Feng Xi not only listened with great interest, she even used a Recording Stone to record everything in full.
Only when Shi Wuhen really had nothing left to say did Feng Xi have someone escort him away.
Then she continued interrogating the others.
The routine was almost the same every time, first exhaust the opponent's demonic qi, then ask for gossip.
Later on, Elder Duanmu stopped listening altogether, because it's simply unbearable to listen to any longer!
Things like how the young clan head of the Reckless Demon Clan was directionally challenged, or how the Shadow Demon Clan's matriarch had once been Blood Tiance's first love, what kind of messy nonsense was all this?!
He simply closed his eyes and began meditating, choosing peace by not listening.
Anyway, with Jun Wen here, Feng Xi wouldn't be in any danger.
Just as Feng Xi was having the time of her life, someone reported that City Lord Hu had arrived.
City Lord Hu first went to Hunyuan Sect's garrisoned Zone Jia, then made courtesy visits to Zone Yi and Zone Bing, and only then arrived at Zone Ding.
When City Lord Hu saw Feng Xi, he was even more affectionate than if he was seeing his own biological daughter, calling her "Xiao Xi" over and over, making Elder Duanmu's teeth ache from jealousy.
Feng Xi handed over the demon captives and corpses to City Lord Hu, and even deliberately mentioned, "Uncle Hu, Shi Wuhen may still be useful in the future. Don't kill him."
City Lord Hu readily agreed.
There were roughly three ways to handle demon captives:
First, those with high status were kept to negotiate terms with the demons.
Second, those with some use were sent to do hard labor, difficult but not fatal.
Third, those with no use were sent to extremely dangerous or highly intensive labor, and very few could survive more than three months.
Shi Wuhen should originally have fallen into the third category, but thanks to Feng Xi's plea, he was moved into the second.
Feng Xi then gave the two hundred thousand spirit stones she had taken from Hunyuan Sect to City Lord Hu, letting him decide how to distribute them.
City Lord Hu sighed repeatedly at how properly Feng Xi, this little girl, handled matters.
As for the demonic storage rings that had mysteriously vanished from the demon captives, he chose to selectively ignore that detail.
After returning to An Ding City, City Lord Hu quickly drafted a battle report.
"Last night, the demon clan launched a surprise attack on Zone Jia of the boundary region guarded by Hunyuan Sect. The battle situation was extremely intense, and our human race was once at a disadvantage.
At the critical moment, Feng Xi, a personal disciple of Xuantian Sect responsible for guarding Zone Ding, led city troops for reinforcement. Wan Jian Sect and Beast-Taming Sect also provided timely support.
In the end, our human race achieved a great victory. Apart from one demon who escaped, all other demons were either captured or annihilated.
In this battle, Feng Xi, a personal disciple of Xuantian Sect, performed exceptionally. Not only did she lead city troops in timely reinforcement, she also displayed extraordinary bravery in combat!
Wherever demons appeared, she appeared. She pressed forward fearlessly and fought without regard for her own life!
She can truly be called a role model for the human race!
In addition, Jun Wen of Xuantian Sect, Ling Qianting and Liu Shaobai of Wan Jian Sect, and Qin Shifeng and Xing Wu of Beast-Taming Sect also performed extremely well.
With such pillars of support, this is truly a blessing for the human race, a fortune for the human race…"
Only at the very end of the report did City Lord Hu mention why he had reinforced Zone Ding with city troops, modestly and restrainedly stating his own foresight.
This battle report quickly reached the hands of the four sect masters.
Xiao Baidao's first reaction upon seeing the report wasn't joy, but heartache.
Xiao Xi must've fought so desperately to bring honor to Xuantian Sect and to him as her master.
My poor disciple!
So young, yet already so sensible, how could that not break one's heart?!
Then came pride! Immense pride!
As expected of being Xiao Baidao's disciple, courageous, resourceful, bold, and strategic. Calling her a role model of the human race in the report wasn't an exaggeration at all!
Although the sect masters of Wan Jian Sect and Beast-Taming Sect felt a bit sour, seeing their own disciples mentioned in the report was still somewhat comforting.
Only Baili Muchen searched and searched, and found only the word "etc." in the report.
Baili Muchen: "..."
So my two precious disciples aren't even worthy of having their names written out?
Still, he couldn't really flare up. Strictly speaking, Elder Lu and his people had indeed been negligent. The fact that the report didn't mention this was already saving Hunyuan Sect a great deal of shame.
According to custom, after the four sect masters issued their approvals, the battle report was announced across the entire Northern Region.
As the report was posted throughout streets and alleys, Feng Xi's name resounded across the Northern Region continent!
Courageous and resourceful, loyal and righteous!
A role model among personal disciples, a paragon of the human race!
After reading the report, Shen Zhilan bit her lip until it bled.
She had personally requested to come to the boundary region precisely to make a name for herself.
Whether it was her top-grade water spiritual root talent or her heroic performance in battle, both should've been enough to spread her fame throughout the Northern Region of the cultivation world.
Yet her name didn't appear even once in the report!
Meanwhile, that waste Feng Xi was lavishly praised!
Fearless and indomitable?
All of that was just for show!
She even shamelessly diverted trouble onto others!
And she deserved to be called a role model of the human race?
Shen Zhilan's expression gradually turned ferocious, but when she saw Mu Zihuai approaching from afar, she immediately switched to a self-blaming look.
"Eldest Senior Brother, do you think I'm useless?"
Mu Zihuai glanced at the battle report in her hands and sneered, "Feng Xi just got lucky, that's all!
It just so happened that City Lord Hu reinforced Zone Ding with city troops, and she merely benefited from it!
Junior Sister, there's no need to compare yourself with her. You're a top-grade water spiritual root genius, she's destined to only look up to you!"
Shen Zhilan shook her head, "Eldest Senior Brother, I'm not comparing myself to her. I just feel like I could've done better.
Will you accompany me to practice swordsmanship? There are a few moves I still can't comprehend, and it would be good for you to help clear my doubts."
"Alright! Anything you want to do, Eldest Senior Brother will accompany you."
Mu Zihuai said with a smile, affection flowing in his eyes.
Shen Zhilan pretended not to notice and instead turned the conversation to sword practice.
Over the next few days, things remained calm. The demon race made no moves, but the human side dared not relax in the slightest.
Feng Xi spent most of her time cultivating and practicing swordsmanship. Seeing her work so hard, Jun Wen forced himself to become diligent as well.
Elder Duanmu was very gratified and would occasionally take time to give them some guidance.
On this day, Feng Xi was practicing swordsmanship with Jun Wen when she suddenly began bleeding from all seven orifices, let out a choking sound, and fainted.
Jun Wen nearly died of fright!
By heaven's conscience, his flying sword hadn't even touched a single strand of his little junior sister's hair!
Isn't this outright framing him?!
Fortunately, Feng Xi woke up in the blink of an eye.
She said with a look of enjoyment, "Fifth Senior Brother, I haven't experienced such a captivating feeling in a long time!"
Jun Wen: "..."
No wonder those demons called you a pervert, you really are a pervert!
This was the first time he'd ever heard someone describe bleeding from all seven orifices as captivating!
What Jun Wen didn't know was that what Feng Xi found captivating wasn't the bleeding at all, but the fact that a jade slip inside her sea of consciousness had lit up!
After seeing the contents of the jade slip, Feng Xi was absolutely overjoyed.