Wang Sheng frowned as he watched Jiang Liu's actions. Although he eventually held back, the trembling of his hand gripping his weapon showed that he was not at peace.
Spitting out a mouthful of bloody saliva, the lizard demon roared with maniacal laughter: "The mastermind behind it all? I eat people and roam the world unchallenged. Who can command me? Kill me or torture me, I'll take it..."
Left Commander threw a punch, silencing him instantly, and sneered, "If the Abbot says you have it, then you have it. Speak up obediently, or you'll suffer."
"Pah!" The lizard demon was also tough, closing its eyes and saying no more.
"Miss Xiaowei, who do you think is the mastermind behind this?" Jiang Liu asked casually, playing with Xiaowei's slender fingers.
Xiao Wei tried to pull her hand back, but found that her whole body wouldn't obey her commands. Her heart sank, and she forced a smile, saying, "Young master is joking. Xiao Wei is just a weak woman. How would she know about the monster's conspiracy!"
"Really don't know? Xiao Yi, do you think she knows?" Jiang Liu lifted Xiao Wei's chin, revealing a hint of sarcasm, then took Xiao Wei's hand and stood up, walking towards the lizard demon somewhat drunk.
"Speaking of which, do you, a demon who only knows how to eat flies all day, understand love?"
The lizard demon suddenly opened its eyes, baring its teeth, and roared, "Are only humans allowed to have love? Aren't we demons worthy of love?"
"Humans, demons, ghosts, all living beings... Humans kill demons, demons eat humans, when a demon falls in love with a human, when a demon falls in love with another demon. Xiao Wei, don't you want to say something? Say something to this lovelorn demon who loves you deeply, who is about to die?"
Wang Sheng seemed to understand something, but also didn't want to understand it, and said sternly, "What exactly are you trying to say? Xiao Wei, come here..."
Xiaowei desperately wanted to escape Jiang Liu's clutches, but she couldn't!
This fox spirit in human skin was firmly suppressed by Jiang Liu. Looking at the lizard demon in front of her, she became increasingly anxious.
Human skin needs to eat human hearts to maintain its youthful beauty. Originally, Xiao Wei relied on her beauty to seduce those lecherous ghosts and win their hearts. But since the lizard demon appeared, Xiao Wei only needs to wait for the lizard demon to kill people and then offer up their hearts.
In the movie, Pang Yong says that the one who kills and steals hearts is a master, with very skillful techniques. The lizard demon is different from ordinary people, so he naturally has a way of extracting hearts. But what he does is not just kill a person and take their heart; he also slices the heart into thin pieces and then finds a fine box to store it to ensure its freshness.
It could be said that the lizard demon was a figure who always hid in Xiao Wei's shadow, silently following behind her without asking for anything in return. As long as Xiao Wei glanced at him, he would be content. All the effort he put in, Xiao Wei would just smile and let it go; sometimes, even a smile was a luxury.
But for the lizard demon, one glance was enough.
Jiang Liu admired this deeply affectionate monster.
Unfortunately, Xiaowei fell in love with Wang Sheng, the young general who saved her in the chaos of battle. Even though he already had a wife, she still wanted him.
The obsession of demons is truly terrifying, and their love is also truly unwavering.
In the movie's climax, Xiao Wei sacrifices her thousand years of cultivation to save Wang Sheng. The lizard demon, who had been hiding all along, suddenly reappears. He snatches Xiao Wei's elixir, looks at her with sorrow, and says, "You've gone mad." Xiao Wei looks at him without speaking. The lizard demon's gaze returns to tenderness, and he says, "Wait here. After I kill them all, I'll take you away."
I'll take you away.
These four simple words perfectly encapsulate the lizard demon's feelings for Xiao Wei. Even though Xiao Wei didn't love him, even though she hit him for another man, even though she told him to get lost, he still couldn't sever this bond. He loved Xiao Wei from the beginning to the end.
He loved, and he was hurt. Knowing she would never belong to him, he still devoted himself to protecting her and giving selflessly. She was his only one, his everything. Even without reciprocation, he was willing and had no regrets.
Even in death, he wasn't worried about himself, but about Xiao Wei. He wasn't afraid of death or reincarnation; he was afraid that without his protection, Xiao Wei would be lonely or hurt.
"Xiao Wei, you nine-tailed fox, do you still dream of escaping from my grasp?!"
Jiang Liu's palm trembled, tearing his slender, jade-like fingers apart inch by inch, then the tear spread upwards, turning his delicate, white skin to ashes as if it had been burned by fire.
“Xiao Wei…” Wang Sheng wanted to make a move, but Zuo Qianhu put a hand on his shoulder and stopped him.
"Xiao Wei is a demon!" Pei Rong appeared beside Wang Sheng at some point, her hands clasped tightly together.
With her disguise destroyed, the fox spirit Xiaowei fully revealed her true form.
A thousand-year-old fox demon!
Chapter 376 Laoshan Taoist Sect
"Xiao Wei is a man-eating demon! How is that possible? This is impossible!"
Wang Sheng could not accept the fact that the lonely woman he had personally rescued from the bandits was actually a demon. He could not accept that Xiao Wei, whom he had personally rescued, was a demon who had killed dozens of people in Jiangdu City. He could not accept that the gentle and kind Xiao Wei was a demon.
But reality was undeniable, leaving him no choice but to believe it.
Xiao Wei gave Wang Sheng a bitter smile and said softly, "I love you! I'm afraid of losing you. This human body can only be sustained by a human heart. I... just want to be with you forever..."
I just want to be with you forever!
Extremely simple, yet so difficult and cruel.
"In the end, it was a tragedy, Xiao Wei..." As soon as Jiang Liu had a thought, a snow-white mist was exhaled from Xiao Wei's mouth and condensed into a demon core in front of Jiang Liu.
The fox demon looked at Wang Sheng with a hint of reluctance and love, wanting to imprint Wang Sheng into her soul in the last moment of her life.
“Xiao Wei…” The lizard demon Xiao Yi’s eyes were bloodshot, but he was suppressed by Jiang Liu’s aura and could not resist. Then the lizard demon also spat out an inner core, which transformed into a huge desert lizard.
Just moments ago, Xiao Wei, who was as beautiful as jade, looked up to the sky and let out a long howl. A flash of light appeared on her body, and she transformed into a snow-white fox. She had not a single stray hair on her body; she was pure white as snow, and her eyes were bright and full of fear.
Jiang Liu originally wanted to kill them, but he sighed and with a flick of his hand, he took the snow-white fox and the desert lizard into his small world.
...
"Where am I? I'm not dead!"
A snow-white fox looked up and saw a mountain that looked like a sharp sword piercing into the clouds, majestic and imposing. Several waterfalls, thousands of feet long, hung down from the valley walls, creating a vast expanse of white, incredibly magnificent. When the sunlight shone on it, colorful mist swirled around it.
"We've arrived in the Immortal Realm? This spiritual energy is so rich; one year of cultivation here is equivalent to a hundred years. Xiao Wei, my inner core has returned. Not only are we alive, we've also obtained a great opportunity..."
“Wang Sheng… is gone… what about the Immortal Realm?” The fox’s bright eyes were filled with death.
The lizard demon tried to transform into human form, but after several attempts, nothing happened. Disappointed, it said, "This world is suppressing us, Xiaowei... If we cultivate diligently, we will surely be able to transform again!"
Despite Xiaowei's extreme disappointment, the wonders of the Little Thousand World still attracted the two demons. Xiaowei emerged from her brief despair and saw a vast, fertile plain before her. Even the soil in the fields displayed five colors, and a fresh, vibrant fragrance wafted out.
"What is that? The spiritual energy has turned into water? What world have we arrived in?" Beside the field, the little fox discovered a small pond. The water in the pond was very viscous, like ancient stalactites or jade liquid after it had melted.
"Swords have grown out of the soil, no... these are spiritual objects!!!" One by one, "Dragon Tooth Rice" was planted in the field, like a "sword tomb", which shocked the ignorant visitors from Liaozhai and made them a little greedy.
A fox and a lizard began cultivating in the small world, drinking spiritual liquid when thirsty and eating dragon tooth rice when hungry. After a few days of contact, the two demons became increasingly awe-inspiring. The farmers working in the fields seemed to possess supernatural powers, not to mention the Taoist priests who frequently appeared, who could easily control thunder and lightning by activating their Taoist arts.
The presence of a fox and a lizard in the spirit field did not escape the notice of the fanatical followers of the Azure Emperor. After observing them in secret, they paid no further attention to the two demons.
After all, the difference in strength is too great.
The world is a bit richer with more small animals. As for a little bit of dragon tooth rice, it's really nothing. Just treat it as keeping a pet.
The demon ape Ba also became somewhat interested in these two demons who had suddenly appeared...
As the Lunar New Year approached, in Jiangdu City, just after Jiang Liu had taken in the fox demon and the lizard demon, a man and a woman arrived, looking utterly destitute.
"Why isn't the Nine-Tailed Fox's tail glowing anymore? Could it have left? That shouldn't be the case! It was glowing just now, how could it suddenly stop?" A hooded, androgynous girl looked worried. She had been chasing the fox demon for a long time and had finally gotten a clue, but now it had suddenly stopped. How could she not be worried?
At dawn, at the city gate, Commandant Wang Sheng posted a notice, which roughly stated that the demon that had ripped out hearts had been eliminated by Commander Zuo from the capital, and that people could enjoy the New Year in peace, etc., as a notice to reassure the people!
"The Left Commander from the capital, besides the Nine-Tailed Fox, must also be a demon slayer. Otherwise, no matter how high his martial arts are, he wouldn't be able to resist the temptation of the Nine-Tailed Fox! I'll go take a look!" This witty and playful woman was none other than Xia Bing, the demon slayer in the story.
A burly man was also looking at the notice with him, thinking to himself, "If there really is a monster causing trouble, how is Pei Rong?"
Each with their own thoughts, the two headed towards the Commandant's residence.
"Master, Brother Zuo, tomorrow is the New Year, why not stay a few more days!" Wang Sheng said, trying to persuade him to stay. He hadn't slept all night and looked quite haggard, but he had finally accepted reality.
"I have other important matters to attend to, so I won't keep you any longer! Brother Wang, after the New Year, someone will surely come to read the imperial edict. You should prepare to go to the capital! Let me give you a piece of advice: the Azure Emperor is a true reincarnation of an immortal, capable of pacifying the world, and a divine being who truly cares for the common people. Once you enter the capital, you will naturally know what to do..."
"Brother Zuo's words will always be kept in mind by Wang Sheng!"
"Let's go!" Jiang Liu mounted his horse, and Zuo Qianhu immediately followed.
Just then, a clever and mischievous girl appeared. She looked at Jiang Liu, then turned to look at Zuo Qianhu. Her eyes lit up, and she quickly walked over, shouting, "Sir, are you the demon slayer?"
"A demon slayer?" Jiang Liu reined in his horse, which reared up and stopped. He looked over with interest and saw that the man who had come was Xia Bing, a half-baked demon slayer.
Zuo Qianhu also rode back, looked at the girl, and asked, "Who are you?"
"I am a demon slayer, a disciple of the Laoshan Taoist sect... No, my grandfather was a true disciple of the Laoshan Taoist sect, and I learned from him! Are you also a demon slayer? You must be a demon slayer, I sense that you are different, you really are the Nine-Tailed Fox... Can I learn the Tao from you? I want to become your disciple!" As he spoke, he was about to kowtow.
"Since you are a disciple of Laoshan, why do you still want to become my disciple?" Zuo Qianhu flicked his sword, preventing Xia Bing from kneeling. He naturally had no ability to teach people Taoist arts; his supernatural powers for subduing demons and monsters were all directly bestowed upon him by the Azure Emperor. He could only use them, not know how to cultivate them.
“My grandfather said that the Taoist tradition of Laoshan was destroyed and lost in a great war between humans, demons, and ghosts. Even my grandfather only learned a little bit of it. Since you were able to get rid of the Nine-Tailed Fox, you must be a person with great supernatural powers. I, Xia Bing, am determined to eliminate all the demons in the world. The first thing I need to do is to learn the skills to subdue demons.”
"I can't teach you!" Commander Zuo shook his head.
Jiang Liu looked at Xia Bing, his gaze falling on the small silver sword at her waist. It was a magical artifact, not particularly precious, probably a low-grade spiritual weapon, but in this world of Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, it was already considered a divine weapon for subduing demons and monsters. Then, with a sweep of his divine sense, he discovered a spiritual aura emanating from the demon slayer who had appeared in the scene.
It was a small, broken piece of jade, hanging around Xia Bing's neck, resembling a part of the Bagua (Eight Trigrams), quite mystical. It would be impossible to notice without careful examination.
"The Laoshan Taoist sect? I've searched the whole world and found cultivation sects in the mountains of Sichuan, Taoist sects in the Kunlun Mountains, and cultivators in the immortal mountains of the East Sea, but they are all just a handful, keeping their gates tightly closed and never venturing out into the world. What kind of legacy will this Laoshan Taoist sect leave behind? Is that jade the legacy?"
Chapter 377 A Leaf Falls in Autumn
Jiang Liu had little interest in the inheritance methods of this Liaozhai world, and even the Laoshan Taoist sect had no intention of seizing its inheritance. However, he was very interested in the various potential chosen ones. When the Heavenly Dao of this world was finally destroyed, it would inevitably react instinctively, propelling the protagonist of the era to grow at an unimaginable speed.
The various protagonists in these Liaozhai worlds, the chosen ones, will inevitably receive enormous benefits, thus growing rapidly.
Jiang Liu didn't want his plan to be ruined, so he naturally wanted to collect the protagonists and the chosen ones, preferably all at once. When the "one who escaped" devoured the Heavenly Dao, he would be absolutely certain of success, thus avoiding any further trouble.
Xia Bing is not the main character, but she is one of the important supporting characters in the story.
"General Zuo, since we're all doing this to exorcise demons, more people mean more help. Let's go together!"
Since Jiang Liu had spoken, Commander Zuo naturally agreed, but he absolutely could not accept taking on a disciple; he knew his own situation well.
As for Pang Yong, Jiang Liu looked around and saw him. To gain the loyalty of Pang Yong and Wang Sheng, all that was needed was to win over Pei Rong and make her believe in the Azure Emperor; that would be a piece of cake.
Even without Jiang Liu's intervention, once the two of them arrive in the capital, they will naturally be caught in the hands of the Azure Emperor.
The three rode their horses at full gallop towards Jinhua in Jiangnan. Along the way, Jiang Liu didn't even need to lift a finger; Zuo Qianhu completed his mission of slaying demons and monsters with just three swords.
Xia Bing's admiration grew stronger, but she didn't pay much attention to Jiang Liu. He had the appearance of a weak scholar, which was not her type.
After a day of trekking, the horse was tired. Ahead, a dilapidated mountain village appeared. We dismounted, unsaddled, and prepared to spend the night.
"Zhengqi Manor?"
Jiang Liu stroked his chin; it was another extremely familiar place.
The north wind howled, and snowflakes drifted down slowly. Commander Zuo quickly built a fire and caught a plump wild rabbit and several pheasants.
Watching Zuo Qianhu busy himself with various tasks, Xia Bing muttered to herself while pouting, and then joined in the work.
There is an eerie aura amidst the broken walls and ruins!
Jiang Liu didn't care much. When he looked up, he saw a crow perched on the treetop above him. The crow looked quite fierce, with two bloodshot eyes that seemed to be dripping blood. Its beak and claws were very sharp. It stood quietly on the treetop without making a sound, but its two bloodshot eyes were fixed on Jiang Liu.
Then, more and more crows appeared, almost filling the entire treetop. Legend has it that if you eat too much human flesh, whether it's a bird, a wild animal, or a human, your eyes will turn blood red.