My Golden Core is a Star, do you call this cultivating?

Chapter 342: How to Relieve Sorrow? Only by Killing!

With a flick of his hand, the rope was thrown, and the man and woman inside the black sack were tied up separately.

Qi Yuan handed the rope to Hou Mushi, instructing, "These two will be your responsibility. Now, let's head to... Xianlong Mountain!"

Xianlong Mountain was more than three hundred li away from Mount Shu Yao.

On this mountain, the number of demons and monsters was no less than that on Mount Shu Yao, possibly even more.

However, unlike Mount Shu Yao, the demons on Xianlong Mountain were not organized and appeared to be scattered.

"Alright!" Hou Mushi tightly gripped the rope, his face filled with excitement.

At this moment, the man and woman inside the black sack, with their mouths sealed, were mentally cursing up a storm.

Especially the flower demon, who was utterly bewildered.

Who had come?

What did they want?

Why was she being tied up?

She wanted to speak, but unfortunately, she couldn't.

Moreover, the conversation she overheard next between the two left her utterly shocked.

"I held onto the stick all night, my hand's sore now. I really want to call my wife over to give me a massage."

"Sir... you're so powerful!"

"This time, after we wipe out the thousands of demons on Xianlong Mountain, I should keep a couple of pretty female demons to give me a massage before killing them."

"Sir... you're amazing!"

Hou Mushi, like a parrot, kept repeating praises.

The flower demon, covered by the black sack, felt disdain upon hearing Qi Yuan's words.

This guy sure likes to boast!

Wiping out all the demons on Xianlong Mountain?

If you're so awesome, why don't you go pluck the stars from the sky?

But, before she could finish that thought, she heard that braggart's voice again.

"Mushi, do you have any good ideas on how to make money?"

"Uh... sir, are you short of money?"

"Yes, a bit."

"If you go back to Zhenyang, the county magistrate would certainly rally the whole city to gather enough silver for you!"

To the people of Zhenyang City, Qi Yuan's slaughter of the demons on Mount Shu Yao was akin to a life-saving grace.

Even if Qi Yuan raised a flag to rebel.

The county magistrate and constable would probably support him with both hands.

What are a few pieces of silver compared to that?

"Money isn't enough. I want to buy a planet, something like Jupiter."

"Huh?" Hou Mushi fell silent.

Indeed, he still couldn't keep up with Qi Yuan's train of thought.

In this world's ancient times, the concept of planets already existed.

The common folk were also aware that they lived on the surface of a planet.

So, when Qi Yuan mentioned wanting to buy a planet, Hou Mushi was at a loss for words.

The flower demon inside the black sack wanted to sneer even more.

"What a pity. If you could find a buyer in this world, I could sell it and make a lot of money!"

Upon hearing this, the flower demon felt that Qi Yuan was arrogant and ignorant.

However, Qi Yuan's power was overwhelming. He had restrained her and rendered her unable to speak.

She couldn't escape or refute and could only become a prisoner.

Her heart was filled with confusion.

There must be a reason why these two captured her.

Was it for money, lust, or perhaps related to Tong Tianyou?

Surely, they would interrogate her, right?

But it seemed these two had completely forgotten about her and Tong Tianyou.

They kept traveling.

If it weren't for the boy-like follower feeding Tong Tianyou once, she would have thought they had completely forgotten about the two of them.

Still, she wanted to say, "Even though I'm a demon, I need to eat too!"

Unfortunately, she couldn't speak, and Hou Mushi hadn't fed her.

Right now, she was only hoping to reach Xianlong Mountain soon, and for these two arrogant people to quickly die at the hands of other demons.

That way, she could be rescued and finally... relieve herself!

...

Meanwhile, as Qi Yuan was traveling from Mount Shu Yao to Xianlong Mountain, the members of the Demon Subduing Department in Zhenyang City were gradually making their way to Mount Shu Yao.

These days, they had already gathered enough information to know that Tong Tianyou was in the hands of the flower demon, Man Luo.

All they needed to do was go to Fenghua Cave and find the flower demon, Man Luo.

Everything would be revealed then.

The only two dangers of this mission were possibly encountering other major demons on Mount Shu Yao and the threat posed by the flower demon, Man Luo.

Thus, these members of the Demon Subduing Department moved cautiously through Mount Shu Yao, only aiming to find Fenghua Cave and locate the flower demon, Man Luo, and Tong Tianyou.

At this moment, in the depths of Mount Shu Yao, Yang Guang, draped in wild boar skin and disguised as a pig demon, sniffed the air and showed a puzzled expression, "Strange, why do I smell such a strong scent of blood?"

"You're not a dog, let the professional handle this." An Qiao shook the rope.

The tracking dog reluctantly approached.

"Actually, I think he's quite like a dog and very professional."

The tracking dog's words were as sharp as ever.

Yang Guang glared at the tracking dog and said irritably, "Be careful, or I'll catch a male dog demon to mate with you!"

Hearing this, the tracking dog immediately tucked its tail between its legs and didn't dare retort.

"See if you can also sniff out Mr. Qi's scent and find where he is so we can rescue him!" An Qiao said anxiously.

Currently, Mr. Qi was also trapped in Mount Shu Yao.

He might even be surrounded by demon soldiers.

If they could find him and rescue him, it would be a great thing.

"Yes, we must find Brother Qi. I promised to protect him!" Yang Guang, whose blood Qi had already recovered, had regained his confidence.

"Okay, understood."

The tracking dog began sniffing the ground, using its nose diligently.

Yang Guang waited quietly. The intense smell of blood made him feel uneasy.

Suddenly, the tracking dog's tail stood up, and its eyes showed a human-like expression of terror, "Blood... so much blood. I smell a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood!"

The tracking dog raised its head and looked to the north, its eyes filled with fear.

"What?" An Qiao asked quickly.

"There... it's filled with blood, a demonic hell!" The tracking dog looked to the north, its eyes filled with terror.

"That's where the demon camp is!" Yang Guang looked in the direction the dog was pointing, his expression grave.

Could it be that something had happened at Mount Shu Yao?

"What about Mr. Qi?"

"Oh no, I can also smell Mr. Qi's scent in there!" The tracking dog shouted.

"What? No, I promised to protect Mr. Qi!" Yang Guang's heart tightened, fearing that Qi Yuan might have met a grim fate.

After all, combining what the tracking dog said, it's highly possible that Qi Yuan had been besieged by the demon camp and had engaged in fierce battle.

That's why there was such a heavy scent of blood.

"I have to go and check!" Yang Guang was determined to keep his promise.

...

From summer to autumn, and then to winter.

For many insects, this was a lifetime.

But for the traveler on the road, it was a year of busy work, filled with the joys and sorrows of returning home.

This year, so many things had happened in Fengyuan.

The Four Seasons Restaurant, located by the banks of the Yihe River. 

The Yihe River, dividing the north and south, was covered with thick ice.   The flags of the Four Seasons Restaurant fluttered in the cold wind, and large, feather-like snowflakes drifted down.

Despite the cold ice, the restaurant was bustling with warmth.

Patrons held large bowls, drinking wine, eating meat, and listening intently to the storyteller's impassioned words.

"That day, thunderclouds gathered, dark clouds pressed down on the mountain.

The lizard king of Xianlong Mountain, a demon hero, was three hundred zhang long. When it turned over, the mountain would quake!

It soared into the sky, blocking out the sun, and plunged Xianlong Mountain into darkness!"

"Stop dragging it out! No matter how powerful that lizard king was, didn't he still get killed by the Red Staff Demon Butcher!"

"Forget Xianlong Mountain; I want to hear about the battle between the Red Staff Demon Butcher and Princess Jasmine."

"Yeah, rumor has it that Princess Jasmine, upon hearing that the Red Staff Demon Butcher was coming, immediately held a wedding to marry him!"

"Hmph, how could a mere demon be worthy of the Red Staff Demon Butcher!" A young woman in a dress scoffed, her voice full of disdain.

"I guess only the number one beauty of Fengyuan, Lady Zhou, is worthy of the Red Staff Demon Butcher!"

"Watch your mouth, she is an empress!"

"Hmph, if the Red Staff Demon Butcher wanted to be emperor, I'd rebel and follow him right now! When the demon soldiers ran rampant, the emperor's son fled south with the noble families, abandoning the people of the north, claiming it was to preserve cultural heritage. Bah, what culture are you preserving if there are no people left!"

"The Red Staff Demon Butcher is a real man. In just one year, he fought across three thousand li and slaughtered tens of thousands of demon soldiers!"

"If I could marry the Red Staff Demon Butcher and stay young forever, I would!"

The restaurant was filled with young men and women, drinking wine, chatting, and rejoicing.

This past year, too many things had happened.

Among them, the most captivating was undoubtedly the Red Staff Demon Butcher.

His origin was unknown, his name was unknown, but he wielded a red staff and massacred the northern demon armies, leaving them in shambles.

Wherever he went, corpses littered the ground!

His formidable strength, the ability to fight thousands of demon soldiers single-handedly, was akin to an undefeatable death god.

He had created one legend after another.

Initially, when the news that the Red Staff Demon Butcher had single-handedly wiped out the three thousand demon soldiers on Mount Shu Yao spread, the world was shocked, but there was a lot of skepticism and disbelief.

After all, how could such a powerful figure exist, one who could fight three thousand demon soldiers alone?

Even the top martial artist in the Fengyuan Cabinet couldn’t do that.

After all, three thousand demon soldiers led by a demon hero-level commander could even kill a martial saint.

But... the Red Staff Demon Butcher did it.

How was it possible?

However, soon after, the demon forces in Xianlong Mountain, Fenggu Ridge, Taizi Shui, and other places were successively wiped out.

Witnesses all reported seeing a handsome man draped in a blood-red robe, holding a blood-red staff, like a demon god.

The world was shaken, stunned, and no one dared to question anymore.

"In just one year, out of the twelve great demon lairs in the world, eleven have been destroyed. The Red Staff Demon Butcher... terrifying indeed!" an old man said, his voice trembling. Judging by his attire, he didn’t seem like an ordinary person.

Yet now, he sat in the main hall of the restaurant.

"Only the last demon lair in the Yihe River remains... I wonder when the Red Staff Demon Butcher will come?"

"Once the Yihe River demon is eliminated, the world will be at peace, and humanity will flourish!"

"Hehe, not necessarily. What if, after wiping out the Yihe River demons, the Red Staff Demon Butcher wants to become emperor?

I think he's ambitious, aiming for high office!

All that talk of being a demon-slaying war god and doing it for the greater good of the world is just a guise. After all, he’s only human, like us." In a corner, a voice muttered.

However, he used a special sound transmission technique, so no one in the room knew who spoke.

In a private room in the restaurant, a young girl heard this and couldn’t help but open the window and shout angrily, "Being overly critical of the good and overly lenient to the wicked, are you even human? If you're a man, stand up!"

But the person who had just whispered said nothing more, hiding in a dark corner.

A scholar in the restaurant sighed when he saw this.

Other patrons muttered in dissatisfaction, feeling wronged.

Though the Red Staff Demon Butcher had slain countless demons, his achievements were undeniable, yet many conspiracy theories surrounded him.

People loved to be overly critical of good people, accusing them of ulterior motives or improper methods for doing good deeds; but when it came to bad people, they showed excessive sympathy and leniency.

At that moment, a calm voice suddenly came from outside the building.

“There’s a keyboard warrior even here. What luck I have to run into one.”

The door of the inn opened, and a gust of cold wind blew in, sounding like the wailing of a ghost.

Large snowflakes, like goose feathers, drifted inside. Those in the inn's lobby looked over and immediately saw a handsome young man dressed in a blood-red robe and holding a wooden staff.

The patrons looked at the overly handsome young man, some with surprise, others with suspicion.

This person's attire looked somewhat like the Red Staff Demon Butcher's!

However, with the Red Staff Demon Butcher’s growing fame, many noble scions had started wearing red robes.

This person seemed too young and had skin too delicate to be someone who regularly fought demons.

There was a moment of silence in the inn.

The handsome young man walked in, followed by a seemingly young but worldly-wise boy.

The boy held a rope.

Following the direction of the rope, people saw two figures wrapped in black sacks.

When they noticed the black sacks and the figures within, some patrons gulped.

Others widened their eyes in disbelief.

“Red Staff... Demon Butcher!”

“He’s the Red Staff Demon Butcher!”

The inn was abuzz with whispers.

In a private room, a maiden in her prime also leaned out, looking toward the legendary figure to see if he was as the rumors described.

When she saw Qi Yuan’s profile, she was stunned.

How could there be someone so extraordinarily beautiful in this world?

He seemed like someone not of this world.

“Speaking ill of me and getting caught—how unlucky for you.”

At this moment, Qi Yuan’s gaze fell on a portly, wealthy merchant, his expression calm.

The merchant’s face turned pale. “It wasn’t me, I didn’t say anything!”

He was denying it.

The man next to the merchant quickly said, “Master Wu is a good man; he donates money to build roads. He would never slander the Red Staff Demon Butcher!”

People in the inn looked at the merchant with varying expressions.

This merchant had a good reputation in the city and was known as the foremost philanthropist.

Suddenly, several people couldn’t help but speak up for the merchant.

After all, the Red Staff Demon Butcher was a peerless hero; he surely wouldn’t be so petty and would certainly be reasonable.

The merchant, seeing this, breathed a sigh of relief.

At the same time, he warned himself to be even more cautious in the future, never letting anyone catch him off guard again.

But just then, Qi Yuan’s lips curved into a smile. “Mushi, play the music.”

Hou Mushi, seeing this, expertly took out the suona, and instantly, a mournful and desolate sound filled the inn.

The merchant's face showed a look of terror, realizing what was about to happen: “You can’t!”

However, what met him was a blood-red staff.

The staff struck his forehead directly, like smashing a watermelon.

The merchant’s head, like an overripe watermelon, burst apart.

The inn fell into a deathly silence, with only the sound of the suona playing in the background.

The patrons wore expressions ranging from shock to fear, while others felt a sense of satisfaction.

“How to relieve sorrow? Only by... killing!” Qi Yuan lowered his staff, his voice hearty.

Those who initially felt satisfied now felt a chill creeping up their spines upon hearing his words.

The tone of the Red Staff Demon Butcher didn’t sound like he was pretending.