Become a true immortal by emulating all demons.

Survival is a basic human instinct.

Not to mention Shuangyun Prefecture, even the people of several nearby prefectures, after hearing about the recent upheavals, have sold their properties and fled to Yongzhou City with their families.

In the eyes of the immortals, these people were nothing more than ants.

However, the traces of even the smallest ants can often provide insight into the current situation in the Nine Prefectures.

"This is truly bizarre; I haven't heard of such a thing as demonic calamity in so many years."

At the city gate, a middle-aged man with stubble, dressed in a flowing cloud-patterned sword robe, raised an eyebrow and couldn't help but exclaim in amazement as he watched the carriages arriving from other major prefectures.

"Isn't this the car from Baiquan Winery?"

"Are there still survivors in Shuangyun Prefecture?"

The man did not deliberately lower his voice.

The carriage that came from Shuangyun Prefecture paused briefly.

The portly shopkeeper lifted the curtain, bowed respectfully towards the roadside, and then said with lingering fear, "Reporting to Immortal Yu, although the great demon breached Frost Cloud City, it did not enter. It only collected the corpses of the demons and left directly."

"I believe it now, the Little Demon King really exists."

Upon hearing this, the man let out a long sigh and gently patted the young man's arm beside him, saying, "Good luck, Junior Brother Lin."

This man is called Jia Mu, and he is the head disciple of the Yu family.

As for the person next to him, he came over to greet him because he saw that the other person was also wearing the Flowing Cloud Sword Robe. He only knew that the other person's surname was Lin, but he had not yet asked which lineage the other person belonged to.

What does this mean?

Lin Shu withdrew her gaze and looked on curiously.

"Think about it, the demons have been holding back for so long, their hearts are bound to be filled with resentment and anger, and they are also desperately short of supplies."

Jia Mu replied with a wry smile, "After they took over Shuangyun Prefecture, they neither killed innocent people to vent their anger, nor did they clean up the various immortal descendants in the prefecture to obtain resources. They didn't even think about occupying this city and enjoying the incense offerings of the mortal world again."

"Such strict discipline indicates that the ferocious demon behind it is of extraordinary strength and prestige, at least a level above other demons, in order to command respect."

"I've heard that among those demon lords are Jinhe Shiyi and a few others. Those who can win their hearts and minds are worthy of being called little demon kings."

As the man began to speak.

Lin Shu nodded thoughtfully, "I see. But what does this have to do with us? Logically speaking, shouldn't a half-life immortal subdue such a ferocious demon?"

Upon hearing this, Jia Mu's gaze suddenly turned strange as he looked the young man up and down again: "Junior Brother Lin, which immortal is in charge of your cultivation? ... Let me ask you this: if from today onwards, Junior Brother's cultivation will no longer encounter bottlenecks, and as long as you accumulate enough spiritual power, you will be able to break through to the next realm."

"Under these circumstances, would you still be willing to fight others?"

"Of course I wouldn't want to," Lin Shu shook her head.

If such a good thing were to happen, of course one would find a safe place to retreat into seclusion and cultivate until the end of the path.

Making a move without any strategy will only waste resources and slow down the breakthrough process.

"If you're unwilling, how can a half-life immortal be expected to?"

Jia Mu suddenly lowered his voice: "Do you think the phrase 'half a lifetime' is some kind of positive term?"

He found it all very strange.

Those descendants of the Yu family who can afford to support the sect leader disciples must be either exceptional talents whose abilities are immediately apparent, those who receive extra support from the clan, or those with extensive connections and a Daoist partner.

The rest were almost all Golden Core experts, the backbone of the Yu family.

How could they not know these things, as the most valued disciple of the sect?

"What's the explanation?" Lin Shu really didn't understand.

After all, he had come into contact with the title of Half-Immortal the day he opened his eyes in the dilapidated courtyard of Blackwater City, but to this day, he still had not been able to truly see any immortal.

"Half a lifetime" means that one's body is in heaven, but one's feet are still trapped in the mundane world.

"Kitchen God, Earth God, Mountain God, River God..."

"Indeed, for us cultivators, there is a difference between immortals and mortals. Any immortal is a being higher than the heavens. But for them, the most important thing is how to transcend the mortal world and get rid of the word 'half a lifetime'."

As he spoke, Jia Mu couldn't help but sigh: "In the eyes of the Mountain God, what are we? We are merely servants who save incense and offerings for Him. Yet you want Him to protect your life with incense offerings. This is utterly contrary to the will of Heaven."

"Look, putting everything else aside, the Night Wanderer is right there. Go and kowtow to him, and see if he'll open his eyes and kill the little demon king for you."

"Come on," Jia Mu said with a teasing smile, beckoning.

Lin Shu originally just wanted to get some information out of him, to find out if the commotion he had caused would attract the immortals to descend the mountain.

After hearing what the sect leader disciple had said, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Now that the Mountain God's Carriage is with him and the Lotus Flower Lesser Three Tribulations protect him, as long as he doesn't encounter any Nascent Soul cultivators, he should be able to easily escape even if he is surrounded.

However, the other party's last words made Lin Shu tense up instantly.

The Night Wanderer...is he inside Yongzhou City?!

He looked in the direction Jia Mu was pointing and saw a towering pagoda in the vast city.

The top of the tower resembles a small pavilion, or perhaps a temple.

Lin Shu noticed the conspicuous building as soon as he entered the city, but he didn't quite understand what it had to do with the Half-Life Immortal.

Because inside that open-air pavilion and temple, there were no living beings, let alone cultivators or immortals.

There is only one clay statue of a deity, about ten feet tall, entirely black, sitting cross-legged between the incense burners.

The wisps of smoke obscured its features, but traces of a wolf could still be vaguely discerned.

It's impossible that the so-called immortals were made of clay, right?

"It's just for fun, don't take it to heart."

Jia Mu turned around and patted Lin Shu's arm: "For people of our status, it's best to avoid Him."

As the head of the Yu family, it would be impolite not to pay homage to the immortals, but it would also be strange for him to take the initiative to worship the Night Wanderer while eating the provisions of the mountain god and wearing the flowing cloud sword robe.

"This must be Junior Brother Lin's first time in Yongzhou City."

"good."

Lin Shu responded calmly, but her thumb had already quietly landed on her storage ring, ready to activate the Mountain God's Chariot at any moment.

He never imagined that he would see a celestial being so suddenly and unexpectedly.

"Don't worry, the Night Wanderer won't blame you."

"He is here, but he is not really here, otherwise I would not dare to say these things in the city."

Jia Mu chuckled and said, "The so-called 'being in heaven' refers to the soul of a half-immortal. They usually travel around the world, visiting immortals and making friends. Only when they encounter a truly intractable problem will their soul return to their physical body. Normally, you can just treat them as a clay sculpture."

"..."

So, is this the truth about immortality?

Lin Shu pursed her lips.

He's becoming increasingly curious about where these "immortals" came from.

If it is a clay sculpture, then it means that it was not cultivated from a living being.

If a deity is created by consuming incense and the power of wishes, it is already free and unrestrained. So why would it create a clay sculpture to imprison itself?

Thinking of this, Lin Shu looked at the statue again.

What was originally an ordinary existence, after he learned the truth, seemed to carry a terrifying and oppressive meaning, that dark, stone-like statue.

This stone doesn't look like anything good; it gives off a chilling, prison-like feeling.

What kind of deity would use this thing to shape their body?

"After saying all that, what I really want to tell you is that in the end, it's up to us to exorcise demons. Stop thinking about those good deeds."

Jia Mu put away his smile and sighed with emotion: "It's been a long time since Yongzhou has produced such a ferocious demon. Originally, when it came to the younger generation, it was just a matter of five prodigies vying for supremacy. But now, this little demon king has directly overshadowed them all."

"The Qi and Yu families have taken turns suppressing one generation after another. Could it be the demon race's turn this time?"

"Pah, pah, pah."

He quickly smacked his lips a few times and said with an embarrassed smile, "I'm just talking nonsense, junior brother, please don't go back to the clan and tell them about me."

"How could that be?" Lin Shu smiled.

"That's good. Let's hurry over there so that those immortals don't find fault with us."

Jia Mu said no more and walked straight into the city, glancing at the scarred man beside Lin Shu who had remained silent throughout: "You also have a groom with you?"

When he saw Lin Shu dismount earlier, it was this man who was in charge of leading and tidying up the horse.

"We should still be careful; the immortals don't like us disciples indulging in pleasure."

At this point, Jia Mu became somewhat helpless.

The immortal descendants are lazy and ignorant of the five grains; they would rather have their disciples carry them in a sedan chair just to urinate.

On the contrary, he was quite strict with his own disciples who were in charge of the mountain.

Not only were there many rules, but it was also forbidden to take in servants and maids.

It can be said that the good reputation of the Qi and Yu families in the Nine Prefectures was almost entirely built by this group of people.

"Thank you for the reminder, senior brother, but this is an old friend of mine."

Lin Shu remained calm and glanced back at the fool.

As the situation becomes increasingly tense, I will definitely have to return to Dragon Ridge, and it's only a matter of time before my identity is exposed.

The chances of swaggering into Yongzhou like this will only become fewer and fewer.

But to this day, there is still no news about his heart condition or his identity as a mentally challenged person.

Coincidentally, both of these incidents were related to the General of Yongzhou.

That's why he brought the idiot along, wanting him to see for himself whether Su Jingci was Xiaobao or not, and if not, what the other party's connection was to this matter.

……

The city of Yongzhou was a melting pot of all sorts of people.

All the wandering immortals from various schools have gathered here, and the two great immortals of Qi Yu, who have lived for half their lives, are even more unwilling to submit to each other.

However, when it comes to matters involving demons and evil spirits, the Demon Slayer's office is always the one that cannot be avoided.

In the solemn hall, a large, dark table was placed in the center.

There are a total of ten positions.

Several people had already taken their seats, all of them descendants of the Qi and Yu families, each representing their respective great families.

The hall was surrounded by all sorts of figures.

There were demon-slaying generals and two mountain leaders who were rarely seen on ordinary days. These people of high status and power did not even have the right to sit down.

At the long table, the person of the lowest status was seated in the main seat.

The man was dressed in dark armor, with long hair flowing down his shoulders, a pale face, and a hint of gloom in his eyes.

This man is none other than the recently renowned general, named He Wanbai.

He was merely a wandering immortal, and in theory, even if his status was slightly better than other demon-slaying generals, it wouldn't be much higher, and he should stand on the side like everyone else.

Where would they be qualified to govern alongside the various prefectures, or even to share a seat with the two elite families?

But no one had much of an opinion.

Because that position belongs to the Demon Slayer Division, or more precisely, to Young Master Qi, who is behind this government office.

The person sitting in that position was speaking on behalf of Young Master Qi.

As for who should sit there, that's an internal matter for the Demon Slayer Division; it's none of anyone else's business, and nobody cares.

"I told you I was late..."

Jia Mu hurriedly squeezed into the crowd.

As the head of the Yu family, he naturally enjoys immense prestige outside, and is fawned over by everyone in any grand mansion he visits.

But once you step into this hall, it seems rather ordinary.

He led Lin Shu and the other person to a discreet spot and secretly transmitted his voice, saying, "Trust me, it's always better to keep a low profile."

Judging from this scene, it's certain that Yu Jingzhe is really dead.

With such a severe demonic calamity causing widespread panic in the Nine Prefectures, the Qi and Yu families are bound to retaliate.

At times like these, whoever is targeted will be chosen to confront that mysterious and unpredictable little demon king.

Although the Yu family's sword spirit emphasizes unwavering determination, it depends on the situation.

At least Jia Mu was unwilling to be pushed out to his death.

"Look, those three on the left are the three prodigies of the Qi family, with Qi Hanshan being the leader."

"The one on the right is Yu Zhanming."

Since he had nothing better to do, Jia Mu took the opportunity to explain the current situation to Lin Shu, who was new to the area.

There are very few things that can bring these four prodigies together.

"The remaining three are all elders of the Qi and Yu families. As for the two empty seats, tsk, the little demon king is really ruthless. He actually killed so many people in Shuangyun Prefecture that no one could attend."

"The last one should be from Anren Prefecture. I heard it was due to infighting between elders and juniors in the clan, which caused the two to part ways. I guess they were powerless to do anything about it..."

"Hey! What are you doing?"

Before Jia Mu could finish speaking, his expression suddenly changed.

Lin Shu nodded to him with a hint of gratitude.

Then, he watched as the young man walked out of the crowd and sat down in the empty seat in full view of everyone.

ha? !

Jia Mu stared wide-eyed, remained silent for a long time, and then suddenly slapped his head hard.

I must have been sleeping too much!

A junior brother who looks like a country bumpkin and has never seen anything before must mean that something has happened to his master.

In addition, this person's surname is Lin.

Who else could it be but that famous, eccentric master and disciple pair?

The other party knew nothing because Yu Sheng had never returned to the clan.

However, given the current situation in Anren Prefecture, how could it possibly have the resources to send people over to meddle in other people's business?

"..."

The figures on both sides of the long table cast puzzled glances.

He Wanbai also slightly raised his eyes and quietly gazed at the handsome young man opposite him.

"Lin Shu, the head disciple of Immortal Yu Sheng, has come to Yongzhou City to attend the gathering on the orders of his master."

Despite the stares of these important figures from Yongzhou, Lin Shu picked up her teacup and took a sip.

"Immortal Yu Sheng is very kind."

He Wanbai replied softly, his voice devoid of much emotion.

The others, however, did not look away but continued to stare at the young man.

Just as Jia Mu had thought, the fact that Anren Prefecture, with its current strength, would send people to exorcise demons was itself quite strange.

"Is Yu Sheng also interested in the Little Demon King?"

The Qi family elder twitched his lips and asked with a slightly unfriendly tone.

Although the two immortal families were at odds, Yu Sheng's actions of ostracizing Yu Dongjun clearly resonated with this elder.

"No, that's not it."

Lin Shu shook her head slightly, put down her teacup, and then, with a helpless smile, glanced at everyone in turn.

He said softly, "This disciple has not come to exorcise demons, but to seek help."

Upon hearing this, the group's expressions froze slightly.

"The former headmaster, Senior Yu Dongjun, risked his life to leave Anren Prefecture in order to escort the immortal descendants of various families, but there has been no news of him since, which has truly worried my master."

Lin Shu sighed, "While worried about this senior's safety, Anren Prefecture itself is too weak in its defenses, so I was sent here to ask if you could lend some manpower. Once the former headmaster returns, Anren Prefecture will repay you..."

Upon hearing this, the Qi family's proud elder immediately averted his gaze.

What a joke.

Anren Prefecture has been able to hold out until now thanks to Yu Jingzhe for leading away the demons.

Now that the Immortal Jingzhe is gone, Yu Sheng wants to take other people's lives to guard the prefecture and county in her place.

Dream on!

"Let's talk about it later." The Yu family also directly avoided the topic.

Normally speaking, given the current weakness of the Yu family, even if they are unwilling, they should still support Yu Sheng to maintain the balance of the Nine Prefectures.

The problem is that Anren Prefecture is so close to Shuangyun Prefecture.

The one she's protecting isn't an ordinary demon lord; it's very likely the little demon king who's managed to free himself.

This means that anyone who wants to help has to put all their resources into it.

If you have so much free time, why don't you take over Anren Prefecture for yourself instead of leaving this place to Yu Sheng?

"Ugh."

Seeing this, Lin Shu looked away with some disappointment, but she didn't make a fuss. Instead, she quietly sat back down.

He glanced at the long-haired, armored man opposite him.

Sure enough, there are still quite a few fragments of Young Master Qi's soul in Yongzhou, and today we encountered another one.

That rich, sweet aroma spread once again.

Unlike Chen Wenxi, the man opposite him showed no unusual behavior from beginning to end, as if he had already taken it all in stride.

Moreover, since the meeting was being held at the Demon Slaying Division, shouldn't the person sitting in that position be the General of Yongzhou?

"Now that everyone's here, let's get down to business."

He Wanbai sat up slightly, about to speak, when footsteps sounded outside the door.

The next moment, the gentle-looking man, accompanied by several demon-slaying generals and two young juniors, strolled into the hall at a leisurely pace.

He walked straight to the head of the table without looking to the side, and stopped silently.

"..."

He Wanbai remained silent for a moment, and under the strange gazes of those around him, he slowly stood up and walked towards the crowd.

"Tsk tsk."

Jia Mu couldn't help but smack his lips.

The infighting within the Demon Slayer Division has reached this point.

He thought the general was busy and couldn't come back for the time being, so he had his subordinates temporarily take charge of the matter.

Unexpectedly, He Wanbai took the initiative to sit in that position.

Was it because his achievements overshadowed the emperor? Or was there another reason?

Regardless, Su Jingci had been a general for so many years and was extremely shrewd. Even in this situation, he could remain calm and composed.

Just as Jia Mu was praising him in his heart, he noticed that the general who had just sat down seemed to have seen something strange. His whole body stiffened, his pupils shrank to pinpoints, and even a barely perceptible rage flashed across his face.

"It's related to Lin Shu again? That's nothing unusual."

He looked in the direction the general was looking, puzzled.

Nothing seemed amiss.

The teacup in front of Lin Shu was half empty.

The ugly man, as was his habit, picked up the teapot and poured him a cup of tea.