After the spiritual energy was restored: Goddess girlfriends came knocking.

In the heart of Jingzhou, at the narrowest pass of the Huai River.

The cliffs on both sides are sheer.

Chen Qingliu stood on a huge rock directly above the pass, with his hands behind his back.

He wore a black official robe with the golden seal of the Demon Suppression Division tied around his waist. He had a thin face and a cold, stern look in his eyes, a result of years of dealing with demons.

There was another person standing behind him.

The man held a three-foot-long sword in his hand, with a refined appearance and slightly graying temples; he was none other than Yu Zhiyuan, the second-place scholar in the imperial examinations back then.

After passing the imperial examination, he had another opportunity and was taken in as a disciple by a big shot in the Demon Suppression Bureau. Now he is one of the top experts in the Demon Suppression Bureau.

Chen Qingliu's eyes flickered slightly as he watched the red figure riding the waves approaching from afar.

"He actually possesses the bloodline of a true dragon," he muttered to himself. "And yet, he arrived here without a single injury."

Ordinary demons traveling along the river, by the time they reach the heart of Jingzhou, have already been battered and bruised by the passes along the way.

But the one in front of me was full of energy, its scales were smooth and shiny, and there wasn't even a scratch on it.

What surprised him even more was that it didn't have the slightest bit of malevolent aura.

This shows that she has never harmed anyone.

Chen Qingliu shook his head.

But rules are rules.

He took out a jade ruler from his sleeve and tossed it casually.

The Jade Ruler swelled in the wind and instantly transformed into a giant wall spanning both banks, cutting off the entire river channel.

The floodwaters crashed against the jade ruler, creating waves several meters high.

Yu Zhiyuan drew his three-foot-long sword, its blade flashing as he pointed it at the approaching red figure.

Cang Yao abruptly stopped, her dragon tail cleaving a long white wave in the water.

She raised her head, looked at the giant ruler that blocked the river in front of her, then glanced at the powerful cultivator on the bank, and gritted her teeth.

Just as she was preparing to face the enemy, a coughing sound came from afar.

A faint golden light pierced the rain and landed in front of Cang Yao.

As the golden light faded, an elderly man with white hair and wearing a blue robe was revealed.

His blue robe was stained with blood and rain. Standing in the void, he raised his hand and waved it. A phantom golden spear shot out and pierced the giant ruler that stretched across the river.

The jade ruler made a crisp sound, shrank back to its original shape, and flew back into Chen Qingliu's hand.

Chen Qingliu looked down at the tiny crack on the jade ruler, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. Then he looked up at the old man in front of him.

Yu Zhiyuan's hand holding the sword also paused. He stared blankly at Lin Chu, his lips moved, but he didn't say anything.

Lin Chu cupped his hands in greeting.

"Director Chen, the woman who fled the river is a close relative of mine. Could you please let her go?"

A tearful cry came from behind her—"Husband!" Cang Yao finally saw clearly.

I saw the wound on his shoulder that was still bleeding, and I could see the faint, almost extinguished breath emanating from him.

The water around Cang Yao surged uncontrollably, and the phantom of the dragon swayed restlessly in the water.

Chen Qingliu's face darkened.

"Prime Minister Lin," his voice turned cold, "you, a sage among mortals and holding the high position of Prime Minister, actually helped a demon race member cross the river?"

Lin Chu raised her head, her gaze indifferent.

"Why not?"

Then he turned around, his back to Chen Qingliu, and faced Cang Yao.

The rain fell between them, and his white hair was soaked and stuck to his forehead.

Lin Chu looked at Cang Yao, and the corners of her mouth curved slightly.

"Listen to me, just go ahead, leave this to me."

Cang Yao shook her head desperately, tears mingling with the rain as they streamed down her face.

She wanted to say, "I'm not leaving. How can I leave in peace with you looking like this?"

But she saw a resolute look in Lin Chu's eyes that she had never seen before.

Cang Yao immediately realized that Lin Chu had come with the determination to die.

If I stop now, he probably won't live much longer. I must succeed in order to save him with my life essence.

Cang Yao wiped the tears from her face, turned around, slapped her tail hard in the water, and continued rushing forward without looking back.

"Want to leave? Not so easy!" A flash of anger crossed Chen Qingliu's eyes, and a jet-black dragon-slaying sword appeared out of thin air in his hand.

The sword is long and narrow, with densely packed runes engraved on its blade.

He moved swiftly, passing Lin Chu, and slashed at Cang Yao with his sword.

Lin Chu turned around and wrote the character "缚" in the air with her right hand.

The character "金" transformed into a golden chain, which wrapped around the blade of the Dragon Slayer Sword and pulled it forcefully, causing the blade to deflect several inches.

The sword energy grazed Cang Yao's tail fin, slashed into the water, and cut a deep trench in the river.

Chen Qingliu snorted coldly, made a hand seal with his left hand, and summoned three bolts of lightning to strike Lin Chu.

Lin Chu raised her hand, and golden light transformed into a shield above her head. The shield swayed but did not shatter, but Lin Chu's face paled even more.

Yu Zhiyuan stood aside, holding his sword, watching the white-haired old man stand in front of Lei Ting.

He gritted his teeth and unleashed a sword aura towards Cang Yao. It looked imposing, but he deliberately slowed down by half a beat. The sword aura grazed Cang Yao's back and struck the stone wall on the shore, sending up a spray of pebbles.

During a break in the fight, Lin Chu turned her head to look at Yu Zhiyuan and nodded slightly.

Yu Zhiyuan turned his face away and did not respond.

Chen Qingliu witnessed this scene and glared at Yu Zhiyuan, but before he could react, Lin Chu's offensive began again.

Chen Qingliu took a few steps back and landed on the giant rock. Looking at the river channel that Lin Chu had firmly guarded behind him and Cang Yao's figure getting further and further away, he knew it was too late.

He stopped wielding his sword, looked at the panting old man in front of him, and remained silent for a long time.

"Prime Minister Lin." His tone was no longer as cold and hard as before, but more complicated. "You have devoted your whole life to the Great Zhou, and I respect you. But the enmity between humans and demons has a long history, especially among the dragon race—this is a rule set by the founders of the three religions. You are going against the grain and helping the demons to cross the river. Don't you want the reputation you have built up over the years?"

Lin Chu withdrew his hand, and the cuffs of his blue robe swayed gently in the wind.

He turned around, looking in the direction Cang Yao had gone, his voice very soft.

"Reputation?" he said. "I care more about the person in front of me."

Chen Qingliu watched his retreating figure in silence for a long time.

Then he sheathed his Dragon-Slaying Sword, straightened his clothes, and bowed slightly to Lin Chu's back.

"You've accumulated a lifetime's worth of blessings and good fortune, only to use it all on a demon." His voice was low, as if he were asking Lin Chu, or perhaps himself, "Was it worth it?"

Lin Chu's voice drifted through the wind and rain, consisting of only one word.

"value."

Chen Qingliu did not speak again.

He straightened up, looked at Lin Chu's aged back, and sighed deeply.

"The imperial court won't let this go. The rules set by the founders of the three religions cannot be changed by just the two of us." He paused, "I hope you've made the right choice."

Yu Zhiyuan stood behind Chen Qingliu, remaining silent.

He recalled a banquet many years ago in Yushan County, where a young boy sat at the main table, answering the magistrate's every question with neither arrogance nor servility.

He recalled how, when the results of the imperial examination were announced, he squeezed into the crowd and saw the first name on the red list, feeling both admiration and resentment.

I remember after the palace examination, he chased after me to the palace gate and called out, "Brother Lin, please wait!" He said there would be plenty of opportunities to compete again in the future, and that the Daughter Red wine from Zuixianlou was the best in the capital city, and that he wanted to invite me to drink until I was completely drunk.

Although they never had a chance to contact each other again, he often proudly told others that when he took the imperial examination, the top scholar was Lin Chu, and if it weren't for him, he would have been the top scholar.

It's just a bit of a regret that I never had the chance to drink with him.

Yu Zhiyuan stepped forward, clasped his hands together in front of him, and bowed deeply.

Lin Chu looked at him and returned the greeting.

Neither of them spoke.

The rain was still falling, and the Huai River was still roaring, but at this moment, those sounds seemed to be very, very far away.

Chen Qingliu turned and left. Yu Zhiyuan gave Lin Chu a deep look, but in the end said nothing. He followed Chen Qingliu and disappeared into the depths of the rain.

Lin Chu stood in the void, closed his eyes, and sensed the little remaining fortune in his body.

There was only a thin layer left, like candle wax that was about to burn out.

He turned around, looked in the direction Cang Yao had gone, took a step forward, and transformed into a faint golden light to chase after her.