The land of Great Tang.
Chang'an City.
Today's Chang'an is vastly different from a few months ago.
Ever since the imperial court lifted the restrictions, cultivating the Way of Incense was no longer a monopoly of the Demon Suppression Division.
As long as one's family background was clean and they were loyal to the Great Tang Imperial Family, even a Butcher from the marketplace could register at the Demon Suppression Division.
Therefore, the streets of Chang'an are now filled with Martial Artists brimming with Qi and blood.
A Butcher's knife chops down, the cutting board trembles slightly, and there's a faint Bone Resonance sound, characteristic of the Minggu Realm.
The peddler carrying a load walks swiftly, his breath long and steady.
Upon closer inspection.
There was actually a Spiritual Seal circling beneath his feet.
He was clearly a Martial Artist who had stepped into the Four Realms of Ascension!
At a street corner, outside a tea stall, people were packed tightly.
A burly Man, shirtless, stood on a long bench, spitting as he spoke.
"You wouldn't believe it! That day, yellow sand filled the sky, and the demon was a full ten zhang tall!"
The Man slapped his thigh, his eyes wide.
"At the critical moment, our Grand Princess Your Highness just appeared out of thin air!"
The surrounding common folk and Martial Artists all held their breath.
"And then? Wang Mazi, hurry up and tell us!"
The Man called Wang Mazi snorted, hands on his hips.
"What kind of Divine Being is Grand Princess Your Highness? I only saw Your Highness manifest a three-headed, six-armed Dharma Form, with a green face and fangs, a hundred zhang tall!"
"Her left hand swung a great mountain, her right hand clutched a fiery Red Flood Dragon, and she opened her huge mouth, directly swallowing that demon whole!"
"Didn't even spit out a single bone!"
Exclamations immediately erupted from the crowd.
A youth with a wooden saber at his waist was flushed with excitement, shouting, "Grand Princess Your Highness is mighty!"
"I want to be like Grand Princess Your Highness in the future, eating three demons in one meal!"
An old Man sitting in a corner of the tea stall twitched his mouth, his hand holding the teacup trembling slightly.
What kind of nonsense is this being spread?
A perfectly beautiful and peerless girl was forcefully portrayed by these common folk as a monster that specialized in eating demons.
Yet these people believed it deeply, their faces full of fanaticism, their words filled with awe and reverence.
Following the long street north.
At its end was a very spacious mansion.
The vermilion lacquered gate was tightly shut, and two stone lions in front of the door looked majestic.
Three large characters were written on the plaque.
Princess's Mansion.
There were not many guards standing sentry at the gate, yet no one dared to speak loudly within ten zhang of the mansion.
Even the Gang leaders who usually ran rampant in the streets would respectfully straighten their clothes and bow before passing by this place.
For the Martial Dao of Great Tang to be so flourishing today.
Everyone in the world knew who was responsible.
Without the owner of this mansion, how could there be such a scene where everyone could seek longevity?
Even if that Your Highness was not in Great Tang now, and no one knew where she had gone.
As long as this mansion stood in Chang'an City for a day.
The Luck of Great Tang would not dissipate.
In the back courtyard of the mansion.
Several maids were sweeping fallen leaves.
Their movements were gentle, not daring to make too much noise.
One of the younger maids leaned on her broom, gazing at the empty courtyard, and mumbled softly.
"I wonder when Your Highness will return... Yesterday, Li Ergou on the street insisted that Your Highness had already Ascended to the Immortal Realm and wouldn't come back... I even fought with him about it."
Hearing this.
The older maid tapped her head, lowering her voice, "Don't talk nonsense... If those gentlemen hear you, you'll be in trouble..."
Upon hearing that low warning.
The little maid immediately covered her mouth in distress.
Her clear eyes were full of panic, and her gaze couldn't help but dart towards the inner courtyard through the half-open archway.
Just at this moment.
Several tall, burly shadows were cast on the bluestone-paved ground.
They surged towards the outer courtyard, rising and falling.
The little maid's face turned pale with fright, and she couldn't even hold her broom.
It clattered to the ground.
She quickly shut her eyes tightly, her slender shoulders trembling uncontrollably.
"It's over... it's over..."
Heavy footsteps stopped beside her.
The little maid waited for a long time, but found herself still perfectly fine.
She cautiously opened her eyes.
Within her sight.
Was an enormous, jet-black ox face.
It was very close, staring at her with wide eyes.
"Ah!"
The little maid screamed in fright, her legs went weak, and she plopped down onto the ground.
Tears instantly welled up in her eyes.
"Don't... don't eat me..."
"Alright, alright, you black brute, why are you scaring these little girls?"
A slightly aged but displeased voice sounded from the side.
Immediately after.
A kind-faced old Man in red robes slowly stepped forward, reaching out to help the maid, who was slumped on the ground, to her feet.
Old Scarlet Flood Dragon patted the dust from the maid's clothes, gently comforting her, "Don't be afraid, this stupid ox just looks a bit ugly, he doesn't have the guts to eat people."
"Uh..."
Running Ox somewhat dejectedly withdrew his gaze.
He raised his thick arm, scratched his head, and grumbled in a booming voice, "I was just looking to see how this girl could sweep with her eyes closed..."
As he was speaking.
From his arms, a series of displeased squeaks suddenly emanated.
The burly Man's body stiffened abruptly.
He quickly hunched his back, lowering his head with a fawning smile, "Oh, Big Sister... Running Ox knows he was wrong, I'll go now, I'll go now, please don't be angry..."
In the courtyard.
Only Tiger Cuihua, who was walking at the very end, spoke softly to himself.
He looked up at the sky beyond the courtyard wall, then shook his head and chanted softly, "Autumn winds are urgent on Chang'an City walls, the street's prosperity does not catch the eye. The long saber hangs empty, humming in its sheath, no longer seeing the black robes walk by."
Old Scarlet Flood Dragon's hand, stroking his beard, paused slightly.
Running Ox also stopped his fawning words, frozen in place.
Although most of the demons were uneducated and didn't understand meter and rhyme.
They could still taste the meaning hidden within the poem.
Indeed...
The courtyard was deep, the autumn wind bleak.
Even though Great Tang's Martial Dao was flourishing now.
They, this group of demons, had also benefited from the rising tide, living peaceful lives.
But for some reason.
Once a certain person left... life suddenly felt tasteless...
After a silence.
It was Old Scarlet Flood Dragon who first broke the quiet.
He stopped stroking his beard and sighed.
His gaze was directed at the tightly closed courtyard gate, as if comforting the demons, and also as if convincing himself.
"Perhaps she'll be back soon..."
"Though our time following Your Highness has been short, and we haven't achieved any great merits, we are ultimately loyal."
"Although Your Highness appears cold, she is actually a nostalgic person."
"She won't forget us..."
Hearing this.
Running Ox scratched his head, nodding foolishly.
Just then.
A flurry of hurried footsteps came from the outer courtyard.
"Temple Steward! Temple Steward!"
Old Scarlet Flood Dragon frowned slightly.
In Great Tang, besides being a retainer of the Princess's Mansion, he was also the Temple Steward of the True Lord Temple in Chang'an.
Normally, besides managing minor affairs in the temple, there wasn't much else to do.
What could be so urgent as to make someone seek him out in such a panic?
While he was wondering.
The person had already stumbled into the back courtyard.
His black robes with red patterns, belonging to the Demon Suppression Division, were soaked with sweat.
"Temple Steward..."
Old Scarlet Flood Dragon slightly put on airs, speaking in a deep voice, "Why are you shouting? The True Lord Temple is..."
But his pretentious words were not finished.
They were already interrupted by the newcomer.
"The True Lord statue in the True Lord Temple... has suddenly disappeared!"