Qingzhou City. The General’s residence.

After a brief rest, Aqian had once again left Qingzhou, stepping into demon territory to continue the duty she’d carried out for centuries now.

The Junior Demon King was gone, but the Howling Moon was still the Howling Moon.

It could only be said that the pressure had eased — not that everything was settled and safe.

The courtyard felt somewhat empty.

To avoid any inconvenience while matters were being discussed, Fang Heng had already moved his grandmother elsewhere ahead of time.

You Longtao had not yet returned.

Jiang Yuanhua had to look after Tingyang Prefecture in his stead, and so sat composed beneath the great tree by the stone table, with only Bai Ziming keeping watch at his side.

When he saw Senior Sister Jiang and Commander Shen walk in, Bai Ziming bowed respectfully first, then formed a hand seal to alert his master. He didn’t keep them waiting long; a treasured sword came streaking back from the sky.

“You’re here.”

Jiang Yuanhua opened his eyes.

The speed of it left even Shen Yi a little startled — no wonder, for a Martial Immortal whose divine spirit could leave the body entirely was simply not the same category of being as a mortal frame.

Even the Unfettered Wind-Riding Art brought to Perfection — even the Red Cloud treasure poured full of qi — fell far short of a divine spirit’s speed.

Only with this kind of efficiency could one truly claim to safeguard an entire province.

“I called you back mainly to talk about the Junior Demon King. Its background really was formidable — fortunately for us, our luck held.”

Jiang Yuanhua drew out a white jade token, a faint smile rising on his face. “Don’t mind me running on — a man gets talkative in his old age. The Blood-Transmuting Demon Emperor may be tied down by a Wutong Mountain Perfected Master, but it’s still a demon emperor in its own right. The chance of actually killing it is slim, so unless necessary, try not to leave Great Qian’s borders.”

Within Great Qian, the alliance’s nominal standing could still serve to intimidate demons somewhat.

Step outside it, though, and the immortal sects wouldn’t bother extending that courtesy.

Having finished laying things out, Jiang Yuanhua fell into a brief silence.

“…”

Shen Yi let his gaze drift elsewhere. If this had been all there was to say, there’d have been no need to call them back at all — a couple of lines on paper would have done.

Sure enough, after a long hesitation, Jiang Yuanhua turned his gaze to the cool, composed girl. “Are you planning to leave?”

“Once I break through to Mixed Origin.”

Jiang Qiulan stood with her hands at her sides, then, a few breaths later, added, “After I’ve killed the Howling Moon Demon King.”

At that, Jiang Yuanhua froze for an instant, then slowly rose to his feet, his voice coming out somewhat hoarse. “Thank you.”

If killing the Junior Demon King had been a promise long since fulfilled, then slaying the Howling Moon Demon King was something beyond that promise entirely.

Clearly, the girl he’d raised with his own hands was neither cold-hearted nor lacking in resolve…

At the thought, Jiang Yuanhua gave a self-mocking smile. She had never been that kind of person to begin with — it was he himself who’d shaped things into what they’d become.

He composed his expression and cupped his fists earnestly. “The path of cultivation is rough, fraught with danger at every turn. I wish you a bright road ahead. Take care of yourself.”

Jiang Qiulan raised her eyes slightly and gave a small nod. “Take care.”

Bai Ziming stood off to the side, his expression complicated. Senior Sister wasn’t leaving right this moment — this so-called farewell was, in truth, the dissolving of the bond between them.

The original promise had now been fulfilled. From here on, she would no longer be the General’s disciple.

In every word, his master had already begun treating Senior Sister as a fellow cultivator of equal standing.

Crack—

Shen Yi heard, once again, that faint, almost-imagined sound of something fracturing.

“I suppose I won’t be able to follow you around anymore.” Jiang Qiulan said softly, glancing sideways at him.

“Understandable.” Shen Yi nodded — that was simply how it went, once you stood on your own.

He didn’t envy her position now, in any case — she had only the one path infant, while he had two in his own qi sea, ready to come out whenever he pleased.

Jiang Yuanhua watched the two of them quietly.

He suspected that the reason he hadn’t ended up with a few more holes in him lately had something to do with General Shen, who’d made this girl noticeably gentler than she used to be.

“…”

Just then, Jiang Yuanhua seemed to sense something.

His eyelid twitched abruptly, and he sat back down in silence, closing his eyes once more.

The longsword on the table shot straight toward the sky, trailing thick killing intent!

Bai Ziming’s expression changed abruptly. He’d stood watch beside his master for years now, but this was the first time he’d seen him send out his divine spirit with such urgency.

Jiang Qiulan’s brow tightened slightly.

Before either of them could react, the Red Cloud suddenly rose into the air beside them, wreathed in towering demon qi, chasing after the sword!

Qingzhou, the edge of Yang’an Prefecture.

An old wolf clad in armor stepped slowly into the county town, looking over the bustling townsfolk with a faintly nostalgic air.

At the sight of this wolf-headed, man-bodied creature, two blade-bearing constables froze for an instant — they’d evidently never encountered a demon this brazen before, one that not only walked in completely unconcealed but stood there at its leisure besides.

In the next instant, the two of them shouted in unison, “Demon attack! Alert the yamen, now!”

As though in answer to their cry, a treasured sword cut across the sky like a shooting star, unleashing endless sword intent, surging forward like a river of streaming light!

The display was tremendous, and yet its presence leaked not the slightest trace.

In the old wolf’s eyes, the white mist filling the sky surged violently to life — Qingzhou’s accumulated faith, all of it rising now alongside the sword, sweeping forward like a wild dragon!

A vicious look spread across the Howling Moon Demon King’s face.

This very sword — the one that had held it back, year after year.

Clang!

It hunched its body slightly, a crescent blade appearing in its claw, and brought it down with vicious precision against the sword’s body.

There was no shockwave tearing toward the heavens, no county town collapsing.

It was as though two ordinary wandering swordsmen had simply clashed blades, producing nothing more than an unremarkable, crisp ring.

Only the two of them themselves knew just how terrifying a force lay coiled within that single strike.

“Look at you. Still so stingy.”

The Howling Moon Demon King took the blow head-on, baring its fangs in an unending, vicious grin.

Across from it, the insubstantial divine spirit hovered in midair, sword held in one hand, the condensed faith and prayer behind him solid as substance, clustering like white clouds and transforming the surroundings into something resembling an immortal realm.

“Do you want to die?”

Jiang Yuanhua’s eyes were chill as ice, his face utterly without expression.

Beyond Qingzhou’s borders was the Howling Moon’s territory.

But this — this was Qingzhou. Jiang Yuanhua’s Qingzhou.

The Howling Moon Demon King ran its other paw lightly through the withered fur atop its head. “Not quite. I just want to hold you up a moment, let my useless lot have themselves a nice, comfortable romp through Qingzhou… Don’t bother counting on your generals, either. For Yang’an Prefecture alone, this king’s arranged three of them.”

“…”

A savage smile broke across Jiang Yuanhua’s face.

At a divine spirit’s speed, if the man dared gather his Core-Nurturing demon lords together, however many came, he could kill them all — and still make it back in time to keep holding this wolf demon at bay.

“Look at you.”

The Howling Moon Demon King swung its blade again to block the sword cutting toward it. “I already told you, this king’s only here for a bit of fun. Why won’t you listen?”

Before it had even finished speaking—

Jiang Yuanhua’s hand, which had held the sword steady all this while, suddenly trembled, just slightly.

The divine spirit, already insubstantial to begin with, suddenly seemed like duckweed cut loose from its roots.

The sword’s tip slowly began to dip.

A flicker of bewilderment crossed the divine spirit’s face. He looked at the wolf demon before him, then turned to look off toward someplace farther away.

“Tsk.”

The Howling Moon Demon King shook its head. “Your Qingzhou City… looks like it’s about to stop existing, doesn’t it?”

(End of Chapter)