General, Princess?!
Zhou Yan froze, then felt his heart release a long-held breath. After the relief came a surge of exhaustion, his arms trembling slightly, his breathing becoming labored.
Li Zhiwei—she was a princess?
No wonder she possessed such insight and composure.
Zhou Yan pondered this, but his sharp instincts also detected that although this general had arrived here, his eyes still held an air of disdain, his demeanor hardly what one could call respectful. In these chaotic times, a princess?
He vaguely sensed something was amiss.
Pei Xuanbao said, “Princess encountered danger. This humble general’s rescue came too late—please forgive this transgression.”
“These demons and monsters, this subject shall handle them personally.”
He gripped his weapon, and as he wielded that long-handled war blade, the edge wrapped in visible air currents. The earth was carved apart, trees uprooted by the fierce winds, and the approaching demons had no power to resist—all were slain.
But he did not venture deep into this estate.
This place was isolated from the mortal world, already showing signs of becoming a blessed grotto-heaven. The master of this realm was likely extraordinary. His earlier absence was merely because he paid no mind to the petty skirmishes between common lesser demons.
Like an emperor supreme, who would never personally apprehend a mere thief.
But his personal arrival had already drawn the attention of this estate’s master.
If he ventured deeper into this estate, there would surely be a fierce battle, perhaps even a life-or-death struggle.
It was enough to simply eliminate some lesser demons.
He raised his hand to take Li Zhiwei away, not even glancing at Zhou Yan. Li Zhiwei urgently called out:
“General, this person saved me—please rescue him as well.”
Pei Xuanbao looked at Zhou Yan, his gaze sweeping over the clothes stripped from demon corpses, the hemp shoes with exposed big toes, slightly frowning. Yet since the princess had spoken, he still paused his steps and inquired:
“What is your surname and given name? What is your background?”
This was a tone resembling an interrogation. Zhou Yan raised his eyebrows and replied:
“Zhou Yan.”
Pei Xuanbao frowned. “Do you have a courtesy name?”
“No.”
“Do you have uncles or elder brothers serving as officials in court?”
“No.”
Pei Xuanbao’s gaze swept over him, his eyes cold and contemptuous. Zhou Yan, already exhausted to his limits, suddenly felt something was wrong. He saw Pei Xuanbao grasp Li Zhiwei’s arm, and in the next moment, his qi flames exploded outward as Pei Xuanbao took Li Zhiwei and directly soared into the air.
Zhou Yan heard a contemptuous, indifferent judgment:
“So he’s just a commoner.”
Li Zhiwei’s eyes widened in shock as she urgently called out: “You! General Pei, he—!”
She turned back, trying to reach out and grab Zhou Yan, but Pei Xuanbao’s martial arts were extremely high, his speed tremendous. Zhou Yan had already become a small dot, and no matter how she struggled, she could not break free from Pei Xuanbao’s grip.
Pei Xuanbao said in a deep voice:
“The situation is complex, the rebels unquelled. The princess is young and may have been deceived by others.”
“A mere commoner—to die for you would be his willing honor.”
“You!!!”
This place harbored many dangers. Pei Xuanbao was unwilling to risk bringing along a commoner. As for the princess, he would simply escort her back safely—no one could find fault with that. Looking down, he saw that person called Zhou Yan glaring up at him with clear black and white eyes.
Pei Xuanbao frowned slightly.
With a casual wave of his hand, a crescent-shaped qi blade stealthily descended.
If this person survived and went out babbling about anything, it would likely cause some trouble.
Moreover, the real reason was—
That man had dared to look up at him.
The situation had taken a complete turn. Pei Xuanbao’s entrance, which should have been like divine soldiers descending from heaven, had instead led to this unexpected development. Zhou Yan saw that qi blade rushing down at him with no time to react.
Butcher Zhao had just rolled and crawled to the back, but seeing this qi blade heading for Zhou Yan, his eyes turned red.
His most desired delicacy was about to be sliced apart! Such fine meat—how could it be handled so roughly?! Such exquisite meat—how could it be so wastefully destroyed?!
No, no, no!!!
Eat, eat, eat!
His obsessive food craving drove him to move, his steps flying, dark qi swirling around him.
Regardless of everything else, he grabbed Zhou Yan, the dark qi transforming into black wind, his speed surging as he avoided that crescent qi blade. He had indeed caught Zhou Yan and avoided the blade qi, his heart greatly relieved.
Good!
The qi blade struck the earth, embedding itself like cutting through rotten meat. The ground was torn apart. Zhou Yan’s vision went dark, then his body ached as he crashed to the ground with the butcher, rolling backward. Butcher Zhao’s grip on him lost its strength.
“Ha, ha, at least… at least it wasn’t wasted.”
Zhou Yan’s vision slowly returned. He saw Butcher Zhao gasping and laughing, saw the massive blade scar on the ground outside the estate, saw that Butcher Zhao’s lower half had turned into a pile of mangled flesh—only half his body remained.
Even a demon with some cultivation, directly bisected like this, was as good as dead.
Butcher Zhao also realized what had happened. His face turned pale as he mumbled: “So hungry, so painful.”
“So hungry, so painful…”
“Where’s my waist?! Young master, young master!”
He began to wail miserably: “Where did my waist go?!”
Zhou Yan watched this absurd scene, finally understanding the situation. This fat demon before him had accidentally saved him while trying to preserve a good meal—otherwise, he would have been turned into mincemeat under that blade.
Zhou Yan raised his head, looking at the sky.
A sudden surge of fierce anger and rage rose in his heart, his teeth clenched tight.
It had nothing to do with power—this was pure fury, the kind that burst forth from flint and steel even when the weak faced the strong.
“Pei… Xuan… Bao…”
Footsteps rustled around him. Zhou Yan’s chest rose and fell as he heard sounds and looked around—more demons were approaching. The commotion Pei Xuanbao had caused was too great. Zhou Yan didn’t even know if that blade had been meant to kill him or to deliberately confuse something.
He wanted to run, but the entrance was also blocked by a horde of demons.
With just one glance around, he could see at least twenty or thirty demons surrounding him.
These demons seemed to have been frightened just now and didn’t charge directly, instead forming a circle and slowly approaching. The fellow who had been shouting about someone escaping had already been crushed to death by a large tree felled by the scraping qi from Pei Xuanbao’s earlier battle.
No escape possible, no path to heaven, no door to earth, no way out.
Zhou Yan, as a mere mortal, had fought his way to this point and was already utterly exhausted. Combined with the emotional whiplash just now, his body was trembling slightly from exhaustion. Seeing the demons slowly closing in, the half-remaining demon butcher before him was still mumbling:
“So painful, so fragrant…”
He gradually stopped feeling pain, only mumbling: “Young master, you smell so good.”
Zhou Yan looked at Butcher Zhao.
Though this demon had wanted his flesh, he had still saved him. The creature seemed to value his obsessive desires more than life and death. Seeing the demons closing in and knowing he would surely die this time, Zhou Yan actually laughed:
“Forget it, forget it. Before I die, I’ll do you this small favor!”
“You did save me once, after all.”
He drew the blade from his waist, staggering to his feet. The demons seemed to have been greatly frightened by Pei Xuanbao and instinctively stopped. Zhou Yan grinned, not caring about hygiene or anything else. He took the blade, reversed it, and cut his own palm, then clenched his fingers tight.
Red blood dripped down, falling onto the butcher’s lips.
The butcher’s dying eyes suddenly brightened, his tongue desperately licking the blood.
Finally tasting the flesh and blood he had yearned for.
At last, he smiled with satisfaction and sighed: “Fragrant it is, but not particularly tasty!”
“So it’s just ordinary human blood after all!”
“But I’m satisfied!”
“Satisfied? Then good.”
The youth’s voice responded, then he gripped the blade with both hands. Having experienced all this, utterly exhausted and knowing this time he would surely not escape death, Zhou Yan held the blade and, under the gaze of the slowly encircling demons, raised it high.
Building momentum, then stabbing down viciously.
Right through the contented butcher’s eye, angled into the brain.
!!!
The demons surrounding him seemed shocked by this person who, even facing death, remained so ruthless.
The butcher, having already eaten hungry ghost flesh, rushed through fire, and been bisected by qi blade, was already dying. Zhou Yan had used all his strength to stab this thing into the creature’s skull, and finally had no strength left, collapsing against the blade handle, gasping heavily.
Exhausted, disheveled, terrified—honestly, he looked as wretched as a beggar.
Yet between his brows, a sharp and fierce spirit remained.
That woman had her own destiny; one encounter, one blazing fire. The white bandages, buried in the sea of flames. Those who would devour me, I kill. Those evil ones who saved me, I repay that kindness, then kill them still!
Grace on one side, grudge on the other.
Even in death, it would be satisfying.
No—what a pity—
There was still Wang Chun.
Pei Xuanbao.
Zhou Yan clenched his teeth, slowly tightening his grip on the blade. Inexplicably brought to this place, struggling forward, finally reaching this point—even if exhausted unto death, he could not die so pathetically.
His body squeezed out the last of its strength. That broken blade slowly pulled free from Butcher Zhao’s eye socket.
The blade edge grinding against demon bone produced a faintly fierce sound.
In Zhou Yan’s sea of consciousness, that jade scroll flowed with changing light. Under the blade’s edge, this named demon butcher was suddenly suffused with pale golden flowing light. The moment the blade was withdrawn, Butcher Zhao’s remaining corpse, even his lingering soul and obsessions, completely collapsed!
Subdue its heart, sever its mortal shell—this was—
Demon Slaying and Evil Elimination!
Whoosh!
On the jade scroll, light flowed and changed. On the hungry ghost page, a ferocious and savage demon-ghost form took shape—precisely Butcher Zhao. Though his divine soul was annihilated, supernatural powers and magical abilities remained hidden within, ready to be summoned.
Butcher Zhao’s divine soul and spiritual essence scattered like ash, golden light swirling around Zhou Yan.
But Zhou Yan had no strength left whatsoever.
The experiences of this single day had drained his physical strength, mental capacity, and judgment completely. Yet after all this, as a human being, his body retained one final thing.
That last surge of righteous fury and rage.
Zhou Yan pulled out the blade:
“Come!”
The demons charged forward.
BOOM!!!
The jade talisman in Zhou Yan’s pocket blazed with light. From the entrance came a thunderous roar, like a fierce tiger breaking through mountains. A shadowy figure crashed into the space, and the hungry ghosts blocking the way were sent flying. A horizontal blade thrust through one demon’s mouth, pierced through the back of its skull, then stabbed into the next demon’s mouth.
One blade pierced through three demons.
A large hand pressed on Zhou Yan’s shoulder, then pulled him to safety. Blood-stained armor carried a surging aura, an ink-black cloak billowing. The middle-aged man in mountain-patterned armor sheltered Zhou Yan beneath his blade.
“Excellent…”
His face was weary from battle as he said in a low voice:
“You’re still alive.”
