Xie Ra walked toward the charms cupboard.
The things in the cupboard weren't replaced much compared to the last time. Charms, scrolls, seals, and... Suddenly he saw something familiar on the rack a few feet away from him.
It was that emblem which caught his attention so many days ago. Its big, multi-colored gem sparkled, creating an alluring glow around it. The bronze plate that was attached with the gem enhanced the beauty of the emblem. Xie Ra felt the same pull towards it, which he experienced a few weeks ago.
In his past life, Xie Ra never picked up things that gave off queer vibes like this. He was always cautious as a cultivator. It was an essential part of their survival. However, today he couldn't fight off his urge to grab the emblem. His mind seemed to be detached from rational thinking.
If someone was watching, they might see Xie Ra dreamily walking towards something that was displayed in the cupboard. They would notice the strange look on the youth's face instantly. But, to Xie Ra's fortune or misfortune, nobody stopped him.
Xie Ra took the emblem to his hand. The gem started to glow eerily. Before many minutes passed, it started to emit a bright purple-blue radiance that covered its holder's vicinity.
Abruptly, someone grabbed the emblem from his hand and put it on the cupboard. Then he was grabbed by the stranger somewhere before he regained his composure.
He got a minute to register that it was Tang Zihao who dragged him from the shop to a lonely alleyway. Before he opened his mouth a sharp noise echoed through the alleyway.
Slap.
Xie Ra didn't expect that hit at all. It was powerful enough for the qi-realm cultivator to almost lose his balance. His cheek started to ache painfully. Xie Ra Didn't understand why he deserved that slap.
"Fool, You are a demon. Why didn't you tell me before." He hit Xie Ra again. "Do you know how risky the thing you just did was? It's a good thing that I saw it first. If someone else saw it, you'll end up being the killer. How can you be this dumb?" Tang Zihao shook his head.
Poor Xie Ra was dumbfounded. What happened? Why was he angry? He scratched his head and tried to remember what happened.
He was observing the stuff in a cupboard. Then he suddenly saw an emblem which looked nice. Then he tried to grab it. Then, all he remembered was a bright blue light. Did he manage to grab it by his hands? Why in the first place did he want to hold it? Xie Ra's memory was a bit fuzzy at the moment.
However, it still didn't help him to understand why he deserved that slap.
"Eh, Tang Zihao, What happened? Why did you slap me?" Poor Xie Ra asked confusedly. The fire demon exhaled a long sigh.
"Seems like you don't know about the soul emblem either. I don't know what your sect taught you. But, at least be cautious when you touch something that you don't know. Especially the things that have magical properties." He said.
Xie Ra gave his full attention to Tang Zihao who continued his talking.
"The thing you just touched is called a soul emblem. It is used to recognize demons and demonic energy-related things. I mean not the demonic cultivators. But the real demons like us.
When it is touched by a demon it glows according to the demon's heritage. Like, if I touch it, it'll glow in the colors of the flame. If an Ice demon touched it, it'll glow in the shades of snow. However," He directly looked Xie Ra in the eyes. "The glow it gave was something I only saw once before." He frowned.
Then, he fired his next question to Xie Ra.
"You are an Abyssal demon, aren't you?" Xie Ra gulped. Then he answered in a low voice.
"To be exact half abyssal. But, I don't know anything about my parents."Tang Zihao gave him a skeptical look. He touched his chin before starting to talk thoughtfully.
"But, the radiance occurring was too powerful for a hybrid. And, now I can see how much you look like an abyssal demon. Your white hair, blue eyes, everything screamed about it."
Xie Ra gulped again. Does he have to tell Tang Zihao about his resurrection? No way. But, what if Tang Zihao mistakes him as a killer? Being a demon automatically makes you untrustworthy. Even among demonic tribes, these suspicions were constant. But, to his relief, the fire demon started to talk again.
"However, your scent is very weak for an original abyssal. I trust you for now. Please, don't prove to me that I'm wrong or I won't go easy on you. A few days ago my friend was killed by this bloodthirsty monster. So, I won't forgive him whoever he was." The hate emitted from his demeanor.
Xie Ra nodded. He didn't try to point out the fact he wasn't here when the first kills happened. Xie Ra knew from the experience that if someone wanted to suspect you, they would create new theories to make you the culprit.
Wasn't it what happened in his past life?
Everything ended in a good way for Xie Ra's relief. That was the reason he returned to the Phoenix sect after some time. He took a bath, changed his clothes, and laid on his bed to reflect what happened that day. It was a crazy day. The scary thing was it almost blew up his cover as a resurrected cultivator. This Tang Zihao guy wasn't someone you could easily make a fool of.
Then, something occurred in his mind. The Abyssals are an ancient sea demon race who hate to be involved with human beings. Rumors say that they live in the depths of the oceans in the southern seas. No one knew for sure as humans avoided the southern kingdom as a pledge. It's understandable. Who wants to get involved with ancient beasts who want to have them as a snack?
But, the thing that wasn't understandable for Xie Ra was the way Tang Zihao talked about the Abyssals. He sounded like he knew them personally. There wasn't any wavering between something he heard or read. He even mentioned the smell. Did he know anything about how to find the Abyssal lair? Xie Ra's eyes shone with excitement.
If he knows, then Xie Ra could find information about his father. That means there was a possibility of reuniting with his family.
Xie Ra never felt this much happiness for a long time.