Chapter Three

Ming An was absent minded while tossing and catching the horn in his hands. When the carriage comes to a stop he doesn't hide his irritation at being interrupted while deep in thought. "What is it?" His driver nervously answers him, "M-My lord, we've arrived at Wangye's estate."

Ming An sighs rubbing his temples, "I got it." Straightening his clothes the extravagantly dressed man steps out from his carriage making all the women waiting for him whisper and send him shy coy glances. He brings one hand up with his fan lightly fanning it with one hand behind his back looking very dignified.

Behind him Manager Su was carrying the carefully wrapped dagger. Ming An respectfully was stopped at the entrance by many people who wanted to meet him or introduce their sons and daughters to him. He very easily converses with them all even getting a few strict officials to laugh boastfully. Behind curtains watching him interacting in a very friendly manner with the group of woman was someone who clench their fists tightly together. In their chest they felt a strange jealousy.

Ming An looks up in time to spot a woman smiling as she strolls over. She easily outshone all the girls who crowded him wanting to chat. Her white hanfu fit her very well, lily patterns and beautiful lively angelic koi seemed to swim along the waves over her hanfu. Ming An wasn't in the mood to entertain this woman so although she stood at the edges of the crowd looking at him expectantly.

As if saying, "Here I am! I'm right here, please use me to make them go away." Ming An looks at her beautiful smile and plays ignorant giving her a gentle smile he goes back to entertaining and flirting with the group of women who giggles and blush basking in his attention. Lady Yue's smile stiffens not expecting to have been snubbed. He must not want to bring me trouble. Was what she told herself and felt touched by his actions, she sent him a grateful look. Ming An sensed trouble and again pretends to not see her. To him, that woman was off limits as his business partner's woman.

Although she was beautiful, he wasn't stupid enough to fall for beautiful poisonous flowers. Seeing as the banquet was starting soon he excuses himself much to the distress of the women. "Awww, must you leave us Lord Ming An~?" He gave them a apologetic smile, "I apologize, ladies. But I must attend to my duties, I will be glad to spend time with all of you again though on another day." Charming his way out Ming An snaps back open his fan and hid his annoyed frown behind it. Manager Su who was standing far back follows his master once he saw he had managed to escape.

"Prepare me a new change of clothes in the carriage." Manager Su nods showing he heard, "Yes, master." "Tch." The smell of perfume clung onto his robes making him even more irritated than he was yesterday. Manager Su smartly kept his mouth shut, usually his master was less vocal about his annoyances. Something must of upset him recently. Manager Su didn't know which was scarier, a visibly annoyed Lord Ming An or a gentle smiling lord with a knife pointed at his back. Ah, both are equally terrifying. Ming An sits at his designated seat two spots from the head of the banquet. Although he was smiling, Manager Su could sense his master was more sensitive and agitated today.

Please do not let this banquet end in bloodshed. When the Zhu Wangye showed up Manager Su breathed a sigh of relief. The lower aristocrats stood in to pay their respects to the proud Wangye. "You may all be seated." From behind his seat he pulls out a breath taking shy beauty who held his hand embarrassed. He gave her a dotting look, the officials all see the lovestruck Wangye and share looks with eachother. Some even smile stiffly in response to seeing the mysterious female who obviously had the handsome Wangye's unwavering favor.

Again Ming An sneered sensing more than one gaze drift from the influential Wangye to him. When Zhu Rong announces the time for gifts Ming An was the first to stand. His friend looks at him somewhat curiously, not expecting Ming An to actually volunteer to be first. But Ming An just wanted to leave, he felt unsettled. Ming An steps forward and bows low to Zhu Ring with a smile. "Wangye, this commoner is honored and humbled to have been invited to such a important event. Happy new year to Wangye, please accept this gift made with the greatest care."

Manager Su steps forward on his knees at the bottom of the steps as Zhu Rong's maid servant took the gift checking it just in case. Afterwards the servant hands the gift to Zhu Rong who opens the box already knowing what was inside. But what he saw made him rather speechless, Lady Yue put a hand to her mouth in disbelief. "This..." Ming An felt a bit better seeing the looks of admiration and awe from all around. "That dagger was made from exactly twenty demon scales melted down by heaven flame and molded into a solid demon dagger. Not a single ounce of iron, metal, copper, is used in this master piece. It is pure demon scale, so sharp and powerful it can even cut obsidian without touching it."

Zhu Rong admires the blade reading the black dagger's inscription. "Black Lotus." He gives Ming An a grateful look seeming extremely happy with the dagger. "To have gifted me such a wonderful dagger. This prince thanks Lord Ming An for his favor." Ming An bows again, "This lord may as to be so bold. Please allow this commoner to excuse himself early to deal with an emergency that needs my attention." Zhu Rong saw his friend was agitated and gives his permission pardoning him. "Of course Lord Ming An is a very busy man. This prince shall not hold it against you."

Getting his permission Ming An gave his thanks again before turning to leave. Lady Yue gazes at the beautiful pure black dagger awed and her gaze trails from the dagger to the youth who had gifted it. "Lord Ming An actually managed to obtain twenty demon scales?" Zhu Rong nods with a smile, "It seems so, Ming An is not one to lie about his accomplishments." Lady Yue was not the only one staring at the red clothed male who confidently left the banquet with a straight back.

Without her knowing, the woman's hands that held the side of her chair grip the sides tighter and her gaze fills with a sort of yearning. "Incredible.." She murmurs unable to take her eyes away even as he long disappears from her sight.

~

In the carriage the driver seemed to fidget nervously. When spotting Manager Su and Lord Ming An he looked momentarily relieved. Then he rushes to whisper something urgently to Manager Su who had opened the carriage door for Ming An. Manager Su pales and looks at the driver as if asking if what he heard was actually true. The driver's head bobs up and down with wide eyes full of fear. Ming An saw the strange actions of his servants and narrows his eyes at them. Manager Su as if recovering from his shock hurries to report to Ming An urgently.

"My lord! The servants at Golden Lion report having heard the iron door open half a hour after you left! When they went to check the top floor they say the second floor before the top floor was dripping blue blood! They dare not go further!" Ming An sat up straight, "Drive!" The driver doesn't hesitate to whip the horses into full speed making Manager Su whip back into his seat. But Ming An had no time to care about his servants. The timing was too perfect! Was that demoness planning this the entire time?!

Remembering the sorrow filled demoness he couldn't find it in himself to believe the demoness would have the energy to even try anything at all. Then who? A third party? But why would only demon blood be dripping from the top floor? He had a bad feeling. As soon as they arrive his servants were piled up at the door anxiously waiting for his arrival. "Lord Ming!" They exclaim relieved he shoots them all stern looks. "All of you go back to your family homes. Don't come back until further notice."

To Manager Su he orders under his breath, "Get the Black Lions over here. Now." Manager Su wipes his sweat and nods understanding as he rushes to shoo the stunned attendants out of the tower. Ming An pauses when he saw the third to last floor already slowly being covered in the scent of demon blood. The stairs to the second to last floor was already covered in blue blood. He was expressionless, snapping his fan open the man slowly made his way up the stairs. Bodies. His face doesn't give anything away even as the stench of the dead floods his nose. Dead demons.

At his feet were the tore corpses of one eyed ogres, eagle harpies, frost hounds, he even saw the fleshy bodies of skin walkers. He scans the piles of dead demons looking for a blue skinned demoness. Not seeing what he was searching he continues up to the last floor. If it was possible, the top floor was the worse. His lips purse and his eyes harden at the massacre before him. "Humanoid demons. Advanced demons who learned to mimic humans. Like me."

Ming An's cold gaze finds the one armed demoness who stood ontop of the bodies with hair and clothes dripping with what he could only assume to be, blood. Qurin looks down at her black claws that were stained blue with the blood her own kind. She smiles even though her claws refused to revert back. Ming An steels his mind, "Miss Tang, your horns."

Qurin lightly reaches for her head and her claws touch something hard. She chuckles feeling her horn which grew like a winding branch over her head. "It looks like I've matured." Be careful Qurin, even I could not control the fire inside our soul. Forcing the awakening so early can cause you to truly go mad. Her eyes were still a firm amber, even though her single horn grew like a cherry blossom branch.

When he made to step forward Qurin steps backwards with a chuckle. Ming An saw her sad eyes looking at him even as her lips rise softly. He took another step but Qurin also took a step back. She chuckles, "My lord, I cant control my body anymore." Ming An's body tensed at her words, "Miss Tang." The demoness again looks down at her clawed hand, Qurin, I can do it. Ming An saw through her thoughts and his body moved faster than his mind.

But Qurin's body as if sensing the approaching living flesh also reacts. A pair of wings black as night erupts from her torn back with feathers as sharp as her claws blocking his path. The man was forced to a stop as the large wings surround the demoness like a protective bubble. Ming An's jaw clenches, "Tang Rin Qurin! Do you forget who you owe your life to?!" The wings trembled, at first he assumed he got through to the demoness but instead what he thought was emotional shaking turns out to be laughter. Her voice was warped and, evil. The wings retreat with a blast of wind making Ming An unable to approach her even though he tried his best.

From the cocoon emerged a full body demon. Qurin's body covered in nothing but black scales, her missing arm replaced with a large black blade. Her single horn grew twisting and turning resembling an ancient deer's antlers after living for years and years in a thriving forest. Her left eye was full of madness, with the iris as red as a river of blood, on her right clear, bright amber. Ming An's eyes were wide with disbelief as he had just witnessed the birth of a true demon. She... evolved? "My Lord, till we meet again." In a flurry of black feathers the demoness disappears. with a smirk in his direction that was unlike the Qurin he knew. The manner in which she walk and talk was also entirely different, "Qurin!!" He roars but she had already gone making Ming An feel slight panic. What was she planning to do? What is her goal?

Ming An runs a hand through his hair, out of habit his fan snaps open as he thought. But with a flash of irritation he scowls and the fan shut with a loud "*Snap!*" Ming An hated to admit it but he never expected to have lost control so fast of the woman. He was sure the woman would of...Would of what? What were you expecting from a demon Ming An? You spent months waiting for this, waiting for her to lose her mind because you were curious. What exactly were you expecting in the end? His expression becomes lost suddenly in the silence. When the Black Lion's arrive Ming An orders them angrily pointing his fan at them while trembling with rage.

"Find her." They bow their heads and dash away as their Lord raises his gaze to the setting sun. Unless they look closesly they would not be able to see his tight expression and his hands that held his fan was slightly trembling.