Chapter 141: Cleaning Up the Aftermath

The secluded valley was littered with debris, thick with a pungent stench of blood.

The Pure Yang Daoist squatted beside the Jade Pool, watching the water stained red by demonic blood, and casually rinsed the dirt from his hands.

That old fool Pure Yang—burying the dead was one thing, but he made me do it with my bare hands; just moments ago he was aiming a sword at Yan Xingkong, and now he's acting like his heart is weighed down.

Thinking of this, the Pure Yang Daoist turned his head toward the distant mound of graves, a flicker of emotion passing through his eyes.

Seeing the horrific state of Yan Xingkong's wife, he found himself understanding the bandit chief a little more—if someone closest to him had been treated so cruelly, his blood would have boiled, and he too might have lost his reason.

But understanding is understanding; the strict rules of Zhen Mo Si exist precisely to prevent more such tragedies—Outside Qingzhou isn't short of men like Yan Xingkong with wives.

Fortunately, at the moment of death, he could witness his enemy slain before his eyes—a rare blessing even the most seasoned martial artists would die for.

Even after death, he was buried beside his wife; no wonder he'd smiled so contentedly earlier.

"It should be about done."

Pure Yang diligently carved the name onto the tombstone—he had made a promise, and even if the recipient was dead, even if the man had nearly killed him, the old man would never cut corners.

He plunged the tombstone deep into the grave mound, clapped his hands, and said: "Alright, let's go. Once we return, I'll lock myself in seclusion again—I must break through the Two Yin-Yang True Meaning to its peak before my lifespan runs out. That's one wish fulfilled."

Hearing this, the Pure Yang Daoist nodded in deep agreement.

After spending so long in the mountains, surrounded daily by the awe-filled gazes of disciples, one inevitably grows lax.

Believing oneself to have mastered profound True Meanings, ranking among the top in all of Outside Qingzhou, one becomes complacent.

Yet one fails to realize that beyond the mountains lie higher mountains—just a nameless demonic beast hidden within a deep mountain array could render me utterly powerless.

Young Master Shen appeared quiet and reserved, extremely low-key—but when confronting demons, his swift, decisive actions left one trembling with awe.

Such a formidable expert—Bai Yun Monastery had never heard of him.

Could he be a secret weapon secretly cultivated by the General?

Thinking of this, the Pure Yang Daoist's reverence for Zhen Mo Si deepened further—if Bai Yun Monastery had a youth like this, they'd boast of him to every soul in Outside Qingzhou, never dream of hiding him away.

"But… why reveal this secret weapon so suddenly? Is something major about to happen in Outside Qingzhou?"

The Pure Yang Daoist shook his head, shook the water from his hands, and rose to walk back toward their previous location.

Xiao Qiangwei had already disposed of all valuable demonic loot, now holding four long feathers, half green, half crimson.

Feeling their subtle mystery, her gaze flickered with interest.

Even after all these years as a demon hunter, she had rarely seen such precious treasures—yet since they were innate demonic abilities, forcing them to activate with internal elixir qi yielded no more than one-tenth to one-fifth of their true power.

"Lady Xiao, we should return to Outside Qingzhou as soon as possible." The two Daoist Priests forcibly tore their eyes from the feathers.

"Alright." Xiao Qiangwei infused her qi into the silver bell, and soon received a response.

She gave a self-deprecating smile—if she hadn't panicked earlier, none of this farce would've happened; once inside the Stillness Array, even Shen Yi couldn't contact her.

Moments later, the ink-clad young man walked up from afar.

Xiao Qiangwei sensed nothing unusual, but the two old Daoist Priests' eyes widened slightly in surprise.

The Dao follows nature—Young Master Shen's unhurried, unhurried steps carried an almost seamless harmony with the natural world.

But the next instant, they sensed a hint of hostility in Shen Yi's faintly cast gaze… as if there was a trace of resentment.

"…"

Pure Yang blinked, suddenly becoming much more restrained.

Though he didn't know what he'd done to offend the man, caution was wise—Young Master Shen could crush Kong Jing's skull with one palm; his old bones couldn't withstand such treatment.

Shen Yi quickly adjusted his emotions, nodded to the group: "If it's done, let's go."

In the void of vision, the interface changed anew.

【Nascent Soul. Two Yin-Yang True Meaning: Perfect】

【Remaining Demonic Lifespan: One thousand four hundred and twenty-nine years】

A palm-sized golden page, inscribed with fewer than two hundred characters.

These old Daoist Priests, afraid that being too detailed wouldn't showcase the profundity of their arts, resort to all this flashy nonsense.

He had spent over twelve hundred years of demonic lifespan—he wondered if these Daoists could even live that long.

He had originally planned to spend a thousand years to condense a demonic treasure crystal and attempt to develop another demonic martial art—but now, even that seemed insufficient.

"Take these feathers first," Xiao Qiangwei explained carefully, fearing he'd think she'd embezzled the spoils. "The rest of the minor items, I'll turn in and convert into Temple Purification credits for you."

Shen Yi glanced at the green-and-crimson feathers—his interest seemed minimal.

Then his words left the group frozen in place: "Divide the spoils among yourselves by demon-hunter rules. I'll take one share."

"I know you're a Body Refinement martial artist…" Xiao Qiangwei hurried to add, worried he didn't understand. "But wear this crimson feather—it helps nourish your body and heal injuries."

"I know." Shen Yi gave a slight nod, yet still had no intention of changing his mind.

This time, the two Daoist Priests' gazes finally burned with desire—they turned toward the spot they'd been forcibly ignoring, where the four long feathers swayed gently, emitting a faint glow.

Getting back a martial art was already a joy—but now they'd get a share of the demonic spoils too?

"Young Master Shen," Pure Yang gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and weakly waved his sleeve: "No merit, no reward—it'd be a disgrace to accept."

The Pure Yang Daoist didn't stop him, only sighed.

Bai Yun Monastery, besides the Two Yin-Yang True Meaning, excels at crafting treasures—such precious demonic materials are like a carpenter seeing a sacred tree, a chef spotting a fat chicken; if they don't fiddle with them, their hearts won't rest.

"What Young Master Shen gives, you have no right to refuse," Xiao Qiangwei said, arching an eyebrow as she handed all four feathers to them. "Don't waste such fine materials—craft the treasures, keep one for yourselves, and send the rest to Zhen Mo Si's headquarters in Outside Qingzhou City. Say it's for Elder Chen's subordinate, General Shen."

Hearing this, Pure Yang's sleeve, just lowered, trembled slightly—then, obeying his heart, he reached out again: "Thank you, Young Master Shen, for your generosity."

His face, white-haired yet youthful, bloomed into a smile.

"…"

Shen Yi truly didn't understand—why could they so happily accept this, when they could've taken it for free? Now they're working for others, and still delighted?

If my past colleagues had been like this, I'm sure my boss could've replaced their wives with younger ones in no time.

He rubbed his brow and turned to walk out of the valley.

The benefit of Body Refinement arts is that during cultivation, no negative emotions arise.

And the dense confusion, despair, and utter exhaustion brought on by deducing these martial arts techniques—until the sudden moment of clarity—these many emotions surging up together into the mind, truly could not fade away in a short while.

(End of Chapter)