Just as the Wind eater Tribe had seen the man around the canyon, the same man had spotted the Wind Eater group from afar. And as the tribe gradually drew closer, the man became certain that they were heading in his direction.
"Heavenly Demon," Shengan called into the voice in his mind.
"What's the matter?" came the curious tone of the demon's voice, as he was rarely addressed directly by Allen.
"I realized that most of my memories from before—how I entered your body—are blurred," said Allen, though this was, of course, a lie. In truth, he had understood that if he tried to learn all the memories at once, it would consume an enormous amount of time, and in the meantime, he might miss some critical opportunities. So he devised a plan to receive guidance from the Heavenly Demon, who already knew everything about the past.
But Shengan was cautious not to reveal a few important things about himself.
"A memory loss, huh? It could be a side effect of the regression. But you still remember the important things from your life, right? Like how to court Demigod?" inquired the Heavenly Demon with a very keen tone.
"The memories are blurred, but I'm sure they'll return once I grow more familiar with them," answered Allen.
"Other than the fact of regression-related memory loss, there's another thing I'm suspicious of…" said the Heavenly Demon up front, stirring curiosity in Allen's mind.
"What could that be?" he asked.
"It's that you might just be a pawn in someone else's plan. As an individual, you may have been an ordinary daemon—but someone else might have branded you and used you for their own bidding."
Allen remained silent, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, allowing the Heavenly Demon to draw its own conclusions about the lie he had told.
The Wind Eater Tribe eventually arrived extremely close to the source of the rising smoke. From a distance, it was clear that it was, in truth, a canyon teeming with human life. But before they could get any closer, they were confronted by a group of men.
The men carried sharpened weapons made from iron, and among them was a figure whom the others seemed to respect. He wore a long coat and possessed a distinctly different appearance from the rest, and did not had any sort of a weapon in his hand.
"Where is your destination?" he inquired of the tribal leader. From his demeanor, it was clear that this man was not fond of anyone entering from the outside.
The tribal leader, being the wisest and most respected among all his fellow tribesmen, immediately recognized the kind of man he was speaking to. Instantly, he bowed his head to the earth and spoke in the most respectful manner possible.
"Oh great Daemon who controls the world, we are a group of survivors who have followed the dark clouds in search of water. Along the way, we have lost most of our resources, and now we seek something to rely upon from fellow beings."
The man cast a few glances over all the tribesmen. His sharp eyes swept past them like a desert wind, effortlessly assessing everything they possessed. Afterwards, he nodded his head in acknowledgment.
"You may go in, but…" His eyes lingered on the younglings in the group. "These children should undergo a proper evaluation upon entering the city. They are all of suitable age, and perhaps one among them may be fortunate enough."
These words stirred a wave of excitement among the tribesmen. If someone possessed sufficient purity, it meant he or she had the potential to become a daemons—one who court the Demigod, one who could command all others with a single word. The tribesmen now gazed at the children with renewed attention and hope.
"Oh, yes! Yes, my lord, we will do as you have said," the tribal leader exclaimed, still bowing deeply.
"Since you are all newcomers, one of ours will escort you into the town. But not much of an introduction should be necessary, as you are here merely to replenish your resources, correct?" the man asked, a subtle hint of hidden meaning underlying his words.
The tribesmen all looked at their leader eagerly. They were completely loyal to him. In every injury or misfortune, it was the leader who would heal them, as he was the only one who knew the medicines. And when a child was born or a member of the tribe passed away, he was the one to perform the rituals of welcoming new life or seeing off the dead. Because of these numerous responsibilities, the tribesmen placed immense trust and confidence in their leader's judgment, eagerly awaiting his words.
"Great lord, we are merely survivors. Even if we attach ourselves to a larger society like this, we would only be parasites, leeching away your resources," the tribal leader said humbly.
"Hmm… usually it's not a matter requiring my consent, but, unfortunately, there have been a few losses of hunters in the town," muttered the man. Afterwards, he did not wait for any response from the tribal leader and walked away, instructing another man to guide the tribesmen into the town.
The tribal leader walked silently, pondering as he followed the man whom the daemon had instructed to guide them. Following him, all the tribesmen entered the canyon town.
The canyon was vast, filled with human settlements, huts, and all the structures used for permanent living. The tribesmen also saw shops and a variety of other establishments as they made their way deeper into the town revealing more and more structure build upon the gorudn to sky high.
As they moved through the canyon city, Shengan's gaze lingered on the man to whom the tribesmen bowed deeply.
"Is he really a daemon?" he whispered.
"Yes," came the Heavenly Demon's reply. "Although he is not very impressive compared to me in my past life, he is still a daemon—one who could crush someone like you with just a wave of his hand."
Shengan tore his eyes away from the man. Although the words of the Heavenly Demon were somewhat frightening, they were not enough to disturb his thoughts. Perhaps it was because he had already died once and been reborn. Somehow, the feeling of death no longer frightened him.
"I would definitely have to take risky steps for the future, so why should merely hearing this frighten me?" he muttered to himself, letting out a quiet laugh under his breath.