Chapter 107: Thankfully You're Here, Xiao Jia

Chapter 107: Thank Goodness for You, Little Jia

Nine Coil Mountain.

The canary’s small face was pale. When she saw the Gate of Ten Thousand Paths vanish, she clutched her skirt and ran frantically up the mountain.

“Blood Bead!”

The familiar figure did not appear; the mountaintop stood empty and desolate.

A nameless loss gripped the canary’s heart.

The Gate of Ten Thousand Paths had disappeared, and Blood Bead… was gone.

Everything was so eerie, so hard to accept.

The clear wind atop the mountain lifted the strands of hair on the canary’s cheeks. She stared stubbornly at the sky.

“Blood Bead, you can’t really be that Buddha they speak of, can you?”

“And am I… that demoness you killed?”

Ever since the origin of the Gate of Ten Thousand Paths had been uncovered, a rumor had quietly spread in Nine Coil Mountain.

Whenever the Gate of Ten Thousand Paths appeared, so did Blood Bead—a great demon, a drop of the Buddha’s blood.

The Blood Lord preached the *Demon Binding Art* as an act of atonement.

This tale was dismissed by some on Nine Coil Mountain as nonsense, but many others believed it.

The canary stood alone on the peak, solitary and forlorn.

She did not like the story of the great Buddha slaying the demoness.

…

A heavy rain fell. In No Return City, Yuan Qi, wearing a straw rain cape, looked up at the guardian on the city wall and felt an inexplicable dread rise in his heart.

Just moments ago, a horde of demonic fiends—over a thousand strong—had attacked, and the guardian had slain them one by one with his sword.

This should have been a morale-boosting sight, yet for some reason, when Yuan Qi looked at Qi Yuan, he felt a terrifying demon from the depths of hell staring back.

Especially when Qi Yuan sat on the wall, Yuan Qi clearly saw a blood-red glint flickering in his eyes.

Just glimpsing those eyes made his heart tremble for no reason.

It was as if he were not looking at a guardian, but at a monstrous fiend.

“What, are you afraid of me?” Qi Yuan’s voice came down from the wall.

Like a stone, it fell on Yuan Qi’s heart. He gritted his teeth and bowed his head, saying, “Lord Guardian… your current state… is a little strange.”

He dared not look at Qi Yuan.

“Mm, withdraw,” Qi Yuan said softly, as if he did not mind at all.

Hearing this, Yuan Qi breathed a sigh of relief and hurried away.

For some reason, the closer he got to the Lord Guardian, the more fear surged in his heart.

His soul was filled with an unbearable bitterness.

On the city wall, Qi Yuan held a broken sword, still stained with beads of blood. With a flick of his hand, the blood drops fell.

“After this enlightenment, the extraction of the source of calamity has increased tenfold, reaching ten percent.”

“Will I eventually turn into a monster like those fiends?” Qi Yuan wondered.

His emotions had been extremely unstable lately.

Greed, wrath, lust, pride—they churned within him endlessly.

It was worst right after he had slaughtered the fiends.

“Little Jia, are you afraid of me?” Qi Yuan turned his head and looked at the great red wedding gown behind him.

Little Jia was flustered, nearly stumbling in her haste, and a wooden plaque fell to the ground.

Qi Yuan picked it up—it was the “Stick-to-It” charm.

He pulled Little Jia tightly into his arms, feeling the faint, clean scent of her fabric. A satisfied expression crossed his face. “Thank goodness for you… Playing games alone too much can get pretty boring sometimes.”

The red in Qi Yuan’s eyes slowly faded, and the terrifying aura that had been there before also gradually dissipated.

Holding Little Jia, the two sat on the city wall, gazing out at the vast desert. But in the Drifting Wind Realm, there was neither sunrise nor sunset.

…

In the camp of the Demon Controllers, Wu Tong’s face was ashen.

“A tiny No Return City—must I go myself?”

Wu Tong was furious. He swept the wine cups and jade plates off the table, smashing them to pieces.

The dozen or so nation-guardians present bowed their heads, not daring to speak.

Some time ago, the vanguard commander, Iron Chain, had led an expedition to No Return City and never returned.

That had shocked them all.

Iron Chain was the second strongest in the camp, second only to Wu Tong himself, yet he had gone and never come back.

Until they understood the situation, none of them would dare go in person. They could only control some fiends and besiege No Return City step by step.

But those fiends, too, never returned.

“Hmph!” Wu Tong glared at his cowardly subordinates, his face burning with rage. “If Mi Sang learns of this, I wonder how he will mock me?”

No one in the room dared to speak.

After all, if they lost at another city, they could simply admit defeat. If there was no deep enmity, the other side would often accept their surrender.

A small old man stepped forward: “Commander Wu Tong, perhaps No Return City is ill-omened by its name—so that we go but never return.”

In any case, they dared not go.

Hearing this, Wu Tong’s anger only grew. “Who among you dares to go to No Return City? Capture that city, and I will reward you handsomely—I might even grant some… source of demon control.”

The breaths of those present quickened.

The reason they could avoid being attacked by fiends and could command some of them was precisely because of the source of demon control.

Currently, the fiends they commanded were all borrowed from that source, not their own.

If they obtained a complete source of demon control, they could not only drive more and stronger fiends but also greatly benefit their own cultivation—perhaps even step beyond the rank of nation-guardian and enter the realm of terrestrial myth.

Still, fear lingered in their hearts.

“Commander Wu Tong, how about… we all go together?” suggested the same small old man who had spoken of the city’s ill-omened name.

“Yes, let’s go together and wipe out No Return City!”

“If Commander Wu Tong takes the lead himself, that city will fall in an instant!”

Everyone urged him on.

After all, with a strongman like Wu Tong at the front, and so many of them attacking together, there would be almost no risk.

Wu Tong looked at the crowd, anger simmering within him. His expression shifted, and finally he said, “In one month, we will all leave No-Return City!”

Having spoken, Wu Tong withdrew from the tent.

Before long, he arrived at a lake.

He took out a small vial of liquid and poured it into the lake.

The once clear water instantly turned a bloody hue.

Then a terrifying projection appeared.

“I pay homage to the Sovereign!” Wu Tong said, his face showing reverence toward the projection in the lake.

“How fares the land of Yuzhou?” the projection spoke slowly.

“Sovereign, your servant has encountered some trouble.

In No-Return City, there is a powerful one, a single man guarding an entire city, suspected to be a disciple of the White Emperor,” Wu Tong said with deference.

How could Wu Tong not see through Mi Sang’s petty schemes?

Having reached this position, he naturally perceived that Mi Sang wished to avoid conflict with No-Return City and leave the land of Yuzhou.

Wu Tong, however, had taken the opportunity to come here, acting on the orders of the Sovereign before him.

“A disciple of the White Emperor… could it be…” Fear arose in the Sovereign’s heart, but he quickly suppressed it. “No, the White Emperor surely knows nothing of this; otherwise, it would not be a disciple who came, but the man himself.”

The Sovereign was utterly terrified of the White Emperor.

After all, the White Emperor and the Honored One were the two strongest beings in this world.

The Sovereign dared not cross him.

“So, it is all a coincidence.” Having reasoned this out, the fear in the Sovereign’s heart dissipated. “You fear you are no match for that disciple of the White Emperor?”

“Yes, your servant does not fear death, but I dread disrupting the Honored One’s plans,” Wu Tong said. He knew the Sovereign had designs on No-Return City and Garan City.

The specifics, he did not know, nor dared to ask.

But if he succeeded, there would be immense fortune.

Countless expressions flickered in the Sovereign’s eyes.

Suddenly, the waters of the entire lake began to churn.

A whirlpool formed at the lake’s center, and all the water rolled into it.

Wu Tong watched this scene, somewhat moved.

He knew this was the Sovereign’s doing.

After about a quarter of an hour, the once vast lake vanished, leaving not even mud on the ground—only parched, cracked earth.

A pale purple water droplet floated beside Wu Tong.

The Sovereign’s voice came: “Take this. If you cannot defeat that disciple of the White Emperor, unleash it.

This object contains my strongest strike from my origin, capable of annihilating a terrestrial myth in an instant.

Even a Sovereign, if of low rank, would face the peril of death against this blow.

The White Emperor has three thousand disciples; aside from the most core few,

with this in hand, you can secure No-Return City.”

Hearing this, Wu Tong gazed at the pale purple droplet, utterly thrilled.

“Thank you, Sovereign. Wu Tong will surely capture No-Return City for you!”

Taking No-Return City was but the first step.

He also needed the Sovereign to find what he sought.

Meanwhile, in an abyss in the northern lands.

A man was entirely shrouded in purple.

Before him lay an ancient, profound stone slab.

He had possessed this slab for three thousand years.

For three millennia, he had studied it unceasingly, finally unlocking its secrets—a hidden record from the ancient era.

“No-Return City… the burial ground of the enchantress, the source of all karmic evil. If I obtain it…”

Greed gleamed in the purple-robed man’s eyes.

If he obtained it, what would the so-called Honored One and White Emperor matter?

“Pity, I cannot go myself now, or it would surely draw attention from all sides…”

The purple-robed man was immensely powerful, among the very peak in the northern lands.

Thus, his movements would inevitably attract notice.

If he went to No-Return City, he might well expose his purpose.

So he could only use Wu Tong, that little pawn, to find the source of karmic evil first, then go.

“No-Return City is easy to handle… but… what of the Great Demon’s place of becoming a demon?” The purple-robed man hesitated.

There, too, lay a great fortune, no less than that of No-Return City.

But clearly, it would be harder to seize than No-Return City.

He needed to devise a way to take it.

…

Over Garan City, dark clouds gathered, the atmosphere heavy.

Guardian Dong Long, upon hearing the report from his subordinates, wore a resolute expression. He said, “Wu Tong is about to lead his entire army to besiege No-Return City. What do you all think?”

The realm-guardians present looked grave. “Wu Tong is more unyielding than Mi Sang, and stronger. If No-Return City falls, our Garan City… I fear.”

The assembly was deeply worried.

Though Mi Sang was strong, he had been slack in attacking Garan City, clearly afraid of perishing.

But this Wu Tong seemed the aggressively relentless type.

“Wentai, what is your view?” Dong Long turned to the siblings Liu Wentai and Liu Wenmei.

Liu Wentai and Liu Wenmei had met Qi Yuan.

“The guardian of No-Return City is immensely powerful—perhaps even a terrestrial myth,” Liu Wentai said, recalling Qi Yuan’s breathtaking sword strike with awe.

“A terrestrial myth is formidable, but with Wu Tong’s campaign, the number of realm-guardians may reach over a hundred.

Coupled with the endless horde of demonic calamities, even a terrestrial myth could be surrounded and killed. So my advice is to invite the guardian of No-Return City to Garan City once more.”

Dong Long nodded at this. “If he is willing to come to Garan City, I would even gladly yield the position of Garan City’s guardian to him.”

Hearing this, Liu Wentai quickly said, “Everyone, the guardian of No-Return City will absolutely not come to Garan City!”

He recalled Qi Yuan’s sword strike that day—a strike that had also conveyed his stance.

He felt that his constant urging for Qi Yuan to leave had already begun to annoy that guardian.

"Arrogant fool!" an old man said in a deep voice. "Do you think that being a Mortal Myth allows you to do whatever you please?"

Just then, a weighty voice spoke: "A Mortal Myth indeed can do as he pleases. If what Liu Xiantai says is true, then if that Garrison Commander comes to Galan City, our Galan City would become a burden instead.

With that strong one's power, even if surrounded by Wu Tong's forces, if he cannot win and wishes to leave, can Wu Tong stop him?

Right now, we worry about Wugui City, but we should rather worry about how our Galan City will protect itself after that strong one leaves."

All present heard this and nodded in agreement.

That Wugui City cannot be held—this was already a fact.

That Garrison Commander of Wugui City would surely leave as well.

And what they would have to face was Wu Tong's great army.

Their pressure was far greater than before.

Dong Long, the Garrison Commander of Galan City, stood on the city wall, gazing into the distance with deep eyes: "I only hope... that before that Myth-level strong one leaves, he can deal a heavy blow to Wu Tong's army."

If so, Wu Tong would not be able to organize his army to come to Galan City so quickly, and Galan City would have ample time to prepare.

"Liu Wentai, Zhao Ju, take some men and watch Wugui City from afar.

Any news from within Wugui City, send it back to Galan immediately," Dong Long ordered.

What he wanted to see was not news of Wugui City, but news of Wu Tong's army.

Wugui City was already a foregone conclusion.

He wanted to know, after Wugui City fell, how badly Wu Tong's army would be damaged.

"As you command!" Liu Wentai and Zhao Ju accepted the order.

……

A month passed in the blink of an eye.

Liu Wentai and Zhao Ju hid in the vast desert, concealing their forms.

Behind them, more than a dozen cultivators also concealed their forms.

They were Galan City's guerrilla scouts, most skilled in stealth and speed.

Zhao Ju hid in the sand, a cynical smile on his face: "That Garrison Commander of Wugui City sure loves to show... off.

If it were me, facing Wu Tong's army, I'd have run straight away.

But him, sitting alone on the city wall, facing thousands of troops, fearless in the face of danger—though it's showing off, it's still cool!"

"Is it possible that the Garrison Commander truly isn't afraid?" Liu Wentai recalled Qi Yuan.

That Garrison Commander was not as Zhao Ju described.

"Don't worry, when Wu Tong's army comes, he'll definitely strike one sword and then run!" Zhao Ju said with full confidence.

If he had such strength, he would also emulate that Garrison Commander.

He truly had no martial virtue, but he was also truly cool.

Liu Wentai shot Zhao Ju a contemptuous look: "Don't judge a gentleman's heart with a petty man's mind."

Zhao Ju shrugged: "I never judge people by what they think, only by what they do.

He stayed in Wugui City and wounded Wu Tong's army—that alone earns my admiration.

I said he was showing off, but he is indeed cool. The only pity is that Wugui City is about to fall."

Zhao Ju's words carried regret.

Thanks to ←God Without Tears for the thousand-tip; thanks to Winter Snow Autumn Leaves, Book Deficiency Ah, and Reader 20211104082202043 for their tips!

(End of chapter)