Raozhou.
This place was adjacent to the eight-hundred-mile Poyang Great Marsh, and the air was thick with moisture.
The rumbling of hooves shattered the standing water on the official road.
Hundreds of Region East of the River Demon Suppression Guards, clad in black with crimson patterns, were like a furious black dragon; they reined in their horses in unison a hundred paces from the city gate.
The leading veteran general was clad in heavy, dark armor, his cloak pulled taut by the wind.
"It's the banner of the Region East of the River Demon Suppression Division!"
The captain atop the city wall squinted to get a better look. Once he saw the newcomers clearly, his tense face finally relaxed, and he turned to bellow, "Open the city gates—!!!"
Rumble.
Before the gates had fully opened, a group of men and horses rushed out from within the city.
Leading them was a burly old man with a fierce, fleshy face. He wasn't riding a horse, but wore infantry armor and carried a blade of refined steel, walking with great strides.
From a distance, he let out a roar: "Old Ghost Yue? Why is it you? I thought you were already dead!"
Yue Huaiyuan dismounted with agile movements, showing no signs of old age.
He stepped forward and delivered a heavy punch to the burly man's breastplate.
"Big Idiot Wang, if you're not dead yet, how would I dare to go first?"
Wang Hong, the Demon Quelling General of Poyang Commandery.
Both were veterans of the Demon Suppression Division and shared a deep history.
Meeting now, there were naturally no empty pleasantries.
Wang Hong grinned and threw a punch back at Yue Huaiyuan's shoulder. "True. King Yama probably thinks your meat is too sour and refuses to take you."
Having said that, he stepped aside to clear the path. His gaze swept over the hundreds of elite cavalry behind Yue Huaiyuan, a hint of envy flashing in his eyes. "The Region East of the River is prosperous after all... This kind of foundation looks much more refined than what we have in this place."
Yue Huaiyuan didn't respond to that. His gaze moved past Wang Hong to settle on someone behind him.
That person stood in the shadows of the city gate, wearing a spotless Daoist robe with a wooden hairpin in his hair, looking completely out of place.
It was none other than the Little Celestial Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain, Zhang Daoxuan.
Compared to his composure in Suzhou, Zhang Daoxuan's brow now held a bit more gravity.
Seeing Yue Huaiyuan looking over, Zhang Daoxuan stepped forward and gave a Daoist bow. "Old General Yue, I hope you have been well."
"The Little Celestial Master is too kind."
Yue Huaiyuan cupped his fists in return, his expression solemn. "After our parting in Suzhou, I didn't expect to meet again in Poyang so soon."
Wang Hong chuckled, putting an arm around Yue Huaiyuan's shoulder. "Ever since this chaos began, the Little Celestial Master has led the Daoist masters of Dragon Tiger Mountain down the mountain to help us guard Poyang Commandery..."
Zhang Daoxuan only gave a faint smile and shook his head.
"Slaying demons and devils is part of the duty of my Dragon Tiger Mountain. On the contrary, I should thank Old General Yue on behalf of the people of Poyang for coming to our aid."
The group talked as they walked into the city.
The city wasn't as desolate as the wilderness, but it lacked much Life Qi.
Every household had its doors and windows tightly shut. Only a few requisitioned storefronts hung the black flags of the Demon Suppression Division, with wounded Demon Suppression Guards moving in and out.
Wang Hong led everyone to the Dusi Yamen. Not caring for formalities, he immediately ordered several jars of strong liquor and several large basins of freshly cooked hot noodle soup.
"Eat!"
Wang Hong was the first to pick up a large bowl and gulped down a huge mouthful of hot soup.
Yue Huaiyuan and Xie Tinglan didn't stand on ceremony either, picking up their bowls to drink.
As the hot soup settled in their stomachs, the group's brows finally relaxed slightly.
When the bowl of hot soup was empty, Wang Hong set it down and exhaled a long breath of white mist. "Old Yue, I'm not afraid of you laughing at me."
"Although the Daoist masters of Dragon Tiger Mountain have stepped in to help guard the key passes, Poyang Commandery has nine counties under its jurisdiction. The land is vast and sparsely populated, and those demons are pervasive by nature..."
"One village is slaughtered today, and another County suffers tomorrow."
At this point, the man who had guarded this place for over a decade slammed his fist onto the table.
"Only this Poyang City can barely hold on. As for the other counties... we really can't look after them all. In my heart..."
Wang Hong gritted his teeth, his eyes turning slightly red. "It's so damn frustrating!"
Yue Huaiyuan remained silent. He simply grabbed a wine jar, poured a bowl for Wang Hong, and then filled his own.
How could he not understand this feeling?
If not for Her Highness the Grand Princess back then, the situation in County probably wouldn't have been much better.
Beside them, Xie Tinglan silently sipped his soup, not daring to interrupt.
Zhang Daoxuan, however, gently set down his teacup.
"General Wang, do not blame yourself."
Zhang Daoxuan said softly, "The key to this calamity in Jiangnan West Circuit lies not in these scattered remnants, but in Luling."
Seeing everyone look over, he paused and said thoughtfully, "Over in Luling, Dragon Tiger Mountain has already sent a Mountain Gazing expert to take charge..."
"As for my master..."
"He has entered a life-or-death secluded meditation, intending to forcibly break through to the Lamp-Lighting Realm between life and death."
As soon as these words were spoken, the room fell silent.
Even a veteran like Yue Huaiyuan, who had seen many storms, trembled slightly, causing some wine to spill.
"Breaking through to Lamp Lighting?!"
He had heard before that the Old Celestial Master had been stuck at Mountain Gazing Perfection for over a hundred years.
People had long since stopped hoping.
Who would have thought he would attempt to break through the realm at this moment?
"If my master succeeds..."
A glimmer of hope flashed in Zhang Daoxuan's eyes. "With the Lamp-Lighting Realm, he should be able to share some of the pressure in Luling."
"If he succeeds, that would be wonderful!"
Wang Hong slapped his thigh, his eyes shining brightly. "As long as there's one more Lamp Lighting expert here, how would that old beast dare to break the seal?!"
However...
Before the excitement could pass, Yue Huaiyuan sighed softly.
"Alas..."
"Whether it's Lamp Lighting or Mountain Gazing."
"People like us..."
"Even if we risk our old lives, what can we do in the face of this grand trend?"
A deep sense of helplessness filled the side hall of the Yamen.
Even though everyone present was a Martial Artist of the Ink Dot or Core Formation realms, who might be considered the backbone in normal times...
Faced with such a colossal wave involving a Demon Saint...
It was truly... not enough.
Zhang Daoxuan remained silent, only picking up his teacup to hide the gloom in his eyes.
Although he was the Little Celestial Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain with exceptional talent...
In the end... he was still too young.
If he were given another twenty years... Just as everyone's spirits were low...
The expressions of Yue Huaiyuan and Wang Hong changed abruptly, and they both stood up from the table almost simultaneously.
Both had dealt with demons all their lives and were most sensitive to Demonic Qi.
Everyone rushed out of the Yamen and looked up.
They saw the distant sky was now dyed a crimson red.
Rolling red mist, like a bursting sea of blood, swept in from the western horizon.
And within that churning red mist...
A burly figure clad in Crimson-gold Chainmail, with a blood-like cloak behind him...
...was walking through the air.
"This... this is..."
Wang Hong's eyes widened, and Yue Huaiyuan turned pale.
"A Mountain Gazing Realm Great Demon?!"