The once prosperous and peaceful prosperous age seemed to be gone forever.
The existence of demons had become commonplace in the Great Jing.
In recent years.
One could even hear from time to time that a certain powerful demon had massacred a small village somewhere.
Or that several powerful demons had joined forces and even attempted to attack a small city.
Everyone was in danger.
Now, ordinary people who dared to walk alone in the wilderness were gone.
This was mainly because those who were bold had basically all died by now.
Even on the main imperial roads, ordinary people traveled in groups of dozens, and they would hire cultivators for protection before daring to travel between cities.
And the villages that were originally far from cities had been abandoned. Villagers had collectively moved to the outskirts of cities to re-establish their homes.
There was no other way. If they continued to live in their original villages, they would have almost no chance of survival if demons attacked.
But on the outskirts of the cities, with the protection of cultivators within the cities, there was at least a glimmer of hope for survival.
The suffering of the common people in times of prosperity and ruin seemed to be the most accurate depiction of the current situation.
But this did not affect the bustling operation of a small tea house on a certain imperial road.
The owner of the tea house was an ordinary person who looked no older than twenty years old.
It was strange, indeed. This small tea house had been open for several years since its establishment.
But in such chaotic times, this tea house, which seemed like it could be destroyed by any demon, had remained peacefully open.
This point often made passing travelers marvel.
However, until one day, when a group of travelers were drinking tea in the tea house.
A demon with the strength of Body Tempering stage Five Viscera rushed in.
The cultivators hired by this group of travelers were almost ready to flee.
As a result, the seemingly ordinary young tea house owner casually threw a punch.
And it was gone.
The demon of Body Tempering stage Five Viscera didn't even leave behind any minced meat.
From then on, among the travelers who passed by and talked, everyone understood.
The young owner who opened this tea house was a very powerful great cultivator.
And this tea house was regarded by many passing travelers as the only place where they could rest peacefully.
"Boss, a pot of Apa tea."
A group of travelers, with dust-covered faces, walked into the tea house. They glanced at the various strange-named teas written on the wall.
Then they cautiously spoke to the lazy-looking shop owner behind the counter.
"Wait."
Li Qi, behind the counter, slowly got up from his seat.
As he turned around, behind him, a multitude of seasonings were arranged.
"Apa tea, right?"
After saying that, Li Qi began to scoop up ingredients from the seasonings in front of him.
"One scoop of three-flower evaporated milk!"
"One scoop of orange-yellow coloring..."
In a short while, a pot of fragrant Apa tea was prepared and served to the group of travelers.
But this was not some pure "technology with ruthless ingredients."
These seasonings were all manufactured by Li Qi using various "underworld" attribute points.
They were purely natural ingredients, and one would absolutely not have indigestion from drinking too much.
The group of travelers drank their tea and chatted with each other, exchanging information.
"Hey, have you heard? The Demon Slaying Division's experts are preparing to attack the Myriad Demon Forest in a few days."
The so-called Myriad Demon Forest was a vast demonic force formed by the alliance of numerous demons in recent years.
The name Myriad Demon Forest had become deeply ingrained in the minds of the people of the Great Jing Dynasty in recent years.
One-third of the demons that had been wreaking havoc in the Great Jing Dynasty in recent years came from the Myriad Demon Forest.
Besides this demonic force, there were actually several other demonic forces in the Great Jing Dynasty. However, the cultivators of the Demon Slaying Division were mostly rushing about to slay demons and eliminate evils, and they had little time to attend to other matters.
The news that they were going to attack the Myriad Demon Forest this time suggested that considerable preparations had been made.
"Really? If the Myriad Demon Forest can be wiped out, the number of demons in our Great Jing Dynasty will be greatly reduced. Will the lives of us common people still be so difficult?"
"How can this be false? I have a brother who is a member of the Demon Slaying Division. I heard that in this offensive, even some of the nine Grand Commanders will be making a move."
"The Grand Commanders of the Demon Slaying Division are making a move, this... it's a sure win!"
The benefit of opening a tea house on the imperial road was this: without leaving the house, one could hear news from all corners of the world brought by these travelers.
Over the past few years, Li Qi had basically been in this small tea house, digesting what he had seen and heard. His understanding of formations had become increasingly profound.
Another point worth mentioning is that Ning Caichen, whom he met on the way to the capital.
He achieved the top rank in the imperial examinations that year.
After becoming the top scholar, Ning Caichen had been searching for Li Qi all over the world, intending to invite Li Qi for a grand feast at Zui Xiang Lou as agreed.
Unfortunately, at that time, Li Qi had already opened this tea house and did not go to find Ning Caichen directly.
Because in Li Qi's opinion.
An invitation could always be fulfilled in the future; there was no need to rush.
After all, Ning Caichen was only in his early twenties when they first met. Several years had passed, and he was not much older. With decades to come, they would surely meet again.
Life had to go on as usual.
A few days later, according to the news from new travelers.
Three Grand Commanders of the Demon Slaying Division, along with many cultivators from the Demon Slaying Division and the assistance of quite a few cultivation sects, engaged in a cataclysmic battle with the demons of the Myriad Demon Forest.
In this battle, the number of Foundation Establishment cultivators participating was countless.
And the number of Body Tempering cultivators below Foundation Establishment was even more numerous.
Blood was spilled across the sky, and colorful lights of all hues lasted for several days.
The earth-shattering roars and the smell of blood filled the air.
From time to time, the mournful cries of demons would echo for hundreds of miles, making people tremble.
Half a month later.
The Great Jing's many Demon Slaying Divisions and cultivation sect cultivators, working together, managed to eradicate half of the Myriad Demon Forest.
A few days later, only one-third of the Myriad Demon Forest remained.
A few more days passed, and the area of the Myriad Demon Forest was less than one-tenth of its original size.
Everyone in the world rejoiced, as the disaster of demons in the Great Jing would be greatly alleviated with the elimination of the Myriad Demon Forest.
Li Qi quietly listened to the information exchanged by the travelers every day. The travelers had faces full of uncontainable joy when they spoke.
But today, as Li Qi was continuing his usual hospitality for travelers.
He saw that the travelers no longer had their usual joyful expressions.
A piece of news exploded like a bombshell.
All other demonic forces in the Great Jing had moved out without a trace, supporting the Myriad Demon Forest.
The cultivators who had surrounded and annihilated the Myriad Demon Forest were all wiped out!