Red Moon

Clouds gathered in the sky and from the heavens came red rain which cascaded across the land. Each heavy drop dyed the land with a dreadful solemness, the darkness of the clouds deepened and puddles of blood formed worldwide.

The clouds covered all the lands except for one area; it was a range of mountains clustered closely to one another. In the gaps of these mountains were ominous dark valleys and other natural formations.

Flying at the edge of this mountain range was an immortal man dressed in immaculate white robes. Embroidered on the white robes was a swirling black line. He laid back while stroking his white goatee and staring down at the mountain.

"Another king falls and the final era grows closer" The immortal chuckled as he looked down upon the mountain.

The clouds fully gathered rumbled and then thunder roared from the heavens. A terrifying 9 colored light emanated from the heavens as it spread across the realm.

The immortal man looked towards the bottom of the mountain and a pair of cold eyes scanned over him. Sitting in meditation was an emaciated dead man. His eyes were deep pools of mystery and obscurity that saw through time and space to the essence of the universe.

"Heh." The dead man scoffed as he looked towards the heavens. He chuckled slightly, his voice echoed like death throes. Without warning, the 9 colored light descended onto the dead man in an array of lightning bolts.

The 9 colored light streamed along the corpse, the intense energies disintegrated the grass and foliage around him. Yet the corpse remained intact as the light shot into his glabella.

As the stream of light settled on the corpse; the clouds faded away and all that remained hanging in the sky was an ominous bloody moon.

"And he lives!" The immortal proclaimed with a sinister tone.

***********

On a strange mountainous area, a handsome young man was walking along a mountain path. He had long flowing black hair and deep black eyes that shined like an abyss. He was wearing black robes and held a pink bamboo umbrella with both hands.

He strolled gracefully along the mountain path gazing at the beauty of nature as staring at a painting.

After a few minutes of lighthearted walking, he reached a bustling village. The umbrella shined with a 9 colored light that alerted him. He suddenly stopped and quietly stared at the village lost in thought. After a moment, he sealed his umbrella and approached the village.

A few children ran around in front of the village laughing joyfully. Houses spilled from the village walls increasing in quality as one grew closer to the center.

At the center was a pagoda with a dragon coiling around it. A strange aura was gathering around it and two masked men stood guard.

The young man's eyes flashed with a curious glint as he entered the village. Various villagers walked about and looked at the young man with fleeting glances.

"You there, you look lost!" A voice shouted towards the young man as he was walking. His gaze landed on an old man sitting in front of a small inn. The inn was rustic and homely and made from wood and stone.

"I really quite am, do you live here?" The young man genially replied as he rubbed the back of his head and smiled releasing a sort of amicable air that could charm anyone.

"Yes, this is my home and my inn. From your clothing, you must be a wanderer. If you need a place to stay come sleep here." The old man smiled as he motioned his hand for a handshake.

"I'll take you up on that offer." the young man replied as he shook the old man's hand. Then he reached into his robe and handed him a gold piece. The old man motioned for the young man to follow him.

"So where did you come from?" The old man asked as they walked across the inn dodging the tables and chairs.

"I come from the Eastern lands and have wandered aimlessly for quite a while. What about you?" The young man asked.

"Me? I'm homegrown although I had a phase like you. I wandered around the mountains with sky as my roof. The sights, the sounds, the smells, they were all amazing." The old man said as his eyes shined with reminiscence.

"Sadly, I'm not young anymore and it's too dangerous these days with all those wandering beasts and fallen. What can a mortal do to survive?" The old man sighed.

"It is tough, I've had a few close encounters myself. How has the village fared?" The young man asked with a solemn tone.

"Great! Ever since Lord Gulan took the helm, we haven't had a single beast attack." The old man said.

"I haven't properly introduced myself, I am Li Lan. Most people call me Old Lan." Old Lan said with a gentle smile spread across his face.

"Mhm, call me Ye Yuyan." Ye Yuyan smiled and kindly replied.

"Well, this will be your room. Dinner is at 6 pm and we serve drinks till 2 am. Come down when you can, my wife makes the best wine in the village the three bitter blossoms." Old Lan said as he pointed to a room on the second floor.

The room was small and only had a chest and a desk. There was a small bed at the corner of the room and a small window.

"Hmm… this will do nicely, thank you." Ye Yuyan said as he moved over to the desk. Old Lan taking a hint locked the door and walked down the stairs.

Ye Yuyan sat at the desk and reached into his robes. He removed three scrolls and laid them out in front of him. He then opened a drawer to the desk and took out a quill and an inkwell.

He reached into his robe and took out a black runic dagger. With a swift motion, he cut his left palm and squeezed his fist. The blood congealed into one drop of blood that dripped into the inkwell.

The red drop of blood tinged the ink and a searing smoke came from the well. Soon, a malevolent demon face appeared and only after it faded did the ink's color settle on a deep searing red.

Ye Yuyan dipped the quill in the inkwell and wrote on the scroll. His elegant calligraphy moved with grace and speed.

He wrote a few words and then engraved intricate runes in a circle. In the circle's center appeared a strange demonic face of a fat oiled man with fangs and horns.

"This is where the scent of my power ends..." Ye Yuyan smirked as he sealed up the scroll. Then he put it in his robes and stood up.

He walked down to the first floor of the inn, a few rowdy young men drank and danced in a bustle around the inn. Their rowdy brawls and drinking filled the inn up with liveliness. Ye Yuyan passed each of them and approached the bar.

"Waiter, 3 Bitter Blossoms Wine please." Ye Yuyan asked the kindly middle-aged man on the other side of the bar. He looked over at Ye Yuyan's graceful bearing, he assumed him to be a prodigious young master. He moved quickly and gave him a ceramic cup and poured the wine.

Ye Yuyan took the cup and downed it quickly. A bitter and burning taste assaulted his throat as it moved to rest in his stomach. He released a calm exhaling sigh then he looked to the corner of the first floor; he saw Old Lan holding a wine cup as he filled it with a smile.

Sitting down in front of him was a young man, he was wearing sun embroidered golden attire and had golden hair and golden sword brows; he had a domineering aura about him. Next to him were two black cloaked men, they emanated a powerful bloodlust as they casually stood at his side.

"Old Lan, your wife really makes the finest wine!" The young man laughed as he downed the wine.

"Thank you for the compliments, Young Master Li Nan." Old Lan said with a courteous and ingratiating tone.

"I must talk to Lord Gulan to collect more. You must make a lot of money from this wine." Li Nan laughed boisterously.

"Uhh... but si-si sire, we are paying all that we can to his Lord…." Old Lan reluctantly stuttered when suddenly he lost grip of his wine cup spilling wine all over Li Nan's body. Li Nan looked down on his soiled robes and grimaced with fury.

"You filthy peasant you dare soil my clothes? Make it triple the payment, no negotiations or else your little inn will be burnt earth!" Li Nan rebuked with a cold voice

"But sire…." Old Lan begged.

"Guards detain this man!" Li Nan barked out tyrannically, the two bloodthirsty guards quickly moved following the command.

Both jumped at Old Lan and they extended their demonic palms out, their hands looked like the claws of a wolf! Old Lan shrunk back in fear as they attacked his throat. As Old Lan fell back, a gust of wind traveled at a high speed.

It went past Old Lan and collided with the guards, throwing their bodies into the wall. Suddenly their bodies shone with a black light and they flailed in pain.

Li Nan looked stunned as he turned towards the source of the wind. Then his eyes landed on Ye Yuyan, who held in his hands an empty scroll.

The black light from the guards twisted in the air as it flew into the scroll. The scroll consumed the baleful aura and suddenly long ink strokes appeared on the scroll and the ink formed the faces of two ugly horned demons.

Ye Yuyan's smiled as he coldly gazed at Li Nan and sealed the scroll putting it in back in his robes.

'I sense no demonic presence on him.' Ye Yuyan thought as he coldly assessed Li Nan.

"Wh…. wh…. what are you doing? This is the village of Lord Gulan, he allows no exorcists to enter." Li Nan stuttered out.

"Heh, who said I was an exorcist?" Ye Yuyan laughed as his eyes turned into blood red saucers. A demonic aura came from his body filling the eyes of anyone who looked at him.

The demonic energy wrapped around the inn-goers, relaxing their limbs and suddenly they lost control slumping over onto the ground. Li Nan tried to resist, but the urge to sleep was too powerful.

His body slumped over the table and fell down to the ground, the only person left standing in the inn was Ye Yuyan!