"Spirit Venerable? Just a rat in the gutter!"
"In Yan Yuan, you should know why Brother Zhou and I have come."
"Reporting to the Ancestor, Yan Yuan does not know."
"Don't know, huh..."
A knowing smile appeared on the heavily wrinkled face of Yan Shengjing.
"Hiding your talents is wise, but hiding too much only reveals your foolishness."
"Understood, Ancestor!"
City Lord Yan bowed respectfully.
Yan Shengjing waved his hand dismissively, feeling somewhat bored.
"Forget it..."
"Pass my order: starting today, no refugees are to be allowed into Giant Stone City!"
"Ancestor, this..."
Yan Yuan showed shock; if this order were carried out, how many people would fall victim to the demons? Just thinking about it sent chills down his spine.
"Are you unwilling?"
Yan Shengjing frowned, malice flashing in his slanted eyes.
"Brother Yan, it seems you've been out of the world for too long that the people below have forgotten your methods."
Beside them, the Ancestor of Hongyu Sacred Ground, Zhou Tianyi, squinted his eyes, a smile that was not a smile playing on his lips.
"Ancestor, please calm down."
"I... I'll give the order right away!"
Yan Shengjing huffed.
"Good, go."
Yan Yuan left the grand hall, his spirits low. As night fell, a cold wind blew, sending a chill even through his Fourth Rank body.
Since taking the position of City Lord of Giant Stone City, he had worked diligently, hoping to achieve something.
Yet over the years, amidst various restrictions, the true accomplishments he could make were few and far between.
Instead, he had experienced plenty of petty squabbles.
Now he was to bear this enormous blame; although it was the Ancestor's order, if he truly acted upon it, he would likely disappear without a trace by the next day.
Yan Yuan felt bitter and walked toward his study.
In the hall, Zhou Tianyi slowly spoke up beside Yan Shengjing.
"Xiao Lu, Xiao Li, do you still remember this old man?"
Lu Yuhai, the Sect Master of the Qing Jiao Sect, and Li Jingfei, the Sect Master of Hong Feng Valley, hurriedly stood up and respectfully said,
"Greetings, Ancestor Zhou!"
"If the Ancestor has orders, please feel free to issue them!"
Zhou Tianyi stroked his grizzled beard, "Very well. Brother Yan and I need the whereabouts of city-level and disaster-level demons. Are you willing to assist?"
The others stood up one after another, exchanging glances before speaking.
"We are willing!"
......
Qing Ling Sect.
As dawn broke, Li Sheng emerged from the Spirit Gathering Room, preparing to head to the low mountain to suppress the gradually awakening strange demon.
On the way, he ran into a hurried Liu Hongfeng.
"Senior Sister, what's the rush?"
Hearing this, Liu Hongfeng raised her chin slightly and smiled, "Junior Brother, I've found a way to deal with the strange demon."
"Deal with the strange demon?" Li Sheng was somewhat surprised.
"Come with me."
Without further explanation, Liu Hongfeng directly grabbed Li Sheng's arm and led him toward her residence.
The warm, jade-like touch made him feel somewhat dazed.
"Senior Sister is usually graceful and poised; what's going on today..."
Looking at her slender back, Li Sheng felt something was off.
In the hall, Liu Hongfeng released Li Sheng's arm and raised her eyes slightly,
"Junior Brother, how much longer until the strange demon recovers?"
Li Sheng contemplated, "Soon, probably just a cup of tea's time."
"Good."
Liu Hongfeng brewed a cup of tea for both of them and began to chat casually.
"Senior Sister, once Miss Qingyi arrives, I'll refine a top-quality Blood Solidifying Pill for you. For now, you should practice the Spirit-level techniques to enhance your strength."
Liu Hongfeng smirked slightly, teasing, "Junior Brother, you're being so nice to me. Do you have any ulterior motives? You can tell me; I'll definitely agree~"
She emphasized the last two words.
"Uh... Senior Sister, don't think too much; this... this..." Li Sheng stammered, unsure how to respond.
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
"Tap... tap tap!"
Li Sheng quietly sighed in relief, thinking the strange demon was really understanding.
Then he activated his spirit energy, fully unleashing his aura.
Liu Hongfeng glanced at him with a knowing smile and stood up.
"Junior Brother, just watch. Leave everything to Senior Sister."
The eerie tapping sound circled around Li Sheng, colliding with his aura.
As Liu Hongfeng approached, the tapping suddenly stopped, only to sound again as she appeared behind her.
"Senior Sister, be careful!"
Li Sheng warned, preparing himself for any unforeseen circumstances.
Liu Hongfeng turned around, standing still, presenting a graceful silhouette to Li Sheng.
Just as he was about to speak, she interrupted him.
"Junior Brother, don't worry. Senior Sister has everything under control!"
As the tapping sound neared within a foot of her, a faint red mist spread out.
The strange sound abruptly halted, as if sensing danger, and began to retreat.
The tapping grew increasingly sharp.
A cold smile crept onto Liu Hongfeng's lips, a hint of crimson flashing in her beautiful eyes.
The faint red mist enveloped the eerie sound,
And a brief, strange scream barely escaped before it seemed to be choked, cutting off entirely.
As the red mist dissipated, the crimson hue in Liu Hongfeng's eyes faded.
"Senior Sister?"
Liu Hongfeng turned around, a lovely smile gracing her lips, "Junior Brother, it's done!"
"Just like that?" Li Sheng was filled with doubt; it was a strange demon, and even Fourth Rank warriors could only suppress it.
Liu Hongfeng walked over, and as her footsteps fell, a faint tapping sound quietly emerged.
"Senior Sister, you refined it? How did you do that?" Li Sheng asked, curiosity evident on his face.
"I won't tell you since you wouldn't understand..." Liu Hongfeng chuckled lightly.
"Senior Sister... you've changed!"
"Oh, do you prefer this kind of Senior Sister, or the old one?"
Li Sheng scratched his head, "Senior Sister, I have things to do. See you later!" With that, he hurriedly left.
Romantic feelings could not distract him from becoming stronger.
Not the junior sister, and certainly not the senior sister!
Right now, he only wanted to grow stronger, to reach a point where no one could threaten him, and then he could consider matters of love at a later time.
Having resolved the issue with the strange demon, Li Sheng felt significantly lighter.
Though he had no idea what method Senior Sister used, she had ultimately alleviated his greatest worry.
As for what secrets Senior Sister held, he had no desire to pry.
Everyone had their own matters that were not meant to be shared, just as he never asked his junior sister about her background.
Arriving at the alchemy room, Li Sheng refined a top-quality Golden Liver Pill and a top-quality Cultivation Pill.
One to recover internal injuries, the other to restore energy.
After storing the pills, Li Sheng returned to the Spirit Gathering Room. The raging medicinal power within him was not the right time for healing.
As Li Sheng entered his cultivation, several more demons set their sights on Qing Ling Sect.
Seeing just a few demons, Tuan Tuan was too lazy to notify Li Sheng and prepared to take matters into his own hands to avenge the destruction of his body yesterday.
Just as he was getting ready to spring into action, Liu Hongfeng stepped out of the mountain gate.
"Chew! Chew chews!"
"Is that Tuan Tuan?" Liu Hongfeng reached out to pet the little light orb.
As it squeaked in comfort, she walked out of the large array.
"Chew!"
Tuan Tuan was startled and just as he was about to warn her to be careful,
A streak of crimson flashed by, and the three demons that had surrounded her instantly froze in place, their bodies rapidly aging and crumbling to ashes.
"Chew!?"
Liu Hongfeng turned back and smiled lightly, "Tuan Tuan, I'm going out for a bit. There's no need to tell Junior Brother. Of course, if he asks about me, you can just tell him the truth."
With that, she gracefully stepped into the dense forest, leaving a stunned Tuan Tuan behind.
"Chew?"