In the reverberating crash, the distant village fell into panic.

After a moment, a few bolder fishermen crept out to look. The three flood dragon carcasses on the riverbank sent a chill through them, and they were about to retreat when one of them saw a face carved into memory.

A moment later, the villagers poured out of the settlement — the madman and the widow leading the charge.

When it was confirmed they hadn’t been deceived, they dropped to the ground in a mass, kowtowing in neat unison toward the distant figure.

“…”

Chen Qiankun looked back, and something resigned and wondering came into his expression.

In this short time, Shen Yi had somehow built, through his own actions alone, a kind of presence here that rivaled the Division’s.

These people might not know who the Demon Suppression General was. They definitely knew their river god.

“People don’t show up without reason. You’re not here for a social call.”

Chen Qiankun turned back with a rueful acceptance. He was probably the most frustrated Demon Suppression General in the twelve prefectures — he’d personally named this young man his personal attendant, and this might be the first time the young man had actually set foot in Linjiang Prefecture.

Shen Yi unclenched the clasped hands and nodded. “At General Jiang’s request, I’m here to inform the old General that the demons of Qingfeng Mountain have been eliminated.”

Hearing that particular way of phrasing it, Fang Heng felt something go wrong in his entire body.

Commander Shen went off to be a demon-hunter — how is he also connected to Martial Elder Sister now?

And what is the situation with three flood dragons falling from the sky?!

He opened his mouth to ask — and found Chen Qiankun glancing sideways at him. “You, child — stop sticking your nose in where it doesn’t belong. Step back.”

Official business required even the most talented young people to give space.

“As you command.” Fang Heng closed his mouth and retreated back among the Commanders with visible reluctance.

“Continue.” Chen Qiankun looked back at Shen Yi. He was genuinely curious — what kind of demon would warn him the way that presence at Qingfeng Mountain had.

“General Jiang tracked demons along the way. At Xitai Mountain she was set upon by the White Deer Demon Lord, the Junior Demon King, and another core-nurturing dog demon. The Junior Demon King and the dog demon escaped. The White Deer was killed.”

Chen Qiankun read the young man’s unchanged expression and raised one eyebrow slightly.

“You’re saying — Jiang Qiulan was ambushed. And the White Deer ended up dead.”

Shen Yi gave a small nod. “Yes.”

Chen Qiankun closed his eyes. Then opened them. From top to bottom, he looked the young man over again with careful attention.

How had he not noticed before? This boy had quite a way with words.

No core-nurturing demon lord had ever died at Jiang Qiulan’s hands — because none of them were foolish. They received word in advance and fled before she could ever get close enough to see them.

The White Deer most of all. It was cautious by nature, fast by ability. Even with the Junior Demon King as backing, it would never put itself in a position where it had to face Jiang Qiulan directly.

Even if the White Deer was genuinely dead — it hadn’t been killed by Jiang Qiulan.

“Hmm.”

Having assembled a fairly accurate picture, Chen Qiankun found that even after these many centuries as a Demon Suppression General, having seen countless extraordinary things — something in him still reached for the word absurd.

He was quiet for a long moment, then shook his head with feeling.

“She’s reminding me.”

Deliberately sending Shen Yi to Linjiang Prefecture to deliver this message. Two things being communicated.

First: she’d seen this person, she thought well of him, there was nothing wrong with him — no need for anyone else to have doubts.

Second: she was returning this capable person to his proper place.

“I understand.”

Chen Qiankun gripped the mixed-iron halberd. However much he resisted the word, he had to acknowledge it — the years really were catching up.

“Head back to Qingzhou city. When the General returns, I’ll see that she receives proper compensation.”

Watching the shift in the old man’s expression, Shen Yi didn’t know why a faint sense of late-season melancholy had appeared in it.

He looked sideways toward the Yangchun River.

“The flood dragon clan—”

“Are you planning to turn the whole river over looking for it?”

After everything that had just been said, Chen Qiankun didn’t for a moment think the young man was being presumptuous in even considering a core-nurturing old flood dragon. He only felt the sheer vastness of the Yangchun River.

“Don’t worry too much. The General will be back in Qingzhou within ten or so days. When he arrives, at least the major demons will quiet down considerably.”

A Martial Immortal can shelter an entire province.

That was not an empty claim.

Shen Yi felt a faint regret at that. With the flood dragon divine ability, the river held no fear for him.

But finding a flood dragon that was actively hiding in a four-thousand-li river — with that kind of free time, he’d rather spend it looking for the ones still on land.

And besides — he’d killed the White Deer, but there were gradations even among core-nurturing demon lords. Shen Yi wasn’t going to fool himself into thinking every encounter would go in his favor. The White Deer had been an unusually good match for him.

“I heard from General You that the General wouldn’t be back for several months. What changed?” He let the thought go and asked the question that had been quietly forming. This unseen figure at the top of Qingzhou’s order — someone he’d been genuinely curious about.

What kind of cultivation produced someone whose mere return could settle an entire twelve-prefecture province.

“You’ve met You Longtao as well?” Chen Qiankun glanced at him again. Why did his own personal attendant seem to know everyone except him.

“It wasn’t much, really — the young woman’s martial heart became unstable. After some deliberation, she decided to wait until it steadied before attempting to condense a core again. No sense wasting the chance.”

He continued: “The General will be back soon. Aqian will be leaving Qingzhou. You should go back and report your credits, get things in order, and prepare for the capital. I’ll be returning to Qingzhou city for the reporting as well. I won’t keep you.”

“The capital?” Shen Yi blinked slightly.

For someone who had only recently come from a small county town, the Great Qian dynasty was still a very broad concept. He didn’t know how many provinces it had, what the emperor’s name was, or even which direction the capital lay.

“The War Temple refinement happens in the capital. Go and come back quickly.” With the young man nearby, something in Chen Qiankun’s tightly-held composure had eased slightly.

A genuine smile had appeared on the old face.

What was the General’s eye for talent, really. What was Jiang Qiulan’s or You Longtao’s. All of them were late to the realization. It was his own pair of old eyes that had found this about-to-take-flight exceptional talent first.

Even if the speed of said flight was so alarming it had made even him doubt himself at moments.

But Jiang Qiulan had seen nothing wrong. So there probably wasn’t anything wrong.

There was a way these true cultivation prodigies recognized each other that an ordinary old man like himself simply couldn’t read.

“With your permission.”

Whatever had changed in his ability, Shen Yi still showed no less respect toward the old General than before.

The Life-Death Zen Body had come from carrying his name at the Jingang School — and from that, the Immortal-Demon Nine Transformations had followed.

He’d barely reached the back of the crowd when Fang Heng intercepted him, barely containing himself.

“Commander Shen — you saw Martial Elder Sister? How was she?”

“Good. Good person.” Thinking of the way Jiang Qiulan had dropped dying demons at his feet, Shen Yi offered the praise honestly.

Good.

Fang Heng went momentarily blank.

He’d never heard anyone describe Martial Elder Sister Jiang quite so casually.

As expected of Commander Shen—

He forced down the emotion trying to rise. The image of the young man dropping from the sky had nearly undone him. He’d already revised his assessment of Shen Yi upward many times, had reached something close to reverence — and every time the man appeared, the understanding shifted again.

He’d been about to ask about the flood dragons — three flood dragon princes, gone without a sound — when Shen Yi cut him off.

“Are you heading back to Qingzhou?”

“I’m not going back. I came all this way and did nothing useful.” Fang Heng lowered his head with genuine embarrassment. Compared to the other man’s relentless pace, his own felt like idling. “Oh — Commander Shen, the Division salary payments have been collecting. I put them in the side courtyard for you.”

“Good. We’ll talk when there’s time.” Shen Yi gave a small nod and stretched out his arms.

He’d been away a long time. Finally heading back.

From what the old General had implied — the rewards waiting for him would be substantial.

(End of Chapter)