Chapter 27: Settling Down

If the Yuè Moon Sect harbored a bitter enmity toward the Roc Demon King for the death of a son, and a grudge against the Elephant Demon Marshal for a crushing defeat, then with the famed Howling Moon Azure Wolf Tribe among the demon clans, their hatred could only be described as irreconcilable.

Within the Moon Sect, there were the Three Rules, Four Measures, and One Execution—collectively known as the Eight Precepts. Among these, the “One Execution” decreed that, should any disciple encounter a Howling Moon Azure Wolf demon on human lands, they must exterminate them to the last, leaving no seed for future calamity.

Traditionally, humans were amicable toward half-demons, seeking alliance or assimilation. Yet the Moon Sect’s only response to the Azure Wolf half-demons was a single word: kill. Kill them cleanly, leave not one alive. Because of this unyielding stance—and because the Moon Sect was far stronger than any single demon king’s tribe—the Azure Wolves, though frequently giving rise to demon kings, were rarely ever ennobled among the Ten Kings or Eight Marshals.

A similar attitude existed in the Sunset Sect toward the Sun-Chasing Bird clan. The Sunset Sect, however, had always surpassed the Moon Sect in strength; the current generation was the most illustrious in its history. Openly, five Grand Elders held sway—two of whom had long pursued and hunted the Sun-Chasing Birds. Once a clan that produced a demon king every thousand years, the Sun-Chasing Birds were now all but extinct.

Howling Moon Azure Wolves—the Azure Wolf tribe. As Hongyun thought of this demon clan, he found within himself a flicker of bloodlust, and could not help but sigh inwardly at the depth of his predecessor’s hatred for them.

No rush, no rush. For now, he only knew that the lord of Cangxi Town was a demon of the Treasure Body realm; he did not yet know the full extent of the opponent’s strength. He himself was only at the early stage of the Treasure Body realm—were he to act rashly, it would likely end in disaster.

Better to observe and bide his time, learn the Azure Wolf’s secrets, and then make his move.

As he pondered this, he saw that Chai Xiaoyue had already slurped down a whole bowl of snake stew and eaten quite a bit of meat, which made him smile.

“Are you finished eating?”

“Uncle Yun, yes, I’m done.”

“Then go and review what I’ve taught you these past few days. In a few hours, I’ll test you.”

Seeing the girl’s small face fall, Hongyun felt an unusual satisfaction. He had always lived on edge in the wilds, scheming and guarding his heart; this little girl, over the past days, had brought him unexpected amusement.

He had even considered using some of his tribulation energy to restore her sight, but, upon realizing there would be unforeseen consequences, he decided against it.

After all, he was now merely a cultivator of the Treasure Body realm. Within the sect, he had just entered the ranks of the core disciples. Now, on the run and alone, if the demon clans learned that a Moon Sect exile was here, his situation would become dire.

...

“Master, this is the house I’ve chosen for you—number thirteen. It meets all your requirements: spacious and clean, with few neighbors nearby. What’s more, it’s just two or three hundred steps to the marketplace. Thirty silver leaves is an absolute bargain...”

Hongyun listened to the rat spirit’s earnest nonsense without exposing him. Carrying his wooden basket, he entered the courtyard.

In the northeast corner was a well; in the yard, an old locust tree. There were two side rooms on each wing, a small house to the south—compact but refined. Facing north, a small hall. All in all, the layout included a kitchen and bedroom; though modest, it had everything required.

“The house isn’t bad, but you seem to have forgotten something,” Hongyun said, standing beneath the lush old locust tree, tracing the patterns in its bark, ever more certain of his guess. “This house isn’t worth thirty silver leaves. Sixteen at most—fifteen for the house, and one as your tip.”

He watched the rat spirit’s expression shift rapidly, as if about to protest. Hongyun raised a hand to silence him.

“If there were no issues with this house, thirty silver leaves would be fair. But something unclean lingers here. At least twice there’s been trouble—one incident so long ago it’s hard to recall, but the most recent was less than five years past.”

At these words, the rat demon’s calm facade cracked; he hurriedly stammered, “Sold! Sixteen silver leaves and the house is yours!”

...

Once the rat demon had Hongyun sign the contract and handed over the deeds, he wiped the sweat from his brow and quickly departed.

Afterward, Hongyun spent twenty copper leaves to have the house thoroughly cleaned and equipped with new utensils and cookware, settling in at last.

Night fell. Chai Xiaoyue went to bed early. Hongyun stood alone in the courtyard, gazing at the sturdy old locust tree, sighing to himself.

He truly hadn’t expected that a Treasure Body human cultivator had once lived here.

Through his senses, he could faintly perceive a malevolent aura slumbering deep within the tree.

This baleful force had, through some unknown transformation, coalesced into a soul fiend, bound tightly within the tree, utterly dormant.

Yet this didn’t diminish its power. It was identified as a Treasure Body soul fiend because such entities, too, had their own grades. The fiend bound in the locust tree required, at the very least, someone at peak Innate realm or even Treasure Body realm to expel.

In Cangxi Town, it seemed only the town lord was at the Treasure Body realm, and rarely active. That, perhaps, was why this soul fiend had remained undisturbed all these years.

Otherwise, this fiendish energy would have sufficed as the foundational baleful energy for any Innate realm cultivator’s breakthrough, and its effects would have been outstanding.

Once activated, this energy could do more than circulate through the meridians as ordinary baleful energy—it could summon the fiend spirit itself to fight. Such an asset would make any Innate cultivator nearly unmatched. If the town lord knew of it, he would never have left it here.

As it happened, Hongyun was in need of such energy to lay the foundation for Chai Xiaoyue’s advancement. Now that he’d found it, he had no intention of letting it slip away.

With that thought, he formed a seal with his fingers. Fiendish energy seeped from his body, and points of moonlight gathered, piercing the roots of the locust tree, severing them completely.

With a flick of his hand, he summoned the Crescent Blade. As fiendish energy enshrouded the blade, he swung it deftly, chopping off the branches one by one until only the bare crown remained.

Now came the most crucial moment.

He glanced up at the moon, hesitated, then chose not to use the Moon Sect’s methods. Instead, his fingers danced through a series of seals, which he pressed against the tree’s trunk.

This was the “Startling Fiend” method for harvesting baleful energy.

As the soul fiend within grew agitated, its first instinct was to escape through the roots—only to find them pinned by Hongyun’s energy, escape impossible. Driven by instinct, it retreated into the tree’s crown.

Hongyun’s eyes glinted. Bathed in moonlight, his hands seized the fiend, capturing it in a jade vial.

As he continued to wear it down with his own fiendish energy, the soul fiend finally settled, leaving behind only its purest essence—its original power entirely consumed.