"Yue Huaiyuan?!"
The Demon let out a strange cry, turning pale with fright.
How did this old bastard arrive so quickly today?!
Without time to think, it blocked with its steel trident.
Clang—!!!
The deafening clang of metal on metal shook the surrounding river water, causing it to surge backward.
The steel trident instantly shattered.
The long spear's momentum didn't lessen; it pierced through the Demon's shoulder, and the immense force sent its body flying backward, pinning it firmly into the mud by the riverbank.
"Ah!!! Yue Huaiyuan! If you kill me, the Little Demon King will surely hold you accountable!!!"
The mournful shriek echoed through the sky.
The Demon struggled frantically, black and red Demon blood gushing out and staining the river water red.
At the end of the long street.
A burly figure slowly appeared.
Although they were far apart and his face couldn't be seen clearly, his Aura made the hearts of all the Demon Suppression Guardss burn with excitement.
"It's General Yue!"
"General Yue has made his move!"
The burly figure said nothing, but with a flash of movement, he stomped his foot and burst forward, hugging the ground as he charged toward the riverbank.
While still airborne, his right hand clenched into a phantom grip.
Overbearingly powerful True Qi condensed into shape, clearly intended to deliver the final blow to this heavily injured Great Demon.
"Die!"
He roared.
Despair filled the Demon's eyes as it could only watch the iron fist, capable of smashing its skull, draw closer and closer.
However.
Right at this critical moment.
Whoosh—!!!
A sharp sound of air being torn, starting later but arriving first.
A silver-white afterimage instantly flashed past the riverbank.
Immediately following that.
Was a flash of golden-white blade light.
Pfft—
There was no obstruction whatsoever.
The Demon, which had been struggling moments before, instantly stiffened.
Its massive head flew up toward the sky, and scalding Demon blood erupted like a fountain, splashing all over the burly man.
[Killed a Dianmo Realm Demon, obtained one thousand six hundred years of its Dao Cultivation]
"Hoo..."
The silver-white figure stopped ten paces away from the corpse.
Clang—
The crisp sound of the blade returning to its sheath was particularly jarring on the quiet riverbank.
She slightly tilted her head and glanced at the burly man, who was still holding his punching posture but was now frozen in place.
"Excuse me."
Yue Huaiyuan: "..."
Where did this Little Girl pop out from?!
How dare she steal the kill so righteously?!
However, as the Demon Quelling General of County, Yu Hang, who had spent decades in the Demon Suppression Division, he naturally had some measure of tolerance.
Although his prize had been snatched, he felt somewhat uncomfortable inside.
Especially since he was drenched in Demon blood, making him look quite disheveled.
But if it weren't for that stunning strike, that beast might have struggled a couple more times, potentially destroying a few more houses and killing a few more common people along the riverbank.
"Hoo—"
Yue Huaiyuan let out a long breath of Turbid Qi, shaking off all the sticky, foul-smelling Demon blood from his body.
He lowered his stance, then squinted his eyes, carefully scrutinizing the young girl.
With just one look, his pupils contracted slightly.
What a beautiful Little Girl.
She clearly possessed an extremely beautiful appearance, yet she exuded a cold Evil Qi that made people dare not look directly at her.
But when he saw her clothing clearly, Yue Huaiyuan's heart jumped.
An Inspector Envoy from General Bureau?
And a Silver Robe?!
But... why is she so young?!
Yue Huaiyuan felt a slight ache in his gums.
This world is changing too quickly. Has the Capital City region started mass-producing Prodigies like this now?
Right at this moment.
Da da da—
A slightly erratic sound of horse hooves traveled over.
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound.
They saw a majestic, snow-white Demon Horse with a single horn on its forehead, slowly inching its way over, head drooping and steps uneven.
With every step, it swayed, and its large, wet eyes were filled with grievance.
Clearly, during the explosive sprint just now, the kick its Master used to gain leverage almost broke the beast's spine.
Immediately after.
There was another rapid sound of horse hooves.
Xie Tinglan led more than ten Demon Suppression Guardss, rushing frantically through the curtain of rain.
Every one of them was panting heavily, their faces anxious.
When they saw the headless Demon corpse by the riverbank and the silver-white figure standing proudly in the rain, everyone simultaneously let out a sigh of relief.
Xie Tinglan dismounted quickly and rushed forward.
He first greeted Yue Huaiyuan, then turned his gaze onto Jiang Yuechu.
"Lord Jiang!"
"Are... are you alright?!"
He scrutinized Jiang Yuechu, afraid that this revered figure might have gotten hurt.
Although Lu Jingchun hadn't explicitly said it, the action of assigning him to follow Jiang Yuechu showed how much importance was placed on her safety.
If something were to happen to such a young Silver Robe Inspector Envoy, not only would he be unable to answer to his Master, but the entire Jiangdong Military Commission would suffer the consequences.
Jiang Yuechu's expression was calm; she was about to speak.
Yue Huaiyuan, standing nearby, rolled his eyes and interrupted curtly.
"This girl is doing perfectly fine. Her blade is as fast as a ghost's. Before my fist even landed, she had already sliced the head off."
"General, you jest."
Facing the Demon Quelling General of County, Yu Hang's, slightly resentful jest, Jiang Yuechu didn't blush at all.
"If it weren't for the General's magnificent spear strike, which first shattered the beast's weapon, and then pinned it to the riverbank with the Force of Thunder..."
"I merely happened to be in the right place at the right time and took advantage of my sharp blade to snatch an easy prize."
"The primary credit for this battle belongs to the General."
Such a serious tone, however, completely stumped Yue Huaiyuan.
He stared at Jiang Yuechu with his wide, Ox-like Eyes.
The young girl stood ramrod straight, her eyes clear to the bottom, her face full of sincerity.
"This..."
Yue Huaiyuan opened his mouth; the frustration he felt over having his kill stolen was instantly dispelled by her words.
Why did he feel inexplicably comfortable inside... "Cough, cough..."
Yue Huaiyuan coughed twice, waved his hand, and declared grandly, "Hah! Why mention such things? It doesn't matter to me..."
"..."
Jiang Yuechu nodded slightly, not dwelling on whether the other party truly didn't care.
In any case, the kill was secured, and the Dao Cultivation was obtained.
What did it matter if people spoke a few words behind her back?
Although Xie Tinglan was young, having followed Lu Jingchun for many years, he was naturally not an inexperienced Novice unaware of the world.
With just one glance, he guessed seventy or eighty percent of what happened.
Watching Yue Huaiyuan's awkward expression of 'feeling inexplicably comfortable despite having the monster kill stolen,' Xie Tinglan sighed internally.
Beauty truly wins.
Just a few kind words, and this old man was so delighted he lost all sense of direction.
"Cough, cough..."
Seeing the atmosphere become slightly awkward, Xie Tinglan quickly stepped forward to change the subject.
"General Yue, Lord Jiang has traveled a long way. Shall we... enter the City first?"
He then pointed to the Demon corpse on the ground, "Although this beast is dead, the resulting mess still requires the General to dispatch men to clean it up, lest the common people be alarmed."
Yue Huaiyuan slapped his forehead, as if waking from a dream.
"Right, right, right! Look at me!"
"Lord Jiang, Lieutenant Xie, let's go, let's go! Into the City!"
"Although County, Yu Hang can't compare to the prosperity of the Capital City, we can certainly offer a few authentic river delicacies."
Jiang Yuechu did not decline, but her gaze lingered on the Demon corpse.
"..."
Forget it.
She had already stolen his kill.
To covet the corpse as well would truly be shameless... Inside Yuhang City, the evening lights were just coming on.
Although there was a Demon Calamity outside, the lively atmosphere within the City had not diminished much.
Painted boats cruised along both banks of the Grand Canal.
After all, it was a major financial and tax center of the Great Tang, and this foundation and composure were truly incomparable to ordinary counties.
Inside a private room of a riverside restaurant.
Opening the window offered a view of the river, and the air after the rain carried a hint of damp coolness.
The table was covered with exquisite dishes.
west lake vinegar fish, Longjing Shrimp, Dongpo Pork... Yue Huaiyuan had changed into casual clothes. Although he still couldn't hide his rustic Aura, at least he looked less intimidating.
"Come, come, Lord Jiang, try this fish!"
Yue Huaiyuan held the wine pot and poured a cup for Jiang Yuechu. "This is authentic west lake vinegar fish, made with the grass carp from the river downstairs. It's incredibly fresh!"
Jiang Yuechu didn't stand on ceremony and put a piece of fish into her mouth with her chopsticks.
"..."
Her cool and indifferent face instantly froze.
"How is it? Is it fresh?"
Yue Huaiyuan looked expectant.
Seeing Jiang Yuechu's expression was off, Xie Tinglan quickly stood up.
"General Yue, things were rushed at the riverbank just now, and I didn't explain clearly."
"This is Lord Jiang, Jiang Yuechu. She was specifically commanded by General Bureau to travel south to assist our Jiangdong Military Commission."
"Lord Jiang is young and accomplished. In City, Dan Yang, she single-handedly killed two Ink Dot Realm Great Demons and lifted the siege of City, Dan Yang."
"Her current visit to County, Yu Hang is to lend the General a hand in eradicating the Demon Calamity here."