After Cultivating To Immortality, I Became the Demon Venerable's White Moonlight - Chapter 4

In the southwest of the Demon Realm, within the Qiming Valley.

A mass of a living, ghostly green entity was racing forward at lightning-fast speed. Not many miles behind, a black shadow followed closely, showing a strong tendency to gradually close the distance.

Suddenly, above the cliff overlooking the black shadow, massive boulders tumbled down with a series of loud crashes, hurtling straight toward it.

Without a moment’s hesitation, the black shadow dodged. The distance between it and the demon beast instantly widened.

Meanwhile, the pursuing demon beast ahead vanished from sight almost in the blink of an eye.

From behind the rolling boulders, a colossal beast slowly emerged.

The giant beast had the body of an ox, covered in fur as hard as metal and stone that shimmered under the sunlight. The dual horns on its head were as sharp as blades, and its body was as massive as half a hilltop.

“Feng Hanyu.”

Wen Miu looked at the Demon Venerable, letting out a low, harsh laugh from his throat.

Wen Miu was a demon beast born of the mountains, highly skilled in body alteration, he could expand to the size of a mountain or shrink to the size of a mouse.

Facing the colossal beast before her, Feng Hanyu looked up, standing like a tree before a small mountain. However, there was not a trace of fear on her face, instead, a mocking smile curled at the corners of her lips.

“Over the centuries, you maggot truly haven’t made a single bit of progress.”

She rested her palm against the still vibrating boulder beside her and sneered, “You still only know this one trick.”

“Who broke your seal? Was it Shan Xiao?”

The giant beast ignored her question. It merely stared at her malevolently, its voice as chaotic and muffled as a howling mountain wind as it spoke in human tongue, “Feng Hanyu, centuries ago, you and Gu Xianghe used insidious schemes and tricks to trap me within this mountain. Now you are isolated and without aid, yet you remain this arrogant? Today shall be the day you die!”

Feng Hanyu’s expression instantly darkened. Channeling her energy, the boulder beneath her palm immediately fractured into countless cracks. Fine stone powder and debris rattled down like a clod of dirt being crushed by a hand, collapsing and disintegrating with a resounding crash.

“The day I die? Heh, I’m afraid it will be the anniversary of your death next year!” A few veins subtly throbbed on Feng Hanyu’s forehead. Waste no more words, she instantly leaped into the air, her figure moving as fast as a flash of lightning, striking a heavy punch directly onto the giant beast’s head.

Wen Miu’s massive frame shuddered, rocking violently from side to side and causing the earth to tremble and the mountains to shake. A dull, roaring sound rumbled from its throat as its hind legs secretly gathered strength. Shaking its head, it rammed its horns against Feng Hanyu’s body, ruthlessly pinning her toward the ground.

Feng Hanyu gripped the giant horns with both hands, barely managing to hold her ground as subtle cracks appeared on the earth beneath her feet. Then, with a powerful twist, the beast’s horn spun a full circle under her grasp and was forcefully wrenched straight off the beast’s head.

Blood gushed like a fountain from the top of Wen Miu’s head. It could not help but howl in agony as its massive body thrashed wildly. Its four hooves stamped furiously, desperate to crush Feng Hanyu beneath them.

The force was as immense as a mountain. With her small frame, Feng Hanyu gradually showed signs of being unable to withstand it.

A trace of fresh blood slowly seeped from the corner of her lips.

Right at this moment, a sharp bird cry echoed from above. A black shadow appeared in the sky, circling a few times before plunging down in a fierce dive. The closer it got to the clifftop, the faster it plummeted.

It turned out to be a giant roc bird, entirely black with crimson-red feet.

In a matter of moments, it pecked out one of Wen Miu’s eyes before immediately soaring back into the sky.

Unable to bear the agonizing pain, Wen Miu loosened his suppression on Feng Hanyu. Seizing the opportunity, Feng Hanyu materialized a long blade in her hand and thrust the sharp edge through the mouth, plunging it deep into the monster’s throat.

After this frantic ordeal, Wen Miu lay dying on the ground, his breath fading.

Feng Hanyu gave a cold snort and turned to leave.

Suddenly, her expression changed drastically.

Along her black clothing, fresh blood flowed down like a stream, gathering into a small puddle on the ground within moments.

Wen Miu’s sharp claws had dug deeply into Feng Hanyu’s right shoulder.

Feng Hanyu dropped to one knee, large beads of sweat breaking out on her forehead.

Without the slightest hesitation, she hurled the long blade backward.

As if he had long anticipated this move, Wen Miu swiftly dodged to the side. The blade only carved a long, bloody gash across his flank.

“The tables have turned, times change, and fortunes rise and fall. Feng Hanyu, I advise you not to be too arrogant.” A sinister, wheezing laugh emerged from Wen Miu’s ruined throat. His body suddenly shrank, and he leaped off the cliff, fleeing into the rolling hills and quickly vanishing without a trace.

Watching Wen Miu’s escaping figure, Feng Hanyu placed her left hand over her right shoulder. The flow of blood from her shoulder quickly ceased, though several shocking wounds remained.

Feng Hanyu narrowed her eyes, gazing toward the distant mountains in the southwest.

Wen Miu had been sealed for a long time, yet his cultivation realm had suddenly increased to such an extent.

She wondered what exactly the Demon Race was plotting.

The wind howled as the ghostly green entity flew swiftly for hundreds of miles, finally leaving its pursuers far behind.

Darting left and right, its speed slowed down when it arrived beneath a verdant mountain. It then rushed up the mountain along a wild path, causing the trees to sway and rustle for a moment before everything fell into dead silence.

Near the place where the ghostly green entity had passed, a seed fell from the air close to a village at the foot of the mountain.

The seed landed on the ground and instantly burst with new life, growing at an extreme speed into a small sprout, a sapling, and eventually a green, human sized tree.

As if possessing consciousness, it shook its trunk, rustled its leaves eerily, and extended its long branches like arms. The trunk twisted and deformed, and within moments, it warped and transformed into a young, beautiful woman.

The woman slowly turned her head and eyes left and right, observing her surroundings. Her fingers stroked the side of her face, as if testing her newly formed skin.

Knock, knock.

In Muyin Village, the sound of knocking echoed against the wooden door of a household.

“Who is it?” a middle-aged man’s voice called out.

Knock, knock. The knocking did not stop.

The man inside put down his chopsticks and hurried over to open the door. Today, his wife and daughter had gone back to her parents’ home to visit relatives, so he was the only one at home eating lunch.

When the man opened the door, a beautiful, unfamiliar village woman stood before him, a slightly timid expression on her face, standing gracefully at the doorway.

“You are…”

“This humble woman is passing through this area and is unfamiliar with the place. I would like to request lodging for one night. I wonder if it is convenient for you, big brother?”

The man scratched the back of his head, momentarily stunned and speechless. After a moment, he stepped aside, inviting the woman into his home.

Nanzhou City was located at the junction of two rivers. It had always been a hub for freight transit, where cargo boats lined the waters and merchants gathered in crowds.

As the sun set behind the mountains, Yi Qinglan and her group of three, dressed in ordinary mortal attire, arrived at an inn in the northern part of Nanzhou City.

“The mission site is not far from here. Since it’s late today, we will rest here for the night, gather enough rations, and head out tomorrow morning,” Yi Qinglan said.

The other two junior sisters nodded in agreement.

“Eldest Senior Sister, do you know where the Baixintong (Information Hub) of this place is?” asked a junior sister with a high nose and bright eyes, who looked very capable and efficient. Her name was Lin Wanying, a terrestrial cultivation disciple under Elder Tianchen. She already possessed a Mid-Gold Core cultivation stage, and her strength was not inferior to Yi Qinglan’s.

The other junior sister was Fang Shuyue, a wood cultivator who also specialized in medical cultivation, and a pure magic cultivator. She had not traveled down the mountain many times, so Yi Qinglan had intentionally brought her along for this mission.

The Baixintong were strongholds specially established by cultivators in various locations, managed by designated individuals to gather intelligence and rapidly transmit information.

Yi Qinglan nodded in response. “I know. I already inquired with Master before coming. I will go retrieve it shortly.”

After the three finished their meal, Yi Qinglan stepped out of the inn alone under the moonlight. Walking along the main road and turning several corners, she arrived in front of an inconspicuous medical clinic and knocked on the door.

Seeing the visitor present her sect token, the medicine apprentice immediately opened the door to let her in, leading her to a hidden Chinese medicine cabinet before withdrawing.

Yi Qinglan channeled her spiritual energy, her fingertips slowly tracing along the patterns on the surface of the medicine cabinet, drawing a small, simple array formation.

The moment the array was formed, the medicine cabinet automatically popped open. In the exact center lay a piece of silk fabric, upon which several lines of small, neat characters were written.

Yi Qinglan took out the silk, and the medicine cabinet automatically returned to its original state. Looking at the gathered intelligence, it read:

“The feng shui of Muyin Mountain is in turmoil, a demon has broken in, named Shan Xiao.”

“Shan Xiao, human face and monkey body, fur like thorns. Adept at hiding, skilled in controlling puppets and persuading demon beasts to serve him.”

Yi Qinglan tucked the silk into her robes and retraced her steps back to the inn.

Unlike other places, Nanzhou City enjoyed a thriving commerce. Although the hour of You (5:00 PM – 7:00 PM) had passed, many parts of the city remained brightly lit, with vendors active along the long streets and a continuous flow of people.

In the center of the northern city sat the most luxurious restaurant inn. The front door was bustling with customers, while the back door was lonely and deserted.

The crickets chirped continuously, and the human voices grew quiet. The back door of the restaurant opened with a creak, and a servant came out to splash a bucket of water into the courtyard, seemingly arguing with someone as he cursed and shut the door again.

Under the moonlight, the courtyard reflected a clear, serene gleam.

A mass of black shadow drifted through the area from afar, finally dropping down here as if drained of strength. The back door was too secluded, and the shadow blended into the night, unnoticed by anyone.

Dragging her exhausted body, Feng Hanyu walked forward slowly, emerging from the shadows into the glow of the streetlamps. The intricate parts of her attire automatically faded away, transforming into the most ordinary style of a mortal.

“Innkeeper, prepare a top-grade room for me. Also, bring your finest and strongest liquor.”

The innkeeper was deeply engrossed in calculating his accounts. Hearing the voice, he looked up only to find a person standing before him. The woman had arrived unnoticed at some point, standing quietly in front of him with her face lowered, making it hard to see her features. She wore a black outfit tightly belted at the waist, a low-profile and simple attire that made her look no different from any other customer.

The innkeeper felt relieved. Running this shop for so long, what he feared most was encountering the type of customers who lived by the blade in the underworld, if any mishap occurred, the entire establishment would be ruined.

The woman paid the money and turned to let the attendant lead her away. The innkeeper looked closer, and his entire body began to tremble.

He noticed that on the shoulder area of the woman’s back, a large patch of deep crimson had congealed on her clothes, extending all the way to the hem. A faint scent of blood drifted through the air.

That… if that wasn’t blood, what was it?