Demon Hunting Ceremony

Da Hu had reached the Qi Refining Sixth Layer almost a year ago, but due to bad luck, he missed the Demon Hunting Ceremony by a few days, so he couldn't become a demon hunter and couldn't go up the mountain to hunt demons.

Shuang Hu and Xiao Hu had similar aptitudes. Although they were playful, they were diligent in their cultivation, so within a year, they had all broken through to the Qi Refining Sixth Layer.

The Demon Hunting Ceremony was held in front of the ancestral hall. Da Hu and the others, along with some other cultivators who had just reached the Qi Refining Sixth Layer, were supervised by some venerable elders.

The Demon Hunting Ceremony was quite elaborate. First, incense was burned and offerings were made to heaven and earth. Then, blood was exchanged. They cut their palms with a knife, letting the blood drop into the wine, which they then drank together.

The elders said some words, but Mo Hua was too far away to hear clearly, catching only fragments.

The gist was that although they weren't blood relatives, as demon hunters, they swore an oath and shared this wine, supporting each other through blood and strength.

Demon beasts were several times stronger than cultivators. Without concerted effort, demon hunters couldn't survive; they might easily lose their lives and become prey to the demons.

After the blood oath, newly minted demon hunters were given demon hunting tokens by the elders.

It was said that these tokens were made from the bones of special demons, about the size of an infant's fist and pale white in color.

Each new demon hunter received a token. Every time they killed a demon beast, the token would gain a new blood-colored crack. The more demons they killed, the more prominent the cracks became.

A token covered in cracks symbolized the achievements of a demon hunter.

Each of the three Meng family juniors received a demon hunting token, dripping with blood, which they then hung around their necks.

A token stained with blood would accompany a demon hunter throughout their life. Some demon hunters treasured their tokens as much as their lives; even if they lost their lives, they wouldn't lose their tokens. Losing a token meant losing their past achievements as demon hunters and also losing their entire life as demon hunters.

After the blood oath and the distribution of tokens, the Demon Hunting Ceremony ended.

Da Hu and the others were nervous throughout, only now letting out a sigh of relief.

They wore new Daoist robes and vine armor, holding brand new plain knives in their hands.

The Daoist robes were made of ordinary cloth, inexpensive but sturdy. The vine armor and plain knives were spiritual tools; the vine armor protected vital organs, and the plain knives were used for killing demons, the most common spiritual tools among demon hunters.

Uncle Meng was not wealthy and had almost depleted his savings to provide this complete set for the three of them. From now on, they would have to rely on these spiritual tools to be self-sufficient.

Mo Hua and Da Hu and the others wandered around the main street, but Mo Hua noticed their lack of enthusiasm and worried, saying, "What's wrong? Are you not happy?"

They arrived at a small stone bridge, sitting on the bridge railing, looking at the murmuring water and the distant blending of lights.

Shuang Hu said, "I saw my mother secretly crying last night."

Xiao Hu added, "I saw it too. I think she's worried about the spirit stones. She saved them bit by bit."

"Not just that. She borrowed some too. I saw my father borrowing from the uncle in the demon hunting team and Uncle Mo." Da Hu continued, then asked Mo Hua, "You don't urgently need spirit stones at home, do you?"

"Don't worry, we still have a restaurant. We're not in need for now," Mo Hua reassured them.

"That's good then." Da Hu breathed a sigh of relief, but the three of them still seemed dispirited.

Just a day ago, they were still children, but now, after the Demon Hunting Ceremony, they were about to face the hardships of cultivator life. Some things they hadn't deeply understood before now fell squarely on their shoulders, and they realized how tough life could be.

"No need to be so downhearted; this is actually a good thing," Mo Hua said.

Da Hu and the others looked at Mo Hua together.

"Before, only Uncle Meng and Aunt Meng earned spirit stones, and you could only spend them. Now that you're demon hunters, you can earn spirit stones by hunting demons. Aunt Meng's burden will be lighter, and life will be better. Once you've paid off your debts and earned more spirit stones, Aunt Meng can buy many delicious things," Mo Hua explained.

The three of them brightened up at this prospect.

Shuang Hu scratched his head and said, "But can we really earn spirit stones? My dad said most new demon hunters just follow along and learn, not getting many spirit stones."

"You guys are good at fighting, right?"

"Yeah."

"Then think of demon hunting as fighting. Before, you fought people; now, you'll fight demons."

"But... demon hunting and fighting seem different," Xiao Hu hesitated.

"In that case, learn more from the uncles in the demon hunting team. Nothing happens overnight. The faster you learn, the sooner you can help and earn spirit stones. That way, Uncle Meng and Aunt Meng will both be happy."

Mo Hua comforted them, and the three children began to perk up.

"But," Da Hu hesitated, "if we go demon hunting, we won't be able to come to play with you often."

"And we probably won't be able to play with you anymore in the future..." Xiao Hu added quietly.

After saying this, their expressions turned gloomy again.

"It's okay. In a year or two, maybe I'll also reach the Qi Refining Sixth Layer, and then I can become a demon hunter too and go up the mountain with you," Mo Hua said.

"Oh yeah, oh yeah!" Xiao Hu exclaimed happily.

"What's 'oh yeah' about?" Shuang Hu rolled his eyes at Xiao Hu, then looked at Mo Hua with some concern. "Your health isn't good, and you're not following the path of physical cultivation. Being a demon hunter is dangerous. Uncle Mo wouldn't agree. You should become a formation master. It's prestigious, earns more spirit stones, and doesn't involve so much fighting."

Da Hu quickly nodded, "Being a formation master is good!"

Xiao Hu echoed, "Yeah, being a formation master is good!"

"Alright then, I'll consider becoming a formation master first. If there's another opportunity or if I can switch to physical cultivation, then I'll think about becoming a demon hunter," Mo Hua decided.

But as he thought about it, he realized he might not have the aptitude for being a demon hunter. He was naturally frail, and he had focused on techniques that emphasized spiritual power. If he became a demon hunter, even a minor close encounter with a demon might be fatal with a few careless bites...

Mo Hua felt a twinge of regret. He had yearned for the robust and adventurous life of a physical cultivator, bold and fearless with each move.

It was a pity that he was born weak and might not have this opportunity.

Mo Hua patted his purse, "Today, I'll treat you all to Liu's famous osmanthus cakes as a gesture."

At the mention of food, the three children perked up immediately.

"But it's always you treating us; it doesn't seem right," Shuang Hu said awkwardly.

"It's okay. When you become renowned demon hunters known far and wide, after killing many demons and earning lots of spirit stones, then you can treat me to something delicious!"

The three of them immediately felt heroic again and nodded together, "Alright!"

With their earlier worries dispelled, they walked proudly towards the pastry shop.

After finishing the cakes, it was getting late, so they each headed home.

Before leaving, Da Hu reminded Mo Hua, "Be careful when we go up the mountain. If anyone bullies you, tell us, and we'll come back to help you fight."

Mo Hua was touched and smiled, "Alright, it's a deal!"

(End of the Chapter)