In County, the night deepened.
The group didn't head to the Demon Suppression Division or the official inn, but instead turned into a quiet alley by the river.
Several old osmanthus trees were planted at the alley entrance; though past their blooming season, a faint, sweet fragrance still seemed to linger in the air.
A vermilion lacquer gate, with shining door knockers.
The lanterns hanging on either side swayed gently in the night wind.
"Lord Jiang, the official inn is crowded and bustling, and the Demon Suppression Division is too noisy. Tonight, I'll have to trouble you to make do at my humble abode for a night."
Jiang Yuechu looked up, surveying the place, and nodded slightly.
"Thank you for your hospitality."
Xie Tinglan, who was following behind, felt his eyelids twitch.
Humble abode?
This was the ancestral home of the Yue family in County.
Although Yue Huaiyuan was merely a martial artist, the Yue family was considered a semi-aristocratic clan in County.
Though not comparable to the prestigious families of the Region East of the River with thousands of years of Legacy, they still had a deep foundation.
In the past, even when golden robe Inspectors came from the capital, or high-ranking officials from the Dusi visited, it was always handled professionally, at most arranging for them to stay in the best inn in the city.
After all, public matters were public, and private matters were private.
Giving enough Face in official circles was sufficient; why bring someone into one's own home?
Now, Yue Huaiyuan had actually opened the gate of his ancestral home to entertain Miss Jiang, which showed how much this old fellow favored Miss Jiang.
Xie Tinglan sighed inwardly.
Tsk tsk.
He, too, benefited, being able to stay in this Yue Residence that others usually found difficult to enter.
Everyone stepped over the threshold.
What greeted their eyes was a typical Jiangnan garden landscape.
Winding corridors, lush rockeries, and a pool of clear water shimmering under the moonlight.
Although it was late autumn, there was no desolation, but rather a hint of elegance and gentleness.
"Cui'er, Hongxiu."
Yue Huaiyuan called out loudly. Two maids in green hurried out from the other end of the corridor. Although they saw Yue Huaiyuan's Evil Qi, they were not afraid, merely bowing gracefully.
"Master."
"Take Lord Jiang to rest in the west wing, and prepare some hot water."
Yue Huaiyuan turned to look at Jiang Yuechu, a rare hint of thoughtfulness on his Face.
"Inspector Jiang, these two maids are the cleverest in my residence. If you need anything, please feel free to instruct them."
Jiang Yuechu did not decline.
"Many thanks."
Following the maids, she passed through the corridor and entered the west wing.
The room was elegantly furnished, with dark sandalwood tables and chairs gleaming faintly, and a screen embroidered with a misty Jiangnan landscape.
The two maids quickly and skillfully served Jiang Yuechu, helping her undress.
After her cloak was removed.
Jiang Yuechu looked down at the brocade robe with silver trim.
The originally well-made Silver Robe was now a sorry sight.
Especially the two sleeves.
From the elbows down, they had already burst into countless shredded strips of cloth.
Although the river water on them had dried during the journey, their tattered appearance could no longer be concealed.
One maid held the torn cuff, a flicker of distress and surprise in her eyes, but she politely refrained from asking further, only softly saying:
"My lady, this garment... shall this servant take it to mend for you?"
Jiang Yuechu shook her head.
This material was specially supplied by the General Bureau; ordinary needlework couldn't mend it.
Besides.
It was already so shredded; even if mended, it would be patch upon patch.
How could a dignified Silver Robe Inspector go out wearing a patched-up garment?
"No need."
Jiang Yuechu casually slipped off her outer robe and tossed it onto a nearby rack.
When she returned to the capital, she would just get a new set from the General Bureau.
Anyway, the public coffers would pay for it.
No heartache.
"Is the water ready? I want to bathe."
...After she finished bathing, the two maids deftly tidied the room and respectfully closed the doors and windows for the young lady before quietly retreating.
Jiang Yuechu, dressed only in a plain white silk nightgown, sat cross-legged on the large sandalwood bed.
Her wet black hair was casually draped over her shoulders.
Reflected in the candlelight, it showed a hint of laziness and gentleness.
"Whoosh..."
She let out a long breath, feeling all her pores open up.
Even though she had already stepped into the Ink Dot Realm, soaking in a tub of hot water was still a rare pleasure.
Jiang Yuechu was not in a hurry to rest.
Her thoughts stirred slightly, and a strange warm current in her abdomen trembled faintly.
Buzz—
A faint blue light appeared out of thin air in her palm.
This was a long saber, crystalline and transparent, as if cast from blue jade.
The blade was slender, slightly curved, and the hilt was carved with a coiled Dragon, its head forming the guard and its tail a ring, lifelike.
She flicked the blade with her finger.
Clang—
A crisp, melodious sound echoed in the room, its lingering resonance seemingly lowering the room's temperature by a few degrees.
"Good saber!"
Recalling the methods used by the Black Jiao earlier, her thoughts stirred, and the True Qi in her body, flowing through her palm, poured into the blade without reservation.
Buzz—!!!
The long saber suddenly erupted with a Dragon's roar.
The faint blue light on the blade intensified dramatically.
An extreme chill instantly swept forth.
Crack crack crack—
Centered around Jiang Yuechu.
The bed quilt beneath her, and even the blue bricks on the floor, were instantly covered with a thick layer of white frost.
Jiang Yuechu felt a chill in her palm; that coldness even tried to backlash through her Meridians.
"Such domineering cold Qi."
She was not surprised but delighted.
If combined with her Geng Metal Saber Intent.
One metal, one water; metal generates water, making it flourish.
Not only was there no repulsion, but they complemented each other, doubling the power.
Jiang Yuechu caressed the blade, unable to put it down.
"Its entire body is like blue jade, and its cold Qi resembles a cold moon... From now on, I shall call you Cold Moon."
She casually placed the saber horizontally across her lap.
Jiang Yuechu closed her eyes, her consciousness sinking into the Sumeru Space within her abdomen.
The massive corpse of the Black Jiao floated quietly within it.
"If I release it to eat, this room probably won't be able to hold it..."
Jiang Yuechu frowned slightly.
This Black Jiao was ten zhang long; if it were truly brought out, let alone this west wing, even the entire courtyard of the Yue family's ancestral home would likely be crushed.
But to leave the corpse uneaten for nothing, she felt a certain impatience.
"Then can I circulate the Blood Food Technique and absorb it directly within the space?"
A bold idea suddenly popped into Jiang Yuechu's mind.
If it was feasible, wouldn't she never have to worry about exposure again?
With this thought, Jiang Yuechu no longer hesitated.
She would just try it.
Her mind and spirit were unified, and the Cultivation Technique began to circulate.
Boom—!!!
Beneath her fair, jade-like skin, an eerie flush of crimson emerged.
Countless crimson blood mists wildly gushed forth.
In the blink of an eye.
The originally elegant and serene wing room instantly transformed into a Shura ghost realm.
Dense red mist rolled and surged, completely engulfing the plain white figure.
A terrifying suction force surged directly into that Sumeru Space.
"It works!"
Within the abdominal space.
The massive Dragon corpse was shriveling at a visible rate under this domineering suction force.
Its essence transformed into a surging red current, completely plundered, refined, and poured into her body by the Blood Food Technique.
Buzz—
Buzz—
At the same time, the Golden Core rotated again.
The fifth ink pattern slowly outlined itself, like an ink wash painting, naturally formed.
But this was only the beginning.
That immense medicinal power continued to pour in endlessly.
The sixth.
The seventh ink pattern!
The Black Jiao was, after all, at Perfection in the Ink-Dipping Realm, and possessed the Dragon Bloodline; how terrifying was its essence?
It actually broke through three stages, directly reaching the Late Stage!
Whoosh—
Jiang Yuechu suddenly opened her eyes.
She slowly opened her mouth, drawing in Qi like a whale swallowing water.
The swirling red mist instantly reversed, all entering her body.
The room returned to clarity.
Only her originally somewhat pale complexion was now as rosy as a ripe peach.
"Late Stage of the Ink Staining Realm..."
Jiang Yuechu clenched her fist.
Feeling the True Qi surging like a sea within her body.
If she were to encounter that Black Jiao again now.
She could probably take it down with a single combo.
"Indeed..."
"A horse doesn't get fat without night grass; a person doesn't get rich without unexpected wealth."
Jiang Yuechu's lips curved upward slightly, her eyes filled with joy.
This trip to County was worth it!
Not only did she slay a Demon and gain Dao Cultivation, but she also acquired a Demon and obtained a storage Divine Ability.
Furthermore, she broke through three realms!
Of course, she also received a precious saber!
How could this be a Demon? A relative couldn't be better than this, right?