Chapter 167: Ji Prince

Outside Qingzhou City, the General personally saw them off.

The Wang Fei stepped onto the luxurious carriage, glanced at Jiang Yuanhua, and smiled: "General, rest assured—I shall do my utmost to ease Qingzhou's burdens."

Hearing this, the General returned her smile: "Your Highness goes to too much trouble."

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, he turned away, his eyes darkening with coldness.

He's the type who won't release the hawk until he sees the rabbit—does he think I, Jiang Mou, have lived these decades in vain? My hard-won disciple won't be snatched away so easily.

Recalling the rumors he'd heard in Jingcheng, Jiang Yuanhua's lips curled slightly.

Though the demonic plague in Qingzhou is urgent, this Wang Fei may not be as composed as she pretends—let's see who can hold out longer.

He gathered his thoughts and turned his gaze to the rear of the carriage; the handsome young man, framed by his dark, gleaming xuan armor, looked like a dragon among men, radiating an extraordinary aura.

Such a young man reduced the Qingqiu disciples to a mere line in official records.

Not even casualties were reported—according to the two subordinate officers, they never even got a chance to fight.

"..."

Jiang Yuanhua narrowed his eyes slightly, then sighed inwardly; his earlier resentment lessened somewhat.

In this small Qingzhou, after Qiu Lan, another young prodigy had emerged.

Had it not been for the imminent demonic plague, once both had grown, they could have ensured Qingzhou a thousand years of peace.

Alas, fate was unkind...

But taking on a false blame for such a talent isn't much of a burden.

Of course... if it could draw the imperial court's early attention and spark some interest, that would be even better.

"Thank you, General Shen, for escorting the Wang Fei back to Jingcheng."

Jiang Yuanhua stepped forward, his voice neither loud nor soft—just loud enough for those inside the carriage to hear.

He gave a slight bow, then turned and walked back into Qingzhou City.

"..."

Shen Yi raised an eyebrow in confusion; inside that carriage, besides the Wang Fei, sat a master capable of making the Young Demon King flee in panic.

Why would he need me for escort duty?

Upon hearing this, the Wang Fei lifted the carriage curtain curiously to look outside.

Originally, seeing the young man's armor of the Zhen Mo Jiang, she had found him utterly uninteresting.

Even if he was so young yet capable of protecting an entire commandery, his future achievements might not fall short of Jiang Qiulan's.

In the Daqian Empire, Slain Hunyuan Masters and Wu Xian both belonged to the fourth realm, yet their treatment differed vastly in others' eyes.

The reason was simple.

No matter how strong a Wu Xian was, he couldn't move—he could only guard one place for millennia, holding virtually no value for alliances.

A Slain Hunyuan Master was different.

A powerful being who could maintain full strength anywhere could resolve most problems.

Like herself—merely offering a vague, empty promise—she had made this Wu Xian lower his pride and show boundless eagerness.

"General Shen, after leaving Qingzhou, do you still have the capacity to escort us?" the Wang Fei asked, probing indirectly.

"He isn't a cultivator who nurtures the yin spirit," Jiang Qiulan said, eyes closed as if dozing, his voice calm.

A single sentence brought even more warmth to the Wang Fei's elegant face; she left the curtain open entirely, gazing at the mounted figure outside: "Thank you, young General Shen."

"Your Highness need not be so courteous."

Shen Yi gave a slight nod—he was heading to Jingcheng to receive rewards, never intending to escort anyone.

If he encountered a demon Jiang Qiulan couldn't defeat, he'd make sure the great demon understood what true perfection of the Xioa Yao Cheng Feng Jue truly meant.

Besides the three of them, the demon hunters had assigned another to report their achievements.

Jiang Chengyun rode behind, glancing between the carriage and Shen Yi, his eyes darting back and forth as if unable to settle.

Yet his excitement grew ever more intense.

Under these two, Qingzhou's younger generation could surely replace those old relics.

"General Shen."

He rode up beside him: "Have you decided what kind of treasure you'll claim as reward?"

Hearing this, Shen Yi paused, then looked at the black blade at his waist: "I'd prefer a weapon that suits me well."

This blade, taken from the monkey demon, was merely sturdy and sharp—no mystical qualities, slowly becoming redundant.

Jiang Chengyun silently noted this, then said with a touch of envy:

"Qingzhou ranks only as mid-tier among Daqian's nine provinces; even the Bai Yun Shrine only dabbles in artifact crafting. The treasures granted by the imperial court almost all come from Lizhou's Qi Sect—the richest province in Daqian, and the most skilled in forging."

"The artifacts we, the twelve commandery guardians, carry are considered only mid-tier there. Supposedly, the supreme-grade treasures, called the Sect's Core Treasures, can even make Slain Hunyuan Masters sigh in awe."

Shen Yi nodded thoughtfully.

For the first time, he had some grasp of the Daqian Empire.

He recalled the green jade sword still resting in his silver bell—wondering what quality it might be.

"..."

Listening to the conversation outside, Jiang Qiulan slowly opened his eyes, glanced casually at the young man's black blade, then looked away.

The journey from Qingzhou to Jingcheng was extremely long; ordinary demonic horses would take at least three months.

But the eight horned demonic horses pulling the carriage were no ordinary beasts—each step kicked up swirling mist, moving swiftly and steadily, greatly shortening travel time.

Even the Zhen Mo Si's carefully selected mounts struggled to keep pace.

The Wang Fei kindly offered two of the horned horses: "Young General Shen has worked hard and earned great merit—Prince Ji admires heroes like you. Don't be bound by formalities."

Seeing this, Jiang Chengyun shook his head in awe.

Even the most rigid customs must yield before true prodigies.

He had even gotten lucky enough to ride one of the Wang Fu's fine horses.

……

Nineteen days had been spent.

A towering city, several times broader than Outside Qingzhou, finally rose into view, its whole bearing giving off an ancient, weighty air that pressed faintly on the chest.

The city gates were heavily guarded; there was no need to cast any Qi-gazing art to feel the aura shooting skyward.

This was the capital of the Great Qian Dynasty, ruling over all the Nine Provinces!

The resplendent carriage rolled slowly into the city. The eight snow-white horned horses proclaimed their master's rank; the city garrison stood in solemn welcome, watching it vanish at the far end of the long street.

The vast Prince Jinjiang's residence lay in Chengxi.

Carved beams and painted rafters displayed its grandeur; jade tiles and high walls added a touch of lavish extravagance.

Dozens of servants filed out of the residence, clearing the street ahead of time, then lining both sides of the long avenue to receive them.

"Qiulan, why not stay here at the Wang Fu and keep this Palace company a while longer?" Prince Jinjiang's Wang Fei wore a gentle smile.

"Many thanks for the Wang Fei's kind offer, but I am a person of Zhen Mo Si; the Martial Temple will suit me well enough." Jiang Qiulan shook her head slightly.

Throughout the journey, her manner had been calm and courteous — not a single fault to be found — yet hardly what one would call warm.

It was Outside Qingzhou that had been the one seeking a favor of her, yet Prince Jinjiang's Wang Fei cared nothing for such trifles.

Beneath that astonishing martial talent lay a beauty that put all others to shame; with both gifts combined, nothing else could really be counted a problem.

Still smiling, the Wang Fei said, "At the very least, let me introduce you to Prince Jinjiang's heir. If you're to guide him in martial arts, you ought to see whether he's a block of rotten wood first, wouldn't you say?"

"……"

After a brief silence, Jiang Qiulan finally stepped forward into the Wang Fu.

Behind the carriage, Jiang Chengyun gripped Shen Yi's arm, nearly grinding his teeth to powder, and forced out a low whisper: "General Shen… where are you going…"

Where had all that strength come from? He couldn't pull him back no matter how he tugged!

"To collect my reward." Shen Yi paused mid-turn, brows slightly knit. He didn't know what business the Brigadier-General had with the Wang Fu, but it had nothing to do with him — surely he wasn't expected to tag along and exchange more of those tedious pleasantries.

"I'm begging you, just endure it a little longer…" Jiang Chengyun gritted his teeth. What kind of sense did it make to arrive at the Wang Fu's gate and then walk off without so much as a word? Wouldn't that be a slap in Prince Jinjiang's Wang Fei's face?

From the silver-bell demon-catcher of Yong'an City to the great general who pacified demons in Linjiang Commandery.

His rank had risen at breakneck speed, yet his temperament hadn't changed one bit.

(End of this chapter)