Chapter 252: Listening to the Play, Suppressing Demons
Chapter 252: Listening to the Play, Suppressing Demons
“Liangzhou?”
Hearing Li Hao's inquiry, the waiter didn’t show any impatience. Instead, his eyes lit up, and he smiled, saying, “Sir, are you from Liangzhou? Then you must have met General Haotian’s army, right?”
“Hmm?”
Li Hao was surprised and asked, “You know about it too?”
“Don’t you know? Who doesn’t know about it!”
The waiter couldn’t help but laugh. “Our Youzhou isn’t far from Liangzhou. The chaos in Liangzhou a few months ago, where those accursed demons besieged and attacked, has long spread throughout the provinces. I’ve heard that the Master’s Son from the Xia Clan’s Divine General Manor in Youzhou even went to reinforce them.”
As he spoke, he looked at Li Hao with curiosity and anticipation.
“I’ve heard that in that great calamity, the demons emerged en masse. Countless demons swept through, and the Demon King flew across the sky. It was so dark that the sky was obscured, and the ground was stripped bare, just like locusts passing through, leaving no blade of grass behind. Liangzhou was almost overrun, but then General Haotian’s army appeared and suppressed all the demons. They fought until a single war banner could intimidate countless demons. Is that true?”
“……”
Li Hao hadn’t expected that the events in Liangzhou had spread so far, even reaching a small town in Youzhou.
But it made sense. After all, several months had passed, and news, no matter how slow, had eventually spread.
“More or less.”
Li Hao asked, “What’s the situation in Liangzhou now? Have the demons retreated? Is there still any fighting?”
“It’s been peaceful for a long time now. Who would dare to go to Liangzhou with demons? I’ve heard that the imperial army has been sent to clear out and settle the aftermath. Not even a stray dog can enter the city without a tag. They’ve been enforcing strict control recently.”
The waiter recounted what he had heard.
Li Hao breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that the Candlelight Deity couple had been the ones overseeing the battle in Liangzhou. The true power of the Dragon Gate and the Holy Palace had not been concentrated there.
And now, the Great Demon King who had led the attack on Liangzhou was standing behind him, having submitted to him.
Thinking of this, Li Hao didn’t say more. He went to his room and changed into the simple clothes the waiter had prepared. Looking outside, he saw that it was still early, and the town was filled with the sounds of drums and cymbals.
Feeling in a good mood, Li Hao said to Xiyuan, “Let’s go out for a walk.”
“Sure!”
Xiyuan perked up immediately. Red Beard, coiled around Li Hao’s wrist, rubbed against it curiously and transmitted, “The General Haotian’s army that person mentioned, is that you?”
“Yeah.”
“Is Young General a title? The Great Wasteland Sky doesn’t seem to have such a designation.”
Xiyuan had been in the Great Wasteland Sky, and the information she had was from those who had gone to snatch the Dao Essence Blood Fruit. She knew very little about the Great Wasteland Sky and even less about the Human Race of the Great Yu Divine Dynasty.
Li Hao smiled and patiently explained to her while leading her and the Candlelight Deity out.
As for Lady Yin, she remained in Li Hao’s Heavenly Earth Space.
Earlier, Li Hao had healed Lady Yin by infusing her with a large amount of Heavenly Earth Power. She had also briefly merged with the Candlelight Deity, seemingly touching the threshold of the Dao Realm, and was now in seclusion.
Under the night sky, Li Hao strolled through the small town.
Although the town was old and worn, the smell of wood fires and cooking food wafted through the air, filling it with the scent of everyday life.
Stone paths, old wooden posts, and a gentle stream flowed past countless homes.
Lanterns hung along the way, indicating that some festival was underway.
Following the sound of drums, Li Hao arrived at the town center, where a stage had been set up. Many people were standing outside the stage, listening to the play.
The front rows had tables and chairs, where some of the town’s prominent figures, such as merchants and gentry, sat, cracking sunflower seeds and drinking tea while enjoying the performance.
Xiyian was like a curious child, bombarding Li Hao with questions about everything around her.
Candlelight Deity, on the other hand, was like Li Hao's shadow, quiet and always by his side. Despite his cold expression, he too was observing everything around them, his eyes reflecting the scenes of the human world.
Children played outside the stage, competing with paper birds, while the elders occasionally clapped and praised the performances.
Li Hao walked forward, handed over a silver ingot, and sat down at a tea table, settling in to enjoy the show.
In the Great Wasteland Sky, during the brief moments of rest at night, one could only look at the stars and moon, passing the time by playing music. Here, it was a rare moment of relaxation.
But soon, Li Hao's expression shifted slightly. He didn't get up, only casually picked up some sunflower seeds from the table, cracked a few, and tossed the shells onto the ground.
The sunflower shells, however, suddenly flew up into the night sky, as if carried by a Clear Wind, soaring over the town and heading toward a hill several miles away.
There, a group of Demons was advancing through the night breeze.
Staring at the countless lights of the town and the sounds of the lively drums and laughter, they grinned wickedly.
But just as the lead Demon began to speak, a sunflower shell, like a small black dot, swiftly descended from the sky.
Plop, plop, plop!
Under the power of Object Control, it quickly pierced through their bodies.
Over a dozen Demons died on the spot, unable to even see what had killed them.
Only one sunflower shell remained, landing beside the last Demon's corpse.
Inside the town, the opera continued as usual, while outside, the moonlight was serene, covering the bodies of the Demons.
"Good."
Li Hao, hearing the best part, joined the crowd in clapping and cheering.
When the opera ended and the audience dispersed, Li Hao, along with Xiyian and Candlelight Deity, returned to the inn to get some much-needed rest. It had been a long time since he had a good, peaceful sleep in the Great Wasteland Sky.
The next morning, as the sun rose, its rays illuminated the Demons' bodies outside the town. Someone, using the morning light, saw the corpses and screamed in terror, fleeing to the town and running to the Demon Suppression Bureau.
The dilapidated gate of the Demon Suppression Bureau was only slightly ajar. Two Demon Exterminators, still in their nightclothes and half-asleep, heard the news and hurried to the hill. When they saw the Demons' bodies, they were both startled and dumbfounded.
The news of the Demons' bodies outside the town quickly spread, causing shock and fear among the townspeople. Li Hao, however, asked the innkeeper about the direction to Liyang City as soon as it was light and set off with Candlelight Deity.
Since he was already in the area, he decided to check on Liyang City. The Xia Clan, being a Divine General Manor, had aided Liangzhou in the past. Li Hao, being of the Human Race, couldn't just ignore their plight.
Following the main road, they passed through two cities. When entering the cities, Li Hao quietly covered Xiyian with his Dao Domain, while Candlelight Deity used his own Dao Domain to conceal his presence. Although they didn't have the Demons' official passes, they managed to avoid the city's Array detection.
The Array could only detect Demons at the Ultimate Mastery Realm. For Demons who had mastered the Dao Domain, such as those at the Great Peace Dao Realm, it was ineffective.
Only in the capital cities of Great Provinces or Imperial Cities were there special Divine Weapons that could detect even Great Peace Dao Realm Demons.
But such weapons were rare, and ordinary cities relied on Arrays.
Both cities they passed through were on high alert, clearly having experienced Demon attacks, though not as severe as in Liyang City.
As Li Hao passed through, he also dealt with the Demons lurking outside the cities, a task that took him only a moment's thought.
Liyang City.
A border town in the northwest of Youzhou, surrounded by towering mountains that acted as a natural barrier. Thus, Liyang City stood as the greatest obstacle in the region.
This is also a key route in the northwest of Youzhou, and the Xia Clan has long stationed a heavy force to guard it. Losing Liyang City would mean losing the northwest border of Youzhou, which would lead to the fall of over a dozen other cities.
At this moment, dozens of miles outside the city, numerous corpses lay piled up, including those of Demons and Xia Clan soldiers, as well as damaged War Banners covering the bodies.
Inside the City Lord's Mansion, in the council hall, three advisors and seven Generals were present, including a few young Lieutenant Generals of the Xia Clan. They all had flushed faces, barely containing their anger.
"These damn beasts have cut off our supplies, planning to starve us out here!"
"They're trying to take us down with minimal cost. These Demons are getting smart!"
"Should we request reinforcements from the family? There are two Three Eternities Realm Demons leading the Demons, and we don't know if there are any more hidden. If not for the Array, we would have lost already. There's no need to stubbornly hold on."
"Request reinforcements? The Demons in Gluttony Valley are just waiting for us to do that. Once the family sends troops, they will likely ambush them halfway and slaughter them, using us as bait!"
"That's true. The situation with the family isn't good either. Half a month ago, the valley lord from Gluttony Valley caused a major disturbance, and we still don't know where he's hiding."
"We must defend Liyang City on our own and can't rely on the family for everything. We need to solve this problem ourselves. Perhaps we can follow Duke Xingwu of the Li Family's strategy in Yanbei and spread the word to get the Noble Families to send reinforcements?"
"The situation is different. Yanbei wasn't primarily defended by the Noble Families' armies; they were just a minor part of the support."
"Even a minor part is still power. We should make the Noble Families bleed a bit. They only know how to amass wealth and indulge in luxury, oppressing the Commoners. When the Demons attack, they just move to safer places, showing no responsibility. It's time for them to contribute!"
"That's difficult. We don't have the time to rally them now. I have a suggestion, though."
"What is it?"
Everyone looked at one of the advisors.
The middle-aged advisor glanced around, particularly at the few young Lieutenant Generals of the Xia Clan, and whispered:
"How about we change our War Banners?"
"Change War Banners?"
"Yes, you know about the incident in Liangzhou, right? We could try sending a select force, changing their armor, and hanging the War Banners of General Haotian from Liangzhou, pretending to be reinforcements from within the pass?"
Upon hearing this, everyone was taken aback, and the City Governors of Liyang City had a flash of insight, thinking it was a good idea.
However, the three young Lieutenant Generals of the Xia Clan looked displeased. One of them was deep in thought, while another immediately burst out in anger:
"Impossible! This is Youzhou, our territory. We're not dead yet, and you want us to hang someone else's War Banners?!"
The middle-aged advisor anticipated the opposition and quickly said, "This is a special time. As long as it can save the Commoners and have the desired effect, it will save many soldiers' lives."
"No way!"
The young Lieutenant General angrily replied, "In Youzhou, only one War Banner can be flown, and that is the Xia Clan's War Banner! This is our headquarters!"
"This is just a temporary measure..." the middle-aged advisor tried to persuade.
"But what if hanging that person's War Banner doesn't scare the Demons away?"
Another interrupted, asking, "That person has long disappeared, and his War Banners have been studied by the Demons for months. They no longer have the same deterrent effect. People are using his War Banners to try to scare the Demons everywhere, and the Demons have seen through this. The War Banners' power to intimidate is much weaker now."
"As a General, we can't be like those foolish Commoners who listen to those deified legends and actually believe a teenager is a god. No matter how strong he is, he's been missing for so long by the Mourning River that his War Banners have lost their deterrent power!"
"Exactly."
The young Lieutenant General from before added, "Don't pin your hopes on outsiders. Instead, think about how to lure one of the Three Immortalities Demon Kings out and try to use the Array Token to send it into the Array. Then we can take advantage of its weakened state."
The middle-aged advisor sighed inwardly upon hearing this. He understood that these young Xia Clan members placed too much importance on the clan's honor, which led them to reject the idea without much thought.
In reality, he believed it might have some effect. If the Channeling Qi was good, it could even create a breakthrough, bringing hope.
As they continued to deliberate, a sudden tremor shook the room.
The people in the council chamber were instantly alarmed, and several Generals rushed out.
Outside Liyang City, the Array appeared, with golden runes flickering. In the sky beyond the city, a middle-aged figure was seen swinging an arm like a scythe, smashing into the Array.
"Stop it!"
A young Xia Clan Lieutenant General soared up, shouting angrily.
"I thought you were all asleep. I'm just waking you up."
The middle-aged figure chuckled, not stopping but continuing to attack the Array a few more times. "Don't let your guard down. We could attack at any time."
His brazen attitude made the young Lieutenant General's face turn red with anger. He knew the other side was trying to keep them on edge, preventing them from relaxing or resting.
They could adjust and cope, but the troops inside the city would inevitably become uneasy, lacking the physical and mental strength to endure.
"Provoking the Xia Clan, you Gluttony Valley will pay the price sooner or later!"
The young Lieutenant General said furiously.
"Oh? What price? I'm right here. Why don't you come out and show me?" the middle-aged figure sneered.
The other Generals also flew over, restraining the young Lieutenant General from acting rashly. An old veteran stepped forward, radiating the aura of the Three Eternities Realm.
Seeing this, the middle-aged figure immediately stopped and retreated several hundred meters, coldly laughing, "I'll be back tomorrow."
With that, he turned to leave.
But the old veteran charged out, roaring, "This is not a place you can come and go as you please!"
He burst out of the Array, unleashing his power in a fierce attack.
The middle-aged figure quickly retreated, and the two pursued each other for over a thousand meters. But when they reached a densely packed group of Demons, the old veteran had to stop, his anger barely contained. He knew continuing would lead to an ambush.
"Hmph."
Seeing the plan fail, the middle-aged figure wasn't bothered. He chuckled and signaled the Demon army to withdraw.
But at that moment, a figure on horseback appeared on the distant road.
The crisp sound of hooves echoed as the rider approached.
"Hmm?"
"Actually, there's still someone brave enough to come this way, seeking glory by slaying demons?"
The middle-aged figure raised an eyebrow at the young man on horseback, but dismissed him. These young masters from Noble Families were often foolish, and many had already died here recently.
He turned and flew away, but after only a few hundred meters, he suddenly stopped.
He sensed the Demon Tide on both sides of the road quickly diminishing.
Turning around, he saw something bizarre.
The young man on horseback moved slowly, but wherever the hooves trod, the Demon Tide that had been ready to attack and devour him quickly withered and fell, lifeless.
At the same moment the middle-aged figure turned, the young man also looked up and met his gaze.
The instant their eyes met, the middle-aged figure felt his heart constrict. A indescribable aura suddenly enveloped him.
Puff!
His body exploded in mid-air.
(End of Chapter)
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