69novels Chapter 41 Slaying Demons and Eliminating Evil
Chapter 41 Slaying Demons and Eliminating Evil
Chapter 41 Slaying Demons and Eliminating Evil
As dawn broke, the first rays of golden light pierced through the clouds and fell upon the towering city walls of the Tushan territory.
Tu Shan Honghong stood alone atop the wall, her red dress fluttering slightly in the morning breeze. Her face was expressionless, her gaze fixed on the south—the direction from which the earth-shattering, oppressive force had swept in months ago.
"Sometimes it's truly enviable." A gentle voice came from beside her. Cui Yuling slowly stepped forward and stood beside her. "Humans have short lifespans, yet they always manage to produce powerful figures within a few decades, comparable to our race's thousand-year cultivation." She sighed softly. "I thought that with the fall of Dongfang Guyue, the pressure would be somewhat relieved. Who would have thought—in just a few short years, another peerless figure would emerge out of nowhere."
"The pressure has actually increased."
Among the four great demon kingdoms, the Tushan fox demons, though renowned for their stunning beauty, are the weakest. Because of this, the Tushan territory has long been coveted. Countless cultivators infiltrate the land to capture fox demons and sell them to brothels in human cities. "Tushan fox woman" has become the most expensive label, and a bloody and complete industry chain has long been established in the shadows of every human city.
Recently, the situation has worsened.
Many cultivators, taking advantage of the momentum of "the Lone Peak Sword overpowering the Demon Emperor," openly broke into Tushan to "beg for alms"; even more, disciples of Shenhuo Mountain Villa, under the pretext of searching for the Lone Peak Sword, gathered a large group of people and marched straight in.
No matter how strong Tu Shan Hong Hong is, she is still just one person. She can guard one section of the city wall, but she cannot protect the entire Tu Shan region. Moreover, she never takes lives; each time, she simply beats the intruder severely, confiscates their magical treasures and valuables, and throws them out of the border. This approach only emboldens the invaders.
The number of guards in Tushan Silver Moon is limited, and because they are wary of the power of the "Lone Peak Sword", they never dare to cross the border to pursue the thieves. Every time they chase them to the border, they can only watch the thieves go far away.
In just a few months, the number of tribesmen abducted has exceeded the total number of abducted in the previous several years.
Tu Shan Honghong felt anger, but even more so, she felt powerless. She could only guard this place day and night, her gaze sharp as a blade, sweeping across the surrounding land.
Even Cui Yuling, as a close friend and strategist of Tushan, had no good plan. Although she invited several demon kings who had been healed by her to come and oversee things, it was still impossible to guard against them all—it's easy to be a thief for a thousand days, but difficult to guard against them for a thousand days.
"If I could truly become the Demon Emperor—strong enough to not fear the Lone Peak Sword, strong enough to make everyone tremble with fear, that would be wonderful." Tu Shan Hong Hong gazed at the sky, her voice calm and undisturbed, but a cold fire lurked in her eyes.
Cui Yuling smiled bitterly. How could she not hope that her dearest friend would ascend to the Imperial Realm, so that her leech clan could also enjoy its protection? But becoming a great demon emperor of a nation—how easy was that? Even though Hong Hong was exceptionally talented and had risen to the ranks of great demon kings in just a few hundred years, there still seemed to be an insurmountable chasm between her and that legendary realm.
"Sister! Sister!"
A clear shout came from afar. Tu Shan Ya Ya hopped and skipped onto the city wall, followed by a tall figure.
"I have subordinates now!" She moved closer to Honghong, her eyes sparkling with pride.
Zhou Yi followed behind her, now dressed in simple clothes, yet his refined and elegant demeanor was still evident. With sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, and a slender figure, if it weren't for the fact that no spiritual energy fluctuations could be detected from him, Tu Shan Honghong and Cui Yuling would almost have thought he was a young master from some human noble family traveling abroad.
"Sister, look! His cooking is amazing!" Ya Ya proudly opened the large food box in her hand.
Steam and aroma wafted over. The simple dishes were arranged like a painting, their colors vibrant and glossy. Even Tu Shan Hong Hong, who was usually aloof, showed a hint of surprise in her eyes.
"Ya Ya," she frowned slightly, "you snuck out again?"
The little fox stiffened, its ears drooping: "N-nothing—I just wandered around nearby—"
"Don't do it again next time." Honghong reached out and ruffled her hair, her tone softening slightly.
"Okay, sister! Try it, it's delicious!"
"And you are—" Cui Yuling's gaze fell on Zhou Yi, her eyes scrutinizing him. She felt there was something strange about this man—not his cultivation level, but some more subtle aura. Not only human cultivators, but even demons were said to possess both high cultivation and extraordinary appearance. The appearance of the man before her was the most striking she had ever seen among humans.
"I am unworthy of the title 'Your Excellency'." Zhou Yi raised his eyes, his gaze calmly sweeping over the two demons. "I am merely an ordinary person, being chased by enemies, and I have stumbled into this place by mistake."
"Don't worry, Sister Yu, Ya Ya isn't stupid!" The little fox put her hands on her hips, looking smug. "I already had Rong Rong check him out; he has no cultivation at all, just an ordinary person!" She turned and pointed to Hong Hong and Cui Yu Ling, then said to Zhou Yi, "Look, this is my sister, the Queen of Tu Shan! This is Sister Yu! Quickly call her Boss!"
"Boss." Zhou Yi readily agreed and nodded slightly.
"From now on, you'll be in charge of cooking for us! Rongrong will calculate your wages! Sigh—I really hate to let you go—"
"Ya Ya." Hong Hong's voice was slightly deep.
"I was just saying! I'll definitely make him go home!" Ya Ya quickly waved her hand and tugged at her sister's sleeve.
Tu Shan Hong Hong's gaze fell on Zhou Yi again. After a moment of silence, she finally spoke: "I am the Queen of Tu Shan. No matter why you have come here, the rules of Tu Shan cannot be broken. You will work here for one month, and then you can leave."
Thank you.
"We should call him the King of Tushan!" Ya Ya emphasized from the side.
Zhou Yi cupped his hands in greeting, his voice gentle yet clear: "Thank you, King of Tushan."
Before the words had even finished—
"boom!!"
A burst of magical power, carrying flames, slammed into the outer side of the city wall, causing bricks and stones to shatter and dust to billow up.
Immediately afterwards, arrogant shouts pierced through the smoke and dust: "Tushan witch, come out and face your death!"
Zhou Yi turned his head to look.
On the wide river outside the city, a giant ship cut through the waves. On the deck, there were many figures, all dressed in the attire of the One Qi Alliance and the Divine Fire Mountain Manor, with the light of sword energy and fire talismans faintly flickering at the bow.
"It's those bastards again!" Tu Shan Ya Ya exclaimed angrily, her ears perking up and her tail bristling. "This is never going to end!"
Before she could finish speaking, a red figure beside her had already sped away like a startled swan.
Tu Shan Honghong stood in mid-air, and with a wave of her sleeve, several fireballs and sword energies that attacked her exploded one after another a few feet in front of her, turning into countless points of light. She didn't say a word, but the cold light in her eyes suddenly intensified, and she raised her hand to press a powerful demonic force down on the river.
The array on the giant ship lit up, and the magical energies of the two sides collided with a deafening roar!
Rumble—
The air surged, causing the city walls to tremble slightly, and the river water to surge backward.
"Take him away first." Cui Yuling stepped forward quickly and gently pushed Ya Ya and Zhou Yi back. "This is not a place for ordinary people."
Tu Shan Ya Ya bit her lip, glared fiercely at the boat on the river, and finally stomped her foot, grabbing Zhou Yi's sleeve: "Let's go!"
9527!
Leaving the city wall, we walked along the blue stone path into the depths of Tushan. The flowers and trees along the way rustled, but they could not conceal the faint rumble of magical power coming from afar.
"Tushan—does this kind of thing happen to people who come knocking on our door all the time?" Zhou Yi suddenly asked.
"It's all that Lone Peak Sword's fault!" Tu Shan Ya Ya grew angrier the more she thought about it, kicking a small pebble away. "Those people, relying on Lone Peak Sword's reputation over Huan Du Qing Tian, come causing trouble every few days! They even kidnapped so many of our clansmen—" She turned around, her eyes wide, and waved her fist at Zhou Yi: "When Ya Ya grows up, she'll definitely beat that Lone Peak Sword to a pulp!"
She suddenly remembered something, leaned closer to Zhou Yi, and asked seriously, "You're human, you must have heard of the Lone Peak Sword, right? What does it look like?"
"Draw it for me! I need to remember what my enemy looks like!"
Before long, the two arrived in front of an exquisite three-story building. The courtyard was lush with flowers and trees, quiet and pleasant.
In the hall on the first floor, Tu Shan Rongrong was bent over a long table, her fingertips moving the abacus beads, with half of the paper piled up on the table.
"Sister?" She looked up, smiling with her eyes narrowed.
"Rongrong, look!" Tu Shan Yaya shoved Zhou Yi into the chair opposite Rongrong, grabbed paper and pen from the table, and shoved them in front of him. "I want him to draw a portrait of the Lone Peak Sword and stick it on the wall! So everyone who passes by will call him a bastard!"
The Book of Changes remains silent.
He dipped the brush in ink, lowered his eyes for a moment, and finally put pen to paper.
The lines are drawn, and the ink marks gradually appear—the figure in the painting is handsome and aloof, yet he is alone with only one arm. His features bear a striking resemblance to Zhou Yi himself, only with an added sense of vicissitude and desolation.
"Are you kidding me?!" Tu Shan Ya Ya grabbed the drawing paper, her gaze sweeping back and forth between the drawing and Zhou Yi's face several times. She was so angry that her ears trembled, and she slammed the paper on the table with a "bang".
Zhou Yi said with difficulty, "How dare I play tricks on the little boss? However, I am truly the Lone Peak Sword."
"You're the Lone Peak Sword? Then I'm the Demon Emperor Huan Du Qing Tian! Redraw!!"
She clenched her fists, looking like she was ready to punch him if he didn't draw it.
Zhou Yi sighed, seemingly in a difficult position. Seeing that she was really going to start, he had no choice but to pick up his pen again.
This time, his pen moved swiftly, and before long, another face appeared on the paper—a sinister-looking face with a murderous glint in his eyes; it was none other than Jin Renfeng.
"Yes, yes, yes! It must be him!" Tu Shan Ya Ya leaned closer to examine him, her face full of certainty, as if she had truly seen the Lone Peak Sword in person. "He doesn't look like a good person at all!"
Satisfied, she rolled up the drawing paper, turned to Rongrong, and said, "Rongrong, help me copy a few more sheets; I want to cover the entire Tushan Mountain!"
Tu Shan Rongrong took the painting, squinted at it, then looked at Zhou Yi, who had a helpless expression, and a thoughtful smile appeared on her lips.
Outside the window, a muffled thud could be faintly heard from the direction of the distant city wall, like a heavy object falling to the ground, or like a thunderclap fading away.
Zhou Yi sighed softly, put down his teacup, and got up to walk towards the door.
"Hey, where are you going?" Tu Shan Ya Ya's ears perked up, and she turned to stare at his back.
"Just taking a walk around the neighborhood to get some fresh air." He didn't stop walking.
"Don't run around! There are strange and powerful demons deep in Tushan. Be careful not to get eaten alive!" Ya Ya shouted, hands on her hips.
"it is good."
Although he agreed verbally, Zhou Yi had already stepped out of the courtyard and strolled along the winding mountain path.
He walked through the bustling streets of Tushan, paused for a moment outside "Yaoxinzhai" to watch the little fox demons running past laughing with colorful candies in their hands; then he walked to "Lingbaoge" and glanced at the magical artifacts and spiritual materials displayed in the shop window, all of which were rare and exotic items from the demon realm that were hard to find in the human world.
Along the way, neither a human nor a demon stopped him. The patrolling Silver Moon Guards kept their eyes straight ahead, and the Demon King, who was reuniting with his lover under the tree, was only concerned with whispering, as if he were nothing more than a wisp of wind passing through the forest, so ordinary that he was not worth worrying about.
Until beneath the giant tree of sorrow.
The towering flowers, like clouds and canopies, drooping branches sway gently in the wind, and the scattered light and shadows sway softly on his shoulders, like an old friend nodding, like a long-awaited reunion.
Zhou Yi looked up at the giant tree that seemed to reach the sky and connect with the earth, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes.
What do you mean? Are we that close?
He stood still for a long time, watching the pink and white petals drift down gently, listening to the distant babbling brook like a zither. When the sun began to set, guessing that the little fox must be getting impatient, he finally turned back.
Sure enough, as soon as they stepped into the courtyard, Tu Shan Ya Ya rushed over angrily: "You idiot! Where have you been! Don't you know there are some places in Tu Shan that even I dare not wander into!"
She circled him twice, making sure he wasn't missing any limbs, before huffing, "Fine, fine, if you run off again next time, I'll—"
I'll deduct your wages!
Zhou Yi simply smiled and turned to go into the kitchen.
Dinner was simple yet exquisite, consisting of three dishes and a soup, steaming hot. Ya Ya ate with shining eyes, and even the usually indifferent Tu Shan Rong Rong had an extra half bowl of rice.
After nightfall, Zhou Yi returned to his room and sat quietly with his eyes closed. His consciousness sank into his acupoint, where magical power swirled like nebulae. Although not yet fully replenished, it had already recovered to nearly 70%. He secretly estimated that at this rate, he would return to his peak in another ten days to half a month.
Under the same night sky, Tu Shan Hong Hong came alone to the depths of the Bitter Love Tree.
This is a secret place known only to the kings of Tushan throughout history. Passing through the natural passageway formed by winding roots, you enter an underground cave.
The cave was originally filled with a dark, inky aura of negativity—the resentment accumulated over thousands of years by humans and demons in their reincarnations.
Obsession and suffering were all absorbed and transformed into dark power by the Bitter Love Tree.
However, at this moment, the cave was completely clear. Because at the center of the cave stood something.
It was a section of sword blade, without a hilt, about three feet long, its entire surface like solidified frost, silently floating in mid-air. The air within three inches of the sword blade was as clear as water; all the black mist dissipated upon contact, unable to approach.
Later generations called it: Slaying Demons and Eliminating Evil.
If Zhou Yi were here, he would immediately recognize that this sword and the Three Truths Myriad Laws Sword share the same origin despite their different paths.
Tu Shan Honghong stood silently before the sword for a long time. Silver moonlight streamed down from the crack in the cave ceiling, brushing across her cool face and illuminating the silent blade.
Over the years, it was this sword that guarded this place for her, cleansing away the filth, so that she could keep her mind from falling and protect the tranquility of the Bitter Love Tree.
But she never knew who the sword belonged to.
She only remembered that long, long ago, when she was still weak and almost sold to the human world, a sword light pierced the sky, startling away the villains and leaving behind this sword to protect her. In the hundreds of years that followed, she guarded Tushan, and this broken sword guarded her as well.
Perhaps—that person is no longer here.
Human lifespan is short; how can it compare to the long and boundless lifespan of the demon race?
She glanced one last time at the still sword, then turned and disappeared into the shadows deep within the cave.
The cave returned to silence.
Only the hiltless sword remained suspended in its original place, its blade shimmering with a faint light, as if waiting silently.
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