“Prosperous and peaceful, a scene of rising harmony,” Xiang Xian answered. “The Liao Kingdom has fallen, the Jin People are not yet a threat, and the Great Song has no major enemies. The court revels in song and dance.”
Xiao Kun watched Xiang Xian’s movements as the latter lay down on the spot, using his Pei Sword as a pillow.
“Your weapon is famous,” Xiao Kun said.
“You know about it too?” Xiang Xian guessed that during his exchange with the evil scholar, Xiao Kun had been lurking nearby and heard everything.
“A hereditary divine weapon,” Xiang Xian picked up the Pei Sword and said. “Not many can draw it. You’re one of them.”
He generously offered the Pei Sword to Xiao Kun, who did not take it but stared at the blade. The scabbard was made of leather, engraved with ancient talismanic runes. Though sheathed, a faint golden light leaked from within.
“You’re Shen Kuo’s disciple,” Xiao Kun said. “How old are you?”
“Two years younger than you.” Seeing Xiao Kun refuse the sword, Xiang Xian pillowed it under his head again and lay back down.
Xiao Kun hesitated slightly, realizing Xiang Xian had seen the birth paper in his bundle. He thought for a moment and said, “But Shen Kuo died nearly thirty years ago.”
Xiang Xian casually replied, “Rumor has it he lived to sixty-four, but that was just an excuse for his seclusion in cultivation. He lived another twenty-plus years in hiding and passed away seven years ago.”
“Mm.” Xiao Kun nodded.
“You’ve pried so much out of me. Won’t you say something about yourself?” Xiang Xian said.
Xiao Kun did not answer and asked instead, “What is the Exorcism Division’s duty?”
Xiang Xian replied, “Exorcism and demon capture, with countering the ‘Heavenly Demon Reincarnation’ as the ultimate goal.”
“What is the Heavenly Demon?”
“Born from aggregated human baleful qi, it attaches to the ‘Demon Seed’ and gestates into the Heavenly Demon. When the Heavenly Demon manifests, the Shenzhou Great Land will turn to scorched earth. You know this too?”
Xiao Kun finished his flatbread, brushed the crumbs from his martial robe, and said nothing.
“The last Heavenly Demon Rebirth was over three hundred years ago, in the fourteenth year of Great Tang’s Tianbao era,” Xiang Xian murmured to himself. “The one before that was in the eighth year of Jin’s Taiyuan.”
“Exactly,” Xiao Kun said. “Why does the Heavenly Demon reincarnate?”
Xiang Xian suddenly realized Xiao Kun knew a great deal and took the conversation seriously. He sat up and sized him up.
“You’re an exorcist too,” Xiang Xian understood.
From Xiao Kun’s knowledge of the Heavenly Demon Reincarnation, Xiang Xian knew he was a fellow practitioner.
“Now it’s my turn to ask,” Xiao Kun said gravely.
Xiang Xian spread his hands. “How should I know? It reincarnates if it wants to; what can I do about it?”
Xiang Xian lay back down. Xiao Kun explained, “Wars rage frequently, slaughter abounds. From the Southern Jin and Northern Wei to the Five Barbarians entering the pass, the resentment of the dead has nowhere to go. It accumulates in the world as baleful qi, the soil and nourishment that the Demon Race draws power from.
“The Yao Clan, Human Race, and Immortal Race cultivate on the foundation of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy, ceaselessly pursuing the Heavenly Dao. The Demon Race, however, feeds on baleful qi. They absorb the lingering malice, and the most powerful among them is the ‘Demon Seed’ left from ancient times in the human world. This seed is the origin of the Heavenly Demon. If left unchecked, it absorbs baleful qi and grows into the Heavenly Demon.
“Over three hundred years ago, the Heavenly Demon successfully reincarnated. Great Tang’s towering structures crumbled, Shenzhou became scorched earth, and endless civil strife followed. In the ensuing wars of the warring states, tens of millions died in mutual conquests between nations. Fortunately, the Heavenly Demon was ultimately slain by the Wisdom Sword, dispersing the baleful qi back to heaven and earth. To prevent the Demon’s rebirth, Demon King Ba She of the Yao Clan swallowed the shattered Demon Seed, sealing it with his own cultivation base.”
“Yet after Ba She’s fall and the Demon Seed’s unknown fate, now over three hundred years later, history is about to repeat. Just in the Yanyun Sixteen Prefectures alone, millions of civilians have died in the wars,” Xiao Kun continued. “The baleful qi is nearly uncontrollable. The Heavenly Demon is about to reincarnate once more.”
Xiang Xian said, “According to the Exorcism Division’s predictions, the Heavenly Demon’s revival will happen within this century.”
“A century is long,” Xiao Kun sighed almost imperceptibly. “We may not even live that long. But for the battle against the Heavenly Demon, we must prepare fully.”
Xiang Xian fell silent, pondering Xiao Kun’s words.
“Where is the Heart Lamp?” Xiao Kun asked next.
At the mention of “Heart Lamp,” Xiang Xian’s expression changed.
“I don’t know,” Xiang Xian answered truthfully. “The Great Song Exorcism Division has been searching for the Heart Lamp for years. After the previous Heart Lamp Master vanished into seclusion, it hasn’t appeared again.”
Meeting Xiao Kun’s eyes, Xiang Xian saw that faint indigo-blue glow once more.
Xiang Xian said, “Do you have leads? Legend says the Heart Lamp and Wisdom Sword are the key weapons against demons. The Heavenly Demon’s world-ending day is unknown, but to face this catastrophe, the Heart Lamp is essential.”
