South Qing Street is located to the west of Tai City, one of the main thoroughfares, home to many military families.
Both Ji Xiaqing and Ji Xia wore cloaks that concealed their faces. After all, the visit of the Tai Cang Nation's monarch and a general would undoubtedly stir up some attention.
They stood before a wooden door that had been carefully cleaned. Ji Xia placed his hands behind his back and asked Jing Yu, "Is this your home?"
Jing Yu remained silent, only nodding slightly. Ji Xia thought back to the look in her eyes after Ji Xiaqing had saved her and felt a little awkward. However, having dealt with countless difficult situations in his past life, he was able to mask his discomfort.
He spoke casually, "In that case, you go in first. General Ji and I still need to walk around and observe the people's living conditions in Tai City."
Jing Yu's bright eyes turned to Ji Xiaqing, and she finally spoke, "Jing Yu thanks General Ji for the rescue. Would you care to come inside for a drink of water before we discuss the next steps?"
"Sure," Ji Xiaqing nodded.
She glanced at Ji Xia, her voice taking on an ethereal quality, "The monarch has instructed me to offer some compensation. Should I take this opportunity to speak with her?"
Ji Xia thought for a moment and nodded slightly.
He turned to Jing Yu, who seemed unperturbed by the discussion. She gestured politely for them to enter and, without a word, pushed open the door. Ji Xiaqing followed her inside.
With Ji Xiaqing attending to Jing Yu, Ji Xia remained outside, his gaze wandering over the dilapidated streets, lost in thought.
He observed for a while and was about to find a large tree for some shade when a staggering figure appeared at the far end of the street, carrying a sword.
The figure looked rather robust, and Ji Xia suddenly felt a strange sense of familiarity. As the figure drew closer, he recognized the young man from the battlefield—a companion who had fought alongside him.
The young man spotted Ji Xia as well. He walked past Ji Xia but seemed to notice something and turned back, his face filled with excitement.
"Your Majesty?" the young man exclaimed, his tone full of surprise.
Ji Xia was equally surprised. He hadn't expected the young man, who had been so badly injured, to be alive. Removing his hood, Ji Xia smiled, "We meet again?"
The young man, upon seeing Ji Xia's face, immediately knelt on one knee and placed his right hand on his chest. "I pay my respects to the monarch."
Ji Xia shook his head and helped him up. "How did you recognize me with my hood on?"
The young man, towering over Ji Xia, bent slightly as he answered, "Your Majesty, Jing Ye has heightened senses. I recognized your scent just now."
Ji Xia, hearing his name, glanced at the wooden door Jing Yu and Ji Xiaqing had entered. "Your surname is Jing…"
Before he could finish his question, someone suddenly burst out from the door.
Tears streamed down Jing Yu's face as she rushed out, crossing the distance in a few rapid strides before she collapsed into the strong young man's arms. "Big brother..." she sobbed, her voice trembling. Jing Ye, equally emotional, gently patted her head and whispered, "Yu Mei, don't cry. Big brother is back."
As he spoke, Jing Yu, overwhelmed with emotion, began to cry even harder, nearly sobbing uncontrollably.
Ji Xia stood awkwardly aside and smiled in embarrassment.
Jing Ye, while comforting his sister, turned to Ji Xia and smiled. "I haven't been home for over a month. The battlefield was too dangerous, and my sister must have been worried about me."
At some point, Ji Xiaqing had moved behind Ji Xia and cast him a side glance.
When Jing Ye saw Ji Xiaqing, he hurriedly wiped the tears from Jing Yu's face and bowed. "I pay my respects to General Ji."
After Ji Xiaqing acknowledged him with a nod, Jing Ye's expression brightened, and he whispered to Jing Yu, "Stop crying. Big brother is fine. Come, let's greet the monarch and the general. You probably don't know, but these two are the monarch and general of Tai Cang. Tai Cang's great victory was all thanks to them, and if it weren't for the monarch's rescue, I would have perished on the battlefield."
Jing Yu blinked, and in Ji Xia's silence, she actually curtsied and greeted him, saying, "I pay my respects to the monarch and General Ji. I will never forget the monarch's saving grace for my brother's life."
Her words were sincere, as though she had forgotten that Ji Xia had once forcefully taken her away.
Ji Xia coughed lightly and nodded. "There's no need for such formalities."
"Your Majesty, what brings you to South Qing Street? Do you require my assistance?" Jing Ye asked as he helped Jing Yu to her feet.
"I'm here with General Ji to inspect the people's living conditions…"
Suddenly, an unexpected change occurred!
The once clear sky was now covered in dark clouds, and a chill filled the air. A column of black smoke descended from the sky, quickly coalescing into a shadowy figure!
Ji Xiaqing unsheathed her Qing Jun Sword, holding it firmly in her hand. The dark red sword aura expanded violently, pointing directly at the black smoke figure before them.
Jing Ye unsheathed his great sword, positioning himself protectively in front of Ji Xia and Jing Yu, his eyes filled with wariness.
The black smoke figure ignored Ji Xiaqing and Jing Ye. Instead, its gaze focused on Ji Xia, and a voice emerged from the smoke, echoing like it came from the depths of an abyss.
"Is Shi dead? You are the monarch of this generation of Tai Cang?"
Ji Xia remained expressionless as he watched the black smoke figure.
"Fine, I came here to kill Shi while he was heavily injured. But since he is already dead…" the figure continued, "killing you, the monarch of this era, will not be in vain."
The figure raised a hand, and black smoke enveloped its fingers. A single finger pointed at Ji Xia, releasing a burst of black smoke.
In an instant, the smoke transformed into a three-meter-tall beast with a tiger's body and an ox's head, its mouth filled with countless sharp teeth, roaring as it charged toward Ji Xia.
Ji Xia's reflexes, sharpened by recent battles, had improved significantly. The Revenge Sword appeared in his hand in a flash, piercing the beast, and Ji Xiaqing and Jing Ye also unsheathed their swords, striking at the same time!
But something unexpected happened. The swords passed right through the beast as though it were mere smoke, leaving no mark on its body!
"Where is Meng Gui?" Ji Xiaqing shouted. "Come protect the monarch! This is a divine powerhouse from Zhou Qing!"
At once, a figure appeared from the shadows—Meng Gui, a black-clad, masked man. He was one of Tai Cang's strongest warriors, tasked with secretly protecting the monarch.
The fight escalated as dozens of black-robed cultivators emerged, each one seeming to materialize from the black smoke.
Meng Gui took out a small jade stone from his sleeve and tossed it onto the ground. A burst of light revealed a strange, decaying creature, its body covered in rotting flesh, insects crawling over it. The creature opened its arms, seemingly ready to face the summoned beast.
The beast and the decaying creature collided.
The beast finally seemed to be affected, its horns held tight by the creature's bony hands. The ground beneath the decaying creature cracked under the immense pressure, but it managed to hold the beast at bay.
The black smoke figure, seeing the beast halted, moved again. In the blink of an eye, it appeared before Ji Xia, swinging its right hand as though wielding a blade. The black smoke condensed into a short blade, slashing toward Ji Xia's head!
"Monarch, be careful!" Ji Xiaqing cried.
Her Qing Jun Sword surged with crimson light, the spiritual energy rippling like a tidal wave as it collided with the short blade, scattering it to pieces!
But before the figure could crash into Ji Xia, a flash of light appeared beside him.
The Revenge Sword shot out with incredible speed.
It sliced through the black smoke figure as though cutting through air, but it had no time to fully celebrate. Ji Xia's heart raced, though his face remained as calm as ever.