Chapter 379 - 370: "Shh—!

Chapter 379: Chapter 370: "Shh—!

BOOM!

Nearly half the West City Gate collapsed under the power of the Tail Star. The sturdy city walls, seared by the intense heat, turned to magma, melting and dripping down in large chunks like candle wax.

In the open area by the city gate, a radial crater dozens of meters in diameter had appeared. The people who had been standing there were nearly all gone, leaving behind only a few charred, unidentifiable objects scattered among the rubble and along the crater’s edge.

CRUNCH—

Fu Juemin stepped onto the wreckage-strewn ground and slowly walked forward.

The rubble and scorched earth under his feet made a grating, crunching sound. Each step was like treading on the border of some forbidden threshold.

The Force Field of a Flood Dragon Level Great Demon spread outwards, creating a terrifying wind pressure. When he had revealed himself and attacked, dark clouds had chased after him from behind, gathering above his head and spreading, layer by layer, toward Yingjing City.

The city gate fell silent for several seconds. It was a dead silence, as if something had seized the very air by the throat.

Immediately after, an immense terror spread like a plague through the remaining Nine Banner Youth crowded at the gate.

Gasps of shock erupted first, followed by screams, wails, and curses.

These dandies, who had come to watch the spectacle, now wished they had two more legs as they scrambled backward like madmen. Some tripped and were trampled by those behind them before they could get up. Others clung desperately to the shafts of their family carriages, their faces as white as paper. Still others stood frozen in place, legs trembling, a large dark patch spreading across their trousers...

It wasn’t just the Nine Banner Youth, but also the lackeys, henchmen, and guards they had brought with them.

The common folk nearby had been driven away long ago. Everyone who remained standing here was a "Noble."

Fu Juemin walked through the shattered city gate.

He didn’t need to do anything; a scene of utter chaos, with men and horses in disarray, unfolded before him.

For every step he took forward, the people of the Nine Banners retreated. They shoved into one another, causing a severe stampede. The air was filled with an endless stream of screams, curses, the neighing of horses, and the sound of breaking bones.

Describing it as a tiger pouncing on a flock of sheep wasn’t quite accurate. It was more like an elephant trampling into a territory that belonged to ants.

Fu Juemin had personally witnessed the Flood Dragon Level Hundred-legged Fire Centipede storm the Shenghai River and Sea Defense Command, slaughtering and rampaging among the armed soldiers.

Now, he was the one standing where the Hundred-legged Fire Centipede had once stood.

He looked down at the faces filled with terror, panic, and despair, and a sliver of understanding suddenly formed in his mind.

’The universe has its own laws of operation. A subtle balance exists between all things. Existences that are too powerful, that might destroy this balance, will be targeted and erased by the rules.’

’Right now, I am on the very edge of those rules. One more step forward, and I’ll become what they call a "calamity" or a "scourge."’

Fu Juemin sensed the approaching auras of three Great Demons behind him. They had heard the commotion and were turning back, drawing closer.

Yet, he was in no hurry. He continued to walk forward at an unhurried pace.

The ferocious, blazing "wings" on his back suddenly unfurled. The Fire Centipede Steps that formed the wings stretched out to the sides, each one carrying a terrifying heat and a tearing force, leaving dark red trails of light in the air.

He glided lightly over the crowd. Wherever he passed, the steps beneath him plowed out charred and bloody furrows.

Among the chaotic crowd were many Martial Tributors kept by the various Banner Races, but not a single one dared to attack him. In fact, they fled with more urgency and speed than the average Nine Banner Youth.

These Martial Artists, who had used Demon Flesh and Blood to reinforce their organs, understood the terror of a top-tier Great Demon better than anyone. Their courage shattered the instant they saw Fu Juemin. It was a fear that originated from the depths of their bloodline, etched into their very bones. Loyalty, duty... in the face of an existence comparable to a top-tier Great Demon, all of it was as flimsy as a piece of paper.

RUMBLE—

Fu Juemin walked down most of the long street of Xizhimen. The auras of the three Great Demons behind him grew closer, and the sound of footsteps, like the beating of a great drum upon the earth, shook the stone slabs beneath his feet, making them tremble.

He stopped walking but did not turn around. His molten-gold eyes swept calmly over the scene before him.

The dense array of Fire Centipede Steps on his back and his three Scorpion Tails all rose at once. The tips of the steps and the ends of the tails glowed with a blinding light. With a gentle shake... tiny, brilliant motes of light, like shattered stars, scattered in every direction!

The particles of light landed in various corners of the surrounding buildings.

The instant a dense barrage of firework-like explosions rang out, Fu Juemin’s figure shot forward in a sudden dive...

...plunging headfirst into a panicked group of people and horses at the end of the long street!

BOOM!!!

Dozens of explosive shockwaves rose simultaneously amidst thunderous noise, fire, thick smoke, and dust. A massive cloud of blood moved in, completely blotting out the already dim daylight.

Chaos and darkness descended at the same time. The cold, violent wills of the three top-tier Great Demons brutally crushed down through the air.

In that instant, the small area around the West City Gate seemed to have plunged into an apocalyptic scene!

The moment that terrifying demonic shadow pounced, Panxiang was forcefully shoved aside by her attendant, Zhong Yin.

She stumbled under the eaves of a building by the street, her back slamming into the cold brick wall. The pain briefly jolted her back to her senses. Her eyes widened in terror as she watched everything around her explode, collapse, and burn.

Huge, eerie bat-like eyes floated in the sky, scanning back and forth. Massive, hideous Demon Bodies, exuding a suffocating Force Field, streaked past overhead.

The three Great Demons, desperate to find their "prey," couldn’t care less about the lives of ants. The destruction they caused upon arrival was far greater than that of the humanoid Demon Fiend from before.

They paid no mind to the lives of the people below. Huddled in a corner of an alley, Panxiang watched as a crimson astral wind tore the entire street to pieces.

Carriages were tossed about and smashed like toys. Human bodies were as flimsy as paper, tearing apart with ease.

White frost and lightning also spread rapidly amidst the ruins and screams...

BOOM!

The rampaging power finally reached the spot where she was hiding.

The eaves above her began to collapse. A large section of the brick wall, along with broken tiles and dust, came falling down, about to engulf Panxiang completely.

Her face deathly pale, she stood frozen, watching the large shadow above her rapidly expand, looking utterly terrified out of her wits.

Just as she was about to be hit by the rubble, a long, strong hand suddenly reached out from the side, grabbed her arm, and yanked her backward!

BANG!!

The falling bricks and stone crashed to the ground less than a step behind Panxiang.

She was pulled under another section of eaves that had not yet collapsed. The coarse brick wall dug into her back. Her rapid breaths made her chest heave violently; her heart felt like it was about to leap out of her throat!

Her eyes widened, and she stared blankly. Just a few steps away, a handsome, well-built young man stood stark naked in the shadows.

He seemed to be hiding here, avoiding something.

His gaze was crystal clear. Seeing Panxiang, he smiled, raised a finger, and placed it gently on his lips.

Then, he slowly exhaled toward her:

"Shhh—!"

At that moment...

The entire world seemed to fall silent.

「...」

During the Western Suburbs Demon Calamity, nearly four hundred Nine Banner Youth died in this "accident."

For the next seven days, nearly every clan from the Lower Five Banners, and even the Upper Three Banners, was in mourning.

White banners hung from the gates of every major mansion, fluttering noisily in the wind. From a distance, it looked as if half of Yingjing City was dressed in sackcloth and mourning.

The Demon Calamity also caused business to plummet for all the Demon Fighting Workshops, big and small, in Yingjing City.

They were called "Demon" fights, but in reality, the combatants were just beasts that had undergone organ reinforcement or been raised on Human Pills and a diet of blood.

They certainly couldn’t be considered "Demons," but calling them "fiends" was more than appropriate.

The Nine Banner Young Masters, when desperate from gambling losses, would ignore all rules. To raise a single ferocious "fighting demon," they were willing to sacrifice any number of human lives.

In fact, more than half of the business in Yingjing City’s Human Market was supported by these Demon Fighting Workshops.

With so many Nobles dead, fewer people were consuming Blessed Meals and Human Pills, and the lives of the common folk actually improved.

As for the "Demon Fiend" that caused the incident, the Nine Banners searched for half a month, both inside and outside the city, but found no trace of it. It was as if, after that day, the "cunning and vicious" Great Demon had vanished into thin air, not even leaving behind a single trace of its aura.

The relics of the Royal Banner, however, could wait no longer. They blamed the entire accident on the failure of the quinquennial Magic Sacrifice and the resulting damage to the National Fortune that had been so painstakingly accumulated.

Thus, they hastily urged the Nine Banners to assemble a contingent and rush to Lu Mountain to petition Emperor Qiwu’s Mausoleum.

「...」

「May seventh. Xinjing Railway Station.」

The city had been designed by an architect from the Western World. It was laid out in an almost perfectly straight line, and from the station, one could see thick black smoke billowing from the factory district in the distance.

The platform was currently filled with two- and three-horse carriages parked haphazardly. Servants from the various Banner families bustled about, loading luggage of all sizes onto the waiting train.

The aristocratic youths of the Nine Banners stood together in a group. They were all dressed uniformly in satin long robes covered by floral-patterned magua jackets, with queues down their backs. Jade Pendants, pouches, fan cases, and watch fobs... all sorts of trinkets dangled from their waists, jingling.

Many had only just removed the white flowers from their sleeves. They now held white handkerchiefs over their noses and mouths, partly to block the choking smell of coal in the air, and partly to excitedly whisper secrets to the person next to them.

Not far away, a group of students in church attire were handing out leaflets to passengers. Compared to the Nine Banner Youth here, the two groups looked as if they lived in two different eras, two different worlds.

Fu Juemin stood off to the side, dressed in a simple, light-cyan, cloud-patterned long shirt. He was empty-handed, a look of calm indifference on his face.

He was being "isolated."

The leader of this trip to the Lushan Martial Arts Library was Wei Jie of the Purple Banner. Not a single person from the Lower Five Banners and Nine Families under his "Spirit" Banner had been chosen; only Hong Huan had come to accompany him.

There were only about thirty-some "Nobles" from the Banners on this trip, but when you included their respective guards, attendants, and maids, the total number reached a staggering three hundred. No wonder there was so much luggage to be moved.

Fu Juemin was in no rush to board the train. He used the waiting time to casually survey his surroundings, taking in the sights of Xinjing City.

JINGLE JINGLE...

The pleasant sound of silver bells drifted over on the wind.

The guards responsible for keeping out loiterers allowed two people to enter—a man and a woman—who quickly stepped onto the platform.

From the huddle of Nine Banner Youth, someone shouted, "Princess Panxiang is here!"

Wei Jie, who was handsome and wearing a white jade-inlaid skullcap, brightened at the sight and was the first to greet her with a smile.

"Lingyi!"

But Panxiang, with Zhong Yin in tow, didn’t even look at him. After entering the platform, her gaze swept the area, and she quickly walked straight toward Fu Juemin.

Today, Panxiang was dressed in grass green. A neatly trimmed fringe of bangs lay against her full, jade-like forehead like a tassel. She exuded an irrepressible noble air, yet her features also held a hint of a girl-next-door’s gentle charm.

She walked up to Fu Juemin and held out an octagonal, red-lacquered wood food box.

"For you."