Ascension Day

Xu Ying followed the Snake Demon toward Wu Wang Mountain. The Snake Demon’s home, Qinyan Cave, was at the foot of the mountain, but the journey was a long one.

As they passed Huangniqiao Village, they saw a woman over ten feet tall with four arms standing at the entrance. Each of her four arms held a Treasure Sword, and she was surveying her surroundings.

She was the Divine Spirit worshipped by Huangniqiao Village.

"Guard all the roads! Don’t let your guard down!"

The woman commanded the villagers, "That Xu Ying fellow is bound to pass through here. We can’t let him escape!"

Xu Ying and the Snake Demon quickly stopped in their tracks. They saw people guarding every intersection—even the rice paddies along the road had lookouts!

’The City God has issued a kill order for me!’

Xu Ying’s heart pounded wildly, and he felt a wave of dizziness.

There were simply too many Divine Spirits in Lingling. The prefecture had eight hundred mountains and five hundred rivers and lakes. Including all the villages and towns, the total number of worshipped Divine Spirits, both great and small, was over two thousand!

With so many Divine Spirits after him, Xu Ying’s escape was impossible, even if he sprouted wings. Reaching Wu Wang Mountain seemed like a pipe dream!

No matter which way he turned, he would be walking into a death trap!

"Watch this!" The Snake Demon chuckled, then suddenly shot forward like an arrow from a bow, charging straight for the villagers blocking the road.

When the villagers saw the giant snake, over thirty feet long, charging toward them with its head raised high, they immediately dropped their weapons and fled for their lives, their cries filling the air.

"A Snake Demon!" "The Snake Demon’s eating people!" "He’s swallowing them whole!" "Goddess, save me!" "The goddess has been eaten!"

Listening to the cries, Xu Ying thought they sounded suspiciously like the Snake Demon’s own voice.

He used the chaos as cover to speed through Huangniqiao Village unnoticed. A short while later, the Snake Demon caught up, now bearing two sword wounds.

"It’s nothing serious. The Divine Spirit of Huangniqiao Village is just a woman. She got me with her sword twice, but seeing as she’s a lady, I won’t hold it against her," the Snake Demon said magnanimously.

Xu Ying’s expression turned serious. "Thank you for saving me, Brother She. I haven’t had a chance to ask your name."

The Snake Demon replied formally, "My ancestor cultivated the Elephant Power Ox Demon Fist, so he adopted the surname Niu, meaning ’Ox.’ When I was born, my father told me that our type of venomous snake was called a ’Yuan’ in ancient times. Since I was the seventh in line, he gave me the name Yuan Qi."

Xu Ying hesitated for a moment, but couldn’t help but say, "Brother Niu, the ’Ox’ in Elephant Power Ox Demon Fist doesn’t mean you’re supposed to cultivate yourself into an Ox Demon. It means that when you practice this Fist Technique, your spirit should be like that of an Ox Demon—utterly fearless. The technique has absolutely nothing to do with actual oxen."

The Snake Demon Yuan Qi stared blankly, blinking his eyes. "Are you saying my ancestor misunderstood the Elephant Power Ox Demon Fist? So my given name is correct, but my family’s surname is wrong?"

Xu Ying ventured, "Perhaps you could change your surname?"

The Snake Demon Yuan Qi roared with laughter. "My ancestor’s surname was Niu, and my father’s surname was Niu. How could I betray my heritage? A true man never changes his name! I am Yuan Qi!"

As for the Niu surname, he promptly cast it to the back of his mind.

Along the way, they were repeatedly ambushed by rural Divine Spirits. Each time, the Snake Demon Yuan Qi would charge ahead to draw their attention, allowing Xu Ying to slip away.

These Divine Spirits were over ten feet tall and had all sorts of bizarre appearances. Some had four arms, some had two faces, some had an eye in their forehead, and others had an eye in the palm of their hand, which they would hold up to look around.

They were often the souls of the dead, attached to Divine Statues and sustained by the sacrifices of the living. Over time, they would gain Divine Powers and become able to move freely by inhabiting the body of the Divine Statue.

Xu Ying did his best to avoid villages and towns, traveling through remote mountain forests. However, even these forests had Mountain God Temples and Earth God Temples, enshrining Mountain Gods and Earth Gods. The rivers in the mountains often had Water Gods dwelling within them, and the slightest carelessness could alert these beings.

These Divine Spirits of the wilderness were often members of the Demon Race who had been granted godhood.

They were Great Demons who had succeeded in their cultivation, reaching the peak of the Qi Collection Stage and the Seventh Layer of the Martial Dao. They could transform into human form and, upon accepting amnesty from the City God, would be appointed as Mountain Gods or Water Gods, subject to the City God’s command.

These Divine Spirits were much stronger than the ones in the villages; their wild nature was difficult to tame, making them far more dangerous!

According to the Snake Demon Yuan Qi, Xu Ying was currently only on par with a Great Demon who had succeeded in cultivation. There was still a massive gap between him and the Demon King Level Demon Gods.

The man and the snake did their best to avoid villages and Mountain God Temples, so their progress was slow. By noon, they had only covered twenty li of mountain terrain.

The Snake Demon Yuan Qi sniffed the air. "The air is heavy with moisture in that direction," he said. "There must be a water source!"

Xu Ying had already eaten all the fruit he was carrying and was parched with thirst, so he followed. Before long, they heard the sound of a flowing stream. Just as the Snake Demon Yuan Qi was about to approach, he suddenly stopped. Ahead of them, the creek fed into a pool of water. A carriage was parked by the pool’s edge, where a master and servant were drawing water.

The main road was not far off.

’It’s alright, that’s Mr. Liu!’ A flicker of recognition went through Xu Ying, and he stepped out into the open.

Liu Zongyuan’s carriage was loaded with heavy chests, as if he were preparing for a long journey. Xu Ying went forward, bowed, and said, "Mr. Liu, are you leaving Lingling?"

Liu Zongyuan was startled to see him and the Snake Demon but quickly smiled. "Ah, it is young brother Xu Ying. I’ve received a decree from the Emperor, summoning me to the Capital."

Xu Ying was genuinely happy for him and said from the heart, "Mr. Liu, returning to the Capital this time, you will surely be entrusted with great responsibility by the Emperor. I am not a well-read man, so I’m not sure how to put it, but... My lord, you have seen the state of the people’s livelihood in Yongzhou. When you achieve great success, please don’t forget the people here. Once you have the Emperor’s trust, please remember to ensure the common folk have food to eat."

Liu Zongyuan’s expression turned solemn. "Rest assured, young brother. When I go to the Capital, I will cut away the old corruptions, reduce the exorbitant taxes, and push for reforms to restore a prosperous age. I will not fail the trust of the people!"