Chapter 476: White Flame
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The party faced-off against the female demon hunter named White Flame. The tension was palpable. Hao Ren never thought he would run into one there, but after listening to what White Flame had to say, he could guess why she was present: To deal with the vengeful spirit.
A thin layer of Blood Mist surrounded Vivian. Under the blowing snow, Blood Mist held up like a solid barrier. She eyed the demon hunter with caution. "What are you doing here... Do you want to fight all of us?"
"I'm here to hunt." Even with the rather hostile looks everyone was throwing at her, White Flame was unperturbed. "The spirit haunting this castle is my prey. As for fighting... that's just a waste of strength, so nope. The spirit here is much more troublesome than expected. I advise that the lot of you don't needlessly waste your strength, or else you won't get out of here alive."
Vivian was stunned. "Huh?! You don't want to fight? Don't all demon hunters have the unstoppable urge to kill any otherworlding they come across?"
White Flame looked at Vivian quietly. "That's usually the case, but there's no need for that today. Because chances are, we'll all die here. I've been stalking my prey for almost two days in this ungodly place and you guys just ruined the only chance I had. So, let's just figure out how to deal with that thing. Or else we'll all perish here. There's no other way."
Hao Ren felt that this demon hunter was the only one trapped there. As for him and his gang, well... they could just have the MDT teleport them out of the place. Hence, the distorted dimension was nothing too big for them. However, that was just inner monologue. Nangong Wuyue gave White Flame a surpised look. "Did I hear that correctly? You mean to work together with us? Since when did the demon hunters have a change of heart?"
White Flame nodded. "You can choose to believe it or not. I've been monitoring you guys for a while now, since you lot made your way in here. I feel like there's a possibility to work together with your oddball team." As she spoke, she shifted her gaze to Nangong Sanba. "Besides, you already have a demon hunter in your team, and it seems like you've worked together for a while now... I'm surprised to be honest. I've never heard of any demon hunter working together with otherworldlings myself. Which district are you from?"
Nangong Sanba's expression was very complex. He had already begun to sweat the moment he saw the real demon hunter. He was trying to figure out a way to brush aside his half-baked demon hunter credentials. "That... Uh... Actually..."
"Well, it doesn't matter." White Flame shrugged. "So, what do you plan to do? Work together, or not? If we fight, I can't beat all of you, but I'm sure I'll be able to take a few of you down with me."
Hao Ren could finally see the demon hunter for what she was. While she deserved a kudos for taking the effort to negotiate with a straight face, the lass did not even know the basics of diplomacy! Not only was she a poor reader of atmosphere, she had divulged matters that should have just kept under the lid. In fact , it was already problematic the moment she just walked out of her hiding spot with such gusto. She really believed that the group before her would not just turn on her the moment they saw her. Normal unusual creatures would have just leaped at the opportunity.
Vivian frowned as she looked at White Flame, as though she was trying to recall something. "Wait a minute... White Flame... I've heard this name before!"
"You know me?" White Flame tilted her head curiously.
"A genius and a prodigy." Vivian slapped her forehead in realization. "Something I heard in one of my chats with Hesperides. One of the most talented demon hunters in her generation, and one of the few to have awakened the ancient bloodline abilities... That's you right?"
White Flame nodded. "Yep, that's me."
"If we were to kill you here now and then, that's a big blow to the demon hunters." Vivian bared her fangs in an attempt to intimidate the lass. "You aren't afraid that we'll take you out at all cost? To be able to kill the only awakened one amongst the new generation of demon hunters, a few dead supernaturals isn't too high a price. And you even disclose your identity to us!"
A sense of realisation suddenly appeared on White Flame's face. "AHHH I never thought of that." The weird demon huntress then rubbed her chin. "So THAT'S why the masters wouldn't let me go on solo missions..."
Vivian was speechless.
Hao Ren sighed. "So be it. Vivian you can drop the scary face. So.. White Flame was it? I'm the captain here. We can work together."
It was now White Flame who was surprised. "You are willing to work with me? Even though you know who I am? Won't killing me be more worth it?"
Hao Ren facepalmed. "Why do I keep meeting these sort of characters... When I say we'll work together, I mean it. So just cut the nonsense."
"Okay. I'll lead you to where I was hiding. I'll let you know more about this spirit."
White Flame turned as she lead the party towards a certain direction. Hao Ren and the rest could only follow. Vivian and Wuyue was still in a daze, especially Vivian, almost as if she had seen an exotic animal. As she looked at White Flame's back, she poked Hao Ren in the back. "That... you really think we can work with a demon huntress that appeared out of nowhere?"
"I think it's fine." Hao Ren shrugged. "The MDT's scan detects no killing intent from her hormones or mental signals. She is still cautious thought, you lot are natural enemies after all. But don't you feel that she's a rather unique one compared to the usual demon hunters?"
"She is indeed different." Vivian's expression was rather languid. "I never seen such a demon hunter in my life. She seems much more... easy-going than those stiff as wood demon hunters?"
At the same time, White Flame turned back and Vivian by instinct was about to pull out a bat. But the former only just popped a question. "Mind if I ask? How did you guys even got around to work together?"
As she finished her sentence her gaze turned towards Nangong Sanba. Her decision to work together with the supernaturals stemmed from the fact that a demon hunter was already working together with them, but she could not figure out how did the group came into being.
Hao Ren rubbed his chin for a moment, "If I were to say it's for world peace would you believe me?"
"World peace? Such a beautiful sentiment. I never thought someone would be motivated by that." White Flame nodded seriously. "That's admirable."
"...."
It seems like this lady over here is even more innocent than Lily is!
But it was understandable why White Flame lacked social skills. This was one of her rare training forays. As the only demon hunter with an awakened bloodline in a few generations, she was under sheltered care from birth. Her childhood and youth was a regiment of nonstop training and study, and interpersonal communication was not high on the priority list. Even if she went hunting it was with an escort or under the watch of senior demon hunters. As one of the rare prodigies, White Flame had no need to learn how to communicate,. That was what her masters thought: All she needs to know is how to fight, anything else is a waste of time.
Under the tutelage of senior demon hunters, she hunted, fought, killed, and trained. Rinse and repeat, that was her schedule for a good part of her life.
This hunt in Siberia was a chance that she managed to grasp for herself. Even then, her tutors were hesitant at first, but after considering the fact that Siberia was rather sparsely populated, and did not have any strong supernatural presence, they relented. Her masters would not have thought that she'll run into a bunch of oddballs like Hao Ren there!
"Don't mind if I ask." Hao Ren spoke as he looked at White Flame's back. "The spirits have haunted the Andreas for three hundred years, why only now that you guys sent someone here?"
"Because there's no need to clean this place up to begin with." White Flame said without turning back. "I'm just here to train my hunting skills. This spirit wasn't in our kill list at all."
Lily got agitated as she heard that. "No need? Why?"
"Because they are harmless. The spirits is being sealed here."
Hao Ren could not comprehend the flippant answer. "Harmless? The Andrea Family have been dying off left right and centre because of that thing."
"Harmless, because they won't go to somewhere populated. It is trapped within this castle, and it's radius of activity is limited. So it's harmless." White Flame only then turned around to explain. "When it does escape its captivity, then we'll exorcise it. This is the elder's opinion. But I needed somewhere to train, so here I am."
Hao Ren could not conjure a response. "See how they are? That's a demon hunter for you." Vivian whispered into his ears