Encircle

Chapter 3

They all woke up by the sound of a bell calling all demon slayers to the war chamber. It was an unusual sound that most of them had only heard once or twice in their lives. It meant that all the slayers were being summoned by the Jinghua Quan.

Cold sweat slid down Xiao Zhan's back as soon as he was awake enough to make sense of what was happening around him. That sound could only mean one thing. The Jinghua Quan had reached a decision about Yiqin and his future.

He watched a still disoriented Yibo jerking the bedsheets out of his way and jumping out of the bed in an almost frantic state. Yiqin, on the other hand, remained impassive, completely unbothered by the situation and seemingly unconcerned about his future.

"Come on Yiqin, we are needed in the war chamber," Xiao Zhan told him while helping him stand. Yibo came to him and groomed his hair a little after getting him to clean his face.

In less than five minutes they were on the move. There was a river of slayers moving towards the war chamber. Some of them spared a gaze towards Yiqin, fully aware that his future was about to be decided for him.

Xiao Zhan struggled to keep his indifferent facade. He was very aware that Yiqin's future was looking very grim. He was an orphan, so no family would be waiting for him outside the institute if the Jinghua Quan decided to expel him. He had been trained as a warrior from childhood and he didn't possess any other marketable skill that would allow him to make a living outside the castle.

On top of that, his mental stability was on the line. He was deeply disturbed by the loss of his partner. That series of factors had stirred a profound sense of protectiveness in Xiao Zhan, and he really didn't need to ask Yibo his thoughts on that matter, he knew he felt the same.

When they arrived at the war chamber, the Jinghua Quan was already present, standing at the front and commanding the attention of all demon slayers, they signaled Yiqin to approach them and gave him a chair to be seated. Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo stood at both his sides like silent guards, protecting him and providing him with moral support at the same time.

Loud chatter could be heard through the large room, making it impossible to hear anything from the Jinghua Quan's members, but as soon as Elder Wan started speaking, everyone else shut up almost immediately.

"Good morning," Elder Wan started, " I'm sure you are wondering why you have all been summoned," he said as his voice echoed across the now silent room. "We have received disturbing news we would like to share with all of you, since it directly concerns you."

A wave of whispers traveled around, effectively increasing the tension in the chamber.

"The Jinghua Quan has been informed of several demon attacks to the surrounding villages," a wave of commotion travelled around the room, "but they had been very different from the demon's usual modus operandi. Instead of going on a killing rampage, as usual, they have been kidnapping people."

Elder Liu felt the need to intervene after exchanging a meaningful look with Elder Wan.  "What worries us the most is that they seem to be only kidnapping young maidens in the prime of their life, which means they are fertile."

"And that opens an unsettling possibility," Elder Wan added, "that maybe, your fellow slayers have been taken to breed all those maidens. So they and their progeny are meant to be kept as cattle by the demons in order to have fresh food at any time."

Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo looked at each other, startled. Could it be? Was there a possibility, even the slightest one, that Jingxi was still alive? That statement also provoked a reaction in Yiqin. There was a faint flicker of hope in his eyes for the briefest moment.