Chapter 41: Reunion
As time passed, the banquet drew to a close.
Only then did the host, Glaimond, finally arrive.
The music faded, the chandeliers dimmed, and a single spotlight shone on the center of the hall, where the butler stood.
But this time, his expression was one of deference, as he stepped aside, yielding the central position.
All eyes turned to the figure standing in the spotlight: a middle-aged man in light armor, his expression calm.
“—General Glaimond!”
Glaimond’s usual sharp gaze was softened, his demeanor more relaxed.
Yet, his mere presence filled the hall with a palpable tension, the nobles struggling to breathe under the invisible pressure.
Glaimond nodded to the assembled guests, his gaze lingering on Lin Yan.
“Commander Lin, that dress suits you.”
“Thank you, General,” Lin Yan replied stiffly, her expression strained.
Glaimond, unfazed by her coldness, shifted his gaze slightly downwards, meeting a pair of pale blue eyes.
“Hmm?” He paused, then looked back at Lin Yan. “Miss Lin, you seem to have brought an… interesting guest.”
The nobles followed Glaimond’s gaze, their attention turning to Xu Bai, who was still partially hidden behind Lin Yan.
Although the little girl in the matching dress had initially drawn some attention, she had quickly been forgotten.
Only now, with Glaimond’s pointed remark, did they examine her more closely.
Sasha also looked at Xu Bai, frowning slightly upon seeing her partially veiled face.
“She looks familiar… have I seen her before? Wait, those features…”
Under the scrutiny of the crowd, Lin Yan didn’t speak, but she stepped aside slightly, revealing Xu Bai.
Xu Bai finally raised her head, meeting Glaimond’s gaze with a calm, unwavering stare.
Her purple hat fell away, revealing her long, grayish-white hair, cascading almost to the floor.
Faint, shimmering patterns flickered on her cheeks, adding a touch of unsettling beauty to her already striking appearance.
The dim lighting, instead of obscuring her features, enhanced her ethereal, almost otherworldly, presence.
“Demon!”
Gasps echoed through the hall as the nobles near Lin Yan quickly distanced themselves.
Sasha’s eyes widened in disbelief. She rubbed her eyes, frowning deeply.
“Is that… Little Sister Bai? No, what is she doing here? And why does she look like this?”
“Gray hair, blue eyes, frosty Demonic Runes… those are the characteristics of the Ice Demon clan, but she looked more like…”
Why had she transformed into an Ice Demon? And why did she resemble a certain figure from Sasha’s memories…?
Could it be the effect of her rune?
But she couldn’t sense any trace of the rune on Xu Bai. This was her true form.
“How strange…” Sasha muttered, her gaze fixed on Xu Bai, ready to intervene if necessary.
Although she had initially approached the little girl on a whim, she now felt responsible for her.
She couldn’t bear to see the beautiful Bai harmed.
“Huh, I guess I do have a conscience after all…” Sasha thought wryly, remembering her own dark past.
Xu Bai continued to stare at Glaimond, her expression unreadable, but a flicker of complex emotions in her eyes.
She hadn’t expected to meet her former comrade under such circumstances.
Glaimond looked at Lin Yan, who had stepped back, then finally turned his attention to Xu Bai, a hint of admiration in his voice.
“I must say, even in the Abyssal Demon Realm, your beauty would surely be as radiant as the moon.”
“Thank you for the compliment,” Xu Bai replied flatly. “But unfortunately, I haven’t been to the Abyssal Demon Realm often, and even when I have, it’s been difficult to find any living demons, so I wouldn’t know.”
During her few incursions into the Abyss, no demon had survived her blade.
Glaimond chuckled, as if hearing a joke, his usually impassive face showing a hint of amusement.
“Don’t tell me you’re going to claim you’re not a demon, but a Demon Hunter?”
“…Indeed,” Xu Bai replied calmly.
Glaimond burst into laughter, pointing at Xu Bai’s face. “Ask any Demon Hunter here if they would recognize someone with such complete Demonic Runes as one of their own.”
Although faint and simple, the Demonic Runes on Xu Bai’s face were complete, a characteristic unheard of among the partially demonified Demon Hunters.
Moreover, Glaimond’s words revealed another detail: there were other Demon Hunters among the banquet guests.
Clearly, besides Salred, who had gone to the mysterious building complex, the Demon Hunters had sent another, more covert, team.
As Glaimond casually exposed them, the expressions of several trembling nobles hardened, their faces becoming impassive.
They drew concealed weapons, stepping forward and positioning themselves opposite Xu Bai.
The suspected demon, Xu Bai, had become a higher priority target than Glaimond.
They were Demon Hunters, bound by a sacred oath to hunt and kill all demons.
“So it has come to this…” Xu Bai sighed, looking around.
Although she had anticipated this, the reality of the situation filled her with complex emotions.
“It’s time to say goodbye to the past…”
The image of a lonely young man faded, leaving only a small, silver-haired figure.
But just then, Lin Yan stepped forward, blocking Xu Bai’s path.
“Miss Lin Yan—”
Xu Bai looked at her in surprise, but Lin Yan silenced her with a look.
“Bai, don’t worry. I’ll handle this,” she whispered.
Xu Bai opened her mouth, but no words came out. She just blinked at Lin Yan.
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