Chapter 61: Black Wind Mountains

“Only a Town Suppressing Master can access full-region intelligence,” said Cui Fan.

Town Suppressing Officers can lead teams independently to slay demons, but are only assigned to villages and small towns.

However, his purpose in saying this was not to refuse Li Hao; he smiled and added, “But since you’ve come from afar, eager to slay demons, I cannot deny your request. Please follow me.”

He led Li Hao and the others into a side room of the Town Suppressing Office.

There were guards stationed inside; Cui Fan was well-acquainted with them, exchanged a greeting, and brought the group inside.

Inside the room hung a map—a topographical chart of Cangyu City’s territory, covering over a dozen nearby towns and numerous villages.

Cui Fan pulled a book from a shelf and turned to hand it to Li Hao.

“This contains our recent demon-slaying records from around Cangyu City over the past half-year. Take your time reading it; after lunch, I’ll take you on a patrol this afternoon…” Cui Fan said with a smile.

Li Hao opened the book and began reading carefully.

Li Yuanzhao also curiously leaned in beside him, studying it closely.

…

…

In a wealthy mansion on the city’s outskirts.

“Madam Yan, ten strings of copper coins.”

“Madam Zhang, eight strings of copper coins.”

A plump, beautiful young woman reclined on a soft couch, slowly flipping through the ledger, and said to her accountant, “This year, demon disturbances have been frequent, and the tenant farmers’ harvests are poor. Please ask Master to reduce their taxes—they’re suffering too much…”

The accountant paused, bowing his head: “Madam, your compassion is noble, but business at all household offices has been difficult this year. If we reduce taxes further, our finances will shrink.”

“We can live more frugally. Let the farmers have a good New Year,” the beautiful woman said softly.

The accountant nodded: “I’ll speak to Master about it later.”

“Madam, you’re pregnant. You’ve been reviewing ledgers all morning—you must be tired. You should rest.”

A delicate, lovely maid spoke with concern.

The woman gently stroked her swollen belly, her eyes softening with maternal tenderness. She closed the ledger and, with the maid’s help, slowly rose and returned to her bedroom.

“I’ll go to the kitchen and bring you some snacks,” the maid said sweetly, helping the woman lie down.

The woman nodded gently.

As the maid left and the door softly closed, she softly caressed her belly and murmured: “Child, the New Year is coming. Mother will see you soon.”

Her gaze, like flowing water, held gentle anticipation.

“Hehe, you’re so eager to see me?”

Suddenly, a strange child’s voice rang out in the quiet room—sharp and unnatural.

The woman snapped back to awareness, eyes widening in shock as she stared at her own belly.

She heard it clearly—the voice came from her eight-month pregnant abdomen.

“You…”

Before she could comprehend what was happening, her belly suddenly swelled, expanding violently, followed by searing, tearing pain.

With a wet pop, her navel ruptured—not with blood, but as if a balloon had burst, rapidly deflating.

A damp, blood-smeared, emaciated head slowly rose from her abdomen, but behind it stretched a long, serpentine limb—part snake, part legless centipede—twitching gently.

Even with years of household management to steady her nerves, the woman screamed in terror and fainted on the spot.

“How hypocritical—you’ve got your child, yet you don’t want to look?”

The emaciated head laughed cruelly, its mouth splitting open to reveal rows of sharp teeth.

Then its body slithered upward, climbing onto the woman’s torso, and suddenly opened its mouth—biting straight into her head.

It swallowed her entire upper body whole, its own slender form swelling as it did.

“Monster!!”

Suddenly, a furious voice rang out.

A streak of golden light pierced through the wall, a slender figure darting into the room—floating, graceful—Song Yueyao.

“Hm?”

The monster paused mid-bite, its expression shifting to alarm. It spat out the half-eaten woman and slithered away like a venomous snake, leaping out the opposite window to flee.

“Golden Lock Traps the Dragon!”

Song Yueyao’s face turned icy as she swiftly formed hand seals.

Though the Primordial Spirit could leave the body, it could not inflict physical harm—but it could cast divine arts specifically designed to counter demonic illusions.

The Golden Lock Traps the Dragon was one such sealing technique, belonging to the Spirit Traveling Method.

Golden light flared instantly, trapping the emaciated, snake-like demon inside, preventing any escape.

Soon, hurried footsteps rushed toward the room. Song Yueyao’s physical body arrived outside the window, leaping down and slashing her sword at the demon within the golden light.

“Spare me…” the demon pleaded in panic.

But the blade flashed sharply, severing its head, which rolled to the floor.

Song Yueyao struck twice more, cutting its body apart, then swiftly moved to the bedside—only to find the woman’s face a bloody, rotting mess.

Her abdomen was hollow—her internal organs entirely devoured.

Too late… Her expression darkened, grim with fury. Despite prior demon-slaying experience, she felt rage. At that moment, retainers and maids rushed in, along with the master of the house—a middle-aged merchant in his forties.

Song Yueyao immediately ordered her companions to seal the room, preventing ordinary people from seeing inside.

“You’re from the Town Suppressing Office?!”

The master, though well-traveled, instantly recognized the official robes of Tian Congzhi and turned pale: “Where’s Lian? What happened to Lian?!”

“There’s a demon inside. Do not approach.”

Tian Congzhi, a Black Hall disciple on assignment to assist Song Yueyao, had already seen the scene inside. He spoke gravely.

“How could there be a demon in my home? Are you mistaken? Let me see Lian!” The master shoved Tian Congzhi, teeth clenched.

Song Yueyao stepped out, sheathing her sword. She glanced at the middle-aged man and said: “Your wife is dead—killed by a demon. I slew it. Bury her properly.”

“Dead? Dead?!”

The master froze in shock, then erupted into frantic shoving, trying to rush inside.

Tian Congzhi dared not strike a civilian, so he struggled to block him. Song Yueyao saw this, shook her head slightly, signaling him to step aside.

He had to see it eventually—they’d need to bury her.

The man burst into the room and froze, staring at the horrific sight as if struck by lightning.

Song Yueyao told Tian Congzhi: “Stay behind to handle the aftermath. I’m going to the Garrison Commander.”

“Understood.”

Tian Congzhi replied.

Before Song Yueyao could leave, the man suddenly grabbed her arm, eyes bloodshot, roaring: “Why? Why didn’t you come sooner? Why?!”

“Give me back Lian! Give me back Lian!!”

Song Yueyao’s expression changed; she instinctively wrenched free, flicking her palm and sending the man sprawling to the ground.

He landed hard, didn’t struggle further, only clutched his head in despair, wailing: “She said this was her first time being a mother—she’d even picked a name for the child! Why? Why must Lian suffer like this? Heaven, you’re unjust!!”

His cries echoed through the courtyard; the retainers and maids gathered outside all heard, shaken to the core.

A flicker of guilt passed through Song Yueyao. Seeing the man nearly broken, she knew he wouldn’t listen to anything now. She gripped her sword tighter, said nothing, and turned away swiftly.

Yes… why couldn’t we have moved faster… She bit her thin lip slightly.

…

In the Governor’s Mansion.

Song Yueyao arrived swiftly, moving with agility.

“Master Yue, you wanted to see me?”

Song Yueyao saw the Garrison Commander—the man responsible for Cangyu City’s safety.

Yue Shuhong, in his forties, carried an air of scholarly grace. He watched the woman sprinting toward him, a flicker of admiration deep in his eyes.

To reach Spirit Traveling Realm at barely twenty, nearing completion—that was the gap between a top prodigy and himself.

“Madam Provincial Governor, you’ve worked hard. You arrived yesterday and immediately slew a demon—thanks to you, the town was spared disaster,” Yue Shuhong smiled lightly.

Song Yueyao had just left the mansion, her mood dark. She replied grimly: “Slaying demons is our duty as cultivators. Nothing special. What did you need me for, Master Yue?”

Yue Shuhong, long accustomed to power and skilled at reading people, sensed she wasn’t one for flattery. He felt genuine respect, his expression turning serious: “Madam Provincial Governor, you’ve reviewed our recent demon-slaying records. In the past half-year, demons have appeared frequently. And for the past two weeks, numerous demons have gathered in the Black Wind Mountains, over a hundred li east of the city—escort teams passing through have all met with disaster.”

He spread a full-region topographical chart on the desk, pointing to a mountain range on the east: “I sent scouts. Four Town Suppressing Masters died before we gathered any useful information.”

He looked at Song Yueyao, his gaze terrifyingly grave: “Among these demons, one great demon seeks to command the lesser ones and swallow Cangyu City whole.”

Song Yueyao froze, her face paling. Cangyu City housed millions. To swallow it whole? Was this demon planning a massacre?

Such a thing was rare even on the frontier.

“Have you notified the Xia family?” Song Yueyao asked immediately.

The Xia family was one of the Four Divine Generals, guarding Qizhou.

Yue Shuhong sighed: “I notified them. But they’re engaged in another battle. They said to wait until the demon actually attacks before sending reinforcements—and warned us not to jump to conclusions.”

A flash of anger crossed Song Yueyao’s eyes, but she knew she couldn’t openly criticize a Divine General’s household. If her words reached the Xia family’s ears, it might harm the Tan Palace. She asked: “Is this information true?”

Yue Shuhong’s expression hardened: “It’s true.”

He added: “But I’m not one hundred percent certain. So… if possible, could you personally go and request aid from the Xia family?”

Song Yueyao frowned. She didn’t know this Garrison Commander well and didn’t want to be used as a pawn.

After a moment’s thought, she said: “I’m only a Provincial Governor—I may not be able to persuade them. Let me first investigate the truth before making any move.”

Yue Shuhong seemed to expect this. He nodded: “Very well. Perhaps I should accompany you—the Black Wind Mountains are too dangerous with a great demon lurking.”

"No need, I'll just survey the perimeter," Song Yueyao said, then took her leave.

Watching her depart, Yue Shuhong gazed after her for a long while, unable to suppress a long sigh.

……

Elsewhere, in the Demon Suppression Office.

Li Hao had finished reading the recent demon-slaying records, and also spotted intelligence on other demonic traces.

"The Black Wind Mountains… a gathering of demons," Li Hao narrowed his eyes.

(End of Chapter)