Instantly casting a spell reflects a cultivator’s profound mastery of Daoist techniques. Such spells consume only a small amount of internal true essence. In contrast, spells cast using talismans require expensive materials and intricate craftsmanship. Drawing a single talisman is no easy feat, often fraught with failure, which renders the materials wasted.


    For someone like Qin Yun, who cannot draw talismans, they must find ways to acquire them.


    Using a talisman, simply put, is akin to throwing money away. A basic talisman costs a hundred taels of silver per use, while a more potent one could cost a thousand taels. Who wouldn’t feel the pinch? How long could anyone endure such expenses? This is why reusable “amulets” are so highly valued; when properly nurtured, they can last a lifetime. However, their price is astronomical. Qin Yun only had a low-tier pair of movement speed amulets.


    “She’s casting a Daoist spell, starting to summon the wind. This is merely the prelude,” the White Tiger Great Demon thought, unwilling to waste time. He lunged toward Yi Xiao with a single stride, swinging his axe furiously. However, Qin Yun intercepted the axe with his sword, swiftly countering with a thrust aimed at the demon’s vital area. The move startled the White Tiger Great Demon into a hurried defense.


    “This sword immortal is too agile, and the artifact in his hand is far too powerful. He’s completely blocking me—I can’t stop that girl from completing her spell,” the White Tiger Great Demon realized.


    As for using the Wind Thunder Stone?


    In the heat of battle with Qin Yun, he had no spare focus to control the stone effectively. Its power would be significantly diminished and would pose no threat to Yi Xiao.


    “Minions!” the White Tiger Great Demon bellowed, “All of you, come here and kill that female cultivator for me!”


    Unable to free himself to deal with Yi Xiao, he called on the nearly hundred demon soldiers nearby. Daoist practitioners are often weak in close combat; three to five demons in close quarters could disrupt her casting, even if they couldn’t kill her.


    “Yes, White Tiger King!”


    “Kill the female cultivator!”


    The demons immediately abandoned their assault on Jia Huairen and his servant, rushing toward Yi Xiao.


    Moments earlier, the battlefield at Misty Lake Gorge had two fronts. On one side, the White Tiger Great Demon, brimming with confidence, swung his axe at Qin Yun, who directly engaged him. On the other, over a hundred demons surrounded and charged at Jia Huairen and his loyal servant.


    “Run!”


    The old servant Qian Shu darted forward, steadily closing the distance to Jia Huairen.


    “You think you can escape?” Several demons leapt down from the mountaintop, intercepting them from above.


    “Those who block my path will die!” Qian Shu roared menacingly. In a flash, he reached one demon, plunging his claw into its skull, killing it instantly.


    “Be careful!” the other demons cried out in alarm.


    Despite his severe injuries, Qian Shu moved with terrifying agility. His relentless attacks frightened the demons into retreating, though not before he tore out another demon’s heart.


    The surrounding demons kept their distance, forming a circle around him without retreating further.


    “I know you—you’re that old dog from Yougao County! You’re heavily injured and still want to fight us?”


    “You think you can protect that human?”


    “You can’t. You’ll both die today.”If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    As more demons gathered, their numbers grew from several to over ten and continued to rise. The demons recognized Qian Shu as a formidable dog demon, stronger than any of the nineteen lieutenants under the local Water God. Despite his injuries, his reputation as a loyal servant of the Jia family in Yougao County was well known.


    Yet the demons also saw his dire condition. After all, he had suffered a blow from a powerful artifact controlled by the White Tiger Great Demon—a force of immense destruction.


    “Get back! Even if I die, I’ll take you down with me. Come if you dare!” Qian Shu roared, launching a ferocious counterattack.


    Because he knew very well:


    He had to fight.


    Rip! Old Servant Qian Shu tore open the chest of a demon with a single claw, leaving a deep, gaping wound.


    Crunch. With a bite, he snapped the neck of another demon.


    "This time, I''m going to die. But Huairen must survive. He must!" Old Servant Qian Shu went completely berserk.


    "This old dog has gone mad!"


    "Attack him together!"


    "Surround him and kill him!"


    The surrounding demons, who had initially planned to wait until enough of their kind had gathered to ensure an overwhelming advantage, could no longer hold back. If they didn’t attack, Old Servant Qian Shu would continue slaughtering them!


    "Charge!"


    "Kill him!" The demons launched a frenzied assault.


    "Come on, come on! If you come, you’ll die!" Old Servant Qian Shu flashed in and out like a phantom, his speed astonishing. Speed was his greatest strength. Each time he moved, his sharp claws either ripped deep wounds into the demons or struck fatal blows to their vital points. Occasionally, he even bit them to death.


    Despite being swarmed, the demons’ attacks continued to land on Old Servant Qian Shu. Even after being struck by the Wind-Thunder Stone earlier, he retained incredible strength. His body was extremely resilient, comparable to that of the powerful demon Chuyong. The demons’ attacks kept adding wounds to his body, but they were far from enough to bring him down.


    Roar! A lizard demon bit into Old Servant Qian Shu''s thigh.


    Old Servant Qian Shu spun around and thrust a claw into the lizard demon’s neck. With a vicious yank, he tore its head off! But a large chunk of flesh had already been torn from his leg, severely slowing him down.


    Boom! A bear demon struck the now-slower Qian Shu with a powerful slap, sending him flying. Blood spurted from his mouth, but even as he tumbled in mid-air, he flipped and used his claw to kill another demon that tried to ambush him.


    "This old dog is finished."


    "He''s slowing down."


    The demons became even angrier. In just a short time, over a dozen of their kind had fallen to his counterattacks.


    Old Servant Qian Shu, however, grew even more crazed. The fur on his head stood on end, and his bloodshot eyes burned with madness. Any demon that dared approach Jia Huairen was met with his ferocious counterattacks.


    A large chunk of flesh had been torn from his leg?


    Move! Move faster!


    Driven by sheer willpower, Old Servant Qian Shu somehow managed to maintain seventy to eighty percent of his peak speed.


    Yet—


    The number of demons gathering continued to grow, and Old Servant Qian Shu’s injuries worsened. As his strength declined and their numbers increased, despair began to creep into his heart.


    "No, no. Even if I die, Huairen must survive!" Images from the past flashed through Old Servant Qian Shu’s mind.


    -------


    “Qian Bao, come hold him.” An elderly man handed a swaddled infant to Qian Shu.


    Taking the baby, Qian Shu’s weathered hands trembled as he gently touched the infant’s chubby cheek.


    “What will you name him, Master?” Qian Shu asked.


    “I’m just a poor scholar, Qian Bao. Without your help, I wouldn’t have been able to establish a family. Now, in my old age, I’ve been blessed with this child.” The old man gazed lovingly at the baby. “I can’t care for him for long. I only hope he grows up to uphold righteousness and bring honor to the Jia family. Let’s name him Huairen.”


    “Huairen? A name of great virtue,” Qian Shu repeated, beaming with joy.


    “Father...”


    A child knelt by a deathly pale old man lying on his bed. The old man weakly turned to Qian Shu. “Qian Bao, I entrust Huairen to you. There’s no one else I can rely on. Promise me you’ll take care of him.”


    “I will, Master. I swear to take care of him,” Qian Shu vowed, tears streaming down his face.


    Even after Jia Huairen grew older and became harder to control, Qian Shu did everything he could—arranging private tutors, procuring cultivation manuals, and even securing him a place in a sect. Though it was a third-rate sect, it was the best Qian Shu could manage.


    “Pfft!” A scorpion tail pierced Qian Shu’s abdomen, leaving a gaping wound. Poison seeped into his body, but with one furious swipe, he ripped off the scorpion demon’s tail, killing it instantly.


    He stood amidst thirty demons who circled him, each looking for an opening to strike. They all knew: the old dog was on the verge of collapse.


    Just then, a commanding roar echoed through the gorge:


    “Minions! All of you, come kill that female cultivator!”


    At the White Tiger Great Demon’s order, the surrounding demons ceased their attack on Qian Shu and retreated in waves toward Yi Xiao.


    Qian Shu stood motionless, his mind reeling. Slowly, he staggered to the top of the cliff, collapsing against a boulder.


    From this vantage point, he could see Jia Huairen’s figure growing smaller and smaller as he fled into the distant forest.


    “Huairen… you’ve made it out alive,” Qian Shu muttered, a faint smile spreading across his face as he quietly awaited the end.