The sun had already risen a half hour ago, illuminating the clear blue sky splashed with feathery clouds, and casting rays of light onto the scarlet mountains of Angu-An. The summer had come and gone in a blink, and it was finally the beginning of autumn. Fen Lei's long hours of flipping books inside the cave had ended a few days ago, and he had only recently begun his archery training. Needless to say, he was laughably the worst of the worst.
"What!" Fen Lei vociferated, causing a bird resting in a nearby tree to leave its nest abruptly. "You are not serious, are you? Are you sure you want to send me alone?"
"Does my face indicate that I am not serious?" He Jin replied.
"Your face indicates ugliness."
"Shut up, donkey-face!"
"Who are you calling a donkey-face! I do not look like a donkey!" Fen Lei objected, but the young man pretended not to hear him. He Jin simply sat on the long, wooden chair, putting Li Yuan's black, recurved bow on the table.
Fen Lei sat across from He Jin and observed him as he channeled spiritual energy into the bow. "You should come with me. Are you not worried about this body? What if it gets injured? You are well aware of my limitations. Furthermore, I am new to this world and am unfamiliar with the dangers that exist here. I cannot protect this body all the time."
"I would not send you alone either if you were incompetent. Simply consider this a part of your training. It is fine as long as you do not sustain serious injuries," He Jin replied with his eyes closed.
"I suppose it is pointless to try to persuade you any further." Fen Lei emitted a deep breath. "Fine, but do not blame me if everything goes wrong."
"You will be sent to the forest of giant beetles if you mess this up."
Fen Lei's eyes dilated instantly, followed by a scowl. "How heartless can you be! Just send me back to the underworld!"
He Jin opened his eyes and responded angrily, "If it had not been for my master's orders, I would have done it right away! And enough of this babbling! Listen! I am sending you to the village of Kelna today to look into something!"
"And now you are making me a detective!" Fen Lei complained.
He Jin closed his eyes and resumed channeling spiritual energy into the bow. "Several villagers in Kelna have mysteriously gone missing, and this strange incident has been occurring for three nights. No one knows what happened, as the victims are still nowhere to be found. Even the mejinsu sent by the Hashiya Commission to solve this case vanished without a trace."
Fen Lei was intrigued. "Where were these people seen last before they disappeared?"
"The incidents occurred in the dead of night, according to a recent report. The victims were probably sleeping in their own homes before their disappearance," He Jin replied.
"What about those who were with the victims before they disappeared? Perhaps they had noticed something unusual."
"As I said, no one knows what exactly happened. It is best to head to the village and investigate for yourself."
"How can you be so sure that I can solve this case on my own? I am not, nor was I ever, a detective." Although Fen Lei enjoyed detective fiction, was a fan of Sherlock Holmes, William James Moriarty, Kudo Shinichi, and Edogawa Ranpo, and had aspired to study forensic science, he was aware that his ability to handle this matter was below average.
At least, that was how he viewed his ability. In his previous life, he nearly had the opportunity to pursue his desired degree if not for financial constraints.
"I have heard that the Hashiya Commission has dispatched a professional mejinsu to handle this case," He Jin mentioned.
Fen Lei was still determined to persuade the young man. "So why am I still required to go? You said this mejinsu is a professional, did you not? That means an ignorant person such as myself is no longer needed there."
However, the young man was adamant. "Did you miss what I was saying earlier? This is a part of your training. Even though there has been someone assigned to deal with this case, it is still better that you rely on yourself. Learn to devise your method."
Unable to do anything, Fen Lei rested his chin on his palm and sighed.
"You may have noticed that Master has two bows," He Jin mentioned, and Fen Lei nodded. "The bow you retrieved from the Hashiya headquarters is his old bow. He no longer uses that, as the spirit of that weapon no longer recognizes him as its owner."
"I believe the reason is his use of dark arts," Fen Lei remarked.
He Jin nodded and spoke again as he stared at the black bow, "You may have seen him use this bow in the underworld, did you not?"
"I did."
"This bow has two forms." He Jin handed the bow to Fen Lei. "You are using its owner's body, so your mind is linked to that weapon. Try to summon its second form."
Fen Lei locked his gaze on the bow, and after a few moments, it began to glow and transform. "Ha? Why does this bow's second form look exactly like Li Yuan's old bow?"
"Are you dumb? Why would Master carry that bow activated in its original form?" He Jin replied.
"You are dumber than I am," Fen Lei retorted, his face annoyed.
"You still lack the proper skills to use a bow, but you must bring that bow with you. It is best to apply the basics I taught you if you intend to use that bow during your mission. Keep in mind that you must activate its second form before you use it in public. If you reveal Master's identity, I will not scruple to destroy your soul. Another thing, have you heard of the silver-haired mejinsu named Shin Lu?"
Fen Lei's dozy face abruptly turned irritated. "Why are you bringing up that foul-mouthed snow white all of a sudden?"
He Jin tittered. "So you already met him. He is indeed a man of coarse speech. It is best not to get involved with him the next time your paths cross."
The sudden mention of the cold beauty sparked a vivid memory of an embarrassing moment from a few nights ago. Fen Lei's face was tense as he recalled the night he had been randomly sent to Shin Lu's room by the portal.
"S-shin Lu?"
Shin Lu's murderous stare made Fen Lei sweat profusely and his heart pound in his ears, unusually loud but barely audible. But, despite the goosebumps on his back, he could not stop himself from admiring Shin Lu's enthralling beauty. Water was dripping from Shin Lu's chin and soft white lashes, but it did not dare to ruin his elegance. He was a work of art with no trace of imperfection from any angle.
"Ah hehe, good evening..."
The menacing aura of Shin Lu grew fiercer, and it was only then that Fen Lei realized he had said something stupid. Totally stupid. What a thick face he had to greet the person he had awoken late at night for no apparent reason. Was there anything good in someone's night who had just gotten a random night bath right on their bed?
Fen Lei smiled uncomfortably, scratching his head as he kept his other hand behind his back, attempting to summon another portal. He knew the portal could randomly take him to unwanted places, but he did not mind. Even if it meant being randomly sent to the forest of ferocious monsters and resentful ghosts, as long as he could escape Shin Lu's room, it was better. He would rather face monsters and ghosts than this menstruating man.
Shin Lu gazed at Fen Lei for a long moment until the death-dealing temper that surrounded him vanished. He got out of bed, causing Fen Lei to gulp in agitation and take a few steps backward unconsciously.
"Your robe," Shin Lu uttered as his eyes fixed on Fen Lei's robe, "take it off."
Fen Lei's eyes widened, and he quickly covered his chest with his arms as he regarded Shin Lu suspiciously. "W-why would I do that!"
The other said nothing more and rushed toward him, grabbing both sides of his collar and attempting to expose his chest. Fen Lei tried to break free, but Shin Lu refused to halt, further disheveling the other's robe.
"Stop! Wait a minute!" Fen Lei managed to push him away at last. "Listen. I know it is my fault, but please calm down first. We can discuss it. And I am not prepared. That is..." He paused and averted his gaze, seemingly hesitant to continue, "...something I am not sure how to do with my fellow man."
Shin Lu's indifferent face immediately turned startled when he realized what Fen Lei meant. His slanted eyes grew larger, and his ears turned crimson in a blink. "Disgustful!"
Fen Lei frowned. "Wait a minute. Are you not the one rushing to undress me without my permission? So why am I the disgusting one here now? Are you a moron?"
Shin Lu's murderous aura reappeared, but this time it was a hundred times stronger and scarier. He summoned his weapon without hesitation, "Ruhi!"
A sound of a sword unsheathing from its scabbard echoed throughout the room, and before Fen Lei could blink, a silver sword with a jade-green grip flew directly into Shin Lu's right hand.
"W-wait! Calm down!"
Shin Lu began attacking. "Obscene! Indecent!"
Despite Fen Lei's poor dodging skills, he managed to avoid Shin Lu's attacks. He was able to block the next attack with a pillow just as it was about to hit him. "Ah! Stop! There seems to be a misunderstanding going on here!"
However, the silver-haired man was unrelenting, continuing to strike as if he had not heard the other. Fen Lei was able to push him away again and took advantage of the opportunity to sprint toward the door, but Shin Lu was quick to cast a barrier in front of it, preventing Fen Lei from reaching it.
Fen Lei cursed under his breath and dashed into the bathroom, leaning against the door to prevent the other from opening it as he concentrated on summoning another portal.
Shin Lu pushed on the bathroom door, but it would not open. He then kicked it hard, causing Fen Lei to spring forcefully. "How come this foul-mouthed snow white is so strong!" he thought.
"It is best if Elder Shin calms down first!" Fen Lei suggested, moving his fingers to draw a portal summoning pattern in the air. "I am well aware it was me who started it, as I ruined Elder Shin's good night's rest, and that is why I want to apologize, regardless of how unintentional it was. However, I believe Elder Shin has no right to perform unclean acts on me!"
"Who would want to commit unclean acts upon you? Shameless!" Shin Lu responded angrily, kicking the door once more.
"Does that mean you do not find me sexy at all?" Fen Lei quickly covered his mouth after realizing what he had just blurted. Those words should have only been in his head. Why had he uttered them so abruptly? "Ah! I-I mean..."
"Filthy!" Shin Lu responded brusquely.
How embarrassing.
A portal appeared in front of Fen Lei as soon as he completed the pattern. He then closed his eyes, "Gods of this world, please help me get away from this menstruating man!" and entered the portal.
Meanwhile, Shin Lu gathered all of his strength and kicked the door open with all his might, but all he found was an empty bathroom.
That night, Fen Lei had been fortunate as the portal had returned him to the house.