Chapter 564: Arrival

Just as suspected.

The turmoil wasn’t just limited to the Black Dragon Gang and the Pai Sect; it was spreading along the East Sea Coast with alarming speed.

In less than a month, internal strife erupted in one place after another, and region after region was attacked by Demons.

As a result, all waterways were cut off.

However, due to poor communication, the common people remained ignorant of this. Only some of the major merchant families noticed that something was amiss. Coupled with the various rumors flying around, very few people truly paid it any mind.

「Two months later.」

A fierce battle erupted in Yuanding City, the largest city in Taiyuan Prefecture, as a Great Demon from Mang Mountain officially made its appearance.

「Three months later.」

Zhenghai City was destroyed.

The Huang Family of Zhenghai City, who had some dealings with Zhu Ju, also suffered a great catastrophe. The Huang Family’s Second-Grade master perished in the maw of a Celestial Roc Demon King. If not for the timely arrival of reinforcements from the Yuee Family of the Island of Continuous Mountains, the Huang Family would likely have been wiped out.

In this battle,

it was said that First-Grade Peak powerhouses clashed in the void, causing mountains to collapse and leaving a hundred-mile radius desolate.

For a time,

the chaos became impossible to contain.

「Six months later.」

Water City fell.

Water City was only a few days’ journey from Taiyuan Prefecture—and that was for an ordinary person on foot. A rider on a fast horse could make it in a single day.

Only then did the common people realize something was wrong.

「Zhu Mansion.」

Everyone was gathered in the living room.

“The City Lord has ordered the city gates shut. All the refugees are being held outside the city, and the sheer number of them is enough to make your skin crawl.”

Nursing Director Zhang shook his head, his expression complicated.

“The refugees are mixed with bandits, thieves, and possibly even Demons from Mang Mountain. This has made the situation outside the city incredibly complex. People selling their lives for a pittance are everywhere.”

“Hmph!” someone in the room snorted.

“It would be one thing if it was just to prevent the refugees from causing trouble. But from what I know, you can still get into the city as long as you pay enough silver coins. That City Lord will stop at nothing to rake in money.”

Zhu Ju glanced to the side and saw it was Qian Hu.

Beside him, Qian Shiyao frowned upon hearing his words, tugging his sleeve and shooting him a look.

She clearly didn’t want him to speak so recklessly.

“There’s some truth to that.”

Zhou Ruxuan’s brow furrowed slightly as she sighed.

“Our dear City Lord is obsessed with money. It’s reached an unreasonable level.”

“My father said that.”

“When the Qingyi Gang was still around, they collected tax silver for the City Lord’s Mansion,” Ming Nianwei spoke up. “Only a small portion was turned over to the Divine Dynasty. The rest was divided between the Qingyi Gang and the City Lord’s Mansion.”

“Whether it was silver taels for bandit suppression or disaster relief, if it passed through the City Lord’s Mansion, they’d always skim a layer off the top.”

“Heh…”

“With Yann Ji’s personality, I’m afraid he’ll be the first to run when disaster truly strikes.”

“Master Ming,” Nursing Director Zhang’s expression changed.

“Watch your words!”

The City Lord represented the Divine Dynasty. For a commoner to speak his name directly was disrespectful—an offense one could be punished for.

Ming Nianwei rolled her eyes.

In the past, she might have been afraid, but now that her horizons had broadened, she no longer paid any mind to a mere City Lord.

“City Lord Yann has a Fifth-Grade Cultivation and hundreds of Mansion Soldiers. Even if only a small fraction of them have trained in the Battle Array Method, that’s still a considerable force.”

Zhu Ju rested his chin on his hand.

“As long as no masters from the Upper Three Grades appear, Taiyuan Prefecture won’t be in any immediate danger.”

‘Even if they do,’

‘with my current methods and strength, protecting myself won’t be a problem.’

Of course, he didn’t say this out loud.

“My lord.”

Ming Nianwei asked in a low voice,

“You don’t seem to be in good spirits lately. Your Qi Blood is also unstable at times. Is something troubling you?”

Hearing this, Zhou Ruxuan quickly turned to look at him, her eyes filled with concern.

“No.”

Zhu Ju shook his head gently.

“I just got a bit ahead of myself. I tried to bite off more than I could chew and ended up choking on it.”

As he spoke,

he sighed helplessly.

The heart of a Second-Grade Demon King wasn’t as easy to refine as he had imagined. After all, it was from a Realm he had yet to reach himself.

Over the past six months, every time he tried to refine the Demon Heart, he had to face the assault of the Demon King’s remnant soul.

Over time,

this had slowed the progress of his Refinement and left his spirit exhausted.

But it wasn’t without its benefits. At the very least, through the clashes with the Demon King’s remnant soul, his own Primordial Spirit had grown much stronger. Once he completely destroyed the remnant soul, his Cultivation would surely advance by leaps and bounds.

Moreover, his Physical Body had also undergone constant tempering over the past six months, making it significantly stronger than before.

“That’s the situation.”

Taking a deep breath, Zhu Ju sat up straight and spoke slowly.

“For now, the Divine Dynasty has made no move, and the Island of Continuous Mountains is stretched too thin. We can only watch as the situation deteriorates.”

“Therefore…”

“we need to prepare an escape route.”

“Young Master,” Nursing Director Zhang began hesitantly.

“Are you suggesting… we migrate north?”

“Correct,” Zhu Ju nodded.

“We haven’t reached that point yet, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. We should prepare in advance to avoid chaos when the time comes.”

“First, make a list of those willing to leave with us. As for those who are unwilling…”

“it doesn’t matter!”

“Yes,” Nursing Director Zhang nodded in agreement.

“Report!”

Just then,

one of the mansion’s guards rushed in.

“The City Lord has issued an order! To resist the Demon invasion, next year’s tax silver will be collected in advance to fund the army.”

?

As soon as the words were spoken, everyone in the room was left speechless.

With Zhu’s Cloth Workshop, the people of Zhu Mansion didn’t have to worry about the tax silver. But what about the common folk?

*

*

*

“SHHH…”

A torrential downpour cascaded from the sky.

Within the curtain of rain,

two ferocious-looking Demons launched an assault as fierce as a storm upon a slender figure.

They had sharp fangs and claws. A whip of their long tails created a sonic boom, and with a single flicker, they could cross several dozen feet.

Long-Tailed Monkey Demons!

Among the Demon Race, monkeys were the most human-like, and also the cleverest.

These two Demons were both Sixth-Grade Great Demons. They had thick hides, astonishing strength, and were incredibly agile. Even a Sixth-Grade Martial Artist would normally be no match for them.

What’s more,

it was now two against one.

The human figure swayed, long sleeves fluttering.

The once-soft sleeves suddenly became like steel whips, powerful enough to shatter stone tablets. Her posture was graceful and elegant, dreamlike amidst the curtain of rain. It looked like a dance, but it concealed deadly intent.

“THUD!”

A muffled impact rang out.

The two Demons shrieked strangely as they were sent flying.

However, their innate Talents meant they were not injured. Instead, the attack stirred the ferocious Qi within them. Their eyes turned red as they lunged forward again, their speed and power surging.

“Junior Sister, be careful!”

An anxious shout came from not far away.

“ZING!”

The melodious hum of a sword rang out.

The woman tapped her foot and retreated, a Soft Sword springing from her palm with a clear ringing sound.

Her Sword Skill was like water dripping through stone—focused on a single point.

Her Body Technique was like a silent night rain—stealthy and unpredictable.

Her sword speed was incredibly fast, the tip of the blade trembling like rain on a banana leaf, making it impossible for the attacking Demons to defend.

“SWISH!”

The figures crossed paths.

The woman sheathed her sword and stood still. Behind her, the two Demons froze in place. A moment later, mists of blood erupted from their bodies, and their life force vanished in an instant.

“Excellent!”

“What a magnificent Profound Water Drip Sword! Junior Sister Shuang’er, your Sword Technique has improved again. Congratulations!”

“Brother Yuan, you flatter me,” Zhu Shuang’er replied, glancing sideways. Her face was like frost, and her voice was ice-cold.

“Since the other senior and junior brothers have dealt with the Demons, we should get back on the road.”

“Alright.”

Brother Yuan nodded and waved to the sky. Immediately, a Fifth-Grade Spiritual Bird slowly descended.

“Junior Sister Shuang’er, I hear you’re from around here?”

“Yes.”

A faint ripple appeared in Zhu Shuang’er’s clear eyes.

“I grew up in Taiyuan Prefecture.”

“Perfect,” Brother Yuan laughed heartily.

“We’re assisting the Divine Dynasty in slaying Demons this time, and our path takes us right through Taiyuan Prefecture. We can rest there for a few days. Junior Sister, why don’t you take the opportunity to see some old acquaintances?”

“True bonds between people are forged either when they are humble and unknown or when they meet at their lowest point. Otherwise, it’s hard to form a genuine connection.”

As he spoke,

he gave Zhu Shuang’er a meaningful look.