Shen Minyao raised her head and casually popped the bubblegum on her lips as she stood right outside the kindergarten, watching the dark clouds accumulating in the sky. The unfavorable weather today made the place look deserted and haunted at the same time, in contrast to the liveliness it had when the young pupils were playing around.
It was deep into the night, and the moon could be seen faintly in the sky, covered by thin clouds.
The fox woman pressed her lips into a thin line and frowned. She had come alone today since she sent Xiao Bai to accompany and check on Zhao Yichen's situation. Ah, being summoned here by her older brother and waiting for him to arrive were starting to get into her nerves. Qin Zhi was the one who asked her to come here on time, yet he was the one that couldn't be seen anywhere.
She then checked the watch on her wrist and sighed. Well, she came a little earlier than their agreed time. She supposed she would need to wait some more… until she made a call to ask about his whereabouts.
Ten minutes later, Qin Zhi's car pulled up to a stop, and he alighted from the backseat.
"I hope you didn't wait for too long," he nonchalantly said as he buttoned up his coat to protect him from the wind.
Shen Minyao shrugged. He was just on time. It was her who arrived an hour earlier.
"So what did you find?" She asked instead.
Since Qin Zhi called her to meet up, he probably got some answers from the rumors they heard from Xie Yan's mouth a few days ago.
"Indeed, there have been similar cases that have happened here before," Qin Zhi started. "What's more, there was a massive fire within the area a week before the first child fell ill."
"What happened?" The two surveyed the area while staying invisible by human's eyes again.
"The residents of the nearby developed area refused to sell their properties. While their cases were being held at court, a massive fire took place and killed a lot around the area."
"You mean it gave birth to that 'curse'?" Shen Minyao arched a slender brow.
"More like the scent of death 'lured' it here and decided to stay here." Qin Zhi easily leaped past the wall to enter the school premises, with Shen Minyao following him shortly.
"Ah, so we are dealing with that kind of demon, huh?" The fox woman frowned. "But it's weird. Don't they usually leave the place once they had their fill? A demon like that should only be able to eat one soul of a child every ten years."
"We are probably dealing with a group of that kind," Qin Zhi replied.
Shen Minyao halted her steps and looked at her brother in disbelief.
"Oh, not again." She groaned, feeling that something about this case was familiar to her.
"What do you mean?" Qin Zhi asked.
They entered the faculty room where the lesson plans and the papers with the children's drawings and doodles were still left unchecked on the tables. It was still uncertain when the children would be able to return to school. Perhaps some of them were already transferred by their parents and would never come back, Shen Minyao thought.
Shen Minyao then relayed things to her brother, about the kind of demons she encountered since her awakening and how they were connected to each other. Qin Zhi remained silent as he considered the information his sister shared with him. He didn't expect that it was Shen Minyao and a grim reaper who killed the spider demon he had yet to vanquish.
"So you think this rogue exorcist you were talking about is colluding with the other demons to settle them into the cities in groups and feed on humans?" Qin Zhi asked.
"Something like that, but we aren't sure yet. I thought you would know since you are the demon lord here in Jiang City," Shen Minyao said.
Qin Zhi scoffed at that. He doubted that he was the only high-ranking demon in Jiang City.
"You are giving me too much credit, dear sister," he said in defense. "Jiang City had over thirteen million human inhabitants. I can't keep an eye on every demon who enters that city, especially if they are mid-rank and high-ranking demons."
Shen Minyao scoffed at that, but she didn't dare to make a comment. Qin Zhi was doing enough by killing harmful demons to protect the human citizens of the city, but she felt like he should have left them be. She wasn't even sure why he needed to protect the other demons and allow them to live peacefully with humans.
So what if the humans lose their lives to the demons? It had always been this way since ancient times. While she understood the demon for them to hide themselves from the fickle humans, Shen Minyao didn't share the same idea Qin Zhi had about them.
Unlike him who somewhat became sentimental because his wife was a human, the fox woman didn't care about the rest of the humans around her. Had she not taken in Feng Jiu and entered a contract with Zhao Yichen, she would have stayed away from these humans.
"It sounds like a problem. We'll need to identify that exorcist as soon as possible." She heard what Qin Zhi said.
"Why?" Shen Minyao asked. Did her brother know something that she didn't?
"It's just a guess, but you know the tale about the night parade of a hundred demons, right?"
Shen Minyao gave her brother a blank stare, wondering if he had somehow lost his mind.
It was just a legend humans had come up with. For one hundred demons to come together for a common goal was unheard of. Because unlike humans who needed companions and validation to be part of a group to prove their worth, demons were mostly dependent on themselves.
"How sure are you that this is the case?" She questioned back, still in disbelief that it was possible.
A procession of different demons coming as one?
Ha. It sounded like a banquet to satisfy her hunger to her ears. If there was such a thing as a night parade of a hundred demons, she would surely not miss her chance to see it for herself.
"It's just a hunch, Daji. I'm not certain that it was the case." Qin Zhi deflected her questioning gaze.
Regardless, he would need to investigate what Shen Minyao told him today. If there was really such a human that could entice demons to make a pack with him, it would be dangerous not only for mankind but also for the other demons like them.
Suddenly, the lights within the faculty room flickered a few times and died. The two fox demons weren't bothered by the sudden darkness because they were accustomed to seeing without light.
"Ah, you are right. So it's not just one demon."
Unexpectedly, Shen Minyao sounded so excited, despite knowing the serious situation they were in.
"Hellreaver!" She called out, and suddenly, the silver bracelet on her wrist shone brightly and turned back into its original sword form.
Sensing a growing demonic presence around them, the sword on her hand vibrated, informing Shen Minyao of its need to feed on the demons.
"Don't worry. Be good and cooperate. Then, perhaps we could have a feast tonight." Shen Minyao told her sword with a wicked grin on her face. She licked her lips in anticipation. "Please let this be good, or else…"
She had waited for weeks just so she could hunt demons to feed on.
"Don't lower your guard down," Qin Zhi reminded her, knowing that one trait that could be Shen Minyao's weakness was her impatience.
"I know. Just have my back."
There he was, the older brother who was always worrying about her. Well, she supposed it couldn't be helped. Qin Zhi was probably trying to keep her alive this time.
They stepped outside the hallway. They weren't surprised to see women-like figures headed their way. Their faces looked horrendous and unrecognizable as they appeared to be humans whose faces had melted, making their skin sink and leaving their eye sockets empty.
They were walking towards Shen Minyao and Qin Zhi at a slow pace, but the two didn't dare to lower their guard in case of a sneak attack.
"Ghosts?" Shen Minyao frowned, but she shook her head. Her nose wouldn't deceive her. These were previously humans, but they turned into demons! She reminded herself.
These were the kind of demons who were humans in the past and had lost their children. In their attempt to find their missing children, they wandered around until they eventually turned into mindless demons that usually preyed on pregnant women and young children.
Shen Minyao narrowed her eyes. These kinds of demons wander on their own, so how was it possible that they appeared altogether?
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