Chapter 199: Return to Qingzhou Once More

"This King will tell you!"

"Right now!"

"Get up at once! Follow This King and level Outside Qingzhou!"

Howling Moon Demon King's form swayed slightly, his sharp claws pressing into his own face to suppress the panic that had inadvertently shown itself.

The dog demon could of course understand what the other party was fearing.

With the little demon king dead, once Jiang Qiulan broke through, it would be Howling Moon's doomsday.

It desperately tore free of the other's grip, equally breaking down: "Don't you fucking stand here giving orders, I have to go back… I have to go back and report to the Lady and the Master."

The little demon king was dead — it certainly wasn't going to survive either.

But how could it let the little demon king die here for nothing, die without a sound!

"You!"

The dog demon stumbled a few steps, then suddenly recalled the other's earlier goodwill, gritted its teeth hard, and panted: "You don't need to rush…"

The Master could not lightly set foot in Da Qian, but the Lady would absolutely not let these beasts off.

It turned and bolted toward the west, like a stray cur with its tail between its legs.

"…"

Until the dog demon's back vanished at the edge of sight.

"Pfft."

Only then did Howling Moon Demon King slowly release the claws covering his face… he really could barely hold it in any longer.

Who would willingly serve as a vanguard for an arrogant, domineering little thing.

The other party swallowed Outside Qingzhou, then magnanimously bestowed upon him this little plot of land that had originally belonged to him.

Listen to how that sounds — how generous.

Fortunately, he had learned that this little thing was the family's only son.

Only under such circumstances.

Could he be certain that the other's family would definitely come seeking revenge, and because of the special status, could not possibly remain in Da Qian.

He could freely use a whole prefecture's worth of human-body medicinal ingredients.

And then he could also hitch himself to the Thousand Demon Den's connections, leave this place from then on, and seek the chance to break through to a higher realm.

Whether it was Jiang Qiulan or the little demon king who died here today, it was a deal that only profited, never lost.

"Five of them…"

Howling Moon Demon King turned and strolled leisurely back toward his cave abode.

Outside Qingzhou seemed to have gained yet another existence he couldn't read; this place could not be lingered in for long… once he had eaten and drunk his fill, it was still best to leave as soon as possible.

Damn Jiang Yuanhua, really made him go hungry for so long.

……

The edge of Outside Qingzhou.

Aunt Aqian and Wu Feng stumbled in, looking disheveled and wretched.

They saw Shen Yi had already changed back into a robe of ink-black, arms folded, leaning against a tree trunk, once again in that previously restrained posture.

If they hadn't seen with their own eyes how he had slain the little demon king.

They'd truly think this young man was a cultivator nurturing a Yin Spirit.

"Really terrifying."

Aunt Aqian braced her hands on her knees, rapidly steadying her breath.

"Mm?"

Shen Yi noncommittally withdrew his gaze; he actually felt it was fine — the little demon king was indeed the strongest demon he had ever crossed hands with, and it had numerous treasures to boot, but it wasn't quite enough to warrant the word "terrifying."

"What she said might not be about the little demon king."

Jiang Qiulan stood quietly beside Shen Yi, gazing at his profile, and said softly: "Why didn't you let me make a move?"

She truly wanted to know the answer.

No one in this world likes trouble, even someone as formidable as him.

"No reason."

Shen Yi glanced at the woman — nine thousand eight hundred years of lifespan, and you think I'd let you snatch it away.

That was simply a terrifyingly extreme number.

Even more than he had anticipated.

As for trouble…

He was used to it anyway; at night when silently reciting names in his heart, it was nothing more than adding one more to the end.

He was afraid of death, true, but if he didn't dare kill this and didn't dare touch that, he'd probably have died long ago in Bai Yunxian.

Hearing this, Jiang Qiulan drew a deep breath.

Slowly shifted her gaze elsewhere.

The sharpness in her clear eyes gradually softened.

Wu Feng stared fixedly at the silver bell at Shen Yi's waist; as a demon-catcher of great renown in Outside Qingzhou, how could he not have known there was another fierce fellow down below who casually slapped the little demon king to the ground.

With that kind of force, he'd believe it even if you said the man was Howling Moon Demon King in disguise.

That little demon king had actually been hiding so many killing moves.

If Shen Yi hadn't been present today, while not alerting Howling Moon, perhaps Jiang Qiulan could have survived, but the two demon-catchers would certainly have been done for there.

So many top-grade treasures…

Wait.

Wu Feng suddenly realized something: "No, wait—you didn't catch on at all? It's this extravagant—its background must be…"

Before he could finish, he saw Jiang Qiulan and Shen Yi glance at him with flat looks.

Aunt Aqian beside him gave Wu Feng a helpless little punch: "Stop embarrassing us."

Those two youngsters had probably figured the whole thing out the instant the little demon king produced the bronze mirror, and in the end they were still over there helping each other shoulder the trouble.

"Fine, it's handled now. Once I'm back I'll send word to the Wumiao… General Shen, trouble you to hand me that wisp of blood and qi—let the Wumiao people carefully confirm the identity. To have such a foundation, it's almost certainly from the Thousand Demon Den."

Aunt Aqian let out a long breath.

What came next wasn't that there was nothing left to do, but that the matter was no longer one Outside Qingzhou could take part in—everything now rested with fate.

If that was the case, then there was no need to worry about it.

"No reward?"

Shen Yi drew the blood and qi from the silver bell.

"Mm… they're probably thinking right now that they'd love to slap us dead with one palm each."

Aunt Aqian smacked her lips—she didn't care about that.

Damn the big picture—she was a demon hunter of Outside Qingzhou, of course she had to work for Outside Qingzhou. Jiang Yuanhua, that dog-brain, only knew how to bully his own people.

"Haha, I want to see right now what expression the Commandant my lord is making—piss him off to death!" she burst out laughing wildly again.

"…"

Shen Yi fell silent and looked toward the empty air, aided by the Mountain Lord's innate gift.

A Yin Spirit bearing some resemblance to the Commandant stood quietly behind Aunt Aqian, expression calm.

Then it gave him a slight, faintly grateful nod of the chin.

Shen Yi gave a small nod in return.

Then he continued watching with keen interest as Aunt Aqian went off her rocker there—every curse she spat added another measure of helplessness to the Commandant's eyes.

He had no intention of tipping off Jiang Qiulan.

After all, although the Commandant had come, he was still standing on Outside Qingzhou's line; the other party had ultimately not taken the next step.

Jiang Yuanhua is solemn turned his gaze back to Shen Yi.

Amid Aunt Aqian's chatter, the details of the little demon king's slaying grew clearer and more concrete.

So everything he had arranged over all these years—

in the end could not match a young man who had suddenly walked out of Bai Yunxian.

The other had joined Zhen Mo Si, hadn't stayed at the Commandant's residence, but had shaken off his own little disciple, gone to Water Cloud Hamlet, made his way to Qingfeng Mountain… and at a pace no onlooker could comprehend, leapt up to such a realm.

Then, in the simplest, most brutal way, smashed his nightmare to pieces.

Jiang Yuanhua's gaze fell on the gold-patterned scabbard at the other's waist.

The questions of many people suddenly rang in his ears again—do you regret it?

If he could have known in advance, of course he would regret it, but where in this world did such good fortune exist? Therefore, he did not regret it.

He withdrew his gaze, turned, and left the place.

"Old hag, let's go already!"

Wu Feng rolled his eyes, hauled Aunt Aqian up and dumped her on his shoulder.

The little demon king's death had clearly shifted everyone's state of mind.

Everyone except Shen Yi.

Right now he just wanted to hurry back, try out the newly acquired treasure, and make the little demon king his new foundation.

(End of chapter)