On the long street, the sound of the wind suddenly ceased.
The Tiger Claw that appeared out of thin air seized Jiang Yuechu's hand, and then slowly merged into her flesh and blood.
~Buzz~
In the blink of an eye. Jiang Yuechu's appearance underwent an earth-shattering change.
The muscles beneath her skin bulged, and dense crimson Tiger Stripes spread upward from her wrist to her shoulder.
Her dark hair began to be dyed crimson from the roots. Her pupils instantly transformed into golden vertical slits.Brutal and tyrannical. A ferocious aura, as if hailing from the primordial era, burst forth from her body!
The Pig Demon froze. It actually sensed the aura of its own kind on the young girl before it!
A Demon?
No!
She's not a Demon! Yet she is even stronger than a Demon?!
"You... what exactly are you?"
Jiang Yuechu did not reply. Her own Qi and blood might not sustain this state for more than a few breaths. She had to finish this quickly!
The next second.
~Boom!~
Beneath her feet, it was as if thunder had erupted. A large hole was abruptly stamped into the uneven bluestone road surface!
Her entire being turned into a crimson streak of light, tearing through the air and shooting toward the still-shocked Pig Demon.
"Too fast! What are you!" The Pig Muttered causing it ugly pig face to sweat. She was so fast that everyone present, including the Pig Demon, only managed to see an afterimage.
Her five fingers on her right hand clenched tightly, and she threw a straightforward punch!
"The thing that will kill you." Her icy voice seemed to ring right next to the Pig Demon's ear.
The punch landed.
~Bang~
Under the force of the punch, ripples spread across the fat on the Pig Demon's body. Its expression changed, instantly realizing something was wrong.
"Spare me!!!"
Truly father and son, even their words of surrender were identical.
But the answer it received was the next punch.
~Boom!~
The air was torn apart again. This time, there was no resistance; it violently ripped through flesh and muscle, piercing the thick chest!
"Ugh..." After a few breaths.The massive body swayed, then fell straight backward.
~Thud~
Dust flew up on the long street.
"..." Liu Chen knelt on the ground, mouth agape, staring blankly at the scene. Every single Imperial Guard who survived behind him was completely stunned.
"This..."
"What just happened?!"
The terrifying Great Demon that had just left them helpless, and even severely wounded the Bone Resonance Realm Lord Xu. Just like that... died?
The heart-stopping ferocious aura receded like a tide. The crimson Tiger Stripes on Jiang Yuechu's body slowly vanished, and her blood-red hair returned to black.
Her body went soft, and she knelt on one knee, breathing heavily.
[Killed a Minggu Realm creature, gained three hundred and fifty years of its Dao Cultivation.]
[Detected an unrecorded Demon. Do you wish to consume Dao Cultivation to record it?]
"Yes..."
Exhaustion and intense pain swept through her body. She raised her head, meeting the gaze of the Demon Suppression Division Imperial Guards nearby, who looked at her with suspicion and uncertainty.
The next second, everything went dark...
----------------------------------------------Chang'an.-------------------------------------------------------
Chang'an it is the foremost place of goodness under heaven, the heart of the Great Tang.
One hundred and eight wards, scattered like stars on a chessboard, with high ward walls, clearly delineated.
--------------------------------------------The Imperial City, Daming Palace.----------------------------------------
It had been over a year since the new Emperor ascended the throne, and that thrilling palace coup seemed like ancient history.
Inside the palace walls, the red walls, yellow tiles, flying eaves, and bracket sets were just as they had always been.
Palace servants and maids lowered their heads, their steps light and quick,traversing the empty palace paths, daring not to make any unnecessary noise.
--------------------------------The Imperial Study.----------------------------------
A young man dressed in dark common clothes stood by the window, hands clasped behind his back, looking outside. He was about thirty years old, handsome, and tall.
Behind him, an Old Eunuch bowed, seemingly reporting something.
After a long time.
"Still nothing?"
"Reporting to Your Majesty... the people sent out have all returned, and still... still there is no news." It is said that serving a ruler is like accompanying a tiger. At this moment, the Old Eunuch truly and painfully experienced this feeling.
What did the silence mean?
Why don't you say something!
After a while, the Old Eunuch glanced up, gritting his teeth, and said, "However... this servant did hear of one matter, which I do not know if I should speak of."
"Speak."
"I heard... the Empress Dowager has been enjoying good health recently, frequently worshiping Buddha in the Buddhist hall and copying many sutras, saying she wishes to pray for the well-being of the common people."
The young man picked up a jade paperweight from the table, fiddling with it between his fingers, and said casually, "She certainly is idle."
"Your Majesty, that is incorrect. The Empress Dowager owes her present peace entirely to Your Majesty's filial piety and generosity, does she not? Thinking back then..."
"Enough." The voice was not loud, but it caused the latter half of the Old Eunuch's flattery to choke dead in his throat.
"This servant deserves death! This servant spoke out of turn!"The Emperor ignored his plea for forgiveness, merely closing his eyes.
"Deliver My decree."
The Old Eunuch quickly bowed his head even lower, "This servant is here."
"Continue searching. If alive, find the person; if dead, find the body."
--------------------------------------Liangzhou Prefecture.---------------------------------------------------------
A wind chime tinkled under the eaves, its sound crisp.
Jiang Yuechu opened her eyes. She saw an unfamiliar ceiling, and the air was filled with a heavy scent of medicinal herbs.
She blinked.
Hmm?
Wait... I didn't Transmigrate again, did I?
With a thought in her mind, the Ancient Scroll quietly unfolded.
[Host: Jiang Yuechu]
[Realm: Hearing the String Perfection]
[...]
Thank goodness. The panel is still here. Which means the person hasn't changed.
She sighed in relief, only then belatedly noticing the profound weakness radiating throughout her body.
Just as she was wondering where she was, the door was pushed open.
A woman dressed in a white gown walked in, carrying a soup bowl. Seeing Jiang Yuechu awake, she paused, a hint of surprise appearing on her face.
"You're awake?"
Jiang Yuechu braced herself, trying to sit up, but found she couldn't muster any strength.
"You are..."
Seeing this, the woman quickly put down the bowl, stepped forward, placed a soft pillow behind Jiang Yuechu, and helped her slowly sit up and lean back.
"Don't rush to move." The woman smiled, her eyes curving, "My name is Wei Qing, and this is Liangzhou Prefecture."
"Region?"Jiang Yuechu's pupils slightly contracted.
How did she end up in the Region?
Wei Qing seemed to notice her confusion. As she brought over the steaming bowl of medicinal soup, she explained, "People from the Demon Suppression Division brought you back. Your Qi and blood were severely depleted. You were unconscious for five whole days. If your foundation wasn't good, you might have already..."
She didn't finish her sentence, merely handing the spoon to Jiang Yuechu's mouth.
Only then did Jiang Yuechu recall.
She had ultimately used the power of Demonization to kill the Pig Demon, and after that, everything went black, and she remembered nothing.
She didn't open her mouth, just silently looked at the woman before her. Fortunately, the people from the Demon Suppression Division still had some conscience and didn't leave her there to be fed to wild dogs.
Wait... the Demon Suppression Division?
Holy crap!
My identity hasn't been exposed, right?!