Linjiang Prefecture, the Demon Suppression General’s residence.
Jiang Qiulan stood quietly in the courtyard. She had waited about the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn when a cool breeze settled outside the gate.
She said softly, “Back already?”
Shen Yi gave a slight nod, looking faintly curious. “Don’t you need to cultivate?”
Jiang Qiulan shook her head. “Just a hair’s breadth left now. From here it’s all patience — slow grinding work.”
“…”
Shen Yi arched an eyebrow, struck by the particular irritation of being compared to someone better.
He’d spent over ten grueling days combing every corner of Linjiang Prefecture — climbing every mountain, fording every river — hunting anything from Jade Liquid realm demons down to barely-awakened ones, and had only managed to harvest a little over two thousand years of lifespan for his trouble.
These days he couldn’t help but stare at any dog larger than average for a moment, half-expecting it to start talking.
【Remaining Demon Lifespan: 11,823 years】
“Where’s Liu Yuchuan?”
“General Shen!”
Hearing his name called, Liu Yuchuan’s face turned bitter. He hurried out, and before Shen Yi could even ask, launched straight into pleading. “There’s really nothing left! This subordinate has mobilized every man we have, sweeping county by county… General Shen, they’re not fools. With things the way they are, not one of them would dare linger in Linjiang Prefecture, let alone show its face…”
They were demons, not radishes in a field — you couldn’t just will more of them into existence.
For any creature of heaven and earth to awaken intelligence in the first place was no easy thing.
“It’s fine. I was just asking.”
Shen Yi sighed inwardly. Back in Baiyun County alone there had been four whole demon nests. By comparison, the counties of Linjiang Prefecture were pitifully bare — half the time he could sweep through four or five counties and not turn up a single demon worth the name.
“Then this subordinate will take his leave.”
Liu Yuchuan cupped his fists in salute, clearly unwilling to stay a moment longer, and bolted.
“You’ve been busy all day. Let’s eat.”
Jiang Qiulan seemed to find something amusing, the corner of her mouth lifting slightly.
Shen Yi agreed without much thought and stepped toward the hall.
It had to be said — the cook responsible for the old general’s meals seemed accustomed to keeping things plain. Jiang Qiulan didn’t seem to mind, but Shen Yi, despite all his years scraping by on lean fare, found himself, for once, not quite used to it.
Just then, a familiar voice carried in from outside the gate.
“General Shen, take a look at who this old man’s brought you.”
Chen Qiankun strode into the residence, looking thoroughly pleased with this trip to visit his fellow generals, the laugh lines at his eyes deepened with satisfaction.
Shen Yi turned to look and saw, behind General Chen’s heavy black armor, a pretty young girl in white, gripping her sleeves with visible unease, looking his way.
“Senior Sister Jiang.”
Lin Baixi clearly hadn’t expected to find her here, and stole another glance at Shen Yi.
“Come in.”
Jiang Qiulan’s voice was a touch gentler than usual.
At that, Lin Baixi secretly let out a breath of relief. Senior Sister seemed to have changed quite a bit — not nearly as cold and distant as before.
“We’re all family here, no need to be so formal.”
Chen Qiankun clicked his tongue, then noticed Shen Yi holding the jade tablet out to return it, and the old general looked genuinely regretful. “Still planning to head off, are you? You could’ve just kept that, you know.”
“My thanks, Old General, but I’ve no more use for it.” Shen Yi said little else, pressing the tablet back into his hand.
“Ah, well, fair enough.”
Chen Qiankun realized as much himself — with talent like this, the young man hardly needed accumulated faith to take any shortcuts.
He held the tablet, shaking his head with a touch of wistfulness.
Then, as though sensing something, a flicker of confusion crossed his eyes, and he looked blankly up at the sky.
“Grandpa Chen, what are you looking at?”
Lin Baixi followed his gaze curiously, but aside from the faintly dim night sky, there didn’t seem to be anything there.
“Uh.”
Chen Qiankun gave the tablet a shake, then tapped it twice. “Nothing. Maybe this thing’s broken.”
“It’s not broken.”
Shen Yi offered the correction.
Before Chen Qiankun could process that, Liu Yuchuan came rushing up and dragged him off.
“What’s gotten into you?”
The old general, hauled off to a side courtyard, frowned at him.
“You’d best see for yourself.”
Liu Yuchuan pointed at the table inside, stacked full of files.
“Try me and see if I don’t kick you.”
Chen Qiankun had no patience to go through all that.
Liu Yuchuan’s expression turned strange, and he suddenly started counting on his fingers. “Stone Gate Cliff, Heartbreak Lake, Thousand-Hand Den — tch, let me put it this way. Last time a batch of demons cleared out, and what was left…”
“What about what was left?”
Chen Qiankun’s brow knit tight. When it came to demon affairs, he was more careful than anyone.
“There’s nothing left.”
Liu Yuchuan spread his hands. “Dead ones are dead, fled ones have fled. With that kind of reputation getting around, I’d guess no demon will dare set foot here again for centuries. General Shen’s finished all your work for you. You could just…”
Chen Qiankun suddenly found the man’s expression strangely familiar.
He himself, whenever he went out to chat idly with fellow generals, liked leaving sentences half-finished just the same way.
The old general shot him a light glance. “I could just hand the post of Demon Suppression General over to you, is that it?”
“This subordinate wouldn’t dare!”
Liu Yuchuan hastily cupped his fists, then added under his breath, “Though if you really insist on entrusting me with the responsibility, Linjiang Prefecture as it stands now — I’d dare to hold it down with my life, if it came to that.”
Given how General Shen carried himself, the intention to leave was practically written across his face.
A modest post like Demon Suppression General probably wasn’t even on his radar.
Inside the courtyard hall.
The table was laid out with a full spread of fine dishes.
Lin Baixi glanced over the dishes, then at the young man beside her, and said softly, “Should I go make you a couple of side dishes?”
“No need.”
Shen Yi shook his head. Even at his most penny-pinching, he wasn’t about to make someone who’d just finished a long journey turn around and play kitchen maid.
Jiang Qiulan watched quietly, noting that the two of them seemed more familiar with each other than she’d expected. But according to the records, they’d only spent half a month together back in Baiyun County. After that, Junior Sister Lin had gone off to the imperial capital, and since her return they’d met no more than a handful of times.
She drew three small wine jars from her waist and passed them out.
“Thank you, Senior Sister.”
Lin Baixi pressed her lips together and accepted the jar.
Shen Yi casually batted her hand away, then picked up a piece of fish with his chopsticks and ate it without ceremony.
Lin Baixi rubbed the back of her hand and blinked. “Huh?”
“…”
Jiang Qiulan studied the young man’s face, something unusual flickering in her eyes, and said quietly, “I already switched it.”
She simply wasn’t very good at being considerate — not that she was actually slow to notice things. After Shen Yi had mentioned in the carriage last time that he’d quit drinking, she’d gone and stocked her storage treasure with a few ordinary fine wines.
Lin Baixi carefully peeled open the wine seal.
Sure enough, what wafted out wasn’t the unbearably harsh, pungent reek she’d braced for, but the mellow fragrance of good wine.
“Can I drink this?”
Lin Baixi glanced over, and only after the young man nodded did she take a small, careful sip.
The warm, smooth wine slid down her throat without the slightest catch.
A smile couldn’t help but rise to her face — but it quickly stiffened.
Her gaze flicked quietly between her senior sister’s face and Shen Yi’s.
Switched it?
Why would she switch it?
Because of Shen Yi, Senior Sister had specially prepared a different wine?!
(End of Chapter)