27 Demonic Aura
◎No matter how loudly you scream, no one will come to save you.◎
Upon hearing the words "Dengxian Mountain," the Illusionary Demon knew something was wrong and darted into the forest. It was late, the light was dim, and this was a dense, wild area; if it moved fast enough, it could...
"Clang—" The sound of a sharp blade slicing through the air whistled in, its chilling glint disappearing into the night. The wind grew closer and closer, almost whispering in his ears. Huan Yao had no time to dodge, and one of his arms was severed by Zui Lan, causing him to let out a painful howl.
The longsword flew back into his hand. Du Zhijin stepped on a pile of fallen leaves, pressed the tip of the sword against its neck, and spoke in an icy voice, listing its crimes one by one: "Ten days ago, the Chen family woman disappeared without a trace and her whereabouts are still unknown; seven days ago, a mother and child were found dead in the wilderness, their bodies separated from their heads; five days ago, the Li family son was passing through this place and died in the jaws of wolves... Did you do all of these things?"
The teahouse wasn't just filled with anecdotes and stories; it also had mysterious legends circulating in the streets and alleys. With a little inquiry, one could easily find out the whole story. When Du Zhijin first heard "turning back three times to extinguish the soul fire," she thought some new monster had appeared. But when she actually saw it, she realized it was just a trick by an illusionary demon.
They deliberately create a false sense of security, making people believe that they can save their lives as long as they don't turn back. This kind of monster that knows how to manipulate people's hearts is more terrifying than ordinary monsters. It must be eradicated completely to prevent future troubles.
Thinking of this, she lowered her gaze to the black mist continuously billowing out from the severed arm of the demon, and pondered.
The intense malevolent aura indicates the severity of the karmic consequences of killing.
"Immortal Master, you must have misunderstood... This is the first time I've ever harmed anyone before!" Huan Yao pleaded bitterly, her voice becoming melodious and gentle, tinged with a sincere sob. Even her appearance seemed to have changed from a ferocious one to one tender and gentle.
Upon closer inspection, the eyebrows and eyes bear a striking resemblance to Ying Jianhua's.
"...I see. You can not only imitate voices, but also change your face? That's different from other illusion demons."
Seeing that he had failed to bewitch her, the demon's eyes flashed with ferocity. He roared and unleashed all his demonic power to attack her, stirring up a gust of wind in the quiet forest.
Du Zhijin acted swiftly, his sword energy flashing like a streak of light, his sword aura shattering mountains and rocks, forcing back the demonic power layer by layer.
The leaves rustled, unable to quiet down for a long time. The phantom demon, backfired by its demonic power, nearly lost its human form; its eyes flashed with a scarlet light, and its lower abdomen was almost transparent.
Du Zhijin asked again, "Did you do those things?"
This time it didn't deny it, and sneered, "So what if I did it? It's the law of the jungle. Just like you cultivators can kill demons, demons are born to kill!"
Du Zhijin shook his head, not wanting to say anything more to it, and ended it with a single sword strike.
The black mist dispersed through the forest and soon vanished completely. She stood there for a while, her brows furrowing slightly.
No, that's not right. That gust of wind just now carried its clone away.
————
The lights in the painting studio were still on.
Perhaps it was because he hadn't slept in a real bed for many days, or perhaps it was because there was no one beside him, but he didn't sleep peacefully.
There was an oil lamp in the inn, so he simply put on his clothes, got up, and started reading the book he had given to Du Zhijin.
The shadows on the wall were hazy. He stroked the yellowed papers, turning them page by page.
There are traces of new additions on the first few pages, but only a few pages, and then none at all.
Ying Jianhua could almost guess how Du Zhijin had picked up the book with great enthusiasm, read a few pages, and then silently put it down, leaving it untouched ever since.
A slight smile played on his lips, unnoticed even by himself. He read quietly for a while, when suddenly the sound of the night watchman came from outside the window, and he realized that it was already late at night.
However, Du Zhijin has not yet returned.
Ying Jianhua put down her book and walked to the window. Looking down, she saw only darkness. She then turned her gaze to the wooden door that had never been knocked on.
They booked two rooms right next to each other, so they could hear the slightest sound. Therefore, if Du Zhijin had already returned, he couldn't possibly be unaware.
But what if she knocked on the door and he didn't hear her?
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
"...Amo, I'm back."
A few steps away, the sounds outside the door were barely audible, and Ying Jianhua almost instinctively walked over. But just as he was about to remove the latch, a sentence Du Zhijin had said suddenly flashed through his mind.
Yokai can mimic the voices of those close to them.
A chill ran up the back of his neck. He calmed down, stepped back to the table, and picked up the Awakening Moon.
The heavy sword stood silently, yet it brought a sense of security, much like its owner. Ying Jianhua returned to the door and tentatively asked, "Was tonight alright?"
According to Du Zhijin's description, the demon she was going to catch tonight was not some powerful demon with boundless magic. He also had Xingyue in his possession, so as long as he didn't open the door, nothing would happen.
But if he is not difficult to deal with, why is Du Zhijin not returning for so long?
The voice outside quickly replied, "Have you forgotten that I come from Dengxian Mountain? A mere illusionary demon is nothing to me."
After hearing this, he was conflicted.
Her tone and content were normal. Could it really be her?
He looked down at the sword in his arms, hoping for some response. However, Xingyue remained silent, quietly hidden in its sheath.
As he was deep in thought, the voice outside the door sounded again: "Amo, are you asleep? If you are, I won't disturb you. Get some rest."
After he finished speaking, he heard footsteps approaching and then stopped next door.
The viewer felt a sense of relief upon seeing the painting.
If it were a monster, it wouldn't have given up so quickly and said "get some rest"... Judging from her voice, she must be very tired.
With a soft click, the door opened.
He looked at the figure in the darkness opposite him: "Why are you back so late?"
Du Zhijin did not answer.
He frowned, took a few steps over, and said with a hint of annoyance, "What are you doing—"
【Ahhh, Amo, don't go out! Zhouzhou isn't outside!】
He was stunned.
Not Du Zhijin? If it's not Du Zhijin, then it's—
The answer was obvious; Ying Jianhua's reaction was already quite fast, but clearly the other party was even faster. A thick, inky shadow flashed before him, instantly enveloping his vision. He tried to draw his sword, but upon reaching out, he discovered that he had no sword in his hand at all.
[This phantom demon is disgusting; not only can it mimic human voices, but it can also alter people's perceptions.]
Ying Jianhua instantly understood.
So, Xingyue wasn't unresponsive just now; rather, his mind was bewitched by the demon.
This seems different from what Du Zhijin said. Could it be that she also failed here?
Before she could ponder why the strange sound had reappeared after so many days, Ying Jianhua, quick-witted, shouted in front of her, "Du Zhijin!"
The phantom demon's movements indeed paused. Taking this opportunity, he took out powder from his sleeve and sprinkled it, while holding his breath.
This powder is a poison he concocted that can numb the mind and body, but he has never tried it on a demon before, so he doesn't know if it will work.
Disappointingly, his poison was ineffective against demons.
The Phantom Demon shook off the white powder on its body and sneered, "Bring on any other tricks you have."
Yingjian's lips were tightly pressed together, and he did not utter a word.
Suddenly, he slowly widened his eyes and said to the person behind Huan Yao, "Du Zhijin?"
The Illusion Demon scoffed, "Do you think I'll do the same thing a second time? She can't possibly be here. You can scream your lungs out and no one will come to save you!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the surrounding air suddenly froze.
Not only was Yingjianhua completely still, but it was also unable to use its demonic power.
Like falling into the deep sea, all struggles are dissolved by the current.
The phantom demon finally noticed something was amiss.
It stiffly turned its head and saw a familiar face, but one that looked even worse than before.
Du Zhijin, carrying his twin swords, repeated what it had just said:
"Now, no matter how much you scream, no one will come to save you."
————
In the end, the demon's soul was scattered that night, and it could no longer harm the world.
Du Zhijin asked Huan Yao what tricks she had used, since she had instructed that the door not to be opened.
Ying Jianhua didn't mention that the illusion demon was impersonating her voice, but instead asked about something else: "How did it know you were staying here?"
This city is quite large, with more than a dozen inns, so finding their exact accommodations is not an easy task.
Du Zhijin couldn't explain it either. It wasn't until she heard the sound of rain outside the window that she adjusted her straw hat and suddenly realized: "Because of the smell."
"odor?"
"Hmm. After all, a phantom demon is a demon. Although no one has figured out what its original form is, it seems to still retain some of its animalistic habits." She took off her straw hat and sniffed it, intending to demonstrate to him how the phantom demon tracked them here by scent, but Ying Jianhua blushed?
She blinked, puzzled. "Strange, there's no smell on this. What's that smell on you, Amo? Medicine?" She leaned closer, as if she wanted to sniff it again, but Ying Jianhua blocked her with one hand.
"Hmm?"
She didn't continue, but just stared at him with her eyes open.
A crystal clear expanse.
Ying Jianhua turned her face away uncomfortably, then retorted angrily, "You're not a monster, how could you possibly smell it!"
Du Zhijin muttered, "It actually rhymes quite well."
See the painting: "......."
I glared at her again, something I hadn't done in a long time.
"But speaking of which, Amo, you do have a strange smell." After he let go of her hand, she followed him like a little tail, sniffing him again and again, and came to this conclusion.
"Like demonic energy?"
She said it casually, but he stood there stunned.
A demonic aura. Isn't there a demon in his mind right now?
"You...found out?"
Du Zhijin was taken aback: "What do you mean?"
Ying Jianhua asked her to sit down and said, "This is a long story. Actually, from the day I met you, it was..."
He recounted the whole story, omitting the specific content of the strange noises and referring to them only as "unintelligible words."
After all, no one would believe him even if he said, "They clearly loved each other so much, so why did they end up never seeing each other again?" Let alone say it out loud!
He hadn't dared to be honest before, fearing he might alert the unknown monster and anger it. But now that Du Zhijin had regained his strength, and the strange noises were very likely unable to hear their conversation, he no longer needed to hide it.
After giving an explanation, before Ying Jianhua could speak, Du Zhijin took the initiative to release his divine sense to investigate.
But this time, the result was still a shake of the head.
Seeing the disappointment on Yingjian's face, she said, "Don't worry, I know a senior healer, I'll take you to her."
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