Crack.

A roof tile fell though there was no wind, shattering within the courtyard, right before Master Zhu's shoes.

This seemingly trivial scene made every person in the courtyard's eyelids twitch, and the atmosphere turned uncanny in an instant.

"..."

Master Zhu shook his head and let out a light sigh. "You wandering ghosts and stray spirits of the War Temple really are a bothersome lot."

Even as he spoke, the old woman released his arm, her earlier doddering manner gone, and looked coldly up at the sky.

The others tossed away the objects in their hands with light laughs.

Then lifted their eyes in contempt.

But in an instant, their faces went ashen-white.

Master Zhu froze for a moment as well.

He couldn't quite understand why a powerful, magnificent white horse should appear above Songzhou.

But the instant he saw the black eye upon its brow—

Master Zhu roared savagely, his face twisting: "Bring out the Xuanwu Heavy Cauldron!"

The old woman slapped her waist without hesitation, and a battered great cauldron a full zhang tall crashed down, everyone pouring their presence into it as one.

Accompanied by the rumble of a fierce beast waking from slumber—

a Xuanwu spirit-body came alive upon the cauldron, sheltering the entire courtyard beneath its thick, heavy shell.

The presence radiating from it made every living thing within Songzhou City feel their hearts lurch.

They clutched their chests and looked toward the heavens in astonishment.

Within the Demon-Suppression Division, two men playing a game of chess exchanged a glance, then cast out their divine spirits without hesitation.

None other than the Songzhou General, Yang Qianxiang, and the Demon-Suppression General, Zhang Xuan.

The two divine spirits shot out of the Demon-Suppression Division, then looked blankly at that white horse, and the Xuanwu shell beneath its hooves.

"Is that a demon?"

Yang Qianxiang instinctively charged over.

Ever since the great events of recent days had concluded, Great Qian had rarely seen any trace of demons.

Let alone one appearing so brazenly above a provincial capital.

Yet the white horse merely glanced briefly toward the place,…