It turned out that finding Zhou Shang was indeed quite easy. Bai Qingyue glided through the barren hills, dense forests, and run-down villages until he reached a more densely populated region.
The moment he ventured in among the humans, he was met with no end of curious glances and peculiar stares from the townspeople. Realizing quickly that he had to disguise himself, he snatched a large round hat with a veil and tied his hair up neatly in a bun to hide its unusual color as well as conceal his distinct facial features. As it were, being so tall, he still stood out. Luckily, he at least managed to pass for human.
His keen sense of smell led him to a tall building called The Blossoming Petals. As he walked in, strong artificial scents mixed with alcohol assaulted his sensitive nose. Had he not tracked the Demon Hunter's scent into the tavern, this chaos of smells might have been enough to throw him off the trail.
The lodge was crowded, filled to the brim with people. Men in varying stages of inebriation were cheering for the dancers on the main stage. There were dim yellow lights and heavy smoke from incense spread everywhere. Bai Qingyue's senses ached from this environment, but he gave away nothing in his facial expression.
Bai Qingyue maintained an aloof and uninterested facade as he strode into the crowd.
A woman in red rose to the stage and hushed the crowd. The men then settled down. Bai Qingyue hid lurking in the shadows, waiting. Almost immediately, he spotted Zhou Shang, who stood out rather prominently with his large fur cloak and rugged features.
Suddenly, he detected the familiar scent of iron mixed with something sweet lingering in the air. Fresh blood. Glancing towards the stage again, his gaze was captured by a girl whose wrist was being held up by the woman in red.
Blood trickled down the girl's arm and spotted the stage. Like the rest of the girls on the stage, the bleeding girl was clad in fine silk garments. But, something about her was different. Her luscious lips and beguiling eyes called to him. Her jet-black hair flowed and swayed around her like a black halo as she miserably tried to escape the older woman's grasp.
The men were bidding on her now. Her value apparently lessened because of the noticeable scars on her face. Watching the scene aggravated him. From his dark corner, Bai Qingyue's bright eyes darkened into molten amber, as the temperature around him plummeted to a murderous chill.
As luck would have it, his target was the one who made the final bid on the girl. Zhou Shang still sat there casually, completely unaware of his impending demise.
Soon the bidding came to an end and all the girls were dragged away. Those who bid highest quickly scattered to enjoy their purchases while the rest demanded more entertainment. Bai Qingyue followed Zhou Shang undetected. This might have been more difficult to accomplish had Zhou Shang not been tipsy, his mind clouded with alcohol.
As Bai Qingyue slipped upstairs, his keen hearing caught the words of a few whispering villagers.
"I ran away to the city as soon as I heard the news," one whispered harshly.
"Nearly all of the monastery… slaughtered, It was the work of a Weasel Demoness and a Fox Demon colluding together. The Weasel died, but the vile Fox escaped unharmed."
"There are hunters everywhere tonight looking for the Fox Demon. One of the priests that survived managed to draw up a portrait. Even the famous Virtuous Sword sect has sent disciples to apprehend the creature."
'Great. More trouble,' thought Bai Qingyue, clicking his tongue. It seemed he would have to go into hiding after this ordeal. He watched as Zhou Shang disappeared into one of the rooms. As silent as a tombstone's shadow, he slipped in after him.
The girl was inside, pleading for the man to let her go.
She screamed and shrieked, The salty scent of her tears struck him as he opened the door and caught the man on top of her with his trousers hung low around his ankles. Seizing the perfect opportunity, Bai Qingyue quickly grabbed one of the arrows scattered in the corner and shoved it straight into Zhou Shang's heart through his broad back.
Zhou Shang would have screamed with his last breath had Bai Qingyue not flexed his claws and slashed through his vocal cords like hot butter.
Unfortunately, the girl ended up screaming instead.
"Help! Help me please!" she wailed beneath the dying man.
Emerging from the shadows, Bai Qingyue revealed himself as he took off his hat and veil. "This is to express my gratitude for capturing me at my weakest moment and selling me to Taoist phonies," he said. His cold, pitiless farewell to Zhou Shang was given just as the life slowly drained from his body. Bai Qingyue pulled the arrow out with a spurt of blood and tossed the fresh corpse aside. Zhou Shang's lifeless body hit the corner of the room with a thud, crashing into his bow and arrows.
Wiping the blood off his hands, Bai Qingyue turned back to face the girl on the bed. Once again, he found himself strangely hypnotized by her. All bathed in blood and scantily covered in silk, the harsh color on her pale skin created a beautiful contrast to her painted red lips. It was all framed by a mass of raven black hair that spread out on the bed around her like the dark roots of an ancient tree. Her eyes were moist and shining with tears, black as starry midnight. She was truly a living work of art.
She gazed back at him, awe and gratitude beaming from her face. She viewed him as her savior, but the sight reminded him of what was about to occur. He couldn't help but sneer in disgust at the thought of what would have happened if he hadn't been there to stop it. Bai Qingyue was rather pleased to have reached the girl before she could be defiled.
As they stared at each other in silence, his ears picked up the noise of people passing by outside the door.
They heard the shrieks from the adjacent rooms and assumed it was the pain of a girl's virginity being taken. However, the footsteps were what alerted him. Someone was approaching fast, quietly and at a steady pace. He realized he was dealing with people better trained in martial arts than those he came across before. Still recuperating from his wounds, he preferred to lay low for the night instead of causing an all-out brawl that would end in mass death.
The girl stared at him dazedly. And just as she opened her mouth, he warned her, "Girl, be quiet or speak softly. I won't hesitate to wipe you out as well if you screech again." He noticed how quickly his words changed her attitude. Her cheeks flared a scarlet red as she requested privacy to dress. Her embarrassment was strangely endearing, and he found himself wishing to see more of it.
Then, realizing his own thoughts, he snorted aloud. 'What just came over me?' he wondered.
With his back turned, he assured the girl that he wouldn't be touching her. His voice was filled with disgust. Just thinking about that dead husk of a man placing his hands on her soured his mood and filled him with unexpected rage.
When she finished dressing, he heard her soft voice from behind him. It sounded gentle to his ears, almost sweet. "Thank you so much for saving me. I don't know what I would have done without you. May I please know your name?"
Bai Qingyue glanced back at her as she covered herself. Finding her here in this situation still upset him for reasons unknown to him. "And here I thought you were just doing your job… my name is not to be uttered by the likes of you." The fact of the matter was, he was hiding his identity. Why, though?
Would she consider him a monster like the rest of the human folk he had encountered here? Best to err on the side of caution.
"Ahem, I should thank you anyway. If you are leaving, can you please take me with you? I beg you, just help me get out of here. I would owe you a favor for life." She knelt down in front of him and kowtowed.
Bai Qingyue was transfixed by her as if struck by a spell. The more he saw of her, the more he liked. The more he heard, the more pleasant she became. Honestly, this strange feeling was already maddening the Fox God. He had never experienced anything like this before.
However, he showed none of these internal conflicts. Masking his thoughts, he smirked at the girl, acting unfazed. "What could you possibly offer me?" he responded, flexing his fingers. 'If you offer me yourself, I shall consider,' he thought secretly and was brought up short by this.
Seeing her expression turning sour, Bai Qingyue quickly hushed the girl before she had a chance to say anything. With a practised sigh, he quickly answered, "Do not bother. I will take you out of here. But we will have to spend the night in this room, with the stench of this corpse, without you making a sound. I have annoying pests hunting me down now, and I need a place to hide for the night."
It was a half-truth. He did indeed need to hide, but his instincts also told him not to let this girl leave his sight. She nodded enthusiastically to his demands. His cold eyes glowed in response. The more he gazed at her, the hotter the room felt. In fact, it was becoming so suffocating that he loosened his collar. Exhaling heavily, he couldn't help but mumble under his breath. "Why is it so hot in this tiny place?"
Confused, the girl shook her head. Her eyes wandered towards the stool on the side of the room where a burnt out candle leaked a steady string of smoke into the air. His eyes followed hers as his nostrils flared.
'Aphrodisiac,' he thought. It was going to be a long night indeed…