Yinlan City, Part 17

The demonic cult leader was very stubborn; he said nothing.

Perhaps it was due to the vow he had made; he would likely perish instantly if he spoke, and he could distinguish between being half-dead and completely dead.

There was no need for superfluous words with such a person.

First, a brutal beating, leaving him barely alive and unable to escape, then a forced search of his divine consciousness.

By the time Su Qing and Xiaocao emerged, Yan Yan had already extracted the leader’s sea of consciousness, kneaded it into a ball, and held it in an observation flask.

She was a Golden Core stage cultivator, so dealing with a demonic cult leader also at the Golden Core stage was no problem.

This observation flask was transparent throughout, a magical artifact for reading memories.

With it, multiple people could read memories simultaneously.

As for the leader, whose divine consciousness had been forcibly extracted, he became a mindless invalid, but no one pitied him. Pitying a heinous demonic cult leader was simply laughable.

Su Qing finished reading the demonic cult leader’s memories, her face very grim.

The memories were all filled with murderous blood energy, making them nauseating. No wonder Xiaocao also felt very uncomfortable after reading them; it was truly disgusting.

Yan Yan’s voice was filled with suppressed rage, veins throbbing on her forehead.

“Thousands of lives in the Inner Subsidiary City weren’t enough, and now they even want the entire Yinlan City to pave the way for it. Death is too good for them!”

Su Qing comforted her, “The matter of the Inner Subsidiary City is irreversible. Resolving the hidden danger in Yinlan City is the top priority. We’ll settle accounts with them later.”

Yan Yan naturally understood this principle.

Though angry, it didn’t affect her issuing orders. She pressed her temples, forcing a smile, “You’ve been working hard all day, you must be tired. Go back and rest first. I’ll handle the rest.”

With her there, Su Qing and Jiang Xiaocao didn’t need to worry about the aftermath.

She was the garrison commander and much more familiar with Yinlan City’s situation than they were. Once the target was confirmed, she certainly had several ways to deal with it.

Su Qing didn’t linger.

Xiaocao still didn’t know what would happen next, or if that wisp of demonic energy would leave any after-effects.

It was best to go back and recuperate as soon as possible.

As she pulled him and stepped out of the back room, she heard the deputy general rushing to report, “Is the General here?”

Yan Yan was about to instruct him when she heard this. She strode out, “What is it? Why the rush?”

The deputy general shivered, bowing his head and saying loudly, “That missing girl from the Old Temple has been found.”

“Oh? You mean little Bayin?” Yan Yan’s brows relaxed slightly. “Isn’t that good news? Is she alright? Is she injured?”

The deputy general suddenly knelt down, “Please punish me, General. Your subordinate, your subordinate did not intend to hurt her. Your subordinate thought she was an accomplice of that demon!”

Su Qing had already half-stepped out, but suddenly hearing a familiar name, she couldn’t help but stop. Xiaocao looked at her with some curiosity.

She listened to the deputy general’s narration, and suddenly frowned.

Since Ye Mingshi had decided to openly discuss things with the Yan family, she couldn’t sneak in secretively as usual.

The other party held great power, and she was alone, with only a very brave but militarily useless child. Therefore, her demeanor had to be humble.

She even considered emulating her master when he went raiding other people’s mansions, first bringing two bags of fruit to the door, to make the other party unable to strike a smiling face.

Unfortunately, Yinlan City was freezing cold; where would there be any fruit? And she was extremely poor. On ordinary days, she and Bayin would just make do with naan bread and hot water for meals.

Bayin said Madam Qian’s wontons were delicious.

The wonton wrappers were very pliable, the filling was exquisitely seasoned and juicy, and the soup even had dried seaweed and small shrimp, paired with the aroma of sesame oil, making it impossible to put the bowl down.

She hadn’t eaten it in a long time; the last time was when her parents took her, and back then, Madam Qian hadn’t even tied her hair up in a married woman’s bun.

Although Ye Mingshi was a bit poor, she still had enough money to buy something nice for a child.

Unfortunately, these past few days she had been constantly chasing the demonic cult’s traces.

Although she had money, she simply didn’t have time for the two of them to sit down and have a proper meal.

This time, as usual, she filled her stomach haphazardly with water and some biscuits.

Ye Mingshi did not change her appearance but wore a mask to cover her face.

Bayin had chosen this mask; it had red fiery bird feathers on it, which she thought looked very beautiful according to her childish aesthetic.

Bayin said, “The Yan family army people are all very kind; they won’t make things difficult. But Big Sister, you are born a little different from us. I know I am a useless child, but I can see clearly. I’m afraid some people won’t see clearly and will hurt you, so I want to go with you.”

She was still afraid the Yan family army would harm Ye Mingshi.

Entering the military camp was not difficult. Besides having to remove storage bags and all weapons, no transformation spells were allowed. This was the rule.

Ye Mingshi had no choice and had anticipated it, so she had no objections.

Receiving them were the deputy general by General Yan Yan’s side and several personal guards surrounding them.

The deputy general listened to her words, then questioned her in detail, wishing to break down every detail to understand it thoroughly.

Ye Mingshi also meticulously explained every detail. Of course, she didn’t mention the demonic bone, and with Bayin helping her conceal it, she managed to gloss over it smoothly.

According to the story they had rehearsed, Bayin had overheard the demonic cult’s conversation, was discovered, and Ye Mingshi rescued her at a critical moment, thus accidentally discovering the Abyssal Void’s activities.

This deputy general didn’t know if he believed it or not; he only said he would take them to the General, who, being very discerning, would surely be able to tell if she was speaking the truth or lies.

Bayin breathed a sigh of relief, her steps beside her becoming much lighter.

Ye Mingshi was also thinking about the words she had rehearsed.

How could she speak to gain the trust of the Yan family?

But at that very corner, an unexpected change occurred.

The deputy general twisted his body, and a long spear “swished” out from his sleeve, its tip striking the mask on Ye Mingshi’s face, sending it flying off.

The mask was knocked off, falling heavily onto the snow, yet making no sound.

The crimson feathers drooped on the white ground, looking like a pool of blood from a distance.

The red scales blooming on Ye Mingshi’s face also snaked across her countenance like blood, as if an ill omen.

The deputy general’s eyes were stained with bloodlust and ruthlessness. He raised his head knowingly, “Your aura is wrong; you don’t seem like a cultivator. I knew you weren’t ordinary; you’re a member of the demonic cult.”

Tonight, the demonic cult leader was trapped in their camp.

He had been wary of demonic cult members coming to rescue him since early on, and now he had indeed encountered one.

The dense demonic energy on the opponent indicated that she must have committed numerous crimes to reach her current cultivation.

A member of the demonic cult, she must be killed.

The moment Ye Mingshi’s eyes met his, she felt his killing intent.

This person would not let her go; he would strike to kill. Sure enough, in the next second, the long spear cut through the air, surging forth with irresistible force, its tip aimed directly at her throat.

As he moved, several personal guards around him simultaneously launched an attack.

Ye Mingshi had no other weapons on her, only relying on her bare hands to block.

Demonic energy spread through her bones and flesh, causing many burning scales to sprout on her skin.

These scales were extremely hard; the spear tip couldn’t injure them in the slightest.

Precisely because of this, the more intense the demonic energy around her, the more certain the deputy general and others became that this person was definitely a member of the demonic cult.

Their attacks grew even more ruthless.

The worst possible scenario unfolded. Bayin screamed, “She’s not from the demonic cult! She’s a good person! She came to help us! Don’t fight her! Don’t bully her!”

The child’s shrill voice was drowned out by the enormous clang of clashing weapons.

The scene was chaotic. More and more soldiers heard the commotion and swarmed in.

Dozens of gleaming red-tasseled long spears surrounded Ye Mingshi.

Even with demonic energy protecting her body, fighting one against thousands, and on someone else’s territory, she was bound to be at a disadvantage.

The deputy general, already at late Foundation Establishment, showed no fear facing Ye Mingshi.

The spear tip condensed an irresistible golden spiritual energy.

The spear shaft, like a swimming dragon, approached Ye Mingshi almost instantly.

The deputy general’s eyes were cold. He wielded his red-tasseled long spear, stirring the air, and with every thrust and retraction, it carried away several forcibly dislodged red scales.

Enemies were on all sides; there was nowhere to escape in the spear formation.

She was a demon.

These people’s prejudice against demons was too deep to be easily swayed.

If she truly fell into their hands, she likely wouldn’t survive.

The deputy general said impatiently, “Still not backing down? Are you truly asking for death?”

“I mean no ill will. If you back down, I will back down,” Ye Mingshi retorted angrily, “You’re forcing me to fight!”

Ye Mingshi gritted her teeth. She was indeed too naive.

Being with Bayin for so long had made her lower her guard.

She truly thought other places would accept her like her sect did.

The attacks from the other side grew more frantic, and she sustained more and more injuries.

Blood dripped steadily onto the snow, the black-red blood soaking the ground.

She couldn couldn’t drag this out any longer. A ruthless glint flashed in her eyes.

She condensed a ball of demonic energy in her palm, looking towards the weakest point in their defense, preparing to break out.

At this moment, the deputy general had already sensed her intention. His long spear, at a highly tricky angle, thrust directly towards her heart!

But just then, a slender figure suddenly picked up a broken long spear from the ground and charged towards the deputy general.

In that critical moment, she completely forgot the key techniques the Yan family young master had taught her, only rushing forward with a surge of anger.

In truth, remembering those techniques would have been useless.

How could the deputy general’s battlefield-honed spear techniques be matched by a frail, half-grown child? She barely reached the deputy general; her spear tip hadn’t even touched him when he flung her away with a wave of his sleeve.

The deputy general had already held back when he realized the person was Bayin, but a cultivator’s strength was incomparable to a mortal’s. Bayin was knocked rolling to the ground, stopping only when she violently crashed into a wooden pillar.

Ye Mingshi cried out anxiously, “Bayin!”

Bayin’s forehead was bleeding profusely, but she didn’t faint.

Instead, she trembled and quickly scrambled to her feet.

She was a clever child. She understood that she couldn’t rescue Ye Mingshi from the deputy general’s hands by force.

She couldn’t even protect her friend, she couldn’t become a Batal, but she knew the City Lord loved them very much, she would be fine.

So this time, she chose to point the spear tip at herself.

The extremely sharp spearhead pressed against her thin throat.

A warm liquid seemed to ooze out, but her head was spinning, her whole body ached, and she felt nothing.

Many double images appeared before Bayin’s eyes, but she still tried to raise her head, focusing her gaze on the deputy general.

Her voice was weak, quickly turning hysterical, “Let her go… She’s not a demon, not a bad person, let her go!”

The deputy general’s eyes wavered for a moment, followed by a surge of anger.

“What trick did you use to bewitch her?! She’s just a child!”

Ye Mingshi’s voice trembled, “It’s your fault!”

Although the deputy general wanted to continue fighting, his movements were somewhat deterred and frozen.

He raised his hand, intending to use spiritual energy to snatch the long spear from Bayin’s hand, but the child was too stubborn, firmly resisting.

Ye Mingshi seized this opportunity, flashed out, and took the chance to escape.

Seeing her figure completely disappear in the distance, Bayin finally released the long spear in her hand, lowered her head, and fainted.

Seeing the grim situation, the deputy general immediately reported to Yan Yan.

“Useless trash! Idiot!” Yan Yan wished she could kick him flying. “Was no one controlling the child at first? Letting her get into danger and get injured, what were you thinking? Has our Yinlan City become so impoverished that even children bleed?”

“I…” Actually, someone was controlling Bayin at first, but according to that soldier, she bit him fiercely, almost tearing off a piece of flesh, then, like artillery fire, she charged out the moment he cried out in pain. But the deputy general knew whatever he said would sound like an excuse, so he bowed his head and said, “Please punish me, General.”

Yan Yan didn’t stand on ceremony with him. “Go and receive your military floggings. What about the child?”

The deputy general quickly said, “The child is still unconscious. The military doctor has examined her and said that she should be fine with proper rest.”

Yan Yan asked again, “Didn’t you say she was affected by an evil spell, and it might be dangerous to her life?”

The deputy general replied, “The military doctor said it should be nothing.”

“That’s good,” Yan Yan’s expression finally softened. “Find someone to watch over her for now. I’ll go see her after I finish these important matters here. As for that demonic cult member who escaped, I’ll deal with her; we’ll take care of them all at once.”

Su Qing opportunely asked, “I’ve met that child. Can I go see her? Perhaps if I talk to her, I’ll know what happened.”

Yan Yan was surprised, “You know her?”

Su Qing told her about her and Yan Yao practicing spear techniques with Bayin.

Yan Yan listened and had no objection, “In that case, go keep her company and talk to her.”

Su Qing sent Xiaocao back first, then she turned and went to Bayin’s tent.

The tent was tightly guarded by soldiers outside, creating a somewhat oppressive atmosphere.

She lifted the curtain and walked in. The interior was warm from the stove, and the air carried a faint scent of blood and a strong aroma of medicine. Two soldiers and a white-bearded old man stood in the corner of the tent.

Bayin, a tiny bundle, was curled up on the fur blanket, her brows tightly furrowed. Although her eyes were closed, her eyelashes still twitched uneasily.

The wounds on her head and neck had all been bandaged.

Already appearing big-headed due to her thinness, now with a circle of bandages, she looked even more pitiable.

She was already sleeping very restlessly. Su Qing had only taken a few steps closer when she suddenly opened her eyes, looking at her with extreme fright.

The white-bearded old man in the corner was the military doctor.

Seeing Bayin awake, he said, “You can’t move. Lie down quickly. Just a few good sleeps and you’ll be fine.”

Bayin’s head was filled with rustling static, and her vision was blurry, but she still recognized Su Qing at a glance.

She tried to raise her hand. Su Qing stepped forward and held her hand. The child weakly squeezed her arm.

‘Rock-hard. It’s that Big Sister.’

As long as this Big Sister would listen carefully to every word she said, she would believe her.

Bayin said breathlessly, “Save Yinlan City! We discovered the demonic cult! They’re planning a blood sacrifice! Big Sister Ye, she’s really a good person! She just looks a little different from us, but… what does that matter? Do you believe me?”

“I believe you.” Su Qing sat on the couch, gathered her trembling body, held her close, and cradled her head with her chin. The child had a concussion and couldn’t move around. “Speak slowly. Don’t rush.”

Bayin spoke a lot. Su Qing was secretly alarmed; it actually matched the demonic cult leader’s memories.

What she said was exactly the plan the Abyssal Void was about to implement. It seemed that the ‘Big Sister Ye’, who was full of demonic energy, was not simply a member of the demonic cult; there must be a reason behind it.

“Don’t worry,” Su Qing comforted her, “General Yan Yan already knows what you said. She has already apprehended and interrogated the demonic cult leader. This matter will soon be over, and Yinlan City will be safe.”

Bayin believed her words.

Bayin breathed a sigh of relief.

Soon, that sigh of relief became lodged in her throat, making her unable to breathe.

Although Bayin didn’t know why Ye Mingshi was searching for the demonic bone, she guessed it must be related to the illness in her body.

The various signs of Ye Mingshi turning into a demon were, in her eyes, merely signs of illness.

Now that Yinlan City was saved, what about Big Sister Ye?

Was the Yan family army still hunting her?

“What’s wrong?”

Su Qing felt a drop of warm liquid fall on her hand. Bayin bit her lip, stubbornly not crying, but as soon as she spoke, the weeping in her voice couldn’t be hidden.

“She saved me. I don’t want her to die. I don’t want her to think this is a very bad place.”

The military doctor said anxiously, “Quick, calm her down! Don’t let her emotions fluctuate too violently, or she’ll faint again.”

Su Qing stroked Bayin’s shoulder and said gently, “If she’s truly as you say, she’ll be fine. I’ll go find her, okay?”

Bayin wanted to lift her head to look into her eyes but found she couldn’t, pinned down by Su Qing. She confirmed dully, “Really?”

Su Qing asked, “Don’t you believe me? I’m a reliable adult. Things that worry children aren’t that difficult for adults, you know. It’s true.”

“Adults are never reliable,” Bayin cautiously clutched Su Qing’s sleeve and whispered, “But I believe you, because you are my Batal.”

Yan Yan was giving instructions to her subordinates when she saw another patrolling soldier rushing to report. She frowned, “What’s wrong?”

The patrolling soldier handed over a document. “General, our squad found someone stuffing this document in front of the military camp’s cheval de frise during patrol.”

Yan Yan opened it and saw that it was a performance review report.