Chapter 103: Attaining the Dharma Body Without Enduring Aeon-Long Kalpas

Moonlight hung like gauze.

A broad-shouldered figure stood atop the roof tiles, silently watching over a hundred demon horses gallop out of Qingzhou City in neat formation.

"There really are people willing to leave the city with him."

Jiang Chengyun withdrew his gaze and looked at Aunt Aqian, who sat barefoot beside him.

Both were demon hunters, so the news that had rung through the bells earlier had naturally reached them as well.

Grandmother had been invited back to temporarily act as Regional Commander; with such a huge commotion tonight, she couldn't simply ignore it entirely,

Aunt Aqian stretched lazily, looking slightly weary. "Staying out there so long, I ended up neglecting these aristocratic families and sects."

Jiang Chengyun was silent for a moment. "You've been tailing the Howling Moon Demon King in secret for hundreds of years — how could you possibly attend to all this."

No matter how strong a Core-Holding master is, it depends on who you're comparing them to.

No matter how finely you divide the realms — Core-Holding and Nurturing, Core-Shattering and Soul Transformation — in the end it's still just the Nascent Core Realm.

Before a demon king on par with a Slain Hunyuan Grand Master, one is as weak as a babe.

But Qingzhou must keep tabs on its movements at every moment, and the Regional Commander has to hold the main city, so this kind of task can only be handed to the three Golden Bell demon hunters.

"That old thing Howling Moon and the Regional Commander have been at a standoff for years, with Qingzhou's twelve commanderies as the boundary — they've always kept to their own sides."

"What worries me is that little demon. Its growth rate is terrifying, its wolfish ambition completely undisguised. When it claims the throne… it's already calling itself the Little Demon King now — arrogant and cunning. So many ambushes against it have ended in failure. Once it fully matures, two demon kings gathered together — Qingzhou will be in danger."

"The Regional Commander's three requests for reinforcements all came to nothing. Looks like the situation elsewhere isn't much better than Qingzhou's."

After years of tracking the demon king's trail in the shadows, under that immense pressure, every time Aunt Aqian returned to the mortal world she would try her best to release her pent-up emotions — cry if she wanted to cry, laugh if she wanted to laugh, like a truly young child.

But at this moment her face was written all over with solemnity.

Jiang Chengyun furrowed his brow slightly and advised, "It has its Little Demon King, but our Qingzhou has Jiang Qiulan. Who's victorious and who's defeated is still anyone's guess."

Hearing that name, a rare glint of admiration flickered in Aunt Aqian's eyes. "Jiang Qiulan… actually, she just came back once. She read Lin Baiwei's letter, flipped through the Juan Sect records brought back from Bai Yun County, casually gave me two instructions, didn't rest for a single moment, and rushed off to Linjiang Commandery."

The twelve great Demon-Subduing Generals all took the shortcut, cultivating incense and vows, existing only to defend, never to strike.

The sole exception was the one who went to take over after Lady Yushan's general died — she walks the true path of a Slain Hunyuan Grand Master.

One commandery's Li Min cannot raise two Wu Xian.

The Regional Commander gathers Qingzhou's vows to become a Martial Immortal — his methods are unfathomable.

But his mortal body is frail; he needs someone to stand before him and hold off one or even two demon kings.

After late autumn comes the bitter cold of winter.

One who stands in the bitter cold and turns back the raging tide.

From the moment the Regional Commander took her as a disciple and take its place seriously gave her a new name, she was destined to become that lone figure holding back the demon horde beyond Qingzhou's twelve commanderies.

"…"

Jiang Chengyun tucked away the admiration in his eyes and looked back toward the city gate. "Should I just make a move?"

"The man's doing work for Qingzhou — can you stop always thinking about stealing merit from the newcomers? There are only two rules; could you follow them, just this once?" Aunt Aqian said flatly.

"Heh. Follow the rules."

Jiang Chengyun raised an eyebrow without changing expression and argued, "What rules? The Zhen Mo Si rules? What do they have to do with me. If it's the demon hunters' rules — first, he didn't send me a message asking for help; second, he didn't report any news. Clearly he plans to handle it himself. We're both Silver Bell demon hunters — how would I dare touch his prey."

He turned his head, a hint of doubt appearing on his honest face. "It's just that I don't know… Grandmother, does he actually have the strength?"

According to the customary conventions among demon hunters,

unless one party voluntarily gives up part of the spoils and requests support, or feels unequal to the task and willingly withdraws from the matter, no outsider may interfere.

Whether life or spoils matter more — that is something one must judge in advance.

If you can't even make that judgment, you'd best hand in your bell sooner rather than later.

"Please, you're too polite — you're the one who's my grandmother."

Aunt Aqian rolled her eyes and slowly stood up.

Hearing this, Jiang Chengyun knew he'd earned her displeasure and could only turn away sheepishly. "Whatever. A Golden Bell can't command a Silver Bell, but an elder can always command her grandson. I'll follow your arrangements."

Aunt Aqian stretched lazily. "Although I just arrived in Qingzhou and I'm not much good at standing in for any Regional Commander, this happened right under my nose, and I'd rather avoid the Regional Commander's blame — just consider it doing me a favor. I know you've had your eye on my Golden Bell for a long time, but one more merit from him won't make a difference."

She rose and leapt off the roof, leaving only a crisp remark behind: "Making an exception this once. If he really misjudged the situation, it'll be lesson enough."

"…"

Jiang Chengyun stood alone on the rooftop, slowly clasping his hands behind his back.

How could the Regional Commander possibly blame Grandmother over something like this? Besides, demon hunters aren't under the Zhen Mo Si's jurisdiction — just an excuse.

Hesitation! Hesitation!

Exception! Exception!

Getting old, no different from Chen Qiankun.

Still need that sharpest sword in Qingzhou, leading this batch of fresh blood of mine, to completely replace this bunch of old fogeys!

Thinking of that cold, aloof face, admiration — even fervor — surged once more in Jiang Chengyun's eyes.

……

Qingzhou, Pingkang Mountain.

Over a hundred riders in dark robes yanked their reins in unison; their sturdy demon horses reared high on their hind legs — a truly magnificent sight.

Hong Lei dismounted and walked to Shen Yi's side along with two other deputy generals.

Those sent this time were all elites. The two deputy generals from the inner camp were even more senior than him, both at the late Jade Liquid Realm.

A hundred and twenty Captains, all three-striped.

Even Hong Lei hadn't expected that, with a casual gathering, he could assemble nearly the strongest personal deputy-general roster in all of Qingzhou.

This wasn't something that could be achieved on General Chen's reputation alone.

No matter how famous the old man was, he was still stationed in Linjiang Commandery and generally wouldn't meddle in Qingzhou City's affairs.

This whole group had volunteered of their own accord.

A large part of that came from Shen Yi himself.

The private rumors, combined with the scene inside the Vajra Gate, made his position as a personal aide-de-camp increasingly convincing.

"Seal the mountain immediately. No one is to leave."

The aide-de-camp issued rapid orders. Though the Captains came under different banners, they fell into orderly formation; with just a glance, routes were already assigned.

Shen Yi raised his eyes toward the towering mountain before him.

White clouds wreathed it; dark pines and green cypresses stood tall.

It did indeed look like a place of spiritual beauty and treasure.

A golden gleam rose in his eyes as he cast the Qi-Reading technique. His vision instantly turned a hazy grey; he saw only clusters of white qi above, with occasional flickers of golden light, yet not the slightest trace of evil or unholy aura.

"..."

Shen Yi withdrew the technique, feeling no doubt.

If the place truly teemed with evil at a single glance, the Vajra Gate could never have hidden it until now.

Soon, only some thirty-odd Captains from the inner camp, tasked with subduing demons and capturing devils, remained on the spot, marching up the mountain in neat formation.

The rugged mountain path was as flat as a stroll for a band of martial men.

They soon reached the summit, where a plain, austere great hall was revealed before them all.

The moment they drew near, they first heard waves of low, droning chanting.

"Burn away my myriad kalpas of deluded thought; without traversing a single monk's eon, I gain the Dharma-body."

"May I attain the fruit today and become the Precious King, turning back to ferry beings as countless as the Ganges sands."

At the door, two personally-taught novices held Buddhist beads in their hands. The corner of their eyes caught sight of the many black-clad men surging up the mountain path, and their thumbs paused for an instant...

They turned around on instinct, but before they could make any move, two chains had already flown out and coiled around their necks, yanking them violently backward.

"Stay put."

The two inner-camp aide-de-camps who had struck pinned them to the ground. Hong Lei strode quickly forward and kicked the hall door open!

Bang!

There was none of the violent detention scene Shen Yi had imagined.

Inside the somewhat dim great hall, smoke curled in wisps; there was not even a single guard, only a clay statue of a great Buddha with its head slightly bowed.

Countless devout laymen sat cross-legged on cushions, quite advanced in years, their withered faces filled with serenity, the chanting of scriptures unceasing.

Occasionally they twitched the tip of their nose, and a trace of pleasure would rise in their clouded eyes.

"Merciful... merciful..."

(End of chapter)