Farewell

The Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox gazed at Shen Shu's legs, her left eye shimmering with a misty light that obscured her emotions.

But she remained in a gazing posture, motionless for a long time.

After a while, the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox's uniquely soft and charming voice chuckled:

"I was young then, and although I didn't fight Asura, I know his strength well. To be honest, I'm less than 50% confident that you can bring back the divine remains."

"That's because I'm not just a pure warrior."

Xu Qi'an said calmly.

The nine-tailed celestial fox giggled, reaching out her left hand to stroke her right cheek, and said sweetly:

"I'm growing more and more fond of this lad, Night Princess. What do you say, I'll bestow all your sisters upon him?"

Ye Ji's heart sank. The empress's words meant:

I'm growing more and more fond of him; I want him to be the prince consort of the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons.

With Xu Lang's strength, he is definitely among the top figures in the Nine Provinces. If the Empress wants to restore the kingdom, she needs to recruit talents, so it's not surprising that she would take a liking to him. He is fully capable and qualified. Ye Ji was resistant in her heart because Xu Qi'an is now her man. If the Empress really takes a liking to him, then her status will probably become that of a dowry maid.

Although Demon Race don't care about titles or status, their love is genuine. Even if a queen openly steals away the man she loves, she will still feel resentment and dissatisfaction.

Especially besides Bai Ji, those seven alluring vixens each possess unique charm and will definitely try their best to seduce Xu Lang.

"The sisters of Fuxiang, are they all as soft and supple as a drizzle on the street?" Xu Qi'an's heart stirred, then he couldn't help but glance at the little white fox, shaking his head in disappointment. This little thing didn't count.

The nine-tailed celestial fox walked to Shen Shu's legs, raised her hand, and gently pressed it on her calves:

"For five hundred years, I have been racking my brains, planning how to break the seal and help him escape, and how to lead the Southern Demons to reclaim their homeland."

"That day is finally not far away."

Your Majesty, don't just talk the talk, walk the walk. If you don't have their photos, at least provide their contact information. Xu Qi'an asked casually.

"When does Your Majesty plan to launch an uprising, leading the Demon Race army to reclaim the Hundred Thousand Mountains?"

The nine-tailed celestial fox pondered for a moment, then said softly:

"When I return to Kyushu, I will awaken Shenshu, send troops to attack the Western Regions, capture Asura alive, and have him break your last seal. Gather all of Shenshu's limbs except for his head, and then attack Alanto."

Should we attack Aranta again? To reclaim Shenshu's head? If so, can the Bodhisattva Gara Tree continue to cooperate with Yunzhou in attacking the Central Plains? Xu Qi'an's thoughts raced, and he secretly became excited.

"When will Your Majesty return to Kyushu?" he asked.

"It will take some time. In the meantime, I will have Ye Ji and the others secretly recall the Demon Race scattered throughout the Nine Provinces. Gathering troops will take time."

Xu Qi'an nodded slightly; preparing for war was no child's play.

"Your Majesty, do you know that Shenshu is the King of Asuras?"

Xu Qi'an dropped a bombshell.

Sun Xuanji and Ye Ji's expressions suddenly changed.

The Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox slowly said:

"It wasn't until the very end of the battle between the Buddha and the demon that I learned he was the Asura King."

He didn't even know his own father's identity; it seemed that Shen Shu and the Lord of the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons had deliberately concealed it from him back then. Xu Qi'an then asked:

"Then you also possess Asura Essence Blood? But why did Protector Qingmu say you are a pure-blooded Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox?"

The nine-tailed fox suddenly turned around, her clear, bright eyes fixed intently on him. After a long while, she chuckled and said:

"Xu Yinluo's ability to solve cases is truly remarkable, living up to his reputation. If I'm even slightly careless, you'll have almost figured out everything about him."

She paused, then sighed:

"I am not a pure-blooded nine-tailed celestial fox. I was born with eight tails. Back then, my mother used illusion magic to deceive the demons, making them believe that I am a pure-blooded nine-tailed celestial fox."

"At the end of the battle between Buddha and demon, knowing that she could not escape her fate, my mother separated a portion of her spiritual essence and poured it into my body."

"It was only after I received her spiritual essence that I was able to expel the blood of the Asura and transform into a pure nine-tailed celestial fox. It was also at that time that I learned of Shen Shu's true identity."

Xu Qi'an suddenly realized. "So, Her Majesty went to sea to find her clansmen in order to ensure the purity of the bloodline of the next generation?"

The nine-tailed celestial fox nodded, then shook its head, and said with a smile:

"If they are pleasing to the eye, we shall make them partners and bring them back to the Nine Provinces to help me restore the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons. If they are not pleasing to the eye, we shall kill them, seize their spiritual essence, and prepare it for my future offspring."

"Right now, I lean towards the latter. However, the ocean is boundless and contains numerous islands; I'm not sure if there are still nine-tailed celestial foxes overseas."

Xu Qi'an extracted two core elements from her words:

First, the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox wasn't very confident about rebelling, so it went to sea to find its own kind and try to recruit them into its ranks.

Second, because finding a needle in a haystack was too uncertain, she seemed to have changed her mind and had new plans.

Seeing that the conversation was almost over, Ye Ji hurriedly asked:

"Your Majesty, is this part of Master Shenshu's body good or evil?"

She remained concerned about whether, after awakening the divine remains, it would cooperate with Xu Qi'an to unlock the Demon-Sealing Nails.

The Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox pondered for a moment, then said:

"Actually, it's easy to deduce. The right arm sealed beneath Sangbo is gentle and compassionate; the left arm inside the pagoda is cruel and bloodthirsty; and the torso is bold and straightforward. Therefore, the personality of this leg excludes all of the above."

"They may be difficult to deal with, but they're not evil or cruel. You can decide for yourselves."

After saying this, the misty light in Ye Ji's left eye dissipated, and she left.

Xu Qi'an and Sun Xuanji exchanged a glance. The former took out Law Artifact such as the Floating Pagoda and the Taiping Blade, while the latter tacitly drew up an array.

Any formation that requires a third-rank Warlock to draw stroke by stroke is definitely an earth-shattering formation.

After Sun Xuanji finished inscribing the formation, at Xu Qi'an's signal, Ye Ji stepped forward, pinched her little finger with her thumb, squeezed out two drops of Essence Blood, and dripped them onto her legs.

The blood was instantly absorbed by the severed limbs, and in a moment, the legs came back to life.

They suddenly leaped from the table, their left legs flying towards Ye Ji's alluring face, while their right legs attacked her lower abdomen.

Ye Ji's expression changed slightly, and she gracefully retreated.

Buzzing, his two legs were blocked by a rising barrier of clear light, which was the formation carved by Sun Xuanji—drawing a prison on the ground.

Shenshu's two legs ran around wildly inside the cave, the left leg going to the left and the right leg going to the right. After realizing they were separated, the left leg hurriedly ran to the right and the right leg hurriedly moved to the left.

Then they collided with a "bang" and fell to the ground.

They tried hard to stay in harmony and in sync, but failed each time because of their differing ideas.

Is this Shen Shu's performative personality? A circus enthusiast? Xu Qi'an's mouth dropped open in astonishment.

Sun Xuanji and Ye Ji shared similar expressions with him, showing surprise and astonishment while trying hard to suppress their laughter.

"Master Shenshu."

Xu Qi'an coughed, interrupting the performance that had broken both legs.

Shen Shu's legs stopped, drawn by Xu Qi'an. The next moment, they burst forth with fierce fighting spirit, like indomitable warriors, charging towards Xu Qi'an.

His right leg leaped into the air, aiming straight for Xu Qi'an's face, while his left leg, devoid of any martial ethics, attacked Xu Qi'an's groin.

Xu Qi'an expressionlessly stretched out his hands and grasped the ankles of his left and right legs respectively.

Shen Shu's legs were immediately clamped, and no matter how much she struggled, she could not break free.

After a stalemate, the remnant soul of Shen Shu conveyed his thoughts:

"Young man, your strength has earned my recognition."

"Senior was sealed for five hundred years and is merely in a weakened state." Xu Qi'an released his ankle, cupped his hands, and said, "Junior Xu Qi'an has a great connection with you."

"I sensed it; a part of my body is inside you."

Shen Shu said arrogantly, "But that won't be a reason for me to show mercy. Once I've recovered, I'll fight you to the death. You're a worthy opponent, and the Essence Blood within you is quite tempting."

A combative personality, hmm, Shen Shu is the Asura King, and the Asura race is naturally combative. These legs inherited part of Shen Shu's combative will. Xu Qi'an instantly understood.

"I can help you recover, senior. In exchange, you must remove the demon-sealing nails from my body."

Shen Shu's legs "examined" him, and she sneered:

"Sure, the stronger the opponent, the more excited I get."

Once I remove the Demon-Sealing Nails, I'll throw out the torso and let the two of you fight it out. Xu Qi'an looked at Sun Xuanji:

"Let's reseal the senior first."

Given the current state of Shen Shu's legs, he simply doesn't have the power to remove the Demon-Sealing Nails.

After Sun Xuanji sealed Shen Shu's legs and placed them in the wooden box, Xu Qi'an asked:

"Senior Brother Sun, what are your plans for the future?"

Sun Xuanji picked up his pen and wrote, "Go to Qingzhou to support the defending troops."

He glanced at Ye Ji and wrote again, "I have a favor to ask of you, young lady."

Ye Ji hurriedly said, "Senior Brother Sun, please give your orders."

Sun Xuanji wrote on the paper, "I want to take the ape demon away. There's no particular reason; I just think he has good potential and I want to take him as a disciple."

Ye Ji glanced at Xu Qi'an, who said:

"What special purpose does Protector Yuan have?"

Night Princess shook her head and smiled, "This is a good thing."

Inside the valley, a campfire roared.

Sun Xuanji stood with his hands behind his back, with the reluctant Protector Yuan standing beside him.

Night Princess led the valley's demons to see him off; Protector Yuan was no minor demon, but held a certain status.

Upon learning that Protector Yuan was to travel to the Central Plains with the Warlock from the Bureau of Astronomy, the demons were extremely reluctant to part with him and saw him off with tears in their eyes.

Red-Tassel Protector's eyes were bloodshot:

"Protector Yuan, I've heard that most humans are narrow-minded and petty. After you go to the Central Plains, remember to Jinyan. Although you have Senior Brother Sun protecting you, you must not let yourself go."

The white ape guardian remained expressionless.

Protector Aoki, leaning on his cane, stepped forward and patted Protector Yuan on the shoulder:

"Young people should venture out and explore. The Hundred Thousand Mountains are too small to contain you. The Central Plains are a land of outstanding people and rich in civilization. It will be beneficial to go out and explore, but you must come back. Fallen leaves return to their roots; the Southern Frontier is your home."

The white ape guardian remained expressionless.

Miao Youfang also stepped forward and patted Protector Yuan on the shoulder:

See you in the Central Plains!

The demons offered their farewell words, their eyes filled with tears, reluctant to part.

Seeing that it was about time, Sun Xuanji nodded to Xu Qi'an, placed his hand on Protector Yuan's shoulder, and a beam of clear light rose up, enveloping the two of them and disappearing into the valley.

High in the sky, the cannons continuously teleported and jumped, while Sun Xuanji stood with his hands behind his back, exuding the demeanor of a master, staring at Protector Yuan.

Protector Yuan looked at him with her clear, azure eyes and said:

"Senior Brother Sun's heart is asking me: Why was I so cold just now, and didn't say goodbye to my fellow clansmen?"

Sun Xuanji nodded in satisfaction, indicating that this was exactly what she wanted to ask.

Protector Yuan paused for a moment, then said:

Hongying's heart told her, "That damned monkey is finally gone! That pleases his mother. Let's drink and celebrate until dawn tonight!"

Before Sun Xuanji could react, he continued:

"Aoki's heart told me: The dead monkey is finally gone. If he hadn't left, I would have lost my integrity in my old age."

The other lesser demons' hearts told me: Hurry, hurry!

Sun Xuanji was dumbfounded. He suddenly realized that taking Protector Yuan away might not be a good thing.

Qingzhou, Baisha County.

Qi Guangbo climbed the city wall and looked down at the city, where smoke signals were rising everywhere.

The Yunzhou army has just captured this largest border city. From then on, the defensive line formed by the nine counties along the Qingzhou border has been completely removed and brought under the control of the Yunzhou army.

The morale of the Yunzhou army was greatly boosted, but Qi Guangbo, the commander-in-chief, felt no joy whatsoever.

"Summon all commanders to the barbican for a meeting."

Qi Guangbo said in a deep voice.

"Yes!"

The lieutenant, with his saber slung over his shoulder, strode away.

PS: Updated first, revised later.