Chapter 13: Deal

Wei Xin shivered. The girl's eyes were yellow, her pupils thin; he felt her snaky stare crawling over his body.

She wasn't human.

"Who are you?" She asked, her voice harsh and overbearing.

"…"

Xin stayed silent trying to calm down.

Right, some beasts are capable of taking human's form, they can even speak, but he knew: inside all of them were savage hunters. He won't make the same mistake twice.

"Hm, be silent if you wish. Your identity is not important."

The girl snorted and said:

"I propose a deal for you, let me free and I will reward you greatly."

Suddenly, Xin also got an urge to snort. He finally calmed down. Looking at her with a mocking gaze he said:

"Are you stupid?"

The girl's body immediately trembled, her eyes opened wide; now Xin could see them more clearly. It scared him for a bit, but soon he braced himself and continued, now with a haughty smile:

"Only very stupid animals are still using this trick. I'm ten already, I won't fall for it."

Does he really look like an idiot? Or is it his age? That monster surely doesn't have any talent in judging people.

Meanwhile, the girl was enraged; she gritted her teeth and hissed:

"I'm not deceiving you, it's a deal. Free me and I will award you!"

"I'm not going to believe a beast. And what do you have? Human bones collection?"

"What bones, who do you think I am!?"

Xin could only shake his head. Some people are simply unwilling to give up.

Not surprising that Ying Zheng didn't want her to stay in his house. That girl could scream all night it let loose.

"…and don't call me a beast, you filthy monkey. I am a godly creature!"

The girl was still protesting. Her voice was still harsh but it wasn't so calm anymore. Moreover, the overbearing tone, despite the words she was speaking, was lost.

"What are you?" Xin became interested. He's never heard of anyone like that girl. Maybe that's why Ying Zheng wanted to keep her hidden?

"I'm… I can't tell you." At once her voice went calm. Wei Xin was so surprised by that metamorphose that almost fell down.

"Why?"

"Because he might hear, that terrible man." The girl suddenly became nervous.

Xin, being amazed at how quickly she was changing her mood, continued to ask:

"Are you talking about Ying Zheng?"

"Yes, he… I'm not sure I can tell you, you might get into his list."

"List?" Xin looked around: only grass and stars, nothing else. Ying Zheng's house was close but the windows were closes, he shouldn't hear them from here.

"Please tell." It would've been better if he simply ignored the girl, but curiosity was too strong in him.

"Good, if you wish... The true is, Ying Zhen is a huge pervert. He has a goal of copulating with all species in the world. I'm still safe only because I'm in my human form so he can't determine mine kind. Otherwise, he would have ravaged me already. As for the list, it consists of people who have learned about his dark nature. He deals with them the same way..."

"Really?!" Wei Xin felt deep shock, then shiver. For a first time, he wanted his great imagination to simply shut up.

"Yes, for example, I've seen with my own eyes as he was trying to mount a Jade Snail…"

"Lies!"

Wei Xin turned back. At some point Ying Zheng appeared there, his face full of anger.

"Ahahahahaha!" The girl began to laugh hysterically, her face wasn't pale anymore, and voice no more sounded harsh. For a second, Xin felt as if she was just a simple young girl. But then she opened her eyes and with a mocking smile looked at him. Wait, no, she was looking at Ying Zheng.

"So you knew I was spying?" He asked with an ugly expression on his face.

"Of course, you perfidious fool. Or you thought you could deceive me with that boy? He isn't much younger than you, however definitely smarter."

The girl smirked. There was a look of deep self-satisfaction on her face.

"Well, that was expectable." Ying Zheng rubbed his eye and looked at the ground.

Wei Xin's mind went silent for a second. Everything that has happened was quite confusing for him; it seems Ying Zheng isn't a rapist, maybe. Just in a case, he decided to depart. But as he was about to walk away...

"Wait." Xin froze and looked at him. Ying Zheng, in turn, looked at the girl. Was he speaking to her?

"I'm sorry about trying to fool you." Slowly said Ying Zheng, emphasizing each word.

"Everyone makes mistakes, so how about a fair exchange then?"

"Exchange?" There was disdain in the girl's voice.

"What exchange? Are you trying to sell me the freedom you took away? Is it fair to take someone hostage and then ransom them for their possessions? Surely, it's a "fair" exchange."

At this point, Xin was sure that she hated Ying Zheng.

"No, it isn't. And it isn't what I'm talking about. I will take you to your homeland if you agree."

The girl seemed surprised. She was silent for several seconds, then said:

"Homeland? You don't even know what I am."

"I do, you can pretend whatever you want, but I know that you are a demon. And I know about the Demon Empire, too. Before you ask, there are several sources. Some legends I've heard from intelligent beasts, ancient stories told to old turtle by her grandmother. Little fragments, but more than enough to deduce its location. And I fairly sure that in your current state you will never be able to get there alone. So you need my help, as for exchange, give me the Demonic Light cultivation method."

The girl seemed startled, but almost instantly she calmed down. It was so fast that Xin wasn't even sure that it's happened.

"You are a capable man, Ying Zheng. However, how can I trust you?"

Asked the girl, now without mockery in her voice.

"Simple, I will escort you there first, then you'll give me the method."

"And you are going to trust me?"

"No, kid!"

Me? Thought Wei Xin and pointed a finger at himself.

"We will take him. You'll teach him the method during our little journey and if by the end of it there won't be any problems, and believe me, I'm capable of noticing them, I will be sure that you have given me the right thing. I know that some of that stuff can make a person into a slave, but with the kid as a third party, I will be safe.

The girl closed her eyes, thinking hard about the proposal. At last, she said:

"I agree, but what about him?"

"The kid? What a fine demon you are to care about his opinion. Say, kid, do you want power?"

"Yes." Wei Xin answered unconsciously. There were no other answers to that question either way.

"How about that, you will go on a short… Two years, I think, trip. No, it will be four if we count the time to return. Four years trip and you will become strong, at least stronger than without it. Do you agree?"

If it was the Wei Xin of a month ago, he would say "Yes!" and would've been happy with that, but now…

"Will it be dangerous?"

Ying Zheng looked at him, straight into eyes.

"Yes, very. I'm not going to lie there."

"Then I need to think." Answered Xin.

"Good enough with me, I give you two days. Well then…"

Ying Zheng walked to the cage and lifted it.

"Let's go, birdie." He said with a smile.

"Free me first."

"Also reasonable." Ying Zheng shrugged and shouted: "Kid, give me the key."

After the cage opened the girl jumped out.

She wasn't any bigger than Xin, even slightly shorter. Her red dress was dragging on the ground, its edges trembling in the wind. Her hair was reflecting the moon's shine. Ying Zheng has swiftly retreated to his home, now she was all alone, between the endless sky and the dark earth. Somehow, she was more attractive to Xin's eyes than either of them and together they made unforgettable scenery. That picture mesmerized him.

Her yellow eyes shined and looked at him:

"Think hard about that, boy. It can be very dangerous. You understand?"

"Y-yeah." He answered, awakening from the daze.

"Good." After that, she also walked to Ying Zheng's house. Xin's gaze followed her until the door.

Now there was no one except him, grass and stars. He felt excitement but his mind was trying to calm it down.

With many different currents in his head merging he stepped onto the road.