0115 Reinforcements from Crimson Cliff

Xun Xiaoran was the centurion of the Bitter Neem Street magic rift battle zone. Despite his delicate-sounding name, he was a massive man eight feet tall with a thick, bristly beard.

The situation was dire. He could no longer remain seated in his tent, so he wielded a long halberd and fought alongside his soldiers. By now, a sliver of despair had crept into their hearts. The entire defense had collapsed; most of the soldiers were killed or wounded, and they were barely managing to fight individually. At this rate, the destruction of the human city guard was only a matter of time. If they fell, the demons would immediately swarm out of the rift and overrun the residential streets behind them—streets filled with innocent civilians.

After finishing off a demon, Xun Xiaoran strode over to Jiang Feng. His first question was, "When you came over, did you see the situation with the civilians?"

Jiang Feng glanced at him, surprised, and nodded. "I encountered three soldier-grade demons; they have been dealt with."

"Only three?" Xun Xiaoran asked.

Jiang Feng nodded. Xun Xiaoran slapped his fist into his palm. "Dammit, more than that must have slipped through. The people behind..."

"Lord Xun, you don't need to worry too much," Jiang Feng said immediately. He recounted what he had encountered and then asked, "How much anti-demon medicine is left here?"

Xun Xiaoran frowned in thought. "Not much, but it doesn't matter!"

Jiang Feng shook his head. "The demonic energy is even stronger on the front lines; of course it matters." He took the leather bag off his back and emptied it onto the ground with a clatter.

Xun Xiaoran’s eyes widened. "Treasured artifacts? All of them are treasured artifacts?! So many?!"

The bag was filled with anti-demon incense burners made by Jiang Feng. He had anticipated the severe shortage of medicine and artifacts from his experience at the Pebble Street rift. Especially the latter; the rarity of artifact masters made them inherently scarce. Although the "Treasure Codex" would only record each item once—preventing him from gaining experience by repeatedly crafting the same one—he had still produced a massive quantity. Now, they were immediately useful.

"These are anti-demon incense burners, usable only by martial cultivators," Jiang Feng said solemnly. "Lord Xun, distribute them to the men quickly, let everyone use them, and send some medicine to the civilians to stabilize this sector as much as possible!"

Xun Xiaoran’s massive hands trembled. He gripped an incense burner, gave Jiang Feng’s shoulder a heavy pat, and stood up to turn away. Before long, the burners were in the soldiers' hands, and medicine had been sent out.

Xun Xiaoran took a deep breath. "We must hold the line!"

"We must," Jiang Feng agreed.

He glanced into the distance, his brow furrowed with gloom. There were only two days left before the control over the curved blade ended. If Bitter Neem Street had become like this, what about the other districts?

...

At that moment, the provincial office welcomed another visitor. Wan Qiuyu personally walked out to greet him, his expression one of surprise. "Lord Fan!"

The visitor’s attire was remarkably similar to Wan Qiuyu’s, save for slight variations in the collar embroidery and the absence of water-pattern motifs on the lapels. This man was Fan Gensheng, the provincial governor of Dan'ya Province, which bordered Yushui Province to the north. Fan Gensheng was not a member of the noble families, nor was he affiliated with Lord Fuliu. He was notoriously impartial and unswayable. What was he doing here at a time like this?

Every line on Fan Gensheng’s face spelled out a lack of humor. He kept a straight face and went straight to the point. "I have brought half of the provincial army. Make the arrangements, quickly!"

He cast a cold glance at Wan Qiuyu and flicked his wrist, sending a letter flying toward him like a blade. Wan Qiuyu caught it and recognized it instantly—it was the plea for help he had sent to the surrounding provinces when he first took his post.

"When this is over, I will file a report against you to the King," Fan Gensheng said coldly. "With such vague and incoherent words, were you asking for help or trying to drive people away?"

Wan Qiuyu stared at the letter and revealed a strange smile. "And yet, you still brought your men."

"I brought my men to kill demons, not to get involved in your messy disputes!" Fan Gensheng declared, his tone absolute. He looked visibly disgusted and swept away.

The provincial army from the neighboring region was quickly deployed, prioritizing the sectors in the worst condition. The situation eased almost immediately. Jiang Feng felt his heart lighten, but only for a moment. The crucial issue remained: the Heart-Bright Martial Sect—why was there still no news from them?

This was the sixth day of the Great Examination and the final day of controlling the curved blade. His score had long since surpassed the 50,000 mark, while the second-place contestant remained in the four-digit range. Jiang Huaiming had been crippled by Jiang Xue the very next day; his life was spared only for a future reckoning, and he was in no state to participate in the exam. His score had plummeted to the bottom of the rankings. In reality, his score meant nothing now.

Through Xun Xiaoran, Jiang Feng had no trouble viewing the Heaven-Reaching Rankings. He was perplexed. On the list, Ning Changkong, Teng Zhi, and Hong Cheng were ranked near the top, with Teng Zhi in second place, just as he had expected. But Ping Luan-shan remained at the very bottom, his score stagnant for days. Was he injured? Had something happened? Or...

Jiang Feng was deeply worried, but the situation was too chaotic to inquire. He had completely abandoned combat, turning instead into a seasoned artifact master. He worked mechanically, repeating the same task. Massive amounts of materials were delivered to him, and batches of incense burners were churned out and sent across Taicang City.

Medicine was becoming increasingly scarce. Many, like Xun Xiaoran, were sending what they had to the civilians in the rear. Jiang Feng could only craft more burners to meet the needs of the front line. Fortunately, these items were simple and convenient to make. He could feel his control over his internal energy being tempered and refined with every repetition, growing increasingly precise.

Suddenly, Jiang Feng looked up, alert. A tall, thin man was standing beside him, head bowed, watching him work. An unfathomable aura emanated from him. Jiang Feng hadn't noticed his arrival, nor could he discern his cultivation level.

Jiang Feng sized him up, stood up in surprise, and bowed. "Governor... Governor Fan?"

The tall man lifted his eyelids to look at him. "You know me?"

Jiang Feng shook his head honestly. "No, I only recognize your attire." He bowed deeply again. "Thank you for bringing reinforcements to help Taicang City!"

Fan Gensheng reached down, picked up an incense burner to examine it closely, and said calmly, "I heard you are not from Taicang City either."

"True," Jiang Feng replied, "but I am a citizen of Yushui Province."

The stone-like lines on Fan Gensheng’s face shifted, revealing a smile that could only be described as eerie. "I, too, am a citizen of the Zhu Kingdom. And I am a human being."

Yes, looking at the small picture, they were facing a battle for Taicang City alone. But looking at the big picture, this battle concerned the entire Zhu Kingdom, the entire human race! A surge of warmth flooded Jiang Feng’s heart.

Lately, he had been utterly disheartened by the struggle between the noble families and Lord Fuliu. How could the two greatest powers of the Zhu Kingdom be so desperate to let the other side die first, to deplete each other's strength at such a critical moment? What future could the Zhu Kingdom have when held by such people?

But now, Fan Gensheng’s actions and words showed him a new kind of citizen.

"You are right!" Jiang Feng nodded solemnly.

"You have done well," Fan Gensheng said, looking up. He paused, then added, "Your heart is also good. Keep it that way."

"I will!" Jiang Feng nodded firmly.

Fan Gensheng stood straight and looked toward the distance, where the curved blade moved like a phantom across the battlefield, black flowers of blood blooming around her with every strike. After five days of continuous fighting, even this formidable demon could not help but show signs of fatigue.

"What does it feel like to control a demon?" Fan Gensheng suddenly asked.

Jiang Feng pointed to his forehead. "I can feel a connection between us. It’s not very strong, but it’s clear. She is an empty shell now; her will, emotions, and thoughts have been pushed away somewhere, leaving only a pure consciousness. To be precise, she isn't as strong as she would be in her normal state; she is essentially fighting on instinct." He shook his head. "Fortunately, the rift hasn't escalated in the last two days, and she has only been dealing with demons below the Lieutenant grade, which is why it looks so easy. If she faced an equal, she might be killed in an instant."

"Not bad," Fan Gensheng said slowly.

"However," Jiang Feng added, "some sensations do pass through from her."

A sharp light flashed in Fan Gensheng’s eyes. "What kind of sensations?"

Jiang Feng pondered for a moment. "It’s hard to say. There are fragmented images and some vague feelings."

The images were mostly of the demons' homeland, the Great Desolate Mountains. Most were shattered and scattered—just a patch of land, a rock, and so on. But one image was etched into Jiang Feng’s mind.

"He" was looking up at the sky. Behind the mountain sat a blood-red moon, so massive it felt as if one could reach out and touch it. The blood moon churned and rolled as if steam were rising from it, with blurry black shadows moving through the vapor. The mountain peak floated in mid-air, as if it were about to be absorbed into the blood moon at any moment.

What shocked Jiang Feng most was the figure sitting cross-legged at the very summit. He was tilting his head, staring at the blood moon. In the moonlight, his eyes were crimson—whether stained by the light or naturally so, he could not tell.

Jiang Feng opened his eyes and asked, "Is it possible for humans to survive in the Great Desolate Mountains?"

Fan Gensheng, who had been stunned by Jiang Feng’s description, responded instantly: "Impossible!" He shook his head and explained, "The higher the demon, the more they resemble humans. There are four Demon Emperors and four Demon Lords, all of whom look exactly like humans; you can't tell the difference. Above those eight, there is the Great Desolate God-Lord. Despite being a demon, he is named 'God,' and it is said that he truly does look like a celestial being!"

Jiang Feng nodded thoughtfully, whispering to himself, "So that's how it is..."