Chapter 35: Defying the Purple Mansion to Slay the Demon

A flash of sword light appeared, and in an instant, the clouds parted and the rain cleared, as if the light of heaven had broken through the gloom.

The River God saw only a flicker of faint light, followed by a streak of cyan radiance cutting across the air, and then a cold green blade flashed before his eyes and vanished.

"Click."

The sound of a sword returning to its scabbard echoed behind him.

Though he felt no pain, the River God could perceive the power of the incense offerings within him beginning to dissipate frantically. Lowering his head, he discovered that a wound had appeared on his chest at some unknown moment, stretching all the way down to his abdomen. Through the gash, he could even see the layers of snow-capped mountains of the Green Screen Range in the deep of winter.

Pierced through by a single strike, the limited incense power within his avatar scattered rapidly, causing his entire body to crumble. Relying on the final wisp of remaining power, he forced himself to turn toward the green-robed, jade-crowned Taoist, whose countenance was elegant and refined. "What a fast sword..."

With that, the River God’s entire body exploded, dissolving into fine dust!

On the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth lunar month, in the thirty-nine thousand eight hundred and twenty-fifth year of the Mountain and River Calendar, Jiang Sheng of Green Screen Mountain, while still in the Foundation Establishment stage, defied the natural order to strike down the Purple Manor-level demon of the Taiping River. He slew the demon with a single stroke, emerging unscathed!

On Green Screen Mountain, Zhang Qing, Zhang Qingyun, Xu Xiao, and Qiao Xuan stared in a daze, unable to recover their senses for a long time. The River God, who had been so majestic and overbearing just a moment ago, had been instantly executed.

Did Taoist Jiang truly slay the River God? And he appeared completely unharmed? If it were not for the fact that it had transpired right before their eyes, Xu Xiao and Qiao Xuan would have thought they were dreaming.

At the foot of Green Screen Mountain, the commoners fell into a profound silence. The powerful, awe-inspiring, and unstoppable River God was dead? The deity who had consumed fifty years of their incense and forced them to sacrifice countless children was gone? The God who had threatened to flood the mountain and summoned walls of water just moments ago had been killed?

After an unknown amount of time—perhaps a quarter of an hour, perhaps more—a sudden roar of cheers erupted from the crowd, followed by thousands of people weeping and rejoicing. The River God was dead; they had survived!

Countless people gazed up at the figure quietly suspended in the void and bowed deeply. "We thank Taoist Jiang for saving the people from fire and flood!"

The cheers of thousands shook away the remaining dark clouds, allowing the sun, long obscured, to reappear. Warm sunlight bathed Green Screen Mountain, making the Taoist in the sky appear truly like an immortal.

Zhang Qingyun looked at Jiang Sheng, who was receiving the worship of the masses, with complex emotions. He did not know whether to feel joy or worry. "The Green Profound Temple will have no shortage of incense from this day forward."

"Everyone, the demon is purged and the floods have receded. Please return to your homes as soon as possible," Jiang Sheng’s clear, calm voice resonated through the air.

The people bowed once more before setting off on their journeys home in groups.

When Jiang Sheng returned to the front of the Green Profound Temple, Zhang Qingyun brought Zhang Qing forward to bow. "Qingyun thanks Taoist Jiang for removing such a great bane from Qing-shan County."

Xu Xiao and Qiao Xuan also came forward to offer their congratulations. Jiang Sheng’s ability to defeat a Purple Manor expert while at the Foundation Establishment level left them in awe; had the gap in their status not been so wide, they would have already sought to befriend him.

Jiang Sheng nodded slightly and replied, "It was merely a matter of mutual benefit. My task is complete, but you, County Magistrate, still have much work to do."

Zhang Qingyun nodded, understanding Jiang Sheng’s implication: with the Taiping River God gone, he had to return to Qing-shan County to handle the aftermath. Simply put, it was time for them to leave.

Xu Xiao asked, "Taoist Jiang, since the demon of the Taiping River is gone, shall we explore its dwelling?"

Jiang Sheng looked at Xu Xiao and then at Qiao Xuan. "Fellow Daoists Xu and Qiao have expended much energy today, and the demon surely left behind traps and formations. It would be better for you both to rest today and act tomorrow."

Qiao Xuan agreed with the suggestion. "Taoist Jiang’s words are not without reason. Whether it is this old man or Fairy Xu, we have both sustained injuries defending against the demon and need time to recover."

Thus, the three decided to meet outside East River Town at noon the following day to explore the demon’s lair together.

Afterward, Xu Xiao summoned her silk-handkerchief dharma treasure and departed with Zhang Qingyun and Zhang Qing. Before leaving, she clearly had words for Jiang Sheng, but she chose to escort the others back to the county seat first. Once they were gone, Qiao Xuan exchanged a few words with Jiang Sheng before taking his leave to search for his disciple.

When everyone had dispersed, the Green Profound Temple returned to tranquility.

Exhaling a long breath, Jiang Sheng opened his palm to look at the small, faintly glowing pellet that felt like stone and gold. After the River God was slain, his remains had turned to dust, leaving only this behind.

Frowning, Jiang Sheng stared at the remnant. It felt both familiar and strange. "A truly bizarre affair..."

"Master." Tian Ming’an emerged from the temple and bowed respectfully.

Jiang Sheng put away the relic and glanced at him. "Have you thought it through?"

Tian Ming’an nodded. "Disciple has."

"If you have, why are you still standing there? Go do your lessons." Jiang Sheng tapped Tian Ming’an on the head and stepped into the temple.

He was not as unscathed as he appeared. In truth, that sword strike had cost him dearly. Beyond the drain on his spiritual energy, his right arm, which he had used to wield the blade, was still trembling slightly. He had kept it hidden within his sleeve, his hands clasped behind his back, so that Xu Xiao and Qiao Xuan would not notice he was at the end of his strength.

Fortunately, they were so shocked by his brilliant strike that they never suspected the effortless-looking Jiang Sheng had been pushed to his limits. He had been bluffing, unable to show weakness before an old hand like Qiao Xuan or a local official like Zhang Qingyun. Not to mention, one could never be sure if hidden rogue cultivators were waiting to play the role of the oriole stalking the mantis.

Caution was necessary, so Jiang Sheng had maintained an air of detachment, as if slaying a Purple Manor demon were nothing to boast about. Even before his disciple, he had remained composed, and not even Tian Ming’an had noticed anything amiss.

Walking into the temple, Jiang Sheng sat cross-legged before the founder’s portrait and began his usual meditation. Late that night, while absorbing the moonlight, he thought back to the day’s battle. The River God’s final performance had left him with an inexplicable sense of unease, though he could not pinpoint why. He decided to shelve the doubt for now.

"The Void Young Master is dead, and his belongings are another matter. Today, my sword work was clearly not smooth. While that was partly due to forcing the technique, my body indeed has weaknesses. It seems the tiger demon’s carcass in my storage bag cannot be saved."

He had originally intended to keep the tiger’s body for later use, but now it seemed he would need to refine it into a second-tier pill to strengthen his physique. There were no areas for cultivators near Qing-shan County, let alone spiritual herbs. To purchase any, he would have to travel to the East Prefecture’s capital, which was too far.

"Now that I think of it, I can only hope there is something useful in the River God’s lair." Jiang Sheng mused, settling into his practice to regulate his body.

At noon the next day, outside East River Town, three figures arrived from different directions. The town, now that the flood had receded, remained a scene of dead, chaotic ruin. Bloated, pale corpses of livestock and humans were scattered everywhere, and large sections of buildings had collapsed into broken walls.

After gathering, the three wasted no time and dove into the water to explore the depths of the Taiping River. The river was less than a hundred feet deep here, and they soon discovered the grand Taiping River Mansion.

Gazing at the structure under the immense pressure of the riverbed, they saw a plaque with gilded characters. The mansion was grand and majestic, resembling the layout of a county government office. Around the building, a light curtain shimmered—the mansion’s water-repelling formation.

Xu Xiao volunteered to go forward. After observing for a moment, she tentatively injected a strand of spiritual energy and smiled. "This is a third-tier Flowing Light Green Water Formation. It is not a difficult one to crack."

Qiao Xuan was surprised. "Fairy Xu is proficient in formations?"

"I wouldn't say proficient, just moderately successful," she replied, taking a formation disk from her storage bag and beginning to manipulate the array. "If the owner were still in control, I would surely face backlash. But since the demon is dead, the formation is ownerless and only has a passive defensive effect. As long as we are careful, it will not counterattack."

As she explained, her hands never stopped. Strands of icy blue energy flowed into the disk, and as she performed the gestures, she located the formation's weak points. "Taoist Jiang, strike here!"

Jiang Sheng did not hesitate. He drew his blade and struck the spot she indicated. The light curtain flickered and a crack appeared.

"Quickly, it will recover soon!" Xu Xiao shouted, charging inside. Jiang Sheng and Qiao Xuan followed. They were inside within two heartbeats, just as the curtain sealed itself again.

Qiao Xuan looked around the grand mansion, his eyes burning with greed at the thought of a Purple Manor cultivator’s hoard. "Taoist Jiang, Fairy Xu, shall we explore separately and then regroup here?"

Jiang Sheng nodded. "Agreed. Exploring as quickly as possible is for the best."

The three split up. Jiang Sheng headed straight for the main hall. Neither of the others objected; after all, Jiang Sheng had killed the River God, so he was entitled to the lion's share of the spoils. He had chosen the main hall for that very reason, expecting it to contain the owner’s most valuable items.

However, upon entering, he found only a formation embedded in the floor and rows of red candles, each half a person’s height, burning steadily. The formation looked luminous and bright, yet it radiated an underlying aura of evil.

Jiang Sheng looked closely and realized with horror that the "candles" were actually children under the age of six!

The three-foot green blade appeared in his hand in an instant. "So that is why the demon demanded six pairs of boys and girls every year—to fuel this wicked formation!"