Chapter 228: What Kind of Deity Are You

Lord Chen is the only Patrol Envoy remaining at the Zhen Mo Si headquarters.

Zhang Xuan hoped more than anyone that the person arriving this time would be him, but now could only shake his head: "The one I invited this time is the newly appointed Patrol Envoy, Shen Yi."

Shen Yi?

Yang Qianxiang fell silent for a moment, finding not the slightest impression of this name in his mind.

"Lord Shen hails from Outside Qingzhou and is a disciple of the Wu Xian."

Zhang Xuan knew exactly what the other was thinking and said anxiously: "That Flower Leopard Demon Lord has already been slain by Lord Shen. Please, General, quickly mobilize troops to retake Nanyue City, then follow me to find the Patrol Envoy."

Hearing his words, Yang Qianxiang felt as if a giant hammer had struck his mind; he became slightly dizzy and said in a daze: "A disciple of the Wu Xian, that means a Yin Spirit cultivator. Why did you not consult with me before acting directly?"

It is true that the Yin Spirit cultivators within the Wu Xian possess profound realms.

But even holding a jade talisman that can mobilize the incense and vows of any prefecture, do not forget that Songzhou has lost four commanderies, leaving only this meager amount of incense and vows. Whether given to you, the General, or to that stranger, Lord Shen, what effect could it possibly have?

Songzhou paid with countless lives just to barely stabilize two Demon Kings.

Though destruction is imminent, there is still some time.

For them, every extra day allows them to pin their hopes on Lord Chen's return; now, to actively break the stalemate, for what purpose?

"Consult? Does a Patrol Envoy's work require consulting with you or me?"

Zhang Xuan gritted his teeth and brought out the skull from his chest: "At least Lord Shen helped me bring it back. I cannot bring myself to say the words to stop him."

Having spoken, a bit of ferocity appeared in his eyes: "Please, General, do not hesitate. The Patrol Envoy is currently trapped within the demon horde of Nanyue Commandery. Quickly dispatch the Zhen Mo Si Generals and Golden Bell Demon Catchers to assist Zhang!"

"..."

Yang Qianxiang grabbed his sparse hair twice, then turned to sigh at the adjutant behind him: "Issue my order for them to assemble as soon as possible at the four lost commanderies."

Having spoken, he mounted that demon horse with a wooden face: "Lead the way."

"You do not need to go in Yin Spirit form?"

Zhang Xuan was stunned; no Nine Provinces General would personally venture into a perilous situation with his physical body.

"What is the point?"

Yang Qianxiang turned his head to look at him, his emaciated face devoid of any emotion.

Songzhou has already done everything it could.

He is merely a Wu Xian, not a true deity, and cannot simultaneously contend with two Demon Kings far stronger than himself.

This is actually for the best.

The Patrol Envoy has made the decision for Songzhou, so this old man need not worry.

As for offending Lord Chimu and causing him to shift his focus from the other Demon King back to the Songzhouzhen Mo Si... the deed is done, so there is no need to dwell on it further.

"Help me carefully keep this old friend." Zhang Xuan handed the skull in his hand to the adjutant with great care.

The next moment.

The Black-Scaled Dragon Horse leaped into the air and galloped, carrying the two men away from Songzhoucheng.

"Is this the direction to Nanyue City?" Yang Qianxiang suddenly felt something was wrong.

"Lord Shen should have already gone to the county below." Zhang Xuan said softly. Judging from the situation in the city earlier, this young Patrol Envoy, though appearing cold and taciturn, was actually as meticulous as a hair and cared deeply for those common people.

"What kind of existence have you actually brought back..."

Yang Qianxiang's brows suddenly tightened, and he could not help but complain.

As a Yin Spirit cultivator, entering a commandery occupied by demons and monsters alone, with no one to guard him, was extremely perilous.

"Lord Shen said he... knows a little about body tempering methods."

Zhang Xuan was equally worried but still spoke to offer comfort.

Although he did not know exactly how much "a little" meant, the other party should not be an impulsive person.

"I have guarded Songzhou for many years and have never once acted recklessly."

Yang Qianxiang sighed with self-mockery: "I never expected that the first time, it would cost the remaining half of Songzhou."

The Black-Scaled Dragon Horse galloped with all its might, its speed not inferior to teleportation methods.

The two men soon arrived above a certain county town.

Yang Qianxiang lowered his gaze to look.

He had not dared to look directly at the four lost commanderies for a long time, nor had he even used his Yin Spirit to take a single glance.

The corpses littering the ground when the city was breached, and the countless young men in black robes lying beneath his Yin Spirit's feet; even now, those wailing sounds still echoed in his ears.

Taking the situation inside the county town into his sight.

Yang Qianxiang's expression changed slightly.

He saw the streets packed with crowds, all running wildly; some were crying and laughing, others kneeling and beating the ground, but at a glance, not a single trace of a demon or monster could be found.

The two exchanged a glance, suppressed their doubts in their hearts, and urged their horses to rush to other places again.

They even split up for a while in between.

When they met again, the shock in their eyes was already overflowing, impossible to hide.

"Something is wrong! Something is wrong!"

Wherever they passed, there was not even half a demon creature, and not even a single corpse.

If it were said they were slain by someone... this was clearly something only achievable by deploying a Yin Spirit.

"Did Lord Shen deploy his Yin Spirit outside?"

Zhang Xuan lost his composure somewhat; he completely did not understand why the other would take such a huge risk. Shen Yi came from the Imperial City and was a disciple of the Wu Xian, yet he was even more anxious than they, the local Zhen Mo Si officers.

"What I am worried about is... since he is so anxious, where will he go now?"

Yang Qianxiang swallowed hard; the answer was already self-evident.

"To the Temple of Lord Chimu!"

Within the four lost commanderies, every county town has a Temple of Lord Chimu.

But the place they spoke of was the true dwelling of that Demon King.

It lay in the very center of the four prefectures.

A rough stone statue had been carved from the steep cliff, some ten-plus zhang tall; it was a beast-faced, human-bodied figure wearing a feathered helmet and clad in fish-scale armor, seated within the mountain, holding a long spear in its left hand while its right hand rested flat upon its knee.

The direction those eyes gazed toward was precisely Songzhoucheng.

Its two feet stood upon the ground, and at its feet lay dense clusters of incense altars, with thick smoke curling upward, as if forming an auspicious cloud beneath its feet.

Behind the divine statue was a cavern as high as it.

Thunderous breathing emanated from within the cavern, causing the entire mountain to tremble slightly.

The common people coming and going seemed accustomed to such a scene.

They walked expressionlessly to the foot of the stone statue, then immediately burned incense and bowed; there was no piety in their eyes, yet their movements were flawless, as if practiced ten thousand times, daring not to have the slightest flaw.

A red cloud swept across the horizon.

Silently, a figure in black robes appeared among the crowd.

The youth walked slowly toward the stone statue.

Among the many commoners who had come to bow, his tall and straight figure stood out so abruptly.

Many noticed his presence.

Their bowing movements showed slight deviations, and fear instantly flashed across their faces.

Shen Yi walked to the dense clusters of incense altars, bent down to grasp a handful of incense ash, then raised his head to gaze calmly at that magnificent stone statue.

He nodded slightly.

Beside him, his solidified Yin Spirit waved a hand, and the formless incense and vow power pushed the confused crowd out by several dozen zhang.

Lady Qinghua, accompanied by the Yin Spirit, returned to Shen Yi's Qi Sea.

Bang!

In the next instant, he suddenly leaped up, one foot stomping onto the statue's heart; the towering divine statue cracked from the lower legs and crashed down toward the cavern behind it with a thunderous boom.

Amidst the crashing sound, Shen Yi's figure vanished from the spot.

The thunderous breathing within the cavern suddenly ceased, transforming into a furious roar: "ROAR!!"

With a single breath, the roar also came to an abrupt halt.

The youth in black robes leaped out of the cavern, violently dragged that massive figure out, then slammed it hard against the mountain range; amidst a dull crack, a terrifyingly huge fissure had appeared on the mountain ridge!

(End of this chapter)