[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-devouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h":3,"chapter-devouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h-devouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h-chapter-25":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Devouring Evil, Exterminating Demons Across All Heavens",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2266970,4426,"Chapter 25: Earth Encircles Lantern, Sword Hidden in Change","devouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h-chapter-25",25,"\u003Cp>The autumn rain in Yizhou either didn’t fall at all, or lasted for several days straight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But today’s morning rain scene was rather unusual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sun had already risen in the east, like a brilliant white pearl, illuminating Qingshan and the small town, yet the rain still fell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cooks and kitchen hands at the tavern had been paid off by Shopkeeper Ma and given a long holiday.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today’s breakfast, however, was being prepared by Zhong Jinqiu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the long stove in the kitchen, Zhong Jinqiu had scaled a large fish, and with a light press of his fingers, each small bone popped outward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pinched the tips with his fingernails and pulled them out along the grain of the fish flesh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu stood with arms crossed, leaning against the doorway, his gaze filled with unmistakable skepticism.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Uncle Zhong’s skills were trustworthy—the fish bones would surely be removed cleanly—but being skilled didn’t mean being a good cook.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chicken Chu Tianshu had smashed the bones of last night had tasted truly awful when eaten.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shopkeeper Ma said: “What, don’t trust his cooking? I was the one who hired him to be head chef back then—he’s just stingy with his time, unwilling to put effort into dishes for others, only willing to cook carefully for himself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu said: “But these past days, he’s been drinking with dried radish and hasn’t even entered the kitchen.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Isn’t dried radish tasty?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Jinqiu pulled out a larger fish bone and tossed it straight into his mouth. “When you’ve cultivated the Dao of Eating as Immortal, you’ll understand—if you can still find something that suits your taste by then, you’ll never grow tired of eating it for a lifetime.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, Zhong Jinqiu finished preparing the fish, fried it in a pot, and lit another iron pot beside it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu and Shopkeeper Ma went over to help, stirring several pots at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In just moments, five small dishes were plated, the fried fish was braised in soy sauce broth, then skewered with bamboo sticks; they lifted one pot to reveal the fire beneath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The large fish was placed directly over the flame to reduce the sauce, and within a few breaths, it too was placed on the plate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three of them each scooped a bowl of rice and didn’t bother with the table—just stood beside the stove.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu took a bite of fish, and his expression changed instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uncle Zhong, isn’t this a bit too little? Less than half of what I usually eat for breakfast!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Jinqiu shoveled rice into his mouth: “Don’t eat too full before killing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu laughed: “Cleaning up some disgusting things? After I’m done, I’ll have a better appetite, not a worse one.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I mean—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Jinqiu didn’t look up, picking up a bite of vegetable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Eating too full burdens the organs, weakens the flow of force, makes your strikes less fluid, less smooth.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu murmured “Oh,” and ate quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The food was indeed insufficient; three people ate it quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two old men set down their bowls first; Chu Tianshu cleared the plates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shopkeeper Ma sipped hot tea, closed his eyes to sense his sparrow, then opened them and said: “They’re far enough from town now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu swallowed the last bite of garlic greens, gulped two mouthfuls of tea: “Hmph, I doubt they won’t try to run back. Let’s move quickly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shopkeeper Ma was the first to step outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He carried a bamboo basket, wore a conical hat and straw cape, walked alone—not toward the big house, but toward Nancheng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through the orchard, up the slope, seven or eight men waited there, each holding an umbrella in one hand and a kerosene lamp in the other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shopkeeper Ma scanned them at a glance—all were at least fifty, and the leader was Meng Lianfa.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why are you here? Where’s Meng Shuangjiang?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meng Lianfa was a son-in-law; his wife’s family had several relatives, and their children worked in Meng Lianfa’s factory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when that female sorceress entered the Meng household, she didn’t just kill Meng Lianfa’s direct descendants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several relatives came to deeply hate Meng Lianfa, stopped visiting him altogether—yet today, those elderly relatives had all come.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xiao Bao is the last heir of our families, so we’ve all come.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meng Lianfa looked worn, but stood straight: “As for Shuangjiang, I gave them all the cash I had—told them to hide.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In chaotic times, men kill men—even generals kill generals. If today we fail, let’s see if he can make money grow into more money—whether one day he can buy his enemies’ heads with his own wealth!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shopkeeper Ma paused, then smiled: “Only you, Meng Lianfa, could say something like that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meng Lianfa closed his eyes: “I was deeply indebted to Master Ma back then, and now you three risk your lives again—I don’t know how to repay you…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Since we’ve stumbled upon this, we can’t let a child become a sacrifice, nor watch a whole group of children slaughtered. This isn’t your fault, nor ours… Hey, don’t you dare kneel—don’t bring bad omens now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shopkeeper Ma pointed at the group: “Don’t pull any tricks—just do exactly as I say!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He walked to the back of the group, where the soil had already been dug up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The spot where coffins had been buried days ago had been hastily refilled—just broken branches and tree roots tossed in, covered with loose earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now it was easily dug open, revealing the original coffin pit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shopkeeper Ma tossed his own straw cape into the pit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old men immediately gathered around, overlapping the edges of their umbrellas at different heights, instantly shielding the entire pit from above.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shopkeeper Ma opened his basket and pulled out a straw mat, unfolding it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the mat was a yellow silk banner, painted with a vermilion Zhu Sha incantation, tall as a man, laid atop the cape at the pit’s bottom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shopkeeper Ma jumped into the pit, directed the old men to place the kerosene lamps around the edges, then yawned and lay down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t move. Just wait.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stuck a yellow talisman to his forehead, clasped his hands in a seal, rested them on his dantian, and began murmuring a low, indistinct incantation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The umbrella-holders tensed their faces, standing motionless around the pit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A breeze from the hills carried a few raindrops through their gaps, landing on Shopkeeper Ma’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the rear hall of the big house, southwest of town.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old eunuch’s skin felt cool; he touched it, guessing damp air had drifted in from outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gave a glance, and a servant went to shut the two carved wooden doors of the rear hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sunlight still filtered through the paper windows, but the room felt dimmer; the eunuch felt drowsy and couldn’t help yawning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d slept directly beside the jade coffin yesterday, trying to bond with it—but now it seemed he hadn’t slept well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tell Liu Siniang not to warm her voice this morning—let this old man have some peace…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The servant outside responded, but the eunuch didn’t hear—he leaned his head on his hand, propped on the table, and fell asleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Chu Tianshu and Zhong Jinqiu walked along the road, already seeing the big house with its red gates tightly shut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Jinqiu wore a conical hat and carried a bamboo pole.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu held an umbrella in his left hand, a sword at his waist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today he had wrapped a thin chain around his waist, with a flat copper ring on it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The peachwood sword, thick at the base and tapering to a point, would get stuck at the guard when passed through the ring—but not tightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If facing an invisible evil spirit, he’d use the wooden sword—he could instantly pull the entire peachwood blade from the copper ring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he needed the iron sword, the moment he gripped the hilt and vibrated it slightly, the iron blade would spring free, leaving the peachwood sheath hanging on the copper ring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Which direction should we sneak in from?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu whispered as they walked: “Chu Tian is southeast—southeast is my lucky direction. Uncle Zhong, which side do you prefer?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Jinqiu said: “I don’t care. Many people overprotect the directions they think outsiders might sneak in—so sneaking in from any direction might make no difference.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu pondered: “I see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stepped ahead slightly, walked straight, climbed the stone steps to the gate, and knocked on the copper ring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who is it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Footsteps echoed in the courtyard, followed by complaints: “At least two soldiers should’ve been left to guard the gate—we have to open it ourselves…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gate opened, revealing a young martial artist, wearing a soft silk cap and tight-fitting clothes, his back to the shadow wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swoosh!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An arm shot out like a venomous snake, clamping around the martial artist’s throat, fingers crushing his larynx.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m here to see Brother Zhou.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu’s voice was warm, cheerful, as he slipped inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The strangled martial artist stared wide-eyed; Chu Tianshu flicked his arm forward, gently leaning him against the shadow wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The peachwood sword was fully drawn and slid into the umbrella, which was then closed; his left hand gripped it backward, hidden by his sleeve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Zhou invited me out for a trip a few days ago. Today the rain and sun appear together—the scenery is perfect. I thought I’d take him for a walk.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu kept talking, already circling the shadow wall and entering the front courtyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The people in the main hall all turned to look, their faces showing clear annoyance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Chen, ever smiling, hurried out into the light rain, bowing with both hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve come at an inconvenient time—Deputy Officer Zhou already returned to the city this morning…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Along the corridor beside the courtyard, Liu Siniang frowned, watching the master and guest nearly meet beside the giant lotus pond.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She loved singing, and loved listening—today she couldn’t warm her voice, so she stood under the eaves listening to the rain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gatekeeper, usually talkative, had fallen silent after just two sentences.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His silence was… too clean.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She suddenly realized: “Watch out!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zing!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A flash of cold light burst from Chu Tianshu’s umbrella.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1710,"2026-06-19T20:45:51.976Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","425ed0285b83f457ab4e9660266f8dfa6a0db322bec67a86df95a3c37e1d0a71","devouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h-chapter-26","devouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h-chapter-24",155,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fdevouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h-cover.jpg"]