A Yao of noble birth and a Sox spirit!

»You should have slept!« Zhen yan remarked. He looked the same as always, with long black hair tied back in a loose bun with a white hairpin, dark robes and dark, glowing eyes.

»What happened yesterday?« Ying yue asked without beating around the bush. Zhen yan was standing at the window, leaning against the wall. He shrugged.

»Have I still not made myself clear enough about what I want from you?« the demon asked back, looking at Ying yue with a look that literally burned his skin. Ying yue ground his jaw and the relief that Zhen yan was back gave way to anger and shame. His grip on the sword tightened and Zhen yan took a step back as a precaution.

»I looked into something,« he dodged instead.

»The same thing that Xiaodan reacted to?« Ying yue asked. The demon turned to him and closed the window.

»I think that it's just our paths crossing. He has no intention of interfering in our affairs,« he said. Ying yue, who again could not detect any lie in his words, still couldn't shake the feeling that Zhen yan wasn't telling him everything he knew.

»Don't lie to me!« Ying yue said threateningly. ‚If you make demons follow us that can seriously harm humans, I won't let you get away with it.' Zhen yan raised an eyebrow in surprise, but stayed where he was, three paces away.

»I'm not lying!« he defended himself, his voice slightly offended. ‚As long as no one seeks direct confrontation with me, I have no interest in getting to the bottom of an encounter. At best, that would provoke a fight and then, my dear, your loved ones would be in danger,' he snapped back.

Ying yue looked at him for a while with a serious expression on his face before he relaxed a little. It was quite understandable. There were people he preferred to avoid when they crossed paths, too, so as not to provoke anything he might regret later.

Still, he didn't like the fact that there was something around that he couldn't see and therefore couldn't fight. Why did their paths have to cross now, of all times? In the last twenty-four years, he could have counted his encounters with upper-level demons on one hand, and now? Now one was stalking him at every turn and then another one just happened to show up? Zhen yan held out his hand, but the swordsman stared at the ground intently for several minutes without saying a word. Ying yue dismissed the hand reflexively.

»Stop it, you've gone far enough,« he growled angrily. ‚We have to find the son of Chen Chen lu in Qiying,' he said. With that said, he turned around and stomped out of the room. Zhen yan was surprised by the abrupt change of subject, but obediently followed him.

Ying yue rented a carriage and a horse for the trip to Qiying, even though Zhen yan could have taken her there faster. Ying yue, however, sensed that this would not be possible without close physical contact and insisted on the carriage. The horse was reliable and so they reached Qiying at dusk. After showing the letter of permission to the guard on duty there, it was not difficult to locate the right Yang family. They lived in a compound outside the city and received Ying yue politely.

They were led into a reception hall where tea was served and soon after, the current head of the Yangs greeted them. Ying yue stood up, clenched one hand into a fist and bowed.

»Bai Gongzi, my name is Yang Ling lang,« the man greeted her. He sat down opposite him and smoothed his robes. »I have been informed of the matter. I'm afraid I can't help you. My father was the brother of Chen Lu's father, so she was my cousin. I must confess that I was a latecomer and thus the youngest child in the family. I was born shortly before she died!«

»Then you are the same age as Chen Lu's son,« Ying yue remarked. ‚We are here because of him. Can we speak with him?' he asked. Ling lang frowned and smiled cautiously.

»Bai Gongzi, who do you want to see? I'm afraid I don't follow you?« he said uncertainly. Ying yue sat up straight and watched the man's reaction closely. Yet he seemed genuinely confused by his request. »Chen Chen lu left a newborn son when she died, Chen Qian fan told us he is here, visiting?« Ling lang shook his head.

»I'm sorry, but as far as I know, my cousin's suicide led to the breakup of the Yang and Chen families. My aunt was so unhappy that she died a few years later, and my uncle also couldn't cope with the death of his only daughter and gave the Yang's leadership to my father. He had nothing to do with the Chen family from Shuisheng. No one like that has ever visited here,« he answered honestly. Ying yue frowned.

»But have your aunt and uncle never tried to make contact with their grandson?« he asked. »Bai Gongzi, with all due respect, this is the first I've heard of a nephew. He's not in the family book either,« Ling lang replied, restrained, almost anxious. »Either there was never a son and Shuya is lying, or he didn't live long enough,« Zhen Yan's dark voice sounded in the background. Ling Lang looked up. He ducked away from the demon's icy gaze. Ying yue rose.

»We have to go back!« he said seriously. He bowed briefly before Yang Ling Lang. ‚Thank you for your time, we have to go now,' he said quickly in farewell. Ling Lang just nodded, perplexed, as if he didn't really understand what was going on.

Ying yue urged the horse to return at a breakneck speed. Shortly after midnight, they arrived at Shuisheng's house. Ying yue was breathing heavily, mist was forming at his mouth, and he ran, with an iron grip on Xiaodan, along the lively and colorfully lit street to the Yinghua Pavilion.

He had barely set foot over the threshold when the sword lit up and began to tremble wildly.

»You again!« Familiar voices complained, but Ying yue ignored them. He ran along the path they had taken yesterday, squirming past the protesting overseer, who slapped him on the back as she passed.

»Mr. Chen has a visitor!« she shrieked angrily. However, her voice trailed off in a pleading request when Zhen yan followed closely behind him and gave her a murderous look. Ying yue yanked open the door. A whirring sound filled the air as Ying yue pulled out Xiaodan, and a silvery light cut through the scene.

A tall man, wearing a hanfu of white and red that looked like freshly spilled blood, had grabbed Chen Qian fan by the collar. His dark, chestnut hair was pinned up and an elaborately decorated crown crowned his head. A few strands had come loose. His eyes, the color of clotted blood, lit up eerily when he saw Ying yue and avoided the cut.

With a quick hand movement, he opened his fan, on which was painted a watercolor of a nine-tailed fox, and with a sweeping gesture, he hurled a whole storm of blades back. Ying yue raised Xiaodan and used it to block the magical attack. For a second they stood facing each other, Ying yue unable to continue the fight as long as the demon used the mortal as a shield, gritted his teeth and ground his jaw. The confident look of victory vanished for a moment from the redhead's eyes as Zhen yan entered the room behind Ying yue.

At the same moment that the young swordsman felt Zhenyan's aura intensify, the red-haired demon disappeared in a bright crimson flame. Yingyue rushed into the room and looked out of the broken window.

»Where did he go?« he shouted angrily. Zhenyan wrapped his arms around Yingyue's waist.

»Yinhu!« he replied, and then they took off. Ying yue blinked once.

»Bai Gongzi?« a voice bellowed below him. Ying yue recognized Wei meng, but the next moment he was standing on the shore of Yinhu.

Although he wanted to punch the demon in the face, he concentrated on what was in front of him. He pushed Zhen yan's arms away from his waist and took a step back. The surface of the lake was completely covered in an icy fog. You could hardly see your hand in front of your face. Through his protective clothing, Ying yue felt the cold, but it could not physically attack him.

»Don't interfere in our business?« Ying yue roared and glared at Zhen yan. ‚What the hell is he? And what's he doing here?' he shouted. Zhen yan had brought one of the boats ashore by its rope and held out a hand to Ying yue, who made no move to take it. Ying yue put his hands on his hips and glared at the demon angrily.

»A nine-tailed fox spirit, but what it wants, I don't know. Why it suddenly interferes with our case, I can't tell you,« he replied. Then he pulled him onto the boat. »Let's ask him!« he suggested. Ying yue followed Zhen yan's gaze across the lake. His solemn expression grew even more so. Zhen yan tossed the rope into the boat and climbed in behind him, soon steering it toward the center of the lake. The interwoven tufts of seaweed romped around below them, but none of them broke the surface of the water.

Zhen yan's presence had become almost unbearable, and Ying yue felt his hairs stand on end. The scent of spring blossoms wafted around his nose and the dark magic licked greedily over his skin. He had often read in books and battle reports that particularly strong demons could destroy mortal and weak cultivators with their mere aura. Their mere presence was enough to drive them insane. He no longer believed that Zhenyan was too weak to fulfill his potential,

but the idea that he was so powerful at precisely regulating his demonic energy made Yingyue dizzy. He watched the wanglian, who scurried around their boat like playful puppies; his gaze slid to Zhenyan's broad back, without him, she would have shredded the small fishing boat long ago. Normally, he regulated his demonic energy so that the jade pendant had appeared to control him, but now the sparkling white counterpart hung at his hip. Useless, no more than a piece of jewelry.

It was hard to believe that it had been made by masters of its craft from the Bai clan. When the boat reached the middle of the lake, it slowed down, wafts of mist crept lazily over the silvery water surface and quickly condensed into an opaque curtain. Ying yue's robes were soaked within seconds and clung uncomfortably to his skin, chafing it raw.

For a while, the boat rocked gently back and forth, and only now and then was a soft plonk heard when the Wanglian bumped into the boat. Ying yue could only dimly see the outline of the large demon, but its presence was overwhelming. Long, slender white fingers slid over the edge of the boat, followed by a black, damp head. When the woman, dressed in a white, flowing robe that clung to her body, dripping wet, had half crawled into the boat, she paused. Ying yue was tensed, one hand around Xiaodan's shaft.

Chen Chen lu. The woman raised her head, her transparent, watery pupils looking around searchingly. She had been pretty, back when she was alive. A round face, full, slightly curved lips and a delicate nose graced her face.

Now, water was constantly flowing from her mouth when she opened it. Ying yue realized that she was unable to speak. He turned to Zhen yan. The demon had bent down to him and gently lifted the chin of the drowned Chen Chen lu.

»The dead are often in the state they were in just before they died. If a person was blind, the dead spirit cannot see either; if they couldn't speak, the demon cannot utter a sound either. She was choked hard before she died, so her throat was swollen. When she died, she was unable to speak,« he said, gently stroking the demon's cheek. Chen lu cried, she opened her mouth and it frustrated her not to be able to communicate.

Her anger made the Wanglian around her more agitated. Zhen yan had trouble controlling them to such an extent that they didn't attack the boat without having to kill her. Chen lu stretched out her cold, wet hand towards Ying yue. Suddenly, a scream rent the silence on the lake and Chen lu leaped back into the water, hissing. A moment later, the boat hit solid ground and Ying yue leaped past Zhen yan onto the island.

From the shore, he heard the plaintive screams and gurgling sounds of Chen lu, and all the pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place. In a small lake on the island, the fox spirit stood, still holding Chen Qian fan captive. When the man saw Ying yue, he jumped up and clasped his hands in prayer.

»B-Bai G-Gongzi, please save me,« he pleaded angrily. The fox spirit bowed his head, his eyes narrowing as Zhen yan lifted the fog around them.

»I have no intention of arguing with you,« he sighed, his voice melodious and friendly. Ying yue had drawn Xiaodan from his scabbard and looked at the fox with dark, serious eyes.

»Then let him go!« Ying yue demanded. The tall man with the red hair seemed to deliberate for a moment, but with a sidelong glance at Zhen yan, he finally let go of Qian fan. »If you only knew what he has done...«

»I know what he has done!« Ying yue cut the demon short. The fox's eyes narrowed; he didn't seem to believe that Ying yue would demand the release of such a vile mortal, knowing what he had done. Yingyue went around and helped Qianfan to his feet. The lamentations of the wet woman could be heard clearly across the lake. Now it was the young swordsman who held him in an iron grip. His gaze rested coldly on the picture of misery that had been sent from bad to worse by the rain.

»Thirty years ago, they drove their wife to suicide.

They abused and beat her. They took away her only confidante and left her to endure the birth of her child alone and without medical assistance. She probably had the key to the gates from them, if they only told her often enough that she was a piece of garbage and that it would be better if she died, it was only a matter of time before she actually took her own life in her unstable mental state. They probably wrote the letter themselves and had Chen lu write it down.

After she killed herself, and everyone assumed it was a tragic accident and they silenced the few skeptics, they lived a good life. Of course, the woman who was so happy about her death would not become a Yao. But something changed thirty years later. Chen lu didn't become a demon, but she didn't go on either because she still had something that bound her to this world: her son. She didn't know that he also died shortly after her, did she? But she found out about it a month ago. What was it?« Ying yue asked and shook the man.

‚No lies!' he warned. Chen Qian fan looked back and forth between Ying yue and the demons. There was no way out, so he thought it would be better to talk first. He swallowed and cleared his throat; his throat was swollen from the fact that first a fox and then a swordsman had done him wrong.

»When our son died, I went to see a shaman. She told me that I should always carry something of his with me to appease the child's resentment.

So I made a ring with one of his finger bones, which I always carried with me. About a month ago, on my way to visit friends, I lost the ring on one of the waterways. It must have drifted into the Yinhu and been discovered by his mother,« he confessed.

»You killed your child, didn't you? You are a violent man, given to drink and women. With no mother or wet nurse to care for a helpless, crying baby, you silenced him,« Ying yue concluded, looking down at the man with contempt.

»When Chen lu sensed the remains of her child, it sparked her anger and immense resentment. That's why she drew attention to herself from the start. She wasn't targeting the fishermen; she wanted the remains of her son to be found and given a proper burial. She wanted to call you into action. We were sent away with a flimsy excuse. It was probably your plan to pack up and leave the city. You knew that Chenlu's resentment could not be appeased without turning you in, so you chose to flee.«

»Bai Gongzi,« Chen Qian fan gasped in agony. ‚All of this happened thirty years ago.' Ying yue struck so suddenly that both demons flinched. Then he let go of the man. Covered in blood, Qian fan leaped away, not going far anyway.

»He's useless, we need the remains of the child,« the fox spirit said quietly. Ying yue looked up and pointed his sword at the red-haired demon.

»What do you need them for? Why are you interfering?« he asked angrily. The fox spirit raised an eyebrow at him. »As a gift,« he admitted. Ying yue frowned. He didn't understand. ‚Yian, my name. There is someone I would have liked to help a little,' he said and laughed softly. He glanced at Zhen yan. »But it seems as if I have to admit defeat for today. What a shame!« With that, he disappeared in another scarlet flame, leaving behind the smell of burnt incense.

Ying yue put Xiaodan away again and waded into the waist-deep water of the small lake. A narrow, tiny river connected the lake to Yinhu. Zhen yan stepped onto the shore and watched him.

»The freezing fog is a manifestation of the resentment of the child who died lonely and abandoned without maternal warmth and love.

The ring is here,« he concluded. Ying yue nodded while feeling the ground of the swamp. Sure enough, he soon felt something hard. He pulled a chain out of the mud and on it dangled a ring with a bone encased in a glass bead. Ying yue broke the glass and quickly piled up a bed of branches and leaves, whereupon he placed the bone.

He felt for a fire talisman, but he was soaked through and through. Zhen yan held his index and ring fingers to his lips and a moment later a greenish flame shot up before it contracted into a small, crackling fire. They watched the fire for a while, when morning began to dawn, when another scream made them sit up.