The room was brightly lit as night deepened.
Zhao Huai sat on a chair while the woman in the green dress lay on the floor. Yan Jing bent down, placing two fingers against her wrist to check her pulse.
"How is she? Can she be saved?" Zhao Huai asked.
"Her injuries are severe. Her meridians and flesh have both been shattered. She can be saved, but the Demonic Qi in her body will be difficult to purge. It seems this woman has just gone through a vicious battle."
Yan Jing looked up and spoke gravely. Then he took a porcelain bottle from his robes, poured out a pill, and placed it between the bloodless lips of the woman in green.
He used True Qi to refine the pill.
A trace of pain appeared on the woman's pale cheeks, and beads of sweat formed on her brow. After a quarter of an hour, color gradually returned to her face.
After finishing, Yan Jing turned to Zhao Huai and asked:
"The density of the True Qi in this woman's meridians does not seem like that of the Qi Refining Realm. She should be a Foundation Establishment cultivator, right? How did you find her?"
Zhao Huai answered honestly, "Earlier, I was dealing with the Fox Demon's human puppets when two beams of light suddenly clashed in the sky. Then she fell from above."
"She is the disciple of an immortal cultivation sect I mentioned to you before."
"A disciple of an immortal cultivation sect?"
Yan Jing quickly recalled the guest Zhao Huai had mentioned before.
No wonder. She was a sect disciple.
"Could she be a disciple of the Hope Immortal Sect?"
Li Chong, who had remained silent all this time, could not help asking.
"My lord, why do you say that?" Zhao Huai asked, turning his head.
Li Chong waved a hand. "Do not call me my lord anymore. First, I failed to save my son's life. Second, I failed to handle the demon matter properly. I truly cannot bear the title."
Li Chong rose from the bed. After thinking for a moment, he slowly said, "Three days ago, the Hope Immortal Sect said they would send disciples down the mountain. The cause was naturally the recent demon incidents in Jingyang Town. In recent days, quite a few demons have indeed been discovered near Jinzhou."
"But why was there not even the slightest rumor?"
Li Chong sighed. "Naturally, the news was sealed off to avoid causing panic among the common people. With a sect taking action, it should have been enough. Yet who would have thought that we would now encounter a problem even the sect disciples could not resolve?"
"Still, Your Excellency's cultivation is profound. You are our savior. Please accept my bow."
Li Chong was speaking the truth. Without Zhao Huai, he likely would have died here today.
Yan Jing and Zhao Huai exchanged a glance. Seeing the helplessness in each other's eyes, they could not help smiling.
"The people outside should be waking up about now. Magistrate Li can have them report to the sect. The demon should not dare come again anytime soon," Zhao Huai reminded him.
"Good. I will make the arrangements at once."
Li Chong nodded and walked outside.
Not long after.
"Cough."
A soft cough sounded.
The woman in green opened her eyes. She only felt utterly weak, with twisting pain in her meridians and aching muscles that made her feel indescribably miserable. She sensed that she was lying on a blanket, soft beneath her, with a warm stove nearby that left her pleasantly warm.
Her dress was tattered beyond repair, not a single piece intact, so even her collar felt chilly. Fortunately, a fur blanket covered her chest.
Very quickly, she suddenly remembered that she still had a mission to complete, but even the Treasure Sword she had tightly held in her hand was gone.
Boiling killing intent burst from her eyes. She rolled over and sprang up, only to see two people seated before her.
Directly in front of her sat a man in white robes. He looked very familiar, exceptionally handsome, with skin as fine as a woman's.
Before she could think further, another sharp pain erupted in her head.
"You're awake?"
Zhao Huai noticed the movement behind him, turned around, and smiled faintly.
The woman in green looked guarded, still deeply confused. She swallowed, her dry throat hoarse as she weakly asked, "Who are you?"
"Has it really been so little time since we last met, and you have already forgotten me?" Zhao Huai explained with a smile.
"I saw you fall from the sky just now and lying on the road, so I brought you inside. Doctor Yan happened to be here and gave you some initial treatment. You may not be fully recovered, but at least your life has been preserved."
His voice was steady and incredibly gentle, as though he truly were an old friend she had not seen in a long time.
The woman in green closed her eyes and focused. The agonizing pain eased somewhat, and her mind cleared considerably. Looking at Zhao Huai, she finally remembered who he was.
No wonder he had looked familiar. He was the pawnshop keeper she had met during the day. What a coincidence that he had saved her.
"Thank you, Shopkeeper, and Doctor Yan. What happened today was truly beyond my control, and I have made fools of myself before you both. My name is Lu Wanqiu, and I am a disciple of the Hope Immortal Sect. I will certainly repay this kindness someday."
Lu Wanqiu spoke with a very earnest expression.
"Healing the wounded and saving the dying is what Yan ought to do. Miss, you are too courteous." Yan Jing waved a hand and smiled. In truth, he was quite delighted. It was no easy thing to gain the favor of a sect disciple.
"Miss, could you briefly tell us what happened?" Zhao Huai could not help asking. The image of that mass of black mist still lingered in his mind. He had a feeling it was a very powerful demon.
"Yes, the Demonic Qi in your body has not yet been purged. It seems you encountered some trouble." Yan Jing echoed from the side.
Lu Wanqiu's beautiful eyes dimmed, and she sighed. "Have you heard of Black Wind Cave?"
Zhao Huai and Yan Jing exchanged a glance. "Of course. Black Wind Cave was infamous for a time. Did it not perish a hundred years ago?"
Lu Wanqiu said calmly, "Demons flow like water, but the cave stands like iron. Another great demon has come to Black Wind Cave, calling herself the Black Wind Matriarch. She is no weakling, and she has committed countless evils throughout this region, harming many people. I was ordered down the mountain to eliminate her."
After hearing this, Zhao Huai pondered for a moment before asking, "Miss, were you not a match for that demon?"
Lu Wanqiu shook her head. "The Black Wind Matriarch was no match for me. But I did not expect that Black Wind Cave would have so many other demons, with no shortage among them of formidable strength. They gathered together. I barely slew several of them, but I was heavily wounded as well, allowing the Black Wind Matriarch to escape."
Though she made it sound easy, Zhao Huai knew that only one who had experienced it firsthand could understand the dangers involved.
Demons were difficult to deal with. The Fox Demon he had encountered alone had been exceedingly cunning, much less the other demons.
"That mass of black mist in the sky?" Zhao Huai pressed.
"Correct. I have already destroyed her physical body. Only a remnant soul remains. She is now an arrow at the end of its flight and can only flee."
Lu Wanqiu added, "I believe the incident in Jingyang Town is related to her as well."
At this, Zhao Huai voiced his doubts. "Why do you say Jingyang Town suffered heavy casualties, Miss Lu? I heard that the people of Jingyang Town are all living just fine."
Lu Wanqiu let out a breath and said faintly, "They have all become Human Changelings, becoming accomplices of the demons."
"Human Changelings?"
This was the first time Zhao Huai had heard the term.
Lu Wanqiu explained, "Demons are divided into three categories: demon beasts, ghosts and monsters, and fiends. Human Changelings are merely the weakest kind, belonging to the demon beast category. On the surface, they appear no different from ordinary people, but their thoughts no longer belong to them. They obey the demons' commands."
This was also the first time Zhao Huai had heard such detailed classifications and separate categories.
"Then who will deal with these demon lackeys?"
Lu Wanqiu looked deeply into his eyes and said, "The Hope Immortal Sect will take action."
Before you continue