Split Zone No.13

Split Zone 13

47 If She’s a Demon

With Jie Pa’s permission, I carried Song Lu back to her room and laid her on the bed .

Jiao S had followed along, and she said, “Her face gained such rough wrinkles . I’m afraid those things must have taken a great toll on her . ”

I remained silent, as grief rushed through me, submerging me in sorrow and guilt .

Once you arrive in the Split Zone, your appearance doesn’t change unless you use your mental force to change it . Or unless your spirit has suffered great distress, which could possibly cause your form in the Split Zone to become unstable and appear to age .

“Right now, we can’t bring Song Lu along to find Laurel . We don’t know what kind of other changes may occur, so Jie Pa has to stay with her . But Jie Pa’s body has also become as vulnerable as a physical human body, so he shouldn’t be in danger’s path . That means that one of us has to remain behind to guard them . ” I looked at Gao Qin Jiu Ye, Jiao S, and then Nie Zun .

“Even if we can find Laurel, without Jie Pa, we may not be able to deal with her entirely,” Jiao S said .

“But there’s too much risk in bringing him along . I can’t do it,” I said, my eyes drooping .

“It’s okay . After Jie Pa activated his split symbol and studied enchantments, even if he hasn’t perfected his skills, it should be sufficient to protect himself . But the best option would be if Guan Nie stayed behind to protect them . As for Laurel, the four of us should go,” Nie Zun proposed .

I sighed . “But even Jiao S doesn’t know where Guan Nie’s gone off to . How will we find him?”

Gao Qin Jiu Ye’s eyes sparkled . “I can find him . Tell me when we’re going, and I’ll have him back before then . ”

Jiao S scoffed, “Indeed, you are Gao Qin Jiu Ye . After so long, you’re still that confident about Guan Nie?”

He didn’t reply .

—

He was able to accomplish what he promised though . We rested for a few hours in the night, and after we greeted Jie Pa in the morning, Guan Nie returned .

He still carried that feminine aura, and hung around as he liked . When he returned, he didn’t say a word to Gao Qin Jiu Ye . Instead, he simply stood at the side and played with his floor-length white hair .

Jie Pa touched some kind of medicine under my nose . “After applying this, your sense of smell will be heightened for the day . This will allow you to easily smell the scent I had Nie Zun leave on Laurel’s body . Take a smell . ”

I took a whiff, but I didn’t smell anything .

“Turn to another direction and smell again,” Jie Pa said .

So, I turned and took another whiff . Still nothing . Then I turned to the window and took a whiff . Ah, suddenly, a light fragrance drifted into my nose .

“I smell it . Smells nice . This way . ” I pointed out the window .

Jie Pa nodded . “So, you can just follow Ms Ah Shen’s nose . You’ll have to be directly facing Laurel to smell the scent, but you should be able to find her this way . ”

Huh? So, you mean to say that I’m going to be like a dog this whole trip, sniffing every which way?

My face twitched . Why did I have to let Jie Pa apply the medicine on my nose?

“Ah Nie, I’ll leave Jie Pa and Song Lu in your care . ” Nie Zun smiled saliciously at Guan Nie . It seemed that way to me anyway .

Guan Nie’s eyes shined, like a lamb who’d seen a wolf—ah, no, a wolf who’d seen a lamb . “How could I not put all my effort into it when my pet asks me to . ” And then he glanced at Gao Qin Jiu Ye ambiguously .

“Ms Ah Shen, don’t worry about us . I don’t know if you’re headed to another testing site, but I won’t need to worry either, with all four of you going together . I’ll stay here with Ms Song Lu so that I can examine her when she wakes up . And I can also analyze the insect that came out from her . If you make any discoveries, Nie Zun can call me at any time,” Jie Pa said calmly and clearly .

“Ms Ah Shen, don’t worry about us . I don’t know if you’re headed to another testing site, but I won’t need to worry either, with all four of you going together . I’ll stay here with Ms Song Lu so that I can examine her when she wakes up . And I can also analyze the insect that came out from her . If you make any discoveries, Nie Zun can call me at any time,” Jie Pa said calmly and clearly .

I nodded . “Okay, then we’ll head off . ”

Before we left though, I couldn’t help turning back . “Jie Pa, will Song Lu…” I bit my lip .

Jie Pa’s calm eyes looked around . He said to me, “Ms Ah Shen, don’t worry . I’ll protect her . ”

After the four of us left the school, the other three were clearly waiting for me to sniff out and point us in the right direction . A bit embarrassed, I turned around and started sniffing .

Jiao S’ eyes wandered, and it was obvious she was trying to keep from laughing . And even with his cold exterior, a teasing smirk sat on Gao Qin Jiu Ye’s lips .

Well, fine . I finally got a trace on the scent, but why was it coming from the direction of the South-East border forest?

I showed the way, and then all of us headed to the forest as quickly as we could .

As I ran, my red hair danced in the wind . I turned to the side and looked at Gao Qin Jiu Ye . His cold and arrogant expression paired with his bright sports outfit made him look both sunny and icy, creating a sort of contradicting beauty .

Jiao S’ dark bangs paired with her schoolgirl uniform made her look like a student in a race, minus her lifeless expression .

When I thought of races, my mind drifted back to the year I first met Gao Qi . My eyes grew heavy and I glanced at Gao Qi Jiu Ye again .

He seemed to notice my eyes on him, as a sneer appeared on his lips and he cast a mysterious look my way . I felt my heart jump, and I subconsciously looked away .

And then my eyes happened to meet Nie Zun’s .

With his black, high-collared windbreaker, his ink-black medium-length hair, and those dark eyes that no one could ever understand, even in the middle of the day, he looked like a silent reaper come for you in the dark of night .

With his black, high-collared windbreaker, his ink-black medium-length hair, and those dark eyes that no one could ever understand, even in the middle of the day, he looked like a silent reaper come for you in the dark of night .

Nie Zun was often quiet . Although he occasionally seemed indifferent or dissolute, he was mostly just quiet .

Just like when I first met him when we arrived in the Split Zone . Back then, he hadn’t spoken a word . He’d seemed like a person alone and abandoned by the world, but his eyes never looked like they were praying or asking for anything .

At the time, I always felt like Nie Zun was someone just living in his own world . But when I thought of it later, I found the thought a bit laughable . After all, wasn’t I also someone just living in my own world?

I’ve always remembered the Nie Zun from back then .

When we first met, he wore a high-collared black shirt, and he didn’t speak a word . And at the time, I’d hated him . I detested him .

Even when the blond man brought us to meet Li Qing, Nie Zun hadn’t said a single thing .

I asked him back then, “Since that demonic identity of mine lives within you, if I told you I wanted her dead, would you help me?”

Nie Zun had simply looked at me, his dark as ink eyes roaming around .

The first time Nie Zun spoke was at the end of that first month . He and I had to remain together every day, and when I wasn’t not looking at him, I only gave cold stares .

Until that one day, that is . I still remembed the incomparably dark night sky . For some reason, the light reflecting from his eyes made them look like stars . With his shining eyes, he said to me, “Li Shen, I really hope that your demonic identity stays with me forever . ”

I looked over and scoffed . “Demons are truly demons . It’s not unusual that you’d like her, since you’re both the same . Devils without a heart . ”

Nie Zun hadn’t seemed affected by my pointed words though . He just replied, “If there’s someone who’ll stay with me forever, even if she’s a demon, that’d be okay . You say she’s a demon, but she’s also a part of you . If she remains with me, you’ll also remain with me forever . ”

I swear, I’ll never forget that day . I’ll never forget the words Nie Zun said then . His eyes were so deep, you’d find yourself unable to get away, and yet there was a loneliness that you were completely willing to give yourself to .

I admit, from that day forward, my hate for him disappeared . Despite the fact that he’d resonated and merged with the horrifying part of me that had killed Gao Qi, I still found myself unable to hate him from the bottom of my heart .

I swear, I’ll never forget that day . I’ll never forget the words Nie Zun said then . His eyes were so deep, you’d find yourself unable to get away, and yet there was a loneliness that you were completely willing to give yourself to .

I admit, from that day forward, my hate for him disappeared . Despite the fact that he’d resonated and merged with the horrifying part of me that had killed Gao Qi, I still found myself unable to hate him from the bottom of my heart .

“What are you thinking about?” Nie Zun asked, looking over at me . His voice carried that carefree tone that was like a slow poison, gradually making its way to my heart .

“Oh, n-nothing . ” I shook my head and looked forward, focusing on finding the scent on Laurel .

As we approached the South-East border forest, for some reason, the air started to feel strange . It was different from the first time we passed through it . Though we’d been sent into an illusion at the time, there had also been a sense of safety at arriving in the Southern District . But this time, as the forest came into view, my apprehension increased .

While Jiao S ran, she asked, “Do you guys feel like something’s wrong?”

Gao Qin Jiu Ye frowned . “Ordinarily speaking, aside from Huan Qing and his grand illusions to protect the forest, there are also 13 hunters . So why have there been so many strange occurrences and outsiders recently?”

“Hunters? I’ve never heard of them,” Jiao S inquired curiously .

Gao Qin Jiu Ye shot her a chilly glance, but in an unexpectedly good temper, he explained, “Aside from the grand illusion you all entered, there are also 13 hunters that Si Luo arranged for . If anyone comes into the forest with ill intent towards the Southern District, then these 13 can handle them as they see fit . As for where someone gets taken, I don’t know, but no one’s ever reappeared . That’s why they’re called hunters . ”

Jiao S’ interest was piqued . “Oh? There’s actually something in the Southern District that Gao Qin Jiu Ye doesn’t know about? I thought Si Luo didn’t keep any secrets from you . ”

Gao Qin Jiu Ye smiled . “It’s true he doesn’t hide things from me, but that’s not information I care to know about . ”

Jiao S’ excited face suddenly stiffened .

The air between the two always seemed tense, so I interrupted, “The forest is just up ahead . ” Then I looked at Gao Qin Jiu Ye . “Gao Qin Jiu Ye, what are the stipulations for these hunters you mentioned? If the recent strange events were caused by outsiders, then why haven’t these hunters made a move?”

Gao Qin Jiu Ye’s eyes darkened, as if he’d thought of something . He was silent a moment, and then quietly, he replied, “I don’t know . ”

Before I could ask him any more, I realized that we’d arrived .