Volume 3, Chapter 118 – White Heat

The horned demon looked so twisted and sinister that no matter how conservative a person was, they could not possibly classify it as a human faction.

And that was indeed the truth. Its real identity was that of a demon king from a secluded Illusory Realm called “Black Fire Heaven.” The realm under its rule was not even called a Demon Kingdom; instead, it had actively absorbed understanding from the outside world and gradually formed something like a modern human technological society.

Xiang Xian knew a few Demon Kingdoms of this sort. Their leaders had for various reasons chosen seclusion. Some believed the power of technology was worth studying in depth and planned to master it before returning to the world. There were also cases like this horned demon, which truly did not want to be caught up in war.

“Such a sudden request… Dao Lord Xiang, do not be anxious. Let me think on it a little.” The horned demon had been caught off guard by Xiang Xian’s call as well. The black fire burned and burned, and for a long time nothing happened.

Xiang Xian was not in a hurry. In truth, she also needed time to prepare herself mentally.

Every demon beast worthy of being called a demon king was the equivalent of a Divine Fetus Earth-Master. In a direct clash, only a human Sword Lord could steadily suppress one.

Unless absolutely necessary, she truly did not want to draw on this help. It would be best if she could even hide the fact that the Yuming lineage had connections with these demon kings.

Yet the worsening of the situation had nearly shattered the warning line in her heart. She realized that one way or another she had to make a decision today. She could not sit around waiting for a powerful enemy to appear at the gates and only then summon help. At that point, it would already be far too late.

As for the price to be paid… when she had still walked the Sword Dao, she had not dared to shoulder it, but now, thanks to Xiang’er, she had switched to cultivating the path of qi. Even if there was some contamination, it should not affect her too much.

“Dao Lord Xiang, I can aid you.” The horned demon finally replied. “But you must be certain. First, I cannot directly send my sons and soldiers over. You can only receive my demonic power from afar. Second, after this aid, all ties between the Yuming Sword Dao and myself will be wiped clean.”

“That is as it should be.” Xiang Xian nodded, but still insisted, “I have already made up my mind. Fellow Daoist, please begin.”

“What has changed out there in the world, I wonder…” the horned demon muttered. It nodded toward Xiang Xian, and the black fire around it suddenly surged as if it were alive. At the same time, it roared, “Dao Lord Xiang, be prepared!”

Xiang Xian said nothing. She had already taken a white jade casket from her robes, upon which a black flame sigil was engraved.

Boom.

On the projection’s side, the black fire exploded with a violent roar. An instant later, as if it had pierced a path through the void, the white jade casket in Xiang Xian’s hand suddenly grew heavy, and black sparks hissed out from its seams.

“I have given Dao Lord Xiang half of my flames.” The horned demon appeared once more, its voice now carrying a hint of fatigue. “With that, our cause and effect is settled. Dao Lord Xiang, take care.”

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Xiang Xian held the jade casket and bowed toward it. “You too, Fellow Daoist.”

Another boom shook the air. The projection burst apart in black flame and went dark.

Xiang Xian did not stop there. She kept making projection calls, contacting every Demon Kingdom force she could reach at this moment. She managed to infuse an indescribably violent demonic power into a treasured fan and a short sword.

But that was as far as it went. Aside from the three demon kings who kept their word and were willing to help, the rest of the Demon Kingdoms either refused to pick up the calls or dodged and declined. A few even looked at her with eyes that held both greed and pity, as if they knew Xiang Xian was about to face a great calamity.

“Fellow Daoist Longhe has nothing to say?” Xiang Xian stared at yet another emerging screen of light, her tone low. “It seems Fellow Daoist knows something. What would it take for you to tell me?”

In the light stood a bird-beast demon. It only shook its head at her words. “It is already too late.”

“Dao Lord Xiang, if you had called a few days earlier, things would be different. But now it is too late. Far too late.”

“As for helping you, do not bring it up again. I am not like that blockhead Black Fire, to be stupid enough to let you drag me onto your carriage.”

“On account of my past friendship with your master, I will say this much. When the tide turns against you, surrender. The Yuming Sword Dao is not like the other orthodoxies. If you willingly submit, no one will go out of their way to kill you.”

Once he finished, the bird-beast demon let out a shrill laugh and vanished. The instant communication link was cut off with him.

The gains were far short of what she had hoped for. Xiang Xian paused for a moment, then walked over and put away the phone.

In a way, this had been within expectations. After all, even among humans there were plenty who broke faith. One could hardly expect beings of the demon race to truly understand Human Principle.

“At least there are still three allies.” Xiang Xian muttered to herself, looking down. “The rest can only be called upon after I am dead.”

“Heh… let us hope that day never comes.”

Just as she was about to step out, she suddenly turned and glared out the window, hurling the black-flame jade casket outside. It seemed to smash into something in midair, letting out a distinct muffled thud.

Whoosh.

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The casket opened, spewing out a surge of black fire. It wrapped around a humanoid outline that had been concealed in midair and burned it until it cried out in wretched screams, before finally reducing it to drifting ash.

“Creeping around with your head tucked in…” With her lips pressed into a thin line, Xiang Xian flew straight out through the window and shouted her fury into the dusk.

“Come out, all of you!”

…

Elsewhere, Bai Shengju had returned to his side room, making and taking calls as he waited to confer with Bai Guanshan and Bai Lianzhou.

“Half my people are missing!” It was a call from Zhang Daoming. “Lawless. Truly lawless!”

“If they dare make a move at a time like this, it means they no longer care about the consequences.” Bai Shengju said calmly. “Chief Inspector Zhang, take good care of yourself. You and Governor Zhang Mushou are both among their targets.”

“So much the better.” Zhang Daoming’s tone turned very cold. “I will be right here, waiting for them.”

After speaking with the Kong father and son and learning that they intended to stay on the mountain to guard Zhang Xianzhi, some of the tension in Bai Shengju’s heart eased.

“Brother Bai, there is no need to stand on ceremony.” Kong Tianbao’s voice over the phone was very warm. “We are not trying to take advantage of anything… It is just that the enemy is in the dark while we are in the open, and my son and I cannot be everywhere at once. So it is best for everyone to gather in one place and wait for the enemy to come in force.”

After a few more polite exchanges, Kong Tianbao hung up. He turned to the now-empty side room and could not help feeling a little desolate.

Everyone understood the logic. When you did not know the enemy’s details, concentrating your strength to defend the Shenming mountain gate was naturally the best choice.

Yet when he thought of that unruly young man from not long ago, the one who had shouted, “I helped keep this peace too. How can I sit and watch while they slaughter people as they please,” Kong Tianbao could not quite get angry. Instead, a wry smile appeared on his face.

“With that temperament, you really do take after your mother…”

“Forget it. Forget it.”

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“If things go wrong, then I will stake my life and go with you.”

At the guest rooms by the gate, Bai Zhuqing swept in, her white skirt billowing around her. The first thing she asked Xu Shu when she saw him was, “Has he woken up yet?”

“Not yet.” Xu Shu shook his head. “Little Senior Sister, what brings you back? Has something happened outside?”

“It is not that I wanted to come back.” Bai Zhuqing shook her head. “Grandmaster said we would be of no use outside and forced us to return first.”

Grandmaster was right.

Beside them, Chen Shi and Ma Yue exchanged a look and saw the same thought reflected on each other’s faces.

Judging from the casualties so far, the enemy’s primary target was the defending forces of the Shenming Sword Dao. Many disciples had been attacked and killed while the surrounding common folk were left untouched.

If they could have killed the common people but did not, instead focusing only on the Shenming disciples, it was obvious they wanted revenge.

Perhaps they also wanted the common folk to see with their own eyes how their protectors were crushed and slaughtered without suspense.

“Little Senior Sister!”

Just then, a female disciple came running from afar.

Everyone knew her as well. Her name was Han Ting, one of the disciples who had joined in recent days.

As senior brother, Xu Shu had been watching over such matters closely. Seeing that she seemed to be bringing important news, he immediately stepped forward with concern on his face.

But Bai Zhuqing narrowed her eyes, picking up a faint, nauseating stench in the air.

Only when “Han Ting” came within three meters did that stench dissipate and turn into a familiar wave of dizziness and nausea. Bai Zhuqing finally understood and hurriedly grabbed Xu Shu, dragging him back.

Xu Shu turned his head, a bit dazed. When he looked again at “Han Ting,” he saw that her entire head had turned into a mass of flesh, opening rapidly like the petals of a starfish.

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“Scram!”

The terrifying sight left the disciples frozen in fright. Only Bai Zhuqing shouted at the monster, spraying a puff of pale white mist from her mouth.

Within that white mist was another cluster of vapor. It shot forward with incredible speed, piercing straight through the monster’s head. With a shriek, its skull burst into a spray of blood and pulp, and its body pitched forward onto the ground.

“Nicely done.”

From the white mist behind them came the sound of clapping.

Under the tense stares of everyone present, a group of disciples in Daoist robes stepped over the mountain gate, led by a seductive woman in a deep purple Daoist robe. They all looked human, yet their auras were more chaotic than those of the demon race. In moments, they had surrounded Bai Zhuqing and the others.

“Little girl, your bones and roots are extraordinary. No need to mix with those mediocrities. Come serve me as a treasure-bearing medicine attendant instead, would that not be glorious?”

The female Daoist smiled as she looked around, her gaze finally falling on Bai Zhuqing, especially on the girl’s mouth. She was clearly very curious about the sword-pellet art.

What she did not expect was how violent Bai Zhuqing’s reaction would be.

The girl first drew her long sword and drove it straight through the still-twitching heart of the demon-human on the ground. Then she snapped her head up, glaring at the woman as she pronounced each word clearly. “You are not worthy.”

“Good. Very good.”

The female Daoist’s face twisted with rage.

“No need for more talk.”

“Kill them all.”