Chapter 11: The Trickster Demon Chicken

"Ding ding dang dang!"

In the blacksmith shop of Zizhu Town, the sound of forging rang out steadily.

The blacksmith, Old Wang, watched Long Qing, who was drenched in sweat beside the furnace, his face serious and tense. The treasure that had been carefully kept in the shop was rapidly changing shape under Long Qing's constant hammering. The furnace burned at a high temperature so intense that Old Wang didn't dare to get too close.

At first, Long Qing wanted to buy a sword. Then, Long Qing's eyes fell on Old Wang's prized possession: a piece of black, unusually hard ore.

"Can I forge it myself to make it cheaper?" "Sure." "Can you sell me this ore?" "If you can soften it and hammer it, I'll give it to you for free."

The conversation still echoed faintly in the shop. With each strike of Long Qing's hammer, Old Wang's sense of regret deepened. "Don't look at me like that, this isn't top-tier spiritual material, it's barely good enough for a fine weapon." Long Qing replied helplessly, "I'll pay for it." "It's not about the money, I, Old Wang, always keep my word!"

Old Wang hesitated and asked, "Little Qing, have you ever considered changing careers?" "No, I haven't." Was he suggesting changing from killing chickens to becoming a blacksmith? Am I crazy?

Old Wang let out a long sigh, feeling the impending sense of crisis evaporate from his mind. "Who did you learn your forging technique from?" "I taught myself." "How do you manage to strike steadily, hitting the target every time?" "It's just practice."

Old Wang was a little confused. He felt as if he had heard this answer before. Dongfang Lan stood beside Long Qing, her beautiful eyes no longer filled with surprise. Now, nothing about Long Qing could make her heart stir anymore. Even if Long Qing said that he had learned to forge weapons in an instant.

"Old Wang, this furnace of yours isn't up to the task." With a sizzling sound, a puff of white smoke appeared. In the midst of the mist, Long Qing held the tongs, lifting a sword blade that shimmered coldly with light. The blade was covered with fine patterns like flowing waves. The sword was complete, its design perfect, with intricate patterns that seemed to flow and light up like lightning.

"It's passable." Long Qing began preparing the hilt and scabbard. The shop had some dark purple-black bamboo.

After another half hour, Long Qing returned to the yard, holding the purple-black bamboo staff. He immediately began practicing with the Qingyun Sword. The sword light was sharp, as if it could split wind and waves.

"If you want to join the Town Prison Division, it's not difficult. With your comprehension, the examination in the Imperial City will be a breeze for you." Dongfang Lan watched Long Qing practice. With every move, she seemed to gain some new insight. This was terrifying because it meant that Long Qing's understanding of the Qingyun Sword might have surpassed Dongfang Lan's. It was also an extremely rare opportunity because Long Qing's current display of the Qingyun Sword did not resemble any other sword techniques, and only in this way could it help her gain deeper understanding.

"It's fine to register, whether or not I join doesn't matter." Long Qing had killed more than a hundred chickens today, ensuring at least 700 years of life. For Qingyun Gong, Qingyun Sword, and Qingyun Step, Long Qing would never be stingy. Of course, he also spent a few hundred years comprehending other spells.

"I think with your steady and kind nature, you should join the Town Prison Division. They need people like you." Long Qing continued to practice as Dongfang Lan continued, "There are many benefits to joining the Town Prison Division, and it will be easier to access the Imperial City's underground palace. Of course, unless you want to break in directly after advancing to the Celestial Realm." Long Qing stopped, sheathing his sword. The bamboo sword, now gleaming coldly, appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary bamboo stick, with no sign of its sharp edge. "I intend to ride the sword on the wind, slaying demons and eliminating evil. Will joining the Town Prison Division restrict me?"

"What kind of restriction do you mean?" "Being a jailer wouldn't let me slay demons and eliminate evil." "You're overthinking it. The two you saw today are not like those in the Imperial City. I just hope that once you join the Imperial Town Prison Division, you won't regret it due to the heavy tasks." "That sounds great." Long Qing said, walking over to the corner of the yard and fetching a few buckets of water. "You're going to bathe again?" Dongfang Lan asked, confused.

Long Qing rubbed his hands together, showing her a mud dragon. Dongfang Lan fell silent. She knew what this was, but she didn't know why this was happening. Long Qing's body seemed to constantly undergo purification, something even the most precious Tianji elixir in the continent couldn't achieve. Could it be that Long Qing had a special constitution? Among the strange creatures, there was a kind of "immaculate body" that constantly purified itself. Could it be that Long Qing really had become a demon?

"Why don't you practice your cultivation method? Cultivators also rest while circulating their techniques. Cultivators need discipline." Dongfang Lan watched as Long Qing took a bath, ate, and then lay in the yard. She couldn't help but ask. "A true cultivator knows how to balance work and rest, sleep at regular times, eat properly, and maintain a balanced diet. That is true discipline." Long Qing smiled, "I'm joking. Actually, I am practicing right now."

"Why do you always sleep in the yard?" "To practice." "Why…" "To practice."

Dongfang Lan was speechless. Long Qing's answers seemed dismissive, yet he always said them so seriously. When Long Qing's faint snoring started, his body glowing faintly with white light again, Dongfang Lan was certain. What Long Qing said might really be true.

Because... Long Qing had really become a demon!

"There's no way humans could learn the cultivation method of demons. Even if there were, humans wouldn't need to learn it, and they certainly wouldn't be able to." Dongfang Lan pondered. "Unless… he has lived for hundreds or thousands of years like a demon." "No, maybe that's not enough."

Unable to understand, Dongfang Lan attributed this strange phenomenon to the immaculate body. Perhaps humans could also have such a special constitution.

"Bang, bang, bang!"

Urgent knocking on the door startled Long Qing awake. He rubbed his sleepy eyes and opened them drowsily. "Something's wrong! Something big has happened!" "Has someone risen from the dead again?"

Long Qing jumped up in surprise, grabbing the bamboo sword next to the lounge chair. The person at the door was the well-known tile worker from the village. He was shaking as he held a tile-cutting knife. "The chicken has become a demon!" The tile worker's face was full of terror. He approached Long Qing, his emotions stabilizing slightly, "Village Head Li sent me to call you. That chicken has already injured a dozen people!" "Take me there!" Long Qing quickly said, then added, "Which chicken became a demon? Tell me, I'll run fast." "The chicken in the backyard of Village Head Li's house! That chicken appears out of nowhere and disappears without a trace. It's too scary!"

Long Qing stamped his foot, using Qingyun Step. His figure shot out in an instant, disappearing at the end of the alley. "A mortal becoming a demon?" Dongfang Lan looked up at the sky. The bright moon shone clearly, with no clouds in sight. "The spiritual tide should have passed already. If it hadn't become a demon before, it surely can't now… This is strange."

Dongfang Lan hurried to follow.