Chapter 47: Commander Zhou
Chapter 47: Commander Zhou
After confirming his daughter’s safety, Governor Li finally breathed a sigh of relief. His wife had passed away long ago, leaving him with only this precious child. He’d always coddled her like a fragile jewel, fearing she might shatter. Facing such a sudden crisis had nearly terrified him to death.
“Lord Li, I must return to the capital on urgent business,” Commander Zhou said, clasping his hands in courtesy. Though his rank far surpassed Governor Li’s, he maintained decorum. The rivalry between civil and military officials was fierce, and neglecting etiquette risked political backlash. The Clerk Huo incident had been a coincidence—Commander Zhou had been investigating in the area when the demonic transformation occurred. Without his intervention, the chaos could have spiraled. With monstrous entities spreading and panic rising, the world teetered on chaos.
“My daughter’s safety is owed to your aid, Commander Zhou.”
Governor Li snapped to attention, realizing he’d neglected the Dragon Guards’ presence. Offending their commander would spell disaster. Though they were warriors, their direct ties to the emperor made them influential. Governor Li bowed deeper, adding hastily, “To repay your kindness, let this humble official host a feast at Pine Crane Tower. Won’t you stay and dine?”
Commander Zhou declined politely.
“The emperor’s commands brook no delay. I trust Lord Li understands.”
Only then did Governor Li notice the coffin carried by the Dragon Guards.
“Clerk Huo?”
Though nailed shut, Governor Li recognized the corpse by its clothing.
“That creature was no longer Clerk Huo. The true Clerk Huo perished long ago.”
Commander Zhou then outlined the basics of the Heavenly Demon threat.
To most, Heavenly Demons remained shrouded in mystery, but the royal court’s High Persons had detected their emergence early. As a key Dragon Guard leader, Commander Zhou had received limited intelligence. That’s why he’d acted swiftly upon sensing Clerk Huo’s corruption, slaying the demon before it spread.
“Ordinary weapons can’t harm them? Only Immortal Cultivators can kill such beings?”
As a civil official, Governor Li grasped the implications instantly.
Though Immortal Cultivators had multiplied after the second cosmic upheaval, they remained vastly outnumbered by ordinary people. If Heavenly Demons resisted mundane steel, only Cultivators could oppose them—a precarious imbalance. How could their scarce numbers stem a demonic tide? What horrors would unfold if these entities overran the provinces?
Governor Li shuddered, cutting short his thoughts. If this continued, the Dragon Guards’ authority would soar beyond measure.
After hurriedly comforting his daughter, Governor Li scrambled to bid Commander Zhou’s party farewell.
Backyard
Li Yuanyuan and Zhi Hua stared numbly as Clerk Huo’s body was carted away. Their dreams of founding an Immortal Palace and ushering in a new cultivation era had collided brutally with reality—a living man’s death lay before them.
“I thought cultivation meant eternal freedom… soaring above worldly cares?”
“It’s so dangerous!” Zhi Hua’s voice trembled.
“Rowing against the current, you either advance or fall back. Only through adversity can one attain enlightenment.” Jie Nian, the martial monk, stood firmer in spirit than the girls. After offering brief comfort, he departed.
The Heavenly Demon threat now ignited his hunger for strength.
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Qing Stone Alley
Zuo Meng observed the accelerated changes from the second upheaval. Left alone, this world might have taken millennia to reach its epoch’s end. His meddling had fast-forwarded its demise, hastening the harvest—though this “assistance” proved less than kind to its Immortal Cultivators.
“Without pressure, one never discovers their limits.” Sensing the girls’ shaken resolve, Zuo Meng chuckled and scratched Xiao Tian’s head. Beside him, Xiao Di and Xiao Yue perked up. The three dirt dogs he’d adopted now gleamed with human-like cunning. Under his guidance, they’d evolved into spirits rivaling human intellect. Xiao Tian, though small, radiated predatory menace.
Chaos spread faster than Governor Li feared.
North of Suzhou
Commander Zhou’s group traveled half a day before reaching a hilltop.
“Commander, beyond lies Demon Ghost Forest. Night travel here is perilous.”
Reining his horse, Commander Zhou asked, “Nearest shelter?”
“A mountain inn ten miles ahead. Merchants stop there. We’ll make it by sunset if we hurry.” The hired guard knew these wild paths—unpaved, bandit-ridden, and easy to lose. Many vanished forever in these woods.
“Pick up the pace.”
Commander Zhou spurred his horse onward. Behind him, the coffin-laden cart creaked relentlessly.
Half an hour later
The mountain inn loomed into view.
“Commander, something’s wrong,” muttered the black-armored knight who’d fought Clerk Huo.
“Enter quietly. Engage only if provoked.”
Nearing the Foundation Establishment stage, Commander Zhou felt secure with his elite guards.
“Innkeeper! Rooms!”
Knife King slammed his blade on the counter. The former bandit turned Dragon Guard recruit scowled. His plans for retirement had crumbled when his notoriety reached the capital. Commander Zhou’s visit to Suzhou aimed to draft him—their earlier stop at Governor Li’s estate merely sought intelligence.