The great battle had concluded, leaving only a bustling crowd standing together.
Some were smoking, others chatting idly.
It was clear we had won this fight.
Those who remained were likely responsible for guard duty and patrols; the injured would have been sent back up the mountain.
With this thought in mind, I continued forward, pulling the ghost of the demon cultivator.
At this moment, the people gathered below Sharp Peak noticed my appearance.
They all turned in my direction.
Initially, their expressions were cautious.
But upon recognizing me, they seemed to become excited and rushed forward:
"It's, it's that fellow cultivator from earlier!"
"It's Qin Ze, he's back!"
"Fellow Daoist Qin!"
"..."
Suddenly, over a dozen people from below Sharp Peak ran towards me.
Each one was filled with excitement.
Seeing their fervent reactions, I was somewhat taken aback.
As they approached, they all cupped their fists in greeting:
"Wuliang Tianzun, Brother Qin, are you injured?"
"Fellow Daoist Qin, you were incredible just now, amazing!"
"Brother Qin, we saw you chasing the Black Demon Holy Son earlier, how was it? Who is this ghost?"
"..."
These people spoke in a torrent of questions.
My presence on the battlefield had been too conspicuous and brave, charging into enemy lines alone, and then pursuing into the black mist.
Thus, many had remembered me.
After all, strength commands respect.
Seeing me return safely, they stepped forward to greet me.
Although I didn't know these people, a couple of them looked somewhat familiar.
I must have seen them at the alliance gathering.
However, I couldn't recall their names, and we had no prior interactions.
Now, hearing their questions, I didn't put on airs.
I responded by cupping my fists:
"Wuliang Tianzun. Thank you for your concern, fellow Daoists. I am unharmed. The Black Demon Holy Son has died by my hand and his soul has been scattered.
This is the Black Demon's Left Envoy, whose soul I have already sealed.
I am now preparing to bring him back to the mountain for interrogation by the elders, to see if we can obtain some useful information."
I explained briefly.
However, these words stunned everyone present.
Their eyes widened in surprise, staring at me dumbfounded.
Only after two or three seconds did a sudden voice break the silence:
"Holy crap! So fierce!"
At this moment, the crowd finally reacted.
They became incredibly excited:
"Fellow Daoist Qin, you're awesome! The Black Demon Holy Son was actually killed!"
"Nonsense, Fellow Daoist Qin is the number one of the younger generation in our Nine Provinces Dao Alliance, killing that Black Demon Holy Son is nothing!"
"That's right, Brother Qin is definitely the future leader of our Dao Alliance. It's his just deserts to fall into Brother Qin's hands."
"..."
Listening to their praise, I felt a bit embarrassed.
They were certainly good at flattering.
"Everyone, the situation on the mountain, should be stable now?"
I changed the subject, inquiring about the battle on the mountain.
After all, the demon sect's frontal assault and rear surprise attack, aiming to release the ice corpses, was real.
Though seeing their relaxed demeanor suggested the mountain was fine,
I still wanted to ask and confirm it personally.
The crowd nodded upon hearing my question:
"It's all clear, the demon sect's forces have been repelled. Everything is stable now."
"That's right, that's right, these demonic cultivators wanted to ambush us, but we killed as many as came. This poor monk hasn't killed enough!"
"Hahaha..."
The crowd burst into laughter.
As Daoists of the White sect, to slay demons and eliminate evil, and act on behalf of heaven,
was considered the most glorious and honorable thing in our profession.
Even if life and death were cast aside...
I nodded:
"Thank you for your hard work, fellow Daoists. If there's nothing else, I'll be heading up the mountain now."
No one stopped me; they all made way.
"Please, Brother Qin!"
"Please, Fellow Daoist Qin!"
"..."
I nodded and cupped my fists, then began my ascent.
As I walked, the mountain was brightly lit.
Everywhere, I saw fellow Daoists standing guard at various positions.
In small groups.
They were mostly discussing the recent battle.
Most had smiles on their faces.
After all, the demon sect had been driven back, and we had won.
However, a small number looked dejected or were weeping openly.
In any life-and-death battle, there are always those who live and those who die.
Some fellow Daoists had already lost their lives below Sharp Peak before the main battle even commenced.
As I ascended, many people greeted me.
I responded to each one.
Upon reaching the mountain gate, even more people had gathered.
I wondered where Old Mo and the others were now.
Without dwelling on it, I continued dragging the ghost of the Black Demon's Left Envoy directly towards the main hall of the Dry Wood Temple.
At the entrance of the main hall, several fellow cultivators from the Dao Alliance were on guard.
At a glance, I recognized one or two.
The leader was Elder Qing Shi, a plump elder from Longhu Mountain.
Beside him was Wang Qi, the senior disciple of Longhu Mountain.
The one who loved to show off, claiming to be the number one of the younger generation, and who had been defeated by Mo and me with a single move.
Seeing them, I walked over, dragging the ghost of the Black Demon's Left Envoy.
"Senior Qing Shi! Brother Wang!"
Upon seeing me, Wang Qi let out a cold snort and said nothing.
This kid, in any case, found me displeasing from any angle.
Besides me defeating him and embarrassing him,
more importantly, this kid liked Xia Qiu Xi.
But Xia Qiu Xi was close to us, and viewed me as a rival in love.
Elder Qing Shi had been saved by my Uncle-Master in front of the Black Demon Palace and had traveled with us for a while.
Seeing me now, he nodded slightly:
"Oh! Nephew Qin Ze! Your performance down the mountain earlier was very impressive! I've heard many fellow Daoists discussing you."
I waved my hands repeatedly:
"It was just slaying demons and eliminating evil. Senior Qing Shi, this is the soul of the Black Demon's Left Envoy; I've brought him back."
Qing Shi and the others had indeed seen the ghost behind me, but they had been fighting on the mountain and hadn't gone down.
They didn't know about this Black Demon's Left Envoy.
Hearing my words now, they showed surprise.
"What? The Black Demon's Left Envoy?"
"How is that possible? How could your cultivation be enough to deal with the Black Demon's Left Envoy? Is it fake?"
Wang Qi also spoke in surprise, unable to believe it.
He knew I was powerful, but he didn't believe I was powerful enough to defeat the esteemed Black Demon's Left Envoy.
This fellow had a notorious reputation within the Dao Alliance.
He had committed misdeeds against many sects.
But each time, he acted masked, and no one knew what he looked like.
One of their elders from Longhu Mountain had tragically died at the hands of this Black Demon's Left Envoy.
Yet now, this Black Demon's Left Envoy was being led back like a dog by me, which made them undoubtedly surprised.
Not only that, but the others around also cast sidelong glances.
Even those who didn't know the "Black Demon's Left Envoy" recognized from the title that this ghost was no simple figure, but certainly a major player in the demon sect.
"Black Demon's Left Envoy? What's his background?"
"Brother Li, you wouldn't know! He's a figure on the level of the Black Demon Sect's Left and Right Protectors. We heard he was with the Black Demon Holy Son down the mountain earlier."
"No way! No matter how strong Qin Ze is, he couldn't have killed a demon cultivator of this level, right?"
"But still, leading him back like a dog, that's too exaggerated."
"..."
I paid no mind to their discussions, merely saying to Elder Qing Shi:
"That's right, this is the Black Demon's Left Envoy. I hope to get some useful information from him."
With that, I handed the enchanted rope in my hand to Elder Qing Shi.
Elder Qing Shi's breath hitched, incredulous.
For him, this news was too shocking; a young Daoist like me had brought back the soul of the Black Demon's Left Envoy...