The setting sun presented a blood-red hue.
Zhou Yi stood outside the underground cave entrance of the Demon Slaying Department and breathed freely.
The rays of the sun shone upon his face, revealing his translucent pale white complexion. It was almost as if his greenish-black veins could be seen.
Zhang Cheng suddenly turned around and said, "Since the establishment of the Demon Slaying Department, you are the first executioner to walk out alive. Back then, someone once told me that mortals are the best at creating miracles!"
"I have never believed that until I met you. If we were to get the immortal masters to stay in the torture rooms of prison for ten years, I think not more than a handful can walk out alive!"
"I am just lucky enough to have met Master Fahai."
Zhou Yi did not want to hurt Zhang Cheng's feelings by telling him the truth about his identity. If Zhou Yi was really just an ordinary mortal, even Fahai's wooden fish would not be able to keep him safe.
Zhang Cheng said with a sense of relief, "That's all in the past. Just do your job well now. This old man here will impart a special technique to you. Practice it diligently, and it will guarantee you a long life."
"Thank you!"
Zhou Yi followed Zhang Cheng to the canteen of the Demon Slaying Department.
There were many captains of the Demon Slaying Department in the canteen. When they saw Zhang Cheng, they all saluted him respectfully. Zhou Yi even met Captain Zhu, who was once in charge of rostering the executioners of Division A for their tasks at the torture rooms.
After a satisfying meal of wine and food, Zhou Yi got up and bade goodbye.
Having stayed in the capital city for ten years, the civilian shanty that could not even keep the strong winds at bay, was the only place he could remember. There was really no other majestic view that he could recall.
The name, Luodu, originated from the Luo River. It surrounded the capital city on three sides with its southern side backed by the mountains. It was considered as a place with the finest Feng Shui layout.
The Demon Slaying Department was on the southern edge of the capital city. While it might seem to occupy dozens of acres of land on ground level, the prison underground actually extended far beyond this and stretched all the way to Mount Wusheng.
Zhou Yi leisurely strolled along the streets without casting any magic spells, going to wherever the hustle and bustle were.
It was the first day of the festive season, and during this time, there was no curfew in the capital, so countless people took to the streets.
Rows of shops lined the streets. Their entrances were decorated with various unique and bizarre colorful lights and lanterns with riddles and poems to attract the attention of visitors.
Young men and women were bargaining and haggling over the prices of items. There were also the feistier ones who did not shun public display of affections by openly holding hands and locking arms as they walked along the streets.
The teachings of Confucius did exist in the Great Qian Dynasty, but Confucianism was not the dominating school of thought. Contrary to Zhou Yi's impression, the restraint on women was much smaller than that of ancient times.
The sounds of shouting, hawking, passing carriages, and voices of boisterous people could be heard all at once.
Zhou Yi found himself in the midst of an environment populated by ancient buildings as he followed the hustle and bustle of the pedestrians on the crowded streets. He felt as if he was in a dream that felt inexplicably real.
Looking around him in confusion, he had unknowingly wandered off to an unfamiliar place.
"Tongfu Inn."
Zhou Yi caught sight of the name of the place and smiled. There was a young and handsome attendant welcoming the guests at the door.
"Sir, are you here for a meal or accommodation?"
"Checking in for a room."
"This way, please!"
The main currency in circulation in the Great Qian dynasty comprised copper coins and silver. The fluctuation in the exchange rate hovered between one to one thousand. It was a costly affair to stay in an inn in the capital city. An overnight stay in an individual room would cost about a hundred copper coins.
The attendant who led the way in front was actually equipped with pretty decent Kungfu skills. He was exceptionally good in Qing-gong, evident from how the distance between every step he took was the same.
Aura-observing technique!
There was a flash of spirit light in Zhou Yi's eyes, and he saw a dense red Qi hovering over the top of the attendant's head, an indication that the young man was experiencing a streak of luck in his love life recently. But it was a pity there was a wisp of black amidst the red Qi, which meant that any slight twist in the situation could cause a blessed romance to become a disaster instead.
The attendant bowed politely before excusing himself, "Sir, I will go and get some water boiling. You can call me anytime you need something."
Zhou Yi asked, "What is your name?"
"My family name is Bai, and my name is Yutang."
"Avoid going out these few days, especially to meet women. All right, you may be excused."
Bai Yutang left with a bewildered look on his face. He did not know what the strange man was trying to tell him and besides, he had planned to go to the Six Gates that very night to meet the woman of his dreams.
Zhou Yi had a pale face and a head full of graying hair. The clothes he wore looked strange, and no one could identify the materials used to make his clothes. He was just like an oddball roaming society at large.
Customers were coming in for dinner at this point, so Bai Yutang immediately went over to greet them.
...
Night had fallen, and it was midnight.
Zhou Yi suddenly opened his eyes. Even in the absence of wind, the window opened by itself. Then Zhou Yi transformed into a streak of light and disappeared from the room.
There was not a single soul to be seen on the streets of the city. It was as though all that hustle and bustle earlier on was just an illusion.
The night breeze blew, and fallen leaves fluttered in the air. Occasionally, there was the sound of the watchman's clapper, and very faintly, one could hear a cautioning voice asking people to beware of fire.
The streak of light shuttled through the dark shadows of the night, avoiding the guards on night patrol duties. There were highly skilled masters in official uniforms among these night guards, and they were responsible for keeping the civilians safe from demons and evil beings.
A while later, the streak of light that Zhou Yi had transformed himself into landed on the highest point of an unknown mountain that was a hundred miles away.
The moon was bright, and there was just a smattering of stars. All was still and quiet.
Zhou Yi stood in the air, opened his mouth, and ejected the Purple Ying Sword. Nine thousand five hundred years of magic power was put into motion, and the sonorous sound of huge waves crashing against the shore seemed to be heard from within his body.
Having cultivated the Huang-ting Scripture for nearly ten thousand years, even if the Scripture's main effect was not to increase one's magic powers, with nine thousand and five hundred years of cultivation, the amount of magic power in his energy center was already the highest in the world.
The Purple Ying Sword gently trembled as it smoothly charged up into the sky, transforming into a purple sword light that was tens of feet long.
Zhou Yi regained his original appearance. He had perfectly shaped brows that arched like the blade of a sword, as well as sparkling eyes so bright that they resembled the stars in the sky. And his long hair was flying all over the place because of the night breeze.
Suspended beneath the vault of the clear blue sky, he was positioned right in the middle of the bright round moon, looking like a descending immortal who was banished to earth. He truly looked like a king in command of the world.
"Hack!
With a sword in his hand as he prepared himself in position before wielding his sword. Then he swung his sword and slashed diagonally across the top of the mountain peak.
Rumble!
The mountain peak ruptured and cracked. Then, the entire upper half broke off and rolled down the mountain, collapsing and crumbling at the foot of the mountain.
The remaining part of the peak was smooth as a mirror. It was slightly tilted at an angle and was in the perfect position to reflect the full moon in the sky.
For a moment, it was impossible to tell whether the moon was suspended in the sky or perched on the mountain peak.
"Not too bad."
Zhou Yi held back a smug smile and waved his hand to summon back the Purple Ying Sword.
The Purple Ying Sword had been suppressed within an underground environment all this while. Every once in a while, it would be let out for fresh air, but unfortunately, the place would still be a little cramped cell.
Now that this sword was allowed to strike a mountain peak so freely and recklessly, it was immensely delighted and could not stop trembling in Zhou Yi's hands.
"From now on, I shall bring you out more often…"
Zhou Yi was not done speaking when he sensed the breaths of several other people approaching rapidly. With a flash, he disappeared into the ground, cast the method of ground escape, and left.
A few moments later.
A dozen or so figures of various forms arrived and surrounded the broken peak.
Above the broken mountain peak, a lingering sword Qi of the Purple Ying Immortal Sword remained, and it was surprisingly piercing for the naked eye.
"Divine Monk Wuxiang, did you see the person who broke the mountain peak?"
One of the white-haired scholars asked the monk who was the first to arrive.
"Amitabha Buddha! I was focusing on my cultivation nearby and rushed here immediately when I heard the commotion. But I did not see anyone."
Wuxiang activated the Buddhist sutra, and a golden Buddha light fell upon the broken peak. Then, to everyone's surprise, a loud squeaking sound was heard.
Wisps of subtle sword Qi emerged from the mountain peak and fought against the power of Buddha. However, the Buddha light was vast, while the sword Qi was basically something intangible without form, so it was quickly wiped out.
"Divine monk, you have to stop. Don't go on destroying the remnants of the sword Qi."
The one who spoke was a swordsman dressed in green, who seemed to only be in his twenties or thirties, "Lord Wang, the Heavenly Sword Sect wants to buy this peak from the court and is willing to…."
The scruffy old Taoist monk interrupted the swordsman and said, "Pei Yu, just one look at this sword Qi, anyone could tell that it's an imperial sword technique of the Taoist sect. What makes you think it should belong to your Heavenly Sword Sect?"
"What is it now? Is Immortal Wuchen suggesting that we fight with swords?"
Pei Yu did not bother being polite at all. He loved swords and was extremely devoted to them. But he was completely indifferent to the worldly affairs and people around him.
The others, who were not as proficient in the Way of the Sword, looked at one other and could not help but feel shocked.
Pei Yu was the Master of the Heavenly Sword Sect. He was born with the natural ability to connect with swords on a spiritual level. Furthermore, there were great sword masters found among his ancestral register.
Immortal Wuchen's background was even more intimidating. He came from one of the three great Taoist Sects within the Great Qian's territory, and his position was none other than a supreme elder of the Lourve Sword Palace of the Supreme Clarity School.
These were two great masters of the Great Qian dynasty who were both highly proficient in the Way of the Sword. Hou, could they possibly be sparring over a mere broken mountain peak?
Once a conflict between the Heavenly Sword Sect and the Lourve Sword Palace broke out, the stability of the Great Qian would be affected to a certain extent. This was something the imperial court would definitely not allow.
Wuxiang retracted the Buddha light and carefully comprehended the changes within it. Then he sought out a wisp of the Purple Ying Sword Qi.
"A pure yang supreme treasure. This is an immortal sword!"
An immortal sword!
There was a slight change in the expression on the white-haired scholar's face. He waved his hand, and a scroll fell on the mountain peak.
The Guanshan Scripture.
The moment the scroll was dropped, layers of illusory mountain peaks appeared, sealing the broken peak within them.
"Stop arguing, the both of you. This matter must be reported to His Majesty so that a decision can be made!"