Clouds gathered in the sky and from the skies came red rain which cascaded across the land. Each heavy drop dyed the land in a dreadful solemness, the darkness of the clouds deepening with the formation of puddles.

Looking closer the clouds covered all of the lands with the exception of one area. At the center of the land was a range with mountains littered all around closely clustered to one another. In the areas with gaps were strange valleys and other natural formations.

Flying at the edge of this mountain range was an immortal man dressed in immaculate white robes. Embroidered on the black was a swirling black line. He laid back while stroking his white goatee and staring down at the mountain.

"Blood rain..." The immortal seemingly chuckled as he looked down upon the mountain.

The clouds fully gathered started to rumble, and then thunder roared from the heavens. A terrifying 9 colored light emanated from the heavens as it spread across the realm.

The immortal man looked towards the bottom of the mountain and was greeted by a pair of cold eyes. Sitting in meditation was an emaciated dead man. His eyes were deep pools of mystery and obscurity that saw through the flying immortal.

"Hehe." The dead man chuckled as he looked towards the heavens. His disturbing laughter echoed like death throes as the 9 colored light descended into an array of lightning bolts onto the dead man.

The 9 colored light streamed along the corpse, the intense energies disintegrated the grass and foliage around him. Yet the corpse remained intact as the light shot into his glabella.

As the stream of light settled on the corpse; the clouds faded away and all that remained hanging in the sky was an ominous bloody moon.

"A red moon." The immortal proclaimed with a sinister tone.

***********

On a strange mountainous area, a handsome young man was walking along a mountain path. He had long flowing black hair and deep black eyes that shined like an abyss. He was wearing black robes and was holding a bamboo umbrella with a bit of pink.

Each of his steps was precise and controlled, extremely light and fast. He ran across the mountain path like a panther.

After a few more minutes of running, he stopped in front of a village. He sealed his umbrella before walking closer to the village. He saw a few children running across the village, it was like a small bustling city. The houses were crude but well designed at the edge as one approached the center the quality increased.

Near the center was a pagoda with a dragon coiling around it. A strange aura was gathering around it and two masked men stood guard.

The young man's eyes flashed with a curious glint as he entered the village. Various villagers walked about and looked at the young man with fleeting glances.

"You there! You must be new!" A voice shouted towards the young man as he was walking. His gaze landed on an old man sitting in front of a small inn. It had a rustic feel to it and was built of wood and stone.

"Why I am. Is this your home?" The young man said with a smile spread across his face. An amicable air seemed to surround him.

"Indeed, this is my home and my inn. You must be a wanderer if you need a place to stay we have great prices." The old man smiled as he motioned his hand for a handshake.

"I'll take you up on that offer." the young man said as he shook the old man's hand. Then he reached into his robe and handed him a gold piece. The old man motioned for the young man to follow him.

"So where'd you come from?" The old man asked as they walked across the inn dodging the tables and chairs.

"I come from the Eastern lands, but I just wander aimlessly. What about you?" The young man asked

"Me? Homegrown although I had a phase like you. I wandered around the mountains with my home being the open sky. The sights, the sounds, the smells, they were all amazing." The old man as his eyes shined with reminiscence.

"But I am not young anymore and it's too dangerous these days. With all those wandering beasts and fallen, what can a mortal do to survive?" The old man sighed.

"It is indeed hard. I've had a few close encounters. How is this village doing?" The young man asked with a solemn tone.

"Great ever since Lord Gulan appeared. We haven't had a beast attack in years." The old man said.

"I haven't properly introduced myself, I am Nie Lan. Most people call me Old Lan." Old Lan said

"Mhm, I am called Ye Yuyan...no nicknames or titles." Ye Yuyan said kindly back.

"Well, this will be your room. Dinner is at 6 pm, and we serve drinks till 2 am. Feel free to come down. My wife makes the best wine in the village, the three bitter blossoms the best around. " Old Lan said as he pointed to a room on the second floor.

The room was small and only had a chest and a desk. There was a small bed at the corner of the room and a small window.

"Hmm...this will do nicely, thank you." Ye Yuyan said as he moved over to the desk. Old Lan taking a hint locked the door and walked down the stairs. Ye Yuyan sat at the desk and reached into his robes. He removed three scrolls and laid them out in front of him. He then opened a cabinet to the desk and took out a quill and an inkwell.

He reached into his robe and took out a black runic dagger. With a swift motion, he cut his left palm and squeezed his fist. The blood congealed into one drop of blood that dripped into the inkwell.

The red drop of blood seemed to tinge the ink. A searing smoke came from the well and a malevolent demon face appeared. Soon after it faded and the ink was a deep red.

Ye Yuyan dipped the quill in the inkwell and started to write on the scroll. His elegant calligraphy moved with grace and speed.

He wrote a few words and then engraved intricate runes in a circle. In the center of the circle was a strange demonic face of a fat oiled man with fangs and horns.

"A Fallen with a Fiend pact..." Ye Yuyan smirked as he sealed up the scroll. Then he put it in his robes and stood up. He walked down to the first floor of the inn, the inn had been filled up by now. A few rowdy young men drank and danced in a bustle around the inn. Ye Yuyan passed each of them and approached the bar.

"Waiter, 3 Bitter Blossoms Wine please." Ye Yuyan asked the kindly middle-aged man on the other side of the bar. He looked over at Ye Yuyan's graceful bearing, he assumed him to be a prodigious young master. He moved quickly and gave him a ceramic cup and poured the wine.

Ye Yuyan took the cup and downed it quickly, it had a bitter and burning taste. It burned his throat as it moved to rest on his stomach. He released a calm exhaling sigh then he looked to the corner of the first floor.

He saw Old Lan holding a wine cup as he filled it with a smile. Sitting down in front of him was a young man. He was wearing sun embroidered golden attire and had golden hair and golden sword brows. He had a domineering aura about him and near him were two black cloaked men. They emanated a powerful bloodlust as they casually stood at his side.

"Old Lan, your wife really makes the finest wine!" The young man laughed as he downed the wine.

"Thank you for the compliments, Young Master Li Nan." Old Lan said with a courteous ingratiating tone.

"I'll have to talk to Lord Gulan to collect more. After all, you must be making a lot off this wine." Li Nan laughed boisterously.

"Uhh...but si-si sire, we are paying all that we can to his Lord..." Old Lan reluctantly stuttered, his fear made him spill a bit of the wine on Li Nan's robes. Li Nan's face boiled with fury at that moment.

"You filthy peasant, to dare soil my clothes! Make it triple the payment, no negotiations. Or else your little inn will become a tavern." Li Nan rebuked with a cold voice

"But sire we cannot afford that..." Old Lan begged.

"Well then, you can't afford your life! Guards detain this man!" Li Nan barked out in a domineering fashion. The two bloodthirsty guards quickly moved.

Both jumped at Old Lan as they extended their demonic palms out, their hands looked like wolf claws! Old Lan shrunk back in fear as they attacked his throat. As Old Lan fell back, a gust of wind traveled at a high speed.

It went past Old Lan and collided with the guards, whose bodies flew back and hit a wall. All of a sudden their bodies started to shine with a black light and they flailed in pain.

Li Nan looked stunned as he turned towards the source of the wind. Then his eyes landed on Ye Yuyan, who in his hands held an empty scroll.

The black light from the guards seemed attracted to it. The scroll consumed the baleful aura and seemed to start drawing. It drew the face of two ugly horned demons.

Ye Yuyan sealed the scroll and put it in his robes. Then his cold gaze landed on Li Nan, and he started to smirk.

'I sense no demonic presence on him.' Ye Yuyan thought as he coldly assessed Li Nan.

"Wh...wh...what are you doing? This is the village of Lord Gulan, no exorcists are allowed." Li Nan stuttered out.

"Heh, who said I was an exorcist?" Ye Yuyan laughed as his eyes shined blood red. A strange aura came from his body and everyone in the inn who looked at Ye Yuyan seemed to be hypnotized.

A few started to fall down out of exhausted and slowly everyone passed out. Li Nan tried to resist but the urge to sleep was too powerful. His body slumped over the table and fell down to the ground. The only person left standing in the inn was Ye Yuyan. His eyes returned to its normal black color.