Lord of Sword
"This causes a deficit of goods in some town and even Liuhang City has seen a steady decrease in goods. If this keeps up, the market will crash next year which will cause a chain-of-effect to another city and eventually, the market crash will reach Jiangnam City"
he finally closes of his book; these detailed reports are so impressive that even The Demon King is hearing it with full interest. It also caused some Lord to feel overshadowed by his reports
"So, how should we deal with this?" The Demon King asks
"In my opinion, we should rehearse the distribution line of the city. At this point, entrusting only one Guild to oversee the Distribution is too complacent. We should allow other Guilds to involve themselves in distributing the goods or just allow the Merchant to have their own Escort" his explanation draw some ire to the Lord of Sword who owns the Escort Guild responsible for the distribution
"But I'm sure that it's going to draw more problem than solving it, which is why I propose to expand the armada to hasten the Distribution" he said
The entire room was filled with awe and shear shock of the audacity this Young Lord has. Meanwhile, The Demon King can't stop jeering at himself at how brazen his attitude is
Not only does he criticize one of the Lords Guild, but he also indirectly criticizes the Demon King by pointing out that the problem rise due to lack of surveillance and action taken by the higher up.
Some of the Lord dread the fate of the Young Lord, some were concerned and other flat out pray for his safety. Some of them look The Demon King as if begging him to be merciful
Yet The Demon King laugh at his audacity, a laughter so powerful that it shook the building foundation
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! GOOD, VERY GOOD!" His voice reverberates in tremor rather than echo
Lago is visibly shaken by the sudden vocal
"Do what you think is best Lord Lago but remember." The Demon King face drop "Your mistake is your own to handle and bear" he said, leaving Lago in a state of profound shock and fear
"Then conclude this month meeting, I hope for the best of the Demonic Sect" The Demon King said as he exits the building
"Yes Demon King!" the Lords all shouts
The Demon King then goes towards the courtyard, where he was the boy was tied and is guarded by 5 of his guards
He then sits on a prepared soft chair complete with refreshment and his favourite wine, the Undiluted Blood Wine
Then Zaujan arrived alone, his walk is elegant before he stops behind the Demon King and bow
"I greet the Demon King!" he said, the Demon King then gestured him to sit beside him. Zaujan hesitated a bit before sitting.
Shortly after, Hu Mei arrived, she wears a Crimson Cheongsam with Swallow bird ornament and a black hair ornament as her black hair flows like water
"I greet The Demon King!" She said, then The Demon King gestured her to sit beside Zaujan
"Wake him up Zaujan" The Demon King said as he drinks the Blood Wine
"Yes, Your Lordship" he said as he undone the 'Nerve Wrack'.