Chizhou was engulfed in a downpour.
The heavy rain had transformed into a curtain of water, its relentless drumming against the ground echoing through the windows.
Li Yingling had just finished reading a book on tea brewing and was now confidently preparing a cup for her master.
Tea brewing wasn’t particularly difficult—just a dozen or so steps, after all.
Her movements were smooth and precise, carrying an innate grace as she completed the process before elegantly sliding the cup toward Chu Xingchen.
Having studied the same book and even observed her third junior sister Chen Baiqing’s technique, Li Yingling was certain she hadn’t made a single mistake.
With unwavering confidence, she said, "Master, please."
Chu Xingchen accepted the cup, took a small sip, and let the flavor linger on his palate.
The tea tasted similar to Chen Baiqing’s brew, yet…
Why did it still feel slightly inferior? It lacked that soul-piercing clarity.
The flavor was nearly identical, but the sensation upon drinking was different.
Ah, well—best to offer praise first.
He drained the cup in one go and nodded approvingly. "Mmm, delicious."
A faint smile touched Li Yingling’s lips before she poured another cup for Xie Lingyu beside her.
Xie Lingyu reached for the cup, but before he could utter his thanks, Qinghe’s voice rang out from outside.
"The ever-capable Qinghe has returned~"
The inn’s door swung open with a flourish as Qinghe strode in, radiating confidence.
Li Xingtian followed closely behind.
Xie Lingyu’s unspoken thanks were swallowed back as Qinghe’s declaration filled the room.
Qinghe sauntered over to the table, eyeing Li Yingling expectantly.
"Qinghe is thirsty—pour me a cup too."
Without hesitation, Li Yingling obliged.
Qinghe grabbed the cup and downed it in one gulp.
Chu Xingchen turned his gaze to Li Xingtian. "How did it go?"
"Everything went smoothly," Li Xingtian replied with a slight nod. "Qinghe revealed her dragon form in both Chizhou and Cangzhou. With the Xuanwu Kingdom’s cooperation, the rumors have already spread."
"Just now, when Qinghe showed herself in Chizhou, there were already observers hiding in the shadows."
Qinghe set down her cup, puffing up with pride. "When Qinghe handles things, success is guaranteed!"
Lately, Qinghe had been enjoying herself. She’d resumed working alongside Li Xingtian, and the tasks had become much easier.
All she had to do was occasionally visit Cangzhou or Chizhou, transform into her true form for a quick stroll, and then let Li Xingtian treat her to good food afterward.
Not to mention, every few days, she could visit the Xuanwu Kingdom’s camps to demand supplies and resources.
Admittedly, Li Xingtian was quite sharp—he knew how to share the spoils with Qinghe.
After a few trips, her little pouch had grown noticeably heavier.
Chu Xingchen’s eyes drifted to the rain outside. "This downpour suggests they’re getting desperate. They must think the Xuanwu Kingdom has already struck a deal with a certain dragon."
"It won’t be long before they make their move. The question is whether Zhao Xuan is ready. We must be wary of a cornered beast’s last stand."
Li Xingtian confirmed, "They are indeed in a hurry. Lately, when I go to the Xuanwu Sect for supplies, they hand them over without hesitation. They’ve also been pressing me to act soon."
Li Yingling frowned slightly. "But what kind of shoddy operation is this Xuanwu Sect running? After all this time, they still haven’t figured out that Second Brother isn’t from the Evil Spirit Sect? Could this be a trap?"
"Qinghe knows this one!" Qinghe interjected, barely suppressing her laughter. "They actually managed to contact the Evil Spirit Sect."
"But those Evil Spirit Sect folks didn’t bother clarifying anything—they just took the credit and started demanding resources from the Xuanwu Sect. Probably figured, ‘Why not take free stuff?’"
"They’ve been complaining about how greedy the Evil Spirit Sect is, always asking for more."
Chu Xingchen was momentarily speechless. He hadn’t expected such an absurd twist.
Xie Lingyu glanced at Qinghe, then at the slightly puzzled Li Xingtian beside her.
Recently, the two had been working as a pair—yet clearly, Li Xingtian hadn’t heard this news.
Xie Lingyu quickly pieced it together. Given Qinghe’s personality, she wouldn’t have kept such juicy gossip to herself for long.
She should’ve been laughing about it the moment she heard.
His eyes narrowed as he set down his cup.
"Qinghe, out with it. Did you sneak off to the Xuanwu Sect alone to extort spirit stones and overhear this?"
Qinghe’s laughter abruptly cut off as if someone had grabbed her by the throat.
She froze for a split second before bolting for the door, shouting over her shoulder:
"Qinghe is hungry! Going to eat now! You all keep talking!"
Xie Lingyu watched her fleeing figure but didn’t give chase, merely sighing.
"It doesn’t matter much. At least we got some intel out of it," Chu Xingchen remarked, running his fingers over the waterway maps of Chizhou and Cangzhou.
"We’ve done all we can to prepare. Now, it’s just a matter of who’s better prepared."
His gaze returned to the rain outside. The enemy was clearly backed into a corner—they no longer had time to refine their plans.
Their haste was his advantage.
This rain would end soon.
Bingzhou.
Yu Zhu’s expression was grave as he finished reading the letter. After a long pause, he exhaled heavily.
His heart ached, and his limbs felt numb.
Everything was unfolding in the worst possible way.
The exhaustion of the Bingzhou army was plain for all to see.
The situation in Chizhou was nothing short of disastrous.
Not only had their plans failed, but the very thing their benefactor had schemed for was now being eyed by a dragon.
And that dragon seemed to have already reached an agreement with the Xuanwu Kingdom—Zhao Xuan’s approval was evident, given how freely he allowed the dragon to traverse the waterways.
This forced their hand. If they didn’t act now, their carefully laid plans would be snatched away.
With trembling hands, Yu Zhu tossed the letter into a nearby fire.
He stared into the flickering flames.
After a long silence, he let out a bitter laugh and ordered his attendant:
"Inform General Wang… the Demon Battalion will launch a full-scale assault in two days. No restrictions. The entire army moves out."
He barely registered the attendant’s acknowledgment, watching blankly as the man left the tent.
After another prolonged silence, Yu Zhu closed his eyes and pressed a hand to his aching chest.
Reading had taught him reason—but that very reason now tormented him.
For a man with a conscience, doing evil was the greatest suffering.
How many nights had he woken, tempted to end it all with his own blade? Yet when dawn came, he couldn’t bring himself to do it.
His studies had been wasted. His life, a failure.
In this moment, he regretted everything.
Perhaps it would’ve been better if his family had perished back then.
Xuanwu Sect, Li Zhong’s Forward Camp.
Li Zhong tossed a sealed order to the old fox beside him.
"We’re to launch a full attack the day after tomorrow. They’re demanding the Evil Spirit Sect act within the next two days."
The old fox took the order, scanning its contents.
A hearty laugh burst from his lips once he finished reading.
Li Zhong, sensing the impending danger of this mission, felt a heavy weight in his chest. Seeing the old fox suddenly burst into laughter only deepened his irritation.
He raised his voice and demanded, "What are you laughing at?"
The old fox laughed until tears welled up in his eyes, barely suppressing his amusement as he replied,
"That boy and girl—they’re not from the Evil Spirit Sect at all."
Li Zhong froze. "What nonsense are you spouting?! Didn’t the Central Continent’s Evil Spirit Sect confirm it? How could their demonic aura be faked?"
"Confirmed?" The old fox narrowed his eyes with a smirk. "Did they share their plans with you? Did the Evil Spirit Sect in the Central Continent ever clarify their identities?"
"Empty promises, just demanding resources—clearly, they’ve been playing you for fools."
"As for the demonic aura…" The old fox chuckled lightly. "Who in their right mind would believe that? Or do you actually buy it?"
Li Zhong fell silent, replaying the events in his mind. After a long pause, realization dawned on him. He fixed a sharp gaze on the old fox and growled,
"If you knew, why didn’t you say anything?!"
"Say anything?" The old fox scoffed. "That demon lord never treated Hu Qi as one of his own. When Hu Qi died, did that demon lord lift a finger?"
"I want revenge—on the humans, and on that demon lord!"
His voice turned razor-sharp. "Nothing is more hateful than having something within reach, only to watch it slip away! Even if I can’t kill him, I’ll make sure he suffers!"
Li Zhong stared at the old fox in shock, meeting his clouded yet defiant gaze.
The old fox didn’t even flinch, indifferent to the fact that Li Zhong could draw his blade and kill him on the spot.
Li Zhong suddenly grabbed the old fox by the scruff of his fur and roared,
"I don’t care if you want to die—but I want to live!"
"Want to live?" The old fox sneered. "In this world, survival isn’t something you can just choose."