Upon hearing the sudden voice, both the senior brother and junior sister were startled.
Fortunately, Huo Chongxiao reacted quickly. As soon as he saw the black mist forced out by the incantation, he drew his sword and blocked it. Bai Siyao rushed forward and pulled Yue Yunqiao behind her just in time.
The black mist was swiftly shattered by the sword aura.
Yue Yunqiao, still shaken, instinctively clutched Bai Siyao's sleeve. "Wh-what was that?" she stammered.
"A Chang ghost," Huo Chongxiao replied, still feeling a trace of fear.
A Chang ghost is a vicious soul formed when a person's spirit becomes lost after being harmed by a demon. The term "being a Chang ghost's accomplice" comes from this phenomenon.
This Chang ghost was quite skilled and well-hidden. Had it not been forced to reveal itself, it might have possessed Yue Yunqiao without anyone noticing.
With only basic Qi refinement abilities, Yue Yunqiao had come along to broaden her horizons. If she had truly been possessed, it could have damaged her soul, and the consequences would have been unimaginable! Huo Chongxiao, thinking of this, gratefully glanced at the good-hearted person who had intervened. "Thank you for your assistance, miss... uh..."
To his surprise, it was such a young girl. Why was she wandering the streets at this late hour? Seeing his expression, Bai Siyao was relieved.
It seemed this boy truly didn't recognize her!
Snapping out of his thoughts, Huo Chongxiao apologized, "Forgive my rudeness. I am Huo Chongxiao, a disciple of Danxia Palace. May I ask your name, miss?"
"My surname is Bai. I am the second in my family."
"Are you from the Bai family?"
Receiving confirmation, Huo Chongxiao smiled. "Ah, so you're one of us."
The Bai family was a subordinate clan of Danxia Palace, under its protection and command. They could indeed be considered part of the same faction.
After exchanging names, Yue Yunqiao warmly took her hand. "Miss Bai, thank you so much for earlier! If it weren't for you, I would've been in big trouble!"
When Bai Siyao first joined Danxia Palace, she had gotten along well with Yue Yunqiao. Seeing her now brought back fond memories. She smiled and replied, "No need for thanks, Fairy Yue. I was just passing by."
"Oh, come now, we're all on the same side. No need to call me 'Fairy.' I'm a bit older than you, so why don't you just call me 'Senior Sister'?"
Since she was from the Bai family, Yue Yunqiao assumed Bai Siyao would eventually join Danxia Palace. It didn't hurt to call her Senior Sister in advance.
Feigning hesitation for a moment, Bai Siyao soon agreed.
Addressing each other more familiarly would certainly help build a rapport, right?
After their exchange, Huo Chongxiao, showing concern, asked, "Miss Bai, what are you doing out here alone at this hour? Are you in some kind of trouble?"
Looking at the familiar face of Huo Chongxiao, Bai Siyao couldn't help but feel nostalgic. Once upon a time, he had been so kind-hearted. But later, he became solely focused on the great cause of eradicating demons, neglecting everything else. She blamed the death of Yue Yunqiao for the immense blow it had dealt him.
Her eyes shifted as she put on a troubled expression. "I…"
Seeing her pitiful look, Yue Yunqiao immediately patted her chest. "If you need help, just say the word. We'll help you with whatever we can."
Bai Siyao lowered her head and whispered, "It's not a big deal... I just had a little argument with my elder brother at the academy today, and now I'm too scared to go back..."
"What kind of problem is that?" Yue Yunqiao, pampered from a young age, couldn't comprehend. "You're so well-behaved. It must've been your brother's fault. Even if someone gets punished, it'll be him, not you! What are you afraid of?"
Huo Chongxiao, however, detected something more and gently pulled Yue Yunqiao aside. "Junior Sister, every family is different. You can't generalize."
He then turned back to Bai Siyao. "Miss Bai, how about we accompany you back home? You've done us a great favor, so it's only right that we express our gratitude in person. Perhaps your family elders will reconsider punishing you when they see us."
"Really?" Bai Siyao's face lit up briefly, but she quickly tempered her excitement. "That might not be appropriate. You two still have important matters to attend to."
"It's fine, it won't take much time."
Bai Siyao shook her head, her tone considerate. "You just encountered a Chang ghost, so it's likely that a demon has already sensed you. If you delay because of me, it might jeopardize your mission."
Yue Yunqiao, now uncertain, looked to her senior brother for guidance.
After a moment's thought, Huo Chongxiao proposed, "If that's the case, how about you come with us, Miss Bai? If we're lucky and find a key clue, you'll be credited for your help, and your family elders won't hold your earlier offense against you."
"That's a great idea!" Yue Yunqiao clapped her hands. "You're so sensitive to demonic energy, spotting that Chang ghost so quickly. With your help, we'll be much more efficient!"
Bai Siyao smiled. "Really? I won't slow you down?"
"My senior brother is with us—what's there to be afraid of?" Yue Yunqiao encouraged. "If you make a contribution, we'll report it. When you take the entry exam for Danxia Palace, you'll be given priority. How wonderful is that! Right, Senior Brother?"
Huo Chongxiao nodded. This mission was of a low difficulty level, and since Bai Siyao seemed capable, adding her to the team along with Yue Yunqiao didn't seem like an issue.
Bai Siyao gratefully clasped Yue Yunqiao's hand. "Thank you both so much. I'll do my best to help."
She was inwardly delighted. After seeing Huo Chongxiao's stern, battle-hardened demeanor for so long, it was almost refreshing how easily he could be deceived.
The three returned to their task.
Huo Chongxiao collected the remaining demonic energy on a talisman, destroyed the summoning array on the ground, and sighed. "Da Ya has already been killed. Poor girl, her mother must be devastated."
"When did demons start appearing in Qingyun City?" Bai Siyao asked.
"We received a report from a demon hunter last month," Yue Yunqiao replied. "They found evidence of five or six cases, the earliest dating back to three months ago. Given how large Qingyun City is, a few missing people didn't stand out much."
"And these demons are very good at concealing themselves. We couldn't detect any lingering demonic energy around, and if not for the reaction from the compass, we might have been fooled," Huo Chongxiao added, his expression troubled. "We've found traces of demonic energy, but there's so little of it, I'm not sure if it'll be enough to track."
"Let's try it anyway," Yue Yunqiao said. "Senior Brother, I'll stand guard for you."
Huo Chongxiao nodded, taking out an ancient-looking stone lamp and reciting an incantation.
This was Danxia Palace's tracking technique. Bai Siyao understood his concern—given his current level of cultivation, that tiny bit of demonic energy probably wouldn't suffice.
Just as he was about to burn the talisman, she suddenly spoke up. "Young Master Huo, let me hold the lamp for you. If I add my spiritual power, the effect might be stronger."
Huo Chongxiao considered her suggestion and found it reasonable. He handed her the stone lamp.
Bai Siyao held the lamp, discreetly forming a hand seal before injecting her spiritual power into it.
When the talisman tainted with demonic energy neared the lamp, it erupted into flames with a loud "whoosh," releasing a trail of black smoke that pointed in a specific direction.
Huo Chongxiao's eyes lit up. "It worked!"
Feigning excitement, Bai Siyao handed the lamp back to him. "Great! Shall we chase after it?"
Huo Chongxiao identified the direction and took the lead. "Let's go!"
Following behind, Bai Siyao allowed herself a soft smile. After all, she had been cursed as a demon for over a thousand years—such little tricks were child's play for her. Unfortunately, her cultivation had been suppressed heavily, and she had no idea how to restore it.