A group of carps were merrily nibbling away the river weeds when an approaching shadow from above caused them to scatter frantically. There was a splash, but the stone that should have descended underwater skipped several more times before sinking.
"29 skips! Did you see that Yuan? I beat you."
The one celebrating this feat of greatness was a youth standing on the rocky bank. He wore a set of simple wine-red robes and carried a hooked blade crossbow on his back. From his appearance, the youth seemed to be a part of a sophisticated and wealthy sect, but his whimsical demeanor and careless conduct would cause one to think twice before claiming so.
Currently, this youth's attention lingered on a pebble which swept past him and skillfully hopped on the water. It was so quick the youth could barely keep count.
1..2...5...11....17....23....31...
As the numbers increased, his face fell, and when the count finally stopped at 42, the youth appeared as if he had taken a bite out of a sour mango.
He angrily turned to his companion and complained, "Last time was 27, before that was 21, why did it suddenly become 42? Are you making fun of me?"
In his defense, Yuan could only force out a dry laugh. He jumped down from the boulder he stood on and leapt to the youth's side, "I only wished to encourage young master Ren. You should always set smaller objectives."
After picking up a piece of stone and turning it in his hands, he handed it over to the Ren, "Here, try this one."
Ren swung it towards the stream, and only after it had skipped 35 times did a complacent look appear on his face. He finally agreed to the other's proposal of putting an end to the day's playtime and returning to the main house.
"I wonder how we will be punished if the clan head discovers that we sneaked in the forest." Yuan mulled over the scenario as they made their way through the forest path.
Ren, who was leisurely swinging a flower branch which he picked along the way, answered simply: "We won't be punished if he doesn't know, and he wouldn't know if we don't say anything."
Then after a few moments, he began to mumble, "I wonder what father is even thinking. Life in the village is so dull… Why can't he let us free? It's not like there's a lot of work nowadays… our trade route is rampaged by demons."
Yuan shook his head, "It's because he worries for you."
Ren, "What will he achieve by worrying for the next clan head? Shouldn't I be pushed out in the world and forced to face challenges. Shouldn't he aim to turn me into a chiseled young man? Instead, he hides me away as if I were a delicate princess."
At Ren's words, Yuan could only sigh... this young master really doesn't understand his father's heart.
There used to be a time when this forest path was trodden by countless villagers and traders, but ever since the past few years, instances of demon attack led the inter-clan a.s.sociation [1] to deem the area unsafe even for the locals. Right now, aside from the two young men, there wasn't a single human wandering in the forest.
(A/N: The inter-clan a.s.sociation is an a.s.sociation formed by the clan heads of all major clans in the region)
Ren grumbled as he walked, but after moving further along the way, something caused his demeanor to change suddenly. There was a sharp spiritual fluctuation [2] coming from deep within the woods.
(A/N: If you've read chinese novels before, you would know the concept about spiritual energy and the like. If you aren't aware, then perhaps you can a.s.sociate with something like 'mana' or 'magic'. A "spiritual fluctuation" is when there is a disturbance in the surrounding spiritual energy)
Yuan seemed to have noticed it too, because when they glanced at each other a wordless understanding was established almost instantaneously. A spiritual fluctuation of this degree, and one accompanied by evil to boot, could only mean one thing - there was a demon nearby.
To have a demon appear only miles away from the main house was not a favorable sign, especially if it turned out to be an absorptive type that could grow in strength if left untouched. The only acceptable route would be to identify its location, then send one of them back to the main house and inform the elders.
Thus, after an imperceptible nod, the two stepped off the main trail straight into the bushes.
The further they walked, the more they ascertained the nature of the demon - it turned out that the demon was not an absorptive type, but an attack type. While earlier on the path, there were only trampled weeds and broken branches, but now even blotches of black were smeared on the nearby leaves. It seemed the demon was entangled in an aggressive clash with the local beasts, and it became all the more evident by the intimidating scratch marks and strong stench of blood which hung in the air.
Yuan whispered, "Young master, it's best if we turn back. This demon appears to be too strong."
Looking at the vicious aftermaths, Ren could only nod.
However, fate had something else in store for them. Before they could make a turn around, there resounded a crunch, and it was only by a mere breath that Ren avoided the razor-sharp claw ambushing him from behind.
"Watch out!"
The claw swung again.
Ren barely dodged with nothing more than a cut on his cheek. Although the hook from his crossbow was fired right away, the target had long disappeared leaving behind a mere shadow for the weapon to latch on.
The two youths stood back to back, carefully scanning the surrounding in the ghastly stillness.
"..."
Crunch!
"It's right above us!"
The leaves rustled and sharp needle-like twigs rained down. Yuan thrust forward his palm where an orb of light shot out to counter the attack, and the expeditious exchange was followed by silence once again. The attacks ceased thereafter.
Yuan, "It's a black demon. I have never seen this kind before. Young master, you must go back to the elders. If it ambushes us again, I will distract it."
Ren shook his head. When the demon had attacked him earlier, he noticed a fresh wound on the right side of it's stomach. Given its actions as it kept hiding and attacking sneakily, Ren was confident the odds were in their favor.
"The two of us can take it on. Besides, since you are a mage [3], if I leave you alone, the demon will try to engage in close combat and wound you easily."
(A/N: A mage is someone who can manipulate and use spiritual energy. It's quite similar to magic. A mage have their own spirit reserve that fuels their power. They are usually weaker in close combat since they can use spells and other methods to fight.)
Ren immediately drew out a plan wherein Yuan would distract the creature while he looked for an appropriate time to attack. The former nodded, and a short while later when there was a movement in the bushes, he used an attack to agitate and lead the demon away.
Since the sneak attacks ceased to work, the demon stopped hiding and tenaciously chased after Yuan. It scowled and clawed, but despite being a mage, Yuan had always been swift on his feet. The two stayed engaged in a heated chase and run, with the creature so engrossed it had long forgotten about Ren.
But Ren hadn't forgotten about either of them. When the fight turned for the worst and the demon had Yuan cornered, seeming as if his next strike would split his body in half, there came a sound of an object very rapidly transversing through the air. The hooked blade from Ren's crossbow pierced the demon's heart and carried its core back to its wielder. The moment the cable retracted, the demon's body dropped motionless on the ground, dissipating into thin wisps of black smoke.
"Good work." Ren joined Yuan who was examining the disappearing corpse.
Yuan grinned confusedly, "It's pitch black all the way through. This has to be the strangest thing I have ever seen. "
Ren, "Then allow me to show you something stranger."
He threw a palm sized black stone that he had withdrawn from the demon's body towards Yuan, and after taking a closer look, Yuan couldn't stop his eyes from widening in shock.
The stone was none other than the black demon's core - the source of its life and demonic force. What left Yuan thunderstruck was not the core itself, for they had already killed and withdrawn cores from hundreds of ordinary demons before, but this one was special and could not be compared to the commonly found ragged cores. It was instead polished into a definite shape, and even seemed to have traces of minerals embedded on its surface.
The stronger the demon, the more refined would the core be, and only legends existed of demons with complete mineral cores.
The two secured the spoil of their battle and realised that the day was slowly approaching its end. The sun had already disappeared from the sky, and the only hope they had of escaping severe punishment today would be to offer the core to the clan head the moment they see him. Perhaps their accomplishment would appease him.
They a.s.sessed their location and determined the direction of the main forest path, but before they could start on their way, Ren's attention was captured by a blotch of red liquid trailing away from a nearby bush. He gestured towards Yuan and the two walked over.
Yuan pondered, "Red blood [4]? Is there a human here?"
(A/N: Demons mostly have black blood)
However, when they parted the leaves, lying amidst a pool of blood was not a human, but a curled up little fox cub.
The cub lay in deep sleep, unaware of the mess around him. Its snow white fur was soiled in blood and its palm sized body was shivering from the evening breeze.
Ren's voice was filled with pity, "A magic beast [5]? Could it be… its parents were killed by the black demon earlier?"
(A/N: This world's animals have powers. So they will be called as magic beasts)
Yuan, a little concerned, "Umm… Young master, I don't think this is the blood of a magic beast."
Ren, pointing his fingers at a specific spot behind the shrubs, "Then how do you explain the blood trail disappearing over there? The demon must have devoured this poor being's parents."
Yuan, more concerned, "Young master, you are not following…"
Ren, "Shhh! You'll wake it up."
The fox cub's ears twitched, and in a dazed manner, it rolled over and exposed it's delicate looking belly to the two of them. Yuan suddenly had a premonition, and just as he expected, Ren scooped it up without thinking twice as if he had found a rare treasure.
Yuan could only sigh… Seems like this young master is really eager to be kicked out of the clan.
---
When the two finally arrived at the Akayama main house, the last bowl of leftover was being collected from the dinner table, Clan head Yasuo was dabbing the corner of his mouth with a white cloth, and the servants on the opposite end kept shooting pitiful looks at them as if they were pigs sent for slaughter.
Lying in front of them and receiving the least attention was the circular black stone with traces of mineral shining on its surface.
At last, Clan head Yasuo ruled, "100 times. Copy the clan discipline a 100 times before you sleep."
Ren, who was expecting nothing less than a heartfelt praise, looked as if he was gravely wronged, "But father-"
"NOT YOU! YOU COPY IT A 1000 TIMES! AND ALSO WEED THE TRAINING GROUND!"
At once, Ren lowered his head like a bullied puppy.
Yuan, who was kneeling with him, whisphered, "Young master, it would be best if you stay quiet through this one."
Ren rebuked, "You shut up! You always get away with minimal-AH!"
The painful shriek was a result of a smack from the Clan Head's iron fan.
"WHAT ARE YOU WHISPERING ABOUT? DO YOU INTEND TO REFLECT EVEN A LITTLE ON YOUR ACTIONS??"
The roar made the attendants shiver and ceiling shake.
"LOOK AT YOU ALL TATTERED AND WOUNDED! DID I NOT FORBID YOU FROM ENTERING THE FOREST? WILL YOU GIVE NO FACE TO YOUR FATHER? YOU EVEN INVOLVE YUAN IN YOUR MISCHIEFS, IF SOMETHING HAPPENED TO HIM… DO YOU WANT YOUR FATHER TO BE CURSED BY OLD SHOU FROM HEAVEN!?"
After having expelled his anger, Clan Head Yasuo sighed and lowered his voice to normal, "You both are young. You don't know what dangers lie in the world. The spiritual fluctuation in the forest… it's likely that a s.p.a.ce rift [6] has opened. Who knows beings of which world will be expelled there… be good and let the elders handle the matter. I already have a meeting with the inter-clan a.s.sociation early tomorrow."
(A/N: A s.p.a.ce rift is basically a rift in s.p.a.ce lol. It is a link between the mortal world and another dimension known as 'the void'. More details will be given later)
Yuan quietly contemplated over the clan head's words, but Ren was not satisfied, "Father, why can't we use our spiritual tools [7] to secure the forest? Weren't we the strongest in the land? Why must we bow down to others every time? They are even making you sign some stupid treaty!"
(A/N: Spiritual tools are weapons that have a spirit reserve of their own and can be used by both mages and non-mage people. They can also be used to manipulate elements that are not inherent to a mage. For example, a flame type mage cannot use water magic, but they can use a water based spiritual tool to manipulate water. The spiritual tools Ren mentioned here are ancient tools of their ancestors that are supposedly very powerful.)
Clan head Yasuo, "Foolish child! Were you eavesdropping again?"
However, looking at Ren's aggrieved face, he soothed, "Our spiritual tools are no longer what they used to be. They are only enough as our last resort for defence. But don't be worried, as long as this old man lives, those outsiders will dare not force a treaty on us. Now go finish your punishment and let your father rest."
Ren, "But father, we already killed a demon, if we uni -"
"YOU. DARE. STILL. TALK. OF. DEMONS."
With each word the clan head spoke, a smack from his iron fan landed on Ren's shoulder. The latter's legs were already numb after having kneeled for so long, the impacts easily made him lose his balance.
He stumbled forward, and from within his inner robe, a ball of fluff fell on the ground.
The healing spell Yuan had casted on the fox cub seemed to have worked, and it was probably why it was wide awake since a while ago.
The little fox smoothly landed on the ground on all fours and peeked around in a confused manner, until finally its head turned and it blinked its mesmerizing red and blue eyes at Ren.
Ren, almost in a daze: ".....how pretty."
Clan head Yasuo, after spotting a magic beast on his holy land: "YOU… YOUU!"
What happened next became a black spot in Ren's memory. Not only was he smacked twenty more times by the clan head's iron fan, he ended up being hit quite a few times more while trying to protect the little fox cub who walked around completely unaware of the danger. It was with great difficulty that Ren made a run for his life.
On the other hand, Clan head Yasuo was so exhausted from anger that he fell back on the ground. He pointed his forefinger towards the door and huffed, "Get...that….out…"
Yuan could barely watch the Clan head's sorry state any longer, and he waved his palm above his head to make him fall asleep.
Back in his room, Ren let out a sigh of relief as he closed the door and strode forward to fall on the bedding the servants had prepared for him. The young fox cub was firmly held against his undulating chest.
"I can't believe you were seen on the first day itself." He craned his neck to look at the little fox peering at him with its mismatched eyes, "I planned to keep you here longer."
The fox cub t.i.tled its head and blinked twice as if it didn't understand what Ren was saying.
Ren stroked its tiny head with his finger and soothed, "Don't worry. I'll keep you safe. I know the best place in the forest for you."
As he continued to whisper comforting words to the little cub, he didn't know when he drifted off to sleep.
That night, Ren continuously struggled in his sleep. Not only did the room feel more hot and humid than usual, he even dreamt of being embraced against a wide chest, completely captured in a pair of long, muscular arms. He struggled to move away, but the arms drew him closer, absolutely refusing to let go.
---
In a wide hall engulfed in darkness, a n.o.ble looking man kneeled compliantly.
"Time is short. We must retrieve the core now. Make preparations to lure the next h.o.a.rd of demons." A hoa.r.s.e voice originated from the dark.
The kneeling man respectfully said, "My Lord, there is something else we must address first."
The figure shrouded in darkness waited for him to continue.
"The Akayama clan possesses spiritual tools that can ward off several demons. If we-"
Thud!
The man's speech halted when an object fell at his feet, he stared at the red colored pouch with a circular seal engraved on it.
The hoa.r.s.e voice only spoke two words, "Impair them."
The kneeling man suppressed a sinister smile, bowed and walked away.
