Dreaming of a God

Jiang Kun suddenly opened his eyes, gasping for breath.

It hurt so much!

The intense sensation of drowning.

That overwhelming heaviness, as if a mountain were bearing down on him!

And the tearing sensation inflicted on the Roaming Zombie by countless gentle streams beneath the whirlpool at the bottom of the water!

It was terrifying!

The great terror between life and death!

This terror nearly sent Jiang Kun's consciousness into a daze.

Tap, tap, tap—

It was not until crisp, clear footsteps rang beside his ear, neither hurried nor slow,

that a slender shadow blocked out his figure.

Only then did Jiang Kun react.

In the next moment, the daze in his eyes was replaced by utter terror.

"You... who are you, exactly?!"

Lu Jun did not answer him. He merely spoke softly.

"Senior, do you still think young people ought to be hot-blooded...?"

"To slay demons and exterminate evil cults, we Law Seekers need fire in our hearts, hot blood in our veins, and a bold spirit hidden within us. Only then can we fight them to the bitter end and sweep all the demons from beneath Heaven!"

Then Lu Jun smiled, as if mocking himself. A dim glimmer flickered in his eyes beneath the moonlight.

"What use is there in telling you all this?"

"Regardless, you're about to die."

Jiang Kun's expression instantly turned terrified.

"No!"

"You can't do this!"

"You're a Demon Slayer Envoy!"

"I'm a Law Seeker! You can't kill me! You should hand me over to the Demon Slaying Division and let them decide my fate, not carry out private punishment here!"

Jiang Kun shouted in despair.

"I forgot to tell you, Senior."

"I never joined the Demon Slaying Division. At most, I'm a wandering cultivator now. The Division's rules can't restrain me."

"Besides, even if I were one of them, you obstructed a Demon Slayer Envoy from killing the demons of an evil cult. You deserve death without pardon! By reason and by law, you should be on your way."

"Senior, please remember..."

Lu Jun raised his saber. With the moon behind him, his figure and features seemed more gloomy, but his eyes were still so bright that no one dared look directly at them.

"The killer has a name of his own!"

"My name is Lu Jun!"

"Remember this name. In the future, countless demons and evil cultists will die because of me!"

"You'd better keep your eyes wide open down below and watch."

"Watch how the countless demons under Heaven will revere me as they revere a god!"

Lu Jun swung his saber, its blade carrying the unique cold gleam of moonlight.

"Watch me end this age in which demons run rampant!"

"No!!!!"

"Ah!!!"

Jiang Kun screamed in terror, his cry shrill and tragic.

But the scream abruptly ceased soon afterward.

The blade swept past.

All that remained was the sound of a severed head rolling across the ground.

The entire forest and wilderness once again fell silent, just as they had before.

Yet what had happened here—

only the full moon in the sky knew.

The next day, at Li Mansion.

Lu Jun was awakened by a cry of surprise.

"Daughter! You're better!"

"Hurry and summon the lords of the Demon Slaying Division!"

The voice naturally belonged to the wildly excited Master Li.

Lu Jun put on his clothes and combed his long hair before slowly walking out of the room.

Li Tuo, Fang Yilin, and Old Man Yun had also arrived at the room of the young lady of the Li family early that morning.

Lu Jun did not enter the room. He merely leaned lightly against the doorframe and looked through the white gauze at the girl on the bed.

The girl no longer had the tragic appearance of before, when pain had reduced her to hoarse, desperate cries.

Her face was still bloodless, however, with a pallor and sunken cheeks.

Quiet, delicate, frail, and pitiful.

That was Lu Jun's impression of her now.

"How strange. How could this be? There isn't the slightest trace of demonic aura in her body." Old Man Yun sent True Qi coursing around Li Lingya's body, clicking his tongue now and then, clearly puzzled.

"My lord, is Ling Nu really all right now...?" Master Li asked tentatively.

"Father, you've already asked that so many times!" Li Lingya said coquettishly. Incidentally, the young lady's full name was Li Lingya. Master Li always called her Ling Nu, which was actually her childhood nickname.

The form of address "Nu" was probably similar to the custom of the Tang Dynasty in his previous life. It was an affectionate name for a child, roughly meaning "treasure."

Master Li gave an embarrassed chuckle.

"It's gone. Her belly has shrunk, and the ghost fetus is gone." Old Man Yun answered patiently again. "Have her eat more afterward and nourish her body with medicinal cuisine. That will be enough."

Old Man Yun carefully explained the details of how to recuperate her health afterward.

"Yes, yes, yes." Master Li nodded so hard his head bobbed like a pestle pounding garlic.

After finishing all that, Old Man Yun looked toward Li Lingya again. "What exactly happened to you last night? Can you tell us in detail?"

"Yes, my lord..." Li Lingya said timidly, her expression bashful.

"Last night, everything was the same as usual. In the first half of the night, I was plagued by nightmares. I kept seeing a terrifying child with a hideous face and a body as black as ink, asking me for food... I was very frightened then..."

"But in the second half of the night, the dream changed. I wasn't afraid anymore..."

"Hm? What dream...?"

A blush flashed across Li Lingya's face.

"I dreamed of a god..."

"I couldn't see his face, but he must have been very handsome, and his clothes were beautiful too. He stepped out from among the clouds and came before me, telling me not to worry and not to be afraid. He would protect me..."

Immediately afterward, Li Lingya slowly raised her head, her eyes filled with reverence and stubborn conviction.

"He said he would sweep all the demons from beneath Heaven..."

As Li Lingya raised her head, she subconsciously glanced toward the doorway.

Through the white gauze curtain before her, she saw the young man standing at the door.

The young man was extraordinarily handsome, with striking features, a tall, slender build, and fair skin as pure and bright as moonlight. He wore a white robe patterned with flowing clouds that fit his figure perfectly.

At that moment, the young man gently lifted his eyes to look at her. The corners of his lips curved into a smile. Sunlight fell upon him, dazzling enough to make her eyes swim, yet so beautiful that she could not look away.

Li Lingya's face flushed faintly, and she gave the young man a shy smile in return.

By noon,

Master Li held a grand feast to entertain Lu Jun and the other three.

After lunch,

the four of them left.

Master Li did not dare ask them to stay, afraid of delaying the important business of the Demon Slayer Envoys.

As the four traveled along the road, their conversation continued without pause.

"Lord Goldcloak, this is truly bizarre! The ghost fetus was clearly bound to the life of the Li family's young lady, yet after one night, it simply vanished!" Li Tuo said.

"Indeed, Lord Goldcloak. Since this matter is so strange, why don't we stay a few more days and uncover the truth? That way, we might have a way to deal with the Great Black Cult in the future!" Fang Yilin added.

"Haha, there's no need for that. So long as the outcome is good, what need is there to investigate it so deeply...?" Old Man Yun said with a smile.

Li Tuo instead turned to the silent Lu Jun. "Hey, Lu Jun, what do you think the truth is?"

Lu Jun smiled. "Perhaps it really was as the Li family's young lady said. Maybe there truly was a god..."

"Tch... How boring." Li Tuo curled his lips.

Lu Jun smiled. Then his mount quickened its pace, bringing him alongside Old Man Yun. His tone turned serious. "Senior Yun, I want to join the Demon Slaying Division."

"Haha, good, good, good!" Old Man Yun was overjoyed. He had finally managed to hoodwink the man into joining.

Old Man Yun agreed readily.

Watching the backs of the four as they departed,

Master Li silently thought, "If I ever have the chance to repay your kindnesses in this life, I, Li, will not hesitate even if it costs me ten thousand deaths..."

Then, thinking of his daughter, who had finally recovered, a loving smile once again appeared on his face.

"I'll go check on Ling Nu."

Li Lingya was painting in the courtyard.

She had not seen sunlight for a long time. As the sunlight shone upon her,

Li Lingya felt warmth spread through her entire body. The comfort was indescribable.

"What are you painting, Ling Nu...?" Master Li's voice was indescribably gentle.

He truly doted on his daughter. She had loved painting since childhood, yet she had been confined to her room for two years and had not touched a brush.

"Father, you always sneak up without making a sound..." Li Lingya complained coquettishly.

"Heh heh, then next time Father will carry a wind chime."

Master Li chuckled softly, his gaze also falling upon Li Lingya's rice paper.

It depicted a man.

The man had a handsome face and wore a Three-Mountain Flying-Phoenix Crown, dark armor patterned with silver dragons, and an outer robe of flowing immortal clouds. A jade belt was wrapped around his waist, his wide sleeves bound close to his body, and auspicious-cloud boots carried him atop the clouds.

The man's build and bearing were excellent, perfectly complementing his clothing. Together, they brought forth a hint of free and unrestrained immortal spirit.

"Is this the god you saw in your dream?" Master Li asked curiously.

"Mm..." Li Lingya nodded, her face flushed.

"Truly an immortal descended into the mortal world, standing aloof from it all..."

Master Li's eyes also gained a hint of reverence. As he studied the painting closely, he even found the figure somewhat familiar.

"Once you've finished painting, tell Father. I'll find someone to have it mounted. Our Ling Nu is blessed to have survived this tribulation. The immortal will surely protect our Ling Nu..."