On Realms

The wind and sand were fierce.

Hooves trod upon the yellow earth, neither fast nor slow, as though measuring this lifeless land.

Jiang Yuechu reclined halfway against the horse's back, holding the reins in one hand while cradling a scroll in the other, studying it intently.

Fortunately, her previous self had been proficient in the four arts of qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Though the contents of the book were obscure, with a little thought, she could grasp their general meaning.

In this world, martial arts reigned supreme.

The Mortal Realm involved circulating one's qi and blood, tempering one's sinews and bones—the beginning of the martial path.

The so-called Mortal Realm was the circulation of qi and blood, the cultivation of martial techniques.

Through the constant honing of one's sinews and bones, one strengthened the body and laid the foundations for the future.

There was nothing mystical about this step. It was simply a slow grind, built up through time and sweat.

Most people in the martial world remained within this realm.

Beyond that came String-Hearing.

String-Hearing meant that, as a martial artist cultivated martial techniques and the qi and blood within their body accumulated to a certain degree, they could hear their own heartbeat and flowing blood within, and hear the grass, trees, wind, and the cries of cranes without.

Only upon reaching this step could one be said to have truly crossed the threshold of martial arts.

Moreover, according to the book, within the String-Hearing Realm, the more profound the martial technique one cultivated, the more efficiently one could circulate qi and blood, and the faster one's cultivation would progress.

Jiang Yuechu fell into thought.

She was currently at the late stage of String-Hearing.

As for why the wolf demon's cultivation method had failed to help her break through—

Perhaps the method the wolf demon had taught was simply too low-grade?

She did not dwell on it and continued reading.

After String-Hearing reached completion came Bone-Resonance Realm.

At the sight of those two words, Jiang Yuechu's breathing slowed slightly.

Bone-Resonance Realm, Bone-Resonance Realm.

Qi and blood flowed through every limb and bone, tempering the skeleton until it emitted a hum like metal and stone.

At this step, one's body became immensely powerful. Ordinary blades and swords could scarcely harm it; it was no longer something mundane means could contend with.

Yet breaking through from String-Hearing to Bone-Resonance Realm was harder than climbing to heaven.

Not only did one's martial arts need to be sufficiently refined, one also needed vast quantities of heavenly treasures—or... demon flesh and blood as a catalyst—to ignite one's qi and blood and charge through the barrier in one stroke.

"Tsk."

Jiang Yuechu closed the book and tucked it into her robes.

It seemed that in her future cultivation, she would need to pay more attention to such external resources.

With that thought, she had a plan in mind.

No matter what, she could not avoid the words "demons and monsters."

It seemed she had been born to slay demons and eliminate monsters...

Jiang Yuechu laughed at herself.

"Ah..."

"If I really were one of the Demon Suppression Office, how wonderful would that be?"

She muttered it in her heart.

That way, not only would the matter of her identity be resolved without effort, but slaying demons and eliminating monsters would also be perfectly justified.

The imperial court would pay her salary, and all the demons under heaven would be hers to kill.

Unlike now.

Even if she wished to slay demons—

She did not know where the demons were.

And she had to be cautious of her identity at every turn.

She shook her head, tossing those impractical thoughts from her mind, and focused on traveling.

Her target was naturally the monster in Golden City County.

Though she knew very little about that monster, not even its strength—

Time waited for no one.

As things stood, she had no choices left.

Though monsters ran rampant, they were not like the NPCs in the games from her previous life, standing there stupidly and waiting for someone to kill them.

Many cunning great demons, the moment they heard the imperial court was coming to exterminate them, would immediately flee without a trace and hide in some deep mountain or ancient forest.

Once people had left, they would emerge again and resume their evil deeds.

That was also one of the reasons she wanted to infiltrate the Demon Suppression Office.

Along the official road, the occasional travelers were all people fleeing their homes.

Dressed in the ordinary clothes of a martial wanderer, Jiang Yuechu rode against the flow of people, looking utterly out of place.

Without those black robes marked with crimson patterns, she was merely an ordinary woman of the martial world.

Most fleeing civilians only cast her a numb glance, their eyes carrying a touch of confusion.

This young lady was quite pretty, but was there perhaps something wrong with her head?

After all, everyone else was fleeing outward, while she alone traveled in the opposite direction.

Jiang Yuechu sat atop her horse, her expression unchanged.

With a casual tug on the reins, she stopped an old man who was leading his grandson along with faltering steps.

"Sir."

The old man jumped in fright. Only when he looked up and saw a young woman on horseback did he steady himself slightly.

"Miss... do you need something?"

"How far is Golden City?"

"Golden... Golden City?" The old man froze for a moment, then pointed ahead. "Not far. Another ten-odd li, and you'll be there."

Ten-odd li.

Jiang Yuechu silently calculated the journey. She should arrive before nightfall.

Seeing that she said nothing, the old man could not help asking another question. "Miss, are you... going to Golden City?"

Jiang Yuechu nodded without denying it.

The old man's face immediately filled with disbelief. He waved his hands repeatedly, as though afraid she might do something foolish.

"Miss, listen to this old man's advice. Golden City is no place to go now..."

Jiang Yuechu naturally knew why it was no place to go.

But she had been worrying over the lack of information, so this was the perfect chance to ask about the situation.

She deliberately put on a puzzled expression. "Oh? Why can't I go?"

"Demons! There's a great demon!"

The old man slapped his thigh and said in a trembling voice, "Several villages near Golden City were wiped out overnight! I heard that monster... aiya, what a sight! Blood flowed into rivers, and not a single living soul was left!"

"Now everyone in the city has fled. Even... even the county magistrate abandoned his official seal and ran away with his family!"

"You're so delicate, Miss. Going in there alone would be delivering food to demons and monsters!"

Having said that, regardless of whether she had taken his words to heart, the old man grabbed his grandson and merged into the crowd without looking back, hurrying away for his life.

Leaving Jiang Yuechu with a strange expression.

Even the county magistrate had run?

Just how fierce was this monster?

Fragmented memories churned through her mind.

Under the laws of the Great Tang, officials were responsible for guarding the lands under their charge.

When disaster or banditry struck, the head of a county could report upward for aid or seal the city and hold it to the death. Only one thing was forbidden: abandoning his post and fleeing.

Such an act was no different from a general deserting in the face of battle, a crime equivalent to treason.

Once confirmed by the imperial court, the lighter punishment was dismissal from office and exile three thousand li away; the heavier punishment was execution of the entire household, with disaster extending to three generations.

For a scholar who had studied bitterly by lamplight for over a decade and finally clawed his way to becoming the master of a county to abandon not only his own life and fortune, but also the honor and disgrace of his entire family, rolling up his bedding and fleeing—

The monster's difficulty had likely reached the point where that magistrate believed even being hunted by the imperial court offered a better chance of survival than remaining in Golden City.

Understanding that, she could not help hesitating.

Should she still go?

Just as she was considering it—

Two figures suddenly appeared at the end of the official road.

Both wore black, their bodies exceptionally brawny. They stood a head taller than ordinary strong men, broad-shouldered and thick-backed.

Jiang Yuechu's pupils contracted, and her hand instinctively settled on the hilt of her saber.

Only when they drew closer did she see their appearances clearly.

They looked like people, yet not quite.

Both had a layer of fine black bristles growing across their faces, noses protruding forward, and when their mouths split open, dense white tusks showed within.

Pig demons.