Chen Wentian let out a long breath and stared up at the icy ceiling. He didn't expect it to be demons again. He had just killed a rare faceless demon and he wondered what species could be causing so much trouble in the immortal city.
He understood why Ming He and Tang Xiang, two mortal cultivators, were given the task of hunting down an unknown, potentially dangerous, demon. The Eastern Sanmu Metropolis was too crowded. There were too many people around for the demon to blend in. It was almost impossible for a Spirit Lord, let alone a Spirit King, to move around unnoticed.
If an immortal arrived, any demon hanging around a place would sense a shift in the environment, in the demeanor of the humans around it. The demon would then go into hiding somewhere until the threat had passed.
In fact, Chen Wentian would not have been able to find that faceless demon if Su Xue and Su Yue had not been at the scene of the crime so quickly. Perhaps only someone like Chen Mo who specialized in stealth would be able to sneak up on a disguised demon.
The obvious question was whether or not these incidents were connected.
It was always possible but the chances were low. Evil demons were usually individual existences, especially those that could disguise themselves and hide amongst the human population. They were the rarest type of demon but the most fearsome simply because of their ability to cause tremendous destruction without being caught.
Still… just two instances of evil demons weren't that great of a coincidence, was it?
Chen Wentian checked every one of his souls once more, looking for any sign. He didn't want to find anything but his hopes were dashed. His worries were confirmed when he reread, in detail, the recent memories of Purple Jade Hercules Beetle which resided in the Purple Jade Sword.
The beast wasn't very intelligent and he usually didn't pay much attention. He just made sure Wu Qianyu was still fine and in good spirits. A close inspection of the beetle soul's memories revealed the incident at White Diamond Citadel at borders of the Eastern Wilderness and Cloudy Mountain Province.
He had to agree with Wu Qianyu's conclusion. It was most likely the work of some kind of demon, perhaps an evil type. With the end of the monster invasion, there was little chance the mercenaries of White Diamond Citadel fell to a casual attack from wild beasts or weak demon races like goblins. All the signs pointed to evil.
It was quite lucky that Wu Qianyu managed to catch wind of this. He had faith in her that she would be able to find out more. It would be a good training opportunity, what with the Convocation of Swords looming on the horizon…
"Mmm... Master…"
"What time is it?"
While he was still contemplating the demon question, Su Xue and Su Yue had awoken.
They emerged from under the covers. Their round faces blushed cutely upon realizing that they were still naked and where they were. With a flurry of activity, they dressed quickly, much to his disappointment.
"Master?"
He looked up to see that Su Xue and Su Yue were fully dressed.
"Hmm? What's up?" He asked.
"Should we be more worried about demons?" Su Xue asked.
Su Yue nodded eagerly in agreement.
He was surprised by their question. They didn't know what he knew so it was high preceptive of them.
"Tell me, why do you think so?"
"I dreamed about what the demon said, that ten more of its kind will appear after it died. What if that is true?" Su Xue said.
"Demons don't propagate out of nothing, not even evil demons. If they have collected enough spiritual energy from human victims, then it is possible." He said.
"Then, what if they do gather enough energy, from too many victims?" Su Xue asked in a hushed voice.
"I suppose, there could be a demon outbreak."
"A demon outbreak, what's that?" Su Yue asked.
Chen Wentian went into a teaching mode and explained that a demon outbreak was similar to a monster invasion. Instead of coming from the wilderness where beasts and demon races usually resided, a demon outbreak usually occurred in the middle of human territory and usually only involved demon spirits and evil demons. These two types were the best at hiding within human territory until they were strong enough to cause trouble.
The cause of a demon outbreak was similar to a monster invasion. The demons in the area had grown strong enough and brave enough to cast aside their disguises and attack in the open. They no longer cared about stealth, they cared about killing as many humans as possible to fuel their cultivation. Perhaps they were close to a breakthrough or they were simply bored of hiding. But unlike monster invasions, demon outbreaks were usually not coordinated affairs. Each type of demon rarely listened to another unless there was force controlling everything from the shadows…
"I see…" Su Xue looked at Su Yue. A silent message passed between them before Su Xue spoke again, "Master, our Glacier Palace has an odd folk tale, one that has supposedly persisted ever since the founding of the sect. I don't know if master has heard of it?"
"Oh? I have not."
"It is said that Glacier Palace disciples must always fight demon spirits and evil demons to the death when we see them." She said, "We must not let them exist and grow stronger even if it costs us our lives. This is not a hard and fast rule of the sect but something drilled into our heads from a young age. Our managing elder told us variations of this story constantly… that we would be made to hunt demons if we misbehaved, that our lack of progress would result in our deaths by demon hands, and that a horde of demons would overrun the sect and destroy it one day."
"Demon spirits and evil demons specifically? Not humanoid demons?" Chen Wentian asked.
"Sometimes just those two, sometimes all of them. People have different opinions about the true story and there are several variations. Some include an army of demons that act like lustful men, others have a fiery cataclysm."
"Hmm…"
He was reminded of a certain item, an old painting that had been hidden away in a dusty corner of the sect master's library. He retrieved it and let the twins study it, much to their astonishment.
The painting, which was as big as the bed, depicted the terrifying scene of what was unmistakably a demon outbreak. It was a large battle between human cultivators and flame demons. These fiery demon spirits were cleaving through the human ranks, burning people alive and setting the surrounding towns and forests aflame.
Although the human forces from the ground were obviously losing, the painting still contained hope. From the sky, behind the human forces, four female cultivators were descending from the heavens to their aid. The attacks they launched were a mix of white, blue, green, and black.
"Wow!" Su Yue exclaimed, "So the story was true!"
"Where did you find this?" Su Xue added.
Chen Wentian explained where he had found it but reminded them not to get too excited. It was still just an old painting. He had not been able to find any other clues or references to the paintings in the library anywhere. Even the text of Summer and Winter's Eternal Sutra made no references to any threat of demons. For all he knew, it was the product of some ancestor's idle imagination.
But this issue with demons was all too coincidental for him to sit still. He was naturally a cautious person that survived many situations through a bit of luck but a lot of preparation.
He decided that he would investigate thoroughly, at least in the provinces that he controlled.
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