Demon of Dawn and Dusk

Over the next few hours, Willow and I went around Clear Basin City, asking about the disappearances while pretending to be newly arrived rogue cultivators. We focused mostly on the vendors and store owners, chatting with them while perusing their wares. I also used this as an opportunity to buy some more alchemy reagents for pill concocting and materials for magic treasure refining. Killing two birds with one stone.

One of the stores we went to sold jewelry, though all of them were mundane. None of them were magic treasures. However, the craftsmanship for the jewelry was exquisite, so the store made brisk business. While we talked with the store owner, who also assumed we were a married couple, I noticed that Willow kept glancing at a particular hairpin. It was made from silver and had a blossoming lotus at the end. In the center of the lotus was a pearl. I made a mental note to buy the hairpin later on.

Unfortunately, despite our efforts, we didn’t learn anything new. Nobody knew much about the disappearances. All they knew was that some rogue cultivators had gone missing. That was it. No one even knew where these rogue cultivators had gone missing, except that it was somewhere north of the city. Considering how large the Sacred Ironwood province was, this consisted of a large area. It would take us weeks, maybe even months, to search through it all.

We needed to narrow down our search area somehow. Otherwise, it would take us longer than half a year to find the cause of the disappearances. On top of that, we still needed to escort Cultivator Rexanne and Cultivator Albin to East Mesa City.

While we talked with the vendors and store owners, I noticed that there was an undercurrent of worry and tension in Clear Basin City. Some of the people were worried that the cause of the disappearances might come after them next. Others focused more on the economic impact the disappearances had on the city. Clear Basin City relied on the travelers heading north to the Howling Desert province and heading south to the Whispering Hills province. If those travelers stopped coming or chose to take different routes, then the people of Clear Basin City would lose their livelihoods.

I sighed in frustration as Willow and I walked out of another store. The two of us continued on our way, walking through the streets of the city.

‘I didn’t think it would be this difficult to find any leads.’ I complained, speaking to Willow through telepathy.

Willow chuckled.

‘This is only the first day, Darian,’ she said in an amused tone, ‘Be patient. I know you’re a fire cultivator, but it wouldn’t hurt to cool down. I’m sure we’ll find something if we keep looking. Besides, maybe the others succeeded.’

I glanced at Willow, before I let out another sigh.

‘You’re right.’ I said. ‘Persistence and perseverance will see us through.’ I gave her a wry smile. ‘I’m sorry that you have to put up with all of my whining.’

‘I think your frustrated expression is rather cute.’ Willow said. ‘It reminds me of when we first met. You used to blush at the slightest provocation. Nowadays, teasing you isn’t as fun anymore since you’re too used to it now.’

I gave her a sideways glance.

‘I’m beginning to think half the reason why you’re interested in me is because you like teasing me.’ I said.

‘That’s not true.’ Willow said in a mock offended tone. ‘It’s only a third at most.’

I laughed at that and some of my frustration melted away. My stomach chose that moment to grumble. Willow raised an eyebrow and smirked at me.

“It has been a while since breakfast.” She said. “Maybe we should take a break and eat an early lunch.”

I glanced up at the sun. It was late morning now, though we still had some time before we had to meet with the others. Getting something to eat sounded like a good idea to me.

“Let’s go.” I said. “Clear Basin City is famous for its fish, and I want to give it a try.”

It didn’t take Willow and I long to find a restaurant. It was a simple two-story wooden building built from Sacred Ironwood. The smell of fried fish filled the air, causing my stomach to grumble again. Since it was almost noon, and therefore close to lunchtime, the restaurant was packed. Most of the customers were rogue cultivators, though I noticed a few disciples from the nearby local sects. The sound of their chatter filled the air. A waitress, who seemed calm and composed despite the lunch rush, walked over to us.

“Greetings, fellow cultivators.” She said, giving us a wide smile. “As you can see, we are currently full, so it will be a while before we can seat you.” She gestured to a set of stairs that led to the second floor. “If you wish, I can seat you on the second floor, which is reserved for special guests. However, there is an entrance fee.”

Willow and I glanced at each other. While it pained me to part with more of my spirit stones, especially after my spending spree earlier today, I didn’t want to search for another restaurant. Given the time of day, I imagined that all of them were just as busy. Besides, if the second floor was reserved for special guests, then it should come with better service.

“We’ll take a table on the second floor.” I said, turning back to the waitress.

She named the entrance fee, five spirit stones, which I paid. After that, she led the two of us upstairs. It was much less busy on the second floor. There were fewer tables as well, which left plenty of space between each one. The only other people here were a group of disciples from a local sect. The quality of their uniforms suggested that this particular sect was more prosperous than the others.

The waitress sat us at another table, before handing each of us a menu. While Willow and I perused the menus, the waitress disappeared and returned moments later with a pot of spirit tea.

“On the house.” She said, before disappearing again.

We thanked her, before pouring tea for ourselves. It smelled like peaches. I took a sip and a subtle peach flavor washed over my tongue.

“This is better than the spirit tea I have back at home.” I said, staring down at my cup. “I’ll have to buy some before we leave.”

“You’re right.” Willow said with a surprised look on her face. “I’m not a big tea drinker, but I might have to buy some as well.”

The two of us sipped our tea while looking over the menu. After we made our selection, I started to raise my hand to summon a server. However, before I could, the waitress from before appeared. She must have been keeping an eye on us. We made our order. Together, Willow and I ordered enough food for six people. I was a demon of hunger and desire, while Willow was a physical refiner. The two of us had large appetites. The waitress looked surprised by this, but refrained from saying anything.

After she left, Willow and I talked about inconsequential topics while we waited for our food to arrive. We didn’t have to wait long. Soon, the waitress and another server arrived with all of our food. We ordered so much that she needed help carrying it all. Since we were in Clear Basin City, we ordered several fish dishes.

In a word, the food was divine. The restaurant’s cook must have been a skilled spirit chef, because I hadn’t had food this delicious since Ellen left for East Mesa City. My demonic nature demanded to be fed and I indulged it. Willow smirked at me when she heard my moans. The disciples nearby gave me dirty looks, but I ignored them.

While we ate, the waitress who served us before brought up another group of cultivators to the second floor. There were four of them, two men and two women. Based on the way they were dressed, I guessed they were rogue cultivators, though I paid them no mind beyond that. I focused most of my attention on my food. At least I did, until I overheard the rogue cultivators’ conversation.

“Where is he?” One of them said in a worried tone. She was a young woman wearing blue robes. “He’s a month late! What if something happened to him?”

My ears perked up at that, and I shared a glance with Willow. It seemed as if she had heard it too. I continued eating, but focused my spirit sense on the group of rogue cultivators.

“Be at peace, Sister Blue.” An older man wearing yellow robes said. He spoke in a soothing tone. Despite this, I noticed a hint of worry in his voice. “Brother Gray is the strongest among us. I’m sure he’s fine. He just went to go visit his family. What could go wrong? I’m sure he’s just running late.”

“Sister Blue is right.” A young man said. This one wore red robes. “What if something happened to Brother Gray? You heard the rumors. People like us have been disappearing over the past few months now. What if the same thing happened to Brother Gray?”

“Shh.” An older woman said, the final member of the group. She wore azure robes. “Be quiet! The city lord has been trying to keep a lid on the disappearances. You don’t want the guards to come for us, do you?”

The group changed topics and started talking about something else. However, it didn’t matter. I had heard enough.

‘Shall we find out what they know?’ I asked, speaking to Willow through telepathy.

‘Not right now.’ She replied. ‘Let us wait until nightfall and speak with them then. That way, we can avoid any prying eyes.’

I nodded. True. If a group of cultivators was responsible for the disappearances, then they might have people keeping an eye on Clear Basin City. It was better to be cautious and prudent, just in case.

‘Let us inform the others using a transmission talisman.’ I said. ‘That way, they don’t become worried.’

Willow nodded. The two of us continued with our meal while keeping an eye on the group of rogue cultivators. After we finished eating, I paid the bill and included a large tip for the waitress. She was ecstatic about that and bade us to return any time.

By some coincidence, the disciples from the local sect finished eating at the same time as us. When we left the restaurant, I heard one of them mutter something about “degenerate freaks” in a low voice while they were walking away. That caught my attention.

“What can you expect from a pair of rogue cultivators?” Another one asked in a derisive tone.

I rolled my eyes and ignored them. At least, that was my intention, until I heard what they said next.

“Did you see that woman with him?” one of them asked. “She looks like a gorilla with those muscles of hers. No wonder she’s with a freak like him. Only a degenerate would be attracted to a bestial woman like her.”

I stilled and it took all of my self control not to rush over to those disciples and beat them within an inch of their lives. They could insult me all they want, their words meant nothing to me, but how dare they insult Willow? In fact, why was I holding back? They were a group of Qi Condensation whelps. I could beat them with my eyes closed and one arm tied behind my back.

Just as I turned to teach those bastards a lesson, Willow put a hand on my shoulder. I looked at her and she shook her head.

‘Don’t.’ Willow said through telepathy. ‘It’s not worth it. We’re trying to avoid attention, remember?’ She gave me a wry smile. ‘Besides, they’re not wrong. I am a beast of a woman. There’s nothing cute or feminine about me.’

Hearing Willow put herself down like that just made me angrier. However, she was right about one thing. We wanted to avoid attracting attention. Otherwise, I would have taught those arrogant bastards a lesson.

Still, I couldn’t let this stand.

‘Stay here and wait for those cultivators.’ I said. ‘I’ll be right back. There’s something I need to do.’

Willow narrowed her eyes at me and tightened her grip on my shoulder.

‘Don’t worry,’ I said, ‘I’m not going to do anything stupid. Trust me.’

Willow didn’t respond, but she did let go of my shoulder. After that, I headed off. Half an hour later, I returned. Willow remained in the same place as before, keeping an eye on the restaurant. It seemed as if the group of cultivators hadn’t finished eating yet. Perfect. Willow raised an eyebrow at me when she saw me.

“Here.” I said, holding out a small box to her.

Willow blinked at me, before she took the box and opened it. Inside was the silver lotus hairpin that I noticed her eyeing before. Her eyes widened when she saw it. She looked at me.

“I saw you looking at it earlier.” I said. “I planned on buying it for you later, but those brats pissed me off so I decided to buy it now.”

Willow’s eyes danced with delight. However, that soon faded away and she shook her head.

“I can’t accept this.” She said. “It doesn’t suit someone like me.”

“Shut up.” I said. “Don’t talk about yourself like that.”

Willow blinked at me in surprise.

“You are beautiful and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.” I said. “Don’t listen to the opinions of blind fools.” I grabbed her hand and started tracing the lines of her palm. “Yes, you are tall and muscular. However, you are beautiful because of that, not despite it. Your physique is a result of your hard work and dedication. How could that be anything but beautiful?”

Willow’s jaw dropped and she stared at me for several seconds, before blushed and tried to hide her face behind her free arm.

“I can see why Master warned me not to go on this mission.” She said. “You are far too charming for your own good. No wonder your family has a reputation.”

I snorted.

“Well, we are demons of hunger and desire.” I said. “Now, look at me.”

Willow resisted at first, but she complied in the end. I took the silver lotus hair pin from the box and placed it in her hair. It was a little difficult, since she kept her hair short, but I managed in the end. Afterwards, I took a moment to study my handiwork.

“Cute.” I said.

Willow’s blush deepened. Despite this, she reached over to grasp my hand.

“You better take responsibility for making me feel this way.” She said.

I smiled at her. However, at that moment, we noticed the group of rogue cultivators exiting the restaurant. Willow’s blush disappeared and a serious expression took its place. No traces of the shy maiden remained. Instead, a warrior and a divine demon of the Dawn and Dusk Sect took her place. Yet, I knew that both were one and the same person.

With that, the two of us followed the group of rogue cultivators, hoping to find a lead on what was causing the disappearances.

Willow and I spent the rest of the day trailing after the group of rogue cultivators. In order to avoid attracting their attention and suspicion, we followed them from a fair distance away. As Foundation Establishment cultivators, our spirit sense far out-ranged theirs, meaning that we could follow them from several blocks away without issue.

To avoid worrying the others, Willow and I sent them messages using our transmission talismans. When he realized that we found a lead, Elliot ordered us to continue as we were. The rest of our group would pursue other avenues of investigation. With that out of the way, Willow and I devoted all of our attention to the group of rogue cultivators.

From what we observed, their cultivator names corresponded with the color of their robes. Blue, Red, Azure, and Yellow. We watched as they wandered about the city, perusing the shops and interacting with the local residents. Our spirit sense allowed us to eavesdrop on their conversations with ease. From what we gathered, they were in Clear Basin City to purchase supplies before continuing on their journey. It turned out that they were on their way to the Dawn and Dusk Sect to take the entrance exam.

Oh right. The previous entrance exam took place five years ago, so the next one was right around the corner. It slipped my mind. I felt some regret that I wouldn’t be able to observe the exam or participate in the feast afterwards. This mission would take months to complete. By the time we made it back home, it would be well after the entrance exam ended.

Willow and I also watched as the group of rogue cultivators also asked about any travelers who arrived from the north. It seemed that one of their number, Brother Gray, should have arrived in Clear Basin City some time ago. However, he was missing. They suspected that something happened to him, but refrained from saying too much to avoid attracting attention from the city guards.

By mid-afternoon, the group of rogue cultivators retired for the night and returned to the inn they were staying at. Once we realized this, Willow and I contacted the others and told them what we observed. Elliot said that they would head to our location. Willow and I went to a nearby teahouse and waited for them. The others joined us an hour later.

None of them looked happy. Cultivator Rexanne wore a grumpy expression on her face, and even Cultivator Albin seemed tired. Cultivator Isabella looked the same as always, which was annoyed, while Elliot wore an indifferent expression on his face. The four of them sat down at our table, before ordering some tea and snacks. Afterwards, Elliot put up a barrier to ensure that no one eavesdropped on our conversation.

“I hope you found something, Brother Flamewind.” Cultivator Albin said, frowning. He nursed a cup of tea. “Sister Hammer and I spent all day asking around with nothing to show for it.”

“I hope so as well.” Elliot said. “Sister Black Saber and I learned some things from the city lord, but nothing substantial”

Willow and I glanced at each other, before we gave the others a quick summary of what we found out. They remained silent, eating snacks and drinking tea, until we finished.

“You two did well.” Elliot said, giving us both a small smile.

“Assuming that this Brother Gray’s disappearance is related to the others.” Cultivator Isabel said. “However, it’s better than nothing.”

I resisted the urge to snort. Even when complimenting us, Cultivator Isabel found a way to be abrasive about it.

“What did you find out from the city lord, Brother Sand Fang?” I asked.

“Not much,” Elliot said. “The disappearances started about a year ago. However, only one or two people disappeared at a time, so no one noticed anything for a while. It didn’t help that the people who disappeared were rogue cultivators, who roam about a lot and often have little ties to the places they visit.” He sipped his tea. “None of the people who disappeared were above mid Foundation Establishment, so we should be able to deal with the cause, whatever it is.”

We all nodded. We had four early Foundation Establishment cultivators, one mid Foundation Establishment cultivators, and one late Foundation Establishment cultivator. In a place like the Sacred Ironwood province, we were a formidable force.

“Now then,” Elliot said, “Let us go and have a talk with these rogue cultivators. With any luck, they’ll know something useful.”