They spent the next few days together as a newly formed unit, getting to know each other and learning how the demon hunters worked in the Forest of Convergence. They received a briefing on what to expect within the inner circle, which was marked by a three layer barrier they had been created to minimize the escape of demons to the Citadel or nearby cities, such as Tiandu. There were always low-level demons who managed to bypass the barriers, but because of this, they constantly patrolled the forest, as well as all the nearby cities in local Demon Hunting Bureaus from where all of them came from.
They were also informed by their Commander about many other things, but were told that only by experiencing them for themselves would they fully understand their systems and dynamics, hence the reason why they were walking inside the Forest of Convergence, towards the first barrier, which was the safest for new recruits like them despite their own experience in their respective local Demon Hunting Bureaus for years.
Even so, the forest was a strange place filled with dark power, that makes your skin tingle, strange plants and trees, a purple fog sticking to the ground, that made it hard to see your own feet, not to mention something else that could be lurking, it was cold in some places, while warm in others, then there were patches of strange lands, Yichen was told that they belonged to the demon world, strange birds and other creatures that made them all keep their hands on their respective weapons, as well as their internal energy spread out like a sensor to sense any threats that their eyes couldn't see.
The dark forest also has its own beauty, with magical glowing flowers that seem to come from the celestial realm, bright, colorful, and rich in fragrance, sometimes disorienting. Because of this, most of the enormous trees were covered in yellow talismans, marking the areas where you need to be alert, while red signals full attention to potential dangers and black signals deadly encounters, which they were told they would only encounter in the inner ring.
In case of emergency, they only needed to infuse any of the thousands of talismans surrounding the entire forest or the one they always carried with them. The barriers' emergency protocol requires activating it directly at one of the towers containing the empowered stones that form the rings. All of them were heavily guarded by Masters, so it was highly unlikely that a simple unit would activate an emergency call from any of the towers in all three rings.
They were also given maps of the entire forest already marked with their specific hunting grounds, as well as special compasses that would guide them there for the next few days, as the area they were assigned was far too vast to explore and hunt any demons they encountered in just one day. It was a sort of test for the rookies, to see if they could actually pull it off, or, if they couldn't do that simple hunt in the safest area, then they will be send back home. For all of them, this was a bit offensive, as they prided themselves on their skills and had hunted stronger demons several times in their respective cities. However, rules were rules, and it gave them time to adjust to this crazy new environment.
Pei Sijing kept her special hearing sharper than ever as they slowly moved forward in formation. Yichen stood right behind her, her second-in-command, occasionally glancing at the hilt of his sword, which had a magic stone embedded in it to detect the presence of demons. Normally, the stone remained crystal clear when nothing with demonic energy was nearby, but it would turn bright blue when it detected a demon in the vicinity, while glowing a blinding white if the demon possessed very strong demonic energy. Up until now, it had remained clear, but once it began to glow, at least they would have more time to prepare for a possible imminent battle.
Behind Yichen, Bai Jiu looked around nervously, wishing he could grasp Zhuo Yichen's long thin chains, ending in small bells, to feel more protected. He was a talented local demon hunter, stationed in a different area of Tiandu, where his path with Zhuo Yichen had not crossed, as the city was very large and Yichen's office was in the center, where the city was more prosperous and attracted the attention of more demons. Although he had joined the demon hunters since the age of fifteen, as that was the minimum age for local posts to be trained and join the city patrols, he was still the youngest member and was not as experienced in tougher battles as the others, which made him a bit anxious.
Ying Lei, beside him, smiled at him from time to time to encourage him, but Bai Jiu preferred the calmness of his childhood hero, Zhuo Yichen, to that of any other member of the unit. Wen Xiao was simply amused by Bai Jiu's fascination with Yichen and Ying Lei's with Bai Jiu, despite being four years younger than him. She could sense the drama brewing in the future of her unit, though she was quite interested in their stoic commander, Pei Sijing. Then, Yichen's sword glowed bluish, though it was quite faint, however they all stopped and changed their forward formation to a circle one, to look to all sides at once.
"Commander, have you heard anything that might give us a clue as to what's watching us out there?" Yichen asked as he drew his sword with a fluid motion from his many years of wielding it.
"Nothing special, this forest confuses my hearing with so many strange things around."
"Is it strong?" Bai Jiu asked as he opened his leather pouch in which he carried his combat needles, infusing them with his energy.
"No. Just a minor demon with barely enough energy to call it a true demon." Explained Yichen.
"There are several mutations in this forest, animals that were originally normal but with demonic energy seeping in from the demon world, mutated into something in between. They are called Xiyou and while the larger ones can be very dangerous, the smaller ones are usually harmless." Wen Xiao stepped forward and explained, making Pei Sijing smile.
"You really are well informed." She praised her as she held her bow at the ready for any movement. Her senses told her that whatever was out there was right in front of her, perhaps only several meters away.
"Either way, stay alert. We don't know what it is, and appearances can be deceiving. My older brother already warned me that a simple rabbit can turn into a flesh-and-blood fereal demon with greater demonic energy once transformed." Yichen warned them, and Pei Sijing nodded in agreement.
"That's right... my grandfather also said the same thing, so he taught me a spell. Should I try it?" Ying Lei asked, looking at Pei Sijing for approval.
"Go ahead. We need to use all our abilities when necessary to strengthen our demon hunting unit." She gave her approval, and Ying Lei made several fast hand seals, gathering divine energy and releasing it upwards, to form a dome over them that exploded in all directions with golden light. The divine energy impacted something, causing it to quickly flee for its life.
"Should we chase it?" Wen Xiao asked.
"It fled too fast for us to catch it, and I don't sense any more demonic energy nearby." Ying Lei looked at Yichen's sword, which had become clear again.
"It's really gone." Yichen confirmed, and everyone relaxed.
"Well done, Ying Lei. Let's maintain the previous formation and move forward. We still have a lot of ground to cover on our first day here." Pei Sijing gave her instructions and they continued walking while remaining alert for anything else that might come their way.
Several hours passed, and they only encountered a few lesser demons that were easy to defeat. The barriers worked well to keep the stronger demons at bay, allowing only those who posed no real danger to the Citadel to pass through, and that patrolling demon hunters like them could hunt without problems. Soon, the forest grew even darker, which meant it was already nightfall and they halted their advance in a small clearing where they could make camp for their first night there.
Yichen insisted on taking first watch and Bai Jiu gladly offered to accompany him, as he was too nervous to fall asleep despite having several ways of hitting the bamboo mat without a care in the world. Seeing no way out, as his young companion was quite adamant about staying by his side, he agreed and let him sit closer to him by the campfire, as it was a bit cold in that part of the forest and Ying Lei had erected a protective barrier around their camp, just to be on the safe side. Although Yichen was beginning to believe that more than keeping them safe, he was trying to impress Bai Jiu with his abilities as a descendant of a mountain god, that unlike other gods that are gone for good, many of them were still around, especially in the Kunlun Mountains where he was from.
"Can I call you Xiao Zhuo?" Bai Jiu asked excitedly, and Yichen smiled despite himself. The young man was enthusiastic, and he granted it, since they were going to spend most of their lives together, there was no problem with being a little more friendly.
"I suppose so, and if you don't mind, can I ask you for something in return?" Yichen asked the young healer, who almost jumped on him as he came even closer, causing Yichen to blush slightly as he moved away so they would have enough space between them.
"Of course! Ask me anything!"
"Please keep your voice down, we're on dangerous ground." Yichen reminded him, and Bai Jiu pursed his lips as he stared into the fire.
"I'm not scolding you, I'm just giving you a reminder." That cheered the young man up again.
"Why did you decide to become a healer? You must have a very good reason if you're so good at your age. Most kids just prefer to play games rather than learn difficult skills, harsh training, demon hunting and deal with all kinds of illnesses."
"Ah... When I was younger, my mother fell ill. The local healer said that a demon had poisoned her in the forest where she was gathering medicinal herbs. That demon had terrorized our small village for years, but I was very ill, and she risked her life to save me. She was a healer too, though not officially, but from what she had learned from her own mother."
"Wait, you say that demon was terrorizing your village for years? I wasn't aware of that."
"You see, only cities have Demon Hunting Bureaus that deal with demons that breach barriers and patrols, and when the village is as small as ours far away from the border of the city, they aren't too interested in sending hunters to get rid of them. Since she was poisoned with something the local healer couldn't cure, it gradually change her and she turned into a tree. When that happen I left the village with my father and travel to Tiandu and stayed there ever since." He paused for a moment looking at the fire as he could see inside them the horrors he faced when younger.
"I asked father if I could study healing, and he introduced me to the best in the city. I learned quickly since I already had some knowledge of herbs, remedies, potions and so on thanks to my mother and when I was strong enough to travel on my own, I returned to try to get rid of that demon who took my mother's life. Hunting him down is where you end up rescuing me in those woods. So, in a way, not only do you save me, but you also give my mother the justice that I couldn't give her." Sadness overcame Yichen's heart and he unconsciously patted the young man's head, as if he was his little brother and Bai Jiu let some tears fall down his cheek.
"I'm sorry for bringing you bad memories..."
"Oh no, I'm not crying because I'm sad, but because your kindness touches me. I know that incident was so long ago that you may not remember it at all, but you did the same thing at the time. You patted me on the head and held me when I started crying until I calmed down, and then you sent me home safe and sound."
Bai Jiu finished his story, and soon after, Ying Lei, who was listening, also shed a few tears at the sad and heartbreaking story. That explained why Bai Jiu was so infatuated with Zhuo Yichen, as he was not only grateful to him for saving his life, but also for being the one who had given his mother peace in the afterlife. It was too heartwarming, for all those who listen, which also included Pei Sijing and Wen Xiao.
"I'm sorry for not giving your village the protection and justice it deserves. When I return to Tiandu, I'll be sure to point out that mistake so it doesn't happen again." Yichen promised, and even Pei Sijing considered doing it herself.
"Thank you, but there's no need. My father and I filed a complaint years ago, and my father even applied for a position in the Bureau, so as he rose through the ranks, the situation improved greatly for the villages and small towns. It's alright now, I make sure to patrol outside the city since my post is in the border."
"May I ask who your father is?" Yichen asked, curious to know if he had met him before.
"He's Wen Xiao's father, Fan Ying's assistant. Situ Ming..." Bai Jiu began saying, but stopped to look back, as did Yichen, when Pei Sijing heard something beyond their conversation in the distance. It sounded heavy, as if something enormous was plowing through the forest, heavy with demonic energy. This wasn't just a low-level demon, and soon everyone was standing side by side, with weapons in hand.
"It's coming." Pei Sijing warned them, but they could all feel it slowly approaching. Wen Xiao extinguished the fire, letting their eyes adjust to the darkness before it showed its beastly figure.
"No one should face that thing alone, we are a unit now and must work together. If someone is better suited to take it down, the others will assist when there's a chance to attack." Pei Sijing instructed, and Zhuo Yichen's Cloud Light sword lit up like a beacon of cosmic stars with a celestial brilliance that made Yichen frown in surprise.
"It's a powerful demon." Yichen warned the unit, but everyone could see the sword's gleam and its meaning.
"Wait, aren't strong demons supposed to be sealed within barriers?" Bai Jiu asked to no one in particular.
"It's strong, but not strong enough that it needs to be sealed, I guess?" Wen Xiao tried to understand the logic that seemed to elude them.
"Perhaps this is part of our test?" Ying Ling asked, as if it were a possibility.
"It doesn't matter if it's a test or something else. The thing is, we can't allow it to get any closer to the Citadel. That's why we're here." Yichen drew his sword, and they all waited for the creature to get closer until they could see it clearly with their trained eyes.
"It's a Heilian! A species of mutated reptilian demon that can absorb dark energy to grow in size, which explains why it passes through barriers. Its demonic energy is unstable and initially it can be a simple lizard. We must act quickly, because the more that demon absorbs the energy from this forest fog, the more dangerous it will become." Wen Xiao quickly provided the necessary information while Yichen tightened his grip on his sword.
"Let me test its strength first, Commander. Its skin should be difficult to pierce, so my divine sword may be the best choice for this hunting." Yichen offered and Pei Sijing placed an enchanted arrow on her bow and adjusted the direction before releasing it and everyone watched as the glowing arrow bounced off the thick scales without doing any damage to the Heilian demon.
"Come on then, we'll follow your lead and support you until we have an opening!" The moment Yichen heard her command, he lunged forward in a blur of glowing energy, coming from both his inner divine core and the Cloud Light sword.
The Heilan, a huge lizard beast with long horns, cover in dark scales with spikes, and red eyes, also lunges forward, its long sharp claws outstretched with killing intent, but Yichen is quick and raises his Cloud Light sword masterfully, striking confidently with each blow. The sword glows brightly, illuminating the dark clearing and giving the unit a better view to act when necessary. The demon's massive jaws snap shut in empty air each time it tries to catch Yichen off guard, but Yichen deftly dodges each time, making the demon more enraged and ferocious.
Flashes of light illuminate the surrounding trees as the demons' guttural roars compete with the sound of steel against hard scales. The Heilan's hide was indeed very thick, but Yichen was just getting started, and the others were eagerly awaiting their opportunity. The battle unfolds in a flurry of motion, and Cloud Light's sword glitters as he arcs with grace and power, striking the Heilan harder, eventually managing to wound it, though the wound was shallower than he had hoped. Thus, he continues to strike, imbued with the strength of his fury, giving way to the thick scales with each swift blow he lands on the same spot, giving the others a chance to strike the Heilan on the opposite side as well while he distracts it.
Bai Jiu throws one of the battle pills he created with alchemy, and the Heilan roars in pain as the pill shatters into corrosive powder that melts part of the scales almost instantly. Wen Xiao uses the opportunity to create a seal with divine power that causes golden chains to rise from the purple, foggy ground, wrapping the beast tightly as it tries in vain to escape.
This gives Yichen the opportunity to deliver the final blow, channeling all his energy into the divine sword as his eyes shined bright blue. The sword strikes with precision, piercing the demon's heart. A brilliant light bursts from the wound, illuminating the entire forest area, and with a blood-curdling scream, the Heilan demon implodes into a cloud of glowing particles, dissipating into the night air.
"Well done, everyone!" Pei Sijing praised her unit as they all smiled in well-deserved victory.
"I'm very surprised to learn that you also know alchemy." Yichen turned to look at the young healer, who blushed slightly at his sudden attention.
"I'm far from a master, but I can manage some things to defend myself. As you can see, I'm not exactly a close-range demon hunter. I don't have the physical strength for that." He said timidly, and Ying Lei put an arm around the young healer's shoulders and pulled him closer.
"Let me tell you, it was amazing! I wish I could have cool things like that in my magic pouch, but there are only talismans and food ingredients there." Ying Lei was about to show him some when they all heard Bai Jui's stomach growl at the mention of the ingredients, which made him realize how hungry he was. The others laughed for a moment.
"Dear Ying Lei, I think he'll appreciate your cooking skills right now. Me too, to be honest." Wen Xiao cheerfully confessed, and soon everyone was sitting in a circle around the new campfire, chatting quietly as Ying Lei happily prepared their food.
Seeing this, Zhuo Yichen was glad to be part of this amazing group, and with them, he was sure they could achieve anything if they put their minds to it, for the sake of humanity.
AN: Thanks for reading. Hope you like it, see you next time