SQLJBFDTW Chapter 35

Chapter 35: Demons – First Time Killing a Demon, Nervous

This time, the demon causing trouble in Nan Island is a genuine Yao demon.

Having been corroded by demonic energy for too long, and originating from the demon realm, its body has been completely disfigured by the influence of the demonic energy.

When they arrived, the village chief was complaining to the disciples from other sects. The villagers had weak spiritual power, and in a short period, several young and strong laborers had already been lost, so they quickly sent letters of help to the number one sect in the world and nearby sects.

Sure enough, what they feared came to pass; the disciples who arrived first were from the Tianyao Sect.

Chao Jianxue looked closely and didn’t take it to heart. These disciples were all unfamiliar faces and didn’t recognize him. Compared to him, Yu Wei was much more famous.

He took a step to the side, trying to get a clear look at the village chief’s appearance, but Yu Wei blocked his view.

Yu Wei was even more afraid of him being targeted than he was. Chao Jianxue felt a warmth in his heart, then compared their heights with a puzzled expression.

Good heavens, Yu Wei was actually taller than him! Was this person a bamboo shoot? Growing like crazy with the arrival of spring. Who exactly was the senior brother and who was the junior brother?

The village chief was still complaining: “There aren’t many young lads in our village. That demon is entrenched here. The young people are afraid to come home and have all gone to work outside. This good place is about to fall apart!”

Village chief, is it possible that the reason the young people have all run away is because this remote and poor place has no future?

The orchard beside them looked lifeless, not as vigorous and upright as the pear tree in Chao Jianxue’s courtyard.

“Oh, oh, oh, the little immortal lords from the Wuwu Sect have arrived as well.” Only then did the village chief notice their uniform moon-white sect robes, his beard bristling with excitement.

The three from the Tianyao Sect also noticed them. Seeing Yu Wei in the lead, they exchanged glances, recognizing him. After all, Yu Wei’s portrait collection was so famous.

“To think that our little place would welcome such distinguished guests. My humble abode is truly honored!”

Listening to such polite words from someone so old, Chao Jianxue felt very uncomfortable. He followed Yu Wei to pay his respects, and listened to Yu Wei ask, “Regarding the demon you mentioned earlier, do you know what kind of demon it is?”

“I don’t know, I don’t know! Who would dare to go look? Those who went to look didn’t come back. Our cultivation is low. As soon as we show our faces, our souls will be taken by the demon. In the past, there were a few with high talent, but didn’t they all run off to various sects to learn? It’s been a good dozen years and they haven’t been seen since!”

The old man was filled with righteous indignation, and for a long time didn’t say anything useful. The topic gradually shifted from “demon” to “the village has no money or power” and “can’t keep people,” allowing the demon to wreak havoc here.

Once he started complaining, he didn’t stop, starting from his neighbor’s farewell to their talented child, and going all the way to the stray yellow dog that ran away from his doorstep.

Nan Shan muttered, “Is this the time to complain? Why doesn’t he just say the important things? He’s about to spit all over my face.”

Chao Jianxue folded his arms and said, “Look how clever the Tianyao Sect is. They slipped away quickly just now. Tell our little junior brother to stop talking to him.”

It was highly likely that the village chief had been dragging the Tianyao Sect disciples for a long time, and now that he had caught them, he had shifted the spitfire to them.

Qiu Shui shook her head. “The old man is quite pitiful. Perhaps he doesn’t have many people to talk to.”

Chao Jianxue scoffed. “Junior sister, why don’t you stay behind, and we’ll take our leave first?”

Qiu Shui considered seriously for a moment, then shook her head. “Never mind.”

The three of them stayed by the side, under the shade of the trees, either squatting or standing. Qiu Shui was pulling at blades of grass, Nan Shan was kicking small stones on the ground, and Chao Jianxue was leaning bonelessly against the tree trunk. It seemed that only Yu Wei had any promise in the entire Fuxian Mountain sect.

He had an upright figure and the demeanor of an immortal, being the most earnest listener.

After listening to the old village chief ramble on for who knows how long, Chao Jianxue yawned several times before Yu Wei finally came over and said, “There are two useful pieces of information.”

“Speak.”

“First, the demon does not appear during the day. Second, there is more than one demon.”

Nan Shan: “More than one? Can we even beat them? If there are so many, shouldn’t the demonic energy have already filled the sky? Didn’t the Tianyao Sect notice?”

Yu Wei: “That means they are very good at concealing themselves, or their strength is not great.”

“The former is doomed, the latter we can fight!” Nan Shan said confidently.

“What’s there to be afraid of!” Chao Jianxue was very carefree. Anyway, the protagonist was here. The sky wouldn’t fall with the protagonist around. Even if it did, the protagonist would be there to hold it up.

He said, “Anyway, the Tianyao Sect is also here. When the time comes, we’ll just run faster. We can always run back and get reinforcements. Besides, I have many magical artifacts to protect myself.”

Nan Shan flattered him, “Senior brother, can you share some with me? Can you look after me?”

Chao Jianxue’s tail almost wagged to the sky. “Of course, I won’t forget about you!”

“Me too,” Qiu Shui said sweetly.

Yu Wei said, “…It’s better to familiarize ourselves with the surrounding terrain first.”

Chao Jianxue took two steps forward, hooked his arm around Yu Wei’s shoulder, and said with a grin, “Do you want some? Is it okay if senior brother looks after you?”

In the future, he could say that he was someone who had looked after the protagonist.

Yu Wei’s ears turned slightly red, and he turned his head away. “No need…”

His earnestness was exactly what made Chao Jianxue itch. How could someone be so strict with themselves, without a single witty remark? How boring must his life be?

“Little junior brother, little junior brother!” Having spent a long time with Yu Wei, Chao Jianxue had become bolder. He reached out to pinch his face. Yu Wei dodged in alarm, looking like a pure and innocent white flower being taken advantage of.

They searched in the supposedly demon-infested countryside, but found no clues. The vegetation was lush, indicating that the demon didn’t like to eat vegetables.

Finally, night fell. The red light of the sunset dimmed, shadows covered the mountains, and a cool breeze blew from the forest, making one’s scalp tingle and shiver uncontrollably.

“Is this a demonic wind?” Chao Jianxue tightened his clothes.

Yu Wei said, “It’s just the wind picking up, senior brother. Don’t be nervous.”

Due to the chill of early spring, it was always especially cold at night.

Chao Jianxue summoned the Ming Qianli Sword, took a defensive stance, and blinked his eyes. “I’m not nervous.”

This was his first time participating in killing a real demon. How could he not be nervous?

This place didn’t even have a light. It was frighteningly dark, and with the background setting of demons and monsters lurking about, Chao Jianxue always felt like a jump scare was about to come from all directions.

The four of them huddled together, back to back, shoulder to shoulder, cautiously wandering through the forest.

During the day, they had made marks on the trees. At this time, they emitted a fluorescent glow. Chao Jianxue was startled and gasped.

“What’s wrong?” Nan Shan asked nervously, loudly.

After hesitating for a moment, Chao Jianxue said awkwardly, “Ahahaha, I was scared by the marks I made.”

Why did he have to draw a smiling face on the tree? He didn’t expect that in this atmosphere, the faint smiling face would be very eerie.

The group walked and stopped, and gradually, they heard different footsteps.

The Tianyao Sect, wearing black sect uniforms, met them head-on. They initially drew their swords, ready to fight, but upon realizing that it was them, they sheathed their swords and said politely, “So it’s fellow Daoists from the Wuwu Sect. Have you found any clues?”

Yu Wei said, “Not yet.”

Chao Jianxue carefully observed the other party. The leader had an exceptionally prominent aura, with sharp eyebrows, a high nose bridge, and faint dark circles under his eyes. His back was straight, but he exuded a gloomy and frustrated aura, like a sword hidden in its scabbard, waiting for the right moment to be drawn.

His composed gaze swept over them, and he cupped his fist, “How about we travel together?”

Yu Wei nodded.

Chao Jianxue looked at Yu Wei, then at the man, and was surprised: these two are very similar.

They spoke little, were handsome, and radiated an unmatched aura of “stay away.” The only difference was that Yu Wei’s coldness was harmless, while this Tianyao Sect disciple’s coldness seemed like he could slap you in the face.

Since they were acquainted, how could they not exchange names? Chao Jianxue asked, “What is your name, fellow Daoist? Which branch of the Tianyao Sect are you from?”

Nan Shan and Qiu Shui were amazed that he dared to talk to someone from the Tianyao Sect. Then, they heard the Tianyao Sect disciple say, “Tianyao Sword Dao, Tan Zhou.”

Sword Dao, that would be the Tianyao Sect Leader’s lineage. As for the name Tan Zhou, there was no record of it in the Xuanzhen Realm gossip in recent years. However, judging from his face, Chao Jianxue was certain that he was definitely not an unremarkable extra.

He poked Yu Wei and transmitted his voice to him, “Ask about Mo Zezhi for me.”

Yu Wei glanced at him sharply, as if saying “Don’t go looking for death.”

Chao Jianxue reluctantly gave up the idea of inquiring about his enemy’s current situation. He only saw that Tan Zhou hadn’t paid much attention to him from beginning to end, so he knew that he didn’t recognize him.

The night was dark and the wind was high, night crows cried mournfully, and the flowing wind brought the stench of blood straight to people’s faces, like the smell of mud and rot.

Just as everyone’s nerves were highly strained, one person suddenly exclaimed in shock and sank down. Looking closer, they had accidentally stepped into a water pit, which was waist-deep.

Chao Jianxue approached and smelled a sweet stench.

They worked together to pull him out of the pit.

Looking up, they saw several human shadows hanging from the trees high above, like wandering souls, their feet constantly swaying.

“Holy crap, did you guys hear any sound just now? How did they suddenly hang there!” The Tianyao Sect disciple had just climbed out of the water pit, looked up first, and was so frightened that his face turned white.

Even though they had been distracted by pulling people out, with the hearing of cultivating disciples, they would definitely be able to detect any movement around them immediately.

This made the appearance of these hanging people seem strange.

Yu Wei took the lead in releasing sword intent, cutting the rope tied to one of the gray shadows.

The person fell down, moaning softly.

Looking down at his face, he seemed to be one of the young people from the village who had gone missing in the forest. However, he looked like he had been starved for several days, gaunt and thin, with deep hollows on both sides of his cheekbones, but his stomach was abnormally protruding, probably due to accumulated abdominal fluid.

“Still alive,” Tan Zhou said.

He also released sword intent. The sword light flew out in a roundabout arc in the night sky, freeing all the unfortunate villagers hanging from all sides.

Each one was half-dead, and looked like they had suffered inhumane torture.

“It’s not a good idea to leave them here like this. Should we move them out of the forest and put them in the nearby field?” Qiu Shui said, picking up a person and exclaiming, “So light!”

“Don’t! What if they’re demon bait?” Nan Shan nervously snatched the back of the person in her hand, the collar of the clothes caught in the villager’s throat, and he saw him half-open his mouth, his eyes rolled upwards, and a wisp of soul was about to fly out of his throat.

Seeing this, Chao Jianxue said, “Hey, if you guys keep snatching back and forth like this, this person is going to die.”

“Sorry, sorry,” Nan Shan quickly let go.

On the other side, Tan Zhou led people to check the villagers’ pulses and said, “There is no demonic energy. Let’s follow this fellow Daoist’s suggestion and send them out first.”

Each person carried one on their back, and Chao Jianxue conveniently became a hands-off boss.

They walked back along the marks they had made.

The Tianyao Sect disciple was startled and said, “Who drew these positioning symbols? So unique. Looks like a treant face.”

The treant face he was talking about was a kind of tree demon.

Chao Jianxue didn’t speak, he just kept walking.

He walked at the back of the group. Ahead of him was Yu Wei. With a person on his back, Yu Wei looked like he was carrying a bag. His back was still straight.

As he watched, suddenly, the person seemed to twitch, and liquid flowed out from between his legs.

Chao Jianxue craned his neck, looking in shock, and called out, “Little junior brother…”

As soon as he finished speaking, the person on Yu Wei’s back began to twist violently.

“Ah—”

The shouts in front rang through the forest, apparently encountering the same situation.

Yu Wei immediately threw off the person on his back and turned his head to look. The villager’s whole body was trembling and arched, his limbs weakly supporting him on the ground, and his belly was bulging high.

Then, they heard a sound like a watermelon rind being cut open by a knife.

Swarms of black spiders poured out from the middle of his stomach.