Immortal Paladin

We had left New Willow at first light, the horizon painted gold as the city shrank behind us. Alice rode atop her bicorn, soaring gracefully through the clouds like some knight from an old fable, while I, on the other hand, was… riding my sister. Yeah, it was probably big brother privilege, but that didn’t make it sound any less wrong in my head. My twin sister had been reluctant at first, glaring at me with those fiery fox eyes, but with some coaxing she allowed me to mount her fox-form for long stretches of the journey. Ahem. Somehow, all of that sounded terrible if phrased the wrong way.

Da Ji had transformed into her fox-form, miniaturized to match the size of Alice’s bicorn, her nine tails tucked neatly like silk banners swaying with each step. For this expedition, I brought my Asura Soul; without my souls, I wasn’t really that strong. As “soulless,” I could still use quintessence, qi, and even mana, but my skills lacked that certain oomph. Worse, I was cut off from the power of faith. To say I felt handicapped was putting it lightly.

Then came a sudden tug at my Hell Soul. My consciousness flared, my mouth blurting, “Motherfucker.”

Da Ji instantly twisted her fox head back at me, ears twitching. “Who fucked mother now?”

I groaned. “Not that kind. The Night Blades finally found Gu Jie… or more like Gu Jie found them.” I rubbed my temple, trying to contain the tension. “I did give them standing orders to prioritize searching for Lu Gao and Yuen Fu, but apparently, fate had other ideas.”

Alice reined her bicorn closer, brows furrowed. “Should we stop?”

I shook my head. “It’s fine. I’ll handle it.” Closing my eyes, I immersed myself into the depths of my Hell Soul. The pull grew stronger until Ye Yong’s consciousness bled into mine. Her memories, her life, and her unwavering devotion all rushed through me in a torrent. When I opened my eyes, I wasn’t Da Wei anymore. I was Ye Yong.

Gu Jie stood before me, just as I remembered her, clad in her dark robes embroidered with red serpents. Her smile held warmth despite the years. “It’s been some time, father. How are you doing?”

I answered without hesitation, “Plenty fine, my daughter. Give me a hug.”

She embraced me, firm and certain, and for a fleeting moment the world felt whole. That was when the sound of slurping interrupted us. I glanced past Gu Jie and froze. Ru Qiu sat there, noodles dangling from his chopsticks.

I frowned, my lips twitching. “Uh… are my eyes playing tricks on me, or is that the Heavenly Demon?”

Gu Jie exhaled, already anticipating the storm. “It’s complicated.”

With a casual flick, Ru Qiu vanished the noodles as though they had never existed. His gaze swept over me, sharp and predatory, before he murmured, “Interesting.”

Every muscle in my borrowed body went taut. I knew I wasn’t going to compete with the Heavenly Demon like this with just my Hell Soul lodged in Ye Yong’s body. Memories of our first encounter on the False Earth resurfaced, the time he nearly butchered my Guardians. I recalled our brief alliance against the Supreme Void, the razor-thin line that had kept us alive. My brow twitched. If Ru Qiu was here, did that mean other Ancient Souls might have slipped into the Hollowed World as well? Heaven forbid the Dark Witch lurked nearby. If she was, my loved ones were toast, because that bitch was one nasty snake.

Ru Qiu circled me like a predator, inspecting me with a curious gleam. Finally, he stopped, lips curling into a cold smile. “Give your daughter to me.”

“Excuse me?” was what I thought, but what actually came out of my mouth was, “Fuck you.”

Gu Jie immediately stepped between us, her voice firm and desperate. “Please… no fighting.”

“No, you can’t have my daughter!” I roared, my voice echoing off the cramped room’s walls.

Ru Qiu tilted his head, that infuriatingly calm smile tugging at his lips. “I will show her a good time, let her walk the highest peaks, and bask in the pleasure of reaching the glorious summit of—”

“Fuck you!” I snapped, cutting him off before he could finish. “No way in hell! Fuck you and fuck you more, you bastard!”

Before I could throw the first punch, Gu Jie rushed between us, spreading her arms wide. Her eyes were firm as she blocked my way. “Father, please! Can you let me explain? Ru Qiu doesn’t know what he’s saying.”

My breath came heavy, teeth grinding. Was this it? The day my daughter finally chose to stand against me? My chest tightened at the thought. She wasn’t a naive girl anymore, but hearing her defend that demon of all people felt like a blade driven into my ribs.

I exhaled through my nose, fighting the urge to rip Ru Qiu apart then and there. My gaze lingered on Gu Jie, finally speaking again, quieter this time, “Ru Qiu lost his memories. He might act differently from what you remember, father.”

My reaction to her words was simple and blunt. “So what?” I said, staring at Gu Jie as if she’d just lost her mind.

But she didn’t flinch. Instead, she straightened her back, her voice taking on a firmness I rarely heard from her. “Father, everyone deserves a chance at redemption. Maybe it’s not a coincidence he ended up like this. Perhaps fate gave him a chance to become a better person.”

From behind her, Ru Qiu gave a smug chuckle and spread his arms wide, as if inviting worship. “Better? But I am already perfect.”

Gu Jie whipped her head toward him and hissed, “Shut up.”

I rubbed my face, feeling a vein in my temple throb. “Tell me honestly, girl… do you like this demon? Did he brainwash you?”

“No!” Gu Jie cried out, shaking her head with almost desperate vigor. Her voice softened as she continued, “I just think it’s destiny for me to meet him like this. The fate of the Heavenly Demon has come to a full circle, and maybe I was meant to be part of that.”

Ru Qiu folded his arms, eyes narrowing in amusement as he leaned slightly toward her. “It seems I don’t need permission to claim you after all. To think, a talented cook like you being left alone would truly be a waste.”

My patience was dangling by a thread, each word he spoke dragging me closer to snapping. Still, I swallowed down the fury, forcing my fists open and shut at my sides.

Gu Jie, however, didn’t stop. Her eyes glistened with resolve as she went on, “My life was twisted by the ideals of the Heavenly Demon. His legacy inspired demons who formed the Demonic Cult, and they ruined so much of what makes me… me. But now I am here, standing before the source of it all, and I choose to face it differently. I want to confront it with an open heart, by understanding it the same way you would, father.”

Her words hit me harder than any punch Ru Qiu could throw. I stood there, staring at her, and my chest tightened. Damn it all. When did she start talking like this? When did she become someone who could look past her hatred and speak of destiny as if it were hers to command? I remembered the first time we met, when she was just a dirty bandit who thought robbing me was a good idea. She had come so far since then, far more than I expected, maybe even farther than I deserved.

I drew in a slow breath, still frowning, letting my pride simmer in silence. Then something strange tickled my nose. The air had shifted. My head snapped slightly as I sniffed again.

“Do you smell that?” I asked, my tone sharp.

Ru Qiu sniffed once, then smirked as if the world was amusing him and only him. “It’s sulfur.”

“Demons,” I growled, already lifting my hand. Silver light rippled outward as I cast Shield of Faith, enveloping Gu Jie, Ye Yong, and the rest of the Night Blades. Ru Qiu could handle himself, so I didn’t bother covering him.

The ceiling cracked as a rain of black spears descended, each shaft woven from strands of coarse hair. They slammed into the shimmering silver barrier, bouncing away with sparks of holy light. One spear angled toward Ru Qiu, the tip ignited with black fire, reversed its course, and streaked upward to consume the attacker. A shriek tore through the rafters, the hair demon burning alive somewhere above.

Gu Jie’s voice cut in, calm yet urgent. “We are surrounded. Roach demon by the door, bat demon by the window, and water demon at the back.”

Even before she finished, the door burst open. A silhouette made of cockroaches poured through like a tide, thousands of clicking legs swarming into the shape of a man. Ru Qiu gave it a single glance, and the thing erupted into flames, reduced to smoldering ash before its scream fully formed.

The walls exploded in a spray of water as another demon surged forth, leaping toward one of the Night Blades. I invoked Castling, swapping places with the Night Blade in an instant. My palm lit up as I channeled Exorcise and overlaid it with Thunderous Smite, driving my strike straight into the demon’s chest. A blast of holy thunder consumed it, scattering its watery form into vapor.

From outside came the frantic beating of wings. The bat demon, realizing it couldn’t win, tried to flee. “Not on my watch,” I muttered, stepping forward with a burst of Flash Step, then chaining it into Zealot’s Stride. The world blurred, and in an instant I was upon it, seizing its body midair. My fist burned with Searing Smite, layered with Exorcise, and the demon’s flesh tore apart under holy fire. It burst into ash, scattered by the winds.

The bystanders below screamed at the sight, pointing up at me with terror in their eyes before scattering like frightened birds. It didn’t matter. Their panic was secondary. What mattered was finishing this. I landed lightly back in the inn, where the Night Blades had already donned their dark robes, veiling their faces in preparation to vanish.

These weren’t ordinary demons. My mind turned grim as I examined the ashes left behind. No dantian, no signs of cultivation… just raw, foul essence. Transcendent-class demons, true hellspawn. It’s unfair how easily the Great Enemy forces its way into the Hollowed World. We never asked for them, but they came anyway, again and again.

These things weren’t here by chance. They had been sent for the Night Blades. Ye Yong’s hand had grown too bold in demon hunting, and my Hell Soul hadn’t exactly been subtle either. Our crusade in the last city painted a target on their backs.

“Damn it.”

I turned to Gu Jie, meeting her gaze. “You need to return to New Willow. They’ll need your guidance there.” Then my eyes swept over the Night Blades. “Erase your traces, leave this city immediately, and make haste with your mission. The enemy is already onto you.”

Gu Jie’s lips trembled, the slightest hint of reluctance in her expression. “Father, I…”

I raised a hand, cutting myself short before the words grew heavy. “I’d like to extend this reunion as much as I could—”

She stepped in, finishing it for me, her voice soft but resolute. “—but there is good work to be done. I understand, father.”

I nodded, swallowing down the ache in my chest. “Ru Qiu is now your responsibility. Stay safe.”

The Heavenly Demon opened his mouth, a grin twisting his features as if he had a dozen arrogant things to say. I didn’t give him the chance. My connection snapped as I canceled the immersion with my Hell Soul, withdrawing from Ye Yong’s body. The world of Gu Jie and Ru Qiu faded, leaving me once more in the sky with Da Ji and Alice.

The moment I pulled back from Ye Yong’s body, the inn faded and I was once more soaring through the sky. The cold wind rushed against my face, carrying the faint scent of smoke. Da Ji’s fur rippled beneath me as she beat her tails like wings, keeping pace with Alice’s bicorn.

Alice glanced at me, her silver hair trailing behind her, eyes sharp. “How did it go?”

“Not bad,” I answered, my voice heavier than I intended. “Just that there are enemies everywhere.”

In the distance, a plume of black smoke rose against the horizon. The shape of a burning village came into view, its houses reduced to husks, flames dancing where lives once thrived. I let out a long sigh, the weight of it pressing on my chest.

Alice’s lips tightened. She was the voice of reason as always. “We should ignore it. Our path is clear, and we can’t save every village in danger that we pass by.” She said the words with practiced calm, but her eyes betrayed her. She knew me too well to believe I’d ever fly past suffering.

I straightened, patting Da Ji’s side as I gave the order. “Let’s go.” My tone left no room for argument.

Da Ji surged forward, Alice’s bicorn matching her stride as we descended toward the smoke.

The closer we flew, the clearer the chaos became. Screams tore through the smoke, and shadows ran wild in the streets. Bandits, a rabble, poorly armed, but cruel enough to set homes aflame while villagers scrambled to douse them with buckets of water. My jaw tightened.

We descended like falling stars. Da Ji shrank mid-air, twisting back into her human form before she landed beside me, fox ears twitching, eyes narrowed. Alice dismounted her bicorn, not bothering to use her spells. The bandits froze for a heartbeat, seeing us emerge from the smoke, then roared as if emboldened.

I didn’t bother drawing a weapon. These were Martial Tempering riffraff, brutes puffed up on weak cultivation and cruelty. One charged me with a rusty blade. I flicked my palm against his chest. It was a tap, no more, and he crumpled like a sack of grain, unconscious before he hit the dirt.

Another tried to ambush me from behind. Without turning, I lashed out with a casual backhand. The man spun twice in the air before collapsing, snoring on the ground.

Alice danced among them, her strikes precise and measured. She merely tripped them around, and she was careful too. Da Ji laughed, half amused, half scornful, and with a snap of her tails she knocked three men rolling into each other like dice scattered across a table.

The villagers stared wide-eyed as one after another the bandits fell, not dead, not bleeding, simply knocked senseless. Within minutes, the flames were dying under the villagers’ frantic efforts, the raiders sprawled across the ground in unconscious heaps.

I dusted my hands, letting out a short breath. “This rabble isn’t even worth the swing of a sword.”

Alice shot me a look but said nothing. Da Ji smirked and muttered as she transformed into her fox form once more, “You always did like playing the merciful hero.”

There was no time for thanks or speeches. I turned to the headman, who had just stumbled forward with soot on his face. “The danger’s passed. Keep your people together and rebuild. Don’t linger on fear… just live.”

Before he could reply, I vaulted back onto Da Ji’s back. Alice remounted her bicorn, and together we rose into the air again, leaving the grateful shouts fading behind us.

We had spared lives, scattered bandits, and bought the village time. That was enough. Our journey was long, and the road to the Empire waited.