They travelled together and kept each other company. Under Kai's watchful eye, Lifen was allowed out to enjoy the real world where the hot sun shone and the cool breeze really blew. It was a novelty to hear live birds chirping after so long and she marveled at the variety of flora and fauna they passed.

"I've forgotten such wonders," sighed Lifen happily. "Everything is so still in the painting unless I make it move."

"But surely you've been out many times," said Kai glancing at her as she walked beside him.

"I have, but you know ..." she shrugged, "I can't enjoy the world freely and walk around in leisure when I'm suppose to do ... stuff."

Kai nodded silently, noting her reluctance to speak of her evil deeds.

During the journey, Kai and Lifen got to know each other better and formed a tacit understanding. The budding seeds of trust planted in the rich soil of friendship grew with the common goal of righting a wrong.

When they reach the village, Kai and his new companion were welcomed warmly. Everyone knew Kai and any friend of his were theirs. No one knew Lifen was a demon due to her human form and demure behavior.

"Welcome! Welcome! Brother Kai, it's been so long since you last came," exclaimed a middle-aged woman. She and four others were coming back from the nearby river, hands occupied with fully laden buckets of washing.

"Yes! It's been months. Come join us for a meal. We will go help with the cooking after hanging up the laundry. The others have already started boiling the soup and cutting vegetables."

"Ahhh, thank you all. I'll join you all after I settle in. May I use the same room?"

"Of course! We received news of your coming yesterday. Brother Shao told us. Your usual room is ready in Master Chu's house."

"Yes, we met him on the way here. Thank you!" waved Kai as he led the way. Lifen smiled at the friendly women and followed the demon hunter. Several men greeted them and exchanged pleasantries then went back to their work.

"What are they doing?" asked Lifen.

"The men here are mostly farmers and hunters. Those we just passed are making arrows for hunting wild game. They trap animals too. We won't meet the farmers yet, they should still be in the fields," Kai said looking up at the morning sun.

"The women will gather at the cooking area. They are a close knit village and practice communal tasks and daily activities. Later we will join them for the afternoon meal."

"Oh! That sounds wonderful. People gathering to eat and work together. What a great community!"

"It only works in some places, usually in smaller rural communities where everyone depends on the other for survival," replied Kai. "It wouldn't work in larger towns and communities. Competition, greed and power divides us there."

"You are wise."

"No, just observant. People adjust to their surroundings, even the kind can be ruthless when survival demands it."

The demon studied the human thoughtfully.

The room Kai usually stayed when he visited was a small private chamber at the back of Master Chu's residence. He was the head of the village and his family was one of the founding families of the thriving settlement. Kai stayed there since he was an honored guest.

Master Chu's elderly father was having a nap in a lazy chair on the front porch but opened one eye and returned Kai's wave before falling back asleep. Over the years, they had gotten used to the demon hunter popping in unannounced for visits.

Kai placed his belongings consisting of his travel pack, his demon gourds and some leftover rations on the bed. To his amusement, there was another cot set up presumably for Lifen. A simple clothesline with thick linen draped over it divided the sleeping area and provided some privacy to its occupants. Brother Shao who they had met along the way must have informed them of Lifen.

"Come, I want to show you a place," said Kai. "We have enough time before the noon meal."

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see," replied the demon hunter mysteriously.

They passed a group of children on the way out.

"Brother Kai! Brother Kai is here!!" shouted the children.

"Where have you gone for so long? Why didn't you come sooner?"

"We missed you!"

"Tell us more stories!" they clamored. "Did you bring us any sweets?"

Kai laughed and patted the children's heads affectionately. "I did and I'll hand it out after the noon meal. Your mothers will scold me if I give them to all of you now. It'll spoil your lunch."

"No, it won't."

"We promise not to eat them before lunch."

"I'm not going to risk that," laughed Kai. "Your mothers will skin me alive."

"Awww," they cried in disappointed but ran off to play. One turned back to ask again. It was Head Villager's youngest son, Yifan. "Promise?"

"Yes, of course," said the demon hunter nodding. "After lunch. I promise."

-----

Kai led Lifen into the nearby forest. He only took her painting with him as she could not be too far from it. After a while, they came upon a hidden glade. He watched Lifen closely trying to gauge her reaction. It was a test of sorts. This glade was supposed to be where Senior Lin's demon resided all those years ago. If she was the demon, she should recognize it.

Kai inhaled sharply swallowing hard as realization hit him. The nagging feeling he had been having since seeing the house in the painting resolving itself. He had forgotten, but the small hut and garden in the scroll were almost identical to the one here!

Lifen gasped, a delicate hand covering her mouth. Kai felt a twinge of guilt when he noticed her large violet eyes filling up with tears. However, he had to confirm for himself, not just rely solely on her words and explanations.

"My home!" she cried. "This is my home!"

Without another thought, she left Kai standing at the edge of the glade. She ran through an overgrown yard, past a weed infested vegetable garden patch straight to a ram-shackled hut. Ripping away the creepers that grew all over the front door, she disappeared inside.

Kai smiled letting out a breath he did not know he was holding. It was her! It really was! She had recognized the place immediately. He felt strangely relieved at she spontaneous reaction. It washed away any lingering doubts he had of her identity.

After checking out the hut, Lifen emerged into the sunlight. She was half crying half laughing.

"Nothings changed! Everything's dusty and some stuffs broken and it looks like some animals have ransacked the place," she rambled excitedly, "but other than that ..." she let out a loud sigh and stopped. The flower demon hugged herself, overwhelmed unable to finish her sentence.

"Oh! My flowers!!" Lifen cried again when she spotted some colorful flowers which had grown wild.

As she started forward, Kai shouted, "No! Don't touch them! Those flowers are poisonous!"

"Hah! Not to me! They are mine!!"

"No! Stop! Those are Nightshade! They can kill you!"

But Lifen flung herself onto the lethal flora. There were blues, whites, pinks and even the rare yellow. The demon dissolved into mist and merged with the pretty flowers. Then she reemerged laughing and clapping her hands in delight!

"Oh! I've missed you!!"

She danced and twirled forgetting where she was or who she was with. She was so happy.

Kai blinked at her unconscious display. It reminded him forceably of her true nature. Lifen was indeed a flower demon. And it seems, a dangerous poisonous killer demon who associated primarily with the deadly Nightshade. It was a wonder she had not killed any humans thus far, even accidentally. She could have but she had not. That spoke volumes for her character. It meant that she had consciously suppressed her natural powers.

Still he had one more question.

"If this was really your home, why didn't you recognize the village and it's residents?" asked Kai.

"How could I?" she replied, "Everything's changed. The roads you travelled on to reached it did not even exist back then. The village itself is so much bigger with more buildings and people. The smell, sounds and whole atmosphere have also changed and the people ..." she trailed off.

The villagers who she had known would have all died of old age by now and the children who tortured her mercilessly back then, well they had probably all grown up and passed too. The current generation living there were probably their descendants.

"The villagers are also different people then those who I knew," Lifen finished softly.

"I see."

"So much have changed. It's been so long," she sighed her gaze sweeping her dilapidated house.

Kai waited quietly letting Lifen reminisce. He watched as emotions flitted across her face revealing her thoughts. A smile for happiness, a frown of disapproval, narrowing of eyes and the tightening of her jaw suppressing remembered anger. It finally ended with a long sigh and the downturn of the corners of her dainty mouth indicating sadness. The jumbled emotions ended with a lone tear sliding down her pale cheek.

"If they had not crossed the line, I would not have done what I did," she said sadly. "I could have still be living here in peace, undisturbed."

Turning abruptly, she caught his arm and pulled. "Lets go."