The Undying Holy Demon God Sect, Hidden Killing Intent

Golden Radiance trotted leisurely through the sky above Si Province, its four hooves treading upon golden thunder.

From dawn until afternoon, Lin Changqing and Su Wanqing rode the Qilin, touring several counties surrounding the Capital City.

Having grown up in the Capital, Su Wanqing was intimately familiar with the lands of Si Province.

Every time they passed a famous historical site, she would enthusiastically introduce it to Lin Changqing.

"Look, Saint Venerable, that mountain is called Phoenix Fall Mountain. Legend has it that a phoenix once perched there in the ancient era!"

"That lake over there is Crescent Moon Lake. The spiritual ore at the bottom glows, and at night, the entire surface turns blue—it's absolutely beautiful!"

"And that tower is the Demon Suppressing Tower, built by the Demon Suppressing Division three hundred years ago. They say it holds many demons trapped beneath it!"

Lin Changqing sat behind her, listening to her chirping introductions.

He nodded in response occasionally or asked a question or two.

Every time she heard him respond, the smile on Su Wanqing's face grew a little sweeter.

On the back of the Qilin.

The distance between the two had unconsciously grown even smaller.

By the afternoon, the pair stopped to rest on a hillside covered in wildflowers.

Golden Radiance lay on the grass, basking in the sun, its tail swaying lazily back and forth.

Su Wanqing sat on a blue stone and took two boxes of snacks from her storage ring.

"I had the Imperial Kitchen make these osmanthus cakes specifically for you, Saint Venerable. Please, have a taste!"

Lin Changqing took a piece and bit into it; it was soft, glutinous, and sweet—truly excellent.

The two sat on the hillside like that, eating snacks and chatting.

A gentle breeze blew by, carrying a faint floral scent.

It was not until the sun began to slant westward and the horizon glowed with an orange-red sunset that Su Wanqing stood up, looking reluctant to leave.

"The Flower Deity Festival is about to begin. We should head back."

Lin Changqing nodded, swung himself onto Golden Radiance, and pulled Su Wanqing up behind him.

Golden Radiance tilted its head and let out a clear cry, its four hooves treading on golden thunder as it flew toward the Capital City.

As dusk approached.

The streets and alleys of the Capital City were already hung with lanterns.

Red, yellow, purple, blue—all sorts of lanterns decorated the entire city until it looked like a fairyland.

Flower stalls lined both sides of the streets, with peonies, tree peonies, Chinese roses, and azaleas all competing in beauty.

The air was filled with a rich, floral fragrance.

The commoners wore new clothes, walking the streets with the old and the young in tow.

Children carried small flower lanterns, weaving in and out of the crowds.

The entire Capital City was immersed in the festive atmosphere.

There were more people this year than ever before.

A piece of news had spread several days ago.

For this year's Flower Deity Festival, Princess Yunshu would represent the royal family and leave the palace to celebrate with the people.

And the newly enfeoffed Prince Wu'an, Lin Changqing, would also be in attendance!

To see Prince Wu'an, who had slain a Demon Saint with a single sword strike and tamed a pure-blooded Qilin, was a blessing of the highest order!

The inns in the Capital had been fully booked three days prior, and people from neighboring provinces had flooded into the city just to secure a good spot.

Just then.

A golden light suddenly illuminated the horizon.

A Qilin with a body of golden scales descended from the clouds, its four hooves treading upon golden thunder.

Two people sat upon the Qilin's back.

The young girl in front wore a light pink palace gown; her beauty was peerless, and a happy smile graced her face.

The young man behind her had black hair and a black robe, the Green Peak Sword hanging at his waist, his expression indifferent.

The two rode together, looking from afar like a pair of lovers who had stepped out of a painting.

"It's Prince Wu'an and Princess Yunshu!"

Someone in the crowd shouted.

The commoners on the entire street knelt in unison.

"Greetings, Prince Wu'an! Greetings, Princess Yunshu!"

The voices gathered into a wave, echoing over the streets.

Several passing nobles hurriedly bowed and saluted, their attitudes respectful to the extreme.

Lin Changqing patted Golden Radiance's neck, and the Qilin slowly descended into the center of the street.

The surrounding commoners knelt across the ground, none daring to raise their heads to look directly.

"Everyone, rise."

Lin Changqing vaulted off the Qilin, then naturally reached out to wrap his arm around Su Wanqing's waist, lifting her down from the beast's back.

The movement was gentle and fluid.

The moment he held her waist, Su Wanqing's cheeks flushed red down to the roots of her neck.

She felt her heartbeat racing like a drum, her earlobes burning, yet her heart bubbled with sweetness.

The Saint Venerable had just held her waist! And in front of everyone!

Did this mean the Saint Venerable felt...

The surrounding commoners, though not daring to look directly, still had many who stole glances at the scene.

Several elderly women exchanged knowing looks, their faces breaking into tacit smiles.

After steadying herself, Su Wanqing took a deep breath to suppress the fluster in her heart.

She looked up at Lin Changqing, her voice still carrying a hint of shyness.

"Saint Venerable, the Flower Deity Festival is about to begin. I must return to the palace to prepare, as I am to preside over the Flower Deity Lantern Festival in the Imperial Garden later."

Lin Changqing was just about to respond.

A system notification suddenly rang in his mind.

["Ding! Random mission triggered: Prevent the conspiracy plotted by the Holy Demon God Sect and the demons during the Flower Deity Festival, foil the Blood Sacrifice plan, and stop the descent of the Demon Saint's avatar (0/1)."]

["Mission Reward: Four Symbols Holy Guards—Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise, four early-stage Martial Saint powerhouses."]

["Four Symbols Holy Guards: Four early-stage Martial Saint powerhouses, each corresponding to the power of the Four Symbols. Azure Dragon governs Wood, White Tiger governs Metal, Vermilion Bird governs Fire, and Black Tortoise governs Water."]

["The four share a single mind and can form the Four Symbols Killing Array, with combat power rivaling a late-stage Martial Saint. They are soul-bound to the host, absolutely loyal, and their cultivation levels automatically increase with the host's strength. Should the host perish, the Four Symbols will be annihilated."]

Lin Changqing's pupils contracted slightly.

He was not shocked by the danger of the mission, but rather because... there was more?

Last night, he had personally wiped out the Holy Demon God Sect's branch in the Capital City, executed the Red Python Martial Saint, and annihilated every member.

He had even blasted their lair into ruins.

Yet, not even a day had passed, and these fellows still refused to give up?

They intended to cause trouble at the Flower Deity Festival?

However, upon second thought, the timing they chose was indeed cunning.

The Flower Deity Festival was the most bustling annual event in the Capital City, with the highest foot traffic and the most chaotic scenes.

Causing destruction on such an occasion would be impossible to guard against.

Moreover, because he was attending this year, the turnout was even larger than in previous years.

If the enemy launched an attack at this time, the resulting casualties and panic would be catastrophic!

But what interested Lin Changqing more... was the mission reward: the Four Symbols Holy Guards.

Four early-stage Martial Saint personal guards!

Not ordinary Martial Saints, but Martial Saints who mastered the power of the Four Symbols!

With their minds linked, they could form the Four Symbols Killing Array, rivaling a late-stage Martial Saint.

Although he was currently at the Ninth-Rank Martial Saint Peak, he truly lacked subordinates capable of handling matters independently.

With these Four Symbols Holy Guards, he would not need to handle everything personally in the future.

It seemed this battle tonight was unavoidable!

Not for the sake of the system reward, but because since he was in the Capital City, these demons trying to stir up trouble at the Flower Deity Festival was a slap in his face.

They were courting death!

Su Wanqing noticed the change in Lin Changqing's expression; the blush had not yet faded from her face, but a hint of worry had entered her eyes.

"Saint Venerable, what is wrong?"

She asked in a low voice, filled with concern.

Lin Changqing swept a glance at the gathering crowd of commoners and remained silent.

He raised his hand and slashed at the void before him.

Space tore open, swallowing him, Su Wanqing, and Golden Radiance whole.

In an instant, the surrounding scenery shifted drastically.

The streets, the commoners, and the lanterns all vanished, replaced by the familiar grounds of the Prince Wu'an Mansion's backyard.

Su Wanqing was startled by the sudden spatial displacement, but she recovered almost immediately.

Saint Venerable had used void shifting to bring her back to the prince's mansion.

This indicated that the matter to be discussed next was of great importance, important enough that it could not be spoken of on the open street.

Lin Changqing turned around, the expression on his face a few degrees more serious than usual.

"Wanqing, just now, This Seat sensed an unusual aura."

His voice was kept very low, his tone resolute.

"Although the Holy Demon God Sect's branch within the Capital City has already been uprooted, I fear they have other plans. There may be unforeseen events during this Flower Deity Festival."

Su Wanqing's expression shifted slightly.

"What?!"

Her voice carried a note of disbelief.

"But, but didn't we just wipe out their branch last night? That Martial Saint Red Python is dead, and all the cultists were cleared out. How could someone have infiltrated again so quickly?"

She paused, then asked again.

"Saint Venerable, where did you get this information?"

Lin Changqing did not change his expression, his tone remaining indifferent.

"Intuition."

When he said these two words, his expression was as serious as it could possibly be.

He couldn't exactly tell her it was the system, could he?

"My perception will not be wrong."

Su Wanqing was stunned for a moment, then nodded vigorously.

"I believe you!"

Her eyes were bright, her voice carrying a sense of unreserved trust.

"Before, Chief Xiao said the demon sect's hideout was outside the city, but you said it was inside, and it turned out to be inside. Now that you say there will be trouble at the Flower Deity Festival tonight, then it must be true!"