Chapter 119: A Demon Hunter's Loss — What Does It Have to Do With Me, My Personal Deputy General

Outside Yong'an City, in the muddy countryside.

A broad-shouldered middle-aged man stood with his hands at his sides, mist coiling between his arms, the tips of his fingers trembling slightly — clearly having exerted himself too hastily.

"Tsk tsk, the true intent of Cloud Crane."

Opposite him, a fierce beast with somewhat mottled fur held its neck high; its body was only one zhang long, looking like nothing more than an aged, ordinary tiger.

It paced leisurely in place: "Tell me, I just wanted to eat a few ordinary Nascent Core cultivators, like that one — why is my luck so rotten, running into the two of you?"

Hearing this, Xiao Qiangwei's expression turned slightly helpless as she glanced to the side.

A thin, wizened old man sat on the ground, huffing and puffing "ha-chew, ha-chew" through ragged breaths; his face was covered in wounds, one arm was fractured, and half a foot was missing.

Anyone who didn't know better would think he was the main fighter.

"How on earth did you break through to Nascent Core?"

Jiang Chengyun turned his head, brows tightly knit — running a simple formation watch had left the man in this state.

"Not every martial artist has the backing of you two, nor the tireless training of a demon hunter."

Shan Jun's pace slowed slightly; though he tried hard to hide it, his foreleg still showed a faint limp.

He was a demon lord at the peak of Nascent Core, yet had been driven out of Yong'an City by two juniors of the Elixir Formation Realm. Those words seemed to be finding excuses for Deng Jianyuan, but in truth carried a thick vein of mockery — and were also saving his own face.

Having said that, Shan Jun shook his head. After tangling all night without a clear victor, retreat was already on his mind: "That's about enough. If we keep fighting, the two of you will surely die here."

"As if you could leave." Xiao Qiangwei gave a cold laugh.

"Well then." Shan Jun did not argue. A demon or monster that has lived three or four thousand years will not throw its life away lightly — even though his odds of winning were considerably higher, this was still within the bounds of Outside Qingzhou's twelve commanderies, and experts could arrive at any moment.

"Destroy the aura you took from me just now and are hiding in your bell, and we'll call it a day."

Seeing that the other side was still hesitating.

Shan Jun bared his fangs and grinned: "No matter how you put it, demon hunters are still men of the imperial court. If you two drag this out any longer, Yong'an City will be eaten clean by my three unfilial sons… I know you're not planning to take this little trinket back to trade for merit."

At these words.

A change finally came over Xiao Qiangwei's pretty face.

"Hand it over to your precious nephew, and invite that famous General You to come exterminate me? Might as well tell you straight — since I dared to come, of course I have a place to recover. My sworn brother Bai Lu has already prepared a banquet, just waiting for me to return."

Shan Jun arrogantly licked his paw: "If you want Outside Qingzhou to lose one more Demon-Suppressing General, then try it."

Hearing Bai Lu's name, Jiang Chengyun's exhausted hand tightened once more.

Among the seventeen Core-Holding demon lords whose movements were now known, the Bai Lu Demon Lord held a place.

Of course, what he was most famous for was not his cultivation.

It was for joining forces with numerous sects of Lady Yushan Commandery to ambush and kill a Demon-Suppressing General — and what was even more shocking, he had escaped from Jiang Qiulan's hands.

"…"

After a long silence, Jiang Chengyun said in a low voice: "Destroy it."

The two of them had already been straining to the limit just to hold this great demon in check; killing him was virtually impossible. The gap between the Elixir Formation Realm and the peak realm was simply too vast — even though the two of them were already among the strongest of their own realm, this was all they could manage.

Besides, even if two more of equal strength were added, Shan Jun could still escape with his life.

The other side was right — if they didn't head back soon, Yong'an City really would be nothing but an empty shell.

"I don't need you to tell me that."

Xiao Qiangwei took out a wisp of golden aura and, right in front of Shan Jun, coldly snuffed it out.

This also meant the demon hunters had completely swallowed this silent loss.

Not only had they gained nothing, they had let a great city suffer heavy casualties…

"Can you get lost now?"

Jiang Chengyun's eyes narrowed slightly as he forcibly suppressed the fury in his heart.

"Oh no, there's a little whelp planning to head back to Outside Qingzhou and call for his granny! What am I to do now."

Though Shan Jun had not gotten to eat a Nascent Core cultivator as a human elixir — making the trip a wasted one — compared to the several people opposite him who had suffered a great loss, his mood was still fairly good.

As he left, he couldn't resist throwing in one more taunt. Watching Jiang Chengyun's frustrated look, he turned and departed fully satisfied, and soon vanished into the mountains and forests.

Jokes were jokes, but actually waiting here for You Longtao or that old hag to arrive would take a fried brain.

Standing atop Shanfeng, he raised his head and let out a long howl: "Roar!"

Then, with some impatience, he scraped at the dirt with his paw — the feast he had prepared for himself had instead been eaten to the full by those three brats.

A long time passed without a response.

Shan Jun's raised forepaw paused slightly, then he let out an even louder roar: "Roar!!"

Startled birds convulsed and fell to the ground; a hundred beasts trembled and prostrated themselves.

Shan Jun turned around anxiously, a guess already forming in his heart, though he found it hard to believe.

Brutal ferocity surged in his eyes, and he took a step toward Yong'an City — but after a moment, slowly drew the step back…

Leaving behind a low howl tinged with grief, Shan Jun suddenly leaped up and raced toward his sworn brother Bai Lu's cave abode!

Whoever it was, he would have that person die!

"Hm?"

Jiang Chengyun's figure halted, and he turned his head to look back in confusion.

Three consecutive tiger roars — yet the meaning contained within each was entirely different.

"Let's go first."

Xiao Qiangwei's delicate brows knit slightly as she urged him with a hint of urgency, and then fresh red seeped from the corner of her lips.

She quickly wiped it away.

Showing weakness at a time like this might just draw Shan Jun back again.

Without needing her reminder, Deng Jianyuan, dragging something heavy with his half-remaining foot and his gravely wounded body, stumbled and staggered toward Yong'an City.

No matter how much Jiang Chengyun looked down on him.

The old man had earlier fought with the desperate ferocity of someone staking his life. He was on the weaker side among Core Formation cultivators, but in the eyes of the people of Yong'an City, he was their sole pillar of morale.

Without a demon hunter standing high and seeing far, Deng Jianyuan had been lazy and easygoing in his youth, and never cared about the situation in Qingzhou. Staying peacefully in Yong'an City, keeping the city looking as lively as it had been in his younger days, was enough for him.

Now he only hoped that when he returned to the Deng household, he wouldn't see Shen Yidi of corpses.

He stepped through the city gate.

On the long street, government office runners bustled about, while the common folk all stayed obediently at home.

Instead, waves of wailing drifted out from several grand estates with gleaming signboards.

"If you still have the strength to cry… then you're fine…"

Deng Jianyuan suddenly let out a breath of relief. Yong'an City had been peaceful for several hundred years, but that didn't mean other places were equally fortunate—demon calamities were a common occurrence.

He left a trail of bloody footprints behind him, and at last caught sight of the familiar courtyard gate.

Two Constables happened to be walking out; seeing his wretched state, they trembled and bowed with cupped fists: "Old Master, your righteousness!"

"Your motherfucking righteousness."

Deng Jianyuan's voice was barely louder than a mosquito's whine. He pushed the two aside and finally stumbled into the main hall.

Over a hundred familiar faces turned to look at him at once, a trace of lingering fear still on their expressions.

Deng Jianyuan bent over, bracing his hands on his knees, and roughly counted heads. As his gaze swept across them, a look of astonishment gradually rose in his eyes: "Not a single… not a single one missing?"

He stared blankly at the little Miss in the seat of honor.

"Uh, well, that…"

Lin Rou stood up a little awkwardly and waved her hand: "It really has nothing to do with me."

She had simply sat here the whole night, and because of the tension, had drunk seven or eight bowls of clear tea on the side.

Just then, two figures strode in at the same time.

Jiang Chengyun swept his gaze left and right: "Why are you still here? Where's Shen Yi?"

Lin Rou rubbed her temples, feeling a slight headache coming on: "He said he was going out… to look around."

As her words fell, Jiang Chengyun looked over in confusion: "Just left?"

"Ahem." Lin Rou pinched her fingertips together and said softly: "It's been about four hours already."

Hearing this, Xiao Qiangwei gave a helpless little laugh, found a seat, and pressed hard on the wound beneath her red blouse. She had indeed warned the young man not to bother with the Deng family, but she hadn't expected him to abandon even Lin Rou.

This kind of person really was suited to being a demon hunter—hard to kill.

I thought I wouldn't make it on the shelves today… I revised chapter three, almost done, posting two chapters first, continuing this afternoon.

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(End of this chapter)