A life of idleness in the world of demons

Chapter 64. The Fourth Refinement of the Talisman (5.4K words - Large Chapter)

Hanzhou is not located in the Five Prefectures, but rather in the western part of the country, sharing a large north-south desert with the Western Regions.

The imperial territory is vast, with townships, counties, prefectures, and above that, states, and then the imperial capitals.

There are nine paths, each encompassing several or even more than ten states.

However, due to the dragon's aura, each place actually governs itself independently, only under the control of the next higher level.

However, not every state has a general stationed there.

The presence of General Qin's mansion in Hanzhou makes it stand out from other prefectures.

The Qin General's Mansion has stood for eighty years, undergoing numerous renovations and reconstructions, and its interior landscape and courtyards combine both modern and ancient features.

This morning, a fast horse came from the south, carrying a young boy into the imposing General's Mansion, a place so majestic that no one dared to approach on ordinary days.

He waved the tiger tally to prove his identity, and the people from the General's Mansion looked at each other, speechless, not knowing how to deal with him.

Fortunately, the mistress of the general's mansion arrived.

Although Madam Zhao had given birth to three daughters, she was well-maintained. In addition, she practiced martial arts and often worked outside, so her thighs were round and strong, and her body exuded a cheerful and energetic beauty.

The beauty of women.

Ning Xuan sniffed the air.

He smelled the fragrance that Qin Yi'er had created that day.

No.

It's a level higher.

The fragrance wafted from Madam Zhao, who at that moment resembled a cloud.

Since the emperor said that General Qin died from an assassination attempt by demons, Lady Zhao must wear mourning clothes.

Dressed in white mourning clothes, and with the aphrodisiac fragrance at this moment, Madam Zhao resembled a crabapple after a spring rain, radiant and beautiful.

"Have you not greeted your new master yet?" Madam Zhao spoke, then looked at Ning Xuan with her beautiful eyes and said, word by word, "General An Yuan, Ning Xuan, General Ning."

The people from General Qin's residence bowed and said, "Greetings, General Ning."

Ning Xuan glanced at the mourning hall in the distance and the clothes and hats placed in the coffin, but he had no intention of paying his respects. He followed Madam Zhao into the side hall.

Ning Xuan wouldn't touch Madam Zhao. Firstly, his constitution was only 10, and Madam Zhao couldn't satisfy him. Secondly, Xiao Jie had let him experience all sorts of things, and someone who had seen it all would be more resistant to temptation. Thirdly, he sought pleasure with beauties for relaxation and enjoyment, not for trouble.

But Madam Zhao is in trouble.

He could book the entire Chenxiang Pavilion for debauchery day and night, but he didn't want to lay a finger on the woman in front of him.

As for Madam Zhao, he knew about her.

Madam Zhao must have witnessed his unrestrained behavior at the Agarwood Pavilion, which is why she misunderstood him, thinking he was a man who couldn't control himself in the face of women.

Madam Zhao is wrong.

After Ning Xuan arrived at the side hall, he said, "Although Madam is of my parents' or uncles' generation, she looks quite young. To avoid any awkwardness, may I call her Sister Zhao?"

He already knew about Madam Zhao's meritorious service before he arrived.

Lady Zhao and General Qin were not on good terms; Lady Zhao had previously been imprisoned in a water dungeon and was now covered in wounds. Lady Zhao had secretly gathered a list of assassins loyal to Qin Shanjun, who were lurking in various locations. Fortunately, she obtained this list; otherwise, if General Qin had awakened these assassins, the consequences would have been dire.

Furthermore, given that General Qin's power needs to be appeased by Lady Zhao, the court will most likely not touch Lady Zhao, but will only allow her to play a role in "smoothly transferring power" and then let her enjoy her retirement.

Whether Madam Zhao can be sensible and live out her days in peace depends on her own abilities.

Clearly, she needs to find a new protector.

Otherwise, a general must have enemies over the years. Without protection, who knows which of his former enemies might suddenly kidnap his wife and daughters to rape and plunder them to vent their old hatred.

Upon hearing this, Madam Zhao was unwilling to give up. She gritted her teeth and wanted to talk about their past relationship, in which they almost became husband and wife, to see if there was any possibility of rekindling it.

But when the words reached his lips, he remained silent.

She couldn't speak about Qin Jin'er because Ning Xuan wasn't a general then, and bringing up an old story about a concubine's daughter would be humiliating. She also couldn't speak about Qin Yi'er because if the marriage had been arranged back then, General Ning wouldn't be able to so easily clear his name today regarding General Qin's collusion with demons.

Madam Zhao was not stupid. Since she had failed to seduce him, she put the matter aside and sighed softly, "If the general is interested, please call me Aunt Zhao."

Ning Xuan said, "Aunt Zhao, don't worry, we almost became an old woman's husband."

A smile appeared in his eyes as he said, "Twice."

Madam Zhao smiled and sighed, "Fortunately, we were destined to meet but not to be together, so it didn't hinder the general's future."

Ning Xuan said, "But Aunt Zhao and I still ended up together; it's still fate."

Madam Zhao remained silent.

Ning Xuan thought for a moment and then suddenly said, "How about this, once things have calmed down here, Aunt Zhao and I will jointly submit a letter to His Majesty explaining the situation here."

Afterwards, if Aunt Zhao is tired or weary, she might as well go to my hometown and burn incense and pray to Buddha with my mother.

As for Jin'er and Yi'er, Aunt Zhao will have them call me "Big Brother," and I will respond in public and in private. Is that alright?

Madam Zhao gave Ning Xuan a deep look and said, "In that case, I am willing to help the General take control of the General's Mansion."

Ning Xuan said, "Aunt Zhao, please don't be so polite. From now on, let's be family."

After saying that, he added, "Sometimes not arranging a marriage is better than arranging one. What do you think, Aunt Zhao?"

Madam Zhao thought for a moment and nodded.

Ning Xuan said, "Aunt Zhao, I have been ordered by the Emperor to temporarily take charge of General Qin's mansion. I will soon send troops to the Frozen Hell. What do you think I should do?"

Madam Zhao suddenly realized and said, "Then...then we need to train and mix soldiers before they can be put to use."

The soldiers she was referring to were, of course, the demonic warriors.

The number of demons that have appeared in just over six months is comparable to that of the past ten years or so. Naturally, the number of demon plague warriors and celestial masters has also increased dramatically, like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.

General Qin has occupied such a large territory, and even though he has sent out his elite troops, there are still quite a few demon plague warriors left.

Ning Xuan sighed, "Aunt Zhao, there's no need for such trouble. General Qin sent many people to serve as Daoist acolytes, to be at His Majesty's disposal. You should find the rest and bring them out to serve under me and accompany me on the expedition."

Madam Zhao was taken aback. She looked up at the young man in front of her.

He was lying lazily on the big chair, but he really looked like a tiger or wolf.

The young general's meaning was actually His Majesty's meaning, or rather, it has always been so.

This has always been the case, and it should be so.

A general who colludes with demons will either have his elite troops scattered and sent to various places to retrain, or he will be sent to the front lines with dignity.

But this era is different from the past. The elite soldiers of this era are all demon plague warriors. There are not many of them. How can we scatter them one by one?

Moreover, General Qin is not actually dead. If he were to raise his arms again, wouldn't these remaining elite troops gather in response?
Therefore, there is only one way left.

That's what dignity is.

Ning Xuan said, "I'd appreciate it if Aunt Zhao could spend more money and effort to appease them and settle their families, so they wouldn't have any other ideas, otherwise it would implicate many other people."

The air fell silent for a moment.

Ning Xuan said, "His Majesty didn't exterminate nine generations of relatives or kill countless heads; he was already considering the bigger picture. His Majesty summoned me here hoping I would clean this place up. Of course, His Majesty wouldn't say it, but I'm not stupid; how could I not know?"

"Words from the heart."

"Aunt Zhao, we're from the same group, right?"

After a long silence, Madam Zhao gave a bitter laugh and said, "Why aren't you my son-in-law?"

Ning Xuan smiled and said, "After Aunt Zhao retires peacefully and lives with my mother, there will be plenty of opportunities to talk to her about these things. My mother is soft-hearted, and if she hears too much, she will definitely want me to marry one of the Qin family girls. Then it will be fine."

Madam Zhao laughed.

The more she looked at the young man, the more satisfied she became.

Suddenly, a hint of hesitation flashed in her eyes. She glanced around, walked to the side, ground ink, picked up a brush, and wrote a line: "Qin Shanjun has something left for you, which I originally intended to destroy. But since we are family, I worry that destroying it in private might cause problems. General, please take a look."

Ning Xuan was taken aback.

However, he knew that he hadn't slept with Madam Zhao, nor had he forcibly accepted the reward from General Qin's mansion.

What Qin Shanjun left behind was a metal pellet the size of a pigeon's egg.

Ning Xuan tested it out briefly. When he adjusted his power to a physique level of 10, the metal pellet cracked open, revealing a ball of paper inside.

Madam Zhao glanced at it and hurriedly took her leave.

She won't look at it.

She wouldn't even look at it when I showed it to her.

If you want to live longer, you need to be less curious.

The less you know, the better you live.

Ning Xuan rubbed his fingers together again, crushed the metal pellet completely, and carefully unfolded the crumpled paper inside.

There are two pieces of paper inside.

a letter.

A map.

The letter was devoid of formalities, containing only a few simple sentences: Hundreds of years ago, this land had no dragon energy, only the flourishing martial arts. Later, the Purple Cloud Demon Sect arrived from beyond the heavens, and the Purple Cloud Temple came into being. After the historical archives stored in the imperial palace were destroyed by a heavenly fire, few people knew of it anymore.

I know you don't believe me, but the map is of the Frozen Hell. There are several hidden vantage points on it; if you have the chance, stand there and see from another angle how the third-rank and above Celestial Masters kill people. You'll understand then. Don't be complacent; what you cultivate is different from the Purple Cloud Demon Sect. You can't join them. Nobody can join them!
The last eight characters were emphasized. Ning Xuan chuckled inwardly; he had indeed been thinking, "If Zixia Temple is the Zixia Demonic Sect, then why not just join?"

The map is a map of the Frozen Hell, drawn in great detail, but all the mountains are divided into two colors.

One black, one white.

Even the same mountain peak can have two different colors.

The "hidden observation point" that Qin Shanjun mentioned refers to the white-colored area.

Ning Xuan clutched the letter.

With a flick of his fingers, he destroyed the letter and the map.

He had memorized everything.

The quiet, secluded room was only illuminated by the flickering, pale red candlelight, the candle wax crackling and popping.

When Ning Xuan walked out of the secret room, Madam Zhao was guarding the courtyard outside to prevent anyone from getting close.

When Madam Zhao saw Ning Xuan come out, she didn't ask anything, but Ning Xuan called out to her, "Aunt Zhao, may I know how you and Qin Shanjun met and how you became husband and wife?"

Madam Zhao nodded.

The two sat down in the courtyard.

As Madam Zhao recounted her story and Ning Xuan inquired carefully, the past gradually surfaced.

Madam Zhao was originally the daughter of a powerful force in the martial arts world called "Spider Hall." The weapons used by Spider Hall were very special; they were needles and thread, each stitch woven with red thread, capable of killing people invisibly and were extremely domineering. However, these are all legends.

Madam Zhao had heard that her ancestors were extremely powerful, but that was all she had heard.

By the time the Spider Hall's leader died and Madam Zhao took over the power, the Spider Hall had already fallen to a third-rate force in the martial arts world.

Just then, Qin Shanjun appeared.

At that time, Madam Zhao naturally did not know that Qin Shanjun was General Qin, nor did Qin Shanjun say so.

After he appeared, he simply helped Madam Zhao eliminate Spider Hall's enemies one by one.

Madam Zhao secretly developed feelings for him, and after accidentally learning that he was actually a great general, she instantly fell for him.

Qin Shanjun did not refuse, and the two got married.

But after the marriage, Madam Zhao was in pain.

The two had almost never enjoyed marital relations, and even the birth of their children was accomplished through a process of transmission. Qin Shanjun was no longer the same as before, and he simply treated her as a breeding tool.

Later, Madam Zhao learned that Qin Shanjun had other wives. After investigation, she found that the Qin family had no obvious enemies outside, but those wives and children had all disappeared without a trace, and she began to feel scared.

Then, she was ordered to find incense for Qin Shanjun to calm his mind, and then she took a liking to Ning Xuan.

Ning Xuan asked, "Aunt Zhao, did your ancestors claim to belong to some kind of sect?"

Madam Zhao said, "Yes, yes, yes, they said they belonged to some clan, but the name disappeared over time. It must have been made up by our ancestors to glorify themselves."

Madam Zhao was very efficient and quickly organized fourteen teams of demon plague warriors, totaling 420 people, well-equipped and even equipped with simple magic weapons. Five thousand elite soldiers were at Ning Xuan's command.

These were the last remaining members of General Qin's staff that Madam Zhao knew of.

In order to protect herself, Madam Zhao spent countless amounts of money to give the descendants of those demon plague warriors a full amount of money in a short period of time. Then she told these warriors, "This time we must wipe out the demons and avenge General Qin!"
These soldiers, along with the troops from the five prefectures, gathered together and advanced towards the Frozen Hell.

The first stop was a large number of military camps.

Because of the Headless Demon, ordinary soldiers should not enter, so they stay outside to surround, support, and provide necessary assistance.

The ordinary soldiers that Ning Xuan brought stopped here, which served as a reinforcement of the number of soldiers in the area.

The second stop was a place where the "headhunter" was active.

Those who can enter this place are all elites such as Celestial Masters and Demon Plague Warriors.

The elites here are regularly sent to clean up the Head Demons and the demons that appear around the Frozen Hell. If they are exhausted, they retreat to the first station to heal and recover.

But Ning Xuan still couldn't stop here, because Fairy Yao Zhen kept urging him to keep going.

The previous measures were passive defense and passive clearing, but this time General Qin's actions have truly offended the emperor, enraging him. Therefore, passive defense will soon turn into active offense.

That Tianyouzi was responsible for relieving the emperor's worries.

However, Tianyouzi did not have many usable soldiers.

He was waiting for Ning Xuan to incorporate the elite troops brought by General Qin's mansion.

The third stop.
Right here.

The chilling, icy hell was right before their eyes; they could even see corpses nailed to long icicle pillars and shadowy figures of corpses hidden in the mountainside.

The leader of the Qin family's plague warriors was a plague warrior who was extremely close to the second rank, named Gao Guangdou.

Gao Guangdou and his two deputies were the only three among this group who knew about the "mission".

Their "mission" was to lead the remnants of General Qin to their deaths on the battlefield.
If they don't die, they will remain as remnants.

The rest of General Qin's household will not survive, nor will their families.

They died, and they became heroes.

Those who die slaying demons and monsters will receive a substantial compensation, and their families will live comfortably.

So after arriving at the third station, Gao Guangdou began to "mobilize" the troops. Before long, the demon plague warriors became excited, their eyes were bloodshot, and they waved their swords and shouted excitedly, "Avenge the general! Avenge the general!"
Another demon-infested warrior ran to the palanquin not far away and shouted excitedly, "Celestial Master, please give the order! It's always been the demons who invade us, but now we can use this icy hell to fight back against them! The brothers can't wait!"

The carriage was tightly closed, so the face of the Celestial Master could not be seen.

Only cheerful laughter could be heard coming from inside.

But no words were spoken.

Instead, one of the young Taoist boys who was carrying them said, "Please be patient, please be patient."

The demonic warrior then withdrew.

Fairy Yao Zhen said, "Senior Brother, General Ning and I will go in together! We hate these demons who are wreaking havoc on the human world!"

After saying that, she leaned closer and whispered, "Senior Brother Tianyouzi, please help us out. If Ning Xuan can go in together and return victorious, that would be a great achievement, and his position as a Divine General would be secure."

Upon hearing Fairy Yao's voice, the tightly closed carriage curtain was lifted, and a middle-aged man with a purplish-red face and a goatee stared at her strangely, a troubled expression on his face. However, he did not speak, but instead shook his hands, refusing her request in the simplest way.

Fairy Yao Zhen was unwilling to give up and continued, "Senior brother, you don't have a general partner, so what's wrong with sharing some of the credit with Ning Xuan?"

Tianyouzi showed unimaginable patience towards his junior sister. He didn't even show the slightest impatience, but continued to wave his hand and refuse again, while simultaneously sending a message through the "whisper chain".

"Junior sister, it's too dangerous inside, you can't go in. As for the credit, you can take it if you want."

"This"

"You don't want you and Ning Xuan to die inside, do you?"

"OK then."

"Take your general partner and stand further away, I'll be going in soon."

After a brief conversation.

Fairy Yao Zhen looked at Ning Xuan, muttered a few words softly, and then grabbed him and left.

On his way out, Ning Xuan spotted a "hidden observation spot recorded on Qin Shanjun's map," raised his hand slightly, and a drop of essence blood seeped from his fingertip, silently falling into the spot.

In addition to being able to freely create incense-infused bodies, second-rank demons can also manifest their divine power over extremely long distances. The prerequisite for manifesting their divine power is not complicated; all that is needed is the presence of their own essence and blood with a strong aura.

The drop of essence blood that Ning Xuan shot out was precisely the medium through which he could manifest his incense-burning body.

We arrived at a quiet, secluded cliff.

He was sitting with Fairy Yao Zhen.

Fairy Yao Zhen peeked out, eager to watch the battle, but couldn't see anything.

He carried the Beast-Slaying Blade, but his real weapon was the Ruyi Blade at his waist.

With a thought, he released a small amount of incense, and the incense flame immediately rose from the blood droplet in the distance, then solidified and transformed into a seven-foot-tall white-haired old man.

A white-haired old man with a hunched back, a humped physique, dressed in dried yak hide, gripping a copper bellwood cane, and with eyes filled with a divine indifference.

Everyone can be a hunchbacked mountain man.

He can be a demon, and so can Ning Xuan.

As soon as Ning Xuan appeared, he carefully crouched down and peered into the distance.

He was stunned when he saw it.

Because the vast, icy hell he had imagined did not appear; instead, there was only a black iceberg, an iceberg much smaller than the icy hell, and the rest of the landscape was green hills and clear waters, with a large village not far away.

Around the black iceberg, four monks were frowning and chanting scriptures with their eyes closed, as if they were maintaining some kind of formation.
Ning Xuan was marveling at how great this perspective was.

Suddenly.
He felt something was wrong.

He found himself, rather than the hunchbacked mountain god statue, standing from a very strange perspective.

He found himself standing in a distant village without anyone noticing.

The village was deserted except for him and the ghastly white sun hanging high above his head.

(End of this chapter)