In the northern lands, the wind and snow were as vast as mats.
A young girl sat cross-legged.
Her eyes were tightly shut, and her breathing was faint, almost non-existent.
Even her terrifying aura flickered intermittently, as if she were an empty shell.
The Scarlet Sun Demon Venerable squatted to the side, hands tucked into his sleeves and neck shrunk back, looking exactly like an old farmer waiting at the village entrance, hoping to crash a feast.
An unknown amount of time passed.
A thin layer of white frost from the snow had accumulated on the girl's shoulders.
The Old Flood Dragon cautiously moved closer to the girl.
"Mas... Master?"
"..."
No response.
The Scarlet Sun Demon Venerable swallowed hard, his courage growing slightly. "Uh... it's cold. Should this old dog find a cloak for you?"
Still no response.
She's gone!
She's really gone!
Young after all, she has no sense of caution whatsoever.
With the Primordial Spirit having left the body, this Physical Body is just an empty shell.
Doesn't that mean I can do whatever I want?!
The Old Flood Dragon slowly stood up and paced around the girl twice.
His gaze shifted from its original humility to a playful mockery.
He muttered to himself, "Tsk, tsk, tsk..."
"Weren't you very arrogant before? Didn't you enjoy calling me 'old dog' with every breath?"
"Why aren't you calling me that now? Come, come, why don't you call me 'old dog' one more time for this old man to hear?"
The only response he received was the howling northern wind.
The Scarlet Sun Demon Venerable took a deep breath, his mind becoming increasingly active.
If he swallowed this Physical Body now, he could not only reclaim the Dragon Pearl but perhaps even take the fortuitous opportunities she had gained for himself... He approached step by step, his fist raised high, aimed at the girl.
"Die!!!"
The Scarlet Sun Demon Venerable roared in his heart, his fist carrying a fierce wind as he swung it down violently!
However.
Just as his sharp fingertips were less than half an inch from the girl's skin.
*Creak—*
He stopped abruptly in mid-air.
Because he suddenly remembered something.
Along this journey, this girl's mind had been terrifyingly deep, and her methods were endless.
Since she dared to leave her Physical Body here and dared to leave an ill-intentioned old dog like him to guard it... could she be without a backup plan?
What if this was a trap?
An image instantly flashed through the Scarlet Sun Demon Venerable's mind:
The moment his claws fell, the girl would snap her eyes open, a cold sneer on her lips.
"Old dog, you really aren't honest."
Followed by surging black mist... "Hiss—"
The Scarlet Sun Demon Venerable gasped.
No... something's wrong.
Something is twelve-out-of-ten-parts wrong.
This is a test of his loyalty!
Crimson Sun, oh Crimson Sun, you've truly gone senile in your old age.
You finally managed to latch onto such a powerful backer; how could you have such treacherous thoughts?
To be a dog for such a figure, there are standards to meet!
This is a blessing that countless demons couldn't get even if they begged!
While berating himself in his heart, the Old Flood Dragon gently patted the girl's shoulder to brush away the snow, trying to hide his awkwardness.
He murmured, "Master, please go about your business with peace of mind. This old servant will guard you right here."
"Not even a fly will be allowed to get within half a step of you. This old servant's loyalty to you can be witnessed by the sun and moon, and is clear to heaven and earth!"
After saying that.
He turned his back to the girl and sat down cross-legged again.
His old eyes were wide as copper bells, vigilantly scanning the surrounding wilderness.
And just as he had set his stance.
A streak of gold and blue light appeared on the horizon, like a rainbow piercing the sun, tearing through the clouds and carrying a rolling pressure as it whistled toward them.
The Old Flood Dragon looked up in shock, his heart trembling.
As the gold and blue light crashed into the Physical Body, the tightly closed eyes snapped open.
Jiang Yuechu's brow twitched.
*Slap—!!!*
"Ouch!"
Jiang Yuechu withdrew her hand expressionlessly. "Why are you leaning so close?"
The Scarlet Sun Demon Venerable, sporting a bright red handprint, scrambled back on all fours.
Ignoring the burning pain on his face, he flopped to his knees. "Master, you have no idea. During the time you were gone, this old servant didn't dare move an inch or even blink, for fear that some blind scoundrel might disturb your..."
Jiang Yuechu couldn't be bothered with the old thing's internal schemes.
Daring to leave her Physical Body here was due to her reliance on the demon soul within her acupoints.
Even if her Primordial Spirit was far away, the Half-Step Tower Ascender Realm Thunder Dragon within was enough to guard against any bold individual who dared to harm her body.
Jiang Yuechu slowly stood up, shook off the snow on her body, and then indifferently reached out to grab the Old Flood Dragon.
"Mas... Master?!!"
The Old Flood Dragon shrieked, his hair standing on end.
Is this... is she doing this because she saw his actions just now?
Is she going to kill the witness to silence him?!
But before he could think further.
He had already been hoisted up by Jiang Yuechu.
*Boom—!!!*
The ground beneath them cracked.
The black-clad figure, enveloped in a rolling airwave, instantly tore through the sky and disappeared into the vast wind and snow... The next day.
As dawn broke.
Two figures had already torn through the clouds.
The Li Clan High Ancestor had not slept all night, sitting cross-legged on the city wall tower.
At this moment, he suddenly opened his eyes. Upon seeing that black robe and the face that, even without makeup, was enough to make the city's spring colors pale in comparison,
the heartstrings that had been taut all night finally relaxed.
Jiang Yuechu's expression was as usual as she stepped forward and bowed slightly. "High Ancestor."
Behind her, the Scarlet Sun Demon Venerable shrunk his neck, his old face pale.
When ordinary demons entered the Imperial City, they were already walking on thin ice due to the influence of the Dragon Qi.
Now being brought in so openly, his heart was trembling.
Previously in the north, he only took this person for a monstrously talented wild flood dragon.
Even if her actions were a bit domineering, she was at least a fellow demon.
But along this journey, the closer they got to Chang'an, the more he felt something was wrong.
Until this moment, with both feet stepping on the bricks and stones of this Human Race Imperial City.
Only now did he realize the shocking truth after the fact.
This bringer of calamity... was actually a member of the Human Race?!
"Lonely Moon."
Hearing the commotion, the Emperor also rushed over with a large group of guards.
Approaching her, he looked his sister up and down. Seeing she was unharmed and that while her aura fluctuated slightly, she was mostly fine, he finally let out a long sigh of relief. "It's good you're back... It's good you're back. Now that you've returned, I can be at ease."
Without knowing when it began... this mere eighteen-year-old girl had already become the pillar of Great Tang.
It was as if as long as she was here, Chang'an would not fall.
Hearing this.
The Scarlet Sun Demon Venerable's eyes rolled back, and he almost fainted on the spot.
'I' (Zhen)?!
This is the goddamn Emperor!?
It's over.
Everything is over.
He is a Great Demon!!!
And now, he has actually acknowledged a human as his master?!
But if she's human... how could she obtain the True Dragon's fortuitous opportunity?!
Just as the Old Flood Dragon was filled with doubt and uncertainty.
The Emperor suddenly glanced sideways at him.
Frowning slightly, he asked with some hesitation, "This is..."
Jiang Yuechu said casually, "An old dog I picked up on the road. He seems fairly clever. If there's any grunt work or manual labor in the future, feel free to use him as you wish."
"..."
The Emperor was stunned for a moment, clearly not expecting this answer.
But seeing that Jiang Yuechu didn't want to say more, and that the old man had a submissive appearance, he tactfully stopped asking.
"Oh..."
The Scarlet Sun Demon Venerable's body stiffened, and he took a deep breath.
Forget it.
If I'm to be a dog, then so be it.
It's better than being a dead dog.
With this thought, he bowed deeply to the Emperor. "This old servant, Crimson Sun, kowtows to Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty, long live, long live!"
"..."