Qiongji gazed out beyond the window railing at the tranquil lake and the white cranes dancing across it, then rose. "That is all I have to say about this blade. Now, tell me why you have come." She turned back to the two of them with a smile. "If you do not mind, shall we talk as we walk?"
Sesshomaru and Han had no objections. They rose naturally and followed Qiongji, the three of them walking softly along the veranda, their footsteps barely audible on the wooden floor.
After exchanging a glance with the girl, Sesshomaru spoke. "It concerns the Monster World. Human wars have spawned countless monsters. Whatever their strength, their numbers have increased to an unprecedented degree. Yet it is said that the monsters of this world will eventually perish. We came to learn whether that rumor is true."
Qiongji stopped. A little gray crane fluttered up before her, tilting its head as it studied her affectionately. She crouched and gently stroked its soft down. "Yes," she said quietly. "That is the ultimate future of monsters."
"How could that..." The girl's lashes trembled in disbelief.
"Why could it not?" Qiongji stood with the little crane in her arms and turned to face the girl. The young crane nestled against her fondly. "No race can rule a world forever, and monsters will never be its true rulers."
In strength, monsters were not the greatest race. Nor were they in numbers. That was what Qiongji's eyes, which saw through the affairs of the world, conveyed.
"Can it not be changed?" Sesshomaru asked gravely.
"The monster race will ultimately perish, but it will not vanish entirely." Qiongji looked at the dog demon with a smile. She knew that someone as composed as Sesshomaru would surely understand where the opportunity lay. The