Chapter 33: Demon Hunter? Demon?
“Come in,” Lin Yan said.
Uncle Lin entered, pausing slightly upon seeing Xu Bai in the maid uniform, then smiled and addressed Lin Yan.
“A message from the City Lord’s Mansion. They require your presence, Miss, and will not accept a messenger.”
Lin Yan hesitated. “Alright, but Bai…”
“I will wait here with Miss Bai until you return,” Uncle Lin said smoothly.
Lin Yan looked at Xu Bai, who was still keeping her head down, understanding his intention. “Very well, Uncle Lin. I’ll be back soon.”
“Take care, Miss,” Uncle Lin said respectfully, his narrowed eyes shifting to Xu Bai.
“Xiaoya, Xiaona, let’s go.” Lin Yan beckoned to the twin maids, grabbing a coat from a nearby box and putting it on.
“Huh?” Xiaoya looked surprised. “We’re going too?”
“Yes, Miss. Let’s go,” Xiaona replied quickly, ever the more perceptive of the two.
Without waiting for Xiaoya’s further questions, Xiaona pulled her sister along, following Lin Yan out of the room, closing the door behind them.
Uncle Lin’s intentions were clear. He had deliberately sent the others away to speak with Xu Bai alone.
Xu Bai realized this as well, raising her head slightly to look at him, her expression serious.
“Miss Bai, that outfit… suits you well,” Uncle Lin said with a smile, his expression unreadable.
“Thank you. It’s yours,” Xu Bai replied evenly. “Mr. Lin—”
“My name is Lin Hui,” Uncle Lin interrupted.
“Alright, Mr. Lin Hui,” Xu Bai’s voice lowered slightly. “What do you want to say? I’m not good with riddles. Please be direct.”
Since he had made his intentions clear, she would drop the “ordinary little girl” act.
“What I want to say depends on who you are, Miss Bai.” He maintained his polite smile. “I believe I’ve figured out your identity. Although your appearance is deceptive, you lack acting talent.”
“Oh?” Xu Bai’s hand twitched slightly inside her sleeve, but her expression remained unchanged. “Which identity have you figured out?”
“You still don’t believe me…” Uncle Lin chuckled softly, his tone confident. “You’re here for the… ‘Weapon,’ aren’t you?”
“Um… what? Weapon? What weapon?” Xu Bai’s expression froze. She hadn’t expected him to mention something so seemingly unrelated.
“Hahaha… it seems Miss Bai’s acting skills have improved.” Uncle Lin laughed, then his expression turned serious. “The weapon hidden in ‘Vikarn.’ Isn’t that why your organization—the Demon Hunters—is here?”
“Me? A Demon Hunter?” Xu Bai was completely baffled. She knew about Demon Hunters, but how was she connected to them?
Was “Vikarn” referring to Vikarn Port? But what was this “weapon”?
“We’re alone here. There’s no need for further pretense, Miss Bai.” Uncle Lin narrowed his eyes, a sharp glint appearing within them.
“I think you’ve misunderstood, Mr. Lin Hui. I’m not a Demon Hunter. You should know that the Demon Hunter who came here is Salred—”
Xu Bai stopped mid-sentence, realizing her mistake.
Whether as an ordinary little girl or not, mentioning Salred was a mistake.
“Everyone knows the Demon Hunters sent Salred. Does that mean they only sent Salred?” Uncle Lin countered, a strange look in his eyes.
“Moreover…” he continued, raising his right arm, his psychic circuits flashing briefly. “Miss Bai, would you mind displaying your psychic circuits? That would be the best proof that you’re not a Demon Hunter…”
Demon Hunters, corrupted by demonic power, couldn’t use psychic circuits. Those who could were extremely rare, and their power was negligible.
Xu Bai fell silent. Unfortunately, she couldn’t use her psychic circuits now.
Since her encounter with Ice Lily, it was as if a dormant bloodline had awakened. Now, whenever she channeled her power, she could only access the Demonic Runes of the Ice Demon clan.
Her psychic circuits, which she had thought were simply depleted, were now completely unusable, unable to even manifest.
“Very well. It seems Miss Bai has finally admitted her true identity. Oh, of course, I understand. You haven’t said anything. This is just my own speculation.”
Uncle Lin nodded. “You currently possess a faint demonic aura. If you’re not a Demon Hunter, then you must be a demon… of course, I’ve never met such a cute and well-behaved little demon miss.”
Xu Bai thought, Given the current situation, being a demon is indeed more likely than being a Demon Hunter…
But she didn’t say it aloud, only sighing. “Alright, if I were a Demon Hunter, Mr. Lin Hui, what would you say?”
“Nothing much. Just a whim. I thought it would be nice for a lovely young miss to accompany my Miss to the banquet, to keep her company. That is all,” Uncle Lin said casually, his tone no longer forceful.
Xu Bai paused. “Even if I were a Demon Hunter, or even a true demon?”
She couldn’t imagine a seasoned knight like Uncle Lin being unable to distinguish between a Demon Hunter and a demon. The difference was far greater than that between humans and demons.
Although she hadn’t interacted much with Lin Yan’s steward in the past, she had overheard enough to know he was a capable and respectable knight.
“You’re certainly not a demon. You’re an adorable little Demon Hunter miss, and you and the Miss get along well,” Uncle Lin said, a slight smile playing on his lips, his expression betraying nothing.
But Xu Bai noticed his hand trembling slightly, as if he were nervous.
It was only for a moment, almost an illusion, before he regained his composure.
“My apologies, I seem to have said too much.” His polite smile returned. “Miss Bai, are you ready for the banquet?”
“Not quite,” Xu Bai said, pointing at her clothes. “I haven’t changed into the banquet dress yet.”
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