Chapter Seven: The Demon Catcher—Thirteen Blades of a Single Leaf

Xu Xing awoke slowly, feeling the dampness clinging to his body and gazing at the familiar surroundings. This was the home he remembered—a simple bench, a bed, and an oil lamp. The room was rather austere, just as he had requested in his past life; he never wanted anything too extravagant, preferring simplicity. Xu Xing wondered in his heart—how had he ended up back at home?

Listening to Su Mei and Xu Hai’s irreverent banter made him feel a bit awkward. He cleared his throat and rose from the straw mat.

“Xu Xing, you rascal, you nearly scared the life out of me. I thought you were a corpse come back to life,” Su Mei exclaimed, her figure flitting as she spoke to Xu Hai.

“Uh, I’m fine. You really don’t need to turn the sound channel up, or I’ll go deaf. By the way, how long have I been out? And, big brother, how are you?” Xu Xing’s first concern upon waking was for Xu Hai, recalling how his brother had shielded him from the True Sutra’s crossfire with his own flesh and blood. Guilt lingered in his heart.

“I’m all right. But you—after hearing what Su Mei told me about what you did, you’ll have to report to the yamen tomorrow. Second Brother, you’re still exactly the same as you were—undaunted and bold! Yesterday, you truly showed your mettle!” Xu Hai smiled warmly, then came over and gently touched Xu Xing’s forehead.

“And what about Hang Ri? Is he all right? He seemed rather pitiful,” Xu Xing asked.

Su Mei gritted her teeth, her agitation obvious at the mention of Hang Ri. She glanced at Xu Xing with disappointment and sighed. “Xu Xing, at this point, you’re still worried about him? The coachman has already taken him home. I really don’t understand why you’d save someone who made things so difficult for you, and…”

She stopped herself mid-sentence.

Noticing her abrupt silence, Xu Xing pressed, “Don’t stop—go on! Isn’t that enough for you?”

He was eager for answers, his incomplete memories leaving him uncertain about many things. He looked at Su Mei expectantly. Su Mei pinched Xu Hai, signaling for him to explain.

“It’s because our Xu family took business from the Hang family. That’s why they’ve been targeting us. But, to be fair, this lucrative trade route was pioneered by our family. This time, I suspect it’s related to Mo Xi—they’re seeking revenge against you because of that,” Xu Hai explained. “What’s strange is, Hang Ri deliberately held back his strength. With his Foundation Establishment level, he could have wiped us out, and with his family’s influence, he could have buried the matter. I don’t understand why he let us go.”

After listening, Xu Xing began to piece together the situation. Could it be that bitterness had given way to sentiment? Was Hang Ri unable to bring himself to kill?

He set those thoughts aside, got out of bed, walked to the window, and lifted the gauzy curtain. Outside, the sun rose gently at the meeting point of sea and sky, its autumn rays warm and comforting.

Su Mei also came over to stand beside him.

Sunlight played across her face, accentuating her charm and the graceful lines of her figure. Perhaps the autumn breeze carried a profusion of floral scents into the room. Watching the rising red sun, Xu Xing asked, “Brother, tomorrow is the final trial, isn’t it? This time, I’m confident I can clear your name.”

“How’s that possible? We haven’t found any real evidence, just that bit of sensitive plant root. Why are you so sure?” Xu Hai asked, watching Xu Xing by the window.

Xu Xing took a fragment of root from his pocket and laid it on the bed. “Because of this. Last time I used the Divine Essence Out-of-Body Technique, I noticed the same plant on several of the deceased. It was definitely planted as a clue. I might not be able to expose the mastermind, but I can at least prove your innocence!”

He moved to Xu Hai, rolling up his sleeve and inspecting his brother’s arm with a slight frown. There, he found faint bite marks, just like those on Hang Ri.

This discovery surprised Xu Xing. The odds of both Xu Hai and Hang Ri having identical bite marks by coincidence were slim—there had to be a deeper plot behind this case.

Now, the main task was finding a way to exonerate his brother. “Brother, when you checked for blood traces last time, you didn’t get any results, right? So Sister-in-law’s petition for a retrial was accepted instead.”

“That’s right. Strangely, even though I tried to wash off the demon blood that day, it wouldn’t come off. I thought it was my own failing, but during the test, they found it wasn’t mine. Now, the only evidence they have against me is the wounds on the victims, but I swear those weren’t my doing,” Xu Hai sighed, looking at Xu Xing with deep grievance.

Xu Xing pondered carefully. He had investigated as well, and knew the bruises weren’t from his brother—they were likely caused by some demon, but with no one to testify, the situation was dire.

“By the way, brother, was it you who caused the blood stains?” Xu Hai asked.

Xu Xing’s eyes suddenly lit up with understanding. He smiled, “I get it now—I know who the culprit is! I’ve even seen them before, and more than once!”

Su Mei, still watching the sunrise, turned to him in surprise. “I thought you said you weren’t sure—how do you know now?”

Xu Xing clapped Xu Hai on the shoulder, grinning. “I know, but I can’t reveal it yet. Otherwise, the truth might leak. When court convenes tomorrow, the culprit will definitely return. Criminals always like to revisit the scene of their crime, to admire their handiwork.”

Both Su Mei and Xu Hai were left guessing, no matter how they pressed him for details.

“By the way, was it you who treated my injuries?” Xu Xing asked Su Mei. He knew his brother didn’t have the medical skills—it had to be her.

He didn’t know much about Su Mei. From what he’d gathered, she was a close friend of Su Hairou, and happened to be staying here for a few days on business. His sister-in-law had asked her to look after the two brothers, but on her very first day, disaster had struck.

“I can’t take the credit. Your constitution is remarkable—even without any divine markings, your body’s defense and recovery are extraordinary. It’s quite strange,” Su Mei mused.

She turned to Xu Hai and teased, “Look at your brother—his self-healing is impressive. Not like you, short and powerless…”

“You should comfort yourself instead of complaining about your cultivation. Try to be as resilient as your brother!” she continued, leaving Xu Xing momentarily speechless. Upon reflection, he supposed she was referring to something like a spiritual root—nothing else made sense.

“How was the sea razor disaster resolved? And why are they called Acupoint Leeches?” Xu Xing asked after gathering more information.

Acupoint Leeches, as the name suggested, had a particular appetite. As for the rest, it was another story. The previous day, when Xu Xing and the others left the attic after searching for evidence, Su Mei’s spiritual energy was depleted and she fainted, prompting a master to step in and deal with the demonic outbreak.

Rumor had it that a demon hunter had arrived in Sea City. In Shu, demon hunters wielded considerable power. They didn’t know who he was, but they learned his moniker: Thirteen Leaf Thorn.

Legend said he possessed thirteen leaves, each from a divine tree atop the sea cliffs. Every leaf was imbued with tremendous power. Throughout his career, he had slain thirteen demons of equal strength with his thirteen leaves—a feat that made him a legend.

During the last incident, he dispatched the sea razor turmoil with ease, using only a single leaf, without anyone noticing his presence.

Neither his leaves nor his person were ever seen.

Thirteen Leaf Thorn left a deep impression on Xu Xing. Even though he’d never seen the man, he sensed an extraordinary aura.

Through Thirteen Leaf Thorn’s deeds, Xu Xing came to understand what it meant to be a hero, why one cultivated, and the true calling of a demon hunter.

From that moment, Xu Xing swore to become a demon hunter, to save the people and bring goodness to the world.

He mused:

A demon hunter spends three hundred sixty-five days a year, often riding into hardship, sword in hand, embracing challenges with courage—transcending the ordinary, never sharing the gentle dreams of the pear blossoms.

He prayed in his heart for support from all those who cherished newcomers, hoping for their encouragement along his journey.