Puhua stood on the high place. Before he could speak, a nearby immortal tugged at the True Lord who had spoken, muttering: “Why ask him? He’s precisely that Shen Qiyuan’s master.”
The True Lord realized his impropriety and quickly cupped his hands in apology, then pulled his companion away: “Why didn’t you say so earlier?”
“How was I to know you didn’t even recognize Divine Lord Puhua?”
“He’s only been in the Ninth Heaven for how long? There are so many divine lords in heaven—who could recognize them all? Besides, he’s not necessarily that powerful.”
“Keep your voice down.”
The two walked further and further away until their voices could no longer be heard.
Puhua remained silent for a long time, then flicked his sleeve and leaped down from the high place, breaking through clouds to descend to the mortal realm.
There were over a hundred cultivators on Qidou Mountain, but only a few dozen would ascend every three thousand years. Shen Qiyuan was his most accomplished disciple—naturally, he couldn’t watch him make mistakes and stumble.
He needed to provide a reasonable explanation for this heaven-concealing dome.
The outskirts of Lin’an City were reached in the blink of an eye. Puhua had come with anger, but was stunned by the scene before him.
Scorched earth stretched for several li in all directions, demon corpses lay everywhere, and Shen Qiyuan stood on a massive demon bone, his demon-slaying sword in his right hand, pointing directly at the woman opposite him.
The woman had blood at the corner of her mouth, her long skirt hem flying out three zhang, her demonic energy surging.
“Master?” Sensing his arrival, Shen Qiyuan turned his head.
In that instant, Liu Ruyi fled, disappearing from the scorched earth in the blink of an eye.
Puhua was startled and stepped forward to pursue, but still stopped: “What’s going on?”
Shen Qiyuan looked with annoyance toward the direction Liu Ruyi had disappeared, sheathed his demon-slaying sword, and cupped his hands with pursed lips: “Your disciple was escorting the grain transport team out of the city when, unexpectedly, we encountered a great demon leading thousands of demons blocking the path. They were too numerous, and your disciple couldn’t manage everything at once, so I could only draw down heavenly punishment to destroy them.”
Heavenly punishment would endanger the people, so he had raised the dome. This explanation was reasonable and flawless.
However, Divine Lord Puhua looked at him intently and asked: “Wasn’t it Wei Zijue escorting the grain supplies?”
Shen Qiyuan paused, then smoothly withdrew his hands: “Yes, precisely because it was he that your disciple encountered Liu Ruyi.”
These two had been at odds for a long time—it was understandable that they would come to blows over something.
Puhua scrutinized him for a long time before sighing: “You are my most beloved and trusted disciple, Qiyuan. You cannot deceive me.”
“How could your disciple deceive the Master?” Shen Qiyuan lowered his eyes. “Even from the distant Ninth Heaven, Master often observes the movements of the mortal realm, doesn’t he?”
Otherwise, how could he have sent Song Zhenshan to deliver a message last time?
“There are still great demons uneliminated in the mortal realm. Your qualifications are too shallow, so I naturally worry and keep watch.” Puhua said. “Eliminating demons is good, but Qiyuan, remember—the Demon King has tens of thousands of years of cultivation and isn’t a demon to provoke lightly. If you encounter him, don’t try to show off; just send word to Master directly.”
“Your disciple understands.”
After another glance at the demon corpses around them, Puhua had nothing more to say and turned to return to the Ninth Heaven to report the situation.
Shen Qiyuan watched him leave, took a deep breath, and raised his sword to pursue in the direction Ruyi had departed.
Ruyi ran very fast, her figure shuttling through the forest like the wind, but she was severely injured. Even with this head start, she was quickly overtaken by him.
Her steps suddenly stopped—she simply stopped running.
Shen Qiyuan immediately placed his demon-slaying sword across her path.
Ruyi turned back, her gaze both mocking and sorrowful: “You still want to kill me?”
“Surrender,” he said coldly. “If I can slay so many demons, naturally, I won’t show you mercy either.”
Shaking her head and retreating two steps, she choked up: “Those demons truly weren’t under my command, and the deaths in the city outskirts have nothing to do with me. Why won’t you believe me?”
“Do you dare say you’re not working for Great Xia?”
“I…”
Shen Qiyuan didn’t want to listen anymore and advanced with his sword: “I was foolish before, not even going to the Ninth Heaven for your sake. Now I’ve thought it through—kill you, and I’ll have a bright future ahead. Why should I stay here listening to your lies one after another?”
As his words fell, the sword tip swiftly slashed toward her throat.
The two were too close for Ruyi to dodge in time, but in an instant, a domineering demonic force swept up from behind, pulling her back three zhang and backhanding Shen Qiyuan’s sword away.
Ruyi called out with both joy and guilt: “Master.”
A black mist gradually appeared in the air, and the Demon King’s voice emerged from the shadows: “I sent you to handle affairs, and you’ve made such a mess of things?”
Ruyi half-knelt, speaking urgently: “It’s not that your disciple was incompetent, Master. This person ambushed me, striking suddenly when I was weakened from feeding blood.”
She pointed toward the distant scorched earth, tears glistening in her eyes: “So many of our kin, all destroyed by his single thunderbolt.”
The Demon King flew into a rage, his demonic energy pointing directly at Shen Qiyuan.
According to what Puhua had said earlier, Shen Qiyuan should naturally flee upon seeing the Demon King, but for some reason, he was half a step slow. The incredibly dense demonic energy reached him in an instant. He raised his sword to block, immediately retreating an inch.
Looking thoughtfully at the sword in his hand, Shen Qiyuan hesitated no more and fled the scene.
“Master!” Seeing the Demon King about to pursue, Ruyi quickly stepped forward. “The heavenly punishment is still active. If Shen Qiyuan breaks open the dome, even you might be injured.”
The mountain-tall shadow stopped, seemingly lost in thought. She knelt beside the shadow, softly sobbing.
“You’re not one who loves to cry,” the Demon King said.
Ruyi wiped her face, her eyes red: “Three thousand years—I’ve admired him for three thousand years. Today we’ve severed all ties. How can I still control myself?”
“He’s not a heartless person either.” The Demon King’s suspicion deepened. “In a single night, you’ve severed all ties?”
Ruyi widened her eyes, pointing incredulously at the distant scorched earth: “So many of our kin killed by him—if I don’t sever ties with him, how can I face the kin who once protected me?”
“Those were demons raised in the mortal realm, completely unrelated to the kin who once protected you,” the Demon King said. “Though he did indeed kill many demons.”
As he spoke, his pitch-black body moved over the scorched earth, raising his hand to grasp. All the demon limbs and broken cores around were absorbed into the darkness.
Ruyi fake-cried while her heart couldn’t help but tremble.
They had staged this elaborate performance to prevent Puhua from blaming Shen Qiyuan and the Demon King from blaming her. Both objectives were indeed achieved, but this scene made her feel her methods were somewhat excessive.
The Demon King didn’t seem to value these thousand-plus lives much, even absorbing their final demonic power.
Yunque had told her that the Demon King was the most compassionate and kind, protecting all demons under heaven. She felt somewhat agitated seeing these demon bones—how could the Demon King remain so calm?
Before she could think further, the Demon King called her: “Ruyi.”
“Yes?”
“You’ve already successfully gotten Yunque out of Lin’an. Leave the rest to me.” The figure in the black mist was indistinct. “Now there’s something more important that needs you to do.”