When Xu Zhijian becomes a full-fledged demon hunter, he is given a talisman to summon his familiar. However, he ends up calling forth the sleeping 'Demoness' and finds himself bound to her without a choice.
Days go by and he begins to discover that...
It was a hustle to keep moving, but it was necessary. Staying at the same place was giving the enemy a chance to catch up to them, and Zhijian wasn't going to let Xiaoyu be captured and treated like their slave.
After moving from town to town for a few days, it dawned on him that there was another problem.
Money.
After spending nights at a few inns, the allowance that his adoptive father had given him was running out. It was supposed to last him for two weeks at most, considering that the training event at the Jiang clan should have ended yesterday and he was expected to be home by now. But the events that followed stopped him from turning a blind eye; he had to help Xiaoyu and get her away from the treacherous Jiang clan.
And speaking of which, what happened to Dukai, Suyan and the rest who were caught in her enchantment? Since she was wide awake now, did they snap out of her control? Did they realise he was missing? Had they finally caught on to the Jiang clan's evil intentions?
Unfortunately, his questions would remain unanswered. They were so far away from the Jiang clan that it felt like they were detached from the rest of the world. Even if he were to go back to the Xu clan for help, there was no doubt that the Jiang clan would be waiting for him there.
After all, Jiang Yifeng must be livid. Especially when his handsome, conceited face was ruined.
Stopping at a riverbank, the pair decided to take a break and let their horse sip some water. As Zhijian readjusted his wrist wraps, he snuck a glance at Xiaoyu, noting how she stared blankly ahead.
For once, he was able to see how their arduous journey had taken a toll on her delicate body. She had lost a bit of weight, her jaw becoming more defined and her cheeks a little sunken. There were shadows underneath her eyes that reminded him of her restless nights, where he would always wake up in the middle of the night to her whimpers. Even though the puppet curse was at its weakest, the nightmares continued to plague her sleep.
He knew that the plan of just running away wasn't getting them anywhere. Sooner or later, he would have to find a way to settle down somewhere safe. A place where they didn't have to live in constant fear and worry about the Jiang clan surrounding them when they looked away for a brief second.
Running a hand through his hair, he involuntarily breathed out in silent frustration. As much as possible, he tried to mask his concerns from showing on his face.
But this time, Xiaoyu caught on to it.
She turned around, her hand reaching out for his arm, giving him a light squeeze followed by a painful, apologetic look.
"I'm sorry."
His head snapped up and he eyed her with a confused frown. "Why? What for?"
"Your brother," she answered. "He's waiting for you at home."
The longing to see his little brother was always there but he had tucked it away temporarily. And right now, hearing her words resurfaced that feeling and a wave of guilt swept through him immediately.
"It's alright," he assured her, but for some reason, it sounded like he was trying to convince himself instead. "Nothing bad will happen to him. He has my father and Jinlong to protect him on my behalf. We will see him soon."
Unfortunately, he didn't know how long it was going to take.
She returned a weak smile. Almost unconsciously, her hand started feeling for the bracelet clasped around her wrist – a habit that he noticed she had picked up recently – to make sure that it was always there. She needed to constantly reassure herself that her telekinesis power was sealed away. That if she got caught someday, the others would be safe from her.
But Zhijian was never going to let that happen to her.
"Hey." He grabbed her wrist, hoping to calm her nerves. "I won't let them get to you. I promise."
She pressed her lips together before letting out a sigh. "I know. I trust you, but I can't help feeling scared. There are only two of us against them and I can't stop fearing for the worst. I feel bad enough that I've implicated you in my complicated matters."
He shook his head at her choice of words, clearly in disagreement. "You're not forcing me into this. I'm coming along with you because I want to."
A ghost of a smile flitted across her sad features. "I'm the worst lover that one could possibly have, aren't I?" she murmured.
To her surprise, he leaned towards her and flicked her nose playfully. "If I cannot accept you at your worst," he said, "Then perhaps I don't deserve you at all."
A rosy blush dusted across her cheeks. She turned away from him, burying her heated face in her knees.
"You're doing it again."
He concealed his smile with a confused frown. "Hm? What did I do?"
"Embarrassing me," she mumbled. "It seems to be your new pastime lately."
She was right. In the past, Zhijian had always remained indifferent to bashful girls, but Xiaoyu was different. Seeing her in her embarrassed state would always stir something in him and he would be more encouraged than ever to tease her again.
"I can't help it. Your reactions are entertaining."
Her hand dived into the water immediately and something splashed on the left side of his face. He blinked once, realising what Xiaoyu had done to him. As he watched her in disbelief, he noted how the tip of her ears were red but there was a playful grin tugging at the corners of her lips.
"You..." He growled lightly, feeling the beads of water dripping off his cheek. "You're not getting away with this."
For the first time ever, her face split into the biggest smile he had ever seen and it was one that reached her eyes. Breaking out in laughter, she hopped to her feet and darted away from him. He stood up and chased after her as they ran along the edge of the river.
"Get back here!"
"No!"
He was right on her heels. If he wanted, he could outrun her easily, but where was the fun in that?
"Come here! If I get my hands on you, I'll make sure that you–"
A warning sounded in his head out of nowhere and his senses heightened. Shortly afterwards, something flew out from the trees behind them.
Zhijian swerved to his right, narrowly missing the arrow as it struck at the ground a few feet away from him. He glanced in the direction where it had come from and finally noticed a couple of armed men hiding in the shadows. They were poised for the next shot, their bows held high and pointed in their way.
The mahogany uniforms that they were wearing sparked familiarity. With much trepidation, Zhijian realised that it was the Jiang clan.
And they were here for them.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
