It could be no one else but him.
Hao Xuan had only technically t him once or twice but he rembered the destitute farr-turned-hunter with stark clarity.
Jax heard his na and turned around to see Hao Xuan standing at the foot of the hill.
He smiled, "It has been a long ti sir."
But to say that Hao Xuan had mixed feelings about the circumstances of their eting would be the biggest understatent of the year. He knew what this ant and his doleful expression accurately portrayed his feelings.
"Damn it, why did it have to be you? How could you have fallen to their side? Or...were you always one of them, a demon?"
Hao Xuan began questioning everything he knew about the man.
Jax didn't answer directly and instead motioned for Hao Xuan to co up.
"Won't you sit with and talk?"
And with a bittersweet feeling, Hao Xuan trudged along before sitting down right beside him.
It was nightti as usual but the white light from the runes at the top of the world fell down in waves, lighting the grass-covered rolling hills for miles.
"I love this place. It's so peaceful," Jax muttered under his breath as gentle gusts of wind licked their faces.
"A sha that it will soon be destroyed," Hao Xuan comnted before looking in his direction, "Your people should have sothing to do with that too. Never knew a demon who wanted peace."
Jax chuckled lightly, shaking his head lightly.
"I'm not a demon, I will never be one of them. I only borrowed their power to protect my people...no one else would."
"And what about Eurig and the others who were turned into demonic at puppets?"
"Those-" Jax faltered, "-That was not my doing. The sa creature that ca to went to them."
'The sa creature??'
Only one such entity ca to mind.
"Bael?!"
*BzZzzZzz*
A fly ca out of Jax's pocket and landed on his shoulder, looking right at Hao Xuan.
"He's watching..."
Jax's voice fell to a re whisper, "He is always watching...everything...everywhere...never shuts up..."
Hao Xuan could see he was still fighting against Bael's influence. It hadn't corrupted him yet so there was a chance.
"Don't give in, never stop fighting it. The mont you let your guard down he will consu you."
"Hmm, I won't. As long as there is hope I won't surrender."
Hao Xuan patted him on the shoulder, killing the fly in the process.
"I will find a way to help your people. Where are they? How many?"
For the first ti Jax's smile didn't seem forced as he reciprocated in the sa manner, "Thank you. They are set up on the far western shoreline but it's not safe there. I can keep them hidden for now but it won't be long before the other cultivators find them. The one who leads them is too bloodthirsty."
"Dai Zhi? Yeah, I know him. I will deal with him sooner rather than later, don't worry. I won't leave anyone behind," Hao Xuan assured him and it seed like that was all he needed.
"I believe you. You are the only one who can change the future."
And with that Jax unhurriedly got back on his feet.
"I will let him in now. You should already know this but don't trust a word he says."
"Huh? Who?"
Hao Xuan got a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach and he tried to reach out but before he could do anything the fly that he had killed ca back to life and flew into Jax's ear.
His body jerked a couple of tis before stabilizing. He was facing away from Hao Xuan and there was no demonic energy coming from him but his deanor had completely changed.
His back straightened and shoulders widened as he cracked his neck and stretched his arms.
"Aaah! What great pleasures of mortal flesh. How lucky you are to still live with them, hahaha."
A completely different voice comnted. It was huskier, deeper, and spoke with a kind of accent that Hao Xuan had only heard in one of his other lives.
He jumped to his feet lunging towards Jax. He grabbed him by the shoulders and turned him around in a hurry only to gaze into eight different pupils staring back at him.
"Ba'al!" he exclaid.
Jax's face contorted unnaturally as he pushed Hao Xuan away to fix his clothes.
"You have seen better days have you not? Hahaha!"
Hao Xuan gritted his teeth, "What have you done to him?! If you harm him I wi-"
"Oh save your threats. I would never do anything to harm a vessel as great as this. Quite the opposite actually."
'A vessel? Is that what he wants him for?'
But Jax shook his head not even trying to hide that he could read Hao Xuan's thoughts.
"Not at all. Although I am the one breaking him in, he is not for ."
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