Chapter 2: Nothing But A Joke

In the small wooden cabin, a flash of black blade light erupted.
Whoosh!
The fierce blade aura extinguished the candle.
Even the wind and rain that had poured into the cabin seemed to freeze at that moment.
Crack!
Juliana couldn't see what was happening around her. In the darkness, she heard an unmistakable slashing sound.
Then, silence filled the cabin.
Juliana could clearly hear her own racing heartbeat.
Despite being a noble Lady, educated and intelligent, she was still just a young woman.
It was impossible for her not to be afraid in the face of a demonic wolf.
The pungent smell of blood began to fill the air.
Juliana clenched her hands tightly. She couldn't tell if the source of the bloody scent was the young man in black or the Three-eyed Blood Wolf.
Suddenly, the candle reignited.
It illuminated the cold, stern face of the young man in black.
At the doorway, the Blood Wolf's massive head lay neatly severed. Its jaws were agape as it lay dead.
All three of its eyes held a look of terror, as if it had seen a fearsome predator.
The night grew even quieter.
In the distance, the howls of the remaining wolves echoed, sounding all chilling and eerie.
It wasn't until the young man kicked the wolf's head out the door and closed it again that Juliana realized she was safe.
Juliana's mouth dropped open, and she looked at the young man in disbelief.
That was a demonic wolf, capable of swallowing a cultivator!
Yet, it had been beheaded with a single strike.
It was as if the young man hadn't killed a demonic wolf, but just an ordinary stray dog that had wandered into his home.
To the young man, killing a demon was like killing a dog.
"Thank you for saving me. I will repay this kindness in the future," Juliana said softly, slowly dispelling the fear from her heart.
"No need for thanks. I chased it for dozens of miles last month and was exhausted by the end, only for it to escape. I should be the one thanking you."
The young man lay on the wooden bed, holding his blade.
"You've saved me, and I won't forget it. May I ask for your name?" Juliana asked.
"Adrian Waller."
Juliana was momentarily surprised. He had a rare name.
"There's an old set of my clothes in the chest. They're clean. If you're not worried about catching a cold, you can choose not to change," Adrian said, holding his blade and turning to face the wall, his back to Juliana.
Juliana had already been shivering from the cold. Her soaked robe clung to her body, making her uncomfortable.
She bit her lip, hesitating for a moment.
"I believe you're a good person."
She spoke softly. Then, the woman went to locate a set of Adrian's old clothes and began changing.
The rustling sound was particularly clear in the quiet of the midnight hour.
Adrian suddenly opened his eyes.
His gaze was sharp and cold. The blade in his arms slowly slid out of its sheath.
The sharp blade glimmered, reflecting the candlelight and everything behind him.
Adrian's expression changed, shifting to one of shock and awe.
"It's so big..."
"What?" Juliana, who had just finished changing, asked in confusion.
"The rain... it's pouring." Adrian's voice was as calm as ever.
At some point, it had started raining heavily again outside, and the sound of raindrops drowned out the distant wolf howls.
"The pack is still out there," Juliana stated worriedly.
"They won't dare come in. Figure out your own sleeping arrangements. I'm going back to sleep."
Adrian yawned, and soon his soft snores could be heard.
Juliana couldn't help but admire his courage as he fell asleep so quickly with the demonic wolves lurking outside.
She sat by the wooden table, staring at the flickering candle flame.
Memories of the crises she had faced on this journey filled her mind. She thought of the guards and the elder who had been devoured by the demonic wolf, and her heart grew heavier.
Juliana was exhausted, and she soon fell asleep at the table.
She had a nightmare.
In the small wooden cabin, there was a creature even scarier than the wolves, baring its fangs and claws at her.
Juliana awoke with a start in the early morning, jolted from her nightmare.
The howling outside had stopped.
The young man in black lay sprawled on the wooden bed, looking nothing like the cold warrior who had slain the demon the night before. His mouth hung open slightly, with drool at the corner of his lips, mumbling something about "big" in his sleep.
Juliana couldn't help but smile wryly, wondering about the content of his dream.
The young man was about her age, yet he lived alone in the deep mountains—he must have endured hardships that no one else knew about.
Juliana tried to recall where she had heard of the tradition of building graves before death.
Adrian soon woke up, pulled out a sharp boning knife, and went outside. In less than a quarter of an hour, he had skinned the wolf.
He returned to the cabin, packed the wolf's pelt into a black bag, and slung it over his shoulder. "I'm heading to town. Are you coming?"
"Sephton Town? I'd like to go too." Juliana nodded, feeling amazed.
That was a giant wolf, taller than a man. Even a skilled hunter would need over an hour to skin it, but Adrian had done it in just moments!
"Then, let's go. But just so we're clear, you're buying breakfast," Adrian said, pushing the door open.
In the daylight, Juliana saw her surroundings clearly for the first time.
The wooden cabin was built halfway up the mountain, with a steep ravine behind it of unknown depth.
She had stumbled through the dark the night before without knowing where she was going. If she had fallen into the ravine, she wouldn't have survived.
Fear crept into her then. Juliana was about to step forward when she suddenly froze at the doorway. Her beautiful eyes filled with terror.
"What's wrong? Let's go," Adrian said, puzzled.
"We can't go! The wolf's spirit is still here!"
Juliana stared straight behind Adrian.
A massive, blood-red wolf spirit floated outside the cabin, looking terrifying and grotesque.
"You can see spirits?" Adrian didn't turn around but looked at Juliana with interest.
"I'm special—I'm a natural psychic. I can see spirits and ghosts, and I can communicate with weaker spirits. But this wolf's spirit is too strong for me to control. It will kill us," Juliana said gravely.
"A psychic body, huh? That's rare. Here, take this and you won't need to be afraid."
Adrian removed his blade and handed it to her.
The blade was heavy, and Juliana had to use all her strength to hold it.
It was cold. Even through the sheath, she could feel its bone-chilling frost.
It felt like she was holding a piece of ice that had been frozen for millennia, not a blade.
Juliana sensed the blade possessed immense power—perhaps enough to contend with the wolf spirit. But she couldn't understand how merely holding it would protect her from the spirit.
Meanwhile, Adrian, now weaponless, walked toward the spirit. If the wolf spirit possessed him, his soul would collapse instantly.
"What about you?"
Juliana called out in alarm as she saw Adrian walk out unprotected.
"I'm not some scared little girl," Adrian said dismissively.
"That's not just any spirit! The wolf spirit is dangerous—it could possess you and destroy your soul!"
Juliana's voice grew urgent as Adrian approached the wolf spirit.
But then she watched in shock as the wolf spirit moved away as Adrian drew near, refusing to get close.
How was that possible?
Juliana was stunned, her mouth agape, unable to speak.
"Come on, let's go. If we wait too long, lunch will be much more expensive than breakfast," Adrian urged.
Juliana hugged the blade tightly, carefully making her way around the wolf spirit.
The spirit seemed unable to touch her either, hovering silently above the cabin, howling in frustration.
"Why aren't you afraid of the wolf spirit?" Juliana asked in astonishment.
"If you kill enough living creatures, you'll accumulate killing intent. Enough killing intent will condense into a malevolent aura. Against enough of that, ghosts are nothing but a joke."
Adrian laughed, picked up the wolf's head, and hurled it into the ravine behind the cabin.
Juliana listened, not quite believing his words.
She touched a small metal tag hanging from the blade's sheath—a rusty, black iron plaque.
Engraved on it were three words: Demon Slayer Division.
Upon seeing the tag, Juliana finally remembered where she had heard of the tradition of building graves before death.
It was from the Demon Slayer Division, a special agency established by the Paranormal Investigation Bureau of the former Yategold Empire!
Bang!
The sound of the wolf's head falling into the ravine echoed distantly.
Juliana turned her head.
Countless black crows suddenly took flight from above the coffin-shaped cabin.
These crows fed on carrion and only appeared in great numbers at mass burial sites. Their presence could only mean one thing.
The ravine was filled with countless bodies!
Shocked, Juliana followed Adrian down the mountain.
As she walked, her mind was filled with thoughts of the Demon Slayer Division.
The former Yategold Empire had waged a war against the northern Monster City—a war that ended in mutual destruction. The emperor perished, the top warriors of the army were all killed, and the Yategold Empire, exhausted and weakened, was soon replaced by the Juyeoda Empire.
Even though Monster City had fallen, the Juyeoda Empire still faced a proliferation of demonic creatures. The Juyeoda government established its own Paranormal Investigation Bureau, tasked with handling supernatural cases.
But unlike the previous dynasty, the Paranormal Investigation Bureau had no Demon Slayer Division.
Not for lack of desire, but because they couldn't recruit those unique warriors from the former Demon Slayer Division.
According to historical records, the Demon Slayer Division was composed of a mysterious group of warriors, different from ordinary martial artists. Their vitality was immense, their combat skills extraordinary, and the strongest among them could kill monsters with sheer physical power, making their living by hunting demons for rich rewards.
The Demon Slayer Division had a unique tradition: once someone became a demon slayer, they would build their own tomb.
They would create a grand grave, leaving behind a lock of hair as a stand-in for their future remains.
Because the fate of a demon slayer was always the same.
To die in battle and leaving no corpse behind.
Fifteen years ago, during the great war, the Yategold Demon Slayer Division had been the main force resisting Monster City. They all perished alongside the emperor.
And with that, the fearsome Demon Slayer Division became nothing more than words in the annals of history.
Watching the young man in black walking confidently ahead, Juliana never imagined she would meet a descendant of the Demon Slayer Division!
A new hope sprouted in her heart.
The Paranormal Investigation Bureau, though filled with skilled practitioners, struggled to deal with the numerous demons causing trouble across the land. Their efforts were often limited to driving away these creatures rather than eliminating them, resulting in a never-ending cycle.
They would drive away one wave of demons, only for them to resurface elsewhere, bringing suffering to more innocent people.
But the former Demon Slayer Division was different!
As the name implied, the Demon Slayer Division upheld a principle of complete extermination.
Whenever they found a demon, they would eradicate it without hesitation—no matter the cost!
If the Juyeoda Empire could establish something akin to the former Demon Slayer Division, the common people might finally have a chance at peace, no longer waiting year after year for the elusive protection of the Demonbinder Formation, only to face endless disappointment.
No one knew better than Juliana how difficult it was to create a Demonbinder Formation.
It was not only time-consuming and labor-intensive, but it also required a rare spiritual flower, which was nearly impossible to find. Since she was six years old, Juliana had traveled far and wide in search of such flowers, and in over a decade, she had only found one—thanks to her incredible luck. Otherwise, she might have gone her entire life without finding one.
Even when a flower was found, it wasn't easy to collect.
The spiritual flower was a rare treasure, often guarded by powerful demons.
The fight for the last flower had cost the Paranormal Investigation Bureau over a dozen skilled practitioners, injured many more, and sacrificed the lives of over a thousand elite Imperial Guards.
As Juliana made her way down the mountain, her mind was filled with thoughts of the Demon Slayer Division. By the time she came to her senses, they had already entered a small town.