Patrol Captain

As night fell, the city of Chengdu was bustling with activity and brightly lit.

The Yun family in Fanyangfang was also quite lively.

"Isn't it a pleasure to have friends coming from afar?" The Shu Mountain Sword Sect and the Su Nu Sword Sect had come from afar, and old friends were reuniting. Naturally, Yun Chuxiong had to host a banquet to entertain his old friends and their disciples.

Although the Yun family has just gone through that turmoil, and the investiture ceremony is to be held tomorrow, it is not appropriate to hold a grand event, but the proper etiquette must still be observed.

In the banquet hall, there were two tables each for the disciples of the Shu Mountain Sword Sect and the Su Nu Sword Sect, and one table for Yun Chuxiong, Qing Yangzi, Sect Leader An, and the heads of each branch of the Yun family.

Meanwhile, the younger generation of the Yun family had already returned to their posts, and the women of the family were sitting in the side hall, separated by a landscape screen.

In the side hall, on the women's side, in a marginalized position, a delicate-looking young girl held a veil in her hand, craning her neck to look around, seemingly with curiosity.

"Little sister Nu'er, I've noticed you've been looking towards the main hall. Have you taken a fancy to any of the young heroes from the Shu Mountain Sword Sect?" A teasing voice rang out from the side.

Zhao Yunluo smiled gently and teased the young girl.

"Nu'er" immediately showed a shy blush, as if her girlish thoughts had been exposed. She covered her face with her handkerchief and said, "No, Sister Yunluo, please don't tease me."

As she spoke, the "young girl's" charming eyes darted around, as if she quickly changed the subject:
"Sister Yunluo, who is that old man?"

“I noticed that the head of the family and the others treat this old man differently, but he seems to be just an ordinary person.”

Zhao Yunluo followed the girl's gaze, her eyes landing on the "old man." A look of respect crossed her face, and she quickly tugged at the girl, making a shushing gesture to her lips, and whispered,

“Sister Nu’er, don’t speak recklessly.”

"That is my uncle's good friend, Senior Qingyangzi of the Shushan Sword Sect. Back then, when the demons of the Ten Thousand Mountains broke through the barrier, my uncle, Senior Qingyangzi, and several other seniors supported the front line. Along with General Chen, they fought against the demons and earned the reputation of the 'Seven Heroes of Weiyuan,' which was admired by everyone."

“But I don’t know why,” Zhao Yunluo said with a sigh, “this person seems to have suffered some kind of injury. He looks completely different from his former self and has aged a lot.”

"But we must not be disrespectful; sister, please do not break your word."

The "girl" nodded seriously, but a hint of mockery and sinister gleamed deep in her eyes.

The Seven Heroes of Weiyuan, who emerged from the slaughter of their Holy Clan?
snort!
Since he earned his reputation alongside that Martial Saint General, they must have had a very close relationship.

She saw through that "Qingyangzi"; his physical foundation had been destroyed, making him a useless person. If she could control him, and then use him to kill people in the audience at tomorrow's seal-granting ceremony, playing the role of the former Seven Heroes of Weiyuan turning into demon servants, wouldn't that be quite interesting?

Thinking of this, the girl's smile was harder to suppress than AK's, and she wished tomorrow would come as soon as possible.

At the hour of Xu (7-9 PM), the welcoming banquet at the Yun residence ended early.

Yunfu Villa, a small, detached courtyard.

Qingyangzi's beloved disciple, Ji Wuming, gently closed the door to the room, then bowed respectfully to Yun Chuxiong, who was standing outside the door.
"Master is not in good health, and he also drank some wine, so he can only go to bed early."

"On behalf of Master Wuming, I thank Patriarch Yun for his kindness."

"It's been a long time since I've seen Master so happy."

Ji Wuming's tone was sincere, but it was somewhat melancholic.

Yun Chuxiong helped the chief disciple up by the arm, "Young Master Ji, please don't stand on ceremony with me. My friendship with your master needs no further explanation."

“I am also saddened by Brother Qingyang’s plight. General Chen is also concerned about him. General Chen is very resourceful. I will find an opportunity to meet with General Chen at the ceremony tomorrow and see if he can help Brother Qingyang.”

"At that time, we old buddies might be able to fight side by side again. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Yun Chuxiong offered words of comfort, while also reminiscing about the past. "Thank you for your kind words, Patriarch Yun. I hope so," Ji Wuming said, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

"Alright, you should get some rest too, conserve your energy, the grand ceremony is tomorrow," Yun Chuxiong said.

"Take care, Patriarch Yun." Ji Wuming saw him off.

"No need to see me off." Yun Chuxiong smiled, waved his hand, and left the courtyard.

After seeing the person leave, Ji Wuming glanced back at his master's room. His eyes flickered slightly. He knew his master was still awake, but he didn't know what to say. He could only sigh softly and go to the next room to rest and watch over his master.

Meanwhile, in the room, on the soft bed, Qingyangzi, who had drunk some wine, was not asleep, nor did he dare to.

The last time, after he was captured by those evil cultists from the Western Regions, he was implanted with a demon, a strange thing he had never seen before.

Although Chen Yuan later found and rescued her, and forcibly removed the ghostly thing, its influence had not yet ceased.

His martial arts foundation was destroyed, his Heavenly Gate was locked, and his blood and qi began to decline. Moreover, although the evil thing was stripped away, it still left traces, affecting his spirit. Every time he fell asleep, it haunted him like a nightmare, making his spirit worse and his appearance more and more haggard.

So in less than a year, he looked as if he had aged decades and had become a useless person.

He wanted to pull himself together, but his body wouldn't allow it. He forced himself to come to the investiture ceremony, feeling both concerned for General Chen and his soldiers, and wanting to give himself a dignified end, see his old friends, and reminisce about the glorious past.

Qingyangzi felt somewhat relieved when he thought about the treatment he received after arriving at the Yun residence, knowing that his old friends had not changed.

And so, Qingyangzi lay on the bed, his thoughts racing.

As night deepened, all was quiet, and the area outside the room was very still.

Suddenly, a girl's soft laughter rang out in the room.

Hearing the laughter, Qingyangzi, who was pretending to be asleep with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them and saw a beautiful young girl of about sixteen years old standing beside his bed. She was dressed in a green lotus-patterned dress.

The girl smiled happily as she watched Qingyangzi sit up, but her eyes held a hint of mockery.

"Who is your Excellency?"

Qingyangzi was a man who had seen many great things. The fact that this person could appear silently by his bedside without any warning from the disciples next door showed that he was quite powerful.

He remained calm as he sized up the girl.

"I've heard that you are one of the Seven Heroes of Weiyuan, how impressive!"

"You have killed quite a few members of my Holy Clan," the girl said, licking her lips with a sinister smile.

Upon hearing this, Qingyangzi's pupils suddenly contracted.

Then, he reached for the headboard, about to issue a warning.

But the girl was faster. She raised her hand and pointed at Qingyangzi from a distance, and Qingyangzi was immediately frozen in place, unable to move.

"A useless person, overestimating himself." The girl's voice suddenly turned cold.

Then, his jet-black eyes suddenly shone with a purple divine light.

"Become my servant, and then you'll know what happens."

As she finished speaking, a purple light shot from her eyes, fiercely piercing Qingyangzi's constricted, furious pupils. (End of Chapter)