The young maiden in the bloom of her youth felt her heart skip a beat. Looking at the handsome young man, a tremor of fear rose within her.
Among the diners, several scholars who had initially planned to appeal to high-minded righteousness now swallowed every prepared word back down their throats.
If their counterpart were a peerless, righteous hero, they would dare reason with him and press him with moral weight.
But if he liked killing people? Sorry, then one had no choice but to indulge him.
"Waiter, bring a chicken." Having killed a man, Qi Yuan felt rather hungry and ordered a chicken.
The dazed waiter snapped back to his senses upon hearing this and hurriedly said, "Right away, sir! It'll be up in a moment!"
Qi Yuan casually found an empty seat and sat down with Huo Mushi.
"This spot is right under the draft. It's a great seat—if anyone speaks ill of me, the wind will carry it right into my ears," Qi Yuan muttered to himself.
Seeing this, the diners in the hall could only offer awkward, strained smiles.
The wealthy merchant had just died, and his blood was still warm. Who would dare say a bad word about Qi Yuan now?
However, because Qi Yuan had just displayed his bloodthirsty side, none of the patrons dared step forward to speak with the legendary Red Staff Demon Butcher, or perhaps they were waiting for someone bolder to break the ice.
Right then, hurried footsteps echoed as the youthful maiden walked down from upstairs. Clad in a green palace dress, she looked exceedingly lovely and charming.
"I, County Princess Luzhu, greet Lord Red Staff Demon Butcher!"
The young lady walked up to Qi Yuan's table and performed an elegant, graceful bow.
A stir ran through the patrons.
She was actually a royal princess!
County Princess Luzhu was the daughter of Little Empress Zhou—the most beautiful woman in all of Fengyuan.
The diners who had earlier spread scandalous rumors about Little Empress Zhou and the Red Staff Demon Butcher began trembling from head to toe.
Qi Yuan cast a faint glance at the girl. "What do you want with me?"
"My Lord fought across three thousand li in the Northern Lands, eradicating eleven demon dens and saving millions of common folk from water and fire. On behalf of the people of the realm, Luzhu thanks you for your great righteousness!"
The young maiden bowed solemnly, carrying herself very much like a little adult.
"Oh, is there anything else?" Qi Yuan picked up a peanut with his chopsticks and popped it into his mouth.
County Princess Luzhu looked at Qi Yuan, a resolute glint flashing in her pretty eyes. "I am willing to offer ten thousand taels of gold as an apprenticeship gift to take you as my master!"
"Can ten thousand taels of gold buy this world?" Qi Yuan asked offhandedly.
He lacked money and was anxious to buy the Arch Star.
The moment he uttered those words, the expressions of everyone present changed slightly.
What did he mean by that...?
Could it be that the Red Staff Demon Butcher intended to overthrow the dynasty and change the reign?
"Naturally, it cannot!" County Princess Luzhu seemed to grasp Qi Yuan's implied meaning as well, biting her lower lip as she answered.
This time, she had come to see the Red Staff Demon Butcher bearing a mission from the imperial family.
Her imperial father did not dare face the Red Staff Demon Butcher himself, so she had been sent instead.
"Since it can't, I don't want the gold," Qi Yuan refused.
Ten thousand taels of gold was quite a lot of bulk, and he would have to stuff it into his Blood Martial Space. His Blood Martial Space was small and could not hold so much gold.
As for silver drafts or gold certificates, once he left this world... would they still be of any use?
Obviously not.
Hearing Qi Yuan's refusal, County Princess Luzhu turned deathly pale. Yet she lowered her head and continued, "I am willing to become your maidservant, attending at my lord's side, if only you will take me as your disciple, teach me your martial arts, and protect Fengyuan!"
She had already prepared herself for sacrifice.
Among the princesses and county princesses of the royal family, she was the fairest in countenance and the most exalted in status.
"Those words sound familiar, exactly like what my junior sister said back then." Qi Yuan recalled the scene when Jiang Lingsu first joined the sect; she had said the exact same thing. "Though after she entered the sect, she instantly transformed into a rich woman. While she helped me quite a bit, she never truly served as a maid."
Countless thoughts flashed through County Princess Luzhu's mind.
Then she heard Qi Yuan speak again.
"In another half a day, I'll be leaving this place. Naturally, I won't accept any disciples.
"However, I am about to go trample the demons of the Xi River.
"Watch closely. How much you can learn will depend on your own talent."
Because of County Princess Luzhu, Qi Yuan had been reminded of his junior sister Jiang Lingsu, making him a bit more generous.
Hearing this, County Princess Luzhu felt both astonished and delighted.
She was astonished that the Red Staff Demon Butcher was going to leave this place—where was he going?
She was delighted because this could be considered an acceptance of sorts, couldn't it?
Right at that moment, a sudden, resounding blast of musical accompaniment rang out, continuous and unrelenting.
From outside came a melodious voice as ethereal as a heavenly chime.
"The Xi River Fish Maiden wishes to offer the twenty thousand members of the Xi River Water Clan as a betrothal gift, inviting His Majesty the Red Staff Demon Butcher to take charge of the Xi River Water Palace!
"The soldiers of the Xi River shall become Your Majesty's arms.
"If Your Majesty intends to contend for supremacy over the realm, the soldiers of the Xi River are willing to trample the Southern Lands flat!"
The moment this voice echoed, the patrons' faces shifted drastically.
County Princess Luzhu's heart also skipped a violent beat.
"It's actually the Xi River Fish Maiden!"
"The Lord of the Xi River!"
"The mightiest demon faction in the entire world is actually willing to bow before the Red Staff Demon Butcher!"
"If all the demon armies are used by the Red Staff Demon Butcher, wouldn't taking the lands of Fengyuan be as easy as turning over his hand?!"
The diners were filled with shock, worry, and indignation.
If they were in the Red Staff Demon Butcher's position, they were certain they could never refuse such a temptation from the Lord of the Xi River.
County Princess Luzhu's face was also fraught with worry, yet she remained uncharacteristically silent, saying nothing.
Meanwhile, Qi Yuan's eyes curled into a smile. "This is the first time I've seen a White Moonlight take the initiative like this."
Every White Moonlight he had encountered before had hurled curses at him the moment they saw him.
Even that Princess Jasmine had only wanted to use a honey trap to beguile him, harboring foul intentions.
Yet as the Xi River Fish Maiden spoke these words, Qi Yuan's nose did not grow even a fraction, proving that she was sincere and not lying.
"If Your Majesty agrees, by day this concubine can serve as a great general, riding into battle for Your Majesty; by night, I can serve as a concubine, letting Your Majesty ride at will."
The Xi River Fish Maiden's voice was heavenly, yet laced with an enticing seductiveness.
The doors of the inn swung open, revealing a woman clad in bridal garments standing outside.
Snowflakes drifted down, red and white intermingling.
Looking from the bottom up, what first caught the eye was a pair of fair, delicate bare feet.
Unshod, they bore azure and translucent anklets, stepping directly upon the ice and snow.
Further up were slender, jade-like legs, hidden beneath the slits of the red bridal dress, shapely and rosy.
Further up was a slender waist with an astonishing waist-to-hip ratio, beneath a full, swelling bust.
By figure alone, she was unimaginably alluring.
At the very top, a red bridal veil covered her head.
Just then, a gust of wind swept past, lifting the Xi River Fish Maiden's red veil, and a... fish head appeared before everyone's eyes.
Yes, indeed, it was not a face, but a fish head.
Two bulging fish eyes, seemingly rigid gills, and an upturned mouth that looked just like a culter eager to bite a fishing lure.
Staring at this face, many thoughts flashed through Qi Yuan's mind, and he couldn't help asking, "Could you make the top half a human face and the bottom half a fish body?"
A classic multiple-choice question surfaced in Qi Yuan's head.
Stranded on a deserted island with only a mermaid for company.
Would you prefer a mermaid with a beautiful human face, but a fish tail from the waist down? (Note: No sharp fangs in her mouth.)
Or would you prefer her to have a stunning, curvy figure, but the head of a fish?
Qi Yuan had never actually answered that question before.
Seeing the Xi River Fish Maiden now, he couldn't help recalling it.
"If Your Majesty prefers that, why ever not?" A smile flickered within the Xi River Fish Maiden's fish eyes.
Her form shifted at that very moment.
Her lower body became a fish tail, while her original fish head transformed into the face of a glamorous woman that was not inferior in the least to County Princess Luzhu.
The patrons, who had been pale with horror, now showed traces of greed and infatuation in their expressions.
Looking at this fish now, even she seemed to possess lingering charm.
Qi Yuan swept a faint glance over her. "Have you ever heard the saying..."
"Does Your Majesty wish to say that humans and demons cannot coexist, or that those who are not of our kind must surely have different hearts?" The Xi River Fish Maiden cut Qi Yuan off, continuing, "In this world, the right to speak has always belonged only to the strong!
"Rules and authority belong only to someone of Your Majesty's stature!
"As long as Your Majesty is strong, we shall be Your Majesty's most loyal and sharpest sword!"
"You're wrong." Seeing that she had finished, Qi Yuan could finally butt in.
"This concubine's thoughts may be extreme, but..."
"You'd better let me finish; sticking into your mouth feels weird to me." Qi Yuan interrupted the Xi River Fish Maiden and pulled the topic back on track. "What I wanted to say is that the power of a White Moonlight lies in the fact that she lives in memory. Even if she herself shows up, she cannot defeat that memory.
"Once a White Moonlight takes the initiative and chooses to become a simp, well... that's it, she's completely ruined."
"...???" County Princess Luzhu wore a look of utter bewilderment.
The diners present were equally dumbfounded.
Why did every word from the Red Staff Demon Butcher seem familiar on its own, yet stringing them together left everyone with no clue what he was trying to express?
The Xi River Fish Maiden was stunned as well.
Then she heard Qi Yuan continue, "Once a White Moonlight takes the initiative, you lose.
"So... you'd better just die and become a part of me!"
With Qi Yuan's words, a chilling killing intent billowed out.
Seeing this, Huo Mushi familiarized himself with the drill, brought out his suona, and began blowing away in complete, earnest immersion for Qi Yuan.
Meanwhile, Qi Yuan glanced at County Princess Luzhu. "From here on, how much you can learn will depend entirely on your comprehension."
Without another word, Qi Yuan launched straight into action.
This completely threw everyone present into disarray.
Even County Princess Luzhu had not expected things to develop this way.
It was clearly the Xi River Fish Maiden attempting to seduce the Red Staff Demon Butcher, yet the Red Staff Demon Butcher spouted a few bizarre remarks and began fighting immediately without even negotiating.
At this moment, the astonishment in the Xi River Fish Maiden's eyes vanished, replaced by an icy glare. "It seems Your Majesty does not wish to be our sovereign, but rather seeks to rebel!"
Since they were enemies, the Xi River Fish Maiden showed no courtesy either.
The Xi River Water Clan was the mightiest demon faction on this land.
Even if the other eleven demon factions united, they would still be no match for it.
"How nice would it have been to quietly remain my White Moonlight? Yet you insisted on becoming official and marrying me. Did you want to ruin the image of the White Moonlight in my heart?"
Qi Yuan sneered.
A mighty aura erupted, and the blood-red wooden staff in his hand expanded in that instant, resembling the Sea-Calming Divine Needle.
The entire earth seemed to tremble beneath the aura seeping from his body.
The Xi River Fish Maiden's expression shifted slightly. "As expected, you have stepped into the Martial Spirit realm!"
Hearing this, the diners were utterly shocked.
"The Red Staff Demon Butcher has actually reached the legendary Martial Spirit realm!"
"A Martial Spirit! A Martial Spirit who can summon clouds and rain with a wave of his hand!"
The Martial Spirit realm was a legendary domain.
A single man could match a nation!
Mountains and rivers were mere toys in the hands of a Martial Spirit.
"Even if you are a Martial Spirit, so what?!" the Xi River Fish Maiden roared. "Twenty thousand Water Clan warriors, march with me and slay this fiend!"
At her command, cracking sounds resonated across the calm river surface ahead.
Countless thick layers of ice shattered, and the roars and bellowing of an army surged forth.
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
"Those who trespass against our Water Clan must die!"
An army of twenty thousand clad in armor and wielding spears and pikes emerged, a dense, black mass covering the several-li-wide river with demonic silhouettes.
Without anyone noticing, the Xi River Fish Maiden had already returned to the river surface, a cold sneer on her face.
Her body radiated an overwhelming aura—she was indeed a Demon Spirit!
Comparable to a Divine Infant cultivator of the immortal path, an absolute titan among demons!
In no world would such a creature be considered weak!
"If Your Majesty regrets your choice now, there is still room to turn back!" the Xi River Fish Maiden said coldly.
With twenty thousand demon soldiers arrayed behind her in a vast black expanse, her confidence was greater than ever before.
Qi Yuan's gaze was calm. "Luzhu, watch closely. This strike of mine... is super fierce."
Tyrannical Strength.
Heaven-Cleaving Sword-Drawing Technique.
Dying Radiance.
Share the Same Robe!
Heaven and earth darkened in that instant.
Everyone reflexively looked up at the firmament.
It turned out that the sky had not truly gone dark; rather, it was because... the Red Staff Demon Butcher's silhouette blocked the light of the heavens.
A terrifying, blood-red silhouette rose to an unfathomable height and size.
A hideous, terrifying reaper from hell, grasping a sky-towering wooden staff, leaped high into the air.
Cleave heaven, draw the sword!
Kill!
A sword strike flashed out.
No, a staff strike.
A breath earlier, the world was bound in a thousand li of ice and ten thousand li of swirling snow.
The next second, all the snow and ice between heaven and earth were torn from the ground and flung into the air.
Only when that monstrous staff crashed down into the midst of the twenty thousand demon soldiers did all the snow and ice plummet back to their places.
The heavens and earth were still the same heavens and earth.
Yet... the mortal world had been remade!
In that single instant, the twenty thousand demon soldiers collapsed.
The Xi River was severed.
The river water evaporated.
Heaven and earth quaked.
The might of a single staff was terrifying to such an extreme!
"Pfft!" The Xi River Fish Maiden spat out a mouthful of blood, her eyes filled with disbelief.
That single blow had not only wiped out a third of the twenty thousand demon soldiers directly;
even she, bearing the brunt of the impact, had suffered grievous injuries.
"How is this possible?! I am a Demon Spirit too... A Martial Spirit cannot possibly be this strong!" The Xi River Fish Maiden's face was ashen as she screamed repeatedly.
At this moment, her courage was utterly shattered.
"You can't even take a single strike from my staff, yet you wanted to marry me? Fish-headed woman, you're dreaming. You're only fit for some shrimp-headed creep!"
"Take another strike!"
In the sky above, that terrifying, majestic figure brought down his staff once more.
Boom!
Across the Xi River, another seven thousand of the demon soldiers perished.
The Xi River Fish Maiden, endowed with the might of a Demon Spirit, saw her body shattered, the gills within her fish head battered straight out.
Her face was painted with utter disbelief, all of her pride completely eradicated.
"The final strike. Time to end this!"
Heaven-Cleaving Sword-Drawing Technique!
Qi Yuan leaped once more, and a colossal strike slammed down upon the river.
The routed demon soldiers were already scared out of their wits, scattering in every direction.
Yet from the moment Qi Yuan appeared in this world, their fate had already been sealed.
In the blink of an eye, the entire army of twenty thousand demon soldiers perished, reduced to minced meat.
From their appearance to their total annihilation, barely a dozen breaths had passed, and twenty thousand demon soldiers were gone.
Who would not be shaken!
Who would not be horrified!
County Princess Luzhu trembled all over as she gazed upon that majestic silhouette. For reasons unknown, the dread that had previously gripped her heart vanished entirely, replaced by a faint trace of loss.
Chapter 342