Song Ciwan arrived early at the Demon Refining Platform. Today, it was nowhere near as bustling as yesterday.
All one could say was that a day without a large-scale demon scourge was a refreshing one.
The Washing Room operated as usual, and the handymen were still discussing the aftermath of the demon disaster. The same man who'd mentioned Aunt Zhou yesterday—Zheng the Seventh, it seemed—spoke up. "Sun the Butcher from the street corner killed two demons the night before last. Yesterday at the Demon Refining Platform, he exchanged them for sixty taels of silver. He was walking on air after that, tsk!"
"He was even sharpening his knife last night, saying he was going to kill another ten or so. And what happened? The demons didn't come last night, but some bastard knocked him out cold inside his own house..."
"Someone went into his house this morning and, you wouldn't believe it, his arms and legs had been chopped off. He was long dead. And those sixty taels of silver? Vanished without a trace..."
Zheng the Seventh recounted the tale with gusto, but his listeners were horrified, their skin crawling with fear.
But one man actually gloated, "He's really dead? Heh, serves him right. Struck it rich and couldn't just enjoy it. Had to go and show off. Some people are just born to be poor, they can't handle wealth... He was asking for it, wasn't he?"
Zheng the Seventh hastily and quietly shuffled a little farther away from the man. He let out a nervous laugh and changed the subject. "Ai, you have to admit, people like us are a tough lot. Just look at Aunt Zhou. After everything she went through the night before last, I was sure she wouldn't pull through. But damned if she isn't still kicking!"
"Not only is she alive, she's raising a fuss at home, saying she's going to go out and find her daughter herself!"
Zheng the Seventh clicked his tongue and sighed. "The poor woman. She coughed up blood from the stress and got bitten by those rats. She's lame in one leg and can barely move. How is she supposed to go find her daughter? Ai, it's just pointless shouting..."
Another handyman chimed in, "Even if her leg wasn't lame, what good would it do? Those mountains of gold and seas of silver were just illusions made from paper. The 'Flower God' that took her daughter was probably a demon. Even if she managed to find her, could she actually bring her back?"
The handymen sighed in agreement. "Exactly. She'd just be throwing her own life away for nothing!"
"What's the point?"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk..."
'What do they mean, "What's the point?" This is a mother's heart, one that has already moved beyond life and death.'
'She just wants to find her child so desperately that she's forgotten her own self!'
Song Ciwan listened silently from the side. She didn't join the handymen's conversation, but that didn't mean she remained unmoved.
The Stewards came over, took roll, and assigned the day's tasks.
Song Ciwan was again assigned to the Grass Washing Room. Today, however, there were no Mouse Demons to wash. Instead, there were two Low Level Lianfei Demon Beasts and one fat Pork Demon.
It seemed that while the city had been spared the mouse plague last night, Lianfei Demon Beasts were still prowling about.
But their numbers had clearly decreased, and they hadn't caused any major disturbances that would alert the entire city.
This was a good thing. Even though it meant fewer demons for Song Ciwan to wash and, consequently, fewer gains, she felt relaxed and content.
'She considered herself insignificant and had no grand ambitions to save the world, but she wasn't so selfish as to secretly wish disaster upon the entire city for her own benefit.'
'Longevity, the pursuit of the Dao—those were personal goals. They weren't meant to strip away one's humanity.'
'Living in this world, regardless of whether one becomes an Immortal, there are always things one must hold onto, aren't there?'
That evening, Song Ciwan finished her work.
Her total gains for the day were [Three taels and nine mace of Malice], [Two strands of Weak Lianfei Demon Beast Death Qi], and a set of Pork Demon intestines.
Her gains were mediocre, but her injuries had healed some more. She could now utilize about eighty to ninety percent of the True Qi in her body.
This gave Song Ciwan a much-needed sense of security, and her mood eased considerably.
She decided to stop by the vegetable market. Seeing that the city's prices had dropped a bit, she bought some side ingredients and even stopped at Old Chen's stall for a bowl of tofu pudding.
That memorable "Hermit," Mo the Crooked, was still nowhere to be seen, and she had no idea where he'd been lately.
There was no snow today, and Song Ciwan walked home through a biting, cold wind.
She prepared a dish of chicken stuffed in a Pork Demon stomach and sold it for [Two Strengthening Pills]. She then sold the Malice, gaining [Forty Years of Lifespan].
The two strands of Lianfei Demon Beast Death Qi were exchanged for [One Tael of Broken Celestial Cyan Stone].
Celestial Cyan Stone: A material used to refine Low Level Magical Artifacts. Adding a large quantity can enhance an Artifact's resilience.
As for a single tael of Celestial Cyan Stone, its effect was better than nothing.
Song Ciwan wasn't disappointed. Her collection of items had grown, and so had her knowledge. That was good enough for her.
Night fell. A chill wind drifted through the Mortal World, the air both icy and crisp. Without the pervasive plague of Mouse Demons, all of Su Yang City seemed to be immersed in peaceful tranquility.
The night watchman's drum beat the third watch. The drip of a water clock sounded, seeming both distant and near. From a neighboring home, the sound of snoring drifted through the silence.
It was then that Song Ciwan stopped her Cultivation. Her injuries had almost completely healed. Those three Blood Essence Pills had not been wasted; their effects had been superb.
She rose and changed into a set of cyan-gray men's clothes, restyled her hair into a topknot, and then once again attempted to reshape her face.
She activated the wondrous technique of Fetal Transformation and Shape-shifting. This time, Song Ciwan was more careful, more meticulous.
A quarter of an hour later, the original Song Ciwan had "vanished." In her place stood a completely unfamiliar young man, one with a refined face and a sharp, heroic air!
Song Ciwan opened her mouth, and her voice had changed as well—it was now a low, slightly husky male voice.
At this stage, judging by her appearance alone, the disguise was nearly flawless.
Of course, in reality, there were still many issues.
For example, though her face had changed, Song Ciwan's body was still that of a woman. Her Power was still insufficient; this was the most she could accomplish for now. In the future, with further progress in her Cultivation, the marvels of Fetal Transformation and Shape-shifting would allow her to completely transform into a male body.
This wasn't an Illusion Technique, but a genuine, physical transformation. It was leagues beyond any ordinary illusion.
Song Ciwan then put on a crudely stitched Human Skin Mask and donned a Black Cloak. With a swirl of the cloak, she activated Escape into the Night. Her entire person dissolved into a wisp of night wind, and she slipped out of the house under layers of disguise.
The night wind drifted through streets and alleys. She occasionally encountered the Night Patrol from the City Patrol Department, as well as Demon-slaying Captains making their rounds. For the most part, Song Ciwan maintained her policy of avoiding them whenever possible.
The Night Watchman's calls were the clearest sound, echoing long and deep through the quiet city, making it seem not quite so silent after all.
"The air is cold, the frost is deep! Beware the ill wind's creep—"
"CLACK! CLACK! CLACK!"
Song Ciwan arrived at Lai Mazi Lane. As the night wind swept through, scattered Lianfei Demon Beasts scurried about. The gust of wind stirred them, and they came running out.
Song Ciwan dispatched them with ease. This time, however, she didn't use Palm Thunder, but rather the Blazing Flame Technique.
Her control over the Blazing Flame Technique had become far more refined. She could conjure a thin, long tendril of flame that directly pierced a Lianfei Demon Beast's brain, killing it in a single strike. This method also left behind a relatively intact Demon Corpse, unlike her previous attempts that had reduced them to ash.
Song Ciwan collected all the Demon Corpses into her Heaven and Earth Scale. Then, following a strange sensation, she made her way to the front door of a particular house.