Chapter 136: The Demon Slayer Corps Must Etch Jingliu's Sword Technique into Their Minds!

"General..." Jingliu's tone seemed a bit surprised.

"Even if you haven't been to Luofu in a long time, you must have heard of General Jingyuan's fame, right? Though the general always says he's not good with a sword and his skill is rusty... but whenever he teaches me, he gets really enthusiastic." Yan Qing looked around, "Alright, the area is safe now. Let's keep moving."

The Star Ferry Dock was close to them; after walking a short distance they reached a Star Ferry, and after retrieving its navigation logs, Yan Qing planned to send Jingliu to a safe place.

"At this time, the Cloud Rider Garrison isn't exactly safe, is it?" Jingliu crossed her arms and said coldly.

"Right." Yan Qing continued, "So we won't go to the Cloud Rider Garrison; instead we'll send you straight to Youshou Prison, with meals, lodging, and a heavy guard detail—absolutely safe."

Jingliu was unhurried: "... little brother, there should be some reason for taking a person, right?"

"Suspicious behavior, hiding the head and showing the tail—just that alone is enough. You don't think I'm a child and can be easily fooled, do you?" Yan Qing's eyes were alert, "Not to mention how a blocked port suddenly has an extra stranded traveler. Along the way, I've seen your steps are light and steady; there's no sign of a blind person at all."

"As for swordsmanship, it's fine if you just hear the explanations, but you can even count the number of swords I wield without missing a single one. Such insight isn't something ordinary people possess, is it?"

Teyvat, Sumeru.

"Hey hey hey! Not good! Looking at Yan Qing's stance, are you about to draw a sword against the master ancestor?"

Seeing Yan Qing's sharp demeanor, Kawei feared that his master ancestor might accidentally trigger a demon‑shadow form and instantly... take this disciple.

The scene is easy to imagine; after all, when Jingliu enters her demon‑shadow form and slashes a disciple, she is utterly ruthless!

"Logically, Yan Qing is also one of the top swordmasters on the Celestial Boat, so how could he not sense this white‑haired woman's strength?"

Saino, puzzled, set down the Seven Saints Summon Card in his hand and began analyzing the situation on the light screen: "Could it be intentional? Trying to force Jingliu to act?"

"... Saino, you're overthinking it," Tighnari chuckled, "Perhaps it's just the Cloud Rider Army's sense of responsibility. He may have sensed that this woman is extremely dangerous, but given the current state of the Celestial Boat... such a perilous figure can't be left unchecked."

"But come to think of it, even if Jingliu were to draw her sword, given the gap between her and Yan Qing... it would probably just be a game."

As a teacher of Kelei and a senior among the Huacheng Fortress forest patrols, Tighnari now quite understands the uncontainable joy when seeing an outstanding junior.

Even though Miss Jingliu is naturally aloof, seeing a disciple like Yan Qing would surely stir some appreciation for talent, wouldn't it?

——

"You're not blind at all, are you?" Yan Qing's sword‑brow lifted straight as he questioned.

"Heh," Jingliu sneered, "I never said my eyes couldn't see. You just assumed that because you saw me covering my eyes with a black veil."

"Uh..." Just moments ago he was pressing aggressively, but after Jingliu's rebuttal, Yan Qing's tone immediately softened.

Sensing the awkwardness, Jingliu took the initiative: "It's fine, little brother. I hold no grudge against you, nor have I ever intended harm to the Celestial Boat. This black veil is proof that I refuse to be swayed by emotions, to fall into a demon‑shadow, and to become a raging sinner again."

"I came here just to capture someone, and traveling with you happens to be perfect."

Yan Qing frowned slightly, "You too... are you here for Ren?"

"Ren? Is that his current name? Abandoning the body for a keen blade, studying swords—quite a name choice, huh."

Jingliu passed beside Yan Qing and said softly, "Take me to see him, little brother. You're not my opponent, so you're not Ren's opponent either. With me accompanying you, you won't waste your life pointlessly, little brother."

Those words seemed to strike Yan Qing's core, making him quite defiant. He didn't look back at Jingliu, but snorted coldly, "The sword's aura hasn't even flashed; how can you judge victory? I advise you not to underestimate my sword."

"I don't want to clash swords with the Cloud Rider Army; how about this—" Jingliu turned and suggested, "Let's have a duel using the trial swords from the Luofu Celestial Boat. See whose sword is faster, who slashes more, okay?"

"If you win, I'll accept defeat, submit willingly, be bound, and go to Youshou Prison for trial, whatever the outcome," Jingliu shifted, "But if I win, you must share Ren's whereabouts with me. Deal?"

Yan Qing shook his head confidently, "The Cloud Rider Army doesn't trade official business, plus you can't win."

The Funeral of Fuli Lian—

"Heh, I like his confidence... what a amusing little fellow."

Sailie nodded appreciatively; as a teacher, she loves such exceptionally talented yet unruly youths. Only people like that can break conventions, create history, and bring surprises.

Youthful vigor, unaware of hidden edges... the flaw Jingliu saw, Sailie considered not a problem at all.

Can one still be called a youth without vigor?

She has seen countless exceptionally gifted mages follow her; they progressed methodically in youth, became burdened by affairs in middle age, and in old age their spirit was worn down by time, regretting too late, looking back on a life of obscurity.

Conversely, those who liked to defy her from childhood achieved remarkable feats in their brief lives, like shooting stars—brief yet dazzling.

Seeing Yan Qing's confident expression, Sailie's smile deepened.

With this youngster's talent and temperament, his future is truly limitless...

And on the other side, the Demon Slayer World—

"Quick! Quick! Quick!"

"Grab the wooden sword! Move fast!"

In the dead of night, the booming voice of Immortal River Shimi echoed through the forest.

In the blink of an eye, most of the Demon Slayer Corps were mobilized. They mostly wore sleepy eyes, yawned, and looked bewildered. Inside the Butterfly House, even injured members like Tanjiro and Zenitsu were forcibly roused and rushed to gather in the courtyard before the Pillars.

"Mr. Giyu, this is..." Tanjiro pointed at the massive, dark mass of Demon Slayer Corps members before him.

He, Zenitsu, and Inosuke were all sleeping, completely unaware of what happened; they were woken abruptly in their dreams, thinking a Upper Rank demon had attacked the Corps' headquarters.

"More important than this," Giyu Tomioka gripped his waist‑long sword and instructed, "Later Yan Qing and Jingliu will demonstrate their sword techniques; we must imprint every move into our minds."

"Eh? Jing... Jingliu?" Hearing the name, Tanjiro's drowsiness vanished, "She wasn't dead? She died at General Jingyuan's hands..."

"I don't know the exact details, but she's now on the Celestial Boat and intends to pursue Ren."

"But her sword technique is so fast, I'm afraid..."

Recalling that battle with the general—honestly, even now Tanjiro can't fathom Jingliu's moves; he watched the whole fight and only felt a single word: "fast." Even a normal sword technique was many times faster than Zenitsu's First Form.