Zhu Tianqi took a closer look and indeed, it was a large soft-shelled turtle. It had a black shell, and its retracted neck could extend over fifty centimeters. Its four limbs were on the ground, devouring bloody pork liver, its mouth full of blood.
"It really is a big turtle!" Zhu Tianqi felt even more disgusted.
Qin Yexuan, however, appeared relaxed and corrected her mistake: "A turtle and a soft-shelled turtle are not the same. One is from the Trionychidae family, and the other is from the Testudinidae family. Most turtles are gentle and rarely evolve into monsters. If they do, they become harmless spiritual beasts. But soft-shelled turtles are different… naturally gluttonous, greedy, and fond of blood…"
"Enough, enough!" Zhu Tianqi raised her wooden sword. "Don't lecture me like an old scholar, I'm not a child!"
Qin Yexuan shrugged and pointed at the giant turtle monster. "Then it's up to you."
Zhu Tianqi scoffed, "Just a mere… Ah!"
A black shadow, carrying countless sharp spikes, sent her flying over three meters. She slammed into the wall with a loud crash.
Zhu Tianqi got up in a disheveled state and saw that the soft-shelled turtle demon had stood up. Its shell was covered with barbs, and blood dripped from its mouth. Its eyes were like black beans, and it was walking towards her step by step.
The soft-shelled turtle demon's front claws kept extending. Behind it, the paper figures of the controlled minor demons also appeared, surrounding Zhu Tianqi in the bar's main hall.
Zhu Tianqi's face turned red, a mixture of embarrassment and shame.
She had boasted about her profound cultivation in front of Qin Yexuan, only to be defeated like this by a small demon?
Damn it, how embarrassing, especially in front of Qin Yexuan!
Fueled by anger, the suppressed power within her began to release. Instantly, the petite girl's physique swelled, eventually reaching over two meters in height, her clothes bursting open.
"How dare you! Let me show you the might of the Guiyuan Feisheng realm!"
Shouting such childish words, Zhu Tianqi spread her palms. Her jet-black hair had turned silver-white under the surging spiritual energy.
And in her palm, a sword formed of spiritual energy appeared.
This spiritual energy sword merged with the peach wood sword, and the resulting roar shattered the tables and chairs in the room.
Qin Yexuan quietly retreated to the doorway, blocking the exit.
Across this threshold, two worlds separated.
Outside was a quiet and simple seaside town. Inside, it was a hellish world where demons roamed.
A powerful light enveloped the entire bar. Wherever the spiritual light reached, demons turned into dust.
Only the soft-shelled turtle demon struggled to hold on.
"You're seeking death!" Zhu Tianqi flicked her spiritual sword, transforming it into hundreds of flying blades of light. In her palm, a spiritual energy pagoda had gathered due to her rage.
If this pagoda were to fall, let alone demons, the entire bar would be pulverized.
"Put away your divine abilities. I want it alive!" Qin Yexuan shouted.
"Why the hell should I listen to you? You think you can control me with your Imperial Heart Art again!" Zhu Tianqi was furious. "Let me tell you, I've figured out how to break your Imperial Heart Art during this time. Shall we have a match?"
Qin Yexuan looked at her torn clothes, her curves exposed, and raised his phone. "Why use the Imperial Heart Art? I've already taken pictures of your pathetic state."
Zhu Tianqi froze. "So what?"
Qin Yexuan smiled. "A dignified prince of the Great Ming, once the leader of the demonic cult, now completely exposed and posing seductively. I'll post it online and reveal your identity…"
Zhu Tianqi's body trembled violently, unable to believe it. "Despicable, shameless, scoundrel! You… even if you say it, no one will believe you."
"Yes, no one will believe you were once a man, but your photos will probably go viral online. Heh heh, many otaku will probably use your photos…"
Before Qin Yexuan could finish, Zhu Tianqi quickly retracted her spiritual energy and reverted to her original form. She grabbed a tablecloth to cover herself.
"You, you are not allowed to send that out!"
Zhu Tianqi, thinking of the implications of Qin Yexuan's words, almost vomited.
She was truly afraid now.
Qin Yexuan slowly put away his phone and walked over to the weakened soft-shelled turtle demon.
Looking down at the nearly dead great turtle spirit, Qin Yexuan stroked his chin. "Sixty years ago, by the Zhuo River, you had just gained human form. You swallowed a golden carp. I want to know the whereabouts of that golden carp!"
The soft-shelled turtle demon had transformed into human form and now looked pleading.
Qin Yexuan coldly raised his foot and stepped on its back.
Instantly, the soft-shelled turtle demon's human form dissipated halfway, and its shell flickered in and out of existence.
"I don't have much patience. Where did that golden carp go?"
Zhu Tianqi was extremely curious.
A golden carp? Was it that important? To make Qin Yexuan lurk in this small town for so long.
And what was the connection between this golden carp and the demons of Chaoge City?
The soft-shelled turtle demon shed tears. "Immortal, spare my life! I truly don't know anything about a golden carp. You must be mistaken."
Qin Yexuan slowly reached into his pocket.
He took out a folded old newspaper, a daily from sixty years ago.
The newspaper unfolded, revealing a news article.
"The Zhuo River Giant Turtle Incident!"
Sixty years ago, boatmen on the Zhuo River discovered a giant old turtle, said to be as tall as a three-story building. In the end, three hundred trackers dragged the giant turtle ashore. But when reporters arrived, the giant turtle was gone, and along with it, seven boatmen and a river ferryman.
"What is a river ferryman?" Zhu Tianqi interjected.
"A river ferryman of the Zhuo River was a profession that patrolled the riverbanks, similar to a Taoist priest, capable of exorcising demons and ghosts on boats, especially skilled at dealing with water ghosts and river demons."
Qin Yexuan sneered as he spoke. "Shortly after, the bodies of the seven boatmen were found, all hanged on a small island in the river. As for the river ferryman surnamed Wu, he disappeared forever."
He unfolded the back of the newspaper, revealing a blurry photograph.
Zhu Tianqi took a closer look and gasped. "He looks exactly like the human form of this old turtle."
Qin Yexuan kicked the dead soft-shelled turtle demon. "Daoist Wu had already merged with the soft-shelled turtle demon. Come, strike at the position of its shell and shatter it for me!"
Zhu Tianqi brought down a beam of white light with her hand. The spiritual sword directly shattered the demon's shell.
The monster let out a piercing shriek. Its back split open, and from its flesh and blood, a head slowly emerged.
Upon closer inspection, it turned out that a person was "connected" to the demon's internal organs beneath its shell.
It was like a conjoined twin.
The head absorbed nutrients from the internal organs connected to its neck. Its complexion was pale, and its bald head was covered in mucus.
After a long time, he opened his eyes and let out a guttural sound from his throat.
"It's been too long, you can't speak anymore?"
Qin Yexuan stared at the head. "Daoist Wu, you killed seven boatmen, took the soft-shelled turtle demon, and hid the golden carp. I've been investigating this for a long time, and only today have I found you!"
Daoist Wu's tongue had atrophied, but he could still vaguely speak.
"I… won't tell you!"
After murmuring this, the head suddenly broke free from the neck and rolled away.
Deprived of nutrients, the head withered instantly and turned into a pool of blood.