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

The little girl tilted her head, her messy hair covering most of her face, revealing only her eyes.

"Will you be able to get enough to eat if you follow me?"

Jiang Yan's eyes softened.

"certainly."

The little girl looked at him for a while, then nodded. "Okay, I do."

She could sense that the person in front of her had no ill intentions whatsoever.

Such pure intentions were extremely rare among the people she had met.

The last time she felt this way was with her deceased grandmother.

Jiang Yan reached out and rubbed her head, then led her out of the alley.

Lu Fa and Tu Shanye were counting the last few bags of grain.

Lu Fa turned around and saw Jiang Yan leading a dirty little girl out of the alley. He paused for a moment and asked, "Boss, what's this?"

"My newly accepted apprentice," Jiang Yan pondered for a moment, "a promising talent."

Lu Fa suddenly realized, and glanced at the little girl again.

He was as thin as a bean sprout, his messy hair covered his face, and he wasn't even as tall as Jiang Yan's sword when he stood next to him.

But if the boss says someone is a good prospect, then they are a good prospect; he never misjudges a talent.

Jiang Yan mounted his horse, then picked up the little girl and placed her in front of the horse. With a flick of the reins, the horse slowly rode towards the city lord's mansion, its hooves treading on the gravel.

"What's your name?"

The little girl turned her head and looked up at him.

"My adoptive grandmother used to call me Ali, but after she died, no one called me by my name anymore."

Jiang Yan remained silent for a while.

"How about I pick one for you?"

The little girl nodded.

"From now on, you can call yourself Jian Li, okay?"

"A three-foot-long sword, bathed in the cold moonlight; a piece of glass, reflecting the sword's heart."

Jian Li blinked.

She didn't actually understand the second half of the sentence, but she thought it sounded nice.

He nodded vigorously: "Yes!"

At the same time, outside Broken Monument City, a figure in pure white landed.

Ao Tianxin was not in a hurry to enter the city.

She stood outside the city gate, looking at the half-collapsed crenellations of the city wall, and then at the broken flagpole on the city wall. The Sirius flag was broken, and the new flag had not yet been raised.

The traces of battle were still visible, but a small number of people were already carrying loads in and out of the city gate.

Ao Tianxin raised an eyebrow.

It's quite interesting that they've recovered to this extent today, after just finishing a battle yesterday.

I strolled along the main street at a leisurely pace.

I stopped briefly as I passed the bulletin board, where a newly posted public notice was displayed, the ink still wet.

The notice was written concisely and clearly, specifying the opening time, patrol arrangements, and the handling of surrendered soldiers, with every point clearly stated and not a single superfluous word.

After taking a few more glances, Ao Tianxin continued walking and found that the street was much more peaceful than she had expected.

The patrolling soldiers inspected the streets and alleys along fixed routes. Long queues formed in front of the soup kitchens at street corners, and several old men chatted while drawing water from the well. Apart from the occasional grain transport convoy and the still-dry scorch marks on the city walls, it was almost impossible to tell that the city had just fought a major battle yesterday.

Ao Tianxin sat down at a tea stall on the street and ordered a bowl of coarse tea.

The stall owner, carrying a long-spouted teapot, moved between several tables with a very loud voice.

Several demon soldiers were gathered around, boasting. One of them slammed his fist on the table, spitting as he spoke: "You didn't see it! Young Marquis Jiang's twin swords flew from his hands, swirling in mid-air, and with just a twist, that Nascent Soul wolf general's head flew off!"

"Really? Nascent Soul? How did he, a Golden Core cultivator, manage to defeat him?"

"That's why they call him a marquis! He was ennobled at fourteen. If you can do that, why don't you try?"

Ao Tianxin seemed to be deep in thought.

Jiang Yan.

She silently repeated the name in her mind.

She was a native of the Myriad Demon Realm and knew better than anyone that it was already good enough for a human to live well in the Myriad Demon Realm, let alone have any status.

The fact that Jiang Yan was granted a marquisate in the Tushan Dynasty was already quite novel to her.

What surprised her even more was that a human being was not only not ostracized in the demon army of the Ten Thousand Demon Realm, but was also so supported. This matter itself was more important than any military achievements.

Ao Tianxin put down the tea money and got up to walk towards the City Lord's Mansion.

She no longer needed to inquire elsewhere.

Because the whole city is talking about the same person—Jiang Yan.

Coincidentally, the aura of a true dragon she sensed was also pointing towards the City Lord's Mansion.

……

In the city lord's palace.

Jiang Yan helped Jian Li off the horse and called over a maid, asking her to take Jian Li down to rest and clean up.

He walked into the main hall, sat down in a chair, and slowly leaned back, his thoughts churning.

Innate sword body.

In a place like the Demon Realm, the probability of finding a human with an innate sword physique is simply outrageous.

If it weren't for the fact that I had consulted a large number of ancient books back in the Vast Domain, an ordinary person might not have recognized it.

The Innate Sword Body and one's Innate Dao Foundation are top-tier talents of the same level. However, the Innate Dao Foundation is more comprehensive, capable of being compatible with and cultivating any system, while the Innate Sword Body is the strongest physique specializing in sword cultivation. The speed at which one can cultivate sword techniques is several times that of ordinary geniuses, and one's comprehension of sword intent is innate.

I've read so many books in the Vast Domain, but there are very few records about the Innate Sword Body in the ancient texts.

The last person with a clearly recorded innate sword body was a founder of the Lingxu Sword Sect in the Shangqing Domain tens of thousands of years ago, who is said to have already ascended to the upper realm.

Thinking of the Lingxu Sword Sect.

Jiang Yan couldn't help but think of Zhou Caiwei.

She should still be in seclusion in the Shangqing Domain at this time.

I just don't know how much time has passed since I disappeared on the East Sea coast in this life.

He had been deliberately avoiding the question of how Cang Yao was doing, but it suddenly resurfaced today.

Well, when my cultivation level is higher, I might have to make a trip.

……

In the back hall of the city lord's mansion, Jian Li took a towel from a maid and wiped herself from head to toe.

Then change into a clean set of clothes.

She looked at her reflection in the basin and could hardly recognize the person in the water.

When Jian Li was led to the front hall by a maid, everyone in the hall was stunned for a moment.

The little girl washed her face and changed into clean clothes.

Her short hair was neatly combed, revealing a fair and delicate face.

Her eyes were big and bright, and her eyelashes were long like two small fans.

She was completely different from the dirty, skinny girl at the alley entrance half an hour ago.

"Teacher." Jian Li stood in the center of the hall, somewhat awkwardly tugging at the hem of her robe. "Is this alright?"

"Very good." Jiang Yan smiled and beckoned her to sit down next to him.

Jian Li sat obediently, her legs dangling over the edge of the chair and swinging gently.

On the way back, Jiang Yan formally accepted Jian Li as his disciple.

Lu Fa opened his mouth, then turned to look at Jiang Yan: "Boss, where did you pick it up from? I'll go there next time too."

Jiang Yan remained silent and ignored him.

He looked at Jian Li, his gaze falling on her eyes, which appeared even clearer after being washed, and felt a pang of emotion.

Just as I was about to make some arrangements, I suddenly sensed something and looked up towards the direction of the palace gate.

A familiar scent wafted over.