“But he didn’t die?”
“We thought we had killed him back then. Then I left first for the Central Plains, and they later joined forces to cleanse the earth veins, eliminating the formed source of demonic qi. We thought the matter was over.”
Hu Yijun nodded and said, “But this time, old Daoist Hongchang brought news from Great Jing. It suggests that he probably didn’t die back then.”
Lu Zheng thought for a moment and asked, “Could it be some small minion that slipped through the net back then?”
Hu Yijun shook his head, “Back then, they cleansed thousands of miles of mountains and rivers, digging three feet into the ground, killing all the demonic spawn clean.”
“Uh…”
“Of course, it’s not certain. Perhaps there were some that escaped early.”
Hu Yijun smiled and said, “So this time, taking advantage of Zhou’er’s wedding day, we gathered again to discuss. But the conversation didn’t go well, and the two monks even came to blows.”
Wang Yuzhi listened with her heart pounding in fear, “Such a terrifying figure, and our enemy, possibly not dead, and you can still laugh?”
“What’s the big deal?”
Hu Yijun laughed, “Upon receiving the news, each family has already investigated their nearby territories. All without findings. So whether it’s escaped demonic cultivators or that demon ancestor who escaped and then seized a new body, they are not near us now.
Now it seems they are causing havoc in Great Jing amid the floods. Probably eyeing the densely populated Central Plains. So naturally, those old monsters and old fellows in the Central Plains will deal with it. What do we have to worry about?”
Lu Zheng, “…”
What you say makes good sense, but we live in Great Jing, hey!
However, after laughing, Hu Yijun’s face turned serious, “We didn’t think so at the time, but now thinking back, we might really not have killed him.”
“How so?” Lu Zheng asked.
“The heartless transforms into true desire. This is the way of turning the real into the illusory.” Hu Yijun said, “Back then, his actual cultivation was below ours, yet he fought one against six without falling behind. Indeed having the style of a demon ancestor.”
“Back then, we destroyed his body, eradicated his true spirit. But the desires he spread in heaven and earth when casting the spell were not erased immediately, but dissipated slowly.”
Lu Zheng’s eyes flashed, “You mean he escaped using the desires spread in heaven and earth?”
“Heavenly demons from the upper realm have many methods. It’s not strange if he escaped.” Hu Yijun nodded.
Lu Zheng asked, “But this isn’t a method ordinary demonic cultivators can achieve, right?”
“Of course. Even if this demon ancestor’s dao lineage remains undestroyed in this realm, I’m afraid it would take thousands of years for someone to cultivate to this level.” Hu Yijun said matter-of-factly.
Then looking at Lu Zheng, he smiled again, “What are you afraid of? There are plenty of old monsters in White Cloud Temple. With innate cloud qi, all evils retreat. Clearing desires in people’s hearts is just an innate pure cloud spell.”
Lu Zheng couldn’t help but show an awkward yet polite smile.
Damn it, I’m not an old monster.
However, with the improvement of his own strength, the cultivation cooldown period is indeed getting shorter. The strength improvement each time is also increasing.
But to elevate to the level of those old monsters, it would take at least a dozen years.
Sigh, cultivation is really too hard!
“Alright, let’s not talk about him.” Hu Yijun waved his hand, skipping this topic.
“In this realm, heaven and earth are mainly spiritual qi, with upper realm inheritances intact, great powers endless. While demonic path cultivation requires self-generating demonic qi, effort doubled for half the result. So nothing to worry about.”
Hu Yijun smiled, “Rather than worrying about this and that, better think about what name our grandson should have?”
As the words fell, Hu Zhou and Gao Junyu had just newly wed. Even if straightforward, at this time they were a bit shy.
Wang Yuzhi reached out and gently pinched Hu Yijun, “After talking for so long, it’s nearly noon. Why not eat first.”
…
In the following ten or so days, Lu Zheng and Liu Qingyan, under Wang Yuzhi’s hospitality, toured the scenery in the Dingfeng Mountain area.
Tianfeng Canyon, Wuyu Stream, Shuangying Gully, Lianshan Eighteen Villages, Dushan Dense Forest…
While Hu Zhou and Gao Junyu, newlyweds, did not join them, but went elsewhere themselves. Not even Lu Zheng’s cooking could hold them back.
…
Half a month later, the two bid farewell.
Before leaving, Hu Yijun pulled them to discuss dao for half a day. And to thank them for coming thousands of miles to attend the wedding banquet, Lu Zheng had given two hundred jin of Wuliangye. So he specially returned the gift, giving each a scripture.
“Little Qingqiu Confusing God Method”.
“True Dragon Great Hand Seal”.
The former is what Hu Yijun found in a fox spirit’s cave mansion. Mainly some mental secret techniques, methods for facing enemies, perfect for Liu Qingyan to cultivate.
The latter is a martial dao technique. Hu Yijun saw Lu Zheng cultivating both dao and martial, with deep White Cloud Temple direct transmission, but no powerful martial techniques. So he gave him one.
This “True Dragon Great Hand Seal” not only condenses blood qi deeply, but can also cultivate spirit. Truly achieving mutual stimulation and promotion with dao techniques.
Lu Zheng originally wanted to say no reward without merit. But thinking about it, Wuliangye is indeed the unique top wine in this world, and it was very face-giving at the wedding banquet.
So… really fragrant!
…
Lu Zheng and Liu Qingyan headed north back, soon leaving the Dingfeng Mountain area, then continuing north.
“North of Dingfeng Mountain, there seem to be a few experts each occupying hundreds of miles of territory. Not submitting to Dingfeng Mountain, not under Nine Nether Abyss.” Lu Zheng and Liu Qingyan chatted casually, then he smiled, “Seems there’s a fox spirit among them. Do you want to go chat?”
Liu Qingyan tilted her head, gave Lu Zheng a displeased glare, “No!”
At the wedding banquet when names were sung, Liu Qingyan also saw that fellow clansman. Truly seductive and glamorous, charming and bewitching.
But heard her biggest hobby is yearly selecting talents among common people, picking handsome youths to serve in her chambers.
If served well, would grant spiritual medicine, strengthen the body. Even when she got tired, they could return to the village to marry, succeed as village chief.
As for those who didn’t serve well, heard many bones buried behind the cliff in the rear mountain of Jiyue Mountain.
But this is the Southern Border. Slaying demons and removing evils is not up to Lu Zheng and Liu Qingyan. Even the Maze God Valley master is Hu Yijun’s guest. Lu Zheng of course can’t apply modern or Great Jing dynasty rules to the Southern Border.
As long as not large-scale slaughter, eating people, blood refining, these are common in the Southern Border.
Of course, this doesn’t align with Lu Zheng and Liu Qingyan’s intentions. So Liu Qingyan doesn’t want to greet her.
However, Liu Qingyan doesn’t want to greet her, doesn’t mean she doesn’t want to connect with Lu Zheng and Liu Qingyan.
The next moment, a figure emerged from behind a nearby tree, “This concubine Xin Yuniang of Jiyue Mountain, greets Young Master Lu, Miss Liu!”
Wearing a warm yellow gold thread white pattern evening flower rain silk skirt. Under the cold smoke lotus bun, black hair hanging over shoulders. Eyes like autumn water waves, neck like white jade emerging from clouds, red lips and white teeth, graceful and swaying.
“So it’s Master Xin!” Lu Zheng stopped, arched his hands in salute.
Xin Yuniang’s eyes flowed, looking at Lu Zheng then Liu Qingyan, “Dare not accept the title of mountain master from you two. This concubine is just a little fox without ambition.”
Lu Zheng couldn’t help but raise his eyebrows. You an ancient old demon, calling yourself little fox, is that really okay?
“Meeting you two today is fate. As the sky is getting late now, why not stay at my cave mansion for a night, and hurry on tomorrow.”
