Chapter 142: First Hearing of Jiang Qiulan

Tingyang City.

Yang Gui tugged the reins, easing the carriage slowly into the city. As a vice-commander of Zhen Mo Si, there were very few people worthy of him personally taking the reins.

When he had first received the order from his superior, he had been a little disgruntled, but now he was utterly sincere in his admiration.

What was a vice-commander doing driving a carriage? Four Embracing Elixir Realm cultivators in one carriage—even he felt he barely qualified for the job.

Inside the carriage, the two old Daoist Priests had earlier delivered a letter to General You. Now that the matter was settled, even knowing the man was not in the city, they had come in person to offer thanks, not daring to breach propriety.

As for the Two Primordial True Intent they carried on them, they were not overly worried.

After all, there were few people who could take something from the two of them, and with Lord Shen present, who in Tingyang Prefecture would dare disobey, dare harbor such crooked thoughts?

"..."

Shen Yi closed his eyes to rest, simultaneously deducing the Wind Thunder Melting Sun Canon.

With his current strength, fighting a peak Nascent Core Realm demon lord one-on-one should pose no problem; that wisp of Mountain Lord aura could finally be put to use.

But he was still used to improving by whatever margin he could.

The Wind Thunder Melting Sun Canon had come as a reward from Zhen Mo Si after slaying the river demon.

It was an internal art for breaking through to the Jade Liquid Realm, yet the inner treasure furnace constructed from it was intimately connected to the Heavenly Demon Yama Outer Pill.

Ever since he had connected two hundred and seventy-five orifices earlier, the Heavenly Demon Outer Pill had not caused any more trouble.

Unfortunately, the outer pill, only half-filled, was equivalent only to the foundation of the Elixir Formation Realm.

Shen Yi had newly learned a move of Two Primordial True Intent. Though he had not yet had the chance to use it, judging solely from the two old Daoist Priests' earlier display, this too was a major drain on cultivation.

Under such circumstances, the Heavenly Demon Outer Pill had already become his shortcoming...

【You have successfully connected the twenty-sixth new great orifice】

【The Melting Sun Treasure Furnace constructed from three hundred and one great orifices seems to have reached its limit...】

【Remaining demon lifespan: twelve years】

He had spent over one thousand four hundred years of demon lifespan down to the last drop.

Shen Yi sensed the changes within his body. The dark-red meridians grew ever clearer, and the suppressive force scoured the qi sea again and again.

He had a vague feeling that, relying as he did on demon martial arts, strange things would inevitably appear within his body in greater or lesser measure—the Heavenly Demon Outer Pill, for instance, or the demon lord's consciousness.

To avoid any mishaps in cultivation, the stronger such suppression, the better.

"..."

Shen Yi opened his eyes again. If he was not mistaken—

In just a single two-hour period, the woman beside him had already "casually" glanced at him twelve times.

"Senior Xiao, if you have something to say, just say it."

From the matter of hunting Yan Xingkong, Shen Yi had learned much about demon-catching from her, and along the way, even the two old Daoist Priests had gained something. Yet this woman had taken nothing at all.

If she truly had some trouble—

Better to just say it outright. Whether it could be handled was another matter, but there was no need for such hesitation.

Xiao Qiangwei had just turned her gaze when she hurriedly pulled it back: "I wanted to ask if you were thirsty."

"..." Shen Yi subtly rolled his eyes.

A dignified senior Silver Bell demon-catcher, yet more bashful than Lin Baiwei—at least the one surnamed Lin knew to call out for a meal when hungry and to find clothes on her own when cold; she seemed far more sensible.

Just then, the two Silver Bells trembled at once.

Shen Yi reached out to brush his bell, then felt a touch of disappointment.

He had thought it was news of another great demon, but it turned out to be some idle gossip left here by someone.

Xiao Qiangwei also snapped out of her awkwardness. Unlike Shen Yi, she seemed quite interested: "Jiang Qiulan has left Linjiang Prefecture?"

The two old Daoist Priests opposite instantly sat up straight, pricking up their ears.

Taking in the expressions of the two old men, Shen Yi grew curious: "Who is Jiang Qiulan?"

At these words, the entire carriage fell silent.

The remaining three exchanged glances.

The most straightforward, Chunyangzi, stared wide-eyed as if he had seen some monster, and stammered: "Lord Shen has never heard that name?"

A man of Zhen Mo Si not knowing Jiang Qiulan was as absurd as a scholar who could not write.

Even Xiao Qiangwei, who had long been acquainted with Shen Yi, was now a little dumbfounded. Setting everything else aside, if the man had spent even two months in the Zhen Mo Si government office, how could he possibly know nothing of this?

Moreover—

Xiao Qiangwei's eyelid twitched: "She was invited by Old General Chen to subdue demons in Linjiang Prefecture. Old General Chen didn't tell you?"

If memory served, the youth before her had claimed to be a personal attendant under General Chen Qiankun.

"Not very familiar."

Shen Yi shook his head. To be precise, he had met him only once, and had not spoken a single word. At the time he had been busy taking the flood dragon pill, with no spare attention for the old man.

There was no need to hide this; any vice-commander who had gone to Qingfeng Mountain knew it.

Hearing this, Daoist Qingjing hurriedly stepped in to smooth things over: "It's perfectly normal not to be familiar. Throughout all of Outside Qingzhou, there are few who are close with Lord Jiang. Demons are more familiar with her—unfortunately, most of them are dead."

Seeing the youth's calm expression, a sudden trace of delight rose in Xiao Qiangwei's heart.

Shen Yi realized the others seemed to have misunderstood something, but he did not explain. Compared to some famous martial artist, he was far more interested in the demons of Linjiang Prefecture: "What demon was she invited to subdue?"

A mere Mountain Lord was far from enough to satisfy Shen Yi. If the timing was right, he would not mind going to Linjiang Prefecture again to pick up another bargain—ideally to take that demon's inner pill.

"You should know about the annihilation of Qingfeng Mountain, yes?" Xiao Qiangwei had now fully grown accustomed to his unworldly manner. Fortunately, the youth finally nodded.

Only then did she breathe easy and continue: "Back then, after Old General Chen beheaded the Yangchun River Jiang Jiao lord and annihilated the Qingfeng Mountain Sect Master and the Ancestral Sword, just as he was about to depart, the aura of a demon at least at the Elixir Formation Realm suddenly surged from the mountain."

The two Daoist Priests listened with great interest and asked, puzzled: "An Elixir Formation Realm demon—why would that require Lord Jiang to act?"

Xiao Qiangwei shot the two a look: "If only it were that simple. That demon made no attempt to conceal its aura—clearly a provocation aimed at Old General Chen. Just as he summoned his Yin God to destroy the demon, that aura vanished in an instant."

"A displacement art!" Chunyangzi blurted out, looking utterly certain: "To break free of General Chen's pursuit so directly, it must be at least a great demon on par with peak Nascent Core Realm—even an Embracing Elixir Realm is not impossible."

"Chen Laoyezi thought the same." Xiao Qiangwei nodded, then suddenly noticed the young man beside her had turned to look out the window again, falling silent.

"..."

Beneath Shen Yi's hair, a pair of jet-black eyes flashed with helplessness.

The teleportation technique was comparable to a perfected Core Formation cultivator.

How did these people manage to get every step wrong yet every result right?

Clearly, the demon that had suddenly appeared on Qingfeng Mountain was most likely himself, having just condensed the Heavenly Demon Outer Core.

That loophole was not one he dared to pick up.

(End of chapter)