Intimidating Demons, One Word Suppresses the City

Intimidating Demons, One Word Suppresses the City

"Please, Daoist."

Zhang Qingyun solemnly invited Jiang Sheng to sit, personally bringing him a cup of tea.

"Why is County Lord Zhang acting this way?" Jiang Sheng asked, lifting the teacup and taking a light sip.

Zhang Qingyun explained, "The Eight Wolves of Dongjun are notorious throughout Qing Province. They are utterly vicious robber cultivators who have taken countless lives. Even ordinary evil cultivators fear the Eight Wolves of Dongjun greatly."

"By killing the Eight Wolves of Dongjun today, Daoist, you have undoubtedly dealt a tremendous blow to the evil cultivators of Dongjun. I imagine the evil cultivators lurking in Qingshan County will keep quiet for some time."

"With that, Qingyun, my daughter, and Immortal Xu can make our arrangements at ease and have time to catch all those evil cultivators in one net."

"How could Qingyun not be grateful to you, Daoist?"

Jiang Sheng smiled. "I recall that when Town Chief Tian came down the mountain on County Lord Zhang's behalf to invite me, I refused. County Lord Zhang was quite furious then."

"You also stood by and watched those Rogue Cultivators test me."

"Why the arrogance before and reverence now?"

Zhang Qingyun looked somewhat embarrassed.

Zhang Qing hurriedly said, "Daoist is a great adept of Penglai with extraordinary character. Why should you stoop to argue with my father, a mere mortal?"

"My father was simply acting in haste at the time, forgetting that true scriptures are hard to obtain and True Persons hard to invite."

Jiang Sheng smiled and nodded. He had never intended to hold anything against Zhang Qingyun. Otherwise, why would he be sitting here?

After learning of Jiang Sheng's strength from Xu Xiao, Zhang Qing told him about her plan.

Clearly, what Zhang Qing was revealing now was the true plan. The plotting in the secret chamber that night had actually been out of fear that the demons' spies might have infiltrated them.

Now, Wenren Jie, Young Master Kongxu, and Qiao Xuan were absent. Only Xu Xiao, her close friend from the Moon-Embracing Sect, and Jiang Sheng, a great adept from Penglai, remained.

By identity alone, neither of them could possibly be in league with the demons of the Taiping River.

Jiang Sheng had already joined forces with Xu Xiao to set up a barrier. At present, the conversation within the county yamen could not reach outside ears.

After silently listening to Zhang Qing's account, Jiang Sheng pondered for a moment before saying, "I still trust Miss Zhang's plan."

"The county seat is dangerous now, yet Miss Zhang needs to coordinate matters from within. After thinking it over, I should leave Miss Zhang something for protection."

Light gleamed in Zhang Qing's eyes. "What protective item does Daoist intend to leave for me?"

Jiang Sheng drew a talisman from his robes. It was made of azure talisman paper, inscribed with dark cloud sigils.

Handing the talisman to Zhang Qing, Jiang Sheng explained, "This is a Profound Water Talisman I drew in my spare time. It contains my spiritual power. Once activated, ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators will not be able to harm Miss Zhang in the slightest."

Zhang Qing carefully put away the talisman and gave another graceful bow. "Thank you, Daoist."

Xu Xiao stared at the azure talisman, her eyes filled with delight. "For Daoist to successfully draw such a profound talisman while still at the Foundation Establishment Realm is truly astonishing."

Everyone knew that whether cultivators drew talismans or refined pills, it was difficult to create things of the same rank as their own cultivation.

For instance, Foundation Establishment cultivators refining pills generally refined Qi Refinement pills, while Foundation Establishment cultivators drawing talismans generally drew Qi Refinement talismans.

That was because the success rate was highest and costs could be saved most effectively. After all, using Foundation Establishment cultivation to make Qi Refinement items was like looking down from a lofty height. Reversing that was naturally unlikely to succeed.

Jiang Sheng gave a light laugh, his expression unchanged. "It was merely something I made to practice in my spare time. There is nothing profound about it."

Xu Xiao hurriedly said, "Penglai is an orthodox sect of the Mystical Gate. Across the entire Eastern Domain Continent, who has not heard of the Penglai Spirit Talisman?"

"Having been fortunate enough to see a Penglai Spirit Talisman today, I have an unreasonable request. I would like to ask Daoist to sell me a few."

Jiang Sheng knew that Xu Xiao was under immense pressure guarding the county seat alone. After some thought, he said, "Tell me first what spirit talismans Fellow Daoist Xu wants."

"After I return to the mountain and draw them, Fellow Daoist Xu may come to Qingping Mountain to collect them in three days."

Xu Xiao was overjoyed and listed the several kinds of talismans she needed.

Jiang Sheng nodded slightly. The talismans Xu Xiao wanted were mostly for tracking the traces of evil cultivators, dispelling curses, and guarding against malefic magic. Such talismans were truly no difficult matter for Jiang Sheng.

Thus, Jiang Sheng agreed. "I can draw these talismans, and I can lower the price by another twenty percent. Is that acceptable, Fellow Daoist Xu?"

Xu Xiao nodded repeatedly. "Then many thanks, Daoist."

After no further idle conversation, Jiang Sheng and Xu Xiao agreed to conduct the transaction at Qingping Mountain three days later, and Jiang Sheng began his return journey.

Only after Jiang Sheng soared away and left the county seat did the evil cultivators hidden throughout the city secretly breathe a sigh of relief.

The pressure Jiang Sheng had given them was simply too great. What kind of fearsome reputation did the Eight Wolves of Dongjun possess?

They had slain an Azure Cloud Sect true disciple and forcibly withstood Purple Mansion Realm elders. Within Qing Province, who did not know the name of the Eight Wolves of Dongjun?

How many Qi Refinement cultivation clans had been destroyed by the Eight Wolves of Dongjun? How many Foundation Establishment cultivators had been hunted down and slaughtered like prey by them?

Yet now, the famed Eight Wolves of Dongjun had encountered a true dragon while hunting, only to be butchered one by one. Their corpses had even been openly hung before the county yamen.

After secretly going to take a look, the evil cultivators nearly broke out in a cold sweat from fright!

The Eight Wolves of Dongjun, who once needed only their names to frighten Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment cultivation clans into fleeing overnight with their entire households, now hung one by one before the county yamen, their bodies shriveled like firewood, like strips of wind-dried cured meat. One glance was enough to know what they had endured.

The evil cultivators could even imagine the scene: unable to defeat Jiang Sheng, the Eight Wolves of Dongjun had each gone all out and sacrificed all the essence blood in their bodies, only to remain no match for him and be slaughtered one after another.

Just imagining that helplessness was enough to make the evil cultivators feel suffocated.

And just as Zhang Qingyun had said, after Jiang Sheng made his move, the evil cultivators within Qingshan County truly settled down.

They were not fools. Why would they confront a fierce dragon crossing the river like Jiang Sheng head-on?

Moreover, Daoist Jiang had said it himself. He was merely living in seclusion on Qingping Mountain to cultivate. As long as no one went to Qingping Mountain to disturb him, they would most likely be fine.

Even so, the evil cultivators could not guarantee that Jiang Sheng would not visit Qingshan County every few days. One after another, they concealed their tracks and decided to lie low for a while to see which way the wind blew.

Some evil cultivators even took the chance to inform their employers of this matter and temporarily demanded higher prices, showing not the slightest professional integrity.

With just one sentence, Jiang Sheng intimidated every evil cultivator in the city, leaving these life-taking evil cultivators trembling in fear. Not a single one dared show their face!

After returning to Qingping Mountain, Jiang Sheng finally lived the tranquil cultivation life he had wanted.

He gathered dawn glow by day and moonlight by night. Drops of spiritual liquid steadily accumulated within his body, and Jiang Sheng even felt that if things could continue like this forever, he would be completely satisfied.

Three days later, Xu Xiao came to Qingping Mountain to collect the talismans. Jiang Sheng gave her the talismans he had drawn.

There were five talismans to guard against malefic magic, five to dispel curses, and ten to track the aura of evil cultivators.

Twenty talismans in all. Xu Xiao paid 2,800 spirit stones.

The price was not high; compared with market prices, it was lower by more than thirty percent.

And that was the price for ordinary talismans. These were talismans drawn by a Foundation Establishment cultivator of Penglai, so by rights, their price should have been even higher.

Naturally, Xu Xiao knew that Jiang Sheng had given her an enormous discount. Along with her gratitude, she said that she would tell her fellow disciples about this and do her best to introduce more business to Jiang Sheng.

Jiang Sheng nodded and accepted with a smile.

After seeing Xu Xiao off, Jiang Sheng's life returned to peace once more.

Until four days later, at sunrise in the hour of the Rabbit, Tian Ming'an came to the Daoist temple. He then knelt outside the hall and asked Jiang Sheng to accept him.

Jiang Sheng sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, his eyelids lowered, ignoring Tian Ming'an kneeling outside the hall.

Tian Ming'an also remained kneeling without a word, only rising to descend the mountain at the hour of the Rooster.

The next morning, Tian Ming'an once again arrived at the Daoist temple early and knelt outside the hall. Jiang Sheng did not speak, so he continued kneeling until evening before leaving.

Then came the third day, the fourth day, and the fifth day.

After kneeling for six consecutive days, Tian Ming'an still wished to go up the mountain, but Tian Guofu could not bear it any longer. "Ming'an, if you truly wish to cultivate and learn the Dao, our family can part with this immense fortune and send you to a sect in Dongjun."

"Besides, the Imperial Dao Palace sends Daoist officials every year to inspect the various counties and prefectures. So long as one is twelve years old and possesses aptitude and comprehension, there is a chance to enter the Dao Palace. Why must you beg Daoist Jiang so bitterly?"

Tian Ming'an pressed his lips together, his expression stubborn. "Your grandson has seen little and met few cultivators, but I know that cultivators like Daoist Jiang are exceedingly rare."

"Being able to encounter him now is my opportunity. If I cannot seize this opportunity, that would be what I regret for the rest of my life."

With that, Tian Ming'an once more disregarded his family's pleas. He went up the mountain early, knelt again before the Daoist temple hall, prostrated himself with all five limbs touching the ground, and said nothing.

Jiang Sheng silently glanced at Tian Ming'an, lowered his eyelids, and continued cultivating.

Another day passed without a word. Having knelt for the entire day once more, Tian Ming'an's body was stiff, cold, and hungry.

At twelve years old, enduring the cold and kneeling for an entire day without so much as a grain of rice or a drop of water—lasting two or three days would already have been remarkable, let alone seven?

But Tian Ming'an thought that he had already persisted for seven days. As long as he continued, every day he knelt would let Jiang Sheng see another measure of his sincerity.

Thus, early on the eighth day, though he felt his body was about to give out, Tian Ming'an still forced himself up the mountain. He struggled all the way to the mountainside and knelt before Jiang Sheng.

From the hour of the Rabbit until noon, Tian Ming'an had already become dazed and muddled.

Jiang Sheng glanced at Tian Ming'an and suddenly spoke. "You have knelt for seven consecutive days. Counting today, this is already the eighth."

"If I still refuse to accept you, what will you do?"