Chapter Twenty-Three: The Opportunity to Breach the City

The next morning, a haggard-looking Demon Slayer rushed into Lord Liu’s tent. His face was filled with excitement as he announced, "My lord, I have found a way to breach the city."

Lord Liu, who had been drinking tea, stood up abruptly. His tone was stern as he asked, "Qi Xuan, are you certain of this?"

The Demon Slayer named Qi Xuan replied with equal solemnity, "I would never joke about such a matter."

Before long, a group of high-ranking Demon Slayers and Gu Xian gathered in the tent. A burly man with a fleshy face looked at the exhausted Qi Xuan and blurted out, "Have you truly found a way?"

Qi Xuan nodded with confidence. With a wave of his large sleeves, flickers of light emerged, instantly coalescing into a layout map of Fengyang City. He waved his sleeves again, and more light points appeared, forming a grand formation that enveloped the entire city.

Gu Xian observed closely; the formation looked like a giant bowl turned upside down over the ground, enclosing Fengyang City within.

Qi Xuan cleared his throat and said, "Everyone, this formation is known as the Twelve Divine Refining Array, one of the secret techniques of the Demonic Sect. It establishes twelve base points aligned with the twelve earthly branches."

"However, the setup of this formation is quite cumbersome. Even though the demonic cultists have been planning for years, I have discovered a flaw. The base points at the 'Zi' and 'You' positions are not secure. If we focus all our strength on attacking these two points this evening, we can break the array."

After hearing this, Lord Liu said, "Let us all go outside the city to inspect it later. If it is indeed as you say, we shall strike together tonight."

Soon, Lord Liu led the group to the outskirts of Fengyang City. Standing atop the city wall was a handsome young cultivator.

Zhao Yang whispered an explanation in Gu Xian’s ear, "That is Xu Mu, the Ninth Master of the Longevity Tower."

Gu Xian narrowed his eyes as he looked at the man. He appeared only a few years older than Gu Xian himself; it was hard to believe he was capable of such heinous deeds.

Watching the members of the Demon Slaying Division standing below, Xu Mu wore a mocking smile. "Everyone, stop wasting your efforts. You had better start thinking about how you will cope once the Heavenly Venerate of Longevity descends into this world."

Lord Liu’s face darkened, his voice as cold as iron. "Xu Mu, I will personally see to it that you, a demonic evildoer, are executed."

Upon hearing this, the remarkably handsome young man on the wall flicked his fingers with disdain. "I shall be waiting."

Gu Xian and his companions circled the city once before returning to their camp. Watching the backs of the departing Demon Slayers, Xu Mu said calmly to those around him, "If nothing goes wrong, the Demon Slaying Division will strike tonight. How are the preparations coming along at those two locations?"

Beside him, a thin old man with a goatee stepped forward. "Tower Master, everything is prepared. I guarantee they will not return once they enter."

The corners of Xu Mu’s mouth curled upward. "Good."

***

Elsewhere, Gu Xian and the others, having returned to the camp, sat back down in the tent.

Lord Liu spoke first, "Based on our observations just now, what Qi Xuan said was indeed correct. Since that is the case, we shall break the formation promptly this evening. Everyone, return to your quarters to rest and conserve your strength; do not let anything hinder our vital mission."

The group bowed and departed. After leaving the tent, Gu Xian turned his head to look toward Fengyang City, a faint sense of unease stirring in his heart.

"What is wrong?"

The man in the green robe turned to see Xia Qinghe. He hesitated for a moment before voicing his concerns. "Do you not feel that all of this has been a bit too smooth?"

Xia Qinghe looked at him, puzzled. "What makes you say that?"

"The demonic cultists have lingered in Fengyang City for years just to set up this formation. Why would they activate it so hastily while the base points still have flaws? Are they not afraid of seeing years of hard work go down the drain?"

He spoke with great conviction, "In my view, there are only two possibilities for why Xu Mu and his cohorts would do this." Gu Xian held up two fingers to the woman beside him.

"First, the demonic cultists are simply too arrogant and do not hold the Demon Slaying Division in any regard." He paused, then added, "But that defies logic. The Seven Demonic Sects haven't made such a massive move in centuries; now that they have resurfaced, one would expect them to act with caution."

"Second," he continued, "the so-called flaw that Qi Xuan discovered is merely something the demonic cultists wanted us to see."

Xia Qinghe said softly, "You mean to say that Xu Mu has set an ambush at those two locations?"

Gu Xian nodded heavily.

The woman furrowed her brows. "Gu Xian, this is not a matter for jokes. How certain are you?"

The man in the green robe gave a bitter smile. "It is only a guess."

Xia Qinghe sighed deeply but eventually walked toward the central tent. Regardless of the outcome, she had to inform Lord Liu. As for how he would arrange things, that was beyond her control.

***

A moment later, Xia Qinghe walked out of the tent with a blank expression. Gu Xian approached her. "How did it go?"

The woman scanned the area to ensure no one was eavesdropping, then said quietly, "Lord Liu has long since made arrangements. Several sect cultivators have been invited to join us tonight. When the time comes, we will all strike together and turn the tables on them."

Gu Xian took a long look at the tent behind her but said nothing more.

By evening, everyone in the camp was prepared. In the central tent, in addition to Gu Xian and the high-ranking Demon Slayers, three other cultivators were present, sitting beside Lord Liu, each radiating a powerful, subtle aura.

One was a man over fifty, dressed in a simple, refined Confucian robe. His expression was calm, and he carried an air of scholarly grace. His name was Qin Hong, the Deputy Mountain Master of the Qingyang Academy.

There was also an elderly Taoist with a bulbous nose, holding a whisk and carrying a long sword on his back, currently dozing off. His Taoist name was Changqing, and he was the head of the Sanyang Temple, a major sect within Ling Province.

Finally, there was a cold-looking man holding a sword in his arms, exuding an icy aura that kept others at a distance. This was Xu Qingzhi, a top-tier sword cultivator in Ling Province who walked the world alone, sword in hand.

As night began to fall, Lord Liu stood up, a broad smile on his face. With great spirit, he declared, "With the help of you three fellow Daoists, we shall certainly succeed and send those demonic evildoers packing."

He waved his hand. "Let us move out."

Lord Liu led the way out of the tent. Nearly a hundred cultivators were waiting outside. In addition to the Demon Slayers in their black official robes, there were young scholars radiating a scholarly aura and Taoists with unadorned, simple appearances.

Furthermore, a sixteen or seventeen-year-old youth stood by, carrying a sword case of ancient design, eyes closed in meditation. The young scholars were talented students from the Qingyang Academy, traveling with their Deputy Mountain Master. They had happened to be nearby when the incident in Fengyang City occurred, and the Guardian of Ling Province had reached out to Qin Hong to request his assistance. Qin Hong had readily agreed.