Demon of Dawn and Dusk

Elliot piloted the flying boat for hours, putting as much distance between ourselves and the remnants of the Forest Tiger Sect as possible. Willow tended to Cultivator Davina, our new “friend”, while the rest of us kept an eye out for anyone pursuing us. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on one’s perspective, no one came after us. As for Cultivator Davina herself, she remained unconscious the entire time.

When evening neared, Elliot landed the flying boat near the mouth of a cave located at the base of a small mountain. With my spirit sense, I saw that the cave was small and unoccupied. As soon as we landed, Elliot went to work expanding the cave using his yellow sabers, creating a makeshift immortal cave. Meanwhile, the rest of us went about securing the area. I used my array flag set to create a series of defensive arrays around the mouth of the cave, including an obfuscation array.

Soon, we had a defensible campsite. It didn’t take us long to set up camp inside the cave. After traveling together for weeks now, the six of us knew what to do. Since we were inside a cave, we didn’t bother with any tents. Instead, we just set up our bedrolls right on the cave floor. Despite the situation, Willow made sure to place hers next to mine.

We couldn’t build a campfire, since we were inside a cave. However, Cultivator Rexanne had a magic treasure for that. It was a red orb that emitted light and heat like a campfire, but produced no smoke. The six of us placed comfortable cushions around this magic treasure, forming a seating area. Cultivator Rexanne called it a Smokeless Fire Orb.

“How is she?” Elliot asked Willow after everyone settled down.

Willow shook her head.

“I don’t know,” she said, “I can’t examine her with my spirit sense. However, she appears to be in good condition. The Healing Pill you gave her seems to have done wonders. Still, it’s worrisome that she’s still unconscious.”

Cultivator Davina’s eyelids fluttered at that moment, before she opened her eyes. Ah, perfect timing. I wondered when she would “wake up”. Considering the circumstances, I doubted that Cultivator Davina had actually been unconscious at all. Willow must have thought the same but gave no indication of it as she looked after the woman.

The moment she woke up, Cultivator Davina sprang to her feet and backed away from everyone. Her eyes rolled around in their sockets as she took in her surroundings.

“What’s going on?” She demanded, adopting a fighting stance. “Who are you people? Where are we?”

Elliot held his hands out to her in a calming gesture.

“Easy now.” He said, giving her a reassuring smile. “You’re safe. We’re not your enemies.” He gestured to himself. “My name is Sand Fang. I am a rogue cultivator.” He gestured to the rest of us. “These are my companions.”

Elliot then introduced us in turn, using our fake identities. I noticed a faint hint of contempt in Cultivator Davina’s eyes when she realized that we were just a bunch of Qi Condensation cultivators.

“We rescued you from those demonic cultivators.” Elliot said. “Don’t you remember?”

Cultivator Davina looked uncertain at this.

“I… do.” She said. “It’s all coming back to me now. I returned to the sect after completing a mission, only to find it abandoned. In a panic, I searched the area to try and find out what happened, when those two demonic cultivators ambushed me. By some miracle I managed to fend them off long enough for you to arrive and intervene.” She gave Elliot a grateful smile. “Thank you, Cultivator Sand Fang. You saved my life. If you hadn’t arrived when you had…”

She trailed off, unwilling to finish her sentence. She didn’t need to. Given the circumstances, it was clear that the demonic cultivators harbored ill intentions towards her. Or at least, that was what she wanted us to think.

“No need to thank me.” Elliot said. “I rescued you for my own reasons. Ah, but before we delve into that, might I have your name, fellow cultivator?”

“Oh, where are my manners?” Cultivator Davina gave him a martial salute. “My name is Davina. I am an elder of the Forest Tiger Sect.” Her expression turned melancholic. “Or rather, I was. I don’t know if I am anymore.”

A Foundation Establishment cultivator was the elder of the Forest Tiger Sect? Then again, it was a small sect. From what I understood, it wasn’t unusual for the elders and sect leaders of such sects to be in Foundation Establishment.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Cultivator Davina.” Elliot said, giving her a bright smile.

That caught Cultivator Davina off guard. Her eyes widened and she stared at him with a stunned expression on her face. I didn’t blame her. Despite his androgynous appearance, Elliot was a handsome man. Or maybe he was handsome because of his androgynous appearance. Regardless, he could be quite the charmer when he wanted to be. Even I found myself affected by his smile, though I didn’t know if it was because of Elliot himself, or if it was because of his resemblance to Ellen. That was something I didn’t want to delve into.

“Tha-thank you, Cultivator Sand Fang.” Cultivator Davina stammered out. Her cheeks were red, and her eyes flashed with greed for a brief moment.

Elliot gestured to the seating area around the Smokeless Fire Orb.

“Come,” he said, “Sit down and join us.”

Cultivator Davina nodded, before walking over and plopping herself down on one of the cushions. Elliot sat next to her, and she wore a pleased expression on her face.

“Who were those demonic cultivators that attacked you, Senior?” I asked. “Their robes had some kind of crest on it, but I didn’t recognize it.”

That was a lie. I recognized the crest, though I had never seen it before. It belonged to the Ancient Blood Sect, a demonic sect and one of the Seven Great Northern Sects. Like the Dawn and Dusk Sect and the Thousand Blade Sect, it was located on the Northern Region’s central continent. The other four sects were located on the Northern Region’s other two continents.

As its name suggested, the Ancient Blood Sect specialized in blood techniques and its disciples were infamous for carrying out human sacrifices. Everyone despised the Ancient Blood Sect, though it was too powerful to treat with disrespect. It didn’t surprise me that they were involved in the recent disappearances.

When I asked my question, Cultivator Davina gave me a displeased look, as if she couldn’t believe that someone like me would dare speak to her. Her attitude reminded me of the way my kin treated me, back at Mt. Wind Dance.

“Your ignorance isn’t surprising, considering you’re a rogue cultivator.” She said in a cold voice. “And a Qi Condensation cultivator at that. Those two were disciples of the Ancient Blood Sect, one of the strongest sects in the entire Northern Region. Count yourselves lucky that you have such a strong senior brother to protect you. Otherwise, they would have captured you and drained you of your vitality, leaving behind nothing more than dried up husks.”

The difference in how she spoke to me and how she spoke to Elliot was stark. I didn’t know if it was because I was pretending to be a Qi Condensation cultivator, or if it was because Elliot was prettier than me. Either way, it took a bit of effort on my part not to smirk at her.

“I see,” I said, acting fearful and deferential instead, “Thank you for enlightening me, Senior.”

Cultivator Davina let out a derisive snort, before facing Elliot once again. Her expression warmed up right away. She pulled a bottle of spirit wine out of her storage ring.

“Here,” Cultivator Davina said, “Take this as a token of my gratitude. It isn’t much, especially since you saved my life, but I hope you accept it anyway.”

“Thank you, Cultivator Davina.” Elliot said, still smiling.

“Here, let me pour you a cup.”

Cultivator Davina pulled a cup out of her storage ring and filled it with spirit wine. She then handed the cup to Elliot, who accepted it with grace and took a sip. I wanted to yell at him not to drink it, since it might be poisoned, but I held back. Elliot knew what he was doing. I hoped.

“Hmm, delicious.” Elliot said, while staring right at Cultivator Davina.

The woman in question swallowed.

“If there is anything else you want, don’t hesitate to ask.” She said, a little breathless.

Cultivator Albin’s lips twitched, and he turned away while covering his face. Cultivator Rexanne patted him on the shoulder, trying not to laugh as well. Cultivator Isabel just rolled her eyes.

‘I can’t wait to see her face when she realizes the truth,’ Willow said to me through telepathy.

It took a considerable amount of self control on my part not to chuckle.

“Actually, there is one other thing I want.” Elliot said, his voice low and seductive.

Cultivator Davina leaned forward, her eyes filled with eager anticipation. At this point, I felt a little awkward. Did she not care that she had an audience? Then again, given her attitude towards Qi Condensation cultivators, that might be the case.

“Yes?” Cultivator Davina asked.

“Can you tell me what happened to the Forest Tiger Sect?” Elliot asked.

Cultivator Davina gave him a blank stare, before disappointment filled her eyes.

“Why do you want to know?” she asked, a hint of suspicion in her voice.

Elliot wore a pained look on his face.

“My sister is a disciple of the Forest Tiger Sect.” he said. “Her name is Water Claw. She’s young and only a Qi Condensation cultivator, so I thought it would be better to leave her with a sect instead of bringing her with me on my travels.” He shook his head. “I haven’t heard from her in a while, so I decided to visit in order to see her. However, when I arrived, the entire Forest Tiger Sect was missing. I’ve heard whispers of people in the area disappearing, so I’m worried that something dire happened to her.”

Elliot grabbed one of Cultivator Davina’s hands.

“Please,” he said, his voice filled with worry, “If you can tell me something, anything, about what happened to her, I would forever be in your debt. She’s the only kin I have left. I’m the one who made her join the Forest Tiger Sect. If something happened to her because of that…” He sucked in a breath. “…I would never forgive myself.”

Cultivator Davina looked taken aback.

“I see.” She said. “Unfortunately, I don’t know what happened. As I said earlier, I was out on a mission. By the time I returned, everyone was already gone.” Her expression darkened. “However, I suspect that those two disciples from the Ancient Blood Sect have something to do with the Forest Tiger Sect’s disappearance.”

Elliot clenched his jaw.

“In that case, it seems that I have no choice.” He said. “I will hunt them down and force them to tell me what happened to my sister.”

The bloodthirstiness in his voice raised the hairs on the back of my neck. I wanted to applaud Elliot’s performance. He missed his calling in life. Instead of being my servant, he should have been an actor.

“I will help you, Cultivator Sand Fang.” Cultivator Davina said. “As an elder of the Forest Tiger Sect, it is my duty to rescue my comrades.” She paused. “Or avenge them if it’s too late.” She gestured to Elliot. “I also wish to see you reunited with your sister.”

Elliot smiled once more. It was so brilliant, that Cultivator Davina could only stare at him, stunned. I looked away, to avoid being affected as well.

“Thank you, Cultivator Davina.” Elliot said. “I’m glad to have met you. The heavens must be smiling upon me.”

Cultivator Davina snapped out of her daze.

“I should be the one saying that, Cultivator Sand Fang.” she said. “I have a feeling that this is the beginning of a long and fruitful relationship.”

After that, we cooked dinner and ate, before going to bed for the night. Throughout the entire meal, Cultivator Davina lavished Elliot with attention. She kept plying him with that wine of hers, and even loosened her robes a bit to reveal a tantalizing hint of flesh. Her goal couldn’t have been clearer. Elliot played along, while the rest of us did our best to ignore her blatant seduction. When it came time to sleep, Cultivator Davina even hinted at joining Elliot for the night. However, he declined, much to her disappointment.

However, I didn’t fall asleep when I laid down on my bedroll. Instead, I just pretended to. Given what I noticed from Cultivator Davina, it was clear that she was up to no good. I wasn’t the only one either. I discussed the matter with the others through telepathy, and they agreed with me. We wanted to be ready to act, just in case she tried something. Besides, as Foundation Establishment cultivators, we could afford to miss a night of sleep. In fact, we could miss several nights of sleep if necessary.

Our vigilance paid off. Several hours after everyone went to bed for the night, I noticed Cultivator Davina get up and sneak out through the cave entrance. She moved like a wraith, quiet and unnoticeable. If I hadn’t been observing her with my spirit sense, I wouldn’t have noticed a thing.

As I watched, Cultivator Davina dismantled the defensive arrays I set up, before walking out of the cave altogether. A few moments later, four figures flew into the range of my spirit sense. They were all in Foundation Establishment. I recognized two of them. They were the two demonic cultivators that Elliot and Cultivator Davina clashed with earlier.

The four figures flew towards Cultivator Davina and landed in front of her. In addition to the two men from earlier, there was also a woman and another man with them. They also wore red robes with the crest of the Ancient Blood Sect on the back.

Like Cultivator Davina, the other man was in early Foundation Establishment. He was big and burly. So much so, that his robes looked ready to burst. He looked like a physical refiner. The desire to fight him filled me.

The woman, on the other hand, was the complete opposite of him. She was small and petite, with an innocent looking face. If it hadn’t been for the aura of rotten blood surrounding her, I wouldn’t have suspected that she was a demonic cultivator. She was also in late Foundation Establishment, making her the strongest of the group.

“Senior Sister Blood Petal.” Cultivator Davina said, giving the other woman a martial salute.

“Is it done, Junior Sister Davina?” Cultivator Blood Petal said with a haughty expression on her face.

Cultivator Davina nodded.

“Yes,” she said. “Cultivator Sand Fang, the one in late Foundation Establishment, drank the wine with the ‘Dam The River’ Poison in it. He won’t be able to use any of his internal qi. The rest are all in Qi Condensation, so they won’t pose a threat to us.”

“Good.” One of the men snarled. It was the one who fought with Elliot. “Give him to me, Senior Sister Blood Petal. After what he did, I want to bleed him out myself.”

Cultivator Davina sneered at him.

“No.” She said. “I’m the one who poisoned him. He belongs to me.” She turned to Cultivator Blood Petal and gave her a pleading look. “Please, can I have him, Senior Sister. He’s too pretty to sacrifice. Give him to me as a pet. I promise to take care of him.”

Hearing her talk about Elliot in such a degrading fashion filled me with rage. How dare she? Elliot was my brother in all but blood. I would make her pay for this.

“You!” the man who fought Elliot said.

Cultivator Blood Petal raised her hand, silencing him before he could continue.

“Junior Sister Davina has a point, Junior Brother Crimson Skull,” she said, sounding amused. “She’s the one who infiltrated that little group of rogue cultivators and poisoned their leader. Don’t you think she deserves a reward for her efforts?”

The man who fought Elliot, Cultivator Crimson Skull, turned red with rage. However, he backed down in the face of someone with a higher cultivation base.

“Fine,” he spat out, “However, I want those sabers of his. After the pain I suffered because of him, it’s the least I deserve.”

Cultivator Blood Petal thought it over for a moment, before nodding.

“Very well,” she said. “However, we’ll divide the rest of the spoils equally, like we did with the others. Understood?”

The rest of the Ancient Blood Sect disciples nodded.

“Now then,” Cultivator Blood Petal said, wearing a sadistic smile on her face, “How should we handle this group of rogue cultivators?”

The burly man raised an eyebrow.

“Do we need to come up with a plan?” He asked. “The only threat was that man in late Foundation Establishment, and Sister Davine already took care of him. The rest are Qi Condensation trash. Let us just capture them and be done with it.”

Cultivator Blood Petal pouted.

“But that’s so boring, Junior Brother Beast Eater.” She said. “Why don’t we make it interesting and let them think they have a chance at escaping? We’ll give them a head start, before hunting them down and making them realize that they were doomed from the start. There is nothing sweeter than the despair that comes after all hope is lost.” She turned to Cultivator Crimson Skull. “We can make Cultivator Sand Fang watch, so he can drown in helplessness as we hunt his companions down.”

As she spoke, the other disciples from the Ancient Blood Sect wore demonic smiles on their faces. I wanted to laugh. Fools. I would show them what a real demon looked like.

‘Play along for now.’ Elliot said through telepathy. ‘Go in different directions when you run and make sure that they’re too far away to help one another. When they try to capture you, kill them. Remember, these are enemies of the sect. Not only that, but they captured and likely killed hundreds of innocent people. Show them no mercy.”

I clenched my fist. When we first set out on this mission, the thought of killing someone filled me with apprehension. However, after everything I witnessed, my apprehension disappeared.

It was time to turn the tables and hunt the hunters.