Several demon hunters paused their inspection of the disciples, their expressions filled with deep vigilance.
Only Chen Qiankun remained calm, casually releasing the heavy iron halberd in his hand and closing his eyes.
His Yin Spirit instantly left his body, holding the halberd as it soared into the sky!
A demon lord with such an aura couldn't faze him.
However, in just an instant, the halberd stopped mid-air, seemingly confused, before falling back into Chen Qiankun's hand.
The old man opened his eyes, a hint of something unusual flickering in his calm gaze.
That aura... had vanished.
Even his Yin Spirit couldn't detect its trace.
Within the Condensed Core realm, and at such a close distance, no demon could evade the senses of a Yin Spirit.
Whether it was hiding its aura or taking on a human form like Zhang Hengzhou, let alone using low-level transformation techniques, it was impossible.
It seemed more like some kind of teleportation technique, covering thousands of miles in an instant, just to intimidate him.
If this was the case, then the aura that had been revealed earlier was likely just the tip of the iceberg.
Chen Qiankun's grip on the heavy iron halberd tightened slowly.
After a long while, he turned to look at the demon hunters.
Their expressions changed slightly, as if they had guessed something.
The old man, who had single-handedly suppressed Qingfeng Mountain, now had a hint of melancholy in his eyes, as if lamenting his old age.
"I wonder which demon lord is toying with me. Since they refuse to show themselves, let them see... the sharpest sword in Qingzhou."
"Please, make a trip to Yushan County."
"Invite Jiang Qiulan."
At these words, even the disciples of Qingfeng Mountain, including the two guardian elders, instinctively touched their necks.
The twenty thousand heads on the walls of Yushan County were still piled up there.
The demon hunters nodded in agreement.
"Old General, there's no need to be polite. We understand the gravity of the situation."
General Jiang's methods of hunting demons might not be stronger than Old General Chen's.
After all, both were at the Condensed Core realm, and while she was more formidable, she hadn't truly broken through to the next level.
She was also the only one among all the demon-suppressing generals who didn't cultivate martial arts but instead practiced the Primordial Chaos.
She didn't even possess the abilities of the Yin Spirit.
But once she stepped out of Yushan City, within half a day, every notable demon lord in Linjiang County would receive the news and retreat to their lairs to recuperate.
The number one sword in Qingzhou, the leader of the twelve demon-suppressing generals, even when counting the Demon-Suppressing Bureau and the four great families and five sects, only her master, the Commander-in-Chief, could surpass her.
"I have important matters to attend to, so I won't stay any longer."
Chen Qiankun shook his head slightly and beckoned.
A fiery red steed transformed into a streak of light and approached, letting out a soft snort.
It then carried the old general to the mountainside of Qingfeng Mountain, its hooves lightly tapping as it slowly stepped onto the peak of the Sword Gazing Cliff.
The old man turned his gaze to the dense forest below, finding it somewhat amusing.
In the messages brought back by the demon hunters, the villagers of Shuiyun Village had vividly described a black-robed, ferocious river god with a dark blade at his waist, his eyes filled with killing intent.
But when they finally met, he turned out to be a reserved young man.
He had waited all night, but the young man never came to pay his respects.
Cautious, decisive in battle, fearless in life-and-death struggles, and resolute in taking the demon core—it seemed even he, a demon-suppressing general, couldn't snatch away what the young man had earned.
Yet, the young man didn't use this to demand greater rewards.
From start to finish, he hadn't even tried to get close to the old general, let alone flatter him for recognition.
"Unimpressed by the merit of slaying a flood dragon? Then I'll give it to you."
Watching the young man walk out of the tent, a rare smile appeared on the old man's lips.
After observing him for a few more years, the sword pool of Qingfeng Mountain might be a good place for him.
The Demon-Suppressing Bureau wasn't short of geniuses, but it lacked those who had been tempered through life-and-death struggles.
Although there was a risk of early demise, without experiencing those critical moments, how could one protect millions of common folk?
Only those who survived could be called true talents.
"Staying by my side might be safe, but it would be a pity."
Having earned merit, he should be celebrated in style.
With this in mind, he said lightly, "Before returning to the Demon-Suppressing Bureau, if you dare to come down, I'll break your legs."
His words, neither heavy nor light, drifted down to the ears of the two men below the cliff.
Hong Lei, holding the reins of the horse, turned back in shock.
Upon seeing Chen Qiankun's familiar figure, he quickly pushed Shen Yi.
"I told you, this horse was given to you by the general, so it's only right that a lieutenant leads it. Why are you dawdling?"
Shen Yi also looked in that direction, seeing a streak of fiery red light flash across the sky and disappear beyond the horizon.
Such a carefree demeanor couldn't help but stir a sense of envy in his heart.
"..."
At least he had some foundation now.
Feeling the outer core in his dantian, which had been re-sealed by the Sun-Melting Treasure Furnace, Shen Yi withdrew his gaze and mounted the demon horse.
More than twenty golden eagle lieutenants led the way, surrounded by dozens of camp lieutenants.
Hong Lei walked steadily, leading the demon horse, and transmitted a message through secret sound:
"The old general is very thoughtful. He's worried that you might be targeted by the aquatic tribes of Yangchun River. The matter of slaying the flood dragon is known only to these lieutenants; no one else knows."
"But Zhao Kanglin died right in front of us, and he was the only one who died... The Zhao family will inevitably harbor suspicions and resentment. Although those old folks might not be able to touch you, making a show of strength in advance will save a lot of trouble."
...
Qingzhou City.
Under the control of the Demon-Suppressing Bureau, major incidents were rare here.
At most, it was news of a swordsman's wife being kidnapped again, or the bandits of Pingsha Valley drinking a few jars of the prince's wine.
But as messengers ran through the streets, a piece of news that would leave everyone stunned spread uncontrollably through the city.
Qingfeng Mountain was gone.
Unlike the bloody storm in Yushan County, under the hands of the great general of Linjiang County, a mountain sect that had existed for who knows how many years had vanished into thin air.
The storyteller gripped his wooden clapper, standing helplessly in the teahouse.
For decades, he had told tales of chivalrous heroes and their tender hearts, of swordsmen slaying demons.
In one night, all of it had turned into mere "legends."
"I..."
His dry lips moved as he struggled to steady his mind.
The stories he had memorized by heart were now hard to tell.
He could only rack his brains to come up with a new tale.
"Today, I'll tell you all a story... um... about the river god of Shuiyun Village wielding a divine blade to slay a thousand-year-old river demon!"
The storyteller wiped his sweat and slammed the wooden clapper down.
"In our dynasty, there was a burly man with a leopard-like head and round eyes, wearing a golden cloud-patterned robe and holding a dark blade that could split mountains and rivers. He was full of vigor, treading upon the rolling waves, with thousands of shrimp soldiers and crab generals behind him."
"The river demon had a ferocious face, a fat head and big ears, and an arrogant demeanor! It roared, 'Who dares come here?'"
"The burly man sneered coldly, and a turtle minister bowed, saying, 'This is a celestial being descended from the heavens, the god who suppresses the rivers... Just hearing his divine name made the river demon tremble and retreat, shaking like a sieve, even shrinking its... uh... thing to the size of a bean...'"
"Pfft!"
The storyteller spat into his hand, his voice rising sharply.
"The divine blade came down, reducing the river demon to ashes!"
Below, a young man wrapped in bandages couldn't help but close his eyes, muttering, "I can't take this. It's too embarrassing."
A charming woman in casual attire picked up her teacup, her mind restless.
"Common folks love these exaggerated tales."
Li Xinhan looked back at the storyteller.
"I wonder how far he is from the Jade Liquid realm. He should be close. He's a genius, but being stuck in Baiyun City has wasted a lot of his time."
"By the way," he suddenly remembered, "I asked you to take me out for a stroll earlier, but I forgot to ask. Why did you come back so early? Where's Shen Yi?"
Li Mujing stared at the tea leaves floating in her cup, remaining silent for a long time.
She didn't know why she had been in such a hurry to return.
She had only stayed in that county town for two days before rushing back on horseback.
What if Qingfeng Mountain continued to recruit lieutenants? What if they chose her...
Why had they suddenly stopped needing people?
What could a martial artist at the initial stage of perfection possibly do on Qingfeng Mountain?
As her thoughts swirled, Li Xinhan slowly furrowed his brow, staring intently at his sister.
His eyes filled with anger and disbelief.
"You let him go?!"
Faced with this rare accusation, Li Mujing didn't refute it.
Instead, she suddenly stood up.
Outside, a vendor's cry rang out.
"They're back! The Demon-Suppressing Bureau lieutenants are back!"
(End of Chapter)