Volume 2 - Chapter 45: Facing Foes from All Directions - Part 1
Three thousand li beyond the pass.
Within a valley shrouded in toxic mist and miasma, a towering palace stood. Birds cloaked in swirling gusts of wind darted through the poisonous haze, landing within the palace.
Inside the palace, an array kept the toxic mist and miasma at bay.
Many of the birds perched on the railings and divine pillars, while some transformed into the appearances of children—delicate, small figures with fair, radiant faces.
...
This was a branch of the Tianji Hall.
Among the demon forces, Tianji Hall held a status comparable to Dragon Gate and Sacred Palace, though its overall combat power was weaker. Its hall master was shrouded in mystery, and the avian demons under its command gathered intelligence with unmatched skill. They roamed freely among the various factions, fostering extensive networks of influence. As a result, many major forces depended heavily on them.
"Everyone has received the news by now, haven’t they? That boy is slaughtering demons and monsters everywhere!"
"Arrogant to the extreme! He dares to trespass on the demon domain alone. This is no Great Yu Divine Dynasty!"
"It’s all because the Myriad Mountains Demon King and its forces fled from the border, leaving no one to restrain him. That boy must have someone at the Fourth Pillar Realm secretly protecting him."
"When that boy traveled from Qingzhou to Liangzhou, he was guarded by a Fourth Pillar expert the entire way. The demon kings didn’t dare risk an ambush. Now that he’s venturing deep into our territory alone, he’s courting death!"
Seven or eight boys and girls with varying appearances but equally small statures gathered together. Leading them was a girl of about thirteen or fourteen years old, dressed in a red dress. Her delicate, radiant beauty was juxtaposed by a calm and mature expression.
"The Ming Hall Master is dead, killed by that boy!"
A black-robed boy spoke in a low voice.
Though his voice was childish, his gaze was cold and somber.
The others remained silent. They had already learned this news through the earlier whistle transmission.
Though the demons and monsters allowed Tianji Hall to operate freely among them, any who harmed Tianji Hall's members would face certain retribution.
Now, a human dared to kill their Ming Hall Master. Retribution was inevitable.
"You’ve all transmitted the news, right? I’ve already contacted the other provinces, spreading the word about this boy. Those great demons and demon kings who hold grudges against the Li Family will undoubtedly come."
"As long as that boy stays here, he’s doomed to die!"
The red-dressed girl’s eyes sparkled like bright snow, her tone cold and unwavering.
The other children nodded in agreement, their eyes filled with murderous intent.
"Have we identified which Fourth Pillar expert is secretly following him?"
The red-dressed girl pressed on.
The children exchanged glances before a little girl in a green dress, her delicate features resembling a carved jade doll, shook her head.
"We initially thought it was the Fourth Master of the Li Family, but after I investigated, he never left Death River."
"It’s not the Fourth Master of the Li Family."
A boy with snow-white hair smirked coldly, adding, "You’ll never guess who it is. During the earlier battle when the Myriad Mountains Demon King attacked, I observed from afar. Though that person intentionally concealed their techniques, I recognized them."
"After cross-referencing the records, I realized it’s connected to the Buddhist incident from thirty years ago. If I’m not mistaken, that person is Feng Boping, the Thieving Saint!"
"What?!"
The others were shocked.
The surrounding avian demons also widened their eyes in disbelief.
"The Thieving Saint? Is he protecting that boy?"
"How could the Divine General Mansion be secretly associated with the Thieving Saint?"
"My heavens, if the Buddhist Sect finds out about this, the Li Family will face serious consequences."
"Not just the Buddhist Sect—if other Divine General Mansions learn of this, it would be a monumental secret worth a high price!"
The children grew increasingly animated. This was a rare piece of leverage against the Li Family. However, for now, they only had evidence of the Thieving Saint protecting the boy and lacked proof of collusion with the Divine General Mansion.
Without concrete evidence, it wouldn’t threaten the Divine General Mansion’s standing, as the Thieving Saint could claim he was acting of his own accord.
"I’ll report this to the Hall Master. Our elders will investigate further. If we uncover evidence, it’ll be an unparalleled boon for us," the red-dressed girl said, her excitement barely concealed.
For Tianji Hall, intelligence was their greatest weapon. The more valuable the information, the greater their influence.
At this moment, a bird darted through the toxic miasma and landed inside the hall.
"Reporting to the elder: that boy just killed the Old Patriarch of Pingshan and is heading this way," the avian demon reported in an aged female voice.
"What?! The Old Patriarch of Pingshan is dead too?!"
The other avian demons were stunned.
That was a demon at the Undying Realm, nearly as strong as the Three-Faced Snake. Having cultivated for millennia, he was said to have half a foot into the Fourth Pillar Realm. Yet, even he had fallen?
"Didn’t he escape?"
"Wasn’t he warned?"
"He was warned, but he wanted to test the boy’s strength, claiming he was curious about the young one’s capabilities."
"..."
The avian demons fell silent.
The red-dressed girl’s expression darkened. "This toxic miasma likely won’t shield us from his detection. That boy is terrifying—he’s torn apart Three Immortals-level demons with his bare hands! We must disperse immediately and use the Whistle of Profound Sound to communicate. A demon king is already on the way here. I’ll go meet him and ask him to wait for reinforcements from other demon kings so we can take down that boy together."
"Understood."
The avian demons nodded.
One by one, the birds flew out of the hidden toxic valley. With their innate wind-manipulating techniques, they created paths through the poisonous mist.
As the birds scattered, the hall quickly became deserted, its interior empty and still.
...
...
At Tianmen Pass.
Li Hongzhuang stood atop the city walls, gazing into the distance. Li Hao had yet to return. She frowned slightly, a faint sense of unease creeping into her heart.
"General, has Haotian Junior General not returned yet?"
A grandmaster approached, asking respectfully.
Li Hongzhuang paused, her expression shifting slightly. "What did you call him?"
"Haotian Junior General," the grandmaster replied, confused.
Li Hongzhuang’s face changed subtly. Previously, Li Hao had been credited for defending Dayue City and Tianmen Pass, earning a promotion. The emperor had conferred upon him the title of Junior General, and the news had already reached the Li Family in Qingzhou.
Now, the city walls were adorned with Li Hao’s battle flags, with the words "Haotian" fluttering in the wind. Most people in the city had also started addressing him by his new title.
It seemed that no one referred to him as the young master of the Li Family anymore.
Perhaps, deep down, they still recognized him as a scion of the Li Family, carrying the noble name associated with the Divine General Mansion, but over time, would they still remember?
Li Hongzhuang’s thoughts drifted briefly until the grandmaster before her spoke again, pulling her back to the present.
She furrowed her brow slightly and asked, “What do you need from him?”
“It’s not me, General,” the grandmaster replied. “The Star Official is looking for Junior General Haotian.”
“The Star Official?” Li Hongzhuang asked with a hint of surprise.
The grandmaster nodded. “It seems they’ve completed constructing their array and wish for the Junior General to conduct a test.”
Li Hongzhuang glanced into the distance, a faint trace of worry flashing across her face. “I’ll take a look,” she said.
With that, she leaped into the air and quickly arrived at the other side of the city wall.
Descending gracefully, she saw the Star Official, an elderly man accompanied by several apprentices, waiting.
“General.”
Upon seeing Li Hongzhuang’s crimson battle armor and the insignia on her shoulder, the Star Official gave a slight bow.
Li Hongzhuang returned the gesture respectfully, raising her hand in response. “You’ve worked hard.”
“It’s merely our duty,” the Star Official replied evenly, scanning the area before asking, “Where is Junior General Haotian?”
Li Hongzhuang’s brows knitted briefly as she answered, “He’s gone beyond the pass to hunt demons.”
“When did he leave? I didn’t see any troops setting out.”
Behind the Star Official, a curious apprentice named Xia Xianglan spoke up.
Li Hongzhuang shot her a glance and replied, “He went alone, without taking any troops.”
“Alone?”
Xia Xianglan was stunned. “Why wouldn’t he take soldiers? Isn’t it dangerous?”
“...”
Li Hongzhuang hesitated. How could she respond? To say there was no danger would be absurd. But to admit there was danger—how could she justify allowing the boy to go alone?
After a brief pause, she answered, “Beyond the pass is perilous. Our soldiers wouldn’t be able to keep up with him and would only hinder him.”
As she said this, a faint sense of embarrassment crept over her.
What seemed routine on the surface now felt strangely shameful when spoken aloud.
It seemed as though they were merely present at the frontier for show.
“Is he really that formidable?” Xia Xianglan asked, her voice filled with astonishment.
Li Hongzhuang fell silent briefly. Yes, the boy had become incredibly powerful—so much so that even she, his aunt, could no longer match his pace.
Perhaps if her elder brother, Li Hao’s father, were still alive, he might still stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the boy. Perhaps he would be waiting far ahead in the distant horizon for the boy to catch up.
“Xianglan, mind your manners.”
The Star Official, though not one for idle chatter, was observant enough to notice the tension. He was also aware of the rumors surrounding the boy and the Li Family.
Turning to Li Hongzhuang, he asked, “General, do you know when the Junior General will return?”
“...”
Li Hongzhuang had no answer. When Li Hao left, he had said nothing.
Seeing her silence, the Star Official’s gaze lingered on her for a moment before he said, “In that case, we’ll wait a few more days for the Junior General’s return before proceeding.”
“Thank you for your patience.”
Li Hongzhuang finally responded.
“Is he always like this?”
Xia Xianglan couldn’t help but ask as she looked at Li Hongzhuang.
Li Hongzhuang frowned, choosing to ignore the question. This young girl’s remarks left her at a loss for how to respond.
Xia Xianglan noticed the dismissal and merely pouted slightly. As her master and Li Hongzhuang walked ahead, she turned to look out at the snow-covered landscape beginning to thaw.
“What kind of demon is he fighting out there?”
...