So, I lied. The first chapter is waaaaay long, so instead of posting in chapters, I’ll do weekly updates. Not that it matters, I know. Whatever! If any of you are actually reading, thank you. ❤

CHAPTER ONE: DEMON HUNTING BUREAU

“Wen Xiao… Wen Xiao…”

Through her muddled consciousness, someone softly called her name by her ear. Seawater, black reef rocks, blood stains, white clothes… Broken memories flashed through her mind one by one, visions of that space between heaven and earth separating, twisting, distorting until Wen Xiao saw a great demon in a mask crouched down, calmly gazing at her.

The noisy wind stopped blowing, the waves quieted, and the Wilderness fell silent as if had frozen. Great Demon lifted a slender finger to grip the bottom of his mask, leaving a bloodstain. He slowly lifted his mask… pale skin, lips red like blood. He gradually curled the corner of his mouth revealing white teeth in a demonic smile.

Suddenly, a rolling thunderclap burst by Wen Xiao’s ear…

She woke with a start sitting at her writing desk. Outside the library, rain howled and pounded, thunder rolling continuously. Cool breezes blew in from all sides, ruffling book pages.

She’d dreamt again about that Great Demon who didn’t keep his promises.

A stout library official hurriedly set down a book, raced over to find an inkstone, then used it to press down fluttering pages. Turning his head, he only then noticed Wen Xiao sitting there blankly, her eyes unfocused, with blood flowing from her nose. He jumped, startled, and hurriedly gestured at her nose. “Aiya, Wen… Official Wen, why again…?”

Wen Xiao was used to this. She wiped the blood from her nose with a silk handkerchief and stood to quickly run out of the room. “I have to go!”

“Use the rear door! Don’t let them discover you snuck out again! Ai…” the library official called after her.

“I understand, I understand, don’t worry…” Wen Xiao said as she walked further away.

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This rain in Tiandu was truly fierce. Wen Xiao held a bamboo umbrella. She’d already shed the inexperienced young girl she’d been. She was now a woman with glossy skin and eyes like water and almond, lovely but not flirtatious, black hair worn in a bun without complicated adornments, save for a writing brush stuck in her hair serving as a hairpin.

Sunset and sunrise, sunrise and sunset, in the blink of an eye Wen Xiao had already passed her eighth year at the Demon Hunting Bureau. Before she’d come here, the Demon Hunting Bureau had gone through a significant event.

Eight years earlier, with the death of the Baize Goddess and the Baize power still lost, many demons took advantage of the turmoil to steal away from the Wilderness—among them, the most notorious and vicious demon, Zhu Yan. He massacred the Demon Hunting Bureau. Overnight, the bureau filled with mountains of bodies amid the rivers of blood. Not even a half month of heavy rain could disperse the heavy smell of death.

Inside that mountain of the dead was the Commander of Demon Hunting Bureau, the older brother of one Zhuo Yichen. From then on, the Bureau declined with each passing day. Chongwu Camp seized all the duties that had once belonged to the Demon Hunting Bureau.

This year, the Bureau’s soldiers were in even shorter supply, the rear door all but unguarded.

Wen Xiao left through that door. Her walk unhurried, she veered toward a narrow alley. All around was quiet, very few pedestrians about. On either side, rain battered the upturned eaves, pouring in ribbons along the green-tiled wooden walls. The green vines and moss were exceptionally vibrant.

Rapid winds hitting her face, Wen Xiao caught a scent, a moist fragrance of grass and trees, and… the delicious aroma of noodles.

Steam rose from the soup pot. The noodle vendor let out a sigh as he gathered his drenched wooden tables and chairs, muttering that if it rained again, he’d have no way to do business. The oilcloth canopy covered only one table easily. Plaited bamboo hat on her head and gauze veil over her face, a girl in pink clothes sat there happily drinking tea.

Following the scent of noodles, Wen Xiao stepped beneath the canopy, closing her umbrella.

“One bowl of plain noodles, thank you.” Wen Xiao casually sat down opposite the girl in pink.

The shopkeeper eagerly echoed her order. With his worries about having no business soothed, he set to work happily boiling noodles.

In the blink of an eye, a bowl of steaming noodles was set down in front of Wen Xiao. Clear broth with drops of oil floating on the surface, topped with sliced greens and a scatter of scallions.

Black-veiled eyes calmly observed Wen Xiao’s every movement. Wen Xiao minded her own business and lifted a small bottle from the tabletop. On the bottle, a narrow bamboo label marked it “Sugar.” Wen Xiao looked at the label, expression vexed, and lifted her head: “May I trouble you, little sister? I don’t know this character. Could you tell me if this is salt or sugar?”

The girl in pink leaned forward, examined the character, gave a little laugh, then answered, “Salt.”

“Thank you, little sister.” Wen Xiao lifted the bottle and poured some into her noodles.

The black veil lifted in a puff of wind, revealing a glimpse of the girl’s charming, adorable face. Only 15 or 16 years old, she had round cheeks, large eyes shifting, corners of her mouth betraying a cunning smile.

Wen Xiao watched the girl. With a smile, she asked, “Little sister, you are so pretty. Why are you wearing a hat and a veil?”

“The sun is so bright. I’m afraid I’ll get sunburnt and no amount of pearl powder would be enough to make my cheeks white.”

Wen Xiao looked to the downpour beyond the rain canopy. “That makes sense. Little sister, could you hand me a pair of chopsticks?”

From the thick bamboo tube, the pink-clad girl extracted three chopsticks and handed them to Wen Xiao.

Just as she handed them over, in the blink of an eye, Wen Xiao seized her wrist. The chopsticks clattered to the tabletop. The girl’s pupils shrank. Her free hand slapped the table and the fallen chopsticks shot into the air, flying straight for Wen Xiao’s face. When Wen Xiao dodged, the girl in pink turned to run.

Wen Xiao’s ice-cold fingers nimbly coiled like a snake and firmly tugged her to a stop. Frowning, the girl in pink turned, grabbed a tea cup from the table, then the teapot, and threw them one after another.

In a great rush, the bamboo hat fell and from within the girl’s thick coils of hair emerged two, long downy ears. Her lantern-red eyes filled with fear. Wen Xiao dexterously crossed the table. Before the girl could escape the awning, Wen Xiao again grabbed her wrist. This time the girl’s tears of pain fell quickly, and she glowered resentfully at Wen Xiao.

Wen Xiao still gave an indifferent laugh. “Sure enough, the prettier the child, the more deceitful they are.”

“You deceived me first. You have a writing brush in your hair, but you said you were illiterate. You’re worse than I am.” The girl’s cheeks puffed indignantly.

Wen Xiao wasn’t annoyed, but she gentled her grasp on her wrist. Then, she flicked her other hand in an elegant arc and sprayed powder at the girl in pink.

“You…what is this?” The girl had a bad feeling.

“An essential knockout drug—Huanling powder. Never fails. It cures the disease of telling lies.” At that, Wen Xiao released her with a sweet smile, voice kind and honest, not forceful, eyes black in the settling twilight.

She bent over to tie up the pink-clad girl, just in case she tried to run as they traveled to the Demon Hunting Bureau. Then, she put some money on the tabletop, wishing good luck to the shopkeeper who had passed out from fear. Feeling guilty, she added a few more coins.