Western Region, Sianchi, 761.
The investigation led by Inspector Hang Nim Accompanied by Holmes to investigate the death of an Imperial Dean, Dean Mare with his real name, Li Zhi was found dead in his office. Autopsy suggest that it was a death due to a poison, further inquiries by an Apothecary reveals that the specific poison in use is the Concocted Triple Brewed Honeyberry Poison or Seven Hell Poison
Investigation has revealed that it was suicide, the motive is believed to be Insanity as revealed by his note that he reads.
'T H E D E M O N I S C O M I N G ! A S U R A O F F L A M E W I L L R E T U R N !'
Interview with an employee said that Dean Mare has been seen acting strangely. Not sleeping or eating and confining himself in his office, not even going home to his family
More in-depth interview reveals that his strange action begins after the Dean founds out about a story that was recently told by the Bard Hod, or Old Man Hod
His servant testifies that the Dean and the Bard are good friends, and he found out about a story that haunts the Bard. Wanting to relieve his burden, Dean wanted to look for the person mentioned in the story.
Further investigation reveals a note with the story, confirmed by several attendees during the storytelling sessions.
'There is a cottage in the north, sitting atop a hill overlooking a meadow of snow and ice. It was the long winter that had showered this world with its frost. Covering corpse and the living alike in its white blanket without mercy as it freezes even memory.
Inside the cottage is a mother with a young boy, both were as white as the winter. As cold as the ice and as pure as the falling snow. Yet they were warm and bright like the long-awaited summer.
'Such cruel world'
The villager said they couldn't bear the irony of such warm heart being locked in this tough time.
They know not of their origin, they said the boy was a Demon. Cold and unfeeling, but a child is still a child.
He was as pure and innocent as a human, and like his mother, a perilous beauty. Some thought that he was a woman, destined to enchant many men as they await in line to bring this lady hearts.
But as ages pass, it turns a Demon. White and scary, like the winter. His heart grew even colder like the tree and river.
But he is loved, cared for and protected by the villagers. And so, he began to melt, no longer a white winter, he is more like a white star. However, broken he is, he still shines as hope for the villager to continue hoping for a better future.
Years have passed, yet winter persists. Rather, it grows, so does the boy. Each blizzard strengthens him, each snow falls sooth him, each storm empowers him.
Slowly, the villagers grew wary, fear gnawing their hearts as concern piles over like heaps of dirty snow before toppling over.
This is no child; this is a beast. So, they say.
A beast that will soon kill us all, a sleeping beast!
So, they decided, they need to kill the beast before it can kill them.
They marched, weapon in hand to the cottage, each with frightened eyes and cold blood.
But the mother knew of the tragedy, ran away. To the white forest beyond the mountain
Yet she is but a frail lady, the villager soon catches up and captures them. Determined to finally, kill them.
But lust struck them, upon seeing the fair lady charm, they brought them back…'
The Servant cannot recall further than that.
Further investigation was taken over by the Imperial Police on direct order from the Shu Dynasty Imperial Family
End reports.
"So? Who is Asura of Flame?"
A man with a sleek back hair asks, his bearing is those from the western country. Beyond the Great Dessert is a land of those with blue eyes. He questions an old man with a white robe, a man from the Wudang Sect
His wrinkled feature contorts into something of an acknowledgement, or perhaps ugly surprise.
"Did you know about an existence named Demon?" the old man spoke with raspy voice.
"The folks from the Demonic Cult, right?"
"They were called Demonic Sect now…"
"…Right, but are they the same?"
"Not quite"
The old man took a hard bound tome, suggesting its value before turning the page one by one before settling on one page.
"The Demonic sect member is an existence called Fiend. They are close to an actual Demon but lacks the characteristic of them."
"Aside from that, we call Demon-kin Jiangshi. I'm sure you've met them during your travel here"
The man nods at the Wudang elder words, not refuting it.
The Wudang elder then shows the man a painting of what a Demon should look like
It was a humanoid being, yet their entire body is engulfed in flame.
"This is what Demon looks like, they are called Asura."
"…I see, but what is Asura of Flame exactly?"
"Asura is a king of all Jiangshi"
The old man turns the pages into a painting of Circle with a flame symbol inside of it as well as a text that says, 'Demon of Wrath'.
"This one specifically is the Asura of Flame, the Wrath itself" he said with heavy tone, filled with implications.
"Aside from that, we didn't know much…"
"Such significant threat and you didn't bother recording it?"
The man said, drawing cold acknowledgement from the old man.
"The fools of the Jianghu and the Dynasty didn't bother to restore their record since the day the Buddhist Sect burns in Minjul" The old man said with a voice so heavy with irritation and hate that it causes the entire room to tremble.
The man must deploy his own Energy shield to protect him from such intent.
"But alas, it's all in the past. Few has seen the horror this thing could unleashed."
The old man sighed and closed the book, but he didn't bother to return it to shelves once more.
The man though, has realized the significance of the message left behind by Dean Mare now, it prophesizes, no, certifies the threat of the return of the Demon.
But something is amiss, who is Bard Hod? How could he know the existence of this story?
"So… is the story true?"
The Wudang Sect man sighed heavily.
"Don't know… Maybe it is, maybe it isn't…" He returned the book back to its shelf "Who knows? Bard has a reputation to exaggerate things after all."
"…But this eternal winter he mentions… Aside from the North, I thought Hazhui didn't have any winter?"
"It does, a long time ago. It snows for 30 years…."
"…I see"
The man didn't ask more, the face of the man he talks with seems like he unearth ugly memories of a long time ago, after all, he is one of the few Encompassing Stage master who had lived for well over 150 years. Every leaf and season change before him, so does memory of old and new that replace each other just like the season.
But for this scar to run deep to the point that he still remembers it. He dares not to ask further.