So it turns out I'm the demon!

Chapter 174 The Empty City Stratagem?

The Garrison Commander's Office, High and Mighty.

A cold wind howled, bringing with it a faint sense of impending doom from outside the city.

Yuan Qianfan sat cross-legged on a futon.

The already illusory body began to undulate slowly as the terrifying pressure from the distant horizon drew near.

He slowly opened his eyes and let out a long sigh:

"I thought the first one to test the waters would be at most a ninth or tenth-tier demon king. I didn't expect the Peacock Demon King to personally come down. It seems that in its heart, it is already 99% certain that I am already a dead man."

Jiang Mu had also arrived at the high place and sat cross-legged opposite Yuan Qianfan.

Besides Gao, Shui Miaozheng, holding a round fan, her clothes fluttering, solemnly protected the two.

Be alert to any movement or disturbance around you.

Feeling the oppressive atmosphere, Jiang Mu frowned and asked, "Lord Yuan, can we still hide it from it?"

Yuan Qianfan gave a wry smile and said helplessly:

"Now that things have come to this, whether we live or die, we have no choice but to fight it out."

Jiang Mu had always had a question in his mind, and taking this opportunity, he couldn't help but ask:

"Lord Yuan, there is something I don't understand."

Logically speaking, since the Peacock Demon King had invited a tenth-tier demon to help him, he should have swarmed up and attacked you together.

Wouldn't that be the best chance of winning?

But you said before that as long as they were sure you were still alive, those tenth-tier demons would immediately retreat and would never fight you head-on.

On the contrary, they will only dare to attack the city if they are sure you are dead.

What is the logic behind this?

"Now that you're dead, the Peacock Demon King, an eleventh-tier demon, could easily slaughter the city. Why bother inviting those tenth-tier demons to share the spoils?"

Yuan Qianfan looked at Jiang Mu and asked in return:

"Young friend Jiang, do you know what 'luck' is?"

"transport?"

Jiang Mu was slightly taken aback, and her brows furrowed even more.

Yuan Qianfan patiently explained:

"Heaven has its own destiny, people have their own fate, and nations also have their own destiny."

And certain regions in this world, through the accumulation of long years, naturally develop their own unique "fortune".

This "luck" is not something illusory or ethereal.

It is the essence of this land's mountains and rivers, the accumulated fortune of countless people who have lived and multiplied over thousands of years, through their offerings and prayers. It is also the vitality and destiny bestowed upon this land by the divine will.

"If the 'luck' of a region is abundant, the weather will be favorable, and the land will be blessed with outstanding people. If the 'luck' dissipates, disasters will follow one after another, turning it into a dead end." He flicked his sleeve, looking intently at Jiang Mu:

"We, the garrison commanders appointed by the imperial court, are the guardians of humanity, and in fact, the watchmen of this 'fate'."

For example, Yancheng possesses a unique and favorable local fortune.

And those great demons, conquering cities and seizing territories, their ultimate goal is to devour "fate"!

Devouring destiny?

Jiang Mu seemed to understand but not quite, and stroked his chin thoughtfully, saying:

The saying goes, "One region's water and soil nurture its people," which is also what Feng Shui refers to as "a blessed land and a celestial paradise."

So the purpose of these powerful demons is not to eat a few people for a snack, but to devour the "fortune" accumulated by this city over thousands of years? And then use it as resources to break through to a higher realm?

"That's exactly right."

Yuan Qianfan nodded approvingly and continued,

"This Yan City was once the capital of the previous dynasty. Going back further, it was a prosperous hub with a large population and numerous merchants."

For thousands of years, countless sages and virtuous men have taught and imparted knowledge here, and the people have lived in peace and prosperity. The "luck" accumulated underground is naturally abundant. Demons are alien species born from the birth of heaven and earth.

Compared to humans, who are limited by their mortal bodies, they have a more acute perception of this intangible and intangible "fate".

This is similar to how human cultivators, without attaining a star level and receiving permission from the Heavenly Dao, cannot forcibly absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into their bodies. But the demon race is different; they have no such restrictions.

At this point, a hint of seriousness flashed in Yuan Qianfan's ethereal eyes:

"However, devouring the 'luck' of this land is by no means as simple as opening your mouth and taking a deep breath."

This is like a huge gold mine buried deep underground; it's not easy to dig out the gold.

The demon must use a powerful array that consumes a great deal of its own resources, along with a special devouring technique, and even pay a huge price, to gradually strip away and absorb the fortune of this place.

Therefore, those ninth and tenth-tier great demons who came with the Peacock Demon King were not here to deal with me.

Their role is to assist the Peacock Demon King in setting up formations and casting spells, and to share the profits from devouring the city's fortune.

As long as I, the garrison commander, am alive, they naturally wouldn't dare take the risk. After all, if I really wanted to kill them, I could. Now, Jiang Mu finally understood completely.

No wonder the Daqing court only established garrison commanders in certain specific cities.

But many other places are left vacant.

No wonder these high-level demons ignored the poorly defended remote towns and instead relentlessly attacked these heavily fortified cities with garrison commanders.

It turns out, what they were after was priceless "luck"!

And the fortunes of these cities, in some mysterious way, converge into a river, nourishing the national destiny of Daqing.

Yuan Qianfan's voice sounded somewhat faint in the wind:

"Take the mist demon that besieged Huzhou City before, for example. It had been stuck at the peak of the eleventh rank for many years, just one step away from the twelfth rank. But that one step was like an insurmountable chasm, which it could not cross no matter how hard it cultivated."

That's why it took the risk of gathering a large army to attack Huzhou, in an attempt to seize the fortune of Huzhou city.

If it can absorb even a tiny bit, its chances of breaking through will greatly increase.

The same applies to Yancheng right now.

The city had previously experienced a rebellion instigated by the Red Umbrella Cult, which led to widespread discontent and instability among the people.

The will of the people is the foundation of a city's future.

With public morale in turmoil, the city's fortunes, which had been hanging over Yancheng, naturally began to falter and crack.

The Peacock Demon King had seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If they could successfully breach the city and enter the formation at this moment, they could plunder the maximum amount of the city's fortune with minimal cost.

Jiang Mu nodded in deep agreement and concluded:

"I understand. In the end, it's all about profit."

The Red Umbrella Cult instigated the rebellion in order to undermine the foundation of Daqing and overthrow the imperial court.

The lower-level demons devour human flesh and blood during the chaos, while the mid-level demon generals vie for resources.

The great demon, on the other hand, is there to devour destiny.

They are able to cooperate because their interests align.

Now that you mention it, I truly believe the imperial court will definitely send strong reinforcements.

After all, if the demon race truly drains Yancheng's fortune, Daqing's national fortune will likely suffer a severe blow as well.

Yuan Qianfan did not respond.

He took a breath, and his previously ethereal and swaying body suddenly stabilized.

He slowly raised his hand, his expression more solemn and dignified than ever before:

"Come on, young friend Jiang."

From this day forward, the heavy responsibility of protecting the tens of thousands of lives in Yancheng and safeguarding the destiny of this region... will be entrusted to your shoulders.

Jiang Mu unconsciously sat up straight.

At that moment, he suddenly had a strange feeling.

It was as if he had transformed into the greatest weightlifting champion of the Ming Dynasty, tasked with shouldering the responsibilities of the two capitals and thirteen provinces.

"boom!"

Above, a dazzling crimson light burst forth.

Amidst the light, mysterious array patterns lit up one after another from the ground, spreading rapidly like a spider web.

Ultimately, they all converged under Yuan Qianfan's command.

The next moment, a wave of heat shot into the sky.

Behind Yuan Qianfan, the void twisted, and a huge phantom of a divine general, more than three zhang tall and composed entirely of crimson-gold flames, suddenly appeared!

The Fire God General is clad in flaming armor, wielding a giant halberd burning with raging flames. His eyes are like two dazzling little suns, his gaze sweeping over the world with imposing majesty.

It simply stood there silently, while the surrounding space was distorted by the heat.

This is the natal dharma form of Yuan Qianfan, an eleventh-realm expert.

"This is the form of the Fire God."

At this moment, Yuan Qianfan seemed to experience a sudden burst of energy before death.

The previous listless and decaying death aura was swept away, and his eyes shot out with divine light, like two sharp swords piercing the sky.

Jiang Mu took a deep breath and tensed her body.

Yuan Qianfan rapidly formed hand seals while chanting incantations, sounding like ancient sacrificial chants.

As he cast his hand seal.

The majestic image of the fire god behind him began to slowly melt away.

It transformed into a sky full of flowing crimson fire rain, gradually merging into the high-level array patterns.

The entire high-rise seemed to have transformed into a burning sea of ​​fire.

Immediately afterwards, the flames that had merged into the formation, like agile and fiery serpents, meandered and crawled along the formation's trajectory.

Finally, they converged on Jiang Mu, who was sitting at the center of the formation.

The fire snake coiled up Jiang Mu's legs and enveloped him.

Strangely, Jiang Mu, who was in the center of the raging fire, did not feel any burning pain.

Instead, he felt a warm and powerful force flowing through his pores, trickling into his limbs and bones.

The crimson flames gently licked his skin.

Wherever it passed, it left dark red divine patterns on his skin.

Meanwhile, outside Yancheng city.

The Peacock Demon King no longer concealed his whereabouts.

It treads upon a cloud of yellow sand that blots out the sky, as if walking on flat ground, step by step, soaring down from the high sky.

He seemed to be strolling leisurely, but with each step he took, he traversed a distance of dozens of feet, and the air beneath his feet made a continuous popping sound, like thunderclaps from the heavens exploding in the clouds.

"Boom!"

As the true form of the eleventh-tier demon king approached, a terrifying pressure descended like ten thousand mountains.

Even the churning dark clouds were forced back several miles.

The demon slayers on the city wall felt as if they had been hit in the chest, their breath caught in their throats, and their blood surged.

A tremor and fear originating from the depths of one's soul spread.

"What's going on? Has the Peacock Demon King gone mad? He's actually shown his true form?!"

"Damn it, forget it! The Demon King is practically shoving us in the face, what are we hesitating for? Let's just attack!"

"I refuse to believe it can withstand our city's protective formation! Anyway, we have the garrison commander backing us up, what are we afraid of!" Although they were filled with doubt and fear at the great demon king's sudden attack, in this life-or-death situation, everyone could only grit their teeth and fight to the death. Only Tian Wenjing looked worriedly in the direction of the garrison commander's mansion inside the city.

I don't know if Xiao Jiang will succeed.

With a roar, the defensive works on the city wall, which had been ready to attack, were launched.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Dozens of heavy mechanical ballistae roared simultaneously.

The specially made giant arrow, its tip covered with dense runes, tore through the sky like a torrential downpour flowing upstream, accompanied by a piercing shriek, crashing down on the Peacock Demon King in mid-air.

The array nodes on the city wall also lit up at the same time.

Several thick beams of lightning and scorching fireballs roared out at the same time.

Faced with this terrifying attack that could level a small mountain, the Peacock Demon King simply smiled.

He stood with his hands behind his back, his clothes fluttering in the wind.

"Buzz"

The pair of magnificent, multicolored wings behind it trembled slightly, and a layer of shimmering, translucent light enveloped its body.

"boom!"

The runic giant arrows and lightning meteors struck the light shield in succession, bursting out with roars and blinding light.

When the smoke cleared, the multicolored protective barrier remained completely untouched, not even a ripple. The Peacock Demon King stood unharmed atop the rolling yellow sand, not a single feather disheveled.

"Heh heh, is that all you've got?"

The Peacock Demon King looked down at Yan City, his voice, carried by powerful demonic energy, resounding throughout the entire city like spring thunder.

The shock caused the eardrums of many soldiers with low cultivation levels to rupture.

Although the demon slayers on the city wall were both shocked and furious, their attacks did not stop in the slightest.

They knew very well that ordinary attacks would hardly be able to break through the defenses of such a peerless demon.

However, as long as they could continuously deplete the opponent's protective demonic power like ants gnawing at an elephant, they were creating opportunities for their own guardian. The Peacock Demon King allowed the attacks to fall on his protective shield.

Its long, narrow, and eerie eyes were fixed on the direction of the garrison commander's residence, a cold smile curling at the corner of its lips:

"Lord Yuan, I have come uninvited today, specifically to pay you a visit. Now that an old friend has arrived, doesn't Lord Yuan intend to come out and greet him, to catch up?"

The garrison commander's residence remained deathly silent, without any response.

The Peacock Demon King slowly raised one hand, his fingertips shimmering with multicolored demonic light, and his voice became chillingly cold:

"It seems that Lord Yuan has no intention of coming out."

Is it that he doesn't want to come out, or... is Lord Yuan now a corpse, never to emerge again?

A word stirred up a thousand waves.

The demon slayers on the city wall, apart from Tian Wenjing who already knew the inside story, all looked at each other in bewilderment.

His expression was filled with astonishment and confusion.

They couldn't understand why the Peacock Demon King would suddenly utter such absurd remarks.

"A bunch of idiots who don't even realize they're about to die."

The Peacock Demon King's expression was mocking, his eyes sweeping over the crowd on the city wall with pity.

"They don't even know that their own garrison commander is dead and gone, and they're still here dreaming of putting up a last-ditch resistance."

Before he could finish speaking, the Peacock Demon King had already lost his patience.

It slowly raised a slender, fair hand and aimed it at Yan Cheng.

The hand, which was originally no different from an ordinary person's, began to expand and deform rapidly in mid-air, and in the blink of an eye, it transformed into a huge peacock demon claw that blotted out the sky.

On the demonic claw, multicolored demonic energy surged like raging waves.

Each claw gleamed with an eerie light, carrying the power to tear mountains apart, as it descended upon the city!

"Boom!"

Under the oppressive force of the demonic claws, the pale golden array protecting Yan City trembled and flickered with light.

The intricate runes wailed under the immense pressure.

The light curtain gradually caved inward.

"This...how is this possible!"

The people on the city wall were horrified.

What shocked them was not only the Peacock Demon King's attack, but also its earth-shattering words.

The garrison commander is dead?!

How is that possible!

But if it's fake, why would this demon king dare to attack the city so recklessly with his true form?

You must understand, even an eleventh-tier demon king, though powerful, would never dare to be so arrogant in the face of a city with a garrison commander and the advantage of terrain and popular support! But what if... what if it were true?

The moment this thought crossed their minds, everyone panicked.

If the garrison commander is really gone, then wouldn't all the soldiers and civilians in the city become lambs to the slaughter?

Panic spread like wildfire across the city walls.

The once impregnable defensive line began to show signs of collapse as morale wavered.

However, at that moment...

"boom!"

The celestial phenomena over Yancheng suddenly changed.

The sky, which had been shrouded in demonic energy and was shrouded in a hazy gray, was instantly torn apart by a vast crimson light.

From the direction of the garrison commander's residence, a thick pillar of fire shot into the sky, reaching straight into the clouds.

Immediately afterwards, to everyone's astonishment, a colossal fire-man image, hundreds of feet tall and entirely formed from crimson-gold flames, rose from the ground with a thunderous roar.

The fiery figure stands atop blazing flames, with the sky above its head and intense heat surrounding it.

It's like an ancient fire god who stepped out of ancient mythology.

With its ferocity and majesty that can burn away all evil in the world, it stands proudly above Yan City!

"This...this is the Dharma image of the Garrison Commander!"

"The master is still alive!"

"The garrison commander is not dead!"

After a brief silence, thunderous cheers erupted from the city walls.

Morale, which had already hit rock bottom, has rebounded.

Those garrison commanders who were previously doubting themselves were now greatly encouraged, as if they had been given a shot of adrenaline.

"Damn it, it was just this hairy bastard trying to bluff us! Brothers, give him a good beating!"

With roars echoing across the city walls, heavy ballistae and array attacks rained down once more.

Filled with rage, he slammed his weapon down on the Peacock Demon King outside the city!

At this moment, the Peacock Demon King's expression turned extremely ugly.

It stared intently at the imposing, fiery statue within the city.

The enormous demonic claw that had been compressing the city's protective array was forcefully repelled, shattering into pieces in mid-air before finally retracting to its normal size. "You're actually still alive?"

The Peacock Demon King narrowed his eyes, his tone filled with surprise and apprehension.

The fiery figure bowed its head slightly.

Two eyes, as bright as the blazing sun, looked down at the great demon outside the city, their deep, majestic voices echoing through the heavens and earth:

"Peacock, this must be our second meeting."

"I'm quite curious, why are you so certain that I'm dead?"

The Peacock Demon King's gaze was cold and his expression shifted constantly.

It did not answer, but stared coldly at the statue, as if trying to find a flaw in it.

At this moment, Jiang Mu, hidden at the core of the Vulcan's Dharma Image, is experiencing a wondrous experience unlike any other.