At the Commandery Princess's command...
With a thunderous boom, the massive vermillion gates were violently forced open by the soldiers.
The moment the doors swung wide, the soldiers at the front were nearly choked by a sudden surge of crimson blood-mist.
Then, they saw them—a multitude of grotesque demons waiting within the gates.
These demons were hideous and fierce, their very appearance enough to strike terror into the hearts of any who looked upon them. More terrifying still was the thick layer of malevolent Qi clinging to their bodies, making them far more formidable than ordinary monsters.
Su Qing watched the demons, her brows arching slightly as she muttered to herself, "So this is the Prime Minister's preparation? What secret method did he use to turn these demons into this? Well, it doesn't matter... even in this state, they're nothing more than weeds. The only real trouble is the Prime Minister himself. Since he has a way to boost their strength, he certainly has a way to boost his own, and likely to a much greater degree. Hmph, I hope he doesn't disappoint me."
After scanning the demons, Su Qing shifted her gaze to the soldiers.
As expected, these men—meeting demons for the first time—wore expressions of pure dread. In that single instant, their morale took a heavy blow.
If left unchecked, the army would likely collapse before the demons even made a move.
'But... why aren't those demons coming out?'
The demons inside the gates merely glared with savage intensity, yet none of them attacked. This struck Su Qing as somewhat strange.
However, having studied such things for years, she quickly deduced the reason after a moment's thought.
'I see. These demons are currently trapped inside. If they leave the imperial palace, their power will either vanish or they will simply die. It makes sense; the world is fair. If you want to obtain power for nothing, there is always a price to pay. Being confined to the palace isn't even that high a price.'
Su Qing rubbed her chin and let out a light laugh. 'Regardless, now is the perfect time for me to perform a "miracle." I just hope the Princess can play her part.'
With that thought, Su Qing used Sound Transmission to contact the Princess through her clone, instructing her on what to do next.
Upon hearing Su Qing's plan, the Commandery Princess agreed without hesitation.
She could see that her subordinates were already starting to waver. None of them had ever seen a demon, let alone possessed the confidence to fight one.
She didn't blame them; retreating in the face of the unknown and the horrific was a natural reaction. If they had simply charged in blindly to throw their lives away, that would have been a sign of madness.
But while their fear was normal, she couldn't just stand there. They had to go in. They had come too far to turn back now.
Thus, she had no issues with Su Qing's plan. Her only concern was whether such a plan would negatively affect Su Qing herself.
Su Qing was slightly moved by the Princess's concern. "Do not worry," she said. "Since I've suggested this, I am prepared. I would never place myself in true danger."
Hearing this, Ye Qingyu felt relieved. If Su Qing said it was fine, it almost certainly was. Su Qing never lied; if she said she could do something, she would do it, and do it well. 'Perhaps this is the benefit of being the messenger of One-Leaf Bodhisattva,' the Princess thought.
Ye Qingyu took a deep breath.
Then, she shouted, "Do not fear! These demons are no match for us! We are protected by One-Leaf Bodhisattva! Evil spirits cannot come near us! And for these monsters, we have the Bodhisattva's messenger!"
As soon as the Princess finished speaking, the air filled with the sound of Sanskrit chants.
A woman, with a full moon glowing behind her head, walked slowly out from the midst of the crowd. She wore a light veil, hiding her features from the soldiers, but they could all feel the aura of holiness radiating from her.
It was as if a Bodhisattva had descended to the mortal realm. The soldiers were so awed they hardly dared to breathe.
With a gentle wave of her hand, the thick, foul-smelling air instantly became fresh and clean. Some even claimed they could hear the faint, distant tolling of an ancient pagoda bell.
In an instant, the sagging morale of the army soared to new heights.
Suddenly, someone in the ranks let out a shout—though no one was sure what was said—and the entire army erupted in a roar of fervor.
Seizing the moment, the Princess cried out, "Charge! Follow the Bodhisattva's messenger!"
With that, Ye Qingyu followed behind Su Qing's clone and stepped through the gates. As the Princess moved, the army followed in an orderly, disciplined surge.
Inside the gates, the clone was immediately met with a dense wall of demonic Qi and the stench of blood. She exhaled a breath of turbid air and said softly, "I didn't want to kill so many... but since you have made your choice, I can only reluctantly grant you salvation."
Su Qing formed a hand seal. Before the demons could even utter a threat, she flicked her wrist, sending out waves of invisible sword Qi that severed their heads.
Su Qing's clone carried no sword, but a true master of the blade can use anything as a weapon—even a finger. In an instant, the demons began to fall like stalks of wheat. It was a spectacular sight.
To the onlookers, however, the scene was strangely beautiful, as if the area were being purified. Only Liu Qian, an insider to the supernatural, could see the truth behind the illusion. It was power in its absolute sense—overwhelming and undeniable.
These minor demons, even with their enhancements, were still nothing more than weeds.
After clearing the small fry blocking the entrance, Su Qing's clone exhaled again, thinking to herself how boring it was. She then cast a spell to disperse the lingering demonic Qi.
However, while the Qi was gone, the smell of blood was not so easily erased, given the carnage that remained. The Princess followed closely behind, witnessing Su Qing's terrifying strength firsthand. Her previous worries were replaced by a profound sense of security. With such an ally, how could they possibly lose?
Su Qing didn't know what the Princess was thinking. She simply glanced back, signaling for the army to keep up, and quickened her pace.
After the initial slaughter at the gate, they encountered no more demons for a long stretch of the path. But this lack of resistance didn't put anyone at ease; everyone knew the real threat was waiting further in.
They continued forward, step by steady step—everyone except the Su Qing in the sky and the clone at the front.
'It seems the Prime Minister intends to make his stand at the core of the array,' Su Qing thought, a smirk playing on her lips.
After entering the imperial city, she had completely deciphered the situation and understood what had happened to these demons. To put it plainly, it was a classic sacrificial array found in old legends—trading sacrifices for a temporary boost in power.
But this kind of trash had been obsolete for ages. She wondered where the Prime Minister had even found it, let alone why he treated it like a treasure.
Why was it obsolete? Aside from the heavy price, the power boost it provided was limited and grew weaker the further one moved from the center of the array. To Su Qing, the Prime Minister was truly someone who didn't know quality when he saw it.
She couldn't help but laugh inwardly. 'How much did he have to do to set this up? It seems I have yet another reason why he must die.'
The army continued their march and soon arrived before the main audience hall.
Su Qing didn't know the name of this specific hall—she never cared for such trivialities. But she knew it was the center of the array and the location of the Prime Minister. It was easy to identify: the blood-red clouds in the sky and the suffocating demonic Qi in the air all pointed to this spot as the source of the corruption and the lair of the strongest foe.
Su Qing's clone looked at the magnificent hall, her face still wearing that expression of merciful compassion. She spoke aloud, "Amitabha. Benefactors, please come out. Drop your cleavers and accept your reincarnation early, lest you suffer more physical pain later."
In Su Qing's philosophy, there was no such thing as "dropping the cleaver and becoming a Buddha." There was only dropping the cleaver and accepting the punishment one deserved. She knew perfectly well that her advice would be useless.
Sure enough, the Prime Minister slowly walked out. He was still wearing his official robes, but his features had transformed into those of a humanoid rat. If one had to describe him, he looked somewhat like Master Splinter from the Ninja Turtles.
"Drop my cleaver? Hmph, if I were willing to do that, I wouldn't have made all these preparations," the Prime Minister said coldly. "You are truly laughable. You spent every day in that medical hall, completely oblivious to what I was doing. Heh, you were far too arrogant. And today, you shall pay the price for that arrogance."
Indeed, the Prime Minister had known for a long time that Su Qing was helping the Princess. But because of Su Qing's strength, he had pretended to be ignorant, never interfering while he secretly prepared for this day.
What amused him was that Su Qing, relying on her superior strength, had never bothered to check on his progress. She had stayed in her clinic all day like a silent statue.
Su Qing merely gave a faint smile and replied, "Amitabha. The Buddha said there was no need to watch... because the Bodhisattva would come to resolve everything personally. No matter how much you prepare, it is all in vain. Amitabha, you should drop your cleaver and come with me to receive your punishment. If you wait for the Bodhisattva to act, you will have no chance at all."
"Hahaha! You think you can bluff me? You're just a snake demon pretending to be a messenger of the Bodhisattva! Ridiculous!" The Prime Minister didn't believe a word she said. He thought she was just putting on an act. "Enough talk! Minions, attack! Kill them all! Today, I grant you leave to slaughter and feast to your heart's content!"
His original plan had been to slowly subvert the country and devour the incense of this land to reach a higher realm. But Su Qing's appearance had ruined everything, forcing him to take this drastic path. He was furious; no matter what Su Qing said or did, he was determined to kill her to vent his rage.
Su Qing shook her head helplessly. "Truly foolish beyond belief."
She pointed toward the sky. "The Bodhisattva has arrived. You no longer have the chance to regret."
As soon as the words left her mouth, the sound of Sanskrit chants descended from the heavens. If one listened closely, it sounded as if someone were chanting sutras within the clouds.
Everyone looked up. They saw the blood-red clouds being torn apart by golden Buddha Light. A dignified and gentle Bodhisattva, riding upon an auspicious cloud, drifted down through the rift.
With a flick of the Bodhisattva's hand, a magnificent short sword flew out, instantly shredding the first demon that had tried to lunge toward the crowd.
Then, the Bodhisattva spoke: "Will you still not surrender?"
The appearance of the Bodhisattva was completely outside the Prime Minister's calculations. It was also outside the expectations of all the other demons.
When they had agreed to help the Prime Minister deal with Su Qing, no one had mentioned that it would involve a literal Bodhisattva!
"Is... is that a real Bodhisattva?"
"Such terrifying power!"
"She killed Niu Banjin with a single strike?!"
In an instant, the demons panicked. Their strength was decent, but before a Bodhisattva, they were like children. She could crush them with a wave of her hand. They began to waver, unsure if they should continue helping the Prime Minister.
But they quickly made up their minds.
Help? Help with what? Their lives were more important.
If they surrendered now, they might have a slim chance of survival. If they fought a Bodhisattva alongside the Prime Minister, they were dead for sure!
And so, someone was the first to shout, "We are willing to surrender to the Bodhisattva!"
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