“Oh, right,” the demon said. “Before we begin, you’ve been asleep for a few days now. I dripped some water into your mouth while you slept, but I figured it was better to wait until you woke up before trying to feed you. You’re probably hungry.”

I hadn’t noticed it earlier, when I first explored the cave, but she was right. As soon as she said that, my appetite came roaring back with a vengeance. It felt like my stomach would gnaw itself if I didn’t get something to eat, and soon.

“Here,” the demon said.

She pulled out a steamed pork bun from her storage ring and handed it to me. Despite my hunger, I eyed the pork bun with suspicion. The demon rolled her eyes.

“I didn’t do anything strange to it, if that’s what you’re worried about,” she said, furrowing her brow. “We’re not going to get anywhere if you keep questioning everything I say or do. Remember, if I wanted to hurt you, I wouldn’t resort to cheap tricks. I don’t need to.”

Despite the implied threat in her words, they eased my suspicions. From what I’ve observed, the strong often took the simplest course of action when dealing with those weaker than them. This was because they didn’t have to rely on subtlety or trickery. My experiences with Zayne and the rest of my kin taught me that.

That said, it didn’t hurt to be cautious. I took the pork bun and examined it for a bit, just in case. It felt warm, as if it had just been steamed, though that didn’t surprise me. From what I understood, storage rings preserved items in the state that they were put in. Food and drink stayed fresh, never rotting or decaying.

When I didn’t see anything strange or suspicious about the pork pun, I sniffed it before taking a bite. An explosion of flavor danced over my tongue; savory with just the right amount of spices. I let out a moan of pleasure that would have embarrassed me under normal circumstances, but I was too hungry to care. Unable to resist my hunger any longer, I ate the entire pork bun in a few bites.

The demon watched me eat with an affectionate smile on her face. No, that couldn’t be it. I was reading too much into it.

Just as I took the last bite of the pork bun, the demon handed me another one. I gave her a wary look, but I accepted the pork bun. When I finished eating the second one, she handed me another one. This pattern repeated itself until I had eaten a total of five pork buns. I choked on the last one, but the demon handed me a gourd filled with water and I washed it down.

With my hunger satiated, I felt much better than before.

“Thank you,” I said, remembering my manners.

She was a demon, but that didn’t mean I had to be rude. Being polite cost me little, and could pay off in the long run. Plus, as much as I hated to admit it, she was the only one other than Lucius who showed me any measure of kindness. It depressed me that a demon treated me better than my own kin.

“Better?” the demon asked.

I nodded.

“Good,” she said. “Let’s continue then. To answer your question from earlier…Well, simply put, I want to recruit you into the Dawn and Dusk Sect, Darian.”

I narrowed my eyes at her.

“Now I know you’re lying,” I said. “Why would anyone want me to join their sect, let alone one as famous as the Dawn and Dusk Sect? I’m demonkin.”

Maybe this was all a trick after all, and her consideration from earlier was just a ruse to get me to lower my guard. If so, it worked. Damn it.

“Not this again,” the demon said, rolling her eyes. “I’m a demon and I’m a disciple of the Dawn and Dusk Sect. Why wouldn’t they accept you?”

“You could be lying about that,” I pointed out. “I have no way to verify whether that sect crest is authentic or not. If it is, maybe you killed a real disciple of the Dawn and Dusk Sect and took their crest.”

The demon gave me a bemused look and didn’t respond for several seconds.

“Why would I do any of that?” she asked. “That sounds like far too much effort for so little reward.”

I shrugged.

“I don’t know,” I said. “You’re the demon here. I’m just demonkin.”

The demon closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. After taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes again and looked at me.

“For the sake of convenience, just take what I saw at face value for now,” she said. “Otherwise, this will take much longer than it needs to. If nothing else, just stay quiet until I’m finished speaking. Understand?”

I nodded. It wasn’t like I had much choice in the matter. Until the demon freed me, or I escaped somehow, I was at her mercy.

“To provide even more context, since it’s apparent that it’s necessary,” the demon began. “The Dawn and Dusk Sect is an Unorthodox sect. We’re neither Righteous nor Demonic, but in between. This is because we practice both divine cultivation and demonic cultivation, in addition to spiritual cultivation.” She spread her arms out to the side with her palms facing up. “Dawn and dusk.”

I stared at the demon in disbelief. Her words made sense, but I couldn’t accept them. They flew in the face of everything I knew about demons and demonic cultivators.

“I thought the demonic arts and demonic cultivation were forbidden,” I said. “Why would a prominent sect practice them so openly?”

As for divine cultivation, I had no idea what that was. Based on the name, I assumed it was the opposite of demonic cultivation. Instead cultivating to become a demon, perhaps divine cultivators sought to become sacred and holy?

“The demonic arts and demonic cultivation aren’t forbidden,” the demon said, before thinking it over. “Technically. However, certain demonic practices are forbidden. In fact, most of them are. Not because they’re demonic in nature, but because of what they do. Sacrificing innocents to gain power, refining people into pills and elixirs, and so on. Being a demonic cultivator in itself isn’t evil, though most of the cultivators who pursue it are evil, so most people don’t bother to make the distinction.” She frowned. “It doesn’t help that demonic qi corrupts humans and twists them into warped versions of themselves.”

I gave her a flat look.

“Are you sure demonic cultivation isn’t evil?” I asked. “It sounds evil to me.”

“I said that demonic qi corrupts humans,” the demon said. “It has no negative effects on demons and demonkin since, well, they’re demons and demonkin.”

I supposed that made sense.

“I would go into the specific demonic practices that aren’t forbidden,” the demon said. “But we’re straying too far off topic. My point is, being demonkin doesn’t disqualify you from joining the Dawn and Dusk Sect. In fact, it’s a boon and the reason why I want to recruit you into our sect. From what I can tell, many of our cultivation techniques would suit you quite well. You have great potential, Darian.”

Her words filled me with conflicting emotions. All my life, my kin have told me that I was filthy and impure due to my demonic nature. It was something to be despised and reviled, yet this demon was telling me the exact opposite. Instead of a curse, it was a blessing. I couldn’t wrap my head around it.

“Stop lying to me!” I said, standing up and taking a few steps back. “Why should I believe anything you’re saying? There’s no way you’re telling the truth!” I clenched my fists. “Why would a sect like the Dawn and Dusk Sect want someone like me? Why would anyone want me? I’m nothing. A nobody. Talentless and worthless. The only thing I’m good at is dancing, and even in that I’m far inferior to the rest of my kin.”

The demon stood up and approached me, a solemn expression on her face. I stepped back to maintain distance from her, but soon my back hit a wall and I had nowhere to go. The demon stopped a few feet away from me, leaving plenty of space between us, yet that didn’t stop my body from trembling.

“Is that what your so-called kin told you, Darian?” the demon asked in an even tone. “That you’re worthless? That you’re nothing?”

Despite her even tone, I detected a hint of anger in her words. For some reason, it made me think of the calm before the storm; a prelude to destruction yet to come.

I looked away from the demon, unable to meet her eyes any longer. A sense of shame filled me.

“They didn’t need to,” I said. “I figured it out on my own a long time ago.”

“Darian, look at me,” the demon said.

I refused, and continued to look away.

“I said look at me.” She placed a finger on my chin and forced me to face her. Her eyes burned with a blinding intensity. It was like looking into the sun. I tried to look away, but couldn’t. “You are not worthless. You are a priceless treasure. Your kin were either too blind to notice this, or lied to you in order to suppress you.” She gave me a satisfied smile. “Their loss, however, is my potential gain. Should you join the Dawn and Dusk Sect, you’ll find a place where you belong. You’ll be among people who will accept you, demonkin or not. Some will even look favorably upon you for it. I do.”

I realized then and there just how insidious demons really were. In my mind, I always viewed demons as violent and destructive creatures, full of malice and rage. However, after hearing this demon’s words, I realized just how naive I had been. What made demons dangerous wasn’t their violent natures. No, it was their ability to entice others with sweet and poisonous words.

Despite knowing that she was a demon, despite knowing that she was evil and that no good could ever come from believing her, I found myself being swayed by this demon’s words. She was offering me everything I had ever wanted; a place to belong and people who would accept me.

I didn’t know if I was strong enough to resist the temptation, even knowing that accepting her offer might damn me for eternity. After all, she was asking me to become a demonic cultivator. Despite her words earlier, how could that ever be a good thing?

“At what price?” I asked, trying to rein myself back. “What do you get out of this? I refuse to believe that you’re doing this for selfless reasons.”

The demon’s smile widened.

“Oh, you’re right,” she said. “I’m doing this for entirely selfish reasons. I’ll keep most of them to myself for now, but I’ll tell you this much. Recruiting someone with as much potential as you will increase my standing within the sect.” She took a step back and gestured to herself. “You see, while I’m just a core disciple within the Dawn and Dusk Sect, I have the power befitting an elder. However, I haven’t earned enough contributions, otherwise I would have been promoted a long time ago. Recruiting a disciple with great potential, such as yourself, will earn me enough contribution to increase my rank, or at least bring me closer to my goal.”

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Her words reassured me, as odd as that sounded. If she had told me that she was doing all of this for my sake, or even just for the sake of her sect, I wouldn’t have believed her. Knowing that she had selfish motivations for her actions made it easier to accept her words. After all, demons were selfish beings. They were demons, it was a part of their nature. Though humans weren’t that much better in that regard.

“So,” the demon said. “What do you say? Do you wish to join the Dawn and Dusk Sect? I can guarantee that you won’t regret it.”

The demon gave me a sincere smile, or one that appeared sincere on the surface. A part of me believed that she had an ulterior motive for doing all of this, though I couldn’t think of one at the moment. After all, if she wanted to kill me and eat my flesh, or consume my soul, she could have done that without putting on an act.

Perhaps she wanted to corrupt me, to turn me towards evil. That wasn’t out of the question, but why go through all that effort just for someone like me? Unless she was telling the truth about my potential, about my worth. If that was the case, what if the rest of her words were also true?

What if demons weren’t all evil? What if…What if I wasn’t as filthy and impure as I had always been told? As I had always believed?

“Suppose I accepted your offer,” I said, licking my lips out of nervousness. “What would happen then? Would we go straight to the Dawn and Dusk Sect?”

“Not right away, no,” the demon said, shaking her head. “While you have a lot of potential, it’s just that. Potential. You don’t have the means to utilize that potential, at least not yet. First, I would give you the manuals for some of the Dawn and Dusk Sect’s cultivation techniques. After that, I would act as your mentor and guide you through your first steps into the world of cultivation.”

I clenched my fists when she said that she would teach me cultivation. It was what I had always wanted, the chance to cultivate and step onto the path towards immortality. All I had to do was accept her offer. It sounded almost too good to be true.

“Would that make you my master then?” I asked.

The demon shook her head.

“No,” she said. “That honor belongs to someone else. I’ll explain at a later date. However, I’m more than willing to teach you the basics in the meantime.” She gestured to me. “After your cultivation reaches a certain level, then I’ll bring you to the Dawn and Dusk Sect so you can participate in the entrance exam. We hold one every five years.” She grinned. “It just so happens that the next entrance exam will take place in about a year. That doesn’t leave us a lot of time to get you ready, but I’m sure we can make it. If not, we can try again in five years.”

I frowned.

“Entrance exam?” I asked. “If someone like you recruits me into the sect, can’t I just skip all of that?”

There were many ways to join a sect. The most common one was to participate in a particular sect’s entrance exam and pass. However, it was also possible to bypass all that if a high ranking member of a sect acted as one’s patron. As a core disciple, this demon could act as my patron. If that wasn’t possible, she could introduce me to someone who could act as my patron, such as her own master. Why bother with the entrance exam if that was an option?

“You could, yes,” the demon said, speaking slowly. “However…” She pursed her lips. “How should I put this? How much do you know about how sects are structured, Darian?” She held up a hand before I could answer. “You know what? Nevermind. From what I’ve observed, you’re almost completely ignorant when it comes to cultivation and cultivator society. It’s best to assume that you know nothing. Besides, the Dawn and Dusk Sect is a little different from other sects so what little you do know may not apply.”

I frowned with displeasure at the demon.

“I’m not completely ignorant of cultivation and cultivator society,” I protested.

“The bits and pieces you picked up from that cousin of yours or overheard from your kin don’t count. You know more than the average mortal, but that’s it.”

I blinked at the demon in surprise.

“How long have you been watching me?” I asked in an incredulous voice.

I found it disturbing that she knew so much about me. Attracting this much attention from a demon sounded like the start of a tragedy.

“Long enough to realize the depths of your ignorance,” the demon answered with a half-smile on her face. “Don’t worry, we’ll fix that soon enough.” The half-smile disappeared. “The Dawn and Dusk Sect is divided into a number of different factions called halls. Think of them as lineages that pass down specific techniques, mystic arts, and martial arts to their disciples. You could also think of them as smaller sects existing within the larger Dawn and Dusk Sect.”

“Similar to how there are different branch families within Clan Wind Dance?” I asked.

The demon snapped her fingers.

“Exactly!” she said. “In fact, many of the newer halls can trace their lineages to the older ones. The one I belong to is called Flame Fiend Hall. It’s one of the oldest within the Dawn and Dusk Sect. We believe that giving disciples resources or treasures that they haven’t earned is detrimental to their progress.” She nodded at me. “Let me ask you this, Darian. Would you rather earn your place within the Dawn and Dusk Sect, or have it handed to you?”

I frowned as I considered her question. While joining the Dawn and Dusk Sect without going through the entrance exam would be easier, that wasn’t necessarily a good thing. Easier didn’t always mean better. My experiences within Clan Wind Dance proved that.

Lucille doted on Zayne, and she provided him with all sorts of resources to help him along with his cultivation. Rather than accepting these resources with gratitude and working hard to thank Lucille for her generosity, Zayne took it for granted. He was arrogant, cruel, and selfish, as well as lazy. He spent more time indulging his vices and lording his meager strength over those weaker than him (such as myself) instead of cultivating. His poor talent contributed to his lackluster progress in cultivation, but his lack of diligence also played a part.

Lucius, on the other hand, was the complete opposite of Zayne. Yes, he received plenty of resources from my uncle and he was also much more talented than Zayne. However, he didn’t rely solely on his talent or on his position as the de facto young master of Clan Wind Dance. He also worked hard, both for the sake of his cultivation as well as for the sake of the clan. This diligence was one of the things I admired most about him. One could make the argument that the extra resources he received were rewards for his contributions. He earned them. The clan had given him plenty, and he gave plenty to the clan in return.

If I had to choose which of the two I would rather emulate, I would choose Lucius without hesitation.

Besides, if I took the easy way, a part of me would always wonder if I had what it took to join the Dawn and Dusk Sect with my own strength, or if I only got in by relying on the strength of others.

“I would rather earn my place within the Dawn and Dusk Sect,” I said after some time.

The demon beamed at me.

“That’s what I thought,” she said, growing more animated. “We should get started soon. The entrance exam is only a year away. That isn’t a lot of time to get ready. In fact, chances are you’ll fail the first time around. Still, as Mother always said, never let the fear of failure stop you from trying.”

I held up a hand to stop her.

“I haven’t accepted your offer yet,” I said.

The demon stared at me in disbelief, blinking her eyes as if she couldn’t understand what she just heard.

“But-…Why not?” she sputtered. A part of me found her fluttered state amusing. “This is the opportunity of a lifetime. Many would kill for it, and that’s no exaggeration.”

I took a moment to articulate my thoughts and feelings on the matter.

“I want to accept,” I said. “You’re offering me everything I have ever wanted. And that’s the problem. It sounds too good to be true.” I shook my head. “I know how painful relying on a false hope can be. I don’t want to go through that. Not anymore. I did so for years because I had no other choice, but I’m tired of it.”

The demon narrowed her eyes at me.

“Is this because I’m a demon?” she asked, sounding displeased.

I nodded.

“That’s part of it, yes,” I admitted. “However, even if you weren’t a demon, I would still have doubts. My experiences have taught me just how cruel and uncaring the world can be.”

The demon’s expression relaxed and she studied me for several long moments. I held my breath, wondering what she would say next. If this was all a trick, then this would be the point where she would reveal her true intentions. Even if this was all a plan to corrupt me and lead me astray, there was a limit to her patience. Given my stubbornness so far, it would be easier to just kill me and find a new target.

“How about this?” the demon said after a while. “Let us make a deal. I will train you for the next year and guide you through your first steps into the world of cultivation. After that year is up, if you still don’t want to join the Dawn and Dusk Sect, I will take you anywhere you want to go.” She paused. “Anywhere within the Northern Region. I’d feel uncomfortable dropping you off anywhere else within the Azure Dragon Empire. After that, you’d be free to do whatever you want with your life. Be it join another sect or remain a rogue cultivator.”

I blinked at her in surprise. This was far more generous than I had ever expected. The part of me that remained suspicious of her grew more and more quiet, though it didn’t disappear.

“Why would you go so far for me?” I asked. “We’re strangers. You owe me nothing. I can understand why you would want me to join your sect, since it benefits you and your sect. But why would you spend a whole year helping me, only to let me go?”

The demon grinned.

“It’s a gamble, you see,” she said. “One with low risks and high rewards, my favorite kind. If you don’t join the Dawn and Dusk Sect, all I’ll lose is some time, effort, and a bit of resources. Nothing much, in other words. However, if you do join, then I’ll reap many benefits.”

Well, when she put it that way, it made sense.

“I do have one condition of my own,” the demon said with a look of concern on her face. “Don’t go back to Mt. Wind Dance, for your sake if nothing else. Those people don’t deserve you.”

I shook my head.

“I wouldn’t return to Mt. Wind Dance, even if you hadn’t said that,” I said. “Even if I wanted to, and I don’t, I can’t. I have no place there anymore.”

I don’t know how long I had been away from Mt. Wind Dance, but my kin must have noticed my absence by now. While they despised me, I was still a Wind Dance. If nothing else, Lucius would have noticed my disappearance. Given their attitude towards me, it was likely that they assumed that I had run away. If I returned to Mt. Wind Dance, they wouldn’t give me a chance to explain myself. They would either imprison me or kill me.

A sense of loss filled me. Despite the way my kin treated me, Mt. Wind Dance was my home. It was all I had ever known. I would miss it. I would also miss Lucius. While my feelings for him were complicated, I still loved him. He was my older brother, and I knew my disappearance would worry him.

My heart clenched at the thought of never visiting my father’s immortal cave again. I would miss speaking to him.

Yet, I felt a sense of freedom alongside the loss. I had been trapped on Mt. Wind Dance. For me, it was my home but also my prison. While I didn’t appreciate the way she had gone about it, the demon freed me from that prison. I was now free to choose my own path, no longer bound by the shackles my kin had placed upon me.

I was free.

A weight lifted from my shoulders and my skin tingled as I felt a rush of excitement. For the first time in a while, I smiled. It was a genuine smile, one untainted by anger or hate or sorrow.

“Do we have a deal?” the demon said, sounding amused.

My smile disappeared after I realized that I wasn’t alone. My cheeks flushed and I coughed to cover up my embarrassment.

“We have a deal,” I said.

“Good.” She pulled out three manuals from her storage ring. “Here. These are the manuals for the cultivation techniques I want to teach you. Make sure you study them well. I’ll return tomorrow. We’ll begin then.”

The demon handed me the manuals.

“Why tomorrow?” I asked. “I’m ready to start now.”

“Patience, young Darian.”

The demon headed towards a particular part of the cave. She performed a series of hand seals and a part of the wall turned transparent. It was still there, but now it looked more like an illusion rather than solid stone.

“Wait!” I called out, just before she left. “Thank you, demon. I…Thank you.”

The demon frowned at me. In an instant, she appeared in front of me and flicked my forehead. By the time I thought to react, it was already too late. My forehead hurt, but not as much as I expected it to.

“Astra,” the demon said in a chiding tone. “My name is Astra, not ‘demon’. Call me ‘demon’ again, and I will punish you.”

The blood drained from my face as I thought about what sorts of punishments she would dole out.

“Yes…Astra,” I said, rubbing my forehead.

“Good. Now call me Big Sis Astra.”

I glared at the demo-…at Astra.

“I refuse to call you Big Sis,” I said in a flat tone.

Astra smirked at me.

“You will,” she said in a smug voice.

Before I could react, Astra disappeared. It was as if she had vanished into thin air. I looked around but found no trace of her anywhere. The wall was also solid again. It was no longer transparent.

With a sigh, I set the bed to rights and started reading the manuals Astra left behind.