The Legend of the Demon Hunter

After an unknown amount of time, Xiao Zhu woke up from his coma. He found himself lying on a soft bed, with a faint female fragrance emanating from the quilt.

Xiao Zhu sat up and looked around - this was a woman's room. The main color of the room was pink, and the windowsill was filled with various flowers and plants. The sunlight shone into the room through the flowers and plants on the windowsill, making the room more warm.

It was a warm and balmy afternoon.

Everything in front of him made Xiao Zhu more confused. He clearly remembered that he almost died in Saint Maiden City, so why did he suddenly appear here? What was this place?

Xiao Zhu moved his body and found that except for his arms which were still a little painful, other parts of his body had recovered to normal. This was due to the tempering pills he took which greatly enhanced his body's self-healing ability. However, being able to recover to this state proved that at least a day and a night had passed.

What happened during these lost twelve hours?

Xiao Zhu stood up with doubt in his eyes and pushed open the door with a creaky sound.

What is reflected in front of me is a small courtyard. In the middle of the courtyard there is an old willow tree. I don’t know how many years this old willow tree has been alive. The trunk is so thick that two people can hug it. The crown of the tree is like a big umbrella that covers the courtyard, and mottled light and shadow can be seen through the gaps between the leaves.

At this moment, under the old willow tree, there was a thin girl sitting, with her hands on her knees, her back facing him, and she seemed to be in a daze.

"Xiao Ya?" Xiao Zhu asked softly.

The girl turned around, tears still in her eyes, and seemed to be thinking about something sad. It was Xiaoya.

"Brother Zhu, you're awake." Xiaoya said.

"Xiao Ya, where is this? How did we get here?" Xiao Zhu asked.

"Brother Zhu, this is my home. I don't know what happened. I just remember that I passed out in the square. When I woke up, I was at the door of my home. You were still asleep, so I dragged you into my room. You were really heavy..." Xiaoya burst out laughing when she said this. She looked even more adorable with tears in her eyes.

"What about Teacher Yu Han and the others? Have you seen him? How is he?" Xiao Zhu suddenly thought of the scene where Yu Han's arm was bitten by a little ghost before he fainted.

"Teacher Yu Han?" Xiaoya looked confused. She seemed to have no idea what Xiao Zhu was talking about.

Xiao Zhu suddenly remembered that Xiao Ya had fainted as soon as she left the Pope's Temple, and had not seen Yu Han, so she did not recognize him. He then explained: "Do you still remember Bai Hao and Ying who were with us in the Pope's Temple? Did you see them after you woke up?"

Xiaoya shook her head: "I didn't see them."

Xiao Zhu showed disappointment on his face. He fell silent and looked around. Gradually, he realized that something was wrong. He suddenly took a step forward, stared at Xiao Ya and asked excitedly: "Home? Is this your home? Could it be that... have you recovered your memory?"

Xiaoya nodded, her eyes full of tenderness and gratitude: "Yes, Brother Zhu, thanks to you, I remember everything."

"Great! Xiaoya... No, what's your real name?" Xiao Zhu suddenly remembered that Xiaoya was the name he gave to her when she lost her memory.

"My real name is Hua Yan'er, but I also like the name Xiaoya. Brother Zhu, you should call me Xiaoya from now on." Xiaoya said, looking into Xiao Zhu's eyes.

"Okay, Xiaoya. Were you crying just now? Were you thinking about something sad?" Xiao Zhu asked.

"Yeah." Xiaoya nodded: "Brother Zhu, do you want to hear my story?"

"Of course." Xiao Zhu nodded and sat next to Xiaoya.

After getting Xiao Zhu's affirmative answer, Xiao Ya closed her eyes and pondered for a moment before she said quietly:

"This is Huajian Village, only two kilometers away from Saint Maiden City. It's where I was born and grew up. Every blade of grass and every tree here is engraved in my mind, especially the old willow tree in the middle of the yard. I often climbed up the tree to play when I was a child. Seeing everything here, my memory was restored all of a sudden."

"My parents hold high positions in the Red Lotus Cult. They are both famous cardinals. With their status, they could have obtained a fairly large house in the Holy Maiden City, but because they both like quietness, they choose to live here."

"But because of my parents' identities, they often went to the Papal Basilica to handle affairs, and sometimes they would take me with them, so I learned religious language and writing at a very young age, and even had the opportunity to enter the Papal Basilica directly."

"My parents love each other very much and both of them have gentle personalities, so I have always lived a happy life. Even during the war between the two religions, my parents never left me. They stayed in the Saint City and kept me by their side."

"But, just a few months ago, my parents suddenly left without saying goodbye. They left me a letter, simply saying that the Pope had an important mission for them and that they needed to go to the Blolan Snowfield in the north immediately. Because the trip was dangerous, they couldn't take me with them, and hoped that I would stay at home, take care of myself, and wait for them to come back."

"When I saw the letter, I was angry and sad. They had never left me for a long time since I was a child. So I didn't believe they would leave me this time. I started looking for them everywhere, but unfortunately I couldn't find any trace of them even after searching the entire Saint City. I gradually became desperate, and finally one day, I made up my mind to go to the north to look for them."

"This is too dangerous." Xiao Zhu said when he heard this.

"Well, the experiences during this period have made me grow a lot, but I was overwhelmed by anxiety at that time and didn't care about so much. So I set out alone towards the north. I got lost not long after I went out, and finally passed out from hunger and fatigue. When I woke up again, I met you and Brother Ding Xiaoyao in that tall tower. If you hadn't appeared in time, I'm afraid I would have been killed by the monster by then." When Xiaoya said this, her eyes were full of gratitude.

"Xiao Ya, you don't have to be polite. At that time, any demon hunter with a sense of justice would make the same choice as us." Xiao Zhu smiled faintly.

"However, Brother Zhu, you not only saved Xiaoya, but also helped Xiaoya regain her memory. Xiaoya will remember this kindness for the rest of her life." Xiaoya said sincerely.

Seeing Xiaoya's affectionate eyes, Xiao Zhu didn't know how to respond, so he changed the subject and asked, "Xiaoya, what are your plans next?"

"I...my parents have been gone for so long and haven't come back yet. I miss them so much. I wonder if they are in any danger. I still want to go find them..." Xiaoya said after hesitating for a moment.

"The Blolan Snowfield?" Xiao Zhu fell into deep thought. He learned about this place from the murals in the Pope's Temple. He also knew that this place was extremely dangerous and full of crises. But now the entire core of the Red Lotus Cult has gone there, and it seems that they are carrying out a mysterious and grand plan. Xiao Zhu has a strong premonition that Ning Zhiwan is in the Blolan Snowfield.

And there is Xia Shi, whom he has been thinking about all the time. Ever since he saw the sculptures of Yun Ke and the woman who also possessed the blood of Shen Yue in the Pope's Temple, Xiao Zhu's mind seemed to have touched upon this important plan of the Red Lotus Cult. Although he could not think of what it was specifically, Xia Shi was very likely an important part of it.

Thinking of this, Xiao Zhu touched Xiaoya's head and said, "Xiaoya, I'll go with you."