The official road from the Region East of the River to the Jiangnan West Circuit was not easy to travel.
Especially after passing through the Xinzhou territory.
The mountains suddenly became steep and craggy, unlike the gentle and enchanting scenery of the Region East of the River.
Here, the mountains gathered like a crowd, the waves roared like fury, the Gan River flowed north, and the cries of apes on both banks never ceased.
The ink-wash green unique to the south, upon reaching here, seemed as if a painter had gotten drunk, shaken their wrist heavily, and splashed out a desolate and heroic wild aura.
Green mountains loomed in the distance, withered leaves rustled.
A group of several hundred riders, dressed in black with red patterns, moved like a winding snake, galloping silently along the official road.
At the lead was an old general, clad in heavy, black-glowing armor.
Mounted beneath him was an extraordinary Red-Eyed Colt.
The horse's nostrils puffed white air, its four hooves kicking up wind.
The old general's face was weathered, yet he was spirited.
Only, a hint of worry was hidden in his eyes.
It was none other than the Demon Quelling General of the Jiangdong Military Commission, Yue Huaiyuan.
He pulled slightly on the reins, turned his head, glanced at his side, and said irritably, "That's enough. The mountains and rivers of this Jiangnan West Circuit are just like that; what the hell is the difference between them and our Region East of the River?"
Xie Tinglan heard this, shrank his neck in embarrassment, and gave a dry laugh.
"General Yue, you have traveled far and wide and are very knowledgeable. It's just that... this is my first time traveling so far."
He cupped his hands on horseback. But inwardly, he was complaining endlessly.
This Old Thing.
Little did he know, ever since he was young and became an apprentice under Lu Jingchun, not to mention leaving this Jiangnan Circuit, even within the territory of the Region East of the River, he was rarely allowed to leave Suzhou unless there was official business.
Now that he had finally managed to get out under the pretext of providing reinforcements, the world was vast, and naturally, everything he saw was fresh.
Yue Huaiyuan seemed to see through his thoughts and sneered, "When we reach the destination, you'll know what is fresh."
Xie Tinglan's expression stiffened, he sighed, and urged his horse closer.
"General Yue, are we... really not going to Luling?"
When it comes to slaying demons, Luling is the center of it all. That is a Demon Saint, after all...
Such earth-shattering grand scenes undoubtedly held immense attraction for a Young Man.
"Go to Luling?"
Yue Huaiyuan looked at him as if he were an idiot. "You want to die, but I still want to live a few more years."
"..."
"Our mission this time is to go to Poyang."
Yue Huaiyuan's gaze was distant, as if recalling some past events.
"That bunch of Taoist priests from Dragon Tiger Mountain, although they act mysterious and strange daily, are after all a reputable sect, and they have long had private dealings with your Master. Previously, when we had the demonic plague in the Region East of the River, they didn't hold back their efforts."
"Now that they are in trouble, since we have come, we must return the favor."
"As for Luling..."
Yue Huaiyuan shook his head. "There will be tall people to hold it up. For small fry like us, just beating the drums on the sidelines and cleaning up some fish that slipped through the net counts as doing our best."
Xie Tinglan nodded silently. The logic held, but he was still somewhat unwilling.
The sound of hoofbeats was fragmented.
The two were silent for a while. Somehow, the topic naturally turned to someone.
"General Yue..."
Xie Tinglan hesitated for a moment, but couldn't help asking, "Do you think Jiang... Eldest Princess, Your Highness, will come this time?"
Yue Huaiyuan's body paused slightly upon hearing this.
A long while later.
The old general chuckled, but it was a self-deprecating laugh.
"Come? Come for what? You've eaten too many red beans and are lovesick, right?"
"If it were that girl from before, perhaps she would come, but now..."
Yue Huaiyuan smacked his lips, his tone complex.
"She has returned to her ancestors and is now a Grand Princess, a golden branch and jade leaf. If I were her... I would just stay honestly in the capital. The Jianghu road is long, with wind blades and frost swords forcing one tightly; why bother?"
Hearing this, Xie Tinglan's mind conjured the stunning figure from the Yue residence back then.
His heart was filled with mixed feelings.
Indeed.
Since she is already a person in the clouds, how could she fall into the mortal world again?
Presumably at this moment, she must be in the prosperous city of Chang'an, listening to tunes and admiring flowers, right?
One old and one young, both gazes looked toward the vast horizon simultaneously. Each sighed.
Luling.
The summit of a nameless barren mountain.
Red-brown rocks were exposed, and years of weathering had made them craggy and hideous.
Several figures were originally waiting in boredom.
Whoosh—
Between heaven and earth, a great wind suddenly rose. The Jade-Faced Demon Venerable suddenly looked up, staring at the horizon.
The originally gloomy sky, who knew when, had surged with a patch of crimson, blood-like clouds.
The clouds churned and rolled, rapidly infecting more than half of the firmament.
"Hmm?"
The Green Wolf Demon Venerable's fur stood on end, he let out a sharp cry, his Demonic Qi billowed around him, his body slightly arched, already prepared to pounce and kill.
Boom—!!!
In the blink of an eye, the clouds descended. Heatwaves emptied the air, and fierce winds raged.
The four Mountain Gazing Great Demons were, at this moment, forced by this wave of Qi to have their hair and beards dancing wildly, and they had to muster their Demonic Qi to resist.
Until the crimson light dissipated.
A burly figure was revealed. Clad in red-gold interlocking armor, a bright red cloak behind him snapped in the wind.
His face was rugged, and in his eyes were a pair of vertical pupils burning with golden flames.
He crossed his arms and looked down from a high position, overlooking the four Demon Venerables at his feet.
"Crimson Scale Demon Venerable..."
The Jade-Faced Demon Venerable took a deep breath and forced a smile.
"I didn't expect... it would be you who came."
The person in the air did not pay attention to his pleasantries. He only slightly turned his head, glanced at the direction of the Seal, and then nonchalantly retracted his gaze.
"What? Seeing this Venerable, you all seem... very unhappy?"
Hearing this, the expressions of the several Demon Venerables changed.
Everyone was at the Mountain Gazing Realm; who was lower than whom? This high-and-mighty posture was truly bullying the demons too much.
A trace of displeasure also flashed in the Jade-Faced Demon Venerable's eyes. But in the end, he suppressed the anger in his heart.
"What are you saying? Back then, when you left in a huff, the Great Saint talked about you for a long time. Now that you are willing to come back to help, if the Great Saint knew, he would certainly be happy in his heart..."
"Enough."
The Crimson Scale Demon Venerable impatiently waved his hand to interrupt: "Do not mention old matters again. Tell me, what is the situation in Luling now?"
The Jade-Faced Demon Venerable was choked, a hint of gloom flashing in his eyes.
This Red Scale had been estranged from the Great Saint back then and rebelled in anger; coming here uninvited, he might not have good intentions.
But after all, he was once one of the eighteen Demon Venerables under the Great Saint, and his Divine Ability and methods could not be fake. The current situation was deadlocked; having one more combat force meant one more chance of winning.
The Jade-Faced Demon Venerable took a deep breath, suppressed the stray thoughts in his heart, and shook his head: "White Jade Tower is currently personally guarding the Seal and cannot be distracted. Surrounding him are four Human Race Mountain Gazing Realm martial artists, standing in four directions to act as his Protectors."
"The original plan was to wait for that vixen rabbit, Silver Bone, to enter the game."
"At that time, we would be five Mountain Gazing Venerables."
"Five against four."
Speaking to this point, the Jade-Faced Demon Venerable cupped his hands in a salute.
"However..."
"Since Brother Red Scale has arrived, whether that rabbit comes or not is of no consequence."
"Among the eighteen Demon Venerables of the past, if Brother Red Scale claims second, who would dare claim first?"
"With Brother Red Scale's assistance, this Luling game can be broken today!"