Chapter 1425: Wind Blowing Over the Treetops

Normally, an army encountering such a monster would either drive it away or kill it. Why would they deliberately capture it alive and take it with them?

Are the Black Armored Army interested in demon puppets?

Why was it intentionally released at Xiaotao Mountain Villa?

Thinking of this, the Master of Red Abode couldn't help but rub his hands. The boy standing by knew this was a sign of his master's interest.

He had been tracking the whereabouts of the Black Armored Army, but this army was truly elusive, appearing and disappearing like an occasional ghost, leaving no trace. At least his subordinates hadn't found anything. Therefore, chasing after them was futile. He needed to think of other methods.

The Master of Red Abode took out the note again and scrutinized it.

"Hmm, it's just as I thought. This so-called Great Emperor of the Nine Underworlds always lists the crimes and declares the victim deserving of death before killing them. In other words, this person is a showman who takes his act very seriously." The Master of Red Abode smiled. "In that case, I'll go against him."

He then asked the gatekeeper boy, "Have you received any news from Xiao An?"

The boy timidly shook his head.

The Master of Red Abode's face slowly darkened, his smile vanishing. "Her emotional state is becoming more stable."

Xiao An was evading their pursuit for longer and longer periods. At this rate, they might not be able to track her anymore.

In late summer, the cicadas of Panlong Wasteland were still exerting their last bit of energy, buzzing loudly.

When He Lingchuan entered Shumin Academy, the students were laughing and blowing bubbles at the white geese in the small lake. The white geese, with their fluffy yellow goslings, floated happily away from them on the water.

The soapberry trees on Chipa Plateau were already covered in a rich golden hue, two steps ahead of their counterparts elsewhere. From the main gate of Shumin Academy westward, the entire path was bathed in the magnificent golden shade of the trees.

Several instructors were leading the students in hand-rubbing soapberry fruits. The ripe fruits produced an exceptionally rich lather, with cleaning power comparable to soap, making them excellent for washing hands and faces, and they came with a natural fragrance. With such abundant foam, the children used straw reeds to blow bubbles. The colorful bubbles, floating in the sunlight, were the colors of childhood.

Seeing the children's carefree state, He Lingchuan's nerves, tightened by preparations for battle, relaxed. He also understood where the large bottle of hand soap in his residence came from.

He looked around the lake, not seeing any familiar children, so he casually asked one, "Excuse me, where is Instructor Sun?"

Among Shumin Academy's faculty, only Sun Fuling had the surname Sun. When he mentioned Instructor Sun, everyone knew who he meant. After Sun Fuling was reassigned to Panlong City, she was promoted to Dean's Assistant, becoming more than twice as busy as before, and often had to go out on errands.

The boy, missing a front tooth, spoke with a lisp: "Are you Mr. Xin?"

He Lingchuan paused, then realized the boy was asking about "Mr. Xin." "Mr. Xin? Which Mr. Xin?"

A girl emerged from a nearby classroom. She recognized He Lingchuan and ran over quickly, saying, "General He! Instructor Sun is in Lixin Courtyard."

"Alright, thank you!" He Lingchuan straightened up, then suddenly asked, "Who is Mr. Xin? Does he visit often?"

"Mr. Xin is just Mr. Xin. He always comes, more often than you do," the girl said with a smile. "Mr. Xin always brings us candy."

"These little rascals!" He Lingchuan, having no choice, pulled a few candies from his pocket and gave them to her.

The toothless child also extended his hand: "Me too!"

He Lingchuan gave out one candy, and the surrounding children crowded around, all clamoring, "Me too, me too!"

The area suddenly became noisy, making He Lingchuan's ears buzz. The instructors nearby watched him and smiled. By the time he dispersed the children, he had even given away the dried meat he carried for travel.

He strode towards Lixin Courtyard. Just past the verandah, he encountered Instructor Qian.

Instructor Qian, in his early forties, had traveled in the east during his youth. He joined Shumin Academy a year ago, and his flexible teaching methods were highly praised by both teachers and students.

He Lingchuan recognized him and greeted him. Instructor Qian, however, looked stern. He merely nodded at He Lingchuan, said "General He," and then hurried away. He had a bulging travel bag on his back. Was he leaving?

Lixin Courtyard also had several large, lush trees. Whenever He Lingchuan visited before, the cicada chorus from the trees was deafening. To him, the decibels exceeded eighty. The academy used to organize staff to catch cicadas at night, which helped both teachers and students nap, and also added to the dining hall's menu.

But today, Lixin Courtyard was unusually quiet, with only a few cicadas chirping. He Lingchuan walked in and saw several children standing in the courtyard, looking up at the trees, but Sun Fuling was nowhere to be seen.

Where was Instructor Sun? The big Instructor Sun? Could the girl earlier have just made it up to trick him into giving her candy?

However, there was movement from the tree, so He Lingchuan also looked up. The soapberry tree was tall and dense; he hadn't noticed earlier that someone was hidden within its canopy. And who else but Instructor Sun?

A student on the ground called out, "Instructor, my kite!"

"Got it." Sun Fuling hooked a swallow kite from the treetop, pushed aside some branches, and prepared to descend.

She was about four *zhang* (approx. 13 meters) above the ground. He Lingchuan watched, expecting her to simply jump down. An instructor who could climb a tower tens of *zhang* high could certainly descend a soapberry tree several *zhang* high; there was no need for him to reach out and catch her.

As it turned out, Sun Fuling slowly walked down the tree trunk. She actually walked. It was like strolling in a leisurely courtyard, her body at a ninety-degree angle to the trunk, yet seemingly unaffected by gravity. Step by step, very steady. The wind blowing through the treetops made her clothes flutter.

But He Lingchuan knew this walking technique was called "Effortless Ascent," and while it looked slow, it was actually fast. Her movements were as fluid as a willow branch, but this was the result of several months of practice.

Sun Fuling walked step by step to the ground, unhurried. The children clapped loudly, "Instructor, you're amazing!"

He Lingchuan also clapped, loudly, "Instructor, you're quite skilled!"

Emerging from the tree canopy's cover, Sun Fuling finally saw him and gave him a playful glare. "Just showing off a bit."

She turned, handed the kite to the boy, and with a gentle wave of her hand, the children obediently ran off.

He Lingchuan laughed, "I don't know Effortless Ascent either. When will Instructor Sun teach me?"

"You don't?" Sun Fuling blinked. "Then how do you usually jump over walls?"

He Lingchuan rubbed his hands. "Speaking of which, it seems we've never sparred, have we?"

He was growing increasingly curious about Sun Fuling's cultivation level. When he first entered the Panlong world, it was understandable that he couldn't discern Sun Fuling's cultivation; but now he was General Hǔyì, commanding nine thousand troops, yet he still couldn't gauge Instructor Sun's true strength. This shouldn't be the case, should it? He had harbored this question for a long time.

Sun Fuling tilted her head slightly. "You want to fight me?"

Other couples would eat, chat, and do things they shouldn't. This man actually wanted to duel her?