Song Yueyao shook her head slightly, without answering.
She had no answer in her heart either.
Passing the Menghe River in Feng Mountain was extremely difficult. If it were disciples of the Black and White Hall, there would be a slight possibility, but for outer court disciples… unless the person had already achieved the Soul Succession Realm.
The black-robed scholar was genuinely of the Soul Succession Realm, and his soul was extremely fierce, akin to facing two Soul Succession experts.
The assessment for the outer court disciples wasn't to kill the black-robed scholar but to achieve a completion rate of 50%.
Massacring nearly half the villagers would count as completion.
This test already involved sneaking, hiding, pure strength, and movement technique among other aspects, making it very difficult.
After all, slaughtering nearly half would easily alert the black-robed scholar. Once he took action, even the disciples of the Black Hall had to flee.
"I heard that two members of the royal family have come. Could it be one of them who did this? If they've achieved Cycle Heaven Realm Perfection, relying on that unrivaled Meridian Opening Skill and Qi Circulation Skill, there might be a slight hope of battling someone in the Soul Succession Realm," Lin Feifei guessed.
That was the only possibility she could think of. If not even the royal family could do it, then nobody else stood a chance.
"Let's go have a look and we will know," Song Yueyao said.
Under Huang Licao's guidance, the two of them arrived at the outer court.
There, Su Yehua had already convened everyone to wait.
As the two women and Huang Licao arrived, many became slightly restless and started to stand on tiptoe to look around.
"It's Song Yueyao!"
In the crowd, Du Qiuyue recognized Song Yueyao and Lin Feifei at a glance, admiration appearing in her eyes.
"Who are they?"
"The one in white is Song Yueyao, the Palace Master's granddaughter, one of the most exceptionally talented individuals in the Black and White Hall. I heard she's not even twenty yet but has already reached the Divine Travel Realm…" Du Qiuyue whispered enviously.
This was the real deal, a Nine-Grade Battle Body, a top genius.
Li Yuanzhao suddenly understood and didn't show much surprise on his face.
Divine Travel Realm at twenty, but Mother said Ninth Uncle reached Divine Travel Realm at thirteen, Grandmaster at seventeen, and at nineteen, when he built his achievements and sacrificed himself, he was already at the Seventh Realm, the Immortal Third…
That was the one and only monstrous talent in all history!
Having heard about Ninth Uncle's battle achievements, whenever Li Yuanzhao looked at other geniuses, he felt they were all mediocre in comparison.
"Where's your Hao? Why isn't he here?" Du Qiuyue asked in a low voice, her gaze wandering around in search.
Li Yuanzhao shook his head, "Hao probably went off to play chess with someone."
"Playing chess…" Du Qiuyue's mouth twitched.
At this moment, Song Yueyao and Lin Feifei began scanning the crowd with their gaze.
"The granddaughter of the Palace Master, huh…"
In the crowd, Jiang Ye narrowed his eyes, sizing up the two elegant figures, a hint of peculiar light emerging in his eyes as he thought to himself:
"She's quite attractive. If I conquer her, making her my empress, then Song Yufeng, for the sake of his granddaughter, could become an asset for me in the future. It's a shame she's a few years older than me, but with Tan Palace as her dowry, I don't mind taking a small loss…"
As he was contemplating, Song Yueyao's gaze swept over the crowd and landed on him at first glance.
Although they were all wearing the same uniform, judging by the robustness of the emitted aura, she guessed he was most likely of royal descent.
How could a common Zhou Tian Realm have such a vigorous aura, as mighty as a flood dragon?
Seeing the look from Song Yueyao, Jiang Ye smiled slightly, revealing half a set of white teeth and nodded in greeting.
But Song Yueyao's gaze calmly shifted away, it wasn't him.
She continued searching through the crowd, scrutinizing one after another, her brows furrowing.
None was the right one.
"No," Song Yueyao said to the elder beside her.
Huang Licao was taken aback and quickly asked in a low voice, "Are you sure you've looked carefully?"
"Yes," Song Yueyao nodded.
Huang Licao then turned to Lin Feifei, who also shook her head slightly, revealing a helpless expression.
"Could it be not Alpha Academy?" Huang Licao wondered internally and proceeded to ask Su Yehua, "Are all the disciples of Alpha Academy here?"
Su Yehua, also aware of what they were looking for, glanced over the crowd and noticed two or three absences, saying, "Almost all of them are here."
The missing were the wastrel who was always sound asleep and two mediocre sons from noble families; she thought it was unlikely to be them.
"Strange…" After thinking a bit, Huang Licao whispered a few words to Su Yehua. She nodded slightly in response and immediately commanded everyone:
"Turn sideways."
The crowd was puzzled and looked at her questioningly.
Without explaining, Su Yehua assumed the authority of a teacher, her willow eyebrows slightly stern, and everyone promptly complied.
To this beautiful teacher, they had long experienced the strictness of her methods.
Song Yueyao and Lin Feifei, once again compelled to look, were full of confusion. Everyone looked vaguely familiar, presumably due to wearing the same uniform, yet on closer inspection, none seemed to fit.
In despair, Huang Licao said to Su Yehua, "Let the ones who didn't come find me later, so that Moon and the others can take a look."
"Yes," Su Yehua nodded in agreement.
Huang Licao left the area, taking the two women to Beta Academy.
Along the way, a figure casually approached with a wild rabbit in hand. It was Li Hao.
"Which academy's disciple are you?" Huang Licao immediately called out upon seeing him.
Li Hao looked at them in surprise, not recognizing them, and said, "I'm from Alpha Academy, and you are?"
"Alpha Academy?" Huang Licao's heart stirred, he turned his head to look at the two girls.
Song Yueyao and Lin Feifei were also sizing up Li Hao—with rosy lips, white teeth, and fair skin, he was an incredibly handsome young man.
However, the wild rabbit he was holding and the grass stains on his academy uniform made him appear somewhat disheveled.
After taking a careful look, the two girls immediately shook their heads slightly:
"It doesn't seem like him."
Hearing this, Huang Licao waved his hand at Li Hao: "It's nothing, you can go."
Li Hao walked away with a look of confusion, carrying the wild rabbit and passing by them.
Suddenly, Li Hao felt that the aura of the two girls was somewhat familiar—hadn't he encountered them before in the Mo River cave?
When he returned to Alpha Academy, Su Yehua immediately told him to find Huang Licao.
After asking around, Li Hao understood the situation and shared his encounter on the road. Su Yehua did not suspect him of lying since she too felt that Li Hao was unlikely to be that person. If it weren't for him being a member of the Li Family and spending the past half month sleeping and lazing around, she would have strictly reprimanded him long ago.
"Hao, where were you?"
Back at his seat, Li Yuanzhao spilled all the details of what just happened to Li Hao.
Li Hao suddenly realized, feeling somewhat disheartened—it was a relief that the academy seemed to have no intention of settling scores with him.
As for the reward?
The Red Sky Precious Sword was indeed impressive, capable of harming the Divine Soul, a truly rare weapon for the Divine Travel Realm.
Even at the Divine General Mansion, only a few tens of thousands could be found.
What a pity.
He was now in the Fifteen Li Realm and no longer needed it.
Above the waterfall, Shen Yunqing and Zhao Zongyuan also received the news, both of them surprised.
"Who did it?"
"Couldn't be that kid, right? The place he went before, that's on the side of the Mo River." Zhao Zongyuan said in disbelief.
Shen Yunqing shook her head slightly: "Although there's the Mo River there, it's still possible to return to the academy, it just requires taking a detour. Maybe he took a wrong turn."
"Hard to tell, this kid grasped your movement technique so quickly, I always feel like I can't see through him, he might not be in the Zhou Tian Realm."
"Even the Soul Succession Realm would be difficult."
Shen Yunqing shook her head and said, "It's about passing the test, not destroying; who knows what the conditions were. Besides, we just got news—Song Yueyao witnessed it. Old Huang took her to the external academy and they found a kid in Beta Academy who looked similar, but it turned out not to be him after verification."
"Strange, could it be someone from the Black and White Hall?"
"Who knows, anyway, the matter will soon have a result, it can't be kept secret." Shen Yunqing remarked.
"Indeed." Zhao Zongyuan thought and sighed, "The Fengshan Mo River was quite suitable for testing newcomers, now that it's gone, we can only use that other Mo River, but that one is much harder."
"They'll just have to count themselves unlucky," Shen Yunqing declared.
Several days later.
The disciples of Alpha Academy gathered in the courtyard. Li Hao, who was preparing to sneak off to play truant, was also called back by Su Yehua, obediently returning to his seat.
"Tomorrow is your first trial since joining the academy, a practical demon-slaying test!"
Su Yehua surveyed everyone with a calm face and declared, "Martial Artists must experience the trials of combat, blood, and fire. We have arranged connections for you; all you need to do is go and report, participate in person. This way, you will understand the flaws in your martial arts when facing demons and how to truly fight the enemy."
Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes lit up, and many were eager to try.
Demon-slaying?
This was a dream that many in the audience eagerly anticipated.
To travel the world with a sword, slaying demons and eliminating evil—how cool!
"These tasks vary in difficulty; it's best to know your own strength."
Su Yehua pulled out a stack of papers and said, "For each task, we will award points based on the difficulty, which can be exchanged in the Black and White Hall's Martial Scripture Pavilion for weapons, precious medicines, Cultivation Techniques, and Peerless Techniques!"
"But you need to truly assess your capabilities, and avoiding greed is also a test for a Martial Artist."
As she spoke, she called over a senior student to distribute the papers in her hand.
Li Hao received a copy and casually began to read.
It listed all demon-slaying assignments, spread over different states and cities.
Being able to connect the academy with different states and cities demonstrated the extensive reach of Tan Palace Academy.
Was this akin to sending students to large companies for internships and evaluations?
Suddenly, Li Hao's gaze sharpened, landing on one of the mission lists.
Demon-slaying Task 23:
Qi State, join the Monster Suppression Department, assist the local demon-slaying team in hunting demons, graded by the local person in charge.
Full score: 10 points.
Qi State!
__________
"Hao, which task are you planning to choose?"
After looking over the task list, Li Yuanzhao immediately asked Li Hao, clearly hoping to accompany him and provide mutual support.
"The one in Qi State," Li Hao said, a hint of coldness hidden in his eyes.
Li Yuanzhao scanned the task, didn't think much about it, and nodded, "Then I'll choose that one too."
"You are all going to Qi State?"
Next to them, Du Qiuyue glanced at the task and said immediately, "Can you take me with you? I'm also heading there."
"Me too, I'm going as well," Zheng Bai quickly added, seeing the chance to be close to the young master of the Divine General Mansion, a rare opportunity to foster intimacy.
If he could become a good friend, that would be an enormous networking opportunity.
"Hao, what do you think?"
Li Yuanzhao decided to consult Li Hao first.
Li Hao replied, "I don't mind."
"Since Hao has no objections, then you can all join," Li Yuanzhao stated.
Du Qiuyue and Zheng Bai exchanged glances, both seeing the joy in each other's eyes.
At that moment, Su Yehua at the front suddenly said, "Let me explain the rules now. Each task can be taken by no more than five people. I will start counting off. The first task is to go to the Cangzhou Demon Subjugation Department to assist in resolving a demon-caused disturbance in a village. The task is worth five academic credits. Who wants to take it?"
"Me."
"Me."
Immediately, seven people raised their hands.
Among these tasks, the highest score was only 15 points, and that also carried the highest difficulty level, indicating a very high chance of encountering demons at Cycle Heaven Realm Perfection.
And for this first task, the intelligence only suggested the possibility of demons at the second to fifth levels of the Zhou Tian Realm, making it relatively easy.
"We have too many people. You either need to discuss it among yourselves or decide based on the Martial Arts Ranking – those with lower ranks should change to another task," Su Yehua said.
The seven people looked at each other, and two of them voluntarily sat down.
Then Su Yehua continued to read out other tasks.
Those interested raised their hands to select accordingly. Some tasks attracted three people, others only one, and some tasks went unchosen and were left open.
"Hao, they're going to undertake a task in Yunzhou. That area was just cleared of demons not long ago, and they're going over to help eliminate the remnants," commented Li Yuanzhao, who paid special attention to the Li Yun siblings and noticed their choice of a task worth the full 15 points, his face unwittingly displaying a trace of concern.
Although they didn't see eye to eye within the mansion, after growing up together, he still didn't wish for any misfortune to befall them.
"Tell them to be careful, not to be reckless in seeking merit," Li Hao glanced at the sibling duo, seeing their faces full of eager excitement, and frowned as he spoke.
"Understood."
Li Yuanzhao nodded, planning to give them a heads-up after getting his own task.
Soon after, Su Yehua mentioned the Qi State task.
Li Hao immediately expressed his intention, and Li Yuanzhao, together with Du Qiuyue and Zheng Bai, also raised their hands one after another.
Meanwhile, two other people, a male and a female, also raised their hands in a different location.
"She's going too?"
Du Qiuyue caught sight of the girl who raised her hand, momentarily surprised. The girl was Ren Qianqian, ranked fourth in the Martial Arts Ranking, the daughter of a Grandmaster, with divinely skillful swordsmanship.
Zheng Bai's expression changed. He looked at the young man whose ranking on the Martial Arts Ranking was higher than his own, and was not a newcomer but a senior student.
Now, with six people interested, it meant that Zheng Bai, who was last in line, would have to step down.
However, their main reason for choosing the Qi State task was because of Li Hao's decision.
If Li Hao stepped down, Li Yuanzhao would probably do the same.
Zheng Bai looked at Li Hao, his eyes filled with hope, wishing he would choose a different task.
At the same time, Ren Qianqian and the young man also noticed Li Hao and others. Ren Qianqian just glanced at them, her expression unchanged as usual, calm and collected.
The young man, on the other hand, was stunned, and then his face lit up with happiness.
"We are over the limit," Su Yehua swept her gaze over the group and said, "Discuss it among yourselves to decide who will step down. If no one is willing, we'll have to follow the rules."
Ren Qianqian sat down without paying much attention, as she had to go regardless.
The young man's gaze skimmed past Li Hao, aware that he couldn't afford to offend the young lord of the Divine General Mansion—even if he was at the bottom of the Martial Arts Ranking. Being able to attend Alpha Academy meant he couldn't be too bad, he just hadn't shown his full potential yet. His gaze then landed on Zheng Bai, and he said with a smile, "Qi State is dangerous; it is my homeland, and I can lead the way for them. How about you back out?"
Zheng Bai's face flushed slightly. With those words, if he persisted, it might offend others.
"Alright then." Zheng Bai's complexion went through changes, but he quickly managed his emotions and said to Li Yuanzhao and Li Hao, "I wish you a smooth journey. We'll take on a task together another time."
"Okay then," Li Yuanzhao, upon hearing this, gave up on persuading the young man and patted Zheng Bai's shoulder to offer comfort.
"You also need to be careful out there," Du Qiuyue said.
Zheng Bai smiled and nodded.
Although he was somewhat regretful that he wasn't able to team up with Li Hao and the others, it was, after all, only the first task of the school year, and there would be other opportunities in the future.
Once the headcount was confirmed, Su Yehua continued to distribute other tasks.
Soon, everyone had made their selection.
Those who received the same tasks gathered together under Su Yehua's instructions.
"When do we set out?" The youth named Yu Wei, who recognized Du Qiuyue, asked, but his gaze was on Li Yuanzhao and Ren Qianqian.
"Now," Ren Qianqian said calmly.
However, Du Qiuyue was looking at Li Hao.
"Hao, what do you think?" Li Yuanzhao asked.
"Let's go now, the sooner the better," Li Hao replied.
"Alright, I'll go prepare the carriage."
Li Hao shook his head, "Prepare five Red Blood Horses; a carriage is too slow."
Li Yuanzhao was slightly startled but nodded in agreement.
Yu Wei was surprised and looking at Li Yuanzhao's demeanor, it was as if he was Li Hao's little follower.
Yet, Li Yuanzhao was ranked sixth on the Martial Arts List, an exceptional talent, reportedly possessing an Eighth Layer Battle Body quality, only slightly inferior to those true prodigies.
After coordinating with the mansion, Li Yuanzhao went to the siblings, Li Yun, who were preparing to descend the mountain.
"Hao has instructed you both to be careful and not to be recklessly ambitious," Li Yuanzhao told the siblings.
Li Yun raised an eyebrow and snorted coldly, "You just take care of yourselves."
Li Zhining turned her head and glanced at Li Hao, who was conversing with a few others. Her eyes flickered as she said to Li Yuanzhao, "Thank you, Yuan Zhao, you guys also have to be careful."
Li Yuanzhao grinned and replied, "You too, take care, Sister Zhi Ning."
After giving his instructions, Li Yuanzhao returned to Li Hao's side, and the group set off down the mountain immediately.
Riding the Red Blood Horses, the five of them galloped out of Qingzhou.
The youthful experience of riding horses and brandishing swords upon entering Jianghu filled Yu Wei and Li Yuanzhao's faces with delight and excitement, feeling liberated and carefree.
"Indeed, a first-rate steed of the battlefield. Such speed is hard to come by at any price," Yu Wei exclaimed, marveling at the scenery flying past the roadside.
Du Qiuyue was also riding a Red Blood Horse for the first time. Even though she was an upperclassman, she was ultimately just an eighteen-year-old girl trying to maintain composure in front of several freshmen. But her slightly flushed cheeks betrayed her excited and lively thoughts.
"Red Blood Horses are not for sale; it's a capital offense to attempt to purchase them privately," Li Yuanzhao said, still harboring a young man's nature, unable to hide a hint of pride and superiority in his eyes.
Yu Wei and Du Qiuyue looked envious. Some people are born standing at a finish line others could never reach in a lifetime — that is the disparity.
With the Red Blood Horses' fleetness, it would take less than two days to reach Qi State from Qingzhou.
High above Qingzhou City, a black bird resembling a crow flew past.
The bird reflected the image of five swift horse figures on the official road in the wilderness below.
Suddenly, the bird blinked, and it saw two figures following closely four or five miles behind the five horses.
What was surprising was that the two figures were leaping on foot without horses, yet they moved leisurely and managed to keep up without falling behind.
The bird blinked again, let out a low caw, and flew into the higher clouds.
Later, the black bird emerged from another part of the clouds, plummeted down rapidly, and flew into a certain forest.
Upon landing, the black bird transformed into a child about seven or eight years old in appearance, with a crown of feathers on its head. It ran towards the Black Water Pool ahead directly after landing.
"Lord Xuan Jiao, that person has come out," the child called out to the Black Water Pool.
The voice reached into the depths of the pool. Suddenly, a dark shadow emerged from the still waters as if alive. Then it rapidly broke the surface, revealing a large serpent-like head, gently flicking its tongue amidst razor-sharp teeth, appearing quite ferocious.
"Did you get a clear view? Is it the son of that Execution Martial Marquis?" the serpent-like creature asked.
"I'm sure of it, my Thousand God Eyes Skill would never misidentify," the child shuddered briefly before hastily bowing and saying respectfully, "Also, there are two people following them. It seems that someone from their side is protecting them in secret. One is at the Divine Travel Realm, and the other… I can't see through."
As his voice fell, the Black Water Pool stirred, and another black shadow suddenly surfaced — another serpent, slightly more slender with a white scale on its belly.
"Four years have passed since we were dispatched here to assassinate the son of that Execution Martial Marquis, and we have waited for four years," the serpent spoke human words, then with a flash of their figures, they leapt from the water, landed and transformed into a pair of cloaked individuals, a man with a demon-like face and a woman with a bewitching look.
Both seemed to retain some serpentine aspects, their thin tongues stretching out to lick their lips and chins, both revealing smiles:
"They must think we have given up. But we, as Demons who have cultivated for a thousand years, have plenty of what we need most… patience."
__________
As dusk approached.
Li Hao and his companions galloped along the official road, occasionally passing tea stalls and small traders setting up their stalls by the road to provide resting spots for weary travelers.
On their journey, they also encountered Escort Agency Team transporting cargo, heroic adventurers from Jianghu eagerly joining forces to slay demons, as well as diligent farmers tending to their fields and small villages along the official road.
The verdant cypresses on both sides of the road stretched straight up, reaching for the blue sky and white clouds.
Coming across a tea stall, the enticing aroma of steaming dumplings made the riders pull on their reins.
"Shall we take a rest here?" Yu Wei asked attentively.
When Li Hao heard Li Yuanzhao's stomach growl, it was clear he was also hungry, and with a smile he said, "Let's go have something to eat first."
"It's getting dark; won't it be unsafe out here?" Du Qiuyue voiced her concerns with a hint of worry.
The tea shop owner, with his keen ears and sharp eyes, upon hearing the young lady's words, said with a smile, "Don't worry, dear heroes. With the four Divine General Mansion guarding the Frontier Pass, there are no demons within Dayu. Even an old fool like me is not scared, so what is there for you to fear?"
The group looked at Li Hao and Li Yuanzhao, and Li Hao asked with a smile, "Old man, there are clearly five Divine General Mansion, why do you say there are four?"
"There's another one that, I've heard, isn't responsible for guarding the Frontier Pass, probably assigned to safeguard the imperial city," the tea house owner replied with a laugh.
Du Qiuyue whispered, "It's good that Wang Han isn't here with us, otherwise he would be angry to death hearing this."
Yu Wei nodded, "The Divine Travel Realm General Mansion in charge of guarding the Mo River has sacrificed countless, yet the common people are unaware. It's like how many are also oblivious to the fact that the Li Family defends the border and slays demons. People recognize the existence of the Divine General Mansion, but can't be bothered to discern which one exactly."
Upon saying this, he sighed, seemingly feeling indignant for the Li Family, with a hidden compliment in his words.
Li Hao, however, wasn't upset; instead, he merely nodded and said:
"The lives of the common folks are harsh. They spend their days counting small coins, so they don't have the leisure to look up; it's normal they are uninformed. After all, even if they knew, it wouldn't make much difference to their lives. And us, the Li Family, defending the Frontier Pass isn't for the world's praise and gratitude. We do it simply because the Frontier Pass needs us, just as the common folks need us."
Hearing his words, Yu Wei, who still harbored flattering intentions, was stunned, while Du Qiuyue couldn't help but look at Li Hao with a mixture of surprise and newfound respect.
Originally thinking Li Hao was just a carefree playboy, his words shattered their previous impressions. Their reverence for the authority of the Divine General Mansion also gained an added layer of respect from the depths of their hearts.
By his side, Ren Qianqian, who carried a sword in her arms, glanced up at Li Hao, let her gaze linger on his handsome and fair cheeks for a while, and her eyes softened a bit more.
"Hao's right." Li Yuanzhao, who had been somewhat dissatisfied, felt a surge of excitement hearing Li Hao's words.
Li Hao smiled and patted Yuan Zhao on the shoulder, "Let's go in for some tea, my treat."
"No, how can we let you do that? We are heading to Qi State to slay demons, which is practically helping out my hometown. I should be the one thanking you on behalf of the people of Qi State. I'll cover all the expenses on the way!"
Yu Wei seized the opportunity, immediately speaking up and walking into the tea shop to call the owner, ordering tea and snacks.
"It's almost dark, sir, are you really not afraid of demons?"
Du Qiuyue poured a cup of tea but didn't drink it directly; instead, she took out a silver needle to test for poison. She performed the test expertly and, after confirming there was no poison, proceeded to rinse the cups for everyone.
"Maybe other places, but this road is very safe. I've been running my stall here for decades without ever encountering one," replied the tea shop owner with a smile.
"You really are lucky."
Li Hao couldn't help but marvel.
Incidents of demon attacks within Dayu were rare, but they occurred every year. For those like them who dealt with demons, news of such events was constant.
However, the common people were cut off from such news, and with the slow spread of information, unless it was a major incident that caused widespread alarm, small-scale demon attacks went largely unnoticed.
Besides, part of the reason for this lay with the Monster Suppression Department's efforts to intentionally suppress information about demon encounters to avoid public panic.
After all, only when the common people live and work in peace and contentment can the dynasty flourish even more.
If news of demons flies everywhere and the populace is filled with dread, who would dare to venture out to trade or transport goods? Even farming and laboring would become less efficient.
Soon, the food and drinks were served; the taste of the steamed dumplings was excellent. Li Hao also ate two baskets, singing their praises nonstop, and discussed the cooking process with the owner, leaving the others at the table dumbfounded.
Li Yuanzhao had long been accustomed to Li Hao's unusual mannerisms, but was rather curious about Ren Qianqian next to him, and asked, "Why do you always hold your sword, even when eating? Doesn't it get in the way?"
Du Qiuyue and Yu Wei also looked at the girl, who even when eating steamed dumplings, held a sword in one hand and chopsticks in the other.
Ren Qianqian frowned, glanced up at Li Yuanzhao as if thinking of something, remained silent for a bit, and then responded,
"The sword has become a part of my body; I don't feel its existence."
Du Qiuyue said enviously, "I heard that to comprehend the heart of the sword, one must always be accompanied by a weapon. I've tried before, but it never worked."
"First, you have to fall in love with it," Ren Qianqian said earnestly.
Du Qiuyue smiled wryly, "I do like it."
Ren Qianqian looked at her and said no more.
Whether one truly loves it or not, the brain may not know, but the heart certainly does.
That's why it's called "taking heart."
Soon, after everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, Li Hao, who was deeply engrossed in chatting with the tea house owner, left him somewhat befuddled.
Hearing the young hero speak so knowledgeably about things like kneading dough with warm water, fermentation, how to remove the gamey taste from the meat filling, and so on… if not for his attire, the owner would have thought him an experienced chef.
Or even an expert chef.
"Young hero, you must be full by now," the tea house owner said with a forced smile, reluctant to reveal more, fearing that Li Hao would learn the secret recipe.
Li Hao saw the owner's resistance and was about to excuse himself when his eyes suddenly narrowed.
He raised his hand and grasped a streak of black light.
Beneath his feet, the ground cratered several inches from the impact of the black light.
Li Hao opened his hand to find an oval, triangular scale.
His Divine Soul instantly left his body, emerging as a beam of golden light visible only to those in the Divine Travel Realm, shooting straight out from the top of his skull, roaming heaven and earth.
Quickly, Li Hao saw, fifteen miles away, a woman with a seductive face and scales on her jaw and cheeks, standing atop a tree, looking towards him with a somewhat astonished expression.
The black light was identical to the scales on her cheeks.
Coldness flashed in Li Hao's eyes. A demon?
Atop the tree, the Black Jiao beauty was confused, gaping in astonishment.
Her driven scale, across fifteen miles, had failed to kill that Human Race youngster?
He had caught her attack so effortlessly?!
"I have something to take care of; I'll be back soon. Wait for me here," Li Hao said to the four at the tea table, holding the scale as he stepped out. In an instant, he vanished from their sight.
Yu Wei, who was rinsing his mouth with tea, immediately spat it out.
__________
"He, he, he…"
Yu Wei couldn't care less about the tea he'd sprayed onto the snack dish, pointed to where Li Hao had disappeared, his eyes nearly bulging out as he stuttered, attempting to speak.
"The person, the person is gone?!"
Du Qiuyue also stood up alarm, wide-eyed in shock, "Where did he go?"
Beside her, Ren Qianqian froze, her gaze rapidly sweeping in all directions, extremely meticulously, yet she saw no trace of Li Hao, not even a footprint.
In the blink of an eye, right under their eyelids, he had just vanished.
Obviously, unless it was some kind of obscuring technique she had never heard of before, it was Li Hao's movement technique speed that was too fast, beyond her visual capture.
If he used such speed to attack her… Her pupils slightly contracted, the fingers gripping her sword hilt tightening considerably.
"He, he, this, this…"
Yu Wei turned his head to look at Li Yuanzhao, waving his hands and feet with great unease.
"Yuan Zhao, your brother Hao, what cultivation level is he?" Du Qiuyue managed to recover a bit, unable to help looking at Li Yuanzhao and asking.
Li Yuanzhao was just as dumbfounded. In his day-to-day interactions with Brother Hao, he'd never seen him show such a move.
What cultivation level? Wasn't Brother Hao following the Path of Body Refinement? Mother said that the limit of Body Refinement was low, that reaching Zhou Tian Realm was the max, and that getting to Soul Succession Realm was difficult.
Could it be, Brother Hao succeeded in Soul Succession?!
Li Yuanzhao's heart trembled. He wasn't completely ignorant; stepping into Soul Succession Realm meant that Brother Hao could attract the energy of heaven and earth, indicating that his meridians were open!
Brother Hao could cultivate!!
Thinking of this possibility, Li Yuanzhao's hands, resting on the table, trembled slightly with excitement.
Meanwhile, at another location, fifteen li away.
The Black Jiao, shocked beyond measure, couldn't help doubting if she had seen incorrectly. While in her state of shock and suspicion, she saw Li Hao step out from the little tea shop, immediately streaking towards her like a bolt of golden lightning.
So fast!
And, he was moving with his body controlled!
The complexion of the Black Jiao beauty changed drastically, filled with unspeakable horror. This was the symbol of the Fifteen Li Realm, this son of the criminal military marquis, was at the Fifteen Li Realm?!!
How old was he?!
Her brain experienced a momentary blankness. What she thought was a straightforward decapitation from fifteen li away turned into an unbelievably bizarre situation.
A powerful sense of impending death shrouded her in an instant, and the Black Jiao beauty immediately came to her senses. Without another thought, she turned to flee, wanting to reunite with her husband first.
A flash of dark light, and she soared into the air, aiming for the distance.
But before she could get a few hundred meters away from the treetops, a golden light suddenly descended from the sky. A fair and slender palm extended from the light, pressing down on top of the Black Jiao beauty's head, and then pushed her straight down into the ground dozens of meters below.
With a thud, the ground cratered massively.
On the ground, the head of the Black Jiao beauty was pressed into the pit by Li Hao's palm, her expression disheveled.
The Black Jiao beautiy was petrified with terror, feeling as if that palm on her head was made of steel, like a thousand mountains pressing down on her, rendering her unable to move.
How could this possibly be the strength of the Fifteen Li Realm?!
She let out a piercing roar, like the bellow of a bull, like thunder, her body emanating black demon aura, and she reverted to her true form.
A massive and fierce dragon head broke through the fog, turning to bite, but in the next moment, a boot with intricately embroidered patterns stepped ruthlessly on the dragon's head from within the demon fog. With a thud, this massive dragon head was pressed into the ground.
The thick dragon tail swept from behind.
Li Hao didn't even look back, casually swinging his fist behind him.
Accompanied by a deep thud, a force of more than a million pounds hit the dragon tail, instantly causing the scales to dent and fall off, and the tail to violently rebound onto the ground.
Painful screams like bestial roars rose from beneath his feet, but it seemed the mouth couldn't fully open, making the sound extremely muffled.
A gentle breeze rolled through, dispersing the surrounding demon fog, with Li Hao standing with one foot on the indented head of the dragon, his other hand propped on his knee, closely examining the demon beneath his feet.
"Ambush me? You're not simply out to kill, who sent you?"
Li Hao narrowed his eyes, asking in a soft voice.
There was no anger in his voice, but the mother Black Jiao felt a chill run through her.
"Who… who exactly are you?"
She managed to ask, her mouth barely opening, filled with fear.
In just a single encounter, she had been completely suppressed. Was the other party in the Heavenly Human Realm?!
At this moment, she suspected that the assassination attempt must already have been known to the Divine General Mansion; this was a decoy, a counterplot.
"With so many people at the tea stall, why did you target me right away? Don't you know who I am?"
Li Hao let out a slight cold laugh, believing that aside from his appearance, there should be nothing else about him that stood out more than anyone else.
If it was targeted at the Divine General Mansion, they certainly came prepared.
"Are you really the son of Marquis Xingwu? How is that possible? Age cannot be faked. Marquis Xingwu's son is only how old this year? Fourteen at most, and you are in the Fifteen Li Realm!"
The Black Jiao mother said with surprise and suspicion, her voice even tinged with a mix of anger and grievance as she spoke.
Fourteen years old, in the Fifteen Li Realm?
Even for a top-notch demon of the ninth-grade war physique, reaching the Divine Travel Realm at this age would already be terrifying!
"You know my father?"
Li Hao raised his eyebrows and suddenly thought of the assassination attempt he encountered at the age of seven, his eyes narrowing, "You couldn't possibly be sent by the demons from Northern Yan, could you?"
He could have counter-killed this demon back at the tea stand, but the reason he personally gave chase was to understand the motive behind it.
"Are you really his son?!"
Upon hearing Li Hao's words, the Black Jiao mother was so shocked that she widened her eyes, looking up with all her might, wanting to take another look at the young man's face.
Li Hao exerted a slight force under his feet and said coldly, "Let's hear it, what's the situation on Northern Yan's side, why has it been stalemated for so many years? Are your demon kin unaware of the strength of the Great Yu Dynasty? Even without the Li Family, if you truly manage to tear open a gap, other Divine General Mansions would send reinforcements, and there is also the Dayu Army, led by the Dayu Royal Family, ready to dispatch at any moment. Are your demons that starved?"
"Don't talk as if your Human Race is all united. Conquering Northern Yan is just the first step."
The Black Jiao mother sneered, but then realized she had misspoken and immediately turned to anger, saying, "With such talent, you could have entered a famous mountain for training and become renowned under the heavens. Why hide your strength and pretend to be worthless?!"
The first step? Li Hao frowned. It seemed that the demon force attacking Northern Yan was incredibly large, wanting to swallow the entire Dayu?
How could that be possible? How many demons would need to band together to achieve that?
He looked at the Black Jiao mother under his feet and said, "Hide my strength? I simply had no opportunity to show it usually. When I fished for jiao at twelve, you didn't see it, could you blame me? If you cooperate and act sensibly, I might consider sparing your life."
"Fished for jiao at twelve?" The Black Jiao mother was taken aback, an icy chill suddenly filling her heart, so astonished that she could not speak.
"Have you decided? Cultivation is not easy; don't give up so readily," Li Hao said.
Regaining her senses, the Black Jiao mother was filled with fear. At that moment, she had only one thought: she must survive and bring out this terrifying intelligence.
If Monarch Bai found out about this child's talent, even without the matter of the Northern Yan battlefield, he would spare no expense to have him killed, as he would become a major threat in the future.
Initially thinking it was overkill to send her and her husband, not wanting to give the other side any chance, turned out to be a vast underestimation.
It wasn't an underestimation of the protection of the Divine General Mansion, but an underestimation of the prey itself!
Seeing that the Black Jiao did not respond, Li Hao muttered to himself, "Well then, do you wish to die? It's been a long time since I had jiao meat, and today I shall make use of your jiao liver. I wonder if it's fattened and delicious."
The pupils of the Black Jiao mother constricted, as if a demon was whispering above her head.
It was only demons eating humans; this young man actually wanted to eat a demon, and not for its inner core, but for the taste of its liver?
"Husband, save me!"
Just as Li Hao was about to make his move, the Black Jiao mother desperately shouted.
"Hm?" Li Hao paused, another one?
His heart grew wary, and his Divine Soul flew out from the top of his head, scanning the surroundings. Soon, he spotted a fierce battle erupting on a hill thirty li away.
A massive and brawny Black Jiao was fighting against two people.
Li Hao had noticed the two people fighting the Black Jiao a long time ago as they followed him on the road. One of them was Fu.
But he didn't recognize the other one, who wasn't from the Divine General Mansion. He guessed it must be someone sent by Ren Qianqian.
At the moment, their battle was terribly dangerous. Fu was already injured and could only assist from the side.
"I'll borrow your scale."
A killing intent flashed in Li Hao's eyes as he bent down to pluck a scale from the top of the Black Jiao mother's head, suddenly flinging it and transforming it into a streak of black light that instantly vanished into the sky.
The Black Jiao mother watched in shock and then panicked with terror, "What, what are you doing?!"
Thirty li away.
The two engaged in battle were being pushed back. Li Fu's face was pale as he did not expect to encounter a Great Demon of the Fifteen Li Realm here. With only the Divine Travel Realm cultivation level, it was hard for him to escape, but luckily, someone of the Fifteen Li Realm was helping him.
However, the situation looked very grim. The distress signal he had sent out earlier had been consumed by the Great Demon, leaving them looking for another way out.
"Die!"
The Black Jiao roared ferociously, ready to swoop down and tear apart the burly man it had smacked down the hilltop when suddenly, a sound of piercing through the air approached.
"Hm?"
The Black Jiao turned with a start, its pupils catching sight of a black scale that rapidly grew larger.
With a pop, it pierced the eyeball with a terrifying speed that was impossible to avoid, then stirred rapidly within the skull, destroying all brain tissue!
The Black Jiao violently spat out blood, disbelief apparent in its other eye— it recognized the black light as its sister's scale, but how…
With a rumble, the Black Jiao crashed to the ground, its life force quickly fading.
A single scale had slain a jiao thirty li away.
__________
"What?!"
Li Fu, who was just about to step forward to help, was dumbfounded upon seeing the Black Jiao suddenly plummeting down.
Immediately afterward, he hurriedly looked around. He noticed that fleeting black light, and realized there had been outside assistance!
He utilized Divine Traveling to patrol the surroundings.
With Peerless Divine Refinement Skill, one could Divine Travel for eighteen miles!
Although Li Fu was not directly descended from the Li Family, he had once made remarkable military achievements. Combined with the assistance from Li Tian Gang, he had managed to obtain a Peerless Divine Refinement Skill from the Li Family, which also made him a formidable figure within the Divine Travel Realm.
Now, under his surveillance, everything within eighteen miles was completely visible to him, yet he saw no sign of anyone.
At this moment, the sturdy man also reacted, his complexion changing dramatically. He immediately searched for the strong presence that had assisted him, but finding none, he realized that the person had concealed themselves and did not wish to reveal their identity. He bowed deeply and cupped his hands in gratitude:
"I thank the senior for your assistance. I hope the senior leaves a name, so Wei Feng can repay this life-saving grace in the future!"
The voice traveled fifteen miles.
After a long time, there was still no response.
Wei Feng could not help but wryly smile, thinking that the senior who could kill the Jiao dragon with one strike probably wouldn't care about his gratitude. He couldn't help feeling a bit regretful in his heart.
He turned his head to look at Li Fu and asked, "Is that senior perhaps one of your Divine General Mansion?"
Li Fu was stunned; he was still wondering if it had been the handwork of that Grandmaster behind the other man.
Divine General Mansion… apart from himself, there shouldn't be anyone else, right?
However, could it be someone sent from the four Academies?
With doubts in his heart, he could only say, "I'm not sure, but since the senior has taken action, Divine General Mansion will remember this kindness."
Towards the end of his words, he also bowed respectfully to the heavens and earth around him.
"My husband's aura…"
Thirty miles away, the female Black Jiao suddenly narrowed her pupils, sensing the robust and overwhelming aura of her mate fading away in the distance, until it finally disappeared completely.
She hurriedly looked toward Li Hao, but saw him looking composed, as if he had casually tossed a pebble. At this moment, he was tidily adjusting his clothes while looking at her.
"What have you done to my husband?" the female Black Jiao asked with a trembling voice.
"What do you think?"
Li Hao said with a faint smile, "I'm afraid your husband won't make it here. You can give up now. If you're willing to talk, I might consider sparing your life."
The female Black Jiao shook all over. She could only sense her husband's aura disappearing but didn't know what had actually happened, as the distance was too far, beyond the range of her Divine Soul's perception.
Yet, Li Hao's demeanor left her feeling extremely uneasy inside.
"Alright, whatever you want to know, I'll tell you," the female Black Jiao hesitated for a moment before her tone shifted, becoming coquettish. She displayed weakness and helplessness.
Li Hao raised an eyebrow, immediately recalling in stories how Demon creatures beguiled and deceived people. These Demon races were not only violent but, when weak, could also charm and confuse the minds of others.
"Don't play tricks on me! Tell me about the Demon Race's situation in Northern Yan and why they keep insisting on attacking," Li Hao said coldly.
The female Black Jiao said delicately, "Ease your foot off a bit first, and I'll tell you."
"Stop dawdling!" Li Hao snapped.
The Demon mist dispersed, and the female Black Jiao transformed back into the beautiful woman she was before, now lying on the ground like a willow branch, her cheek still under Li Hao's foot, looking pitifully disheveled. Yet her expression was soft and charming, her eyes tearfully looking up at Li Hao:
"Don't you know how to show mercy to women?"
"I have no interest in a rotten snake," Li Hao said indifferently.
The eyes of the Black Jiao beautiful woman flashed with a trace of humiliation. She hated being called a snake the most, but in order to escape her predicament, she had no choice but to swallow her pride, pleading weakly, "I don't know much about Northern Yan's affairs. Can you ease your grip first so we can talk more comfortably?"
Slowly, her palm touched Li Hao's boots, caressing up his pant leg.
Feeling the provocation from beneath him, Li Hao said coldly, "I'm quite impressed with you, thinking of infidelity while your husband has just died."
"Huh?"
The Black Jiao beautiful woman was taken aback, her eyes widening as she looked at Li Hao in disbelief: "What… What did you say? My husband… he…"
Seeing the indifference in Li Hao's eyes, her heart felt as if it had been hammered. Thinking back to her husband's rapidly dwindling aura, and the scales that had shot out…
Her eyes immediately reddened, the vulnerability on her face vanishing as she looked at Li Hao with ferocity and madness: "You killed my husband, I want you dead!!"
"I gave you a chance to live; don't waste it," Li Hao said.
"Want to know about Northern Yan? You can dream on!"
The Black Jiao beauty looked deranged and let out a roar, "My demon race has sworn an oath, we would never betray the Sacred Palace. You will never learn anything, go to die, I want you dead!!"
She lunged at Li Hao with her claws bared, even trying to bite his boots, and her body tumbled once again, transforming into her true dragon form.
Li Hao furrowed his brows slightly, surprised that the news of her husband's death would provoke such a violent reaction. Could it be that demons also have true feelings?
As the Black Jiao writhed madly, Li Hao once again pressed down on its head to subdue it.
However, the female Black Jiao appeared to have lost all reason, constantly roaring and rolling around. Seeing this, Li Hao had no choice but to send her on her way.
With a crushing blow to the head of the Black Jiao, the piercing shrieks abruptly came to an end.
Li Hao shook the blood off his hands, glanced at the twitching tail of the Jiao, and sighed softly.
He hadn't expected that, after all that effort, he would learn nothing.
As for the so-called Sacred Palace and the Northern Yan demon race's plot to invade Dayu, his father, whom he hadn't seen in over a decade, probably knew more than he did.
Shaking his head, Li Hao didn't linger any longer. He took a step and returned to the tea stall outside the official road.
Those following him, like Fu, would likely find the corpse of the Black Jiao and take care of it.
Outside the tea stall.
The sight of Li Hao walking silently from beyond the official road startled everyone, with Yu Wei jumping in fright.
Li Yuanzhao paused, quickly approaching Li Hao excitedly, and whispered close to his chest, "Hao, have you entered the Soul Succession Realm?"
Li Hao was a little surprised, instantly realizing the reason and nodded with a smile.
The Soul Succession? He had already completed that long ago.
"Really?!" Li Yuanzhao's eyes widened in immense excitement.
Watching the excitement in his eyes, Li Hao patted his shoulder with a smile, "It's a minor matter, nothing much. Have you all eaten your fill?"
Li Yuanzhao, already used to Li Hao's casual manner, didn't think it a trivial matter and whispered excitedly, "If our mother knew you achieved Soul Succession, she would be overjoyed."
"Hmm."
Thinking of their noble and dignified mother, Li Hao's heart filled with respect that was involuntarily solemn. Over the years, it had only been their mother who treated him consistently well.
Time reveals a person's character; when first adapting to this new world's elite environment, he had been naive about human nature, having been taken advantage of.
Now, after a long time, he had come to understand the true nature of each Madam in the family.
For instance, Madam Four, who fostered Yuan Zhao, was not a simple character.
She was just childless and extremely low-profile in the mansion, appearing gentle and kind.
"Li Hao, where did you go?" Du Qiuyue asked curiously upon seeing Li Hao arrive.
"Encountered a demon, took care of it," Li Hao answered with a smile. He hadn't intended to say anything, but considering they were soon heading to Qi State to hunt demons, it might be good to let them feel a bit of tension ahead of time, to prevent being too relaxed later and risking their lives.
"A demon?"
The group was stunned, with Ren Qianqian looking at Li Hao, trying to gauge the truth of his statement.
The old man at the tea stall expressed his surprise, "Young hero, you said there was a demon?"
Li Hao said to the old man, "Boss, it's getting dark. You should pack up and go home early too."
"Really? Was there really a demon?" the old man asked, his curiosity piqued.
Li Hao laughed, but at the same time, he sighed inwardly.
He didn't know why he sighed.
Without elaborating further, once he saw that everyone had finished eating and drinking, he called them to mount their horses and set off.
On the Red Blood Horse, as they traveled along the way, Yu Wei and Du Qiuyue seemed to warm up to Li Hao again, so they became more brazen and inquired whether he really had reached the Soul Succession Realm.
Li Hao nodded with a smile, not denying it.
Both of them were astounded, exclaiming repeatedly, not expecting that the Alpha Academy's strongest disciple would be right beside them.
The sword-carrying girl on horseback tightened her grip on the reins.
As Li Hao and the others left the tea stall, in the distant sky hidden behind the clouds, an inconspicuous bird flew through the mists toward the horizon.
Yet in the bird's eyes lay deep fear. It knew it must deliver this terrifying report to Northern Yan, to Monarch Bai.
There is a lad of the Li Family, aged fourteen, suspected to be a Grandmaster!
Undoubtedly, once this news broke out, countless people would be shocked.
And if the elders in the Sacred Palace were aware, they would never allow a second direct disciple from the Gan Tao Palace to arise within the Human Race.
After the bird and the young rider left, in the jungle where the female Jiao's corpse lay, Li Fu and Wei Feng arrived, having followed the scent there. The smell of blood was just too strong!
__________
"Jiao Dragon!"
Seeing the Jiao Dragon corpses in the jungle, with heads already shattered, both were astonished.
They still had many precious materials cut from the body of a Black Jiao, including an inner core that could boost one's power, as well as reverse scales, Jiao teeth, and sharp claws for weapon forging.
It was due to harvesting these materials that they were delayed for a while, and unexpectedly, there was another one here?!
The two immediately thought of the senior who had secretly assisted them before. This Jiao Dragon was most likely killed by that senior.
Looking at the surrounding jungle environment, there weren't too many trees fallen, indicating the battle wasn't intense, suggesting it was one of suppression.
"Two Jiao Dragons entering the territory, why would they appear near the official road? If it were for hunting, they would go to remote villages…"
Li Fu's brow furrowed, and suddenly, his pupils shrank as he hurriedly dropped all the scales and the Jiao teeth as tall as himself, rushing forward.
As he rushed, the Divine Soul atop his head was offered up, roaming heaven and earth, swiftly following the horse hoof prints on the ground.
Wei Feng also realized, his face changed abruptly, disregarding the gathering of materials, and directly using his powers to fly, catching up to the position where Li Hao and the others had been at the tea stall in a blink of an eye.
There, the tea stall old man was packing up.
It was already dark, and dark clouds were descending in the distance, as if a heavy rain was imminent.
"Old man, did a few young men on horses pass by here earlier?" Wei Feng hurriedly asked.
They had been following far behind Li Hao and the others, but they were intercepted by the Jiao Dragon that ambushed them halfway, leading to a fierce battle that caused them to lose distance from Li Hao and his group.
They had thought that the Jiao Dragon was ambushing them, wanting to consume their flesh, but there was another one, and it appeared somewhere else, which could only mean… The two Jiao Dragons weren't targeting them, but Li Hao and his party.
"Oh, they've long gone," the tea stall old man said with a smile, feeling surprised to see Wei Feng.
"Gone far?" Wei Feng was stunned. They didn't encounter any trouble?
Without inquiring further, he directly pursued to investigate himself.
Soon, as his Divine Soul roamed, he saw five figures on horseback on the official road ahead. When he saw them clearly, a big stone in his heart fell, and he let out a long breath of relief.
Thank goodness. It seemed that the senior acted in time, preventing the Black Jiao from being able to strike.
He felt secretly fortunate while also feeling helpless. He instinctively felt that the two Jiao Dragons were not targeting the young lady, but the two young masters of the Divine General Mansion.
After all, Divine General Mansion guarded the Frontier Pass and was deeply resented by the demon clans; it seemed plausible they'd send two Jiao Dragons to assassinate them in secret.
Mixing with the Divine General Mansion on this trip, he wasn't sure if it was good or bad for the young lady.
However, the senior who had taken action earlier was most likely someone from Divine General Mansion. Thinking of this, he felt somewhat more at ease in his heart.
Thinking of Li Fu still behind, he turned back to the tea stall, where he saw Li Fu running over hastily.
"They're fine, don't worry."
Wei Feng immediately reassured him.
Upon hearing this, Li Fu took a long sigh of relief. If something had happened to Li Hao, he would have been in dereliction of duty, too ashamed to return to the Divine General Mansion.
"Would you two like to drink some tea?" the tea stall old man asked, already having packed up halfway, smiling as he spoke.
Neither of them was in the mood for tea. Li Fu said to Wei Feng, "Please go and keep an eye on them. I'll immediately send a message back to the mansion so they can come and take care of the Jiao corpses. As for that inner core, I'll send it to you after this mission is over."
"Of course," Wei Feng shook his head. "We owe our thanks to that senior's intervention, otherwise we both would have been in trouble. The materials from the Jiao Dragon rightfully belong to Divine General Mansion. No need for long speeches, I'm going to check on the young lady."
"All right."
The two hurriedly went their separate ways, with the tea stall old man watching and shaking his head slightly.
"Why are they all so anxious, so impatient?"
Traveling day and night without stopping.
Two days later.
Li Hao and his companions arrived within the boundaries of Qi State, and after another half day of riding, they reached Cangyu City, where they were tasked with slaying demons.
This city wasn't large; among the hundreds of cities in Qi State, it was of medium size, with a dozen towns surrounding it and hundreds of villages, with a population of around four or five million.
Yu Wei, who had experience executing missions, released messenger birds ahead of their arrival at the city.
As they entered the city, the trusted aides from the city lord's mansion came to greet them warmly, especially towards Li Hao and Li Yuanzhao.
Yu Wei and Du Qiuyue watched with envy; when they had come to carry out missions before, they had never received such treatment, just a few courtesy exchanges that were neither warm nor particularly cold.
Before long, the five were led to the local Monster Suppression Department.
As soon as they arrived at the Monster Suppression Department, they spotted an acquaintance.
"It's her!"
At first glance, Du Qiuyue recognized Song Yueyao, dressed in the Monster Suppression official attire, and was somewhat surprised; she hadn't expected the other party to also be on a mission, let alone assigned to their group.
Li Yuanzhao and the others also recognized her as the woman who had visited Alpha Academy to find someone and heard that she was one of the top talents from the Black and White Hall.
At that moment, Song Yueyao was hurrying out of the Monster Suppression Department's gate with another youth and two middle-aged men, seemingly about to carry out a mission.
When Song Yueyao saw the newcomers like Li Hao reporting in, she merely gave them a cursory glance, nodded slightly, and quickly took leave.
The youth, however, showed a surprised face, and his eyes flickered when he saw the Red Blood Horse led by Li Hao's group; he gave them a gentle smile and said,
"With frequent demon calamities outside the city nowadays, all junior brothers must be careful. If you need anything, feel free to come to me."
After speaking and waving to them, he also quickly followed Song Yueyao and the others, disappearing into the street.
"It's Sister Song from the Black and White Hall and Brother Tian; they've actually come too. But Sister Song's official attire – she's a Monster Suppression Inspector!"
Once Song Yueyao and the others left, Yu Wei exclaimed softly in amazement.
In an ordinary city, a Monster Suppression Inspector already holds great authority, second only to the city lord.
Du Qiuyue sighed and said, "Sister Song possesses grace akin to that of celestial beings; she's now in the Divine Travel Realm and fully capable of overseeing a city. It's normal for her to wear the Inspector's official uniform."
"Lord Song is indeed formidable. Just yesterday, upon her arrival here, she took down a demon that had been around for hundreds of years," said the middle-aged Monster Suppression official leading the five, his face showing respect.
He then led them into the Monster Suppression Department and had someone bring over official uniforms.
"Is Cangyu City so chaotic that we encounter demons just upon arrival?" Du Qiuyue asked in surprise.
The Monster Suppression instructor, named Cui Fan, treated Li Hao and the rest with considerable politeness and said,
"Lately, demons have become more rampant. Our Cangyu City is located near the border of Qi State and hence often sees the shadows of demons. It's not as peaceful as the inner cities, but don't worry, on your first demon-slaying mission, you just need to patrol with the Monster Suppression officials; there's no danger."
Clearly, the Monster Suppression Department took great care of these talents who had come for experience.
Moreover, there were two young masters from Divine General Mansion among them, and the higher-ups had already given instructions: they must not be exposed to any danger.
Hearing the other party's solicitous words, both Yu Wei and Du Qiuyue felt a quiet joy in their hearts, knowing that thanks to the face given by people like Li Hao, they were likely to get a perfect evaluation and earn ten academic credits.
"We are here to slay demons, not to play," Li Yuanzhao said gravely, frowning. Raised in a military household, he was imbued from childhood with a sense of discipline and righteousness.
Ren Qianqian, who was about to speak, showed a trace of surprise, glancing at Li Yuanzhao and then at Li Hao, with a noticeable change in her eyes.
Remembering the words Li Hao had shared at the teahouse, and now hearing Li Yuanzhao's remarks, her understanding of the people from Divine General Mansion had completely shifted.
Yu Wei and Du Qiuyue were stunned, looking at each other and secretly smiling bitterly, feeling a mix of shame and embarrassment.
"Hmm…" Cui Fan hadn't expected his attempt to brown-nose to backfire; indeed, these scions of powerful families were difficult to serve.
Let you go slay demons? Do you think it's because I'm worried you'll get tired? I'm trying to protect my own position! If Li Hao and the others come to harm, who knows whether the Divine General Mansion would unleash its anger? While it may not affect the Monster Suppression Department, targeting small people within the department who lack a background would be no different from crushing ants.
"Truly, the people of the Divine General Mansion are admirable for their iron-blooded spirit, I, Cui Fan, have great respect!"
Though his heart harbored sarcasm, Cui Fan still raised his thumb in admiration, as if truly moved by Li Yuanzhao's words.
This caused the young man's face to unconsciously reveal a slight smile and a sense of pride, proud of his earnestness.
Seeing the practiced ways of these career officials, Li Hao knew that Yuan Zhao's words had been in vain, but he couldn't blame others for their flattery. After all, their status was immensely intimidating.
For them, slaying demons was a way to earn fame, but for these people, it could be a means of livelihood; it was both a duty and a way of life.
Soon, five sets of official uniforms were delivered. Judging by the sleeve patterns and wooden tags, the uniforms provided to them were all for Monster Suppression officials.
In the Monster Suppression Department, those in the Power Passage Realm would be Monster Suppression Apprentices, Zhou Tian Realm practitioners could serve as Monster Suppression Officials, while those in the Soul Succession Realm would be Monster Suppression Instructors.
Above that was the Inspector level, the same rank as Song Yueyao's uniform signified, a position of high status.
"Please trouble you, senior, to provide us with a full report of recent demon sightings throughout the territory," Li Hao said to Cui Fan.
__________
"Only Martial Artists assigned to monster suppression can access the full territory's intelligence," Cui Fan said.
Monster Suppressors also lead teams to eliminate demons but are only responsible for rural villages and towns.
However, his intention in saying this wasn't to refuse Li Hao. His tone shifted as he smiled and said, "But since you've traveled from afar, eager to hunt demons, naturally I cannot decline your request. Please, follow me."
With that, he led Li Hao and the others into a side room of the Monster Suppression Department.
There were guards in the room, with whom Cui Fan was very familiar. After a greeting, he took the group inside.
In the room hung a map, the Geomantic Chart of Cangyu City, covering over a dozen small towns and numerous villages in the vicinity.
Cui Fan pulled out a record book from the shelf and handed it to Li Hao.
"This is the record of demon hunting in and around Cangyu City for the past half year. Take your time looking through it. After we've had lunch, I'll take you all on a patrol this afternoon," Cui Fan said with a smile.
Li Hao opened the record book and started to read carefully.
Li Yuanzhao also leaned in out of curiosity and examined it closely.
In a wealthy estate on the outskirts of the city.
"Ms. Yan, ten Copper Coins."
"Ms. Zhang, eight Copper Coins."
A young and full-figured beauty reclined on a lounge, slowly flipping through an account book. She spoke to the account keeper beside her:
"The demon calamities have been frequent this year, and the tenant farmers' harvests are poor. Please tell my husband to waive some of their taxes; they are suffering too much…"
The account keeper paused, bowing his head and said, "Madam is merciful, but with the businesses of the various households also struggling this year, further tax reductions would shrink the estate's revenues."
"We can be frugal. Let the farmers have a good year," the beautiful lady spoke softly and gently.
Hearing this, the account keeper nodded and said, "I'll discuss it with the master."
"Madam, you are pregnant and have been looking at the account books all morning. You must be tired. It's time to rest," said the delicate and pretty maid beside her with concern.
The beautiful lady gently caressed her protruding belly, her eyes filled with tender love, closed the account book, and, with the help of the maid, slowly rose and returned to her own bedroom.
"I'll go to the kitchen and bring you some snacks," the maid said obediently after helping the beautiful lady lay down on the bed.
The beautiful lady nodded gently.
As the maid left and the door gently closed, she softly caressed her stomach and murmured, "Child, New Year's is coming soon. Mother will soon be able to see you."
Her eyes were like water, filled with gentle expectations.
"Hee hee, you're so eager to see me, aren't you?"
Suddenly, a strange child's voice echoed in the quiet room, sharp in tone.
The beautiful lady snapped back from her thoughts, her eyes widening in shock as she looked at her belly.
She heard it clearly; the voice came from inside her eight-month pregnant belly.
"You…"
Before she could comprehend what was happening, she saw her belly suddenly swell up, growing larger and larger, accompanied by waves of tearing pain.
With a pop, it burst from her navel, but there was no blood spray. Instead, it deflated quickly like a burst balloon.
A wet, withered head, covered in fresh blood, rose slowly from the lady's belly. Yet behind the head was a serpent tail-like elongated limb, resembling both a snake and a centipede without legs, gently twisting.
Confronted by this horrific scene, even with her years of managing the household, the beautiful lady screamed in terror and fainted.
"How hypocritical. Your child has come out, yet you don't want to look anymore."
The withered head chuckled strangely as it split its mouth, revealing all its sharp teeth.
Then, the creature swiftly moved, climbing to the upper body of the beautiful lady, and suddenly bit her head with its mouth.
It proceeded to swallow her entire upper body, its elongated limb swelling as it did so.
"Evil spawn!"
Suddenly, an angry voice sounded. A streak of golden light flashed, and a slender figure darted through the wall, entering the room. It was Song Yueyao, her posture light and graceful.
"Hmm?"
The creature that was devouring the beautiful lady paused, its expression changing dramatically as it quickly spat out the half-eaten body and, like a venomous snake, hurriedly slithered toward the window, trying to escape.
"Golden Lock Trapping Dragon!"
Song Yueyao's face was ice cold as she quickly cast a spell.
The Divine Soul, although it couldn't cause physical damage, could wield Divine Skills, particularly adept at countering the strange Demon Arts of demons.
This Golden Lock Trapping Dragon was a binding skill belonging to the Divine Travel Skill.
Golden light suddenly burst forth, trapping the withered, serpentine demon within, unable to break free.
Before long, hurried footsteps approached, and Song Yueyao's physical body arrived outside the window, leaping down and striking towards the demon entrapped in the golden light with her sword.
"Spare me…" the demon pleaded in panic.
But the sword light was unforgiving, decapitating its head, which rolled onto the floor.
Song Yueyao slashed twice more, cutting its body into pieces, then quickly moved inside the room, approached the bed, and saw that the beautiful lady's face was already a bloody mess, showing signs of rot.
Looking at her stomach, it was hollow, the organs having been eaten away.
She was too late… Her expression darkened, a look of displeasure crossed her face. Despite her experience in slaying demons, she was still filled with rage.
At this time, all of the house servants and maids within the mansion rushed over, along with the master of the house, a middle-aged merchant in his forties.
Song Yueyao immediately ordered the accompanying people to seal off the room to prevent ordinary people from seeing inside.
"You are from the Monster Suppression Department?!"
The master of the house, although knowledgeable and experienced, recognized the official uniform on Tian Congzhi at a glance. His face changed drastically as he hurriedly asked, "What about Lian'er? What has happened to Lian'er?"
"There is a Demon inside, please do not approach."
Tian Congzhi, a disciple of Black Hall, was on a mission to assist Song Yueyao with the case. He had already seen the tragic scene inside and spoke with a somber voice.
"How could there be a Demon in my house? Are you sure you are not mistaken? Let me see Lian'er!" The master pushed against Tian Congzhi, his teeth clenched as he spoke.
Song Yueyao emerged from behind a door, her long sword already sheathed. She glanced at the middle-aged man and said, "Your wife is dead, killed by a monster. I have slain the creature. You should give her a proper burial."
"Dead, dead?"
The master was so shocked he became stupefied, then frantically shoved past, trying to rush inside.
Tian Congzhi, reluctant to use force on an ordinary person, could only try his utmost to stop him. Seeing this, Song Yueyao shook her head slightly, signaling him to step aside.
After all, he had to see her — there were still burial arrangements to be made.
The middle-aged man burst into the room and immediately saw the horrific scene. In an instant, he was thunderstruck, standing petrified on the spot.
Song Yueyao instructed Tian Congzhi, "You stay behind to take care of the aftermath. I need to make a trip over to the city guard."
"Okay."
Tian Congzhi agreed.
Before Song Yueyao could leave, the middle-aged man suddenly grabbed her arm, his eyes red with rage, and roared at her,
"Why, why didn't you come sooner? Why?!"
"Give me back my Lian'er, give me back my Lian'er!!"
Song Yueyao's expression changed slightly. Instinctively, she struggled free, flung her arm, and sent the man tumbling to the ground.
The man fell sitting with a thud and didn't continue to make a scene. Instead, he seemed to crumble, grabbing his head and bursting into deep sobs,
"She said it was her first time being a mother, she even had the child's name picked out. Why, why do this to Lian'er, oh heavens, you are so unjust!!"
His wailing echoed throughout the courtyard, reaching the ears of all the house servants and maids blocked outside the door, leaving everyone deeply shaken.
A flicker of guilt passed through Song Yueyao's heart as she looked at the now nearly deranged middle-aged man. Knowing that nothing she said would be heard by him at this moment, she just tightened her grip on her sword, said nothing, and turned to leave quickly.
Indeed, why couldn't she have been faster… she bit her lower lip lightly.
Inside the city lord's mansion.
Song Yueyao arrived swiftly, her movements nimble.
"Mr. Yue, you wanted to see me?"
Song Yueyao saw the city guard responsible for the entire safety of Cangyu City.
Yue Shuhong, in his forties this year, exuded an air of cultured elegance. As he watched the young woman dash towards him, a flicker of deep emotion crossed his eyes.
To have reached the Divine Travel Realm in her early twenties, and to be nearing perfection in that state, that was the gap between a top prodigy and himself.
"Governor Song, you have worked hard. You've been slaying demons since you arrived yesterday. We owe you a great deal for sparing the town from disaster," Yue Shuhong said with a light laugh.
Having just come from the residence, Song Yueyao was not in a good mood, and she replied with a somber expression, "Exterminating demons is the duty of martial artists like us, it's nothing. May I ask, Mr. Yue, the reason for seeking me?"
Yue Shuhong, having held high positions for a long time and being adept at reading people, felt a sense of appreciation towards someone who didn't indulge in flattery. His expression turned serious as he said,
"Governor Song must have seen the recent monster-slaying archives of our city. In the past half year, monsters have been appearing frequently, and about half a month ago, a large number of monsters began gathering in the Black Wind Mountain Range about a hundred miles east of the city. The caravans passing by have all met with misfortune."
Yue Shuhong spread out a Geomantic Chart on the table and pointed to a mountain range on the eastern side, "I sent men to investigate, and we lost four monster hunters just to gather some information."
As he said this, he turned his serious gaze towards Song Yueyao, "Among these monsters, there is a Great Demon that wants to unite the smaller demons and devour the entire Cangyu City!"
Song Yueyao was taken aback, her face turned pale. Cangyu City had millions of residents; was this Demon planning to overrun the city? Was it intent on carrying out a massacre?
This was not a common occurrence, even on the border.
"Then have you notified the Xia Family?" Song Yueyao asked immediately.
The Xia Family was one of the four great Divine Generals, and Qi State was the large state under their protection.
Yue Shuhong gave a wry smile and said, "I did, but it seems the Xia Family is currently engaged in a battle elsewhere. They said to wait until the Demon actually attacks, and then they will send someone to deal with it, asking us not to chase shadows."
A flash of anger crossed Song Yueyao's eyes, but she knew the Divine General Mansion was not a place she could comment on. If words she spoke here were to secretly reach the Xia Family, it could be somewhat detrimental to Tan Palace. She asked, "Is this information true or false?"
Yue Shuhong's face turned solemn, and he said seriously, "It is true, of course."
Then he added, "But I am not one hundred percent certain, so… if possible, could you, Governor Song, take the lead in asking for the Xia Family's assistance?"
Song Yueyao frowned; she wasn't well acquainted with this city guard and didn't want to be used as a pawn.
After thinking for a moment, she said, "I only hold the position of governor and may not be able to move them to action. So, I will investigate the situation first."
Yue Shuhong seemed to anticipate her response and nodded, "All right, then. Shall I join you? The Black Wind Mountain Range is too dangerous, with a Great Demon lurking there."
"That won't be necessary, I will just scout the edge," Song Yueyao said, and soon after took her leave of him.
Watching her go, Yue Shuhong watched for a long time, eventually letting out a long sigh.
Meanwhile, in the Monster Suppression Department.
Li Hao had just finished going through the recent monster-slaying records and had seen some other reports of monster activity.
"Black Wind Mountain Range, a gathering of monsters…" Li Hao's eyes narrowed slightly.
__________
The Monster Suppression Department's food was excellent, and aside from Li Hao, even people like Li Yuanzhao who were accustomed to delicacies from the mountains and seas ate heartily, their bellies and goblets full.
In Cui Fan's words, "We slayers of demons must always face life-threatening dangers, so we surely can't die with an empty stomach, right?"
That made sense.
After eating their fill, they rested for a quarter of an hour. Then, Cui Fan took out the map to show Li Hao and the others the area they would patrol that afternoon, before asking them to get ready and assemble outside.
The location for the patrol had previously shown signs of demon activity, which had been addressed. This time, they were going to check for any oversights, making it quite suitable for taking along newcomers.
When it came time to gather, however, Cui Fan saw only Li Yuanzhao and Ren Qianqian among the four people and couldn't help but ask in surprise, "Where's the last one?"
"Hao told us he went to the outhouse and asked us not to wait for him. As for the task assessment, he said Master Cui can just score him however you see fit."
Li Yuanzhao conveyed Li Hao's words as they were.
Cui Fan was speechless.
Then, he chuckled wryly to himself.
Sure enough, a young master from a great family had come here only to amuse himself and broaden his horizons; indeed, Cui Fan hadn't taken it seriously either.
In this day and age, those who took things too seriously were the ones to lose out.
"Alright then," he said.
Cui Fan didn't say much and led the four people on their way, while secretly devising an excuse in his mind to award the young master a perfect score.
After all, there was no way he could give a low score.
He would rather be accused of negligence than to mark down the score.
Because while the young master might only face issues with schooling, Cui Fan himself would be at risk of losing his job.
Cangyu City was square-shaped and surrounded by mountains on all four sides.
About thirty li to the east of the city lay a mountain range that spanned across the large river leading to Cangyu City. The range stretched for dozens of li with peaks upon peaks and lush forests.
The sunlight struggled to penetrate the large leaves, leading to heavy moisture in the woods and making the forest seem shadowy and ghostly even during broad daylight.
Near the mountain range, scattered like splashes of mud, lay some villages. Each village had several hunting households that relied on the mountain for sustenance and lived off hunting.
As the saying goes, "The duck knows first when the water is warm." These hunters who spent their years living off the land were the ones who best understood the dangers of the mountains.
Since several bold hunters who defied superstition had been found in the mountains, dismembered, nobody dared to venture into them again, with even the collection of firewood being limited to the foothills.
At this moment, however, a figure rushed through the air above the mountain range, speeding forward.
Clad in the black attire of the Monster Suppression Department, this person was none other than Li Hao.
Going to the outhouse was just an excuse. He wasn't needed for something like a patrol, and that Master Cui certainly wouldn't lead them to slay real demons; if there were any, they were only minor ones for practice.
As for the matter of academic credits, he cared even less for them. Anything that could be exchanged for credits at the Black and White Hall, the Li Family already had.
And the top-tier Peerless Technique wasn't something you could exchange for mere credits.
His only goal in coming to the Black Wind Mountain Range was to find the whereabouts of that demon.
The Tiger Robe Immortal.
Along the way, Li Hao noticed many demons flickering in the woods below and various spirits and monsters lurking among the trees.
But they were all minor demons, with faint demon auras.
Once reaching the Soul Succession Realm, one could glimpse the demon auras.
Through the perspective of the Divine Soul, one could see the energies of heaven and earth, and these wandering energies, like accumulated snow, would settle on all things in the mountains and rivers. Given enough time, they would adhere firmly.
Bamboo, rocks, animals—all were covered by "qi."
It was just that they were faint and pure, like colorless thin mist.
Martial Artists, however, were different; their qi was as vigorous as flames, and depending on the Cultivation Technique they practiced, the color of their qi would change. Those in the Divine Travel Realm and even the Fifteen Li Realm had qi as dazzling as stars. If not deliberately subdued, their presence could be discerned from li away.
It was the same with demons.
However, demons with Taoist cultivation usually hide their demonic aura and blend into the crowd, making them hard to spot.
At this moment, within the Black Wind Mountain Range, various dense and faint auras drifted about.
Li Hao released a golden light from the top of his head and his Divine Soul ventured forward, surveying the situation.
Deep in the mountain range, in front of a cave with rugged, grotesque rocks.
Leaning on a huge boulder, there sat a demon almost as tall as four or five Zhang, with the appearance of half-man, half-bear.
Scattered by its feet were pure white bones, and the relatively flat stone beneath its bottom was padded with some tattered and wrinkled human skins, the pungent stench of evil spreading around.
Beside it, there were other figures in various poses, including a long snake with the upper body of a seductive woman, a reptile with a withered head, and a monster with the lower body of a white baby's legs attached to the waist of a centipede.
"Great Demon of Mighty Strength, our Black Wind Mountain Range has already assembled over twenty thousand lesser demons, eight hundred spirits, and twenty-five who can transform. We're ready to join forces with the Red Eyebrow Taoist to devour Cangyu City at any moment!"
A snake woman with a winding figure and a seductive face said coquettishly as her head swayed in the air.
A gleam of craving showed in her eyes as she flickered her serpent tongue, seemingly impatient.
"Once we're done eating, we'll make our escape. The passage by Wangchuan Mountain has been cleared, ready for our departure at any moment," another gaunt and sparingly-haired old creature said with a titter.
"We must wait for the right moment."
The bear demon's face was filled with savage energy, yet its voice was calm:
"We'll act after the Red Eyebrow Taoist leads the others from the north in the attack. That man surnamed Yue secretly sent a message to the Xia Family half a month ago, but luckily the Red Eyebrow Taoist had a way to handle it. The Xia Family won't be coming for a while."
"After all this time, we finally get to feast properly, so satisfying!"
"The meat supplied by that man surnamed Yue is getting worse every time. This time, I must eat him."
"Heh, that's not your turn, the Tiger Robe Immortal has already reserved it."
The bear demon also glanced at the talking Wolf Demon and said coldly, "That Yue is the brother of Tiger Robe, it is reserved for him alone."
"I was just saying, how could I possibly compete with the Tiger Robe Immortal for food," the Wolf Demon hastily said with a sheepish smile.
As they conversed, suddenly, the bear demon seemed to sense something and looked up towards the woods.
There, a young man clad in dark clothes, with a sword strapped to his waist, brushed aside roadside weeds and walked slowly into this mountain heartland, occupied by numerous Great Demons.
At this very moment, the other demons also became aware, realizing a human had approached so closely without their detection!
"So many demons…"
Li Hao looked around, his gaze sweeping over each of the Great Demons in turn.
They only slightly concealed their auras; they didn't hide them completely, standing out like candles in the darkness.
As he saw the hellish scene before him, his expression changed, barely conceiving the number of humans cruelly slaughtered here.
"A Monster Suppression Envoy?"
Upon seeing Li Hao's attire, all the demons were taken aback.
The dragon pattern on his cuff and the number of patterns on his dark clothes indicated he was just a Monster Suppression Envoy.
Yet he dared to come before them?
"Hm? Are you here to deliver the meat supply? But it was just delivered a few days ago, and… you don't have any meat with you," said an old man with a high-pitched, strange laugh, who was as short as a dwarf. He hopped and skipped toward Li Hao but watched him carefully.
Li Hao knew what the demons meant by 'meat supply'.
Delivering meat?
He paused, suddenly realizing the incredible implications within those words—utterly chilling.
His mind raced with numerous thoughts, and Li Hao scanned the demons before asking, "Which of you is the Tiger Robe Immortal?"
"Looking for the Tiger Robe?" the demons were bewildered.
The emaciated old man grinned and said, "Boy, you've got guts. Aren't you afraid of us?"
"Afraid?"
Li Hao slowly drew the demon-slaying sword from his waist, "You've got audacity, being surrounded by me, and yet you don't run."