Demon of Dawn and Dusk

After we left my courtyard residence, my sisters and I boarded a flying boat that Sidra pulled out of her storage ring, before we flew off. Elliot wanted to come along, since he was my personal servant, but Sidra told him to remain behind. My sisters would watch over me as I learned the Demon Form ability, so there was no need for him to come along. Elliot was disappointed by this, but obeyed my sister’s command.

Sidra’s flying boat was several grades higher than the ones that Elliot and the flying ferry service liked to use, so it took no time at all for us to leave the Dawn and Dusk Sect and head out into the Whispering Hills province.

I felt a mix of anticipation and nervousness. I hadn’t left the Dawn and Dusk Sect since I took the entrance exam four and a half years ago, so I looked forward to seeing the rest of the Whispering Hills province. The excursions I took to hunt down spirit beasts and demon beasts didn’t count, since I stayed within the vicinity of the Dawn and Dusk Sect. I never ventured into the Whispering Hills province proper. However, I also felt nervous, since I wasn’t sure what to expect at the end of our journey. I knew the broad strokes, but not any of the specific details.

The Whispering Hills province consisted of tall, rocky hills that formed countless vales and valleys. Strong winds buffeted these hills and blew through the valleys and vales. Sometimes, when one listened closely, one could almost hear voices whispering in the wind, thus the name of the province. These whispers remained indistinct and intelligible, no matter how hard one tried to listen to them. Sometimes there was just one voice in the wind, and sometimes there were multitudes. Despite this, one sometimes felt compelled to follow the voices.

When I asked my sisters about these whispers, they told me that most of the time they were a natural phenomena; a result of the wind. However, sometimes the whispers belonged to ghosts and evil spirits, who hoped to lure mortals and ignorant cultivators in order to consume their life force. Restless Grave Hall, which specialized in the undead, organized the occasional hunt in order to capture these ghosts and evil spirits in order to refine them.

According to my sisters, as long as I didn’t follow the voices, I would be fine. Even so, I made a mental note to buy some talismans to ward off ghosts and evil spirits.

The journey across the Whispering Hills province took the rest of the day. Astra and Estelle played Go with each other the entire time, while I meditated to calm my mental state. By the time we arrived at our destination, it was evening.

“We’re here.” Sidra called out. “Welcome to Evenfall City, Little Demon.”

I opened my eyes and stood up, before walking over to the edge of the boat to take a look. When I saw Evenfall City, I sucked in a breath. The largest town I had ever seen in my entire life was South Vale, which occupied the southern border of the Dawn and Dusk Sect. When I first arrived at South Vale, I found myself awed by the town’s size and the number of people that occupied it.

Evenfall City was much, much larger than South Vale.

Before us stood a mountain so steep and so tall, it looked like a needle piercing the heavens. A waterfall emerged from the tip of the mountain and fell down the side, forming a lake at the bottom.

Evenfall City was located atop the lake, floating on the surface. Instead of roads and streets, it had canals in between the various buildings and neighborhoods. From my vantage point, I saw several gondolas ferrying passengers across the canals. The buildings were beautiful works of art. Two of them stood out to me: a towering pagoda and a palatial estate shaped like a flower. Since it was evening, lamps and lanterns lit up the city, making it shine like a jewel.

However, what amazed me the most still was Evenfall City’s size. It was about ten times as large as South Vale, with enough space to house tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of people. How could something so large float atop water like that? Then again, I lived in a world where it wasn’t unusual to see cultivators shatter mountains and split seas, so perhaps it shouldn’t have been so surprising to me.

One thing I noted was the lack of cultivators flying through the air. In fact, as we approached, Sidra flew towards what looked like a dock located along the city’s outskirts, instead of heading straight into the city itself. I looked back and gave her a questioning look.

“Evenfall City is under a flight restriction.” She explained. “No one is allowed to fly within the city’s vicinity. A large formation enforces this restriction. We have the status and strength to ignore it, but why bother? We’re not in that much of a hurry.”

“Besides,” Estelle said, butting in, “The best way to get a feel for Evenfall City is to travel through it. I think you’ll like it, Little Demon.”

Astra grunted.

“As much as I hate to agree with the brute on anything,” she said, “Estelle is right.”

“What kind of place is Evenfall City?” I asked, my curiosity piqued.

Astra and Estelle both just grinned at me.

“You’ll see.” They said in unison.

I frowned at them and thought about asking Sidra, but I decided against bothering her, since she was focused on landing the flying boat. A few minutes later, we arrived at the dock. This one was designed for flying magic treasures of all kinds, so it was a tower with multiple floors of piers. Sidra docked our flying boat at the top of the tower, registered our entry with the official there, before hiring a gondola to take us into the city proper.

As we headed towards Evenfall City, I dipped my hand in the water. It felt cool to the touch. With my spirit sense, I saw that the lake was a natural treasure filled with qi, though it wasn’t as rich as the areas in and around the Dawn and Dusk Sect. Still, it was enough to support a mid-sized clan or sect, or several smaller ones.

When we drew closer to Evenfall City proper, I saw just how bright and colorful the buildings were. Instead of garish, the colors gave the city a cheerful and festive air. Or maybe I could attribute that to the people, all of whom were cultivators.

Everyone smiled as they went about their business, as if everyone here was in a celebratory mood. They dressed in a variety of colors and styles as well, reminding me that cultivators, rogue cultivators in particular, were an eccentric bunch.

As we traveled through the canals, I saw several vendors who had set up floating stalls right on the water itself. They sold various kinds of snacks and drinks, all of which were filled with qi. Estelle bought a large box of honeyed almonds, which she shared with me and the others. I munched on them as I looked around.

The sound of music and singing filled the air, coming from a variety of sources. Yet, instead of clashing, the music and the singing seemed to blend together into a harmonious whole. Various scents reached my nostrils. Sweet, spicy, floral, etc. Like with the music, the various scents blended together in harmony instead of clashing.

Since Evenfall City was a city of cultivators, I expected to see shops for magic treasures, talismans, pills, technique manuals, and so on. Those were there. However, they were outnumbered by the shops that sold things like musical instruments, painting supplies, clothing, and paper and ink. Astra noticed my confusion and giggled.

“What is this place?” I asked.

“Most cultivators are either martial artists, masters of the mystic arts, or both,” Astra explained. “However, some are not. They choose a different path towards immortality. Spirit doctors and spirit chefs are two such examples.” She gestured to the city around us. “Evenfall City is for those who choose cultural pursuits as their path. Art, music, dancing, and so on.”

“The sects who founded Evenfall City are small and weak.” Sidra said, interjecting herself. “They’ve chosen to become associates and subsidiaries of the Dawn and Dusk Sect in exchange for our protection. This allows them to focus on their cultivation without having to worry about their safety.” She smiled. “That’s part of the reason why everyone here is in such a good mood.”

Armed with this new knowledge, I studied the city around me with greater appreciation. I noticed details that I missed before, or didn’t think too much about. There were a lot of schools here. Some focused on one cultural pursuit or another, such as painting or music, while others focused on a variety of them. There were also drinking establishments, tea shops, and pleasure houses. Lots and lots of pleasure houses, filled with both male and female courtesans.

I thought I was immune to beauty, since I grew up surrounded by beautiful men and women. However, I couldn’t have been more wrong. There were several men and women in Evenfall City who made my kin seem plain and average in comparison. Even Cultivator Aneira, one of the most beautiful women I knew, wouldn’t stand out here. My hunger stirred, enticed by everything I saw here. This included some of the more feminine men, which left me feeling confused and conflicted.

It took us some time, but we arrived at our destination, which turned out to be the palatial estate that I saw from the air earlier, the one shaped like a flower. However, seeing it this close, I realized that it wasn’t just shaped like a flower. It was a flower. Rather, the estate was built atop the petals of a giant lotus, one whose roots extended deep beneath the lake’s surface.

We disembarked from our gondola and approached the estate’s front gate. The lotus’ petals felt soft against my bare feet. A sign above the front gate, written in elegant calligraphy, said “Flowering Blossom Palace”.

My nervousness, which had disappeared as we traveled through Evenfall City, came back in full force. This was where I would learn the Demon Form innate ability and awaken my demonic nature, which would result in me losing control of myself for a time. I thought I was prepared for it, but now that I was here, I wasn’t so sure anymore. I stopped and stared at the gate.

“Are you okay, Little Demon?” Astra asked, touching my arm.

I gave her a crooked smile.

“I’m just nervous about what’s ahead.” I said.

Estelle let out a boisterous laugh.

“Don’t be such a worrywart, Little Demon.” She said, slapping me on the shoulder. The area she hit ached. “We’ll make sure that nothing happens to you, so run wild to your heart’s content.”

I looked down and frowned.

“I’m not worried about anything happening to me.” I said. “I’m worried that I’ll hurt others after I lose control of myself.”

I felt a hand on my shoulder. When I looked up, I saw that it was Sidra.

“Trust us, Little Demon.” Sidra said. “Each of us had to go through the same thing, so we know what you’re feeling. We took precautions to ensure that you don’t hurt anyone as you learn to control your demonic nature.”

I looked my eldest sister in the eyes, before nodding. Her words reassured me and I steeled my resolve.

“Thank you, Big Sis Sidra.” I said.

Sidra nodded, before turning around and leading us towards the gate of the Flowering Blossom Palace.

The gate opened of its own accord as we approached; at least, I assumed it opened of its own accord. I didn’t see any gatekeepers or watchers who could have opened it. On the other side was a courtyard made of gray stone. Tiles made of white stone formed a pathway leading from the front gate to the main building of the estate, a beautiful edifice built from wood and stone. Lanterns floated in the air above the courtyard, illuminating the entire area.

Flanking the white stone pathway were two rows of women, with each one rivaling Cultivator Aneira in beauty. They all wore gowns woven from the finest silks. All of them were in the Qi Condensation realm, ranging from mid Qi Condensation to peak Qi Condensation. The women bowed as we approached.

“Greetings, honored guests from the Dawn and Dusk Sect.” The women said, speaking in unison.

“Yes, welcome.” Another voice called out, one deep and sultry.

The women stood up from their bows as the door to the estate opened and a trio of women walked out. Two of them, the ones in the back, were both at peak Foundation Establishment. Like the Qi Condensation cultivators, they were quite beautiful and alluring. Both styled their long hair in a complicated arrangement. The two of them wore robes instead of gowns, though their attire was still resplendent. One wore violet robes, while the other wore pink robes.

However, it was the woman in the lead who drew the most attention. My eyes widened the moment I saw her. She wasn’t beautiful in the traditional sense, and yet I couldn’t take my eyes off of her.

The woman had smooth pale skin and long blonde hair that flowed down her back, like a golden waterfall. She studied us with light green eyes that glowed with an inner light. Her lips, painted red, were quirked up in a half-smirk. She wore a set of white and red robes. However, unlike the women behind her, she wore them loose, revealing just enough of her body to tantalize and tease. Her vast tracts of land rivaled Senior Sister Zenia’s and my hands twitched.

Most eye-catching of all were the fox tails that emerged from behind her. There were five of them in total, each one the same color as her hair. They moved around in an almost hypnotic manner. I found myself watching them in a daze before I managed to catch myself and look away.

A fox demon. Unlike other demon beasts, fox demons were rather special. They specialized in the mystic arts, trickery and illusion in particular. They also weren’t ranked like other demon beasts. Instead, they were ranked by the number of tails they had. The more tails a fox demon possessed, the more powerful it was. According to the legends, a nine-tailed fox demon was akin to a Demigod realm cultivator.

From what I could tell with my spirit sense, the fox demon woman seemed as powerful as a peak Golden Core cultivator. When she and her followers reached our group, they stopped and bowed.

“Greetings, Vice Hall Master Sidra.” The fox demon woman said. “You honor us with your presence.” She nodded to my other sisters. “You as well, Cultivator Estelle and Cultivator Astra.”

“Greetings, Palace Master Golden Lily.” Sidra said, speaking for our group.

Golden Lily? I assumed that this wasn’t her birth name. Over the past four years, I learned a bit more about cultivator culture. When they stepped onto the path towards immortality, some cultivators abandoned their birth names and adopted new monikers for themselves. These new names often reflected the particular path they walked or something else important to them.

“It is a pleasure to see you again.” Sidra said, gesturing to the fox demon woman. “You didn’t have to greet us yourself. You could have waited until we went inside.”

Palace Master Golden Lily chuckled.

“For esteemed guests such as yourselves, of course I had to.” She said. “It would be an insult to do otherwise.” Her eyes turned towards me. “Is this him?”

Sidra nodded and gestured for me to step forward. I obeyed, feeling more than a little trepidation.

“Palace Master Golden Lily, this is my younger brother, Darian Wind Dance.” Sidra said. “Darian, this is Golden Lily. She is the matriarch of the Flowering Blossom Palace and an old friend of our mother.”

“An old rival as well, in a certain sense of the word.” Palace Master Golden Lily said. “When we were both younger, we liked to compete for the same… prey.”

It didn’t take a genius to figure out what sort of prey she meant. The more I learned about my mother, the more I realized just how much of a… colorful character she was.

“Ah, but where are my manners?” Palace Master Golden Lily asked, clapping her hands together. “Come in, and enjoy the hospitality of the Flowering Blossom Palace.”

She turned around and led us towards the main building of the estate. The interior of the building was just as beautiful as the exterior. The smell of floral incense filled the air. Paintings and calligraphy scrolls decorated the walls, each one an exquisite work of art. More than one caught my eye, and I had to force myself to look away from them, otherwise I would have stood there for hours just appreciating them.

Palace Master Golden Lily led us to a receiving room filled with comfortable looking furniture. Lanterns placed at strategic locations provided low lighting, giving the room an intimate atmosphere. The smell of floral incense was even thicker in here, though I found it relaxing rather than cloying.

After we all sat down, the two Foundation Establishment cultivators who had accompanied Palace Master Golden Lily acted as maid servants and fetched light refreshments for everyone: spirit tea and small cakes. Afterwards, they stood behind their matriarch with their hands clasped in front of them.

“Now then,” Palace Master Golden Lily said after everyone had been served, “How much have you explained to young Darian here?”

“Nothing.” Sidra explained. “We decided to leave it up to you.”

Palace Master Golden Lily raised an eyebrow at that.

“Well then,” she said, “I better not disappoint.” She faced me. “Do you know why your older sisters brought you here, young Darian?”

“I can take a guess, yes.” I said in a sardonic voice.

Palace Master Golden Lily smirked at that.

“It’s not what you’re thinking.” She said. “Rather, it’s not just what you’re thinking. The core of our philosophy here at the Flowering Blossom Palace can be summarized in a single word: desire. While this seems simple, it is anything but. Desire is nuanced and multifaceted. There are many different kinds of desires, and we study all of them.” She sneered. “Some fools believe that cultivators must eschew all worldly desires and become ascetics. We believe the opposite. Our desires are a fundamental part of our being. It is part of what makes us, well, us. To deny our desires is to deny ourselves.” She nodded in my direction. “For you, this is even more true because of your demonic nature. In many ways, you are hunger and desire incarnate, like your mother. My own demonic nature is similar.”

I leaned forward as she spoke. Her words resonated with me on a fundamental level.

“However, one must control one’s desires instead of being controlled by them,” Palace Master Golden Lily said, her expression serious, “Otherwise, you’re no better than a mindless animal that exists to indulge its baser instincts. One must embrace one’s desires and master them.”

“The same way I must embrace and master my own demonic nature.” I said.

Palace Master Golden Lily nodded and smiled. I glanced at her lips, my eyes lingering on them for longer than necessary.

“Exactly.” She said. “However, before one can master one’s desires, one must experience them in full and lose oneself in them. Become the lowest of the low, a mere beast, and then rise above that state to become something more.”

As she spoke, Palace Master Golden Lily lifted her hand with the palm facing up to emphasize her point.

“To that end,” she continued, “When one of our outer disciples is ready to become an inner disciple, they go through a rite of passage called the Frenzy of Unchained Passion. Normally, we wouldn’t allow outsiders to participate in this sacred ritual, but we will make an exception for you. Now then, do you have any questions?”

“What exactly does this ‘Frenzy of Unchained Passion’ entail?” I asked with a frown.

From the name alone, it sounded like an intense experience.

“Well, you’ll have to go through it yourself to find out.” Palace Master Golden Lily said. “Any explanation on my part would just lessen the overall experience. However, I will say this. It will help you awaken your demonic nature.”

“Which in turn will help you master the Demon Form ability.” Sidra interjected.

I didn’t respond right away. While I still felt nervous, and even a little bit afraid, I also felt intrigued.

“Very well.” I said. “In that case, there’s no more point in hesitating. I’m ready.”

Palace Master Golden Lily chuckled.

“Excellent!” she said. “I like your enthusiasm.” She gestured to my sisters. “This is where you part ways. After you say your goodbyes, my disciples will lead you away and help you get ready for the Frenzy of Unchained Passion.”

I started. Oh. I thought my sister would come along to ensure nothing went wrong. However, now that I thought about it some more, it was a good thing they weren’t coming along. I didn’t want them to watch as I… Well, there were certain boundaries that needed to be maintained between siblings.

“Don’t worry,” Sidra said, “We’ll be in the area. However, you must go through the next part on your own, Little Demon.”

She smirked, as if she knew exactly what I was thinking.

“Well, I might pay a quick visit to Towering Oak Palace.” Estelle said. “I haven’t been there in a while.”

Astra just rolled her eyes at our second eldest sister, before giving me a sympathetic smile.

“Remember,” she said. “Don’t fight your hunger. Accept and embrace it. That is the key to mastering Demon Form.”

I nodded in thanks, before standing up. Palace Master Golden Lily clapped her hands together.

“Violet, Rose.” She said. “Please escort our guest here and help him prepare for the Frenzy of Unchained Passion.”

“Yes, Master.” The two Foundation Establishment cultivators behind her said.

Palace Master Golden Lily smiled at me.

“Just follow my disciples, young Darian.” She said. “They will take good care of you.”

I nodded and followed Cultivators Violet and Rose out of the room.