A visitor in red came by night

Monsters born when living creatures of the mortal world were corrupted by demonic qi were known as demon monsters.

The so-called "true demons" were different. They were not infected creatures, but things that spawned in the Demon Abyss, and even the weakest of them rivaled a Qi Refining Cultivator.

"A few days ago, we discovered a true demon hiding in a ruined temple outside Ailin Old City. Steward Wei, Steward Pang, and I have been taking turns standing guard outside, while disciples and county soldiers attack day and night. Our aim is to learn the paths inside, or force that true demon out."

By this point, Jiang Che's expression had turned completely serious.

The two looked at each other for a moment.

"You know what this means without me spelling it out." Du Yongchang stood and patted his shoulder. "Tomorrow, I'll take you all to Ailin Old City. Be careful. Don't die."

Jiang Che nodded. "Thank you for the warning, Steward."

A row of low brick buildings stood in the Hall Department's rear courtyard.

By the time Jiang Che found his way there, it was completely dark.

He was just about to ask someone where his room was when a door beside him opened. Zhang Erguo's round face poked out from behind it. "Over here! I saved you a room!"

Jiang Che answered and walked in. The room was small, with two plank beds facing each other across a low table.

With limited facilities, the Ailin Outer Gate provided two-person rooms.

The moment he sat down, Zhang Erguo asked eagerly, "That Steward Du... how do you know him? He even knew your name!"

Jiang Che had expected that question.

In a hellhole like Ailin, having a Qi Refining Cultivator who wielded authority here as a backer would make life so much easier!

"He used to be an outer gate steward in Willow Source. I spent some time under him as a Probationary Disciple."

"An outer gate steward in Willow Source? Then why did he come here?"

"He made a mistake."

"Then what about you?" Zhang Erguo was even more confused. "You're from Willow Source too. He was exiled for a mistake, while you earned a Registered Disciple slot for your service? What exactly happened?"

Jiang Che gave a wry smile.

"If I hadn't earned that merit, he'd have faced more than just punishment for a mistake."

"?"

Jiang Che briefly told Zhang Erguo what had happened in Willow Source, then concluded:

"Lord Du and I do know each other, and we have some history, but I'm no friend, relative, or trusted follower of his. Don't read too much into it."

Despite that, Zhang Erguo was still excited. "That's already great! Our chances of getting out of Ailin alive have gone up by at least thirty percent!"

Jiang Che shook his head with a bitter smile. "Don't celebrate too soon... I suspect that once the handover is done tomorrow, we'll have a tough fight on our hands right away. You could even call it being sent out as cannon fodder. Prepare yourself."

"Cannon fodder? What do you mean?"

"There's a true demon hiding in a ruined temple, and the lords have already surrounded it. Tomorrow, we'll probably have to join the Ailin soldiers in attacking it over and over, until we force it out or figure out what's going on inside."

"What? A true demon?" The words immediately left Zhang Erguo at a loss. "Why would they send us Embryonic Breath cultivators against something like that?"

"There is no reason." Jiang Che sighed. "The Qi Refining lords don't want to risk entering a ruined temple full of demon monsters. They're afraid the true demon might have something up its sleeve. Even if they could succeed, they wouldn't want to suffer an injury. With so many outer gate disciples, Registered Disciples, and Ailin Soldiers at their disposal, why go in themselves? They can sit safely outside the temple and send their disciples in to tread through every danger and force the true demon out. Then they can act at their leisure and destroy it. Isn't that the safer course?"

That was the unspoken meaning Jiang Che had gleaned from Du Yongchang's words during their earlier conversation.

Zhang Erguo's face had gone deathly pale. "How can it come to this? Can the lives of Registered Disciples like us really be thrown away so casually?"

Jiang Che was about to speak again when he suddenly looked toward the door.

Zhang Erguo froze for a moment, then caught on and instinctively reached for his weapon.

The door slowly opened, and a slender figure stepped inside before closing it behind her-it was Hu Yan!

Senior Sister Hu, the leader of the Registered Disciples, had arrived uninvited. She sat openly on Jiang Che's bed. "Carry on."

Jiang Che said, "Ha... you arrived so suddenly, Senior Sister Hu, that you caught us a little off guard. What would you like to discuss?"

"Let's stop beating around the bush and speak plainly. I heard some of what you were saying from outside. I never expected our group to have a disciple with old ties to Lord Du. That was a pleasant surprise... I trust your judgment, Junior Brother Jiang. So if we really do have to attack immediately tomorrow and split into teams, I'll put you two in mine."

Jiang Che smiled without speaking, weighing the matter in his mind.

"I believe I have some ability. In all of Ailin, no one other than the lords who have reached Qi Refining is my equal." Senior Sister Hu sounded quite confident as she said this. "When we move out, stay close to me. As long as I can manage it, I'll do my best to look after you."

"Then may I ask what you want the two of us to do?"

Zhang Erguo interjected, but Hu Yan did not even glance at him. She kept her eyes on Jiang Che. "I don't want much. If you learn anything in the future, just let me know. If Lord Du offers you a way to survive or some benefit, let me have a share. We each get what we need. What do you think, Junior Brother Jiang?"

By then, Jiang Che had made up his mind.

"You're decisive, Senior Sister Hu, so I won't hedge either. We'll do as you say and work together, striving to make sure we all survive these three months."

"Good." Hu Yan nodded. "But merely surviving three months isn't what I'm after."

Sure enough, just as Du Yongchang had said, they were given no more time to rest.

Early the next morning, he personally led the group. All the Registered Disciples who had come from the sect assembled, and without a single unnecessary word, they headed straight out of the city.

No one tried to argue with Du Yongchang, either. In principle, their assignment did not officially begin until the eighth day, so all they should have needed to do today was complete the handover with the previous group.

That was indeed what the deployment order said, but who was in charge here? A bunch of Embryonic Breath cultivators had no say at all. They had to do whatever they were told.

Their destination was Ailin Old City.

It lay near the ruins of Ailin County as it had been seven years ago, before the Demon Calamity erupted. The earthquake brought by the Demon Calamity had originated there, destroying more than half the county town at once and leaving countless dead and wounded. Then demonic qi had poured out of cracks in the earth, swiftly engulfing the entire town and its surroundings and turning the area into a land of death.

The place they were heading to was five li outside the old city, where there was said to be a temple.