Rise of The Demon General

Amon watched with astonishment as the man whose eyes were before closed in ecstasy, now open wide in consternation and disbelief. However, his eyes only showed awareness for a little instant before they turned white as life escaped him, following the river of blood that continued to pour out of him non-stop.

As the man turned lifeless, Xin Lie who was still sitting on top of him revealed an expression of euphoria herself.

’Does that lunatic bitch gets off from such a barbarous act?’ Amon thought as he continued to watch the scene in fascination. However, his eyes caught something strange. The air around Xin Lie distorted as if ripples of flowing water. That meant the air around Xin Lie had heated up.

Amon squinted his eyes, trying to get a better look without getting closer. He could see specks of aura slowly flowing up from the dead man and entering Xin Lie’s naked body.

’Can it be… It’s a cultivation art?’ Amon deduced. However, he had never heard or read about such a peculiar art. This was simply like vampirism, she was sucking the aether out of the dead man’s body for herself.

Amon stayed still atop the tree as he continued to observe. Xin Lie was in the position atop the corpse as she performed her art. It was almost an hour before Amon noticed the air around Xin Lie returned to normal. Not long after, she stood up. The dead man below her was like a dried corpse that had been dead for quite some time. All his nutrients and aether had been taken.

Xin Lie stood there and admired her handiwork for a while, before looking up and saying, ”Enjoy the show?”

Amon was taken by surprise. He had chosen a secluded branch, slowed his breathing, and concealed his presence. How did she find out?

But since he had been noticed, continuing to hide was pointless. Amon jumped down from the tree and landed not far from Xin Lie.

”It’s you? I’m surprised!” Xin Lie uttered.

”Are you a Martial realm cultivator?” Amon asked.

Xin Lie gave him a coy smile. ”What do you think?” She asked back.

Amon had no intention to play her games. Her being martial realm could explain her ability to sense his presence, but Amon decided he could not jump to conclusions. After the event of the last assassination attempt on him, he had learned that there was an art that could artificially conceal one’s presence. In the same sense, there could be an art that allowed someone to sense others’ presence as well despite being in the Human realm.

What Amon could trust, was his instinct. He did not sense any danger from her, which could mean two things. She was not that powerful enough to endanger him, or she had no intention of harming him. Hence, why Amon had dared to come down and converse with her. However, he stayed vigilant. His hands were holding the small throwing knives with the Black Slaughter Poison.

”Was he a cultivator?” Amon asked another question, referring to the dead man on the ground.

”He was,” Xin Lie answered.

”Was that an art just now?”

”So you noticed?” Xin Lie said. For a short instant, Amon felt a killing intent, but it was gone abruptly as if it was never there. Xin Lie continued, ”You know. No one ever knows about this ritual of mine because anyone who has seen it has died.”

”By your hands?”

Xin Lie giggled, ”By my hands.”

”Is that a threat?” Amon asked.

”I don’t think you will tell anyone, do you?”

”That depends.”

”Depends on what?” Xin Lie asked with a seductive voice, her arms folded underneath her two large breasts, taking a provocative pose. She didn’t mind at all that she was still completely naked.

”Depends if I’m satisfied with my crossbow. You still owed me one,” Amon said.

Xin Lie gave a surprised expression before she laughed loudly. ”So, that’s why you come? I almost forgot about it. Hahaha. Now that you mentioned it, know that I was in that market on our appointed day. You never showed up.”

”I know. I was tied up with something.”

Xin Lie gave him a meaningful look, as if trying to decide something.

”So? Where is my crossbow?” Amon asked.

”Heh,” Xin Lie smirked, she then turned around and started walking. ”Follow me,” she said. Her round and firm ass moved around seductively as she walked away. Amon followed after her, maintaining a safe distance.

They walked for a while, Amon wondered how these woods were unnaturally quiet. He had not encountered any spirit beast. He also found no animals as he walked. Not long after, they arrived at a small wooden hut next to the White Cloud river Amon had been following before.

”Why are you staying out here? Aren’t you afraid of spirit beasts?” Amon asked.

”I grew up here. I know these woods like the back of my hands. No spirit beast will get a jump on me,” Xin Lie replied as he approached the door of the wooden hut. She opened it and gestured for Amon to follow inside.

Amon hesitated for a brief second before walking towards the open door. Inside, Xin Lie was sitting on a chair. She was inspecting a small crossbow. She was still naked, she was not bothered at all and had no intention to get clothes to cover her body.

”Sit,” she said.

Amon stayed standing beside the open door. Xin Lie did not ask again. She continued to check the crossbow in her hands. After a while, she seemed satisfied. She tossed the thing at Amon, who caught it deftly. His eyes, however, did not move away from the naked woman.

”You are very alert for a boy your age,” Xin Lie commented.

”It keeps me alive,” Amon simply replied. He didn’t bother to check the crossbow, he stored it directly in his space ring. With someone like her which he was unsure of, he could not divert his attention. He took out the original crossbow he had taken from her stall and tossed it back to her.

”Our transaction had been completed. I will take my leave now,” Amon said.

”Halt,” Xin Lie said before Amon stepped out the door.

Amon looked back as the woman stared at him in silence. ”Do you still need something?” Amon asked after a long period of silence.

”I am just trying to make up my mind if I can trust you to not say anything about what you have seen here,” Xin Lie said.

”Next time, do it behind closed doors where no passerby can stumble into what you are doing,” Amon said.

Xin Lie chuckled, ”where is the fun in that?”

”Have you made up your mind? I can’t stay here long. If you want to do something to me, then go ahead and try,” Amon said and walked out the door.

Amon continued walking normally away from the hut. Xin Lie came out onto the door opening and leaned herself by the side of the door as she watched Amon’s back that was getting further. After Amon disappeared between the trees of the woods, a small figure came out from within the hut.

It was a small girl. ”Why do you let him go? We risk everything if he told someone.”

”I don’t think he will,” Xin Lie said.

”But there is still a possibility. It is very unlike you to take a risk when such a risk can easily be eliminated by killing him.”

”He is not as simple as you think. If you treat him like a normal boy, you will be the one that gets burned. As for the reason why I spared him… I think he is one of us.”

”What? How is that possible?”

”I know, it’s weird. He is clearly not using any concealing technique like us. But I can sense him, although faintly. He had our scent.”

”Do you want me to follow him?” The little girl asked.

Xin Lie was silent for a while before answering, ”No, leave him be. We should just focus on our task. If my hunch is correct, we will meet him again.”

”If your hunch is wrong, we will have people coming at us with torches and pitchforks.”

”He is not the type who tells one’s secrets to another person on a whim. More probable for him to use what he had seen to blackmail us rather than gossiped about it.”

”You act as if you know the boy very well.”

”Have only met him twice, including just now. But he carried a bearing that reminded me of our Lord.”

”Then it must be you imagining things. How can that little boy compare to our mighty lord? If our Lord heard what you just said, he will feel insulted.”

”Are you threatening me, young lady?” Xin Lie said to her playfully. ”Anyway, we will not be staying in this place any longer. We will depart tomorrow.”

The little girl nodded before she melded back into the shadow.