Chapter Thirty: Intercepting the Void

Mo Yun, born with the secular surname Jin and known by the alias "Great Bull Demon King," is said to be the illegitimate son of Jin Dasheng, one of the Seven Sages of Meishan. He once followed the Ghost Banquet Division of the Tianshan Escapade, but later defected from the Great Zhou due to Liuchou. Because of the Heavenly Dao, he turned against his own father, discarded his surname and lineage, and has since walked the world solely under the name "Bull Demon."

When heaven and earth clashed and the yin and yang were thrown into chaos, Mo Yun, through a twist of fate, mated with a Yin spirit and sired his son, Red Boy. However, though they were husband and wife in name, they lacked any affection, and he spent his days roaming the four seas, rarely returning home.

Later, as the Six Sages rose to power, their reprimands and warnings finally caused Mo Yun to settle down. He now enjoys the company of two beauties while awaiting immortality, a life that fills others with envy!

—————— *Register of Western Demonkind: The Great Bull Demon King*

Although he failed to obtain the legendary "Record of Deification" as he had hoped, the harvest was still bountiful. Liuchou had caught a glimpse of the human race's secret weapons, which made the trip well worth the effort. Once his strength had recovered slightly, he decided to begin his return journey.

Upon returning to Quanqiu, he officially registered Jinjing and Mo Yun as retainers of the Tianshan Escapade and exchanged for weapons and armor. More importantly, Liuchou needed to further his understanding of things like mechanical beasts and mechanical armor—inventions that had never appeared in official historical records.

He had originally assumed mechanical beasts were merely simple modes of transport, but it was now clear that they were far more than that.

While resting, Liuchou carefully examined the item he had seized from the Qi practitioner. Mo Yun, who had some insight into such matters, told Liuchou that the object was called a "Reed Ferry." It was originally a type of reed that grew in the sea of clouds on Kunlun Mountain. At sunrise, it would reflect the sunlight and rosy clouds, creating a massive halo. The foolish and ignorant would mistake this for the light of Buddha or a divine radiance and leap off cliffs, their souls becoming bait for the reeds.

Later, Qi practitioners discovered its wonders, harvested them, and refined them into these objects capable of short-distance flight. Powered by an internal demon core, they could ascend and fly, though they were limited to a height of less than a hundred zhang and a range of under twenty li. Their energy consumption was immense—one demon core would be exhausted every twenty li. While useful for escaping danger or brief reconnaissance like today, they had little broader utility.

Their only advantage was a high load-bearing capacity, capable of carrying three people.

However, the first time this object was used, it required the infusion of spiritual essence; once the user changed, its capabilities would be significantly diminished. Furthermore, the Reed Ferry was not particularly fast. The Qi practitioner had two more in his storage pouch, though it was unclear what he intended to do with them.

Liuchou found little use for the item and, not knowing how to handle it for the moment, simply tucked it away.

As for the Sun and Moon Golden Wheels, they were the practitioner's life-bound spiritual artifacts. They had been completely shattered upon impact and were beyond repair; they were not even useful as raw materials, so he simply tossed them into a water pool along with the corpse, leaving them to be picked clean by fish and shrimp.

Traveling south along the road, they soon reached the northernmost pass of the Great Zhou.

The Great Zhou’s western frontier had three passes: the northernmost was Hot Spring Pass, the middle was Qusong, and the southern was Dashi. Each was separated by ten thousand li, guarding the vital thoroughfares and keeping the demons of the western territory out of the heart of the Great Zhou. Beyond these three passes lay a chaotic land where humans and demons intermingled, filled with cities and constant warfare—a region commonly known as the "Stalemate Zone."

Liuchou avoided this messy battlefield, traveling directly through the wilderness until he reached Hot Spring Pass, where he presented his credentials and passed inspection. Though called a pass, it had long since become a massive city. Through years of repairs and expansions, a colossal wall had been built between the two mountains, towering into the clouds. Behind it lay a chaotic sprawl of military camps and urban districts, no different from any other city.

Liuchou soon arrived at a merchant guild located within Hot Spring Pass. Upon presenting his Tianshan Escapade token, he was respectfully welcomed inside, served tea in the back courtyard, and asked to state his requirements.

As usual, he took out the items he had collected from the "Pot World" to sell. He traded the severed heads of demons for bounties, restocked his needed weapon materials, and used the wealth he had obtained to purchase supplies for Mo Yun and Jinjing.

Although the weapons and armor available here were numerous, they were merely mundane items, lacking any true quality. Liuchou did not mind and picked out what he needed. Just as he was finished, a man hurried over from outside the guild and bowed to him.

"Greetings, Marquis General."

"Is there something?" The man wore clothing clearly marked with the Tianshan Escapade insignia, identifying him as a field messenger. If he had sought him out, it certainly wasn't for nothing.

"Orders from Quanqiu: All officers of the rank of Marquis, Quasi, and Regular are to return to Quanqiu immediately."

With that, the messenger presented his official documents. Just as he had said, a few brief lines demanded the immediate return of all personnel currently stationed outside.

The range of these messengers was clearly limited to Quasi and Marquis-level officers. Those who reached the rank of the Twenty-Eight Regular Generals almost all possessed their own cloud-ships or communication basins, so they had no need for messengers. Although the order was stated to apply to everyone, in practice, it targeted officers like Liuchou.

"Very well, I understand," Liuchou nodded. Recalling the manual for Marquis Generals he had seen at Quanqiu, he added, "Prepare a Bi'an mechanical beast for me, along with a pilot, dry rations, and water. I will rest for one day and depart tomorrow morning."

"Understood..." This was a right that a Marquis General was entitled to, and Liuchou's request was entirely reasonable. The messenger naturally had no objections. He hesitated for a moment and then asked, "The guild also has a Bixi beast. I wonder if you, My Lord Marquis..."

Liuchou had ridden both types of mechanical beasts. The Bi'an was similar to a modern cargo van, capable of carrying people and goods, with the advantage of a spacious interior. The Bixi beast, however, was like a passenger bus; it was comfortable to ride but lacked space for activity, which might not be as convenient for Liuchou.

"No need, the Bi'an will suffice!"

"Understood!" With Liuchou insisting, the messenger dared not argue. He bowed and took his leave to make the arrangements.

Afterward, Liuchou and his companions went to the guest rooms behind the guild to freshen up, washing away the fatigue of their long journey before lying down to rest.

Even someone like Liuchou needed to recuperate from the accumulated exhaustion to better face the coming storm.

At the doorway, Mo Yun's voice suddenly rang out, "Marquis General, there is nothing to do today. Would you care for a drink?"

Liuchou turned his head slightly to see Mo Yun walking in, grinning and carrying a large wine jar.

He slowly sat up, cleared half of the bed, and flipped over the bowls on the side table. He smiled and said, "You seem to be in good spirits. With a great war looming, you still have the mind to drink."

Mo Yun laughed heartily, tilted the jar to fill both bowls, set the jar on the bed, and sat down on the side. He took a sip, grimaced, and said, "The root of this war is a game between the gods in heaven and our demon kings and sages. What does it have to do with lowly ants like us? Since we are here, we might as well be at peace. To be alive is a joy, so why isn't it worth a drink?"

Liuchou was slightly taken aback. For a long time, he had perceived Mo Yun as a somewhat clever but simple-minded demon. He hadn't realized that after spending so much time together, he would find his thoughts to be so profound—surpassing the vast majority of lesser and even greater demons. He was not as simple as he appeared.

And as for Mo Yun, was Liuchou himself not the same?

"Brother Liu, have you ever wondered why the human race fights the demon race, yet goes to such great lengths to cultivate demon generals like you? What is their intent?" Mo Yun lifted the wine jar with one hand and refilled their bowls. Seeing that Liuchou hadn't touched his drink, he set it down. Though he called Liuchou "Marquis General" or "Brother Liu," he seemed to lack true reverence, as if he were merely respecting the status Liuchou held.

"There are too few Qi practitioners, so they need demon-kind to supplement their strength?" Liuchou replied.

"Unlikely! After the War of Deification, the human population grew rapidly; they are hardly lacking compared to demon-kind. The idea of 'supplementing strength' is a bit far-fetched," Mo Yun said, showing little respect for the Great Zhou, the nation he now served. His tone was casual as he continued, "Even if it were for supplementation, with a war against the demons imminent, aren't they afraid that the demon forces will rebel and cause chaos in the heart of the human territories?"

Liuchou shook his head. "I don't know. The highest-ranking officers I've ever seen were Regular Generals, equivalent to regimental commanders. How would I know the minds of the high-ranking human officials?"

"True. The high officials sit on high, and we small-fry demons have no way to fathom their thoughts," Mo Yun chuckled, finishing his bowl of wine. His laughter was filled with mockery. "And what about you? What are your plans?"

"Plans..." Liuchou frowned. "To be honest, there are none. I only seek to survive."

Mo Yun looked at Liuchou and suddenly smiled, a hint of indescribable self-mockery in his expression. "Survive... in truth, who isn't doing the same? Even those gods and buddhas in the sky—unless they have attained sainthood, aren't they also struggling to survive? I am the same. Joining the Tianshan Escapade gives me a better chance of staying alive, which is good enough."

Liuchou hesitated for a moment before saying, "I feel that you are different from me. I don't think you're just doing this to survive."

"If not that, then what? Are you saying I'm doing it to become an immortal?"

Mo Yun answered quite bluntly, but faced with Liuchou's steady gaze, he eventually lowered his head and sighed. "Fine, I admit it. You're right. I do have other intentions. I want to restore the glory of my ancestors. That is all!"

"Your ancestors? Your ancestors are..."

"One of the Seven Sages of Meishan, Jin Dasheng!"

This time, it was Liuchou's turn to be shocked. "You are also a descendant of the Seven Sages of Meishan? Then why are you not in Meishan?"

Mo Yun said, "I was never meant to be in Meishan, because I am not the legitimate son of Jin Dasheng, but an illegitimate one."

Liuchou's mind raced. The trope of "legitimate vs. illegitimate" was the most common plot device in web novels, and he never expected to encounter it himself, let alone with a bull he knew... besides, wasn't it true that bulls lived in herds and the alpha bull ruled the harem? Since when did they have distinctions of legitimacy?

However, this was not the time to bring that up. Liuchou hesitated for a long time before saying, "So that is your plan—to join the human side, gain merit, and for the sake of your ancestors..." He stopped mid-sentence. He felt something was off. The Seven Sages of Meishan had already ascended and been deified. What did Mo Yun mean by "restoring the glory of his ancestors"?

"Gain merit?" A flash of anger crossed Mo Yun's eyes, but it quickly turned into dejection and frustration. "What kind of 'ascension to immortality' did my ancestors achieve? The Seven Sages died, and their souls could have been reborn, but they were forcibly imprisoned by the Investiture of the Gods and given some pathetic titles as star lords, locked away in the heavens. This life of being 'immortals' who are actually prisoners—that is certainly not what my ancestors wanted!"

"Then what do you intend to do?"

"I don't know..." Mo Yun's eyes were filled with helplessness. He sighed, "With my current cultivation as a minor demon, I can only find a place to hide for now, keep my life, and linger on. But I harbor this ambition in my heart, and I will not abandon it just because I am lowly. It will endure."

Liuchou murmured, finally lifting his bowl and taking a deep drink. "If you have such a purpose, there is hope. Hope will lead you forward and eventually help you achieve it."

Liuchou answered with great sincerity. At that moment, he felt the struggle and ambition within Mo Yun's heart, and he felt a faint, resonant empathy.

Mo Yun chuckled again. "Brother Liu, you are quite the orator. But even I know this hope is too distant! Still, thank you. Being able to say this out loud to someone... I feel much better."

Just then, footsteps approached the door. A messenger hurried in, bowed to Liuchou and Mo Yun, and said, "Report to the Marquis General, everything is prepared and we can depart tomorrow. However, a new military order has come from a Regular General. He says you need not return to Quanqiu tomorrow, but should head directly to rendezvous with him to carry out the mission."

Liuchou nodded expressionlessly. "Which Regular General?"

"From the Ghost Banquet Division, the 'Intercepting Sky' Regular General, Jie Gui."