Dance of the blades

Chapter 9 New Friends?

The sound of yelling caught the attention of Lan Sizhui, slicing another one of the smiling demon's arms, Lan Sizhui turned part of his attention towards the two new mysterious participants. One of the boys, the one that yelled wore a white forehead ribbon decorated in clouds, his attire was entirely in white with stripes of blue mixed into it. The other boy wore a yellowish and pale brown attire, his demeanor was rather refined and subtle compared to the loud boy, he sighed intently as the boy beside him yelled with enthusiasm at the sight of the smiling demon.

Lan Sizhui subconsciously winced at the volume of the forehead ribbon boy's screaming. It was the second loudest thing Lan Sizhui had ever heard!

"Took you two long enough! I thought I had to wait for you both until sunrise!" the golden robed boy irritatedly scream at his friend while he dodge another one of the smiling demon's attacks.

"We would have made it faster if only Jingyi didn't get us lost while trying to catch a demon" the yellowish robed boy said as his friend Jingyi glared at his friends betrayal.

"Well Zizhen unlike you, I would rather at least kill one demon than idly run around the forest and hoping to survive without even fighting!" Jingyi barked back at his friend Zizhen.

"Oi you idiots can't you two see this isn't the best time to fight so quit yapping and help me!" the golden robed boy screamed in frustration as he slice through another one of the demon's arms.

At the golden robed boy's comment, Jingyi rushed into the battle with his sword drawn, leaving his companion who was still standing near the clearing of trees. Zizhen seemed to be in deep thought as he observed the smiling demon regenerating her arm when Lan Sizhui sliced it.

"Hey guys isn't the demon regenerating a bit too fast for a demon that has only eaten one to two humans?" at Zizhen's statement, Lan Sizhui couldn't help but notice the oddly fast regenerative ability and strength of the smiling demon. The other demons Lan Sizhui had encountered before this were generally slower and weaker due to their excessive hunger. How had he not notice this before?

"Oh my what an observant one we have here~" the smiling demon seemed even more excited as her attacks became faster.

"You're right I have already eaten thirteen of little demon slayers like you during my stay here~"  the demon burst into a fit of laughter at her own words, leaving the four boys shock.

'Thirteen!? To think a demon could survive this long to have eaten so many people!' Lan Sizhui paused his thoughts as the demon continued her attacks, aiming to grab one of the boys. It wasn't long after the demon's proclamation that Zizhen joined the other boys in their fight. But with four people fighting all at once, their uncoordinated attacks started to hinder each other. 

Jingyi dodged to his right to avoid the demon's hands, but the golden robed boy moved in the same direction and crashed into him, causing both boys to fall. Seeing the two boys vulnerable the demon moved two of her arms to crush the two boys, only to be stopped by Lan Sizhui's sword.

"What the hell did you slam into me Jin Ling!" Jinyi complained as rubbed his injured backside.

"Well who told you to get in the way!" the golden robed boy, Jin Ling said in retaliation.

The two boys who were too immersed in their verbal fight, had soon forgotten about the demon they were suppose to subdue. The scene reminded Lan Sizhui of the story about a peacock and a goose fighting over a worm, while a hunter was still in front of them ready to have them dinner as his dinner. Internally Lan Sizhui couldn't help but compare Jin Ling as the peacock and Jingyi as the goose.

"That's enough you two! At this rate we will all die if you guys keep fighting!" Zizhen shouted while rushing to separate the two boys. Just as he laid his attention on his friends, the demon took this opportunity and attacked Zizhen, were it not for the boy's sharp reflexes to dodge the incoming blow, he would have had something more serious than a simple wound on his shoulder from the demon's sharp nails.

Seeing their friend injured, Jin Ling rushed to shield Zizhen from the demon while Jingyi tended to his wound. Realizing the the three boys were in an vulnerable position, Lan Sizhui which tactics and taunted the demon to lure her into the surrounding forest, hoping to use the trees as cover from her attacks to buy time. But the smiling demon soon started to destroy the surrounding trees to get to the boy, forcing him to turn his direction back to the clearing as the debris were flung dangerously close to Lan Sizhui.

Just as one of the demon's hands had reach out to flatten Lan Sizhui, multiple arrows were shot into the demon's eyes, temporary blinding her. As the demon whined and struggled with her vision, Jingyi jumped up behind her and aim his sword at her neck. Just before Jingyi's blade had touched her neck, his body was flung away by the demon's hands. Within any delay, Lan Sizhui sliced the hand that was ready to attack Jingyi and swung his sword at the demon's head.

The demon's fallen head remained silent as she watched her body slowing disintegrating. The wide smile on her face faded as she looked up at Lan Sizhui. When she saw how the boy's eyes were filled with slight pity, she knew that she had lost.

"Hey idiot are you still alive?" Jin Ling stated as he checked his friend for injuries.

"Yeah I'm fine if that guy hadn't killed the demon I probably would have been squashed!" Jingyi exclaimed as he supported himself up.

After killing the demon, Lan Sizhui approached  the the three to thank them for their aid and introduced himself.

"Thank you for aiding me in my battle. My name Lan Sizhui and may I ask for yours?"

"Birth name, Jin Ling. Courtesy name Rulan." the golden robed boy said with a shrug.

"I'm Ouyang Zizhen but you can just call me Zizhen" Ouyang Zizhen said with a small smile hanging on his face.

"And I'm Lan Jingyi. Funny how we have similar sir names!" Lan Jingyi stated while waving his hands at Lan Sizhui.

"Sizhui your fighting style is so unique! Which clan are you from?" Ouyang  Zizhen asked Lan Sizhui with stary eyes.

"Clan? I don't have one." Lan Sizhui answered confused.

"Huh you don't have a clan? Then how do you already have a custom made sword?" Ouyang Zizhen stated as he stared at the delicately craved sword in its sheath. He couldn't help but feel that he had seen something similarly craved to this.

"This sword was a precious gift from someone I know" as Lan Sizhui answered Ouyang Zizhen's query he noticed the rise of the morning sun.

"I think we should be going now the sun is already starting to rise. I hope we can continue our talk later Zizhen" and with that Lan Sizhui walked away from the boys.