Chapter 776: The Eve of the Nanzhou Decisive Battle

Dananzhou, Liuli Prefecture.

This prefectural city lies near the center of the twenty-seven prefectures; logically, even if demons shattered Nanzhou, it would be among the last to suffer.

Yet all three Regional Commanders of the South have remained here.

This also indirectly proves that Nanzhou is no longer as it once was—no longer requiring these three lords to scatter and guard distant posts to prevent emergencies, but instead needing all their strength concentrated, solely to reach the greatest threat as swiftly as possible when it arises.

It was noon.

Yang Mingli and Yan Lanting were poring over ancient, tattered texts; these volumes recorded Nanzhou’s distant demonic calamities, and only after spanning countless years could fragments of text gradually reveal traces of that indigo-colored figure.

Based solely on these ancient records, it was naturally difficult to uncover the Southern Emperor’s weaknesses.

Even if they found them, they might no longer apply to the current Southern Emperor.

But the imperial court had not responded in time, let alone sent reinforcements; these two old men had no choice but to resort to this desperate measure—truly a last resort.

At that moment, Feng Xi stepped quickly inside, holding two sealed letters: “The capital has replied.”

This was something they had long awaited, yet the beautiful woman’s face showed no joy.

She gently placed the opened letter on the table; the seal bore the mark of the Immortal Department.

Both elders lifted their gazes at once, scanning the script on the paper, then simultaneously furrowed their brows.

The Immortal Department’s reply was impeccably formal.

The letter praised Nanzhou’s current stability and lavished praise upon the Regional Commanders of the South, leaving not the slightest flaw.

But the problem lay in its silence: it mentioned neither reinforcements nor any tangible reward for the Southern Yang General.

It was merely a perfunctory document.

“Hmph.”

Before Yan Lanting could speak, Yang Mingli closed the ancient book in his hands, smiling without warmth: “This isn’t the Emperor’s way.”

The Emperor who dared stake the Divine Dynasty on the table and gamble his life against the Immortal Court would never be so stingy.

“It can’t be that the Immortal Department has embezzled Nanzhou’s resources,” Yan Lanting raised an eyebrow.

Everyone knew the Immortal Department was founded by the Emperor himself; even the imperial court dared not interfere in its affairs. Lin Shuya, who governed it, was the Emperor’s most trusted confidant, personally elevated to his current rank with absolute loyalty.

These men had no courage to scheme behind the Emperor’s back.

“Then it’s strange,” Yang Mingli clicked his tongue, a flicker of confusion in his eyes; according to this reply, the Emperor clearly held no grudge against Southern Yang, yet his actions were baffling.

“Look at this.”

Feng Xi, her face cold, placed the second letter on the table.

This letter bore no seal, no signature—it was clearly not official—but since it arrived with the Immortal Department’s letter, only Lin Shuya could have written it.

“All of you who guard Nanzhou have rendered meritorious and arduous service; I have observed it all. After reading your letters, I was delighted, yet also pained—someone has needlessly escalated matters, rendering them irreparable.”

“After careful thought, if matters cannot be resolved, why waste lives on them?”

“While you uphold your duties, remember to preserve your lives—retain your useful bodies to serve the court. If the day truly comes, return to the capital; I believe the Emperor will not blame you.”

After reading the letter’s contents,

both elders fell silent.

If this letter truly came from Lin Shuya, its value was immense—enough to redeem the lives of three Regional Commanders.

In this situation, to leave his comrades a path of retreat—anyone who read it could not help but sigh at Lin’s benevolence.

“Quickly, keep it safe—for your life.”

Yan Lanting picked up the letter and shoved it into Yang Mingli’s arms.

“I’ll kick your grandpa!”

Yang Mingli slapped his hand away, annoyed—still trying to provoke him at a time like this, petty and spiteful; had all those years of cultivation been fed to dogs?

He stood abruptly: “‘Matters cannot be resolved’?”

The words sounded plausible—though Dananzhou now seems calm, when that day truly comes, we truly feel helpless; otherwise, we wouldn’t have sent for reinforcements.

But this letter—whether the phrase “someone needlessly escalated matters” or the deliberate mention of “the three of you”—sounded unmistakably like incitement.

Three? Dananzhou has four Regional Commanders.

The missing one is naturally “that someone.”

“It was already ‘irreparable’ since the Transmission Ceremony—he was still a Title General then.”

“Yet now he remains in Nanzhou, and I’ve seen Nanzhou grow steadily better.”

The Immortal Department is the Emperor’s most trusted bureau, and Lin Shuya, its master, is rightly called second only to the Emperor.

Yet his personal letter now lay limp on the floor, stepped over by Yang Mingli in one stride.

Faced with this so-called escape route, none of them gave it a second thought.

As for what to do when matters are irreparable—just as Yang Mingli said, that man still remains in Dananzhou. Even a young prodigy fresh to the Demon-Slaying Bureau fears no risk; what do we, old men with no future, care to stay and share his fate?

…

Inside the Liuli Prefecture government office.

As two figures entered, a chorus of respectful greetings erupted.

“General NanYang!”

“General NanYang!”

Whether ordinary officials or Demon-Slaying Bureau officers, all dropped their tasks and bowed deeply.

Over time, the events of that night in Jianyang Prefecture, when the three Regional Commanders guarded Songfeng Prefecture, had spread across all of Dananzhou.

That terrifying chasm, which might take many years to repair, proved the staggering power of those demon lords; yet Jianyang Prefecture, untouched, revealed just how terrifying this General NanYang truly was.

Rumors further claimed that since this general’s appearance, demons and evils had been cowed by his reputation—Nanzhou had gone a long while without a single demonic attack.

Compared to the tragic news from the other three provinces, this current peace seemed all the more precious.

“….”

Ye Lan followed behind Shen Yi, watching the unmistakable joy on his colleagues’ faces, and turned her gaze to Shen Yi’s profile.

This current situation could truly be said to rest entirely on the man before her.

But the situation was far from as smooth as his colleagues believed—Nanzhou’s true calamity had yet to pass; should anything go wrong, these smiles would instantly turn to the despair of the dying.

“Master!”

Amid the monotonous greetings, one voice broke the pattern.

Shen Yi paused slightly, turning back.

Before him was a youthful face still full of boyish energy; the man wore official robes, fists clenched tightly, his excitement childlike.

“Qingfeng?”

A faint smile touched Shen Yi’s lips.

Since their parting at the Earth God Temple, he had not seen an old friend in a long time.

“Through the Earth God’s introduction, I now serve in the government office.”

Li Qingfeng hurried forward, scrutinizing the young man before him, then rubbed his flushed cheeks hard before exhaling deeply: “So it really is you!”

General NanYang’s fame echoed loudly, yet details were scarce.

Based only on the description of the black robe, the handsome features, the decisive actions, and the familiar title, Li Qingfeng had somehow felt this General NanYang matched his memory of Master Shen.

But the gap between them was immense.

On one side stood a humble native of Hongze, on the other, the man who had turned the tide of Nanzhou.

The difference in cultivation was staggering—from Dao Realm to the lofty heights of divine immortals; he himself had thought the guess absurd.

Only now, finally seeing the truth, did Li Qingfeng feel his skin prickling.

The man who once ruled the Southern Yang region now stood, even in the vast expanse of the Divine Dynasty, still above the heavens, stirring the hearts of millions!

“My senior brothers and sisters have all found good futures.”

“And Miss Bai Wei—I heard she ranked in the top hundred of the sect’s grand competition, and was taken as a disciple by a seventh-rank True Immortal, who praised her great talent.”

Li Qingfeng chattered on, following the two.

Ye Lan listened, utterly confused—why call a True Immortal “senior”? And how could ranking in the top hundred of some unknown minor sect be worth boasting about?

After all, that minor sect, even if compared to the Eight Peaks of Shenxu Mountain, or any single peak among the hundreds nearby, was a holy land their Master had spent his life chasing.

Yet she noticed Shen Yi listened intently, with no trace of dismissal.

What Ye Lan didn’t know was…

The so-called senior brothers and sisters were merely Reversal Realm cultivators, not even reaching Union Dao, below the ninth rank; as for Miss Bai Wei, she was merely a Qi Refining cultivator.

That seventh-rank True Immortal, if transplanted to Hongze, was their heaven.

To be chosen by such a figure was akin to heavenly favor—certainly worthy of joy.

“And my junior sister.”

Li Qingfeng mentioned another familiar face, sighing: “She refused to join an immortal sect—instead, she followed a demon-slayer to learn skills, hoping one day to join the Demon-Slaying Bureau…”

Since the imperial decree on demon-slaying, the Demon-Slaying Bureau was no longer secret.

Even a lowly clerk like Li Qingfeng could grasp the basics.

What he marveled at was that while he had merely guessed General NanYang was Master Shen, that little sister had been utterly certain—and followed without hesitation.

After speaking of Jiang Qiulan, Li Qingfeng finally noticed his dry throat and sheepishly rubbed his head: “Master knows—I’m just talkative, and the office is so dull, so I love gossiping with them…”

“Good.”

Shen Yi’s lips curled slightly—this acting Master was far more worthy than he was.

“You go ahead,” Li Qingfeng noticed several important figures approaching from the other end of the corridor.

“We’ll talk again when you have time.”

Shen Yi nodded, watching him leave before turning his gaze away.

Why does he call you Sect Master? Which sect is that?

Ye Lan’s eyes sparkled with curiosity; she finally found an opening to ask, though she had long known Shen Yi had fled to the Divine Dynasty after causing trouble in Hongze, she had never pressed for details—never imagining such a past existed.

Nanyang Sect.

Shen Yi walked toward the three Garrison Commanders of Zhennan who had been waiting.

Upon hearing that name, Ye Lan suddenly froze.

In an instant, she finally understood why Shen Yi clearly knew he owed nothing to the Divine Dynasty, yet had never left.

Nanyang Sect. Nanyang Garrison Commander.

Some of the sect’s disciples now cultivate in minor factions, others serve in government offices, and some seek to join the Demon-Slaying Bureau—but no matter their role, all remain within Dananzhou.

If Dananzhou falls, then these people…

As Sect Master, he must stand before his disciples. The reason he had always failed to understand was suddenly so simple, so unadorned.

You’re back.

Yan Lanting regarded the young man with satisfaction; the three Garrison Commanders of Zhennan wore smiles, yet none mentioned the Divine Dynasty’s reply.

They did not wish the Nanyang Garrison Commander to feel they had lost their escape route because of him.

As Garrison Commanders of Zhennan, they should never have had such a thing as an escape route.

Otherwise, how could the word “garrison” even make sense?

“Actually, we reviewed our old archives and found the problem may not be as dire as we imagined.”

Yang Mingli picked up the thread: “According to these records, the Southern Emperor was cautious by nature—he never acted without certainty. Even at his most confident, when he clashed with the Three Immortal Sects, he dared retaliate only against those leftover… even lesser factions that weren’t truly sect members. And after doing so, he immediately prepared to flee far away.”

As he spoke, Wu Shan beside them twitched his face, pursed his lips, but said nothing, lowering his head again.

“Based on my estimation, the demon race has suffered heavy losses in every invasion of Dananzhou. Given its nature, it will most likely abandon the idea entirely, rather than retaliate in rage as we feared.”

Yang Mingli grew more certain as he spoke.

Though he had never dealt directly with the Southern Emperor, years of experience allowed him to discern truths from past deeds easily.

“Your recent estimates have never been right.” Yan Lanting tossed off lightly.

“You old bastard…” Yang Mingli bristled, face flushed, but the other spoke truth—he could only stammer: “This time, this time is different!”

He turned helplessly to Shen Yi, hoping the man would speak up for him.

“This time is the same.”

Shen Yi smiled faintly, stepped past the three, and patted Wu Shan on the shoulder.

He dropped the smile, speaking calmly: “It will come.”

As he spoke, Shen Yi’s mind once again conjured the image of the emaciated figure in Nanyushu, clad in white robes.

That Great Freedom Pure World Bodhisattva—a ruthless one bold enough to command other Bodhisattvas to strike at the True Gods—how could he possibly allow the Southern Emperor to return to the wilds?

“...”

Before his words faded, the three Garrison Commanders of Zhennan fell into silence, their faces pale.

It was well known that, unlike Yang Mingli, the Nanyang Garrison Commander’s judgments had never once been wrong.

That meant they would ultimately have to face the demon sovereign who had lived for countless eons.

“Please be extra cautious.”

With those words, Shen Yi walked straight out of the government office.

Only Wu Shan remained, bewildered, staring at his shoulder… not that he minded, but why did Nanyang Lord pat him like that? It made it sound as if Wu Shan himself had summoned the Southern Emperor!

(End of Chapter)