“Jia Huairen, what about the rest?” Wen Chong bellowed impatiently.
When Jia Huairen heard that, he panicked and said immediately, “It had been smooth-sailing entering the mountain. Although there were more than a hundred demons in Mist Lake Valley, we managed to infiltrate it. Young Master Qin also successfully used an invisibility technique to pluck the spirit fruit.”
The county governor was listening carefully to him. The people around him also quietened down.
“Young Master Qin had managed to pluck the spirit fruit but other than the hundred demons guarding Mist Lake Valley, there was also a terrifying Great Demon White Tiger.” Jia Huairen quickly said, “White Tiger’s body expanded to twenty feet in a blink of an eye. His two axes were also massive. He had black winds howling around him. It was terrifying. Young Master Qin and Miss Yi went to battle White Tiger, giving Uncle Qian and I the opportunity to flee for our lives. The both of us would only be a hindrance and not help at all if we stayed.”
“Uncle Qian and I ran for our lives, with more than a hundred demons pursuing us. Uncle Qian helped me block the demons before I managed to escape successfully.” Jia Huairen did not dare to hide the truth. “As for what happened after Mist Lake Valley, I have no idea.”
There was a bout of silence.
The county governor’s heart turned cold. Although he believed that it was highly likely that Great Demon White Tiger would be in Mist Lake Valley, he still had hopes that the tipoff he received was erroneous.
“Brother Qin and Miss Yi fought White Tiger? How was it?” Wen Chong asked.
“Young Master Qin was very powerful.” Jia Huairen said, “I saw Young Master Qin and White Tiger locked in battle as though they were equally matched.”
“Equally matched?”
The county governor and Commander Fang exclaimed simultaneously.
Qin Yun was that strong?
“Yes, they were equally matched.” Jia Huairen confirmed immediately. “I saw it with my own eyes.”
“Then what happened?” The county governor pursued the matter. “What happened to them next?”
“I had escaped and did not see anything else.” Jia Huairen replied softly.
“You—” The county governor was exasperated.
Wen Chong immediately tried comforting him. “Father, Brother Qin and White Tiger were equally matched which means it’s likely that they can escape.”
However, Commander Fang said with a heavy tone, “Green Tooth Mountain has more than a thousand demons. They would be more formidable than a single Great Demon White Tiger.”
The county governor fell silent.
He casually waved his hand and Jia Huairen immediately retreated to a corner.
…
After waiting for a while, the county governor felt a little giddy when he suddenly heard Commander Fang say “It’s Young Master Qin and Miss Yi.”
The county governor felt his body invigorated as his blood seemed to boil. He immediately looked into the distance.
“They managed to escape?” Jia Huairen, who was standing by a corner, looked up as well. He saw a man and woman that resembled a divine couple elegantly descend the mountain. “Where’s Uncle Qian? Uncle—” Jia Huairen widened his eyes as he saw a dismembered corpse of a large golden retriever hanging over Qin Yun’s shoulder. Throughout his entire life, Jia Huairen had only forced Uncle Qian to reveal his true form to him once when he was a still a child. He knew that Uncle Qian’s true form was a large golden retriever.
“Uncle Qian.” Jia Huairen stood in his spot in a daze. Although he had seen more than a hundred demons surge at Uncle Qian and had expected it when the severely injured Uncle Qian desperately tried to stop them, Jia Huairen still felt an upheaval of emotions when he really saw the corpse.
Woosh.
Qin Yun and Yi Xiao leaped and reached the foot of the mountain.
As for the county governor, Commander Fang, Wen Chong, and company, they took the initiative to come to them.
“Young Master Qin, Yi Xiao.” The county governor went forward and said with a bow, “I failed to determine that Great Demon White Tiger was there, and nearly caused you perilous despair. It was my fault.”
“Uncle Wen.” Yi Xiao said with a smile, “We were entering the demons’ lair so it can’t be helped if there’s an accident. Regardless, Brother Qin and I managed to return alive.”
Commander Fang was looking at the huge axe and tiger’s claw in Qin Yun’s hands. “Brother Qin Yun, what’s this axe and tiger claw?”
Qin Yun threw them both on the ground. The nine-hundred-kilogram axe fell to the ground with a loud thud that quaked the ground. Only then did Qin Yun say with a laugh, “This tiger claw was cleaved off from White Tiger’s left arm! This axe is also one of White Tiger’s two large axes.”
“A tiger claw cleaved off from White Tiger?” Everyone was dumbstruck when they heard that.
That was the claw of White Tiger. It was cleaved off?
“We are lucky to have Brother Qin. I was able to return all thanks to him.” Yi Xiao said with a smile.
“If not for Miss Yi’s divine lightning spell, I would not have been able to defeat White Tiger.” Qin Yun said immediately.
Qin Yun lowered the dismembered dog corpse from his shoulder. Everyone around him had also seen it. Jia Huairen could not help but come forward. Qin Yun lowered his head and said wistfully, “Uncle Qian died in battle to ward off the demons. He was originally severely injured after being struck by the Wind Thunder Rocks. He also desperately tried to obstruct all the demons, killing more than twenty of them in the process. As such, he prevented the demons from crossing the cliff, allowing Jia Huairen to successfully escape.”
Qin Yun looked at Jia Huairen and said, “Jia Huairen, Elder Qian was very loyal to you.”
Yi Xiao said as well, “Before his death, Elder Qian implored us to bury him beside his master’s grave.”
“Definitely. Definitely.” The county governor nodded. “On our way back, we can detour to Heightened province and bury this loyal demon.”
Jia Huairen knelt down and caressed the corpse. His eyes were brimming with tears.
Qin Yun watched by the side.
He sighed secretly.
Jia Huairen only cared for himself when escaping. Now, he knew how to tear.
“Brother Qin.” Wen Chong said in hushed tones. “My father and I are very happy that both of you are able to return safely. I’m just curious about the spirit fruit…”
The county governor cast his gaze at Qin Yun as well.
When Qin Yun heard that, he took out a jade box and handed it to the county governor. “Thankfully, we did not fail the mission.”
The county governor’s eyes immediately widened. He felt his blood boiling as his head buzzed. He stretched his hands out to retrieve it but his hands were trembling.
Twenty years of longevity!
Was it really retrieved? Was it retrieved?
Although his hands were trembling, he managed to hold the jade box in hand. He gently opened it and in it, the red fruit that suffused a purple luster was more mesmerizing than any ruby of greater size. Upon seeing the fruit, the county governor was dazzled.
…
While the county governor was in a euphoria, White Tiger was flying in the sky through his command of the winds. He came to Water God Manor that was a hundred kilometers away.
Inside Water God Manor.
“Senior Brother, Senior Brother.” White Tiger landed straight inside the manor, immediately causing many demon guards to surround the intruder.
The Water God’s rules were very strict.
In his manor, male demons followed a regiment of human soldiers. They did not dare disregard the rules. The female demons and many female humans were there to serve the water god.
“Oh, Junior Brother White Tiger, you came.” From afar, Water God appeared. With a stride, he appeared in front of White Tiger.
White Tiger had transformed back to his human form but he had one hand missing. He placed the axe to one side and immediately said, “Senior Brother, it’s bad! The spirit fruit was snatched away.”
“It was snatched away?” Under Water God’s long eyebrows, his cold eyes filled with bloodlust. “What happened? Also, what happened to your claw?”
“Two disciples of top sects appeared. One man and one woman.” White Tiger said hatefully. “The woman is proficient in Five-elemental Lightning Dharma and was able to channel a spell to summon divine lightning to severely injure me. The man was even stronger. He is a sword immortal! When it comes to true strength, he’s probably not my match but he has an extremely powerful flying sword. I reckon it’s at least a seventh-grade Dharma treasure! As such, we were equally matched. But with that woman’s help, that sword immortal managed to cleave off my claw. Even with five hundred demons besieging him, that flying sword could protect him, preventing him from being injured at all. He even swiftly killed more than sixty demons.”
“I had no other option as well.” White Tiger said hatefully. “Senior Brother, do you have any means of helping me get back my axe? It wasn’t easy for me to smith that axe. I lost it because of your request.”
“Who else can you blame for your incompetence?”
Water God frowned as a cold light shimmered in his eyes. “Disciples of top sects? A flying sword that is at least a seventh-grade Dharma treasure?”
Large sect?
Could it be a plot? Was there a trap?
“This is all because of you.” White Tiger said immediately.
“Junior Brother White Tiger, do you really think I will storm into Grand Dominance City for you?” Water God glanced at White Tiger. His eyes had black flames billowing. It tightened White Tiger’s heart.
In terms of strength, Water God was indeed stronger than him.
“Of course, I will compensate you for losing your claw. I will get Master to aid you in growing it back out. I’ll pay for all the recuperation items.” Water God took out a huge stack of banknotes. “Here’s two hundred thousand. That’s all I can do for you.”
White Tiger quickly took the banknotes.
Two hundred thousand taels of silver was not a small sum for Connate realm demons. Even a local emperor like the county governor could barely earn a hundred thousand taels of silver annually.
“Right, what about the spirit fruit?” Water God grunted and said, “Who took it?”
“It was taken by the sword immortal.” White Tiger felt indignant. “By the way, Senior Brother, do you know the name of that sword immortal? Where does he come from?”
Water God looked in the direction of Grand Dominance City. He scoffed. “Sword immortal? If I’m not wrong, that sword immortal is the son of Grand Dominance City’s silver-badge constable Qin Liehu, named Qin Yun! I heard from my underlings’ reports that out of the three demonic slaves I sent, the strongest rhinoceros demonic slave had been slain by him with one strike.”
“Qin Yun?” White Tiger nodded and memorized the name.
“To take away my spirit fruit.” The black flames in Water God’s eyes flared incessantly. “To dare cross me, hmph…”