Shen Muqing was sent down the mountain on the mission to vanquish demons. Before long, he became a name feared by all monsters and revered by the people, hailed as a savior. Soon, he was famous throughout the land.
The demons in the mortal realm were nearly wiped out. All that remained was to find the second half of the Sword Heart. Once united, he could defeat the Demon King and seal the Demon Realm forever. But the other half of the Sword Heart remained elusive. And then there was one more person—Su Zhiwei.
He had killed many, and Shen Muqing was determined to capture him. But he was as slippery as an eel, always evading him.
This time, he vowed not to give up. After three days and nights of relentless pursuit, he finally caught up to him.
During the fight, he tore off his veil—and was stunned.
Su Zhiwei was a woman. A woman so beautiful, it was as if time stood still. For the first time, Shen Muqing felt his heart stir for a woman.
But he quickly snapped back to reality. He recalled his grandmaster’s words: Never let yourself be deceived by a woman.
Su Zhiwei looked him in the eye.
“Shen Muqing, why do you hunt me so relentlessly?”
“What a joke! You’re from the Demon Realm. You’ve taken countless lives. As the heir of Fei Mei Mountain, it’s my duty to slay evil and banish darkness!”
With that, Shen Muqing drew his Fei Mei Sword.
Blades clashed as they fought, but Su Zhiwei gradually began to falter. With a flick of her sleeve, she released a veil of smoke and vanished into it.
He chased her to a small village. There, an old woman was sweeping the courtyard.
“Granny,” he asked, “have you seen a woman named Su Zhiwei?”
“No.”
“Don’t lie to me. I know she’s hiding here. You may deceive ordinary folk, but not me. Do you realize she’s from the Demon Realm? If you protect her, she’ll only bring harm upon you later!”
“And do you know,” the old woman replied calmly, “that those she killed were tyrants and villains, the worst kind of men?”
Before she could finish, another voice chimed in,
“Yeah! Without her help, I wouldn’t have had the money to cure my illness.”
Shen Muqing turned around to see the villagers gathering.
“Demon or not, we only know one thing—she’s a good person!”
The whole village began to speak up for Su Zhiwei, voices overlapping. Shen Muqing was dumbfounded.
To avoid hurting innocents, he withdrew from the village.
The next day, he resumed his pursuit.
At the edge of the village, a group of children were playing. Two small demons crept up quietly, reaching out their hands…
Just as the children were about to be attacked, Shen Muqing leapt forward and killed one of the demons with a single stroke.
The other demon grabbed a child.
“Shen Muqing! Take another step and I’ll break his neck!”
But before he could finish, the demon dropped to the ground.
A sword had pierced him from behind.
It was Su Zhiwei.
She gave Shen Muqing a glance, then turned and ran.
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