C23 A Calf

Xiaowu abruptly stood up, his hand shaking as he clutched his sword and scanned the courtyard. Despite the vast space, there was no one to be seen, and the only sound was the occasional wail emanating from the firewood shed.

"How odd, I definitely saw a flash of green light just now. Where did it go?" Xiaowu mused, scratching his head in bewilderment before his attention settled on the firewood shed before him.

Swallowing hard, Xiaowu steeled his nerves and moved to investigate. Inside the shed, Qin Biao gripped a dagger, peering through the door's crack at Xiaowu outside. He was ready to strike at the right moment, take Xiaowu down, and then make his escape.

As Xiaowu reached for the door, Qin Biao's heart raced, his fingers tensed around the dagger, poised for a surprise attack.

Suddenly, a man's voice from upstairs broke the silence: "Xiaowu, what's gotten into you, causing a ruckus at this hour?"

Startled by the unexpected shout, Xiaowu nearly leaped out of his skin. He spun around to see Senior Brother Lee at the window, looking down at him with an irritated expression, clearly disturbed by the noise.

Scratching his head, Xiaowu replied sheepishly, "It's nothing... I thought I saw a mouse scurry by..."

Senior Brother Lee, clearly annoyed, dismissed him with a wave, "Cut out the nonsense. If you wake me again, you'll regret it!" With that, he shut the window and left Xiaowu to himself.

Xiaowu nodded apologetically, his gaze drifting back to the woodshed as he let out a deep sigh. Resolving to stay awake, he sat down with his sword at the ready, keeping vigil over the surroundings.

Inside the woodshed, Qin Biao breathed a sigh of relief, seeing that Xiaowu had ceased his advance. But just then, he felt a firm prod at his back. Startled, he turned to find a little yellow ox, several times his size, nudging him with its horns.

Qin Biao paused, realizing the eerie presence of the Demonic Cire had vanished. He then noticed the little yellow ox was ensnared in a net, a special enchantment sapping its strength and preventing escape. Around it lay various weakened demonic creatures, their eyes filled with hopelessness.

The little yellow ox continued to nudge Qin Biao's back, its eyes brimming with tears as if pleading for him to set it free. Moved by the creature's expression, Qin Biao exhaled softly.

In the past, Qin Biao would have ignored such a plight, preoccupied with his own survival. But now, after promising a powerful demon to look after her kin within the cave, he felt compelled to act.

"Alright, alright, I get it. I'll see what I can do for you," Qin Biao murmured, unsure if the little yellow ox comprehended, but it ceased prodding him and lay down quietly to wait. The other demons watched Qin Biao with hopeful eyes.

Cautiously circumventing the net, Qin Biao surveyed the area and soon realized the net was custom-made, adorned with several talismans likely meant to restrain the demons.

With a furrowed brow, he pondered his next move. Drawing a dagger, he attempted to carefully dislodge the net and destroy the talismans. But before he could make contact, a golden glow emanated from the talismans and flung him back against the wall.

"Damn," Qin Biao muttered under his breath, quickly taking cover amidst some clutter. Just then, Xiaowu burst into the shed, sword in hand, visibly shaken. His grip on the sword quivered as he frantically searched the room, chanting, "Come out! I'm not scared of you! Show yourself!"

Qin Biao couldn't help but roll his eyes, debating whether to take this naive boy hostage and compel him to release the demons. As he weighed his options, Xiaowu dropped his weapon and slumped to the ground.

"Behave yourselves, and once we return, I'll ask Senior Sister Yun to set you all free. If you make trouble here, they'll have no choice but to kill you," Xiaowu implored the demons in a hushed tone.

Qin Biao paused, taken aback by Xiaowu's intent to free them. After a brief silence, Xiaowu produced several large flatbreads from his robe and distributed them within the net, offering sustenance to the wary demons who hesitated to accept his gesture.

A flicker of disappointment passed through Xiaowu's eyes as he offered a wry smile and reassured, "Don't worry, there's no poison in these. If you're skeptical, just watch." With that, Xiaowu picked up a piece from the ground and, unconcerned about the dirt, popped it into his mouth, chewing and swallowing it without hesitation.

Eventually, the little yellow ox couldn't resist any longer and took a nibble. It immediately let out a joyful moo and swiftly devoured all the pancake fragments around it.

Seeing that the little yellow ox was unharmed, the other demons eagerly began to feast as well. Clearly famished from the day's events, they quickly polished off the few large pancakes. Xiaowu, sitting contentedly on the ground, cheerfully produced a few more pancakes and tossed them out for the group.

Qin Biao watched the scene unfold with a stirring of emotion. In this world where power reigned supreme, these powerless demons were viewed by humans as nothing more than insects, to be exterminated at a whim. Having grown up in such a world, Qin Biao had long since become disillusioned with humanity. In his eyes, some demons seemed to possess a kindness that surpassed that of humans.

But Xiaowu, this human, was evidently different. In him, Qin Biao saw a long-missed warmth, which led him to slowly lower the dagger he had been clutching, abandoning his initial intentions.

Xiaowu smiled contentedly and instructed, "Get some good rest, and don't be afraid. In a day's time, we'll head back, and I promise to find a way to set you all free. Senior Sister Yun Siyu is incredibly compassionate; she'll surely release you. Just remember not to cause any more trouble. I'll return tomorrow with more food for you."

Upon hearing these words, Qin Biao stood frozen, as if struck by lightning, unable to fathom that after all his efforts to escape Yun Siyu, he would end up back by her side.

The imagery from his dreams once again flooded Qin Biao's mind. Gripping the dagger more tightly, he chuckled to himself, "Fate really does have a twisted sense of humor! Duan Hao, is it? I'm coming for you!" Without further deliberation, Qin Biao embraced a daring plan: to infiltrate the demon ranks and seek out Yun Siyu and Duan Hao.