Chapter Forty-Nine: A Fortunate Kill (Extended Chapter)

The cloud skiff used by the Tianshan Escape was unlike all others. It bore no cloud sails atop but instead had folding wings on either side. When unfurled, they resembled the vast wings of a gigantic bat, earning it the name “Bat Skiff.” Its size was far inferior to the vessels of Liuchou and his companions, and even a common cloud skiff would seem larger. What it lacked in bulk, however, it made up for with astonishing speed, slicing through clouds and mists like a flash of lightning.

The hull was crafted from millennium-old sea willow, a hardwood as iron-hard as any metal. All rivets, bolts, and nails were forged of black iron. Unlike ordinary cloud skiffs, where the reactor would be installed at the tail, here the entire rear of the vessel comprised an enormous nuclear furnace, joined seamlessly with the forebody of the skiff.

The surface of the hull was adorned with intricate patterns, clusters of flowers and vines—a display that to outsiders seemed merely ornate, but in truth hid mechanisms of remarkable ingenuity. The vessel might be likened to a future engine bristling with countless cylinders, its power self-evident.

As Liuchou boarded the skiff, memories of the Tianshan Escape’s reputation returned to him. Mr. Fulu had once described in detail the Four Guards of the Great Zhou; in terms of sheer combat strength, none could rival the Tianshan Escape. Cautious, Liuchou dared not let down his guard in the slightest.

No one who had never ridden the Bat Skiff could imagine its speed. In the blink of an eye, it soared from the ground to the clouds, then bolted forward, electric and sudden, often skimming perilously close to the sails of other cloud skiffs. The startled shrieks and panic of those aboard the other vessels were met only by the Bat Skiff's crew with hearty laughter and careless banter.

Under such acceleration, Liuchou and the two other monsters could not endure it. They felt as if their very organs were being forced violently against their spines, as though they would burst from their bodies in the next instant. Liuchou clenched his teeth, his companions gripping the vessel’s walls in agony. In striking contrast, Tianku seemed supremely at ease, carving a small piece of wood with his broad-headed sword, saying he wished to make a cradle as a wedding gift for his sister and her husband. Despite the skiff’s pitching, his blade never faltered, and soon a crib leg emerged, smooth and even.

Even so, the three monsters could only last a short while before they began to vomit uncontrollably, their stomachs emptying forth like fountains. The crew ignored them, continuing their laughter.

Liuchou’s fellow conscripts were an eagle demon and a tiger demon, neither from the Yanpeng Company and thus strangers to him, but both had arrived at the skiff before Liuchou. Judging by their power, both had reached the late fifth rank, just a step away from the sixth—remarkable strength.

The skiff flew on for an entire day. When the sun sank behind the western mountains and the moon began to rise, it finally slowed and descended. The three monsters’ stomachs were long since empty, their limbs numb, but they forced themselves upright, standing as best they could.

When the hatch opened, Liuchou realized the skiff had not landed but hovered in mid-air, several yards above the ground. Below them sprawled a vast city—not as grand as Luoyi, but bustling and alive. Even at night, countless points of fire and lamplight gleamed from below, radiating a prosperity and vibrancy impossible to describe.

The skiff hung motionless in the night, its jet-black hull blending with the sky, like a spirit or specter.

“This is Liyang, one of the top ten demon-hunting merchant guilds of Qin Chuan have their headquarters here,” Tianku murmured, still carving the final piece of the crib without looking up. “Moreover, two cultivators’ guilds teach apprentices here. Their highest instructors are but sixth or seventh rank, but with their disciples and subordinates, they could still deal with the likes of you.”

Liuchou and the other two monsters exchanged glances, uncertain of Tianku’s intentions.

“All right, off you go!”

Tianku brushed wood shavings from the crib, waved dismissively. Liuchou dared ask no more, leapt out the hatch, curled himself tight, and aimed for a large tree below.

The tiger demon, surprised by Liuchou’s swift departure, hesitated but dared not delay. He bowed respectfully. “Sir, what are your instructions for us…”

Before he could finish, a blade burst from his chest with a wet sound. The tiger demon howled, raising a paw to strike, but the blade withdrew, a flash of cold light swept by, and his massive head toppled to the ground, rolling twice before being stomped into pulp.

“Too much talking!” A guard sheathed his blade, wiped it casually on the corpse, and eyed the eagle demon with a malicious grin. “Well? Anything you want to ask?”

“I…I…” The eagle demon instinctively stepped back, then spun and bolted from the hatch, wings spreading as he soared into the city below.

The Tianshan Escape’s fearsome reputation was well deserved.

The eagle demon had a clear advantage; silent as a shadow, he slipped into the city, vanishing without a trace. Liuchou, on the other hand, crashed noisily into the tree, alerting those nearby. Before he could climb down, several dark figures appeared on the rooftops, peering about before closing in on the tree.

Fortunately, Liuchou had already formed a plan. He slipped down the trunk and darted toward the nearest row of houses, vaulted the wall, and headed straight for the kitchen. Pausing at the door, he reached out and caught a plump man just as he poked his head out.

The fat man opened his mouth to shout but Liuchou crushed his throat before a sound escaped, then stuffed the corpse into his gourd-world.

This was thanks to Liuchou’s extra ears; before he even reached the treetop, he had discerned the layout of the household—two in the inner chambers, two in the side rooms, one in each of the three annexes, but only one in the kitchen, making it his obvious choice.

Footsteps sounded outside. Liuchou dove into the haystack as someone vaulted the wall, barking orders: “You three, check the inner rooms; you, search the annexes; I’ll see to the outer yard—be careful, don’t let the demon escape!”

“Who dares break into my home?” someone shouted from within. A voice answered, “We are demon hunters from the Great Que Guild. A demon was seen outside. We lost its trail here and are searching to ensure your safety. Please forgive the intrusion.”

“A demon?” The inner door swung open and a long-bearded man strode out, his clothes disheveled, a flustered woman behind him. “A demon, here? Did you find it?”

“Not yet,” the lead hunter replied solemnly. “Please allow us to search the inner rooms…”

“Oh, enough talk—go on, go on!” The host bowed. “Thank you, truly!”

With permission, the hunters searched thoroughly, checking even under beds and in cabinets. The leader had the household assembled for a headcount.

Halfway through, there was a knock at the door—the Liyang city guard had arrived. After consulting with the hunters, they began sealing off nearby houses for inspection, causing a commotion that lasted half the night.

Yet, by dawn, not a trace of the demon could be found.

※

Tianku exhaled, signaling his retainers, who grinned and released their grip. The carved, elegant crib stood steady within the skiff. Tianku pressed down on it; it held firm. He sighed in delight. “It’s done! What a gift—no one will ever guess it!”

“Indeed, not even Lord Yinguai could have expected it, let alone the rest of us,” a retainer said, smiling. “Such thoughtfulness is rare.”

“My sister’s wedding—I naturally had to make an effort.” Tianku admired the crib from all angles. Suddenly, he caught sight of the man guarding the hatch and remembered the two monsters below, beckoning him, “Xiao Jiu, enough observing the trial—come see my gift instead.”

The one called Xiao Jiu turned, walked over, and exclaimed at the craftsmanship. “Truly exquisite—Lord Yinguai will be delighted…” After praising the crib, he replied to the earlier question: “As for below, the eagle demon is unremarkable, hiding on a beam in a great hall—he’ll be fine, though it’s dull. The monkey, though, is more interesting—he snuck into a house, killed the cook, took his place, and neither the Great Que Guild nor the city guards noticed anything.”

“Oh?” Tianku’s smile froze, an odd, absent look in his eyes, but no anger. “Dared to kill, did he? How did he hide the body and blood? What’s wrong with the hunters, not spotting such a flaw—useless.”

The retainers exchanged glances. They had seen many trials, but never one where a candidate dared kill a human. Such things simply did not happen. Seeing Tianku’s strange expression, they dared not speak, waiting for his decision.

“My lord, that’s the interesting part. The hunters aren’t to blame—they never found any corpse or blood. How could they have guessed?” Xiao Jiu explained.

Tianku tilted his head in thought, then nodded. “Ah, that must be the monkey’s innate demon art, able to conceal corpses and blood. Not so strange, then. But killing…wishing to join the human army, serve Great Zhou, and yet bold enough to kill before us—there’s something I can’t see through…”

He pondered, then added, “…Is it untamed demon nature, or wildness unchecked?”

Xiao Jiu considered the words, then shook his head solemnly. “It doesn’t seem that way. It’s more as if he acts after calculation. I think he didn’t plan it in advance—at that moment, killing and taking the cook’s place was the best option, so he seized it, doing whatever it took to survive. Nothing more.”

“If so, he shows some character—a temperament not unlike our Ghost Banquet Division,” Tianku said, tapping his broad-bladed sword against its scabbard with a muffled thud. Suddenly, he declared, “Very well. I’ll grant him a future. Xiao Jiu, meet him after dawn and tell him the terms of his assessment: first, he must remain in this city for a full month, never leaving; second, he must find and capture a demon here. By the way, are there any suitable cases in the city?”

A retainer fetched a stack of parchment from a cabinet, found the Liyang files, and read:

“In the yin-hai year, xin-si month, a private tutor vanished from his home—doors locked, only a pool of blood left behind. Demon hunters believe it the work of a night owl demon, but have yet to find a trace.

“In the bing-zi year, ren-xu month, a woman of the Li clan fell into the river while washing clothes—witnesses saw a giant creature seize her. The hunters know where it went, but have not caught it yet.

“In the ding-chou year, gui-si month, young men have repeatedly disappeared from the west side of the city. The guards have increased patrols, but the vanishings continue—over ten cases by last year’s end, still unsolved.”

“There’s also…”

“No need, the third case will do!” Tianku’s eyes lit up, cutting him off. “The first two are already known, the guilds are hunting those. The third, though, is a mystery even the guilds can’t solve—it must be a deeply hidden demon. Perfect for his test.”

“Yes, sir. But…” Xiao Jiu hesitated. “Isn’t this trial rather difficult? Should I assist him a little?”

Tianku’s expression changed slightly as he looked at Xiao Jiu. “If you help, what kind of trial is that? Let him go on his own. If he fails and dies, so be it. Why should we care? Besides, for a prospective general, is there a simpler test?”

At this, all the retainers changed expression. “Prospective general?”

“Yes—a candidate for general.” Tianku’s face was expressionless as he gazed upward, reflective. After a moment, he spoke softly, “He is the second to be given a general’s trial for killing—a curious coincidence.”

“My lord, who was the first?”

Tianku smiled faintly. “It was my sister. Back then, it was Brother Jieshen who gave her the general’s trial, and now, today, this one’s killed again!”

Heaven’s Mandate

A single thought stirs the winds and stars,
Armored, sword in hand, I whirl through the ages of chaos and spring.
A single stride cleanses the sky and all its roads,
Destiny’s will turns the Nine Provinces.

The red spider lily waits until hair turns white,
Western bliss is but a game for straw dogs.
The grand Way and Heaven’s will are endless calculations,
Yet at the end of all, Heaven’s Mandate is revealed.