Chapter 27 Part 2

Li Jiangying: That question is very hard for me to answer.

Jiang Sujin was startled and suddenly realized she might have asked another question she shouldn’t have. Indeed, who would casually reveal their profession? So she quickly apologized, “I spoke out of turn! Please don’t be offended, Sister Ying Suanli!”

“It’s fine, don’t be afraid. It’s not some huge secret I can’t tell, just something you might not know even if I said it.” Li Jiangying said amiably.

Essentially, Li Jiangying was still a mortal. When traveling, she couldn’t use Devil Qi to enhance her speed and endurance like Jiang Sujin could. Therefore, she let Li Yueying carry her to maintain her master persona.

Although Li Yueying might still be jealous over the form of address, causing her to secretly straighten her tail to make herself taller, which meant Li Jiangying was now considerably higher than Jiang Sujin. Thus, when looking at her, she couldn’t help but have a somewhat condescending feeling.

And she couldn’t be blamed for deceiving her. Who knew if Jiang Sujin would harbor ill intentions towards a mortal with a suspicious identity if she revealed the truth? The worst-case scenario would be her connecting Moon Shadow Devil Venerable to Li Jiangying.

Now, by pretending to be an old senior Devil Cultivator who had long been secluded from the world, Li Jiangying could reasonably inquire about current affairs and also apply a bit of pressure to prevent Jiang Sujin from getting any crooked ideas.

Li Jiangying put on an inscrutable smile, clasped her hands behind her back, and gazed up at the vast sky, fully displaying the demeanor of a master. “Ah, it’s been far too long. Now, I am the only one left in my master’s lineage. To be honest, my master was the Childlike Old Woman of the Heavenly Mountain from the Spirit Vulture Palace. I inherited her legacy and arduously cultivate the Eight Directions Six Harmonies I Alone Am Supreme Art. To this day, I have cultivated to the final stage but cannot break through. I presume it’s because I’ve been secluded too long and my mental state cannot achieve a breakthrough, so I came out to relax and ease my mind.”

Jiang Sujin said in surprise, “Spirit Vulture Palace? Is that the Spirit Vulture Palace in the southwest, known mainly for taming beasts?”

Li Jiangying’s mind filled with question marks. Wait, why was there a Spirit Vulture Palace here too? This is way too awkward!

She quickly said, “No, no, no, that’s just a coincidence in name. My Spirit Vulture Palace has no one left. And it’s not in the west; it’s in the east.” As for where exactly east, who cares, she’d make it up when needed.

Jiang Sujin suddenly understood. “True. But Sister Ying Suanli, don’t be sad. If you take a few disciples on this trip into the world, your lineage can continue.”

Li Jiangying clasped her hands behind her back and sighed. “My Eight Directions Six Harmonies I Alone Am Supreme Art has a characteristic: one cannot casually use Devil Qi. One must treat oneself as a mortal, returning to simplicity. Moreover, every five hundred years, it cycles once, repeating the cultivation process from the beginning. So arduous; beyond the endurance of ordinary people.”

Jiang Sujin finally understood why Sister Ying Suanli’s aura was so restrained, and why she was so calm and low-key.

Arriving at Chasing Moon City, Li Jiangying found the city walls extremely majestic and the streets bustling with people. She suddenly wondered if there was medicine Li Yueying needed here. But then another thought struck her: she didn’t have a single Devil Stone on her. Even if there was medicine, she couldn’t afford it.

She still needed to reunite with Cui Yu as soon as possible. She wondered if Cui Yu had managed to escape from those Black Cloaked People.

The gates of Chasing Moon City were wide open, welcoming guests from all directions, and order within the city was excellent, completely unlike Fangping Town.

Jiang Sujin continuously praised the Moon-Chasing Devil Venerable beside her, saying that this place used to be no different from anywhere else. Later, under her governance, it became the favorite place for unaffiliated Devil Cultivators to gather. Because fighting was prohibited within the city, or else one would be suppressed by the forces of the City Lord Manor. Even if experts came, the approachable Moon-Chasing Devil Venerable was here to stop them.

After all, Devil Cultivators were people too. Even if their moral bottom line was relatively low, they didn’t want to live their entire lives in a place where they had to constantly be on guard against others.

After receiving this information, Li Jiangying indeed breathed a sigh of relief. If all eighteen Devil Venerables of the Devil Domain had the same sense of responsibility as the Moon-Chasing Devil Venerable, wouldn’t the Devil Domain become a much better world?

Thinking of this, she couldn’t help but raise her hand and rap Li Yueying on the head with a knuckle.

Considering that having Li Yueying carry her all the time was a bit conspicuous, Li Jiangying got off her back before entering the city. She also asked Jiang Sujin for a hat with a veil to put on Li Yueying.

Her reason: “I don’t like competing with others. A Yue is so beautiful; I fear she might attract unwanted attention.”

Jiang Sujin expressed understanding.

This veiled hat was new; Jiang Sujin hadn’t used it yet. Perhaps because it smelled less of that detestable aura, Li Yueying accepted it this time without directly ripping it apart.

As for Li Yueying’s snake tail, there was no helping it. Plenty of Demon Cultivators were around anyway, so let it show.

However, Li Yueying seemed unaccustomed to wearing the conical hat. She raised her hand several times to take it off, but Li Jiangying stopped her. She then darted behind Li Jiangying and hugged her, her voice hoarse. “Can’t see Yingying clearly anymore.”

“You’ll get used to it.” Li Jiangying coaxed. “This is called viewing flowers through the mist makes them even more beautiful. A Yue is the most well-behaved, isn’t she?”

“Yingying…” She murmured quietly through the thin veil. “I will stay with you.”

“Good girl.” Li Jiangying conveniently stroked her forehead. Li Yueying narrowed her eyes contentedly.

She had discovered that no matter which state the little madwoman was in, she liked having her head petted—except, that is, for the not-crazy one.

The three entered the city together. The main street was spacious, with shops and stalls lining both sides, some even selling snacks just like in the mortal world. Li Jiangying’s eyes reddened with envy, but to maintain her masterful image, she had to put on a serene and indifferent smile.

“Sister Ying Suanli, there’s a shop ahead that buys Demonic Beast cores. I want to sell the Demon Cores we’ve collected these past few days.”

The shop was just a few steps ahead, so Li Jiangying said, “Alright, I’ll wait for you here.”

But Jiang Sujin hadn’t been in the shop long when a young man in luxurious attire approached. He looked at Li Jiangying with sympathy and suddenly tossed something her way.

Li Jiangying caught it and looked. It was actually a Superior-grade Devil Stone. Devil Stones were divided into four grades: Immortal-grade, Superior-grade, High-grade, and Common-grade, with a hundred-to-one conversion rate, so people didn’t need to carry a mountain of stones for expensive purchases.

She looked at the young man in confusion. The young man sighed, opened his gold-threaded fan, and fanned himself. “Life is harsh, but don’t be afraid. Cultivation is just like that. Persevere, and I believe you will go further in the future. However, since you have a Demonic Beast as a Devil Pet, even if she can’t fully achieve Human Form Transformation yet, you should at least dress her in some clothes. Hm? Why are you smiling?”

Li Jiangying smiled and shook her head. “Nothing. Just thinking… it turns out I’m not always so unlucky.”

The young man laughed heartily. “Since there are headwinds, there will surely be tailwinds. Keep this Devil Stone. Don’t be embarrassed; just consider it making a friend. My name is Tao Buluo. If fate allows us to meet again in the future, we shall share wine and joy. I take my leave now.”

After finishing, Tao Buluo cupped his hands in salute. Not caring what Li Jiangying thought, he leisurely waved his fan and departed.

Watching his retreating figure, Li Jiangying felt extraordinarily complicated emotions. Who makes friends without asking the other person’s name? Sure enough, he was simply looking out for Li Jiangying’s pride.

Soon, Jiang Sujin returned, holding a cloth pouch. She happily told Li Jiangying, “Sister Ying Suanli! I sold them for a total of thirty-four High-grade Devil Stones, plus twenty Common-grade ones.”

Demon Cores had different prices based on species and cultivation level. Besides that, other materials from Demonic Beasts could also be exchanged for money. Jiang Sujin wanted to give most of the Devil Stones she got to Li Jiangying. “Sister Ying Suanli, you and A Yue hunted all these. Without you, I couldn’t have gotten any of this. Please accept it.”

Li Jiangying desperately wanted to take it and count it with her own hands, to experience the joy of counting money. However, she didn’t have a Storage Bag. Carrying these directly on her person would be too heavy and unsafe.

She could only smile calmly. “We call each other sisters, so we are on the same side. No need for such formality. Keep them all with you. Sujin, you are a kind child. Sister trusts you; you won’t betray my trust.”

Jiang Sujin clutched the cloth pouch, deeply moved. “Sister Ying Suanli, rest assured!”

“Right, I earned a Superior-grade Devil Stone just now. Keep that with you too.”

Jiang Sujin: “Huh?? Sister Ying Suanli is amazing, earning so much money in such a short time!” Her face full of admiration, she asked, “How did you get it?”

Li Jiangying smiled slightly and calmly accepted Jiang Sujin’s worship. “Secret.” She couldn’t exactly tell her she was just mistaken for a beggar and given alms.

“Yingying…” The snake mental case was unhappy again, her voice mournful. “Do you trust me that much too?”

Li Jiangying could only say, “Of course. The one I trust the most is you. Be good!”

The snake mental case chuckled softly and said no more.

With money and places selling clothes available, Li Jiangying eagerly bought several sets of new clothes. This time, Li Yueying finally didn’t tear them up. She obediently put on a robe long enough to cover her tail down to where her thighs would be.

While helping her change, Li Jiangying’s expression darkened as she touched the tiny scales on Li Yueying’s upper arm. She couldn’t help but think: it seemed the serpentine parts of Yueying’s body were creeping further upward.

The three continued forward. Jiang Sujin once again proposed visiting Bright Moon Lake. She said a unique medicinal herb grew there and she wanted to try her luck. Moreover, the lake water was very pure, and many Water Element Devil Cultivators gathered there to cultivate.

Considering Chasing Moon City was too large to exit before evening anyway, and since they were finally in a populated, commercial area, Li Jiangying also wanted to see if she could buy something for self-defense here.

Her Short Sword was useful, but her Soft Armor was damaged. If she could replace it, that would be ideal.

So the two decided to head to Bright Moon Lake first and rest nearby that night. They could leave after getting what they wanted—all thanks to the confidence that single Superior-grade Devil Stone provided.

But that confidence could easily be punctured. Arriving at Bright Moon Lake, Li Jiangying found it much livelier than other places. Holding Li Yueying’s hand, she looked around and noticed a shop selling armor.

Jiang Sujin followed her gaze and said, “The arrow-piercing-crescent-moon emblem carved on this shop’s signboard is the mark of the Moon-Chasing Devil Venerable. The Venerable is the City Lord here; the City Lord Manor is on Mid-Lake Island. This is genuine.”

Since it was officially guaranteed, Li Jiangying felt reassured. She said, “I haven’t been in contact with these things for a long time and don’t know how magical artifacts have changed. Sujin, will you accompany me to browse?”

Jiang Sujin hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Alright.”

Meanwhile, Li Yueying leaned on Li Jiangying’s shoulder and quietly yawned. Holding her hand, Li Jiangying walked into the armor shop. The shop assistant wasn’t overly enthusiastic but wasn’t rude either, politely letting customers browse on their own and ask if they had questions.

After walking around once, a cold sweat broke out on Li Jiangying’s forehead. Why… why were all the things here so expensive!

She quickly did mental calculations and found that with her current assets, she could only afford the most ordinary small protective gear, like the dusty arm guard sitting on the bottom shelf.

But if she bought it, they would probably have to sleep on the street tonight. No wonder Jiang Sujin had shown a troubled expression.

“Forget it. Nothing here suits this old body. Let’s go.” Li Jiangying barely managed to maintain her master persona.

However, just as she was about to leave, a commotion suddenly arose on the street outside. Many Devil Cultivators voluntarily moved to the sides of the road, clearing the middle.