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Chapter 144: Everything Else is the Same
Chapter 144: Everything Else is the Same
A gentle breeze swept through the mountains, stirring the trees.
A tall and slender figure, clad in ink-black robes, melded with the shadows, standing motionless on a branch.
Shen Yi's expression was calm, but a slight discomfort stirred within him.
It wasn't because this was his first time leaving Qingzhou alone to slay demons after bidding farewell to Xiao Qiangwei; in fact, he quite enjoyed traveling solo.
His gaze swept across the vast expanse of the forest.
It was as if he were surveying his own domain.
However, at that moment, he felt as though something had intruded upon his territory, evoking a sense of displeasure that subtly affected his mood.
"Two tigers cannot share the same mountain?" Shen Yi calmed his mind, searching for a reason for this strange feeling.
He pushed the Turtle Breath Technique to its limit and, with full force, unleashed the Carefree Riding Wind Technique, causing his body to once again dissipate into the wind within the forest.
Coupled with the Mountain Lord's innate divine ability, Shen Yi moved through Xi Tai Mountain as if he were traversing an uninhabited land. No creature could detect his presence.
Even while deliberately concealing his figure, he approached the heart of the mountain at a terrifying speed, as indicated by Xiao Qiangwei.
Just then, the silver bell at his waist vibrated slightly.
A woman's voice, filled with grave seriousness, emanated from within.
"Stop for a moment. I've noticed something amiss. Give me some time."
Shen Yi furrowed his brows slightly but immediately halted his advance, his figure vanishing quietly from its original spot.
He took his colleague's warning seriously, especially one who had a profound understanding of his strength.
Without further delay, the silver bell conveyed another message.
"I've detected the traces of a second Golden Core-Perfected Demon Lord!"
Shen Yi's eyebrows arched slightly as he recalled the peculiar fluctuation in his emotions earlier.
"The third..."
This time, only half a sentence was transmitted, accompanied by the sound of howling wind.
Just as Shen Yi's expression turned solemn, another message followed.
"Withdraw from Xi Tai Mountain first. I've been targeted by the Demon Lords. We'll talk later." Even though the woman tried her best to sound calm, her voice still betrayed her agitated breath.
Shen Yi's fair-skinned face remained impassive as he replied concisely, "Location."
With the presence of merely three Golden Core-Perfected Demon Lords, it wouldn't be a problem for him to, at the very least, escort Xiao Qiangwei to safety, let alone slay them all.
He drew out his straight ritual dagger, devoid of any hesitation.
Using the Heavenly Demon External Elixir as a catalyst, he unleashed the Carefree Riding Wind Technique, causing his speed to surge severalfold once more. He transformed into a frenzied gust of wind tinged with a hint of crimson as he rushed back the way he came.
The silver bell at his waist remained silent for a long while before finally emitting a sound again.
The voice was weak to the extreme, and the message was interrupted, but the words surprised Shen Yi slightly.
"It's a trap... Come back quickly... I'm safe now... Mountain peak... broken temple..."
Although the woman sounded as if she had only a breath left in her, and her message was fragmented, these words were spoken with absolute certainty—a certainty that invited doubt.
Shen Yi had returned to the spot where they had parted earlier. Sheathing his long dagger, he raised his eyebrows slightly.
"How am I already safe when I haven't even arrived yet?" he muttered to himself.
He glanced up at the mountain peak.
If it weren't Xiao Qiangwei on the other end of the silver bell, he would have suspected that she had been captured by demons, luring him into a trap.
In such a vast demon-infested mountain, even he couldn't guarantee 'safety'.
This woman was probably still trustworthy.
Shen Yi swiftly checked his entire body for any signs of energy leakage and ensured that the Heavenly Demon External Elixir was ready to be activated at a moment's notice, allowing him to unleash his full power instantly, even in dangerous situations.
Only then did he approach the mountain peak.
...
At the summit, there stood a dilapidated old temple.
It was a remnant from when Xi Tai Mountain had still been under Qingzhou's jurisdiction, but now it lay in ruins, open to the elements on all sides, exuding an air of desolation.
Only half a statue remained, leaning obliquely on a broken altar, covered in dust. There was no incense burner or offerings, only a pile of withered branches and fallen leaves.
Under that pale, white hand, Xiao Qiangwei's erratic breath gradually steadied, and her expression became more tranquil, as if she had fallen into a baby-like slumber despite being in the midst of the demon-infested Xi Tai Mountain.
It seemed that as long as she stayed by this person's side, she felt even safer than in Qingzhou's Town Demon Office.
Only when Xiao Qiangwei had completely calmed down did the woman in the ink-black shirt slightly raise her eyes to glance outside the dilapidated temple, her tone indifferent yet not offensive.
"Please come in."
As her voice fell, only the gentle breeze stirred outside.
After a long while, the young man revealed himself, stepping inside and sitting down in the corner furthest from the woman... an instinctive choice to keep his distance.
Shen Yi truly disliked being close to someone who made him feel uneasy, and the fact that she had found his hiding place so easily was most likely not a coincidence.
There was no point in continuing this stalemate.
The dilapidated temple fell into an eerie silence, broken only by the crackling of the campfire.
Neither seemed inclined to speak first; the young man closed his eyes to adjust his breath, while the girl quietly drank her wine.
The spicy aroma of the wine was so strong that it permeated the air even outside the temple.
The clear liquor flowed into her lips, but her expression remained unchanged, except for a slight improvement in her unusually pale complexion.
Only when the wine jar was emptied did she set it down and turn her gaze towards the distant young man, her eyes briefly resting on the black blade at his waist.
Without lingering, a hint of recollection flashed in her eyes, and she slowly withdrew her hand from Xiao Qiangwei's forehead, then stood up and politely asked, "I'm going to kill a demon. Would you like to come?"
"What kind of demon?" Shen Yi finally opened his eyes, his interest piqued.
"A white deer, and the demon lords it invited to ambush me. I'm not sure how many there are, but there should be quite a few." The girl stood with her hands hanging loosely by her sides.
"That's not much information," Shen Yi remarked as he also stood, finally understanding the strange feeling he had earlier.
He had originally intended to hunt a mountain lord, but now it seemed he had stumbled into something else entirely.
However, no matter what it was, as long as it involved demons, it made little difference.
The only thing he needed to know was whether he had the ability to get involved.
"I have no information." The girl shook her head, explaining succinctly, "Because they should be running away, but they're not."
They should have fled but didn't, so it was an ambush.
It was simple logic.
"Knowing this, you're still going?" Shen Yi studied her, a hint of surprise in his eyes.
"I know where the Howling Moon Demon King is." The girl extended her palm, and a slender silver needle appeared, which she then offered as a sacrifice.
The silver needle hovered in the air, protecting Xiao Qiangwei.
As it appeared, the temperature on the entire mountaintop dropped abruptly, and a thin layer of frost instantly covered the statue of the deity, while Xiao Qiangwei beside it remained unaffected.
After performing this action, she took a step towards the door of the dilapidated temple, leaving her sentence unfinished.
"As long as it's not there, everything else is the same."
It seemed that her initial question had truly been a mere courtesy, and whether or not the young man joined her was of little concern.
(End of Chapter)
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