On the outskirts of the Central Island in Baisui Lake, Hu Qianqian had changed into a set of practical white clothes better suited for movement. She was now leaning contentedly against a bluestone by the water’s edge. On a small wooden table beside her sat half a roast chicken and half a pot of yellow wine.

Beneath the lake’s surface, over a hundred members of the Water Race swam back and forth, each demon clutching a stone of varying size. Not far off, a large riverboat was dumping crushed rock into the lake’s depths.

Hu Qianqian’s eyes occasionally swept over the massive project at the bottom of the lake. She planned to build a large island here by landfill. Of course, the island had to be designed around the giant beast’s skeleton on the lakebed to make full use of its chilling aura.

Her attention unconsciously made the Little Demons working below quicken their pace. Watching them work so hard, she would reveal a satisfied smile. She casually tore a leg off the roast chicken, intending to devour it in one large bite. But just as she opened her mouth, she seemed to think of something. Glancing at the Qianmu Temple disciples training in the distance, she began to eat in a very refined manner.

As the aroma of the chicken filled her mouth, Hu Qianqian’s blue eyes narrowed. Her tongue unconsciously licked the grease from the corner of her lips, and her fluffy ears twitched. Then, with her other hand, she raised her cup and took a sip of yellow wine.

"It feels so good to have a home!"

Hu Qianqian held the chicken leg in her mouth and gave a comfortable stretch. When the training disciples weren’t looking, she shoved the entire leg into her mouth, crunching it up, bones and all, and swallowed.

Just then, a splash erupted on the lake’s surface. Two Shrimp Soldiers from the lakebed had ambushed a demon transporting stones. Seeing this, the other demons immediately scattered, some taking the opportunity to flee into the distance.

Instead of getting angry, a look of delight appeared on Hu Qianqian’s face. She gave the hand that had held the chicken leg a flick, shaking off the grease, then licked her lips. With her other hand, she slapped her storage pouch, and a purple, branch-like Magical Artifact appeared in her grasp.

She held the Magical Artifact and pointed it toward the sky. In an instant, a pillar of green and white light formed, pierced through the lake, and enveloped the two troublemaking Shrimp Soldiers below. A layer of steam immediately rose from the water’s surface, followed by a small patch of boiling water. The two Shrimp Soldiers caught in the light pillar turned completely crimson, as red as if they had been boiled alive.

"How boring!"

Hu Qianqian habitually licked her lips. A faint smile on her face, she put away the Magical Artifact. The pillar of light vanished without a trace, leaving two Shrimp Soldier corpses floating on the lake’s surface.

"Get back to work."

She sent a voice transmission to the fleeing Water Race demons. Most of them obediently returned to continue hauling stones. The few who disobeyed were inevitably greeted with a bit of Magic from Hu Qianqian, but this time, she didn’t use lethal force.

Seeing the commotion, two of the disciples training in the distance walked over. One of them said to Hu Qianqian, "Junior Sister, you certainly have your methods. I tried many ways to subdue them back then but never succeeded."

"The Demon Race rarely submits to other races through force. If you had offered to pay them wages, they probably would have been happy to help." Hu Qianqian reined in her wild nature and returned their fist-and-palm salute. "But since I’m the one dealing with them, no wages are necessary."

At that moment, the other disciple took out a Magical Artifact, about to collect the two Shrimp Soldier corpses on the lake. According to the regulations of the Daoist Scripture Hall, the bodies of the Demon Race must be cremated.

But just then, a large Shrimp Soldier emerged beside the corpses. He bowed respectfully to Hu Qianqian and said, "Lake Monarch, these two are my kinsmen. I wish to bury them at the bottom of the lake!"

The disciple who was about to collect the bodies paused and looked at Hu Qianqian. This displeased the disciple who had spoken earlier. Just as he was about to say something, the sound of something tearing through the air came from above. A streak of white light flashed by, and Yu Lian’s massive body appeared on the lake’s surface in front of Hu Qianqian.

"What is your problem?"

Yu Lian stared at the disciple who had been speaking to Hu Qianqian. "You’re radiating malice from head to toe. Whose disciple are you?"

The disciple felt a chill as if he’d been plunged into an ice cellar. He immediately performed a fist-and-palm salute and said, "Reporting to Martial Aunt, I am Zhang Tao, a disciple of the Precepts Institute. I have been ordered to stand guard at Baisui Lake and am in charge of rewards and punishments here."

"Ah, so you’re from the Precepts Institute. No wonder you’re full of malice... You need to learn to restrain it, or your cultivation will never advance." After speaking, Yu Lian twitched her nose. Her large eyes looked toward the dead Shrimp Soldiers in the distance. "Why does this big shrimp stink so much?"

"That is a member of the Demon Race, not a shrimp!"

"Ah!" Yu Lian paused for a moment, then said, "Hurry up and get rid of it. It stinks too much."

"Yes, I’ll take care of it right away," the Shrimp Soldier who had requested to handle the bodies rushed to answer. With that, he grabbed the two corpses and dove into the lake’s depths.

Seeing this, Zhang Tao couldn’t say anything more and had no choice but to lead his subordinate disciple away.

Yu Lian paid no mind to such an insignificant person. She shrank her body and flew over to lie down on the bluestone Hu Qianqian was leaning against. Her vertical pupils fixed on Hu Qianqian as she said, "It looks like you’re being ostracized, huh?"

"It’s fine. As long as I have a Dao Field, it’s enough. In fifty years, they’ll be nothing but a pile of dust, while I’ll be able to form a Fake Pill." Hu Qianqian clearly looked down on Zhang Tao and the others.

Yu Lian strongly agreed with this sentiment. But to cultivate such a philosophical state of mind like Hu Qianqian’s was a feat one in ten thousand could achieve. Most people would develop irrepressible Heart Demons over various matters. Take Zhang Tao, for example—this incident would needlessly consume his already precious cultivation time.

"You certainly know how to look on the bright side." Yu Lian’s gaze shifted to the roast chicken on the wooden table.

"Want some?"

"No, thank you!" Yu Lian refused without hesitation. It was difficult for a Spirit Snake to trust others.

Just then, another Shrimp Soldier emerged from the lake. He first glanced fearfully at Yu Lian before reporting to Hu Qianqian, "Lake Monarch, some of our kinsmen want to leave Baisui Lake. They say they’re going to seek refuge with a Mountain Monarch in Lou County."

Mountain Monarch was the Demon Race’s general term for a Mountain God, though most who used the title were self-proclaimed.

"Lou County? Is there a mountain called Upper Yang Mountain in Lou County?" Yu Lian asked.

"I’ve heard there is, but I’ve never been there," the Shrimp Soldier answered truthfully.

"That’s right!" Hu Qianqian said with certainty.

...

「Qianmu Mountain Peak Dojo」

Wang Ping finished his communication with the Locust Tree Divine Soul. He then watched as the Divine Soul, just as it always did, struggled to break free from the body that rooted it to the earth, trying to truly experience the world.

Unfortunately, it failed again today. Then, it fell into a deep slumber.

’This isn’t like fusing with the Spirit Communication Talisman, where there’s a progress bar to check.’ Wang Ping could only rely on his intuition and take things slowly, which gave him a profound sense of the hardships of cultivation.

"Martial Grand-Ancestor!" a young attendant bringing his meal called out respectfully.

It was now noon, and the attendant had brought lunch as usual. Just then, Yu Lian descended from the sky. She glanced at the lunch in the attendant’s hands and ordered, "Prepare a roast chicken for me."

"Right away!"

Wang Ping looked at Yu Lian, puzzled. "Why the sudden craving for roast chicken?"

"Just felt like it," Yu Lian replied, then immediately got down to business. "Weren’t you looking for a way to suppress Wufeng Temple? I’ve found a good method."

Wang Ping asked, intrigued, "What method?"

"A demon rebellion... After Hu Qianqian subdued the Demon Race in Baisui Lake, some of the ones who don’t like being restrained all fled to Lou County. It suddenly occurred to me, what would happen if we drove all the uncontrollable demons to Lou County?"

Wang Ping nodded thoughtfully. "That’s certainly worth a try."