Mountain winds gradually rose, rustling the new leaves in the forest. Wei Zijue stood beside his horse with his sword drawn, somewhat worried but afraid of being improper by rashly approaching, so he could only continuously rub the sword hilt.

“My lord, haven’t we stopped for rather long?” The accompanying deputy general approached and said, “This place isn’t safe to begin with. If we keep waiting, I’m afraid…”

“Since you know it’s unsafe, how could we abandon a lone woman here?” he said. “Wait a bit more.”

The deputy general wanted to speak but held back, harboring some complaints. Who wasn’t afraid of death? Having their journey delayed in this place thick with demonic energy was truly unlucky.

Suddenly, several sounds came from the forest ahead.

Everyone instantly drew their swords. Wei Zijue also stepped forward to guard in front of the grain supplies.

After the branches and leaves swayed for a few moments, someone parted the greenery and emerged, saying with a smile, “Sorry to keep you waiting.”

She was completely unharmed, even having the leisure to pick fresh spring flowers to pin in her hair. Her dress swayed gracefully, her steps alluring, as she approached the commander with a smile, “Let’s go.”

What had been mere complaints before turned to smoldering anger when the deputy general saw her improper demeanor. “Miss, what grand airs you have. If you have such leisure and elegant interests, why risk going to the neighboring city? Lin’an City is full of spring flowers everywhere.”

Wei Zijue glared at him and turned to Ruyi, “It’s fine, mount up.”

“She wants to leave now? Well, we few have urgent needs and can’t mount up. Please wait a moment.” The deputy general turned around resentfully and headed forward with several brothers.

Wei Zijue frowned and was about to speak when Ruyi spoke first, “Everyone, don’t go that way. Choose another direction.”

The deputy general snorted with laughter, not stopping, “We few are rough men who don’t care which leaves we use to wipe our asses.”

Several soldiers laughed raucously. Ruyi didn’t get angry but spurred her horse to follow and again blocked their path, “This way isn’t safe.”

This was the direction she had just come from. If there was danger, how could she be alive to tell them? The deputy general looked at her contemptuously, snorted through his nose, went around her, and continued forward.

A dying demon, smelling the fresh fragrance of human flesh and blood, suddenly leaped up from the pool of blood, crawling with hands and feet in a grotesque posture, instantly darting toward those few soldiers. Its originally human-like head fell off, and from the neck’s cross-section, suddenly opened a mouth organ formed by dozens of rows of sharp teeth.

The stench hit them in the face. The terrifying scene frightened the deputy general into instant rigidity. He stared at it for a long while without being able to move, feeling as if there were a pair of eyes in its throat, constantly pulling him to look inside.

Ruyi shouted lowly, stepped forward, and grabbed the deputy general’s shoulder with one hand, using the leverage to lift her leg in a sideways kick.

The disgusting mouth organ was kicked by her until its flesh trembled, irresistibly falling to the side as thick liquid splashed out, covering half the deputy general’s face.

The deputy general suddenly awoke, shouting with trembling legs, “Save me—”

The sound was as harsh as iron scraping against metal, making Ruyi frown repeatedly. Impatiently, she wiped off the pus for him and pushed him backward. After ensuring he was safe, she turned direction and delivered another kick to that mouth organ.

This demon had already revealed its true form and was at the end of its strength. After receiving two more kicks from her, it swayed and fell, dissolving into a pool of blood.

The deputy general and several soldiers rolled and crawled, crying for their parents as they ran out first.

Wei Zijue heard the commotion and his heart tightened. He quickly drew his sword and stepped forward two paces, but saw behind the several grown men who had fallen in a dizzy heap, Ruyi also emerged completely unharmed.

Her expression had been calm, but the moment she appeared before others, it became panicked. She quickly walked a few steps to catch up with those ahead, constantly looking back.

“My lord, there are demons!” The deputy general wiped the fluid from his face. A seven-foot-tall man, crying loudly.

Seeing his appearance, Ruyi gritted her teeth, steeled her heart, and also collapsed to the ground, raising her sleeve to wipe away tears, “It was so frightening!”

Wei Zijue’s mouth twitched.

Others might not have noticed, but his gaze had been on her from beginning to end. How could he not see that there was something fishy? But she cried more and more earnestly, actually managing to squeeze out two drops of tears.

The grain escort team became panicked. Wei Zijue wanted to question her in detail, but had no opportunity, so he could only mount up and give orders, “Move forward quickly.”

Upon receiving the order, all soldiers ran faster than horses, wailing chaotically as they fled this forest.

Ruyi mixed in with the crowd, inadvertently looking back once.

That green demon earlier seemed to have called her name.

Her eyes grew deep. She lowered her gaze, crying falsely as she continued spurring her horse forward.

“Quick, quick, there’s a temple over there!” The scout ahead shouted.

Where there’s a temple, there are gods; where there are gods, demons can be driven away. Everyone was overjoyed and quickly drove their horses and carts toward the temple.

Ruyi saw the plaque on the temple’s upper floor from afar and reined in her horse.

“Sister, why did you stop?” Wei Zijue urged her. “Hurry, we’ll be safe once inside.”

“It’s full of stinking men inside,” she said in a delicate voice. “I’d rather stay at the entrance.”

Wei Zijue frowned and glanced inside, then simply stayed with her at the entrance, first letting all the grain supplies and soldiers enter.

This temple was large and new, with dozens of various gods arrayed inside, divine light shining through the curling incense smoke.

Ruyi stood several feet away from the courtyard wall, but unexpectedly, the hem of her dress still caught fire.

She glanced at it and calmly extinguished the fire, thinking coldly: They say immortals are magnanimous and compassionate. Today, I not only did nothing bad but also saved several people. Why won’t they even tolerate me outside the wall?

As if responding to her, the bronze bell in the temple suddenly rang once, its sound echoing through heaven and earth.

Ordinary people hearing this sound would feel their qi calmed and spirit concentrated, but to Ruyi, it was like being struck by five thunderbolts. If she hadn’t protected herself quickly, her internal organs would have been shattered.

But even though she protected herself quickly, she still felt her head splitting with pain, her ears ringing, and the figures of people hurrying into the temple became blurred before her eyes.

“Sister?” Someone nearby seemed to be calling her.

Ruyi took two steps forward, wanting to grab something to steady herself, but unexpectedly, as she reached out, silver chains spiraled up from her arms like vines, entangling and locking her tight.

She frowned and looked around, discovering that the crowds and temple had all vanished, the tree shadows and steps had also disappeared, leaving only a vast expanse of white mist surging up, nearly suffocating her.

“Liu Ruyi, do you know your sins?”

The sounds of wooden fish and ancient bells rang together as countless gods and Buddhas broke through the mist, looking down at her from above.

Ruyi found it amusing. She sat down, supporting herself with her hands, rested her elbow on her knee, and asked carelessly, “What sins do I have?”

“Privately removing divine bones, killing innocents wrongfully, helping tyrants do evil… your crimes are too numerous to record.”

It was better not to mention it, but once mentioned, her collarbone ached faintly.

When the Demon King helped her take revenge, the condition she agreed to was to remove the divine bones she had cultivated for a thousand years and to serve at his command after falling to demonhood.

How could removing bones while alive not be painful? But at that time, with every section of bone she broke, one of her murdered clansmen came back to life before her. Pain and joy intertwined, making her unable to forget that feeling even in death.