A pitying voice came.
『 How pitiful, even I am regretful about this 』
At the camp where the Demon Lord originally was, all the demons laid flat on the ground, writhing and trembling.
It was as if they were receiving some sort of unspeakable torture, but couldn’t let out a single sound due to their mouths being sealed shut.
The pitying voice rang out again: 『 But this can’t be helped, it’s because you low-leveled bugs couldn’t even block a single tunnel 』
The voice sighed.
『 Just die 』
Following this voice, the entire camp went silent.
The demons stopped writhing.
Their corpses slowly melted.
After a while, another voice came.
『 What now? We even lost a Remodeled Demon Lord. 』
The voice from before replied with a question: 『 Did you find that soul from before? 』
『 We can’t locate him, he’s apparently inside the Forgetting River, the Forgetting River is covering up all his information 』
『 Capable of fooling a Demon Lord, protected by Forgetting River, this human must die 』
『 But the Forgetting River had stopped all communications, what do we do about that? 』
『 Let’s go and take a look at the border between Huang Quan and the human realm first 』
The two voices disappeared.
A while later.
At the border between Huang Quan and the human realm.
Two figures hovered in space.
One of the figures extended its hand from the tunnel to touch something in space.
Fwoom!
Intense flames burned the hand to a crisp.
『 Seems like we need a bit more time, the protective barrier of the human realm hasn’t been fully destroyed yet and we’re too strong 』the voice spoke regretfully.
『 If that’s the case, the bunch from hell should put in some effort 』
『 Yes! Make them find that human’s body and destroy it 』
『 As long as the body is dead, no matter where the soul is hiding in Huang Quan, he’ll die right away! 』
As the two voices casually discussed this, some wind came blowing from the dark tunnel and followed the space vortex towards the human realm.
Not too long after, the four hells that descended on the human realm received news.
Inside the dark tunnel, one of the voices complained: 『 So much time spent on an insignificant ant, how wasteful 』
Seemingly sensed something, they went silent, then suddenly became excited.
『 Did you feel that? 』
『 Yes, a world is about to become our fruit to harvest 』
『 Let’s go! This world’s matters have been settled properly, the more important world is reaching the crucial time of harvest, our efforts are better spent there 』
『 Indeed 』
The two figures disappeared.
They left.
On the other side.
Huang Quan.
The bottom of the Forgetting River.
The blue-dress maid asked: “So who exactly are you, sir?”
This time it was a sincere question.
The Earth sword silently sent its voice: 「 She has the power of a Law from Huang Quan on her body 」
CST silently nodded.
It’s not just a Law that she has.
There was a water-blue light that covered the maid.
As Gu Qing Shan observed the blue light, a line of glowing text appeared on the War God UI.
[Detected the core essence of Huang Quan: Root Aqua]
It turns out that this bubble of blue light was the Huang Quan realm’s Root Aqua.
Not only does she carry the Law of Huang Quan on her body, she was also being nurtured with Root Aqua, her status must be unbelievably high.
Gu Qing Shan became even more earnest.
He clasped his fist to bow and spoke: “This humble one is Gu Qing Shan, a human cultivator, because the hells appeared in the human realm, I used a soul separation secret technique to arrive at Huang Quan and investigate the situation”
The blue-dress girl appeared surprised.
He’s really a living person?
Since when did the human realm have such an ability to separate their soul from their bodies to go to Huang Quan?
She stared at him, then abruptly called: “Merit Accountant Machine”
A voice rang out: [I’m here! I’m here! What are your orders?]
The voice seemed to be flattering her.
Gu Qing Shan felt a bit annoyed.
It didn’t answer no matter what I asked, but the blue-dress girl only needed to call for it to come out.
“He is a living person?” she asked.
[Indeed, according to the Law’s judgement, he really is a living person, that is why his Merit is currently 0000] the Merit Accountant Machine confirmed.
The blue-dress girl was now convinced.
If he was a human that came from the human realm, then everything makes sense.
The blue-dress girl lightly curtsied and spoke: “Within Huang Quan, everyone calls me Shannu, you may call me the same” (1)
“Then I shall” Gu Qing Shan bowed again as a reply.
“There are already 4 hells in the human realm?” the blue-dress girl sighed.
“Yes, we’re already at the end of our ropes”
Gu Qing Shan then told her the situation in the human realm, including his intentions as he came here.
Hearing that, the blue-dress girl became a bit friendlier.
She changed her way of addressing him: “Gongzi, may I ask how is the Prayers Trial Machines and the others faring?” (2)
Gu Qing Shan answered: “Although they don’t have the ability to save the human realm, but I can feel that they’re enjoying themselves in the human realm”
The blue-dress girl’s cold expression relaxed as she spoke: “Then that’s good”
She mused for a bit then continued: “Unfortunately I’m currently recuperating, so I have no way of helping you”
Gu Qing Shan looked back to see that the blue Root Aqua was still enveloping the girl, occasionally flowing into her body.
Her body was a bit faint and transparent, like an unreal projection.
After a bit of hesitation, she opened her palm.
A faint blue essence slowly concentrated in her hand.
“Take this, at least the remaining strength of Huang Quan that owes me will not make it hard on you if you have it”
“Ah? Then I thank you”
The blue essence was absorbed into Gu Qing Shan as it disappeared.
As Gu Qing Shan carefully felt it, he found a hint of newfound indifference within his presence.
This indifference didn’t carry any power, it only served to change his presence, essentially an extra mask that he was given.
And he could expel this mask any time he wishes.
Gu Qing Shan loosened up.
The blue-dress girl nodded at Gu Qing Shan and spoke: “With that bit of my essence, the rest of the weapons will help you”
Weapons?
Gu Qing Shan wanted to ask, but decided to clasp his fist first: “Thank you”
“You can leave now, if my wounds are ok again, I’ll get back on the battlefield” she said.
Gu Qing Shan thought a bit, then tapped his Inventory Bag to take out a bottle of first-rate healing pills, wanting to offer it.
“They are great, but I cannot use them” the blue-dress girl waved her hand to refuse.
But seeing that he wanted to help, she hesitated a bit before speaking: “Do you perhaps have Burnt Mountain Jade, Sunken Ice Soil and 10,000-year Spirit Red Magma?”
Gu Qing Shan’s eyebrows twitched.
Burnt Mountain Jade. In a mountain that contains a large number of fire spirit stone mines and abundant earth spirits, after 1,000 years without any mining, the combination of fire spirits and earth spirits will occasionally produce one or two Burnt Mountain Jades.
Sunken Ice Soil was soil that came from the incredibly rare ice spirit herbal nurturing grounds, in which it must go through an unknown special change that turns it into Sunken Ice Soil.
Spirit Red Magma was a rare type of material, for it to exist and undergo 10,000 years of change and precipitation was even rarer.
They are all rare treasures.
Gu Qing Shan stayed silent without replying.
The blue-dress girl also knew that it wasn’t an appropriate request and spoke: “It’s because the lives Huang Quan are at stake that I want to quickly heal and require these items. I have no choice but to ask you for them, if you don’t have them then it’s fine”
Gu Qing Shan put the first-rate healing pills back into the Inventory Bag and took out the 7-color fragrance bag.
He quickly found and took out a Burnt Mountain Jade, Sunken Ice Soil and 10,000-year Spirit Red Magma.
10,000-year Spirit Red Magma was so rare that even Bai Hua sect only had a single piece.
These are all the most precious belongings of the sect.
“Take them” Gu Qing Shan told her.
When he blue-dress girl saw how generous he was, even she was surprised.
She stared straight at Gu Qing Shan, then spoke: “Thank you, then I’ll go into seclusion to heal as quickly as possible, I hope to see you again on the battlefield, gongzi”
They exchanged bows.
When Gu Qing Shan wanted to ask more about the situation of Huang Quan, the blue-dress girl has turned into a light and sunk into the ground again.
Gu Qing Shan froze.
Already going into seclusion? That’s a bit too hurried.
The ground closed up as the blue-dress girl seemed to have gone far away.
The Earth sword couldn’t even scratch this grey-ish white rock material.
But she managed to just sink into it in a matter of seconds.
This is ——-
Gu Qing Shan stood shaken for a bit before taking his swords to leave.
After walking at the bottom of the river for a bit.
The Earth sword suddenly spoke up.
It was a bit suspicious: 「 You gave away such precious things just like that? 」
The Chao Yin sword followed the Earth sword and also let out a questioning ‘wu wu’ sound.
Gu Qing Shan explained: “Since she has the presence of Huang Quan’s Law, she must be a person of Huang Quan, and the killing intent I felt from her body must mean she just came back from a battlefield ——-I wouldn’t mistake it for anything else”
“If she recovers quickly, she might even become a good ally…”
But Gu Qing Shan stopped talking.
This was the first time we met each other.
Even if they are on the same side, there was no need for me to treat that girl so well.
What I said doesn’t explain why I gave such precious treasures away so easily.
He stopped.
That’s a good point, why did I do that?
Gu Qing Shan crossed his arms and started to think again: “Now that you say that, I also don’t feel that’s quite right”
“I’m not a skirt chaser, so why couldn’t I help myself and help her immediately like that?” he carefully thought about this.
「 And you even gave everything she asked for ——–so perhaps you like her? 」 the Earth sword suggested.
The Chao Yin sword vibrated to express agreement.
Gu Qing Shan slowly answered: “I don’t like her in that way, and we’ve only just met, how would someone like someone else that much on a first meeting?”
He asked himself: “But then why would I do what I did?”
“No matter how beautiful or brilliant a girl is, I would still not act that way”
The Earth sword spoke with a heavy voice: 「 I’m very sure that you were not under the influence of Charm-type spells, so, in your human language, this would be called —–”
“Love at first sight?”
“No, more like thinking with your lower half”
Gu Qing Shan immediately refuted: “That’s not it. I definitely wasn’t thinking about any male-female relationships”
He then asked: “You were able to sense the Law of Huang Quan on her body, could you tell what she was?”
「 I’m not sure, the Forgetting River around interferes with my senses too much, I can only tell that she wasn’t a demonic god 」the Earth sword answered.
Gu Qing Shan closed his eyes and silently thought for a while.
He abruptly spoke up: “It wasn’t a feeling of romance, it was something else”
「 Then what would that be? 」the Earth sword asked.
“I can’t quite put my finger on it right now, it’s a kind of feeling I’ve always had for a very long time, that’s why I didn’t hesitate to help her”
「 If you want to take that approach, truthfully the items she wanted were quite strange as well 」the Earth sword commented.
“That’s true, those three treasures aren’t usually used to heal, so she must have some other use for them” Gu Qing Shan also commented.
He continued: “But all three of these treasures have so many uses that I’m not really sure how she’ll use them”
One person and two swords stood at the bottom of the river, analyzing what happened as they slowly moved forward.
All of a sudden, a line of glowing text appeared on the War God UI.
[The Hells that descended on the human realm have been made known of your actions, they are currently looking for your body]
[You have to find the method to resolve everything before they find your body]
[At a certain necessary point, you must return. Otherwise if your body is destroyed, you will have really died]
Gu Qing Shan tensed up.
“We’re speeding up”
He jumped up and started flying through the bottom of the Forgetting River like a river dragon.
Note:
(1) Shannu: Her name is written in the raws as Shan Nu, which literally translates to “mountain girl”.
(2) Gongzi: Shannu speaks in a Chinese maid-like fashion, in which her speech is usually very formal and respectful towards anyone she isn’t hostile to. Gongzi literally means “young master”, but it’s also used to refer to young men who the speaker respects, even if they aren’t actually the young master of anything. If you’ve read Emperor Domination, this is what Li Qi Ye usually tells the girls he meets to refer to him as. In this case, Shannu meant the second meaning.
Incidentally, the Zishan young master’s maids also refer to him as gongzi, but with the first meaning (obviously).
