Chapter 9: The Demon Is Me?!
Demons…
For humanity, demons were all too familiar.
After all, the war between humans and demons had lasted for centuries, far exceeding the average human lifespan.
Many people lived their entire lives under the constant shadow of the fear of demons, a fear ingrained from birth.
And for Xu Bai, demons were the enemy she faced day and night. Countless demons had fallen beneath her sword, and her comrades had all perished by their blades.
“Yes, a demon!” The City Guard captain reiterated firmly, as if emphasizing an undeniable fact.
As expected, his words amplified the crowd’s panic, fear evident on everyone’s faces.
The devastation of the war had only recently ended, and now a demon invasion was threatening them again?
“But don’t worry, it’s not a demon army.” The captain softened his tone. “There’s only one demon in Vikarn Port, and according to our analysis, it’s a juvenile.”
He then picked up a portrait, unfurled it, and posted it on the notice board. “This… is what the demon looks like!”
All eyes were instantly drawn to the portrait, followed by a renewed wave of commotion.
“This… this is a demon?”
Xu Bai looked over curiously, her face paling as she murmured in disbelief, “How could it be…”
“Me?”
Indeed, the portrait depicted Xu Bai in her silver-haired form from yesterday!
Still wearing the cloak and hood, with glimpses of silver hair and terrifying dark-gold vertical pupils beneath.
“This juvenile demon seems… rather cute?”
The man who had been chatting next to Xu Bai just moments ago stared at the portrait, mesmerized.
He wasn’t the only one; the reactions around her were similar.
“Oh my god…” Xu Bai rubbed her temples. How had she inexplicably become a demon?
Although, admittedly, the characteristics did fit…
More importantly, judging by the detail of the portrait, someone must have been observing her yesterday…
Otherwise, how could they have drawn her so accurately?
She was now grateful for changing her appearance. If this wanted poster had gone up with her current appearance, and Vikarn Port went into lockdown, scrutinizing everyone in cloaks, she would be in a dire situation.
After seeing that the so-called “demon” was a cute girl, the crowd’s panic subsided somewhat, but the captain’s expression remained grim.
“Don’t be fooled by the demon’s appearance. ‘Cute’ or ‘beautiful’ are merely disguises. True demons are cruel, bloodthirsty, and violent, even juveniles!”
The City Guard posted another portrait on the notice board.
“Last night, a human traitor colluded with this demon to assassinate a retired, decorated knight! Fortunately, the knight was strong enough to survive, but he remains unconscious.”
“I believe most of you here recognize this human traitor. Please assist the City Guard in finding this traitor and the demon so they can be brought to justice swiftly!”
Another wave of gasps and chatter erupted from the crowd upon seeing the second portrait.
“What! The traitor is her…”
“Hmph, I knew she was no good…”
“Oh, that girl looked so kind. How could she do such a thing…”
Xu Bai slowly looked away from the portrait and sighed.
“So that’s how it is, Miss Sasha.”
The knight the captain referred to was clearly Commander Lugner. The authorities were likely keeping his identity vague to avoid further panic.
Even in his old age, Commander Lugner, a legendary knight, was still a revered war hero, a symbol of strength and hope for the people.
If news spread that such a hero had been attacked and left unconscious by a “human traitor” and a “juvenile demon,” it would be a devastating blow to public morale.
“Commander…” Xu Bai’s eyes flickered.
At least, from the captain’s words, Commander Lugner was still alive, though gravely injured.
The most pressing questions were: who attacked the commander, why were she and Sasha being framed, and how had it been orchestrated?
Clearly, the real target was Commander Lugner; she and Sasha were merely convenient scapegoats.
To mobilize the City Guard so quickly, the attacker must hold a high position within the Empire.
If that were the case, perhaps examining the commander’s injuries would reveal the culprit’s identity.
Despite his age, few in the Empire could match Lugner in combat, and most had distinct fighting styles that Xu Bai could recognize.
Xu Bai looked at the City Guards guarding the intersection and the psychic devices monitoring the area. The security was as tight as if a demon army was at the gates.
“It seems there’s no way…”
Just then, Xu Bai felt a tug on her sleeve.
She turned to see a small girl, slightly shorter than herself, dressed in simple, worn clothes, standing before her with her head down.
“Little girl, is something the matter?” Xu Bai bent down slightly, softening her voice.
“Um…” The little girl looked nervously around, then carefully slipped a letter into Xu Bai’s hand, whispering, “Big Sister Sasha… asked me to give this to you…”
“Sasha?”
Xu Bai’s expression hardened. She quickly concealed the letter in her sleeve.
They were under the watchful eyes of the City Guard; discovery would be disastrous.
“Did she say anything else?” Xu Bai asked in a low voice.
The little girl shook her head subtly, then, seemingly shy or perhaps afraid of Xu Bai, quickly backed away and ran off without a word.
“…” Xu Bai watched the little girl leave, lost in thought.
It seemed Sasha was still safe; the City Guard hadn’t caught her last night.
And even though she was now wanted throughout the city, she still had other means of contacting her. The little girl clearly knew Sasha was wanted, but she still delivered the message.
“Let’s see what Sasha has to say…”
Xu Bai took a deep breath, blending into the flow of the crowd towards the marketplace as she discreetly opened the letter in her sleeve.
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