Chapter 65: City Under Siege

Song Yueyao stared in shock.

She had assumed it was a passing cultivator or an act by the Xia family’s general—she never imagined it was the Demon Suppression Office.

And yet, it was only the most ordinary Demon Suppression Envoy? Suddenly, she noticed the boy’s face—it was strangely familiar.

As if she had seen him somewhere before.

…Morning? Song Yueyao had a bad face memory; she usually paid no attention to others, treating them like grass and trees.

But her memory wasn’t poor—she quickly recalled that this boy was one of the five new recruits who had reported to the Demon Suppression Office that morning.

He was also a disciple of Tan Palace.

Thinking of his identity, Song Yueyao suddenly remembered: when she had gone to the Jia Courtyard to verify identities, there had been a boy carrying a wild rabbit—it was this very person.

Yet now, dressed in black robes, he seemed almost unfamiliar.

At the same time, Li Hao noticed the woman chasing after him; he turned his head slightly and their gazes met for an instant.

Li Hao paid it no mind, gave a slight nod, and continued forward, gripping his demon-slaying blade.

But Song Yueyao froze on the tree as if struck by lightning.

That profile as he turned his head… so familiar!

A memory flashed in her mind—the scene inside the cave, that fleeting side profile.

“Him?!”

Song Yueyao was stunned—the disciple who had secretly passed the Mo River was this boy?!

She found it unbelievable, yet seeing the corpses of monkey demons scattered everywhere, she instantly realized—she had not mistaken him.

Among the outer courtyard disciples, who else could have passed the Mo River?

Her figure flickered as she leapt down from the treetops and hurried after Li Hao, calling out: “Wait.”

Li Hao stopped and turned slightly toward her: “Senior sister?”

That “senior sister” gave Song Yueyao an unexpected sense of security; her tightly wound heart eased slightly.

She hurriedly asked: “Did you kill all these monkey demons?”

Though she already knew the answer, she couldn’t help asking.

“… ”

Li Hao fell silent. Was this senior sister’s vision impaired? Was there someone else here?

In a scene like this, you don’t need Ke Nan—even Yuan Tai could solve it.

Seeing Li Hao’s strange glance, Song Yueyao’s cheeks flushed slightly—she realized her question was redundant.

She looked at the demon-slaying blade in his hand—the blood-splattered, chipped and warped blade—no need to imagine how many battles it had endured.

“Was the great demon on that hilltop also your doing?” she asked, fixing her gaze on Li Hao.

Li Hao gave a slight nod—it was just a group of Spirit Travelers and one Fifteen Li, nothing remarkable.

Seeing Li Hao nod, Song Yueyao’s heart jolted; she couldn’t help asking: “How old are you?”

“… Asking a boy his age is very impolite,” Li Hao said.

“… ”

Song Yueyao nearly choked—amidst this sea of blood and corpses, he still had the nerve to joke.

Still, even without his answer, she could tell he looked no older than fifteen or sixteen—the maximum age for new recruits at Tan Palace was sixteen.

A fifteen-year-old at the Fifteen Li realm?

She felt as if struck hard—shocked beyond belief.

She herself was still a step—or two, or three—away from that realm.

She was Tan Palace’s top genius, a Rank Nine Battle Body!

Before the Master Realm, a Rank Nine Battle Body granted immense cultivation advantages—yet she was still left so far behind? The last time she’d heard of such a prodigy was when her grandfather spoke of Li Jiulang of the Li family.

But back then she was too young to witness it firsthand—it sounded like a myth. Yet this boy stood before her, real and tangible, as if a myth had stepped into reality, leaving her feeling unreal.

“Are you alone? Why did you come here?” Song Yueyao couldn’t help asking.

She noticed his black robes were barely stained with blood—only his demon-slaying blade bore the scars of battle.

He looked as if he’d been effortlessly slicing through demons. “Senior sister, are you interrogating a suspect?” Li Hao said helplessly.

Song Yueyao fell silent. Rarely had she been so curious about someone—only to be rebuffed.

“There were demons here, and I had time, so I came.”

Seeing her awkward discomfort, Li Hao softened and added one explanation, then turned and continued walking, blade in hand.

Chatting is fine, but work doesn’t stop.

He leapt lightly onto a treetop, summoned his spiritual sense, and sent the demon-slaying blade sweeping forward to patrol.

Seeing this, Song Yueyao’s pupils shrank—no words could match witnessing it firsthand.

Her face paled slightly; her grandfather’s words, once she thought exaggerated or overpraised, now proved true—such a prodigy truly existed! But how was this even possible? Rank Nine Battle Body was already the pinnacle—yet as a prodigy herself, she could only glimpse this boy’s back? Soon, the black blade returned, landing in Li Hao’s hand.

He shook off the blood, saw that the tail of this mountain range had been cleared, and turned to eliminate the demons along his path as well.

“Wait for me,” Song Yueyao snapped out of her shock and called out, hurrying after Li Hao.

When she caught up behind him, she looked at his profile and asked: “Back at Tan Palace, was it you who passed the Mo River?”

Li Hao glanced at her. Though Tan Palace promised rewards for those who passed, for some reason, he felt a twinge of guilt.

After all, that was other new recruits’ exam…

“Yes, it was me.”

“How did you pass? The Palace Master issued a reward order—why didn’t you claim it?” Song Yueyao asked curiously.

How did he pass?

Li Hao couldn’t explain—it felt like he’d just drawn and suddenly passed.

Later, thinking back, perhaps the black-robed scribe had been humiliated, outmatched, and fled in shame…

Seeing Li Hao fall silent, Song Yueyao prompted: “Hm?”

Li Hao came back to himself: “You mean the Chi Xiao Treasure Sword?”

“Yes.”

“As you can see, I’m Fifteen Li,” Li Hao said.

“… ”

Song Yueyao felt as if a sledgehammer had smashed into her face—she was suffocating and burning.

Fifteen Li… did he think the Chi Xiao was too weak?

Damn it!

She clenched her teeth, both curious and irritated by the boy.

Suddenly, a column of purple smoke erupted in the distance, bursting into the sky.

Song Yueyao glanced at it, pupils contracting in horror: “Purple smoke? How is that possible? That’s the emergency signal only released when demons attack a city!”

Li Hao froze—he, from a military family, knew these signals well.

Purple smoke was never released unless the situation was extremely dire.

Once released, the city would seal its gates and go on full alert!

Demons attacking the city?

He suddenly recalled the bear demon’s words: “There are demons to the north.”

“I’m going back.”

Li Hao spoke instantly, his figure flickering as he leapt upward, becoming a dark silhouette that vanished from Song Yueyao’s sight.

He was flying with his body!

Song Yueyao stared, startled—Li Hao’s flight speed seemed faster than any other Fifteen Li she’d ever seen.

But.

Why didn’t he at least pick me up?!

Song Yueyao stamped her foot in frustration, gritted her teeth, and sprinted through the forest toward the city.

(End of Chapter)