Chapter Thirty-Five: Sword Qi

Shen Chang'an was in a predicament. Sitting in this small room, he found himself unable to leave and equally unable to remain at ease.

Most crucially, he had no way of confirming whether Yu Qingxian had actually gone to rescue the captives. If Yu Qingxian had already spirited them away, Shen Chang'an could simply fight his way out. But if she had failed to rescue anyone, he would be in an entirely passive position.

"Calm down. I need to calm down," he whispered to himself, suppressing his turbulent emotions as he pondered how to slip away unnoticed.

Just then, a voice rang out: "General, since the fine wine has been enjoyed, are there any other delicacies?"

Shen Chang'an stiffened, a sense of unease washing over him.

"Naturally, there are," General Black Wind replied softly, clapping his hands. "Bring them in."

Moments later, Shen Chang'an watched as two people were carried in. I use the word "carried" because they were bound tightly to a wooden pole, requiring two demons to lift the ends to transport them.

Seeing this, Shen Chang'an didn't need to guess their fate.

A tall, pig-headed man stepped forward, wielding two deboning knives. He chuckled, saying, "As you can see, I, Old Pig, will be preparing this dish for everyone today."

"Master Pig's culinary skills are legendary. What are you making today?"

The pig-headed demon was quite renowned on Black Wind Mountain. It seemed he was a beast who had devoured countless lives. Shen Chang'an’s eyes narrowed, his hand gripping the hilt of the Withered Wood Sword at his waist.

The pig-headed demon continued, "In my travels, the most nostalgic way to eat is by roasting. I learned this method from a human: you must roast the entire person over a fire, basting them with sauce as you go, using a low flame so the flavor slowly permeates the meat."

He inhaled deeply, a look of intoxication on his face as if he could already smell the feast. "Humans use this method for pigs and sheep. Today, I shall prepare a 'Whole Roasted Human' for you all."

As he finished, the gathered demons broke into enthusiastic applause.

"Master Pig, you are truly benevolent!" the pig-headed demon continued, pointing at the captives. "These two are a loving couple. I searched long and hard to find them. I will set up two fires so they can look at each other and die in each other’s gaze. It honors their wish to live and die together."

"Hahaha!" The hall erupted in laughter.

"Master Pig, may I have their skulls afterward? It would be a fitting way to bury them together."

The demons laughed even more raucously. With every burst of joy, Shen Chang'an’s grip on his sword tightened until his palm began to bleed, though he hardly noticed.

"Master Hu, what’s the matter? Seeing the meat but unable to eat it? Anxious?"

The rat-man from earlier spoke up, his gaze fixed on Shen Chang'an with that familiar, grating air.

Shen Chang'an replied coolly, "Brother Rat... we have never met, have we?"

The rat nodded, sneering, "Indeed, we have not."

"Then why do you seem so dissatisfied with me?"

"Heh, shouldn't you know the answer to that yourself?"

Shen Chang'an’s brows flickered. After a moment of thought, he realized the truth. When he had killed the Viper during the previous encounter, he had slaughtered countless snakes, insects, and rodents. The resentment from those creatures must have lingered on him, and this rat-demon had sensed it.

"I see," he murmured. Suddenly, he raised his hand and drove a fist into the rat-man’s head.

*Bam!*

The rat-man never expected Shen Chang'an to lash out so violently right in front of General Black Wind. With devastating force, the punch shattered the demon's skull; brain matter, bone, and blood sprayed outward like a bursting watermelon.

The strike made Shen Chang'an realize he might have underestimated the strength of these monsters. He might not be able to defeat them all, but in a one-on-one fight, his lethality far surpassed any demon present.

He stood up gracefully and said, "My apologies, everyone. This rat-man has harassed me repeatedly, and I lost my temper. I hope you will forgive my rashness."

The demons turned their gaze toward him. The sudden punch had not stirred much *qi*, and his demonic aura remained hidden. Like his earlier confrontation with the wolf-demon, this single strike hadn't exposed his identity. But the suspicion had begun to grow. The aura of the Celestial Fox had been stirred twice, and it was becoming harder to mask his human vitality.

General Black Wind looked over, not caring about the rat-man's death, and asked, "Master Hu, causing trouble at my wedding banquet—is that not a bit disrespectful to me?"

Shen Chang'an nodded. "You are right, General. To make amends, allow me to prepare a dish for everyone."

"Oh? Master Hu knows how to cook?"

"A little," Shen Chang'an replied with a faint smile. "I only hope it meets everyone's standards."

He walked forward. Two fires had already been lit, and the pig-headed demon was preparing to start, only to be interrupted by the fox-man.

"Master Hu, you know how to cook?"

"A little," Shen Chang'an repeated.

"Oh? Just a little? And you think you can take over my job?"

Shen Chang'an laughed heartily. "While my skill is modest, it is more than enough to instruct you. When you learned this method, surely no one told you that you cannot simply tie someone up and roast them."

"What did you say?" The pig-headed demon was clearly offended.

Shen Chang'an smiled. "The flame remains constant, but the parts of the meat are not the same. The internal organs are delicate; if heated constantly, they will char and turn bitter, making the final dish inedible."

Many demons nodded in agreement.

"Furthermore, if the hair isn't shaved clean, the smell will seep into the flesh, making it even worse."

"Aye, that's true," a demon below chimed in.

The pig-headed demon’s face turned livid. "We are demons! Who cares about such things? Does that small scent matter more than the delicious despair in their eyes as they watch each other die?"

Shen Chang'an shook his head. "Not so. A thousand-mile dike is destroyed by an ant hole. Small mistakes seem trivial, but they accumulate into major problems."

"Then show me how you would do it," the pig-headed demon scoffed, tossing his deboning knife onto the table.

Shen Chang'an smiled, picked up the knife, and said, "First, one must bleed the subject."

In a flash, he swung the knife toward the pig-demon's neck.

*Crack!*

The pig-demon’s neck was thick, but he had no chance to resist. With a single strike, his head was severed!

*Thud!*

The massive head fell into the fire, eyes wide, still processing what had happened. Shen Chang'an reached out, grabbing the two captives and cutting their bonds with a surge of mental energy.

The violent release of his power shattered his disguise; the scent of human vitality surged forth.

"That guy! He's a human!"

"How dare he!"

"A human dares to invade Black Wind Mountain!"

Shen Chang'an ignored them, shielding the couple behind him. "Stay behind me. Don't come out."

"How bold," General Black Wind said, his eyes glowing with frigid light.

Shen Chang'an remained as calm as water. "Hardly. Black Wind Mountain is hardly a den of dragons and tigers. It took no courage for me to pay a visit."

"Arrogant!" The General’s face darkened. "Whoever captures him will be handsomely rewarded!"

As he spoke, three or four demons lunged forward. But before they reached Shen Chang'an, they felt a terrifying force whip through the air like a serpent, slicing through their waists and dismembering them instantly.

*Squelch!*

"Aaaah!"

The demons' vitality kept them from dying immediately, but that only prolonged their agony.

General Black Wind narrowed his eyes. "Use your demonic energy to defend! Don't rely on your physical bodies!"

Shen Chang'an’s heart sank. His technique was lethal against physical bodies, capable of causing flesh to detach from bone in a single strike, but it wasn't invincible. If the enemy used their *qi* to protect themselves, his technique couldn't penetrate. If he tried to force it, he would be locked in a battle of attrition—and if he failed to kill instantly, the swarm of demons would surely overwhelm him.

As the demons followed the General’s advice, they became harder to kill.

Shen Chang'an looked toward the throne. Even now, the General remained unmoved. *Trying to wear me down, are you?* he thought.

He realized the General didn't rely on brute force alone.

He took a long breath. He didn't know if he could break out, but he had no other choice. He drew the Withered Wood Sword. As the new leaves and dead wood on the blade shimmered, a terrifying pressure radiated from it. Every demon who saw the sword felt a sudden, primal dread.

*Boom!*

Shen Chang'an swung. The sword energy surged in a perfect arc, targeting the General on his throne.

"Don't you dare!"

The General’s expression hardened. He shed his human form, revealing his true self: a massive black bear.

*Clang!*

The sword energy struck him, ringing out like metal hitting steel. Then—*squelch!*—the blade cut three inches deep, leaving a jagged wound.

The General’s face changed. He hadn't expected such violent force. Before he could react, Shen Chang'an poured his remaining power into the blade.

*Hummm—*

The ten residual sword intents within the Withered Wood Sword began to circulate. With a flick of his fingers, a storm of light erupted.

*Bang! Bang! Bang!*

The sounds of continuous explosions filled the hall. Shen Chang'an pointed his sword forward, and everything in its path—every obstacle, every defense—was reduced to dust.

He lunged toward the General, his sword energy rising like a mountain gale, unstoppable and absolute.