Chapter 674: General Nanyang's First Appearance

"Sigh."

General Wushan first watched the old man Yan's retreating figure; only after he had left did he turn back to glance at Shen Yi beside him and slowly let out a sigh.

He was used to being shameless; even though he was not entirely convinced by the old man's assessment, he had no intention of arguing.

What mattered more now was that, since the matter was already settled, it was better to divide up the responsibilities in advance.

If he really got mixed up with those two little things, he would never think of being promoted to General of Southern Pacification in this lifetime.

"You are different from her; you just became a titled general. Follow me, and I will explain the details to you."

General Wushan waved his hand and led the two toward another hall in the government office.

As a senior colleague, he did not put on an arrogant air; instead, he personally poured hot tea for the two: "Sit."

"For those of us in this line of work, there are no specific tasks to do; anyway, if any problem arises in Da Nanzhou, we must handle it. Commonly known as cleaning up other people's messes. You are quite familiar with Yan Lan, so you should know a bit about this."

"If your subordinates cause trouble, you must go to settle it; if they encounter a powerful enemy, you must step in to help. It is a bit tiring, but the rewards from above are equally valuable."

"In short, no matter what you do, just make sure nothing goes wrong."

General Wushan held his teacup, sat down beside Shen Yi, and quietly put away his smile: "However, I will say the ugly truth first. Since the three Generals of Southern Pacification have split up, we had better make a clear division as well."

"Since you have only recently joined the Zhan Yao Si and are not very familiar with Da Nanzhou, how about I assign you the three nearest prefectures: Jianyang, Xishan, and Linhe?"

Hearing this, before Shen Yi could speak, Ye Lan already frowned: "What kind of joke is this? Two of these three prefectures have just suffered demon disasters; experienced demon slayers have suffered heavy casualties, and it is all new recruits who have taken their place..."

"Tsk, why are you in such a hurry?"

General Wushan gave a sheepish smile and explained: "I am not very familiar with this area either, besides, this young brother hasn't spoken yet."

"Agreed."

Shen Yi lightly nodded his chin, cutting off both of their words.

He had figured it out; this General Wushan, whether he was bad or not was another matter, but he was definitely an old hand.

But actually, this also quite fit Shen Yi's thoughts.

Back then, when the Earth God helped Hong Ze and the others find a way out, most of it was near Jianyang; keeping this area in his own hands made him feel more at ease.

"Straightforward! No wonder the old man Yan values you so highly; General Nanyang is indeed young and promising!"

General Wushan's face lit up with joy as he spoke flattery he didn't even believe himself.

Of course, the division was made this way; if trouble really arose in these three prefectures, he would not simply ignore it.

But no matter what, at least he wouldn't have to lead a group of demon slayers who knew nothing and personally handle even the most trivial matters, which would save a lot of trouble.

"Then the two of us don't care; just pick whatever."

As General Wushan spoke, he also assigned the remaining prefecture that had suffered a demon disaster to Ye Lan, then clasped his hands as if fearing the two would change their minds:

"The communication jade tablets for the demon slayer officials of the three prefectures, I will have someone bring them to you later. I have some other business, so I won't keep you company longer. Please take care, you two."

Before his words had even finished, this large, burly fat man had already vanished from the spot.

"..."

Ye Lan's face looked ugly; it seemed she had already taken more than one silent loss in front of this fat man.

She gently exhaled a breath, then looked at Shen Yi with some apology: "He is just like this. General Yan chose him because his strength is indeed profound. Please bear with him, and don't mind the nonsense he says. If anything happens, just come to me."

"It's fine."

Shen Yi put down his teacup and did not rush to stand up; instead, he asked the other party about the Tai Xu Dao Art.

Only by truly cultivating the Dao Fruit Method of the Qi Refiners could one understand the difference between this thing and the Great Sutra of the Fruit Seat.

Unlike the practitioners who cultivate through hardship, where as long as they can control their soul and spirit, every Tribulation Crossing power invested can be transformed into a tangible realm advancement.

Shen Yi had poured nearly eighty Tribulation Crossings of demon lifespan into the Tai Xu Dao Art, but less than sixty Tribulation Crossings were converted into realm advancement.

On that green wood that looked like a moon disk, the Dao Fruit had only condensed less than one-third.

This was even after having received Ye Lan's enlightenment.

Of course, where there are benefits, there are drawbacks; after all, the Puti Sect can only choose Tribulation Crossing, which is merely a difference between physical tribulation and heart tribulation, but the Sanxian Sect can gather heavenly treasures and earthly herbs to refine pills to assist cultivation.

The two sat quietly opposite each other.

As Shen Yi asked more and more questions, Ye Lan, although responding seriously, gradually had shock rise in her eyes.

She knew this young man's talent was terrifying; otherwise, he could not have risen from obscurity, but she never thought he could be shocking to this extent.

Ye Lan had not even seen Shen Yi sit in meditation to cultivate, yet his attainment in the Tai Xu Dao Art could fully be called a minor success.

Until late at night when it was quiet, Shen Yi finally stood up: "Thank you."

"You're welcome; I have nothing more to explain anyway." Ye Lan helplessly stood up to respond; if she went any further, it would involve her own understanding of the Fourth-Rank Dao Fruit.

The path she walked was that of the Tai Xu Immortal Sword, which might not suit Shen Yi and could easily lead him astray.

"I take my leave."

The two bid each other a simple farewell.

Shen Yi savored the gains from just now while pacing back to the residence.

The demon lifespan remaining was not much.

He took out that Jin Dan from inside his ring and carefully played with it.

This object was formed from the condensed imperial qi of the human world; this small piece contained the power of a hundred Tribulation Crossings.

Just this one thing, I am afraid that even a Fourth-Rank cultivator seeing it would not be able to resist greed.

To digest this object, whether the Puti Sect or the Sanxian Sect, would require preparing a large amount of heavenly treasures and earthly herbs to stabilize the soul and spirit, plus elders stepping in to assist nearby, trying to lower the risk of undergoing the heart tribulation.

But Shen Yi was different.

He knew how to refine pills, and was very skilled at adding Tribulation Crossing power into pills; perhaps there would be some loss, but the advantage was simplicity and convenience.

He casually selected a common pill from the pill books he had flipped through to assist in cultivating the Tai Xu Dao Art.

The medicinal materials for refining Tribulation Pills were indeed precious, but for such common heavenly treasures and earthly herbs, with the foundation of Shen Xu Mountain, there was absolutely no shortage.

When Shen Yi left, he didn't care whether it was useful or not; anyway, he just grabbed a big handful and took it with him.

At this moment, he took out the alchemy furnace and summoned the furnace fire.

Refining pills is clearly an act of great aesthetic beauty, yet in Shen Yi's hands, it appeared slightly eerie.

The exact same movements, repeated endlessly.

Even the arc traced by his fingertips each time was identical, without a single deviation.

Just like this, after more than ten days and nights, that golden pill was finally infused consecutively into every batch of elixirs.

Shen Yi grabbed a handful, put it in his mouth, and chewed.

At the same time, he opened the panel to deduce and aid digestion.

Of the hundred tribulations of the golden pill, roughly eighty tribulations had merged into the green wood within his body; the moon disk grew increasingly plump, and that intricate-patterned Dao Fruit gradually began to take shape.

"One hundred and forty-seven tribulations."

Shen Yi silently calculated the changes; only forty-odd tribulations remained before he could fully pluck the Great Void Dao Fruit.

And at this moment, he had finally experienced the specific efficacy of this Dao Fruit, which ranks among the top ten.

Roaming the Great Void, there is no fixed form.

It was as if he had completely merged into a separate void, transcending this world and its heavens.

【Fifth Rank. Great Void Dao Art: Great Perfection】

Shen Yi lowered his gaze and slowly extended his palm; his Bai Xi fingertips gradually sank into his own chest, with no sense of solidity whatsoever.

He roughly understood the function of this technique, but was not yet particularly familiar with it.

Before Shen Yi could ponder carefully for a moment.

Just then, a few days ago, the prefectural office had sent someone to his door, and the jade slip placed on the stone table suddenly began to flash.

He casually beckoned, and the jade slip vanished into thin air; it was not a trick of the eye, but rather it had simply left this world, leaving not a trace of aura behind.

When it reappeared, the jade slip was lying quietly in Shen Yi's palm.

In Xishan Prefecture, within a remote county town.

Two brothers, one tall and one short, were born with skin as white as jade, their appearances seven-tenths similar.

The two put down the jade slips in their hands and looked toward the beautiful woman in a black skirt with a full buttocks and snake-like waist ahead: "My lord, the General has already been notified."

The Zhao brothers had just been transferred from another place; upon arriving here, they had heard the news of the Dananzhou Zhan Yao Si's branch establishment.

Amidst their inner daze, the only thing worth rejoicing was that their direct superior, named Jiang Mei, was an old Zhan Yao Si official who had survived the previous Elder Yu Chi demon calamity; even with the two of them, she could barely maintain stability in Xishan Prefecture.

"Ahem, ahem."

Jiang Mei covered her lips with her hand; her complexion appeared slightly sickly, clearly indicating her severe injuries had not yet healed: "When can General Wushan arrive?"

"General Wushan?" The two brothers were momentarily stunned and stammered, "Doesn't our Xishan Prefecture fall under the jurisdiction of that newly appointed General Nanyang?"

Hearing this, Jiang Mei's face turned even paler; she turned her head back and stared at the two without expression, and only after a long while did she exhale deeply and say, "You also know he is newly appointed? Do you have no idea how troublesome this matter is?"

"Send a new message!"

Jiang Mei helplessly withdrew her gaze and led the two toward the county seat.

The two brothers hurriedly sent a message to that General Wushan, then quickly caught up with the woman.

Upon stepping into the county government office, they saw an imperial official smiling as he escorted a Monk out.

Jiang Mei walked past him without looking sideways, and the two brothers likewise showed no sign of anything unusual.

When the Zhan Yao Si acts, it is always under the identity of an imperial official, but to avoid others noticing anything strange, they usually speak little and are only responsible for handling affairs.

"Master Zhikong, the affairs in the county are busy; this old man will not see you off."

"Thank you to the Divine Dynasty for your understanding; once this humble monk and the elders of the sect recover the stolen item, we will certainly assist the Divine Dynasty in exterminating the demons."

The Monk Zhikong respectfully performed a bow, then nodded politely at the other three before turning to leave the county government office.

"Heh!"

After the Monk left, Jiang Mei finally let out a cold sneer.

Ever since the ape demon from the Elder Yu Chi Immortal Sect caused havoc everywhere and the imperial court remained inactive for a long time, other great demon kings also began to harbor thoughts.

A vicious flood dragon at the peak of the Heavenly Immortal realm, in terms of strength, naturally could not compare to that three-eyed black ape, but the distinction between the two lies in the fact that this one is not a mount of the Immortal family.

Rather, it is a proper great demon who has occupied a mountain to become its king.

This act was to steal the human imperial qi amidst the chaos; therefore, he brought his whole family along, dragging all the demon soldiers and demon generals from the mountain into the city.

Under normal circumstances, the imperial court handles the small demons, the Zhan Yao Si handles the big ones, and it would be resolved in three moves.

But the trouble lies in the fact that I am injured, and furthermore, a group of baldies from the Puti Sect have mixed in to cause trouble!

"Speaking of a stolen item, if my guess is correct, it is another Fruit-Position Great Sutra, isn't it?"

The chill in Jiang Mei's eyes grew even more intense; if the Puti Sect were so poor that their scripture library had four walls full of holes, they could simply speak up directly, and the Divine Dynasty would pay to repair it for them.

In such a short time, how many times has such a precious item been lost?

Losing it on one side, while sending people to search on the other.

Are they searching for the Fruit-Position Great Sutra, or for those with exceptional talent who "accidentally" picked up this Great Sutra and cultivated some results?

They are clearly privately transmitting the Dharma within the Divine Dynasty; their intentions are worthy of execution!

"What did General Wushan say?"

Jiang Mei clutched her chest and smoothed her breath.

"He said... he said we must not act rashly; he will arrive very soon. Remember, do not engage in conflict with the Puti Sect first."

With the response from a titled General, the Zhao brothers clearly felt more confident, and their speech was no longer stuttering.

Jiang Mei pressed her lips together and said helplessly, "Fine, then let it be so for now."

Having said this, she stepped forward.

However, before her words had even faded, Jiang Mei's entire body stiffened; she stared straight ahead, instinctively mobilizing vast spiritual energy, looking as if she were facing a great enemy.

As the three conversed, they failed to notice entirely that a figure had already appeared in the courtyard.

The suddenly agitated power of heaven and earth, in the instant that person glanced over casually, strangely settled down.

He reached out, took out a plaque, and waved it at the group.

The Great Sun pattern on that plaque entered Jiang Mei's view, causing her face to change abruptly; a trace of embarrassment instantly surged into her eyes, and even her sickly pale skin flushed somewhat.

If she guessed correctly, the name of General Wushan she had just mentioned must have been heard entirely by the other party.

"Your subordinate pays respects to my lord."

Jiang Mei quickly adjusted her emotions, and accompanied by the Zhao brothers, bowed with clasped hands toward the other party.

"Speak of the matter."

Shen Yi put away the plaque, as if he had not heard the conversation the group had just had.

Having risen from the bottom himself, he could understand these people's distrust toward a superior who appeared out of nowhere.

"As you command."

Jiang Mei quietly wiped away the sweat, letting out a sigh of relief in her heart.

This my lord had arrived so quickly, and was like a ghost, with not a trace of aura; fortunately, he did not seem to be the kind of harsh and petty person, and was quite easy to talk to.

The two Zhao brothers also saw such a young Title General for the first time; amidst their curiosity, they could not help but feel somewhat panicked.

"Heavenly Prodigy" is a good word, proving the other party's terrifying talent.

But correspondingly, whether in strength or experience, compared to the older generation, there was inevitably a deficiency.

The Zhan Yao Si is an office for handling affairs, not a cultivation sect; when fighting outside, others will not hold back just because one's talent is good.

But the two still hurried forward and quickly recounted what had happened at Xishan Prefecture.

Shen Yi listened quietly, nodded, and stepped toward the outside of the county government office: "Lead the way."

Hearing this, the two brothers were stunned for a moment.

Jiang Mei instinctively forced a smile and gestured: "My lord, please wait; General Wushan said earlier..."

Before her words had even fallen, she saw that ink-robed youth turn his head to look back.

On that Bai Xi and handsome face, there were clearly no great emotional fluctuations, and his expression was similar to before.

But this same gaze gave Jiang Mei a completely different feeling.

She even felt her back grow somewhat cold.

"I said, lead the way."

Shen Yi withdrew his gaze; he could understand, but he could not accept that in these three prefectures, his words carried no weight, or that subordinates would bypass him directly when there was business.

"..."

Jiang Mei bit her lip.

She admitted she had misjudged just now.

This Title General was not old, but his temper was not small; when he turned his face, he was truly somewhat terrifying.

For a person like this, the most taboo thing is for others to look down on him.

But the Zhan Yao Si handling affairs is not a game; one must never act out of spite. If a real incident occurs, it will cause a great disaster!

"I will take you to see the situation first, but you had best also discuss it with the other two Title Generals; after all, those thief Monks of the Puti Sect are involved, which is quite troublesome..."

Jiang Mei forced a smile, walked to Shen Yi's side, and hoped to quell the other party's resentment.

"I have my own judgment."

Shen Yi did not deliberately make things difficult for the group again; they were all out to handle business. As for subordinates not fully trusting him, words would not help with that; just take it slowly.

"That is good, that is good."

Jiang Mei flattered him a few times as if coaxing a child; exhaustion surged in her eyes, and she secretly glanced at the nearby sky, only hoping General Wushan would arrive quickly.

(End of this chapter)