Watching opera, suppressing demons

"Liang Prefecture?"

Upon hearing Li Hao's question, the waiter showed no impatience; instead, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he smiled, saying:

"Sir, are you from Liang Prefecture? Then you must have met that Young General Haotian, right?"

"Um?"

Li Hao asked in surprise, "You know about this too?"

"Look at what you're saying, sir! Who wouldn't know that!"

The waiter couldn't help but laugh, "Our You Province isn't far from Liang Prefecture. The turmoil in Liang Prefecture a few months ago, with those damned Demon surrounding and attacking us, has already spread throughout the states. I heard that the patriarch of the Xia Family's Divine General Residence in You Province even went to reinforce them."

He said this, looking at Li Hao with a face full of curiosity and anticipation:

"I heard that during that catastrophe, Demon came out in full force. Countless Demon swept across the land, and Demon King flew everywhere, a swarm of them so dark that the sky lost its color and the earth lost its greenness. It was like a locust plague, leaving nothing behind. Liang Prefecture was almost overrun when a Young General Haotian suddenly appeared and suppressed all those Demons. In the end, even a single Battle Flag could intimidate countless Demons. Is that all true?"

"..."

Li Hao hadn't expected that the news from Liang Prefecture had spread this far, even reaching a small shopkeeper in a Townships in You Province.

But that seems normal, after all, several months Past, and even if the news is slow to spread, it should have spread by now.

"Pretty much."

Li Hao asked, "What's the situation in Liang Prefecture now? Have the Demon all retreated, or is there still war?"

"It's peaceful now. What Demon would dare to go to Liang Prefecture? I heard the Imperial Family has sent troops to clean up the mess. Forget Demon, even a stray dog has to wear a tag to enter the city. They've been very strict there lately."

The waiter then recounted what he had heard.

Li Hao breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that the people in charge of the battle in Liang Prefecture were the Candlelight God and his wife. The true power of the Dragon Gate and the Saint Palace had not been gathered in Liang Prefecture.

And now, the Great Demon King who attacked Liang Prefecture back then is standing right behind him, having already submitted to him.

Thinking of this, Li Hao didn't say anything more. He went to his room and changed into the simple clothes prepared by the waiter. He glanced at the night outside. It was still early, and there was a commotion of gongs and drums in the town.

Li Hao was in a good mood and said to Evening Primrose, "I'll take you out for a walk."

"OK!"

Upon hearing this, Evening Primrose immediately became lively, her Little Chi Xu wrapping and rubbing against Li Hao's wrist, while she curiously transmitted her voice:

"Was that Young General Haotian the man just mentioned you?"

"Um."

"Is 'Young General' a rank? I don't think there's such a title in the Great Wasteland Heaven."

Evening Primrose stayed in the Great Wasteland Heaven, and all the information she received came from those who went to seize the Dao Rhythm Blood Fruit. She only had a superficial understanding of the Great Wasteland Heaven, and knew nothing about the Human Race of the Great Yu Dynasty.

Li Hao smiled, patiently explained to her through telepathy, and then led her and the Candlelight God out.

As for Madam Yin, she remained in Li Hao's Heaven and Earth Space.

Previously, he had healed Madam Yin by infusing her with a large amount of Heaven and Earth Power. Madam Yin had also briefly merged with the Candlelight God, and it seemed that she had touched the threshold of the Dao Realm and was currently in Seclusion.

As night fell, Li Hao strolled around the small rural town.

Although the town was dilapidated, the aroma of Firewood cooking wafted from every household, filling the air with the scent of smoke and warmth.

Stone-paved roads, old Wooden Stake, and a babbling brook flow past thousands of households.

Lanterns were hung along the way, suggesting it was some kind of festival.

Following the sound of gongs and drums, Li Hao arrived at the center of the town, where there was a stage and many people were standing outside the stage listening to the opera.

The front row had tables and chairs where some of the town's prominent figures, such as wealthy landowners and Gentry, sat, eating melon seeds, drinking tea, and listening to opera.

Evening Primrose was like a curious child, constantly asking Li Hao all sorts of questions, showing her curiosity about everything.

The Candlelight God is like Li Hao's shadow, quiet and inseparable. Although he has a cold expression, he is also observing everything around him, his eyes reflecting the scenes of the Mortal World.

Children played outside the stage, fighting with paper sparrows, while the elderly clapped and praised the performance.

Li Hao walked forward, handed over a silver ingot, sat down at a tea table, and quietly listened to the opera.

On Great Wasteland Heaven night, during brief rest periods, one can only gaze at the Star and Moon, playing music to while away the time; here, relaxation is a rare treat.

But soon, Li Hao's expression changed slightly, but he didn't get up. He just casually picked up some sunflower seeds from the table, cracked a few open, and threw the shells on the ground.

The sunflower seed shells that fell to the ground suddenly took flight in the night, as if a Qing Feng had arisen, whistling as they soared over the town and then hurtled towards the hillside a dozen miles outside the town.

Here, a group of Demon arrived on the night wind.

Staring at the myriad lights of the town ahead, and the lively sounds of gongs, drums, and laughter, a sinister grin spread across their faces.

But the demon Demon had barely uttered a single word when suddenly, a sunflower seed shell, like a tiny black dot, fell from the sky and swiftly streaked past.

Puff puff puff!

Enveloped by the power of Object Manipulation, it swiftly passed through their bodies.

More than a dozen Demon died on the spot, without even seeing how they died.

Only one melon seed shell remained, lying beside the corpse of the last Demon.

Inside the town, the opera continued as usual; outside, the Moonlight was serene, shrouding the corpses of these Demons.

"Good."

When Li Hao heard something exciting, he joined the crowd in clapping and cheering.

After the opera ended and the crowd dispersed, Li Hao followed the crowd back to the inn with Evening Primrose and the Candlelight God, and went to sleep.

Since coming from the Great Wasteland Heaven, I haven't had a good, restful sleep for quite some time.

The next day at dawn, the rising sun shone on the Demon outside the town. Someone saw the corpses of these Demons by the light of the Dawnlight, screamed in fright, and fled in panic into the town, running towards the Demon Suppression Division.

The dilapidated gate of the Demon Suppression Division was only slightly ajar. The two Demon Suppression Envoy, still half-asleep and not yet dressed, rushed to the hillside in surprise and disbelief upon hearing the news. When they saw the corpses of the Demon, they were both startled and dumbfounded.

The news of the Demon's corpse outside the town quickly spread, shocking and frightening everyone in the town. However, Li Hao asked the innkeeper for directions to Liyang City at the crack of dawn and then set Past with the Candlelight God.

Since he was already there, he might as well take a look. Liyang City was in trouble, and the Xia Family was Divine General Residence that had come to the aid of Liang Prefecture. Li Hao had no reason to ignore it and leave, after all, he was also Human Race.

Following the Official Road, they passed through two cities. Upon entering the city, Li Hao quietly covered Xi Yan with his Evening Primrose Dao Domain, while Candlelight God concealed his Aura with his own Dao Domain. Although they did not have the Demon's Demon Pass, they still managed to evade the detection of the city's Magic Array.

The Magic Array can only detect Demon at the Unique Skill Realm, but it is helpless against Demon at the Peace Realm who control the Dao Domain.

Only in the capital of a major state or the Imperial City can there be special Divine Weapon that can be sensed even by Demon of the Great Peace Dao Realm.

However, this item is very rare, and ordinary cities can only rely on Magic Array.

Those two cities were also heavily guarded, clearly indicating that Demon attacks had occurred there as well, though not as severe as those in Liyang City.

As Li Hao passed by, he also took the opportunity to deal with the Demon lurking dozens of miles outside the city.

For him, it was just a matter of a single thought.

Liyang City.

Liyang City, located in the northwest border town of You Province, is surrounded by towering Mountain Range on both sides, forming a natural barrier, making it the biggest obstacle in the area.

This is also a vital passage in the northwest of You Province, which the Xia Family has guarded with heavy troops year-round. Losing Liyang City is equivalent to losing the northwest border of You Province, which will lead to the loss of more than a dozen other cities.

At this moment, dozens of miles outside the city, numerous corpses were piled up, including Demon and Xia Family Soldiers, as well as tattered Battle Flag covering the bodies.

Inside the city City Lord's Mansion, in the council hall, three advisors and seven generals were present, including several young Major General from the Xia Family. At this moment, their faces were flushed, suppressing their Anger.

"Those damned beasts! They've cut off our supplies and are trying to starve us to death here!"

"These Demon are getting cunning now, trying to conquer us with minimal losses!"

"Should we ask our Lineage for help? Two of those Demons are at the Three Immortalities Realm Demon, and we don't know if there are any hidden ones. If it weren't for the Magic Array, we would have already fallen. There's no need to hold on."

"Ask for help? The Demon of Gluttony Valley are just waiting for us to ask for help. Once the Lineage sends people over, they'll probably already be lying in ambush halfway there, intercepting and killing them, planning to use us as bait!"

"That's right, things aren't looking good with the Lineage either. The Valley Master of Gluttony Valley caused a huge disturbance just half a month ago, and we still don't know where he is hiding."

"Now that we are guarding Liyang City, we can't rely on the Lineage for everything. We have to solve these difficulties ourselves. Or, how about we follow the example of Xingwu Gong-rank Noble of the Li Family in Northern Yan and send out a message to attract reinforcements from various powerful Aristocratic Clan?"

"The situation is different. Northern Yan wasn't defended by those Aristocratic Family Army; they were only a small part of the support."

"Even small things have power. We can make those Aristocratic Clan bleed. They only know how to amass wealth, eat and drink, and exploit the people. When Demon attack, they just move to even deeper places. They have no sense of responsibility at all. It's time for them to put in some effort!"

"That's difficult. There's not much time to mobilize people now. But I have a suggestion."

"What?"

Everyone looked at one of the staff officers.

The middle-aged staff officer glanced around, his gaze lingering particularly on several of the Xia Family Young General, and said in a low voice:

"How about we change the Battle Flag?"

"Change the Battle Flag?"

"That's right, everyone knows about what happened in Liang Prefecture, right? How about we try sending an elite force, changing their armor, and hanging the Battle Flag of that Young General Haotian from Liang Prefecture, pretending to be reinforcements from within the pass?"

Hearing the middle-aged strategist's words, everyone was taken aback, but the City Warden of Liyang City had their eyes light up, feeling that it was a good idea.

However, the three young Xia Family Young General looked grim. One of them was deep in thought, while the other angrily shouted:

"Impossible! This is You Province, our Xia Family's territory! We're not dead yet, and you're already flying an outsider's Battle Flag?!"

The middle-aged staff officer, anticipating opposition, quickly said, "These are extraordinary times. As long as we can rescue the people, as long as it's effective, and as long as it saves a lot of soldiers from casualties, that's what truly matters."

"No!"

The young Major General roared, "In You Province, only one kind of Battle Flag can be flown, and that is the Battle Flag of my Xia Family! This is our Xia Family's headquarters!"

"This is just a temporary measure..." the middle-aged staff officer tried to persuade him further.

"What if we hang up that man's Battle Flag, but it doesn't scare away these Demons?"

Another person interrupted him, asking, "That person has long since disappeared. His Battle Flag has been studied by Demon over the past few months, so it no longer has such a strong deterrent effect. Now, people everywhere are using his Battle Flag to try to intimidate Demon, and the Demon have long seen through this. The Battle Flag's deterrent power is no longer that great."

"As generals, we cannot be like those foolish commoners, listening to those mythologized legends and actually treating a teenager as Deity. No matter how strong he is, after being missing in the Mo River for so long, his Battle Flag has long lost its intimidating power!"

"That's right."

The young Major General said, "Don't pin your hopes on outsiders. Let's think about how to lure one of the Three Immortalities Demon King out and try using the Array Token to send it into the Magic Array. Then we can beat them when they're down."

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged strategist couldn't help but sigh inwardly, realizing that these young members of the Xia Family valued the Xia Family's honor too much, which led to their hasty and impulsive refusal.

In fact, he felt it would have some effect, and with good luck, it might even break through a barrier and bring hope.

As they continued their discussion, a sudden tremor was heard.

Everyone in the council chamber was startled, and several generals rushed out.

Magic Array appeared Liyang City, its golden runes flashing. In mid-air outside the city, a middle-aged figure was wielding a scythe-like arm, striking the Magic Array.

"Stop!"

A young Major General from the Xia Family leaped into the air and shouted Anger.

"I thought you were sleeping. I'm just giving you a wake-up call."

The middle-aged figure chuckled lightly, not stopping, but instead attacking the Magic Array: "Don't let your guard down, we might attack at any moment."

His swaggering manner infuriated the young Major General, who turned red with anger, realizing that the other party was trying to keep them constantly on edge and prevent them from relaxing.

They could adjust and adapt, but the large army inside the city was inevitably filled with anxiety and lacked the physical and mental strength to support them.

"You Gluttony Valley will pay the price for messing with the Xia Family sooner or later!"

The young Major General said Anger.

"Oh? What's the price? I'm right here now, so come out and let me see you!" the middle-aged figure said with a sneer.

Several other generals also flew over, telling the young Major General not to act rashly. One of the veteran generals stepped forward, exuding the Aura of the Three Immortalities Realm.

Upon seeing this, the middle-aged figure immediately stopped and retreated several hundred meters, sneering, "I'll be back tomorrow."

Having said that, he turned to leave.

The veteran charged forward, roaring, "This isn't a place you can come and go as you please!"

He broke out of the Magic Array and unleashed his power to kill.

The middle-aged figure retreated rapidly, and the two chased after him. But after chasing for over a thousand meters, the old general had to suppress his Anger and stop. He saw that there were densely packed Demon ahead, and if he continued to pursue, he would be ambushed.

"Oh."

Seeing that the other party had not fallen for the trap, the middle-aged figure was not bothered. He chuckled and then called to the Demon army in the distance to prepare for retreat.

But just then, a figure rode up on horseback from the distant Official Road.

The crisp sound of horses' hooves pounded on the Official Road as they slowly approached.

"Um?"

"There are still some fearless creatures daring to travel this official Official Road. Are they here to slay demons and Merit and Fame?"

The middle-aged man raised an eyebrow at the young man riding towards him on the Official Road, but ignored him. These young masters from the Aristocratic Clan Human Race were incredibly foolish; many had died here recently.

He turned and flew straight away, but he stopped abruptly after only a few hundred meters.

He sensed that the Demon Tide that occupied both sides of the Official Road behind him was rapidly diminishing in Aura.

He suddenly turned around and saw a bizarre scene.

The young man rode in on horseback, his hooves not moving fast, but wherever he passed, the Demon Tide outside the Official Road, who were about to attack and devour him, quickly withered and fell in swathes, Aura.

As the middle-aged figure turned his head to look, the young man also slightly raised his head and saw him.

The moment their eyes met, the middle-aged man felt his heart clench violently, and then an indescribable Aura suddenly enveloped him.

Bang!

His body exploded in mid-air.