Chapter 52 Demonic Cultivators

As the Qing Lu Sword Sect’s young sect master, Song Tang very quickly heard the news about the demonic cultivators.

“Ye City’s inner security is impenetrable. Most of the buildings have protection spells that can detect demonic cultivation. Moreover, they link directly with the City Lord. However, during the Flower Picking Festival, the base camps of each sect didn’t have the same protection. The City Lord’s people posited that demonic cultivators concealed their whereabouts and hid in one such place.”

After conferring with the City Master’s attendant, Song Tang notified the sect’s disciples to coordinate with the black-armored guards for patrolling. He also explained the situation to Luo Mingchuan’s trio.

“My sect is the host. Now that such a thing has happened in this city, we will not shirk our duty.”

Luo Mingchuan frowned and said, “Is there anything that I can do to help? Do not hesitate to ask.”

The demonic cultivators’ reappearance was a major issue, not only for Ye City, but also for the entire Southern Continent.

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Song Tang grimly replied, “Many thanks.”

Luo Mingchuan, the head disciple of Cang Ya Mountain, was currently a mid-stage Lesser Vessel cultivator. Whether it was position or cultivation realm, both were reassuring for people. If he joined the city’s patrol groups, he could stabilize the situation, further ensuring the safety of the civilians inside of the city.

Yin Biyue and Duan Chongxuan originally wanted to help, but they acknowledged their cultivations were insufficient, deciding that it would be better not to cause any trouble. Thus they brought the black-armored guards back to Lake Qiu, and accepted inspection by their own accord.

The young captain took a talisman paper and tested for demonic traces, and when leaving he politely thanked them.

After breakthrough, cultivators’ five senses became even more acute. The two could clearly hear them quietly converse by Lake Qiu.

“Didn’t expect that this time would actually go so smoothly.”

“Yeah, with regard to the great sects, the difference in sect principles is really too big!”

Yin Biyue and Duan Chongxuan listened for a while, but they still did not understand. It seemed like…they were inexplicably being commended.

They didn’t know that the city guards had first gone to the courtyard by Xinshui Bridge.

They had barely stated their purpose, when the disciple that opened the door hurriedly said,

“Our sect is the great Zong School¹; you dare suspect that we harbour demonic cultivators!”

The platoon captain innocently replied, “Of course not.”

The Bao Pu Sect disciple imperiously declared, “Then for what reason do you inspect us?! Clearly you doubt us! This bullying has gone too far!”

The young captain didn’t know how to explain, “This… every place will be checked.”

“Nonsense! What is the purpose of you people?!”

“…”

There was no way to communicate.

Finally, one of the Ye City’s attendants came, and only then did they solve this problem.

Yin Biyue and Duan Chongxuan arrived at the city center, wanting to see if they could find any clues.

Compared to before, when the flow of people was like the tides, the streets were now emptied a lot more. Yet there still wasn’t a large-scale panic; the stores and restaurants on the main street were still open and welcoming guests. The black-armored guards solemnly patrolled the great streets and little alleyways, gazes sharp as a blade.

After a turn on the street, Chatterbox took his shixiong to the teahouse. Today the number of guests at Tai He Pavilion could be counted on one’s fingers. It lacked the previous boiling cauldron of voices and the seats all filled with guests, so it looked especially tranquil and refined.

The window seat’s view was wide open, they could take in the entire scene of the long street at once. Chatterbox ordered a pot of Biluochun Tea and requested a dish of Yulu Lotus Cake and a dish of Furong Cake.²

Because he had been in seclusion for several days, he felt like he hadn’t chatted with anyone for a long time.

Right now he had an urgent need to talk.

Chatterbox lifted his teacup for a small sip, sighing, “Fourth Shixiong, I really didn’t expect demonic cultivators to come to the Southern Continent.”

Yin Biyue frowned, “Demonic cultivation declined a long time ago; if this is a sign of revival, chaos is very close. Even though the Eastern Continent is separated from the other main continents by oceans, it’s not difficult to cross.”

He still remembered Second Shijie had once participated in the extermination of demons at Xi Ling Mountain. That battle had been very tragic.

“For demonic cultivators have time to come to the Southern Continent, that’s strange too. Originally the Twelve Palaces of demonic cultivation in the Eastern Continent would fight amongst themselves endlessly, but they still look to bother the other four main continents?”

Yin Biyue understood that Chatterbox knew a lot of secret news or some hearsay, “They’re all demonic cultivators; is there a lot of disagreement?”

“Quite a lot! During the ‘Great Dao-Demonic Cultivation War’ Mo Zun died under the Lin Yuan Sword; afterwards there was again chaos across the world, and the ‘End of Dharma Era’ arrived. The twelve guardians under Mo Zun, unable to accept each other, ended up each setting up a sect, breaking into the Twelve Palaces, and each one of them thought themselves the proper demonic cultivators, that they should be the ones to inherit Mo Zun’s legacy. Fighting and plundering each other in the Eastern Continent, endless internal struggles, naturally they didn’t become of much..”

Duan Chongxuan ate a slice of lotus cake, changing the topic,

“But it’s funny–they’re all convinced of one thing.”

“What?”

“Mo Zun³ didn’t die.”

He continued, “This really is the power of faith; Mo Zun is departed from the present by a million years. Don’t mention cultivators, not even monsters have that long of a lifespan.”

Mo Zun didn’t die. This was a popular joke on the streets.

But Yin Biyue suddenly felt a chill in his heart.

At present the most powerful under the heavens was the Sword Saint, at the Saint stage. There weren’t any true immortals like in the ‘All Saints Era.’ If Mo Zun really hadn’t died, who could contend against him?

The Academy Director called this era ‘Stellaris’–did it include the demonic cultivators of the Eastern Continent?

But he saw Chatterbox’s joking demeanor, and he thought that maybe he was reading too far into it.

Chatterbox glanced at the streetscape outside the window and suddenly stopped talking, as if he’d spotted something interesting. The corner of his mouth twitched up into a mocking curve.

Yin Biyue followed his gaze downwards and saw a group of people on the street, headed by someone in the Soul Condensing stage wearing cyan eight-trigrams robes. Following right behind were five or six in the Breakthrough stage, and one was even a Lesser Vessel stage guard.

This group was not restraining their pressure, striding down the center of the road; the ordinary civilians could not come close to them, and one by one they retreated.

Right now the guards in the city were busy tracking down the demonic cultivator matter, plus the group was not significantly disturbing the peace or breaking city laws, so nobody was going to care for the moment.

Chatterbox ridiculed, “Oh, look how mighty, tsk tsk, deserving of the title ‘Heng Duan Mountain’s Little Overlord.”⁴

Only then did Yin Biyue recognize that the head of the group was Bao Pu Sect’s Li Lin, who had been thrown off the stage by Chatterbox’s combustion talismans during the Flower Picking Festival. It seemed as if he was of exceptional birth, being the only son of Greater Vessel stage elder Li Changhong. No wonder he had this many strong guards.

Although irritating to look at, this person had no animosity with them; right now in Ye City, Yin Biyue had no intention of interacting with them.

But Chatterbox’s gaze was not hidden at all and had already been noticed by that Lesser Vessel guard. Li Lin followed that person’s glance upwards, and, seeing the two people by the window, his expression immediately changed.

The group of people changed direction, following Li Lin aggressively up the teahouse.

The rest of the customers saw the incoming trouble, and considering the current times were tense because of the recent demonic cultivator loose in the streets, nobody was in the mood for a scene, so they all hurriedly put down some money and left without looking back.

The entire second floor was thoroughly emptied.

When Li Lin brought his guards over, Yin Biyue and Duan Chongxuan had already stood up.

Separated by three chi, neither side had the intention of a friendly greeting.

Yin Biyue subconsciously advanced two steps, standing in front of Duan Chongxuan.

This was a kind of instinct⁵, because he was the shixiong–Duan Chongxuan was his shidi. No matter how many people were on the opposing side, Lesser Vessel stage or Greater Vessel stage, even if a Sage stage came, he would still stand in front of Chatterbox.

But the other party was clearly not here for him.

Li Lin disdainfully sneered for a couple beats, “What’s up with this? On the stage weren’t you very mighty? Now you have the face to hide behind someone else’s back? Where are your combustion talismans? Did you use them all up?”

Yin Biyue understood.

The other party was here to slap their faces.⁶

These guards clearly arrived in Ye City afterwards; perhaps they were even called here by Li Lin. It was only that since Chatterbox had begun diligently cultivating, he went to the teahouses and gambling dens less–there hadn’t been a chance to run into each other.

Who knew that they would run into each other today.

Duan Chongxuan came out, no anger on his face, and he didn’t retort, only earnestly asking, “What do you want?”

He wasn’t enduring it, rather, he actually wasn’t angry at all.

Because he had already had a breakthrough, while his opponent was stuck in the Soul Condensing stage, not making a bit of progress.

They already weren’t at the same level. He wouldn’t debate meaningless words with the other. Just like how a lion wouldn’t turn its head because of a dog’s bark.

Li Lin felt blank, not understanding how he could not play by the rules.

At this time a sudden noise came from the stairs: a team of black-armored guards had also arrived. The captain leading them cupped his hands to greet both parties, asking, “What’s the matter? Fighting is not allowed here.”

It turned out the boss of the teahouse had seen the bad situation and notified the city guards.

Li Lin suddenly laughed, saying to Duan Chongxuan, “Did you know? It’s written in the city law that martial arts are forbidden inside the city, so you can’t raise a hand to hit me here. Otherwise you challenge the city master.”

He smile was full of provocation, “Therefore, I f**k your uncle!”

Duan Chongxuan was still not angry. He even had time to think, relieved, the Bao Pu Zong disciples actually studied the city laws. Turns out they know how to read.

The platoon captain also felt blank.

He thought for a bit, the city law really didn’t say outside cultivators couldn’t sling insults. He felt very troubled for a bit–even though obviously one side had started the trouble, they still had to follow the law.

Li Lin’s voice was very loud, and the more he cursed the more vulgar it became. Obscenely malicious, he paid respects to Duan Chongxuan’s entire family.

Yin Biyue’s expression changed, hand already gripping his sword hilt. He saw Li Lin’s eyes revealing a smile.

But he was pulled back by Duan Chongxuan to sit down and drink tea.

Afterwards he heard Chatterbox’s sound transmission⁷, “His purpose is precisely to incite us to raise our hands; if we’re the first to make a move, that Lesser Vessel stage guard behind him will immediately attack. But according to the city law he would be acting in self defense, maybe the city guards would even help them… this is the law’s loophole. Giving up a little face, we can endure it.”

Yin Biyue glanced at that Lesser Vessel stage. As expected his whole body was at the peak of tension, and he could attack at any second.

But he didn’t reckon that he didn’t have the strength for a single fight.

Additionally he thought, this kind of ridicule was so stupid, stupid enough to astonish.

But turned it over in his head; behind such a stupid slap in the face, it could be someone pulling the strings, wanting to sound out if the Sword Saint was still in the human realm, whether or not he would take care of his disciples’ matters. Li Lin was merely the cannon fodder that was pushed to the front.

At this moment Chatterbox laughed, “But we will stubbornly refuse to attack, and let him get repressed to death!!”⁸

Chatterbox lifted his teacup with a smile, appearing indifferent.

The cursing Li Lin who was instead angered to the point of turning red in the face, evened out his breath, then continued to curse.

When they had drank half a pot of tea, someone within the black-armored guards was the first that couldn’t bear listening any longer, muttering in a dialect, “This f**king glib talk is damn poisonous…”⁹

“This f**king Cang Ya Mountain’s temper’s too good , if it’s me I can’t tolerate it for a second …”

Just when everyone thought Li Lin would tire of cursing and go back, Duan Chongxuan stood up.

Because the other’s previous sentence had cursed, ‘I f**k your dad’.

He seriously asked, “Do you know who my dad is?”

1) This is Bao Pu Zong. Zong is a respectful address. They’re basically saying something like “My great sect” but with the inset implication of part of their name being “great”

2) 碧螺春，玉露荷花糕，芙蓉饼 are all food. Biluochun is a type of tea, and so is Yulu. Furong cake is a dish made of eggs, flour, and various veggies..

3) 魔尊 It’s basically a demon lord, but it gets used as a title/name so we’ll keep it this way.

4) The mountain pass they crossed in ch27

5) 自觉 isn’t quite instinct and more like doing something without thinking, but born out of discipline/ learned(?) rather than innate.

6) I’m sure avid readers of CN novels would be familiar with the term, but this is basically humiliation. Kinda like bitchslapping someone but situationally.

7) Basically telepathy. Probably something like direct delivery of sound into the eardrum. Hmm…

8) 憋 isn’t quite repress. In CN it’s used as suffocate or hold in, which is rather appropriate considering that he’s speaking. Something to the tune of suffocation by frustration.

9) “他娘的这嘴皮子也忒毒了吧……”/“他娘的这沧涯山脾气也忒好了，要是老子早忍不了了……” The guard uses a manner of speech that’s more “country” and “vulgar” than everyone has used so far, and likely in dialect. As a person I’m not great at anything but formal speech so if you have a better way to phrase please let me know!