Monster among Monsters

Word spread to all three realms making him appear too weak to even control the scum of the earth in his territory. The manner in which the demons died made him aware that it wasn't the cultivators but one of his own thus he sent his concubine to deal with it. 

She planned to lure him out thus she went to find the perfect bait. The demon abducting children in Bai Ting was the best lure. He made the demon break its pattern and increase the rate of abductions. The plan though flawless also attracted cultivators. 

She decided to use a method of distraction. Demons would attack the cultivators while she found the demon that had been causing trouble for her king but who would have thought it was no demon but a pathetic half-blood? 

Xiang Yu's eyes narrowed as she got up and circled him. "You are so weak," she taunted, her laughter echoing through the trees. "How can a mongrel like you take down all of those demons?"

Xiang Yu tried to move his hand but it refused to move. In other words, he was fucked. He couldn't fight back. "Don't worry... I will make it as painful as possible," she said and ruthlessly struck him down. Xiang Yu's body rolled a few feet and he grimaced in pain but he couldn't even catch his breath. 

She came after him again her attacks strong and ceaseless. Blow after blow Xiang Yu's brain buzzed with the taste of blood at the tip of his tongue. 

She kicked his body forcing him to roll over facing the night sky. As he gasped for air she straddled him her dagger poised at his throat. "Time to die little bastard," she said the tip of the blade grazing the wound that had just been healed by that crazy person earlier. 

Out of desperation and the need to stall for time, Xiang Yu found his voice and said, "You can't kill me... Only the demon king has that right."

She scoffed her eyes gleaming with malice. "You think too highly of yourself. Why dirty his hands with a disgusting mongrel's blood?"

Xiang Yu smiled his expression contorted terrifyingly. His aura suddenly shifted his eyes crimson as though dripping blood. Her heart trembled feeling a familiar force urging her to kneel before this half-demon. "Go ahead... see for yourself," he said his voice intimidating. 

She hesitated for a moment then sliced his cheek. The pain of getting his skin cut flared within him but Xiang Yu grinned through it.

"Do you sense it," he challenged. "The demon king's aura?.. I am his son and you can't kill me."

She wanted to believe that he was lying but he wasn't. His veins thrummed with the demon king's essence. The blood that flowed through his veins was the same as that of her lord. 

Disbelief flickered across her face, and then she smiled eerily. "You are going to wish I had killed you instead of him. At least I would have made it quick and painless. He will make it a slow and painful death torturing you till no one can recognise you anymore," she said while pinching his face so hard that Xiang Yu thought his jaw was going to be shattered to pieces.

She lifted him effortlessly, her strength belying her delicate appearance. As she hauled him over her shoulder his jade pendant slipped down and fell to the ground. He tried to move his hand and grab it but his fingers refused to obey him. 

Using his one good finger that had some sensation he tried to hook the string but she started moving. His eyes stared at the pendant moving further away from him with a hint of unwillingness. 

He clenched his jaw to the point of breaking. He was determined to come back and get it later. They soon vanished into the shadows, the forest returning to its tranquil state with only the broken branches, marks on the ground and a jade pendant serving as an indication of what had transpired earlier. 

When Han Xin returned where he had left the young man he found that the forest was empty. He should have been back earlier but there was a sudden attack with multiple demons rushing into Bai Ting town. They had only expected to deal with one but something unexpected happened. 

Even though he was delayed the effects of the paralysis spell shouldn't have worn off. It should have held the half-demon captive for a few more hours, yet there was no sign of him. There was a strong scent of roses lingering in the air. Han Xin thought that he had called for back up and his companions came to pick him up. 

He was about to go back to the town when he spotted something shimmering underneath the moonlight. He crouched down and his fingers brushed against the object half buried in the soil. It was a jade pendant with a carved flower. It was cheap jade but its owner seemed to treasure it. It most likely belonged to the young man. 

Han Xin's brow furrowed as he scanned the forest but there were no signs of life. He put away the jade pendant and returned to the town. He had a way to find him but it would take time. He thought he would return it then. 

When he reached the town it was smouldered with the aftermath of battle. The cultivators were working tirelessly, piling demon corpses and throwing them into the flames. Han Zhan spotted his cousin coming so he walked over. "Did you find him?" he asked. 

Han Xin shook his head. "No sign of him. But I will find him."

Han Zhan raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you mark him with your divine sense so you can find him?"

Han Xin felt it was ridiculous to do that but now he kind of regretted it. He didn't answer his cousin's question. Instead, he pointed at the cultivator dragging a half-dead demon and beckoned them over. He gestured for him to leave the demon here and the cultivator didn't dare to refuse. 

They all knew the insignia on his robes. They were from the Empyrean sect. Their disciples were rarely seen. It was only when there was a difficult problem to solve that they would show up. As soon as his figure disappeared Han Xin asked the wounded demon its breaths ragged, "Why would a demon hunt down its kind... and take their demon cores?"

The demon's eyes flickered its defiance warring with pain. It didn't want to speak but when it heard demon cores it shivered in fright. Demons were monsters but there were also monsters walking among monsters and whoever did that was the monster of monsters "They are the devil," it rasped. "A ruthless beast."

Han Xin, "???"