Chapter 40

The air was trembling.

The demons and ghosts who had escaped deep into Jade Mountain felt an instinctive fear.

The demonic energy gathered into a towering wave, slowly and irresistibly surging from the foot of Jade Mountain.

“All demons and ghosts, listen! The Jade-faced Spider is dead, and from now on, the Demon Slaying Sect will be led by me, Demon Ghost A!”

The Yu Xian Terrace was in chaos, with the demons from the Demon Slaying Sect busy running for their lives, but still unable to part with the gold, silver, and jade treasures inside Jade Mountain. For a moment, they scattered like headless flies.

“Stop running! Even if Mo Lin comes, there’s nothing to fear! As long as we unite, Mo Lin will show us respect for the sake of the people of Jiuyou. We still have a chance—”

“Shut up!”

One demon kicked Demon Ghost A off his jade throne and grabbed the seat to run.

He hadn’t taken two steps before another figure collided with him and sent him flying.

“This is mine! Put it down!”

“Whoever grabs it gets it!”

“F*ck your grandpa! If I kill you, it’ll all be mine!”

The luxuries of Jade Mountain, from the lavish silk tents and food to the fine cuisine, had long been a hedonistic indulgence, rivaling even the immortal families.

The demons fought each other, exposing their ugly sides, to the point that they didn’t even notice the suffocating, humid air that filled the surroundings, signaling an impending storm.

At the height of the uproar—

All sound suddenly vanished, and a deep, cold voice flooded their minds without warning.

“Command the 300,000 gods of the world, entrust their names to them, and all the demons shall fall in line, as per the law—”

“Ghost Law, Volume 8, Sections 4, 3, and 7—Demon Ghost A, Zuming, Fangliang, decree.”

The three demons’ minds went blank. They only reacted when a shadow of eerie green ghost fire flashed past.

The rumors were true.

Mo Lin really could summon and control demons with his name.

So, in the past, he hadn’t led the demons to attack Jade Mountain—he had only been concerned for the people of Jiuyou, brainwashed by the Demon Slaying Sect.

But now, with Yin Mountain Liu Yu’s ghost ritual shaking the position of the Demon Slaying Sect in the hearts of the people, Mo Lin’s former concerns no longer existed—

The shackles that had bound the Demon Lord were broken by Liu Yu.

“I always knew you were weak.”

The Demon Lord shattered the Yu Xian Terrace’s dome with a single step, covering the faces of two demons with his hands and smashing their skulls into the ground.

His eyes, burning with anger, locked onto the Demon Ghost A beneath his feet.

“But after attacking Jade Mountain, I realize you’re even weaker than I thought.”

The demons of the Demon Slaying Sect looked in horror at the green-clad demon who had broken through their defenses.

Mo Lin slowly raised his head and surveyed the surroundings.

“You’re so weak… and yet… still dreaming of defeating me and dividing the world with the Dazhao immortal family?”

It was hard to tell whether he was more mocking or furious.

Mo Lin stared coldly at these foolish fellow demons, crushing their skulls without any hint of satisfaction in his eyes.

“Or are you saying that it doesn’t matter if you can’t resist the immortal family? Even if the demons are reduced to slaves of the immortal families again, you demons who are willing to serve them will still live in luxury, won’t you?”

Mo Lin pulled his hand out of the brain matter and shattered bones, punching the demon beneath him in the face.

He raised an eyebrow, his eyes cold and emotionless as he stared at him.

“Do you remember? The place where you sent your surviving kin—the feeling of those fists landing on you in the colorless city? Can you remember that?”

“Speak.”

“Answer me.”

One punch after another.

No magic, just pure violence.

The demon had long since passed out and could not speak a single word.

Above Jade Mountain, the morning light turned a faint green.

In the front, Mo Lin forged ahead, and after a day and night of wandering, Liu Yu in the divine sedan finally closed her eyes to rest.

“…Miss, this is the Wuliang Sea seized by Fang Fucang.”

Chaoming dragged the nearly lifeless Jade-faced Spider before Liu Yu.

Still catching his breath, Chaoming took out a black lacquered box from his chest.

The lid bore a dried bloodstain, though it was unclear whether it had been left by Fang Fucang or Chaoming himself.

A skilled female servant approached, sniffed, and then bowed to Liu Yu.

“Yes, inside there’s a rare herb, the Soul-Returning Fragrance. To make pills like the Wuliang Sea, this is absolutely essential.”

Liu Yu closed the lid and handed the box back to Chaoming.

She asked, “How’s Fang Fucang’s situation?”

“He looks exhausted,” Chaoming answered honestly, “but he should… be quite happy.”

Saying happy was an understatement.

Chaoming hadn’t encountered Fang Fucang many times, and when he did, the man was usually slouching and sleepy.

But yesterday, when Chaoming saw him, Fang Fucang was rarely relaxed, sitting comfortably on a small mound of earth, exhaling smoke with a look of relief on his face.

When Chaoming stared at the head at his feet, Fang Fucang explained:

That was his former superior when he was at the Jiufang family. Back then, this person had visited the Jiufang family’s main branch and overheard some rumors, learning that the relationship between the Jiufang family and the Yinshan family had deteriorated. Upon returning, he became paranoid, believing that anyone associated with the Yinshan family was a spy sent by them to infiltrate the Jiufang family.

Worried that there might be a leak under his command, this superior ordered an investigation into everyone involved with the Yinshan family.

This investigation led to Fang Fucang.

In fact, marriages and interactions between the immortal families were common. Even if two families were engaged in a life-and-death struggle, many people still couldn’t bear to separate from their spouses.

But some, like his superior, were not so forgiving.

Even if it was just the daughter of a minor servant from the Yinshan family, he ordered her to be divorced, or else Fang Fucang’s family would be stripped of their surname and expelled from the Jiufang family.

“Because of a single word, a single thought from those at the top, the people at the bottom end up with their families broken apart. This is the kind of life people live under the immortal families,” Fang Fucang muttered, flicking the tobacco from his pipe onto the severed head at his feet, his eyes calm behind the strands of hair on his forehead.

“As for Ah Jiang, no ruler would have wanted to see what happened. But I’ll say something I shouldn’t—thankfully, the young lady is soft-hearted, and she kept Ah Jiang by her side for a while. At least she had a few days of peace. Otherwise, once her mission failed and she was erased by those behind the scenes, no one would have cared.”

“Compared to those immortal families who would kill a hundred to ensure no one escaped, I’d rather serve a person like the young lady.”

Chaoming relayed this to Liuyu.

Liuyu remained silent for a while after hearing it.

The figure on the ground, covered in blood, opened its eyes. The octopus-legged spider in the mud twitched, like a dying creature struggling to move.

“Women’s kindness… Women’s kindness! It’s because I know you have this foolish kindness that I’ll use this method to deal with you! You even want to save a lowly prostitute, how could you ever accomplish anything great! Sooner or later… you will end up just like me…”

Chaoming’s previously softened expression turned grim again.

But before he could act, Liuyu stepped off the divine palanquin and walked toward the front.

Dressed in a cerulean satin gown adorned with turquoise and jade, the outer layer of her dress shimmered in the sunlight, an enchanting and dazzling sight.

The Jade-faced Spider had one eye beaten so badly by Chaoming that it couldn’t see, and the other was too swollen to open.

He couldn’t see Liuyu’s appearance clearly, but just from the extravagant hem of her gown, he could imagine how extraordinary this girl, already known for her beauty, must be.

“So, what do you think was your downfall?”

Liuyu lowered her eyes, staring at the struggling limbs of the Jade-faced Spider.

Its eyes turned red, and its breathing became rapid.

Before it could speak, a sharp pain struck its back, making its mind go blank.

The severed limb was thick and covered in tiny hairs, its remaining reflexes causing the limb to twitch slightly as Liuyu held it.

It was an unpleasant sensation.

But Liuyu closed her eyes and ripped off the second limb.

“Kindness won’t make someone fail, but weakness will get them killed.”

A silver strand of hair rested against Liuyu’s chest, calming her heartbeat.

What had once disgusted her didn’t seem as terrifying now.

“I won’t change this flaw of mine, I just need to become stronger, strong enough so that even if Chaoming extends a hand to those trapped in despair, they won’t drag me down into the mud—then I’ll watch evil beings like you perish.”

Liuyu tore off his limbs one by one.

When the last limb was removed from his body, the Jade-faced Spider stopped moving.

It was dead.

Liuyu threw the limb aside and turned to Chaoming behind her.

“Once Mo Lin secures Yushan, he’ll send the remnants of Yushan back to Yedu. You should find a death row prisoner to test the effects of the Wuliang Sea medicine at the entrance of Shifang Street in Yedu and expose the evidence of the Jade-faced Spider’s collusion with the Great Zhao.”

“There will be many questions, and you need to be ready with evidence to answer them. You cannot suppress them by force, but you must convince them with reason—Chaoming, can you handle this?”

The demons of the Nine Hells were different from the already subdued common people in the Great Zhao.

Their prejudice against Chaoming would be far greater than the solid evidence in front of them.

But Liuyu still needed Chaoming to carry out this task.

Chaoming withdrew his gaze from the Jade-faced Spider’s corpse. He suddenly knelt on one knee, and when he looked up, his youthful face revealed a calm expression that Liuyu recognized well.

“Rest assured, young lady.”

Chaoming had come to understand the kindness and ignorance, simplicity and cunning of the Nine Hells demons.

He would not take any chances, but would give it his all.

“One more thing,” Chaoming said solemnly. “When I went to meet Fang Fucang outside the Great Wall, I received some news—Xiangli family has taken Taiping City.”

The Xiangli family Chaoming referred to was the one led by Xiangli Shen in Longdui City.

Liuyu’s gaze sharpened.

Many immortal families had their eyes on Taiping City, but most of them were either branches of great families or third-rate families due to the distance from the power center of Great Zhao.

The only second-rate family Liuyu had her eyes on was the Shentu family, which controlled six cities.

Liuyu had thought the Shentu family would eventually take Taiping City.

But…

“Fine,” Liuyu smiled. “Then let’s settle the score with the Xiangli family and you, Chaoyuan, first.”

Chaoming tilted his head in confusion.

He could understand himself, but his sister had treated those Yushan demons who had consumed Wuliang Sea like mere vegetables.

Now, it seemed like Xiangli Shen wanted to settle accounts with them instead.

After giving a few more instructions, Liuyu watched as Chaoming’s figure disappeared into the forest.

Liuyu felt half of her heart settle.

The other half still hung in the air, concerned about the Twelve Liuyan Gods behind her who were still recovering.

At present, there was chaos around the Jade Mountain, and Liuyu had ordered Chaoming to secure a slightly safer area and had two skilled female attendants tend to the injured Mountain Demons lying on bamboo beds.

By the time she took care of the various tasks and finally found time to check on the wounded, the first thing she heard was:

“Don’t you dare breathe! I can definitely pick this one out!”

Her hurried steps halted.

The energetic voice sounded somewhat different from the feeble condition she had imagined.

“Heehee, Lan Zhu is going to lose.”

The ghostly girl, lying on the bamboo bed, swung her small legs playfully.

“Today, I beat you in the ranking match, and I won in picking the wooden sticks too. Lan Zhu is so silly.”

White Pingting, who was lying beside her, had a slightly pale complexion and reminded her:

“Be careful, your leg was just stitched up. If it moves too much and comes undone, it’ll have to be stitched again.”

“It’s fine, really, I don’t feel any pain,” the ghost girl responded.

The Mountain Demon rolled her eyes: “Who cares if you feel pain or not? Sister Pingting isn’t fully healed yet, and we’re short on hands, so don’t make more trouble.”

The four demons lying side by side on the bamboo beds formed a circle, and despite their injuries, they continued to play the wooden stick-picking game.

When Liuyu’s figure stopped nearby, the ghost girl’s eyes brightened.

“Honored Master is here!”

The others also looked over.

Lan Zhu, who was in an awkward position, moved slightly but immediately winced in pain.

Seeing them so relaxed, Liuyu initially thought their injuries weren’t too severe. But after calling the attendants to check, she learned that these four demons had barely escaped death.

The ghost girl had just had her leg reattached.

The Mountain Demon had a chunk of her scalp severed.

Lan Zhu had nearly been split in half.

White Pingting’s fighting style was meant to delay opponents, but she herself had nearly bled to death.

“…And you’re still playing?” Liuyu squatted down between them helplessly, casually picking up a wooden stick. “If any of you were to die, who would protect your master?”

Lan Zhu was startled by Liuyu’s steady and precise movements.

The ghost girl giggled and said, “We’re playing because we’re injured! When we got hurt in the hunting grounds, we used to play with these sticks to distract ourselves.”

The game of picking wooden sticks required full focus, which helped them forget the pain in their bodies.

The Mountain Demon nodded in agreement.

“And Master doesn’t need us to protect her. We need her protection.”

When the battle with the Twelve Liuyan Gods had ended the night before, if Liuyu hadn’t acted swiftly to eliminate the demons who took advantage of the chaos, they wouldn’t have been alive.

Liuyu lowered her eyes and picked up another wooden stick.

But this time, her hand wasn’t as steady.

White Pingting smiled. “You’re breaking the rules, Master.”

The ghost girl called out, “It’s fine, it’s fine! Come play with us, Master!”

Liuyu didn’t continue. She pulled back her hand and tilted her head, asking:

“Do you often get injured in the hunting grounds?”

Not long ago, the practice of watching demons fight in the hunting grounds had been very popular in Yujing, the capital of the Immortal City. Liuyu had only watched a few times and found the raw violence devoid of any skill uninteresting.

Lan Zhu answered: “Of course, the only rule in Wuse City is that we’re not allowed to die. No matter how badly we get hurt, we’re never really crippled.”

Liuyu fell silent for a moment, resting her chin on her hand and asking:

“Does Mo Lin play with wooden sticks when he’s injured?”

She found it hard to imagine Mo Lin playing with these small sticks while lying on the ground.

“Master would never,” the Mountain Demon proudly answered. “Master is especially strong! A real man like him would never even furrow his brow, no matter how severe the injury!”

White Pingting gave him a look, but the Mountain Demon was oblivious.

He believed that their master’s strength made him particularly dependable and reassuring.

If Liuyu knew more about their master, she would surely fall for him.

“Your Majesty,”

A black-clad ghost servant appeared quietly behind Liuyu and addressed the group of demons:

“Report from Jade Mountain: The remaining forces of the Jade Spider have been mostly cleared out.”

The other injured demons cheered at the news.

Liuyu also relaxed slightly and asked,

“Does he have any other messages?”

“There is,” the ghost servant replied. “We discovered a spring near Jade Mountain that can aid in healing. Your master has divided it into sections for the wounded to use.”

The cheer grew even louder.

Everyone followed the ghost servant’s direction up the mountain.

At the summit of Jade Mountain, they found a large, open hot spring pool.

The pool was surrounded by bamboo, with jagged rocks and a separate house nearby for the owner to rest after bathing. Inside, everything was furnished with high-end items, rivaling the grandeur of the Extreme Night Palace.

It wasn’t surprising that the Jade Spider had been so dedicated, willingly manipulated by the Great Zhao—money does attract bravery.

Injured demons were continually brought to the hot spring pool, which was almost stained red with blood.

Thankfully, the spring water was fresh, and by the time night fell, as the healed demons began to leave for Jade Mountain’s lower slopes, the water had turned into a fresh, clear bath.

It was only then that Liuyu brought her clothes and came to soak in the spring.

The spring was divided into men’s and women’s sides, and after pondering the ghost servant’s instructions, Liuyu still wasn’t sure which side was which.

…Oh well, she sensed no one was in the spring, so she just picked one side and walked in.

Then, in a sea of milky white mist, she saw a tall figure, his skin pale and covered in scars.

His black hair hung down, damp like seaweed.

His dark green eyes appeared moist, like moss, in the mist.

Half of his body was submerged in the pool, as though he was wiping the blood from his body.

Amidst the swirling mist, the person’s vacant eyes held a cold emptiness, as if there was nothing inside.