“What do you have in store for me?” asks Rei.

“You’ve been here a couple of weeks now. How are you?”

She chuckles as they walk towards the central clearing and comments, “You ask me now because...”

“The time has come for a task that may interest you, and I want to understand how you feel about teamwork.”

At his words, she becomes attentive and severe. “What is the target?”

A-Yin laughs, drawing some curious glimpses of some minor demons here and there, puts his hands in his pockets, and continues to walk quietly. “You don’t waste time on these things.”

“You, on the other hand, lose a lot of it, then who is it?”

He finally looks back at her with sly eyes and replies, “The first of the minor clans, the Lìng Hun.”

“Soul.”

He nods and adds, “We have finished the most demanding preparations. We have information, maps, and floor plans. Their clan used to have one of the seven Artifacts, Deldrid's tiara, Eye of Singularity, yet it's now in Zhiliào's hands. We also know that all the blood carriers of the heroes are currently there.”

“Until the attack?”

“We leave in a couple of days, at dawn.”

She frowns and asks, “It’ll take at least a couple of weeks. Isn’t it possible that they’ll split up in the meantime?”

The leader shakes his head and answers, “The head of the family has just finished his various political assignments in the Grand Alliance and has returned to Firdom with his eldest son. The little one stayed there with the adopted brat. None of them has any other commitments or reasons to leave.”

“There are three of them.”

He shakes his head. “Four, the boy is from the Xùnfù Zhè family.”

“Why did they adopt him? That clan still exists.”

“His parents are dead, and Arald Hun has taken him with him. Anyway-” A-Yin scratches his chin with a bored expression and adds, “-I was wondering to what extent I can rely on you.”

The fubai raises her eyebrows at his grit and comments, “What does that mean? It’s obvious that I’m going on this expedition to open the gates. Don’t you trust me?”

The question makes him giggle, but he does not answer yet, continuing the advance toward the warehouses near the camping ground. “I have to trust you, but I don't know you.” His gaze is directed towards the large metal door, and Rei silently follows him. She had never been here before. The room is perfectly tidy; the supplies are clearly visible on each named shelf. Spare parts for armor, tents, backpacks, sleeping bags, and everything you need for an expedition. Rei looks around for a while before replying, “I prefer leather armor as they are more flexible and allow for better motility.” Then her fingers rest on some fur coverings, adding, “Although it might get cold. I think the others will prefer something warmer.”

The demon's expression remains blank. He didn’t expect her to tell him about her childhood, but not even such a silly answer. “Obviously, you didn't answer me.” His blue eyes move in search of what is needed, finding the chest with fire stones in the right corner. He lifts it up and places it on the table, saying, “We have to arrange the supplies here so that in the afternoon, they can take what they need without causing too much confusion.”

Another crate with folded tents rests beside it, catching A-Yin's attention, so he raises his head to meet a pair of amused lilac eyes.

“You didn't ask me for anything.”

He can't help but smile. It seems that for Rei, indecision and beating around the bush are inefficient. He wants to solve the mystery of her blood, but there seem to be no clues or suitable ways to derive it without losing her trust. So without too much fussing about it, he asks her, “Are there any more fubai? I've never seen one since the Rishi Pit massacre.”

“Not that I know of. I ran away with a demon.”

Her answer is given with such nonchalance that it leaves him stunned. That virgin's method really works. The demon chuckles to himself and continues to use the same approach. “And where is he now?”

The question causes a shiver down her back, and her hands inadvertently tighten around the box. “He's dead.” The tone seems fully detached, and A-Yin doesn't really know how to react to the news, so he just mumbles a simple dry “Oh.”

A nervous chuckle escapes her lips, and she turns to the shelf, searching for something useful. “Don't worry. It's been quite a while, and while I appreciate him for taking care of me, it can’t be said that he was very paternal.”

The conversation takes a cold, unexpected turn, to the point that the demon doesn't know what to say, and Rei regrets talking. Her lilac eyes stare at the top shelf, and she stands up on her toes, trying to reach it, then adds with a little voice, “Of course, he didn't deserve to die like that.” A rustle at her side follows her words. His hand lingers on her back, making her get back on her heels. Her gaze meets the demon’s, finding it strangely reassuring. He is handing her some blankets and, with a smile, asks, “What was his name?”

A stupid question, which he probably doesn't care about the answer, and yet it forces the fubai to shake an embarrassed smile from her face. “An Wen, he bought me my first spear.”

“An appropriate gift.”

He hands her another blanket, and she asks, “What about old Zhou? Is he your father?”

A pleasant feeling of familiarity radiates in his chest. Although the demon has never seen his parents and grew up in the hostility of four siblings, he can claim to have felt the warmth of a fatherly bond. “Kinda.” When A-Yin turns to see the fubai's face, he notices that she has now turned around and is busy organizing the blankets into one of the wooden boxes.

“He will come with us on the expedition.”

Rei turns around and exclaims, “That old bag? His buttocks will freeze.” Her eyes are wide, her white eyebrows raised in an expression of pure bewilderment that makes him laugh. A-Yin grabs a flap of the blanket and helps her fold it while he says, “Don't underestimate him. He's a valuable asset, and his health is perfect.”

“I hope so for him.” she answers, then points to the last shelf and adds, “Take those too.”

“It is unnecessary. During summer, the snowfalls decrease.”

Rei has lived for quite a while in Shriek Forest, and of one thing, she is certain: the flow of shinat within it has always been unstable, and it would not be unusual to get caught in a storm. “It's an inherent forest of shinat. I wouldn't be so sure.”

In a slight know-it-all tone, the demon snorts amusedly and explains to her, “If they travel too heavily, they'll get tired.”

“If it snows, they will freeze.”

A-Yin grabs some fire stones, and as soon as his thumb presses against the engraved rune, a light orange flow begins to circulate inside it, releasing an increasingly intense heat. With a grin on his tanned face, he throws them at her and says, “That's why we bring those.”

Her eyes rest on the magical object and then on him. The heat released is not enough, as is the surface area of contact with the skin. They seem almost useless in the case of a blizzard, but further arguing seems futile to her. So the fubai smiles mockingly. “As you want, boss, you choose.” she throws them back and adds, “I don't need them anyway.”

He catches them on the fly and signals her to go once they are rearranged in the box. But as soon as the demon is about to cross the threshold of the warehouse door, a pat on his shoulder makes him stop his foot in mid-air. A-Yin turns to her and hears her state, “I thought I was clear the other day. If you want to ask me something, just do it because I strongly feel that you don't usually deal with logistics.”

A grin grows bigger on his face.“Not at all.”

Rei snorts in amusement, but suddenly, her expression becomes serious, and her gaze settles on him. “Look, I understand all this distrust, just as I'm sure you won't tell me anything about the attack plan.” her tone is neutral. It does not neglect a sense of challenge, impudence, or malice in her intentions. “You don't trust me, and I don't trust you. We just have to jump into the dark and see what awaits us, or we'll be stuck in this situation forever.”

The speech catches his attention, and A-Yin folds his arms across his chest while listening carefully.

“I’m doing it, despite everything being to your clear advantage.”

“Is it?”

“I'm alone in a shelter with about three hundred demons.”

“Did you count them?” he asks, falsely surprised.

“Obviously.”

With one step, A-Yin closes the distance, and his gaze lowers on her, forcing her to raise her head. There isn't a hint of hesitation or intimidation on her pretty face, just a wry smile that he instantly returns. “Something tells me you're not stupid enough to slip into a situation where you have no escape.”

The comment makes her giggle, so Rei pats him on the shoulder and says, “You worry too much when you know me so well.”

“You’re too bold.”

“And your jokes are getting boring.” she counters by leaving the warehouse, but before she is too far, she adds, “Bring an extra blanket for our little trip. You'll need it!”

His arms slide along his sides, and his raven head shakes imperceptibly, hiding a slight chuckle. Unbelievable.