Tingyang City.
Yang Gui reined in the horse and eased the carriage through the city gates. As a Division Deputy Commander, there weren’t many people he’d accept driving for.
He’d been mildly annoyed when the order came down. Now he was entirely, genuinely convinced it was an honor.
A Deputy Commander driving the carriage was nothing — a carriage with four Condensate Realm practitioners in it was a scene he wasn’t sure he was even qualified to be part of.
Inside, the two Daoist priests had already sent word to General You. With the matter resolved, even knowing he wasn’t in the city, they’d come in person to pay their respects. Propriety didn’t permit otherwise.
As for the Twin-Harmony True Intent tucked in their robes — they weren’t particularly worried about that.
There weren’t many people who could take something from either of them by force. And with Commander Shen right there, which person in Tingyang Prefecture would have the nerve, let alone the inclination?
“…”
Shen Yi kept his eyes closed, resting while deriving the Thunder-Wind Solar-Fusion Scripture.
At his current strength, a straight fight against a Condensate Perfection demon lord was probably manageable. The mountain lord’s qi trace finally had a use.
Still — he was in the habit of gaining every inch available.
The Solar-Fusion Scripture had come from the Division as a reward after killing the river deity. It was an internal cultivation method for the Jade Liquid breakthrough — but the furnace it built inside the body was deeply connected to the Heavenly Demon external pill.
Since connecting two hundred and seventy-five apertures, the external pill had stopped causing trouble. The problem was a half-filled pill only represented full-core stage reserves.
He’d just acquired the Twin-Harmony True Intent, and from watching the two priests in action, it was clearly another method that burned through cultivation heavily.
In this situation, the external pill had become a weak point.
【You successfully connect the twenty-sixth new major aperture.】
【The Solar-Fusion Furnace constructed from three hundred and one major apertures appears to have reached its limit—】
【Remaining Demon Lifespan: 12 years】
One thousand and four hundred-odd years of demon lifespan, spent to the last drop.
Shen Yi felt the changes inside — the dark-red meridian network had grown more vivid, the suppressive force washing through the qi sea more thoroughly than before.
He had a persistent sense that walking this path of demon-reliant cultivation was leaving something in his body — the external pill, the demon lord consciousnesses — subtle things accumulating. Keeping the suppressive force as strong as possible was worth the cost.
“…”
He opened his eyes again.
If his count was right, in the last hour the woman beside him had glanced over at him twelve times in what she was apparently calling not staring.
“Senior Xiao — if there’s something to say, just say it.”
The whole pursuit of Yan Xingkong — he’d learned a great deal from her about demon-hunting practice. On top of that, she’d pushed herself into danger repeatedly. Even the two Daoist priests had come away with something. She’d walked away with nothing.
If she had a problem or a request — better to just say it. Whether he could help or not was a separate question. This drawn-out hesitation served nobody.
Xiao Qiangwei had just glanced over and pulled her gaze back immediately.
“I was going to ask if you were thirsty.”
“…”
Shen Yi turned his eyes to the ceiling in private exasperation.
A silver-bell demon-hunter with years behind her, somehow shyer than Lin Baixi. At least the Lin surname girl had the sense to announce when she was hungry and find her own clothes when she was cold. At least she seemed alert.
Then both their silver bells trembled simultaneously.
Shen Yi brushed a hand across the bell — then looked mildly disappointed.
He’d thought it might be news of a major demon. It was someone’s idle gossip left in the network.
Xiao Qiangwei came out of her awkwardness quickly. Unlike Shen Yi, she seemed genuinely interested.
“Jiang Qiulan has left Linjiang Prefecture?”
Both Daoist priests sat upright immediately and let their ears extend.
Catching their expressions, Shen Yi felt a flicker of curiosity.
“Who is Jiang Qiulan?”
The entire carriage went quiet.
All three looked at each other.
Elder Chunyang, who had the most unfiltered reactions, stared like he’d seen something supernatural.
“Commander Shen has never heard that name?”
A Division person not knowing Jiang Qiulan was like a scholar who couldn’t write characters.
Even Xiao Qiangwei, who had already adjusted her expectations of Shen Yi considerably, was briefly at a loss. Regardless of anything else — anyone who had spent two months in the Division compound would inevitably know that name.
And then—
Her eyelid moved. “She was the one General Chen invited to Linjiang Prefecture to deal with a demon. He didn’t tell you?”
The young man in front of her had, if she remembered correctly, introduced himself as a personal attendant under General Chen Qiankun.
“Not particularly close.”
Shen Yi shook his head. To be accurate — he’d seen the General once, said nothing the entire time, and been too focused on the flood dragon core to pay attention to anything else. This was common knowledge among everyone who’d gone to Qingfeng Mountain, so it wasn’t worth hiding.
Elder Qingjing stepped in smoothly.
“Not knowing her is very normal. There are very few people in all of Qingzhou who are actually acquainted with the General. Demons tend to be better acquainted with her. Most of them are dead, though.”
Seeing the young man’s composed expression, Xiao Qiangwei felt something quietly pleased stir in her chest.
Shen Yi noticed the group had apparently misunderstood something, and didn’t bother correcting it. What interested him more than a famous practitioner was the demon in question.
“What demon did she go to Linjiang to deal with?”
One mountain lord wasn’t enough to satisfy him. If the timing was right, he wouldn’t mind going to Linjiang and picking up whatever was left — ideally including the inner core.
“You know about what happened to Qingfeng Mountain?” Xiao Qiangwei had learned to start from the beginning with him. At least this time he nodded.
She continued.
“When General Chen killed the Yangchun River flood dragon lord and destroyed the Qingfeng Mountain sect master and the Founding Sword, he was preparing to leave — and a demon’s qi suddenly appeared on the mountain. At minimum full-core stage.”
Both Daoist priests were listening with visible interest.
“Full-core stage — why would General Jiang need to be involved in that?”
Xiao Qiangwei gave them a flat look and continued.
“It wasn’t that simple. The demon wasn’t concealing its qi at all. It was clearly a provocation. When General Chen raised his divine spirit to deal with it — the qi vanished instantly.”
“Translocation.” Elder Chunyang said it with conviction before she finished. “To escape a search by General Chen completely — at minimum Condensate Perfection. Possibly even core-nurturing.”
“General Chen concluded the same thing.” Xiao Qiangwei nodded.
Then she noticed the young man beside her had turned back to the window. Quiet.
“…”
Beneath the dark hair, those black eyes held something thoroughly resigned.
Translocation. Condensate Perfection.
How do these people manage to get every step of the reasoning wrong and arrive at the right answer anyway.
It was obvious. The demon that had suddenly appeared on Qingfeng Mountain — that was almost certainly himself, having just condensed the Heavenly Demon external pill.
That particular item on the list of things to pick up in Linjiang — was not one he could afford.
(End of Chapter)