Liangzhou Prefecture.
The rain from a few days ago was like the Heavens taking a nap; upon waking, it returned to the usual listless, oppressive sun.
The scorching sun roasted the earth, baking people until they felt faint.
At the city gate, the commoners entering and leaving hung their heads, the guards leaning against the wall were drowsy, and even the traveling merchants had lost their energy.
Suddenly.
A commotion erupted within the crowd.
"Demons! There are demons!!"
"Help!"
"Run!"
The originally lazy crowd instantly scattered, but before they could run far, someone shouted at the top of their lungs.
"It's not a demon! Look clearly, it's a demon's corpse!"
Upon hearing this, everyone paused.
Liangzhou Prefecture is the seat of the Demon Suppression Division, and within a hundred miles, demons are extinct.
Most commoners born and raised here have never seen a living demon in their entire lives.
Hearing about a demon corpse, that bit of fear was instantly washed away by curiosity.
The brave ones were already standing on tiptoes, stretching their necks to peek inside.
Soon, a flatbed cart, following four riders, slowly drove into the city gate.
On the cart, a ferocious head stared at the sky, eyes wide in death.
Pale white horns, hideous mouthparts, and palm-sized scales still stained with wet blood.
"Hiss—"
Someone gasped.
Immediately after, gasps rose one after another, merging into a chorus within the crowd.
"My goodness... Is this... Is this a Dragon?"
"The lords of the Demon Suppression Division even beheaded a Dragon and brought it back?!"
"You don't know a damn thing!"
A knowledgeable old merchant spat as he spoke, "That's called a Flood Dragon! It's still far from being a true Dragon! However... to be able to slay such a fierce creature, it truly is an incredible feat!"
"Look! Look at those lords' clothes! Why are they different from the usual Demon Suppression Division personnel?"
Someone with sharp eyes pointed at the four escorting the cart.
The old merchant squinted and looked carefully for a long while.
"Shoulders embroidered with a golden lion, on a black background... This... This is at least a Brigade Commander! A sixth-rank official!"
"A Brigade Commander?!"
The crowd was in an uproar again.
"That Little Girl walking in the front... is also a Brigade Commander? She looks... looks too young?!"
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice.
Soon, everyone's gaze converged on that slender figure.
"My goodness, I thought the lords of the Demon Suppression Division were all burly Men, I didn't expect there to be such a beautiful woman?"
"What's the use of being beautiful? Look at the golden lion on her shoulder! She really is a Brigade Commander! Damn, if someone like that married me, it would be worth it to be wealthy for a lifetime!"
"Tsk~"
The crowd looked at him with disdain.
As the four slowly entered the city, the onlookers followed along.
Not long after, the procession grew larger and larger, blocking the entire main street.
Shi Chongyue rode on horseback, feeling quite comfortable.
Although he didn't kill that Flood Dragon, being the center of attention while trailing behind was still a grand spectacle.
He even puffed out his chest so that the young women by the roadside could see him more clearly.
Li Qingyuan silently watched that slender back.
Compared to the shock when he learned she had killed the Heaven-Pacifying True Lord alone outside Yumen Pass.
Now, seeing her slay a Core Formation Realm Flood Dragon, he felt it was only natural.
Was he sick?
However... thinking about it carefully.
The other party is only seventeen or eighteen years old and has already stepped into the Core Formation Realm.
By comparison.
Is it really hard to kill a demon of the same realm?
He urged his horse forward to ride alongside her, glanced at Jiang Yuechu's back, which was tense for some reason, and said softly, "Miss Jiang, no need to be nervous. The commoners are just watching the excitement; they have no ill intent."
"I'm not nervous."
"Not nervous?" Shi Chongyue curled his lip from the other side, "Then why is your face as tense as a piece of donkey hide..."
"I am aloof." Jiang Yuechu insisted stubbornly.
Zhao Yi, who hadn't spoken until now, leaned in with a teasing smile, "Being aloof is useless. Look, ever since we entered the city, eight out of ten gazes on this street are still fixed on you."
"Because I am the most beautiful."
Jiang Yuechu said the truth perfunctorily.
"..."
As they spoke, the Demon Suppression Division was already in sight.
At the gate, two Demon Suppression Guards responsible for guarding were leaning against the door, chatting idly.
A younger Demon Suppression Guard stretched his neck, looking at the swarming crowd on the street, somewhat puzzled.
"What's going on today? It's like a big market day."
Another, slightly older one, just glanced lazily, then retracted his gaze and yawned.
"What else could it be? See those few in front? They have golden lions embroidered on their shoulders."
"Brigade Commander?"
The young Demon Suppression Guard curled his lip, his voice full of sourness, "Aren't they just a few Brigade Commanders? It's as if they've never seen an official in their lives; is it really necessary?"
"Heh, you don't know a damn thing."
The old Demon Suppression Guard snorted, too lazy to even lift his eyelids, "When a Brigade Commander travels, it has its own prestige. If you, kid, could ever manage to become a Squad Leader, you could walk sideways when you go out."
"A Squad Leader is nothing; if I'm going to be something, I'll be a Deputy General!"
The young Demon Suppression Guard looked complacent, but before he could finish speaking.
"Shut up."
The old Demon Suppression Guard beside him suddenly straightened up, his voice carrying a hint of inexplicable hoarseness.
"What's wrong?"
"Look for yourself, damn it!"
The young Demon Suppression Guard looked in the direction of his gaze.
The procession slowly approached, and the flatbed cart following the four riders was finally fully revealed.
On the cart, a huge, ferocious head was facing the sky.
The young Demon Suppression Guard's breathing instantly stopped.
After a long while.
"Holy... shit..."
...
In a single day.
Jiang Yuechu became famous in Liangzhou Prefecture.
Although the commoners didn't know her name, her appearance spread like the wind, blowing into every corner of Liangzhou Prefecture.
From the mansions of high officials and nobles to the alleys of peddlers and porters, everyone knew her.
Slaying a Flood Dragon was already a huge, incredible story.
Moreover, hearing from the people of the Demon Suppression Division themselves that the person who slew the Flood Dragon was a stunning girl of only seventeen or eighteen.
Such a feat was simply unbelievable!
Even in the operas, they wouldn't dare to perform it like that!
And so.
Within Liangzhou Prefecture, in every tea house and tavern, large or small, wherever there was a storyteller's stage, once the gavel struck, they were all talking about the same incredible story.
South of the city, Yuelai Tea House.
The private booths on the second floor were already packed, and even the stairwell was filled with people stretching their necks.
On the stage, an old gentleman with a goat beard, reaching the exciting part, opened his folding fan and slammed the gavel!
Clack!
"It is said that in the wilderness, Demonic Qi soared to the heavens, black clouds pressed down on the city as if to destroy it! A thousand-year-old evil Flood Dragon poked its head out from the river. Its head was bigger than this tea house! Its eyes were brighter than the sun in the sky! With one open mouth, it brought a bloody storm and could swallow an entire village!"
The entire audience gasped.
"At this critical moment! A clear shout was heard from the horizon, and a golden light arrived from beyond the sky! Everyone looked closely—goodness, where was that golden light? It was clearly a Fairy, stepping on colorful auspicious clouds, draped in moonlight gauze, drifting down!"
In the corner, a sturdy Man dressed in ordinary cloth, gulping down a bowl of inferior tea, sprayed the tea from his mouth with a 'pfft'.
"Cough cough... cough cough cough..." Chen Tong coughed violently while staring at the storyteller on stage in disbelief.
A Fairy?
Stepping on colorful auspicious clouds?
When did Lord Jiang become like this?
Beside him, a bald monk dressed the same way silently shook his head and pressed his palms together.
"Amitabha, monks do not tell lies... but this storyteller is afraid he will be sent to the Hell of Tongue-Pulling."
The old gentleman on stage didn't care about this; he took a sip of tea to moisten his throat and became even more enthusiastic.
"The Fairy raised her willow eyebrows, opened her almond eyes wide, pointed at the evil Flood Dragon and scolded: 'You beast! I saw at a glance that you are not human! Submit to your death immediately!'"
"How could the evil Flood Dragon agree? It was furious and opened its mouth to spew Samadhi True Fire, wanting to burn the Fairy to ashes! That fire was no small matter; it could even melt stone!"
"The Fairy formed a sword seal with her hand. With a 'clang' from behind her, a three-foot green blade flew out. This sword, named Dragon Slayer! It was forged from extraterrestrial meteorite iron, sharp enough to sever hair blown against it, and could cut through iron like mud!"
"The Fairy stepped on the Flying Sword, Man and sword as one, turning into a long rainbow, circling the evil Flood Dragon's neck, and with just a light turn..."
The old gentleman paused, picked up his tea cup, and took a slow sip.
The audience was so anxious they were scratching their ears and cheeks.
"Sir, what happened next? What happened after that?"
"Yes, tell us quickly!"
The old gentleman put down the tea cup, chuckled, and slammed the gavel down heavily!
Clack!
"A Dragon head bigger than a water vat, rolling, rolled down!"
"Bravo—!!!"
"Well killed!"
"Well told, sir! A reward!"