The Sword of the Taoist Priest

"Brother! It's Changqing!" Sun Lin also saw the figure beside the tree, his expression froze. "He must have noticed the campfire we lit, but didn't come over directly. Could it be that he's running for his life? Doesn't seem like he's coming for reinforcements..."

Sun Ju's mind was racing, but he was still puzzled. Changqing shivered and adjusted his pants. He reached down and picked up the chicken head, then walked toward the campfire. Sun Ju and Sun Lin both froze when they saw what Changqing was holding. Upon seeing the chicken head, they instantly understood everything.

They had never expected that Changqing had really killed this chicken demon.

"Big brothers, what a coincidence! You haven't returned to Pingchuan City yet?" Changqing greeted them with enthusiasm. Sun Ju and Sun Lin exchanged a glance. Sun Ju calmly replied, "There were zombie ghosts in Zizhu Town. As the Yellow-level Prison Officer of the Town Prison, it's my duty to investigate nearby and ensure peace." As he spoke, Sun Ju glanced at the chicken head Changqing was holding and cautiously asked, "This chicken head is pretty big. Could it have become a demon?" "It has indeed become a demon." Changqing nodded. "Oh? You were able to kill this chicken demon?" Sun Ju squinted his eyes. "Could it have been your master who did it?" Changqing sighed, "I don't have a master. I just found a small book and followed it, trying out some moves." Sun Ju and Sun Lin were both stunned. Although they thought Changqing's "master" might not be very skilled, they never expected that Changqing didn't have a master at all! At his age, even with body-refining techniques, if he had no guidance, he must have been figuring things out on his own… This kid was a genius!

"You've been lucky." Sun Ju nodded and said, "If not for the spiritual energy tide, even if you had talent, you'd never have advanced to the Qi Condensation stage while staying in Zizhu Town." "I've been lucky, but mostly because I met you two," Changqing said with a smile. "Without you, I wouldn't have left Zizhu Town so early." Sun Ju already admired Changqing's attitude, and now discovering his talent gave him an idea. He gestured toward the chicken head Changqing was holding and asked, "Are you going to Pingchuan City's Town Prison to claim the reward?" Changqing chuckled and said, "I'm going to find you, Big Brother Sun. Didn't we agree before? If I slay a demon and leave its corpse behind, I should come to you." Sun Ju was very satisfied and couldn't help but smile. "Good. Don't worry. As long as you work for me, I won't mistreat you. Once we return to Pingchuan City, I'll give you the method for cultivating to the Qi Condensation stage. If you perform well, it won't be long before I arrange for you to join the Town Prison." Sun Ju extended his hand. "Give me the chicken head. You follow the road ahead. We still need to investigate further, but we'll catch up soon." Changqing handed over the chicken head and continued forward under the starlight. Sun Ju put the chicken head into his bag and, once Changqing had walked far enough, Sun Lin hastily asked: "Brother, are you really going to arrange for him to join the Town Prison and become one of the prison's enforcers?" Sun Lin felt a sense of crisis. If Changqing could reach the Qi Condensation stage just by his own exploration, his talent was far superior to his own! Moreover, Changqing had already killed the chicken demon! Earlier, he had also killed a zombie! Sun Lin had no doubt that it wouldn't take long before Changqing completely surpassed him!

"Hmph, Pingchuan City's Town Prison doesn't have any vacancies. I just want to use him." Sun Ju looked at Changqing's disappearing figure and said, "No wonder he doesn't understand the rules. This works in my favor. I can easily control him." Sun Lin let out a sigh of relief and looked toward Zizhu Town. "Brother, are we really going to..." "Forget it. It's good fortune for Zizhu Town. If a mortal becomes a demon and enters the ranks, it would definitely raise suspicion. It's safer to use Changqing." "How do you plan to use him?" "The mountains along the border of Xuan Yue Kingdom are filled with demons and beasts. Let him be our vanguard, leading the way. The rewards and benefits are ours, and before long, we can transfer to Pingchuan City." Sun Lin's face turned pale as he listened. "Brother, that mountain range is dangerous! Although it's the Town Prison's duty, who would want to go and risk their life? And besides, there are many demon cultivators in those mountains... What if Changqing discovers that we're using him?" "So what? If we encounter danger, he dies first. We wait in safety. If he doesn't return, we'll know he's dead, and we'll retreat. If he comes back, it means we can handle it. As for him discovering we've been using him, what can he do?" A hint of killing intent flashed in Sun Ju's eyes as he continued, "I can kill him before he fully grows. By that time, we'll have already achieved our goal."

On the dirt road, Dongfang Lan returned to Changqing's side. Changqing felt a chill run down his spine, and his hairs stood on end. He quickly made a hand gesture and muttered, "Heaven and earth, pure and clear, yin and yang balanced, the true Qi of the earth, guiding the way to the underworld!" He activated his Yin-Yang Eyes and saw Dongfang Lan, who was still in the Qi Condensation stage.

"They want to use you. Once they're done with you, they'll kill you," Dongfang Lan said with a hint of urgency. She wanted to activate the Qingyun Skill and recover her cultivation to strike down these two scoundrels.

Changqing wasn't angry. Instead, he remained calm. At least, Zizhu Town was safe now. "They want you to scout the way to the mountain range on the border of the two countries. These two fools have no idea what they're doing. In that mountain range, there are countless demon cultivators, and the demons and beasts are strong beyond measure! The spiritual energy tide didn't reach Zizhu Town because the mountain range's terrain siphons away the energy." Changqing was completely unafraid. "Are you really planning to be used by them? Aren't you afraid? You're only at the Qi Condensation stage. The mountain range also has another name: The Hundred Demon Mountain Forest. Even a Celestial Realm expert wouldn't dare to roam freely there." "I'm not afraid, because you're here." "I?" Dongfang Lan frowned. "If I recover my cultivation, I might be discovered. Even if I can recover my cultivation, I'd only be a Danhai Realm expert, a mere Xuan-level cultivator. I'd be hard pressed to protect myself in the Hundred Demon Mountain Forest!" "My point is, you should go scout ahead." "???"

"After all, no one will notice you. You have the Qingyun Skill, and your body hasn't cooled yet. If they want me to go, you can check the safety first." "…" Dongfang Lan gave Changqing a complicated look. "Are you even human?" "My Qi Condensation soul could be wiped out by a simple Yellow-level spell." "Then you must be extra careful." "…" Changqing watched Dongfang Lan's helpless expression, finding it somewhat cute, and laughed. "Just kidding, don't take it seriously. Don't worry, even if I dare to scout, they wouldn't have the guts to follow me." "Weren't they going to use me? They won't put me in a situation where I could die." "By the way, the Hundred Demon Mountain Forest, the spiritual energy there is abundant, right?" Changqing asked. Dongfang Lan nodded, "Yes, the spiritual energy is abundant, but there's no place where you can peacefully cultivate." "It's fine." Changqing had already reached a state where his cultivation through the Qingyun Skill had become instinctual. As long as there was spiritual energy, it was enough.