Chapter 1552: Awakening

Shang Shuqing trusted him. She relaxed.

Caught in the powerful current of wind, the tips of her feet slowly left the ground. She began rotating as she rose into the air.

Everyone watched her closely with Dharma Eyes, observing both her condition and everything happening around them. Even Zhao Xiongge and Niu Youdao did not dare relax their vigilance. What they had read in the Demon Canon was only a written record. None of them knew exactly what would happen in reality.

More and more of the ghostly black-feathered crows convulsed violently as though struck by lightning. The black mist that clung stubbornly to their bodies shook and billowed. They jerked their heads forcefully, as if choking awake, while the eerie red lights floating in their eyes flickered wildly.

These Crow Generals in the process of awakening seemed to be interacting with Shang Shuqing, as though each one were sensing her presence. The way they sensed her was through the currents of wind circling around her.

The wind grew stronger and stronger. Shang Shuqing spun faster and faster.

Dizziness seized her. This was beyond the ordinary nausea of being spun around. She had no choice but to close her eyes.

At last the bindings in her hair were flung away. Her long hair spilled loose and whirled around her in the wind.

Throughout the vast underground chamber, flames roared beneath the rushing air. The royal standard on its pole snapped and cracked violently.

Niu Youdao and the others stood within the heart of the whirlwind, their robes whipping wildly. They had to use spiritual power to steady themselves.

The entire vast underground space seemed to have fallen into complete atmospheric chaos.

Suddenly, the eyes of Niu Youdao and the others locked onto Shang Shuqing.

A larger black speck had flown out from her rapidly spinning body and was drifting toward the lone suit of armor beside the fire pit.

A treasured sword had been planted upright to support the armor. Its hilt held up a helmet, and on top of the helmet perched one ghostly black-feathered crow.

Nothing unusual happened.

That crow reacted exactly like all the other Crow Generals.

"Caw..."

A sharp cry suddenly rang through the underground chamber.

Everyone turned toward the sound.

The Crow General that had cried out opened its eyes. Blood-red light shone from them, eerie and demonic. It abruptly spread its wings and took flight.

It had truly awakened.

The crow rose into the air, then exploded into black mist. The mist rushed downward with a roar and gathered rapidly upon the ground where the crow had been perched, condensing into a human form.

A pair of strange, blood-red eyes swept from side to side.

Then sharp caws began erupting one after another, filling the chamber without pause.

Ghostly black-feathered crows rose on beating wings, one after another, then burst apart into black mist. The black fog streamed downward and gathered on the ground, condensing repeatedly into human forms.

Amid the chaotic cries, figure after figure took shape, each surrounded by coils of black mist.

The spectacle was magnificent.

Looking around, Niu Youdao and the others understood.

They had succeeded.

They truly had awakened the Crow Generals.

Shang Shuqing, still spinning in the air, was dizzy to the point of sickness. But this dizziness was different from merely being spun around.

Images kept appearing in her mind, making her head feel as though it might split apart.

They were scenes she had never seen before—faces, one after another, seemingly countless human faces drifting past her eyes. The flood of them made her head ache and left her reeling.

She did not know why it was happening. All she could do was reason dimly that it had to be connected to these Crow Generals.

"Caw..."

The ghostly black-feathered crow beside the fire pit awakened as well.

It burst apart into black mist, but instead of gathering upon the ground, the fog streamed downward and poured directly into the darkened suit of armor below.

The armor swelled upright as though an empty skin had suddenly been filled.

Beneath the helmet appeared a sharply defined face wreathed in faint black mist. A pair of eerie blood-red eyes snapped open.

The figure reached down, drew the treasured sword that had been planted in the ground, and looked around.

He plainly had the bearing of a commander, drawing an extra glance from Niu Youdao and the others.

As one Crow General after another transformed into human shape, dense crowds filled every direction. Countless blood-red eyes shone everywhere, unsettling to behold.

The fierce wind gradually weakened.

Shang Shuqing's rotation slowed, and she began descending gently.

Beneath strands of long hair drifting in the fading wind was a pale, flawless face with closed eyes, delicate enough to shame flowers and eclipse the moon.

The ugly birthmark on her face was gone.

Once the foreign matter had been drawn from her face, the swelling it caused vanished as well. Even the difference in color had previously contributed to the impression of swelling. Now that her complexion was uniform, Shang Shuqing looked utterly unlike the woman she had been before, as far apart as clouds and mud.

If the former Shang Shuqing had been called ugly, the woman before them now looked like a celestial beauty even with her eyes still closed.

Zhao Xiongge gave a slight nod. "As expected, she's been restored."

Lü Wushuang, lying across Yuan Gang's back, raised her head and stared. She could not help clicking her tongue. "People always say the Shang bloodline produces beautiful women. Seeing it today, the reputation is deserved. I never imagined this Commandery Princess's true face would be so beautiful. She really is a beauty who could shame flowers and eclipse the moon..."

Then she lowered her eyes toward Yuan Gang beneath her.

She discovered that Yuan Gang, who was staring fixedly at Shang Shuqing as she slowly descended, had suddenly seized her calf so hard it hurt.

Even more puzzling, she could feel Yuan Gang trembling.

What she could not see was his face.

Shock filled it, and within that shock lay profound disbelief.

He stared fiercely at Shang Shuqing as she slowly rotated and drifted down. Then a murmur escaped his lips like the words of a man dreaming.

"Sister Yu..."

Sister Yu? What Sister Yu?

The others all turned and glanced at him, not understanding what he was talking about.

Only Niu Youdao's jaw had gone rigid.

He too was staring fixedly at the slowly descending woman. Both hands were clasped upside down over the pommel of his sword, his ten fingers locked so tightly they trembled faintly.

Yuan Gang slowly turned his head and looked toward Niu Youdao.

His gaze was complicated.

Shang Shuqing suddenly began descending faster. Yin qi started surging toward her once more, and Yun Ji hurried forward to catch her.

But Niu Youdao moved after Yun Ji and still reached Shang Shuqing first.

He actually knocked Yun Ji aside, swept Shang Shuqing into his arms, and caught her around the waist.

Looking down at the face half-reclining against him, his gaze was unfathomably deep.

Yun Ji stared in astonishment at what he had just done.

Clatter.

A sword fell to the ground.

Everyone looked over and only then realized that in his haste to catch Shang Shuqing, Niu Youdao had even abandoned the sword he had been leaning on.

He raised one hand and gently brushed aside several strands of hair lying across Shang Shuqing's face.

He studied the face carefully.

Carefully.

Her eyelashes trembled. She was still too dizzy to open her eyes properly.

Zhao Xiongge could not help asking, "What's wrong? Is something not right? Did something happen to her?"

Niu Youdao suddenly turned his head.

For an instant, the light that flashed through his eyes was almost frightening. Yet it was also like a lamp being lit amid cold wind and bitter rain in the dead of night.

He told Zhao Xiongge with absolute seriousness, "Nothing will happen to her!"

Yuan Gang's expression as he looked at Niu Youdao was complicated.

Lü Wushuang, having noticed Yuan Gang's earlier abnormal reaction, could also sense that something was wrong.

Shang Shuqing's face was very pale. Her eyelids trembled before she finally managed to open them a little.

She saw Niu Youdao, but dizziness made his image sway before her.

Weakly, she asked, "Master Dao, is it done?"

Niu Youdao immediately lowered his gaze to her, his voice gentle. "It's done. You did very well. How do you feel now?"

The corner of Yun Ji's mouth twitched.

Why did that tone and expression suddenly feel almost nauseating?

Thinking of the Niu Youdao she had known before, she discovered he was no exception. Men really did behave differently once a beautiful woman appeared in front of them.

Shang Shuqing said, "A little dizzy. I have no strength."

Niu Youdao said, "Don't be afraid. You're fine. When the seal opened, some things nourished by your vital essence and blood were drawn out of you. It consumed some of your essence, qi, spirit, and blood vitality. Don't worry. There won't be any problem."

As he spoke, he directly dug a Heavenly Succor Pill from his belt, cracked open the wax shell, then crushed the pill itself.

He took only a tiny pinch of the broken granules, placed them between Shang Shuqing's lips, and used spiritual power to help dissolve the medicine while carefully regulating her qi and blood.

Zhao Xiongge and the others winced at the sight.

Did a little loss of essence, qi, and spirit really require a Heavenly Succor Pill?

Niu Youdao plainly knew an entire Heavenly Succor Pill would be far too nourishing for Shang Shuqing to bear. He used only the tiniest amount and simply wasted the rest.

Lü Wushuang kept glancing between Niu Youdao and Yuan Gang.

She sensed that Yuan Gang's silence now was not his usual silence.

It seemed to reach all the way into his bones.

There even appeared to be a trace of sorrow beneath it.

Before long, under the careful regulation of medicine and spiritual power, Shang Shuqing gradually recovered.

Her eyes slowly opened. The world no longer swayed before her.

Only then did she realize she was actually lying in Master Dao's arms.

Her cheeks instantly turned crimson.

Startled, she hurriedly closed her eyes again.

Her heart was pounding like a frightened deer, but she liked this feeling very much.

All around them, the awakened Crow Generals seemed to have adapted to their new forms.

They also seemed to have noticed the strangers among them.

Shing!

A sword suddenly left its sheath.

The commander-like Crow General beside the fire pit had drawn his blade. He pointed it toward the group, his mouth moving as low, muffled "wu-wu" sounds emerged.

No one could understand what he was saying, but the reprimanding tone was obvious.

Shing! Shing! Shing!

Weapons were drawn throughout the enormous armory.

The vast, densely packed army of Crow Generals raised their weapons. Dimly gleaming blades and points turned toward Niu Youdao and the others from every direction, surrounding them on the spot.

Another Crow General suddenly dissolved into mist and flew upward.

It removed the royal standard from its metal pole. Black mist bore the banner through the air until it floated above and behind the sword-wielding commander.

The royal standard flickered in and out within the black fog.

Two points of red light glowed inside that mist as well.

Hearing the commander's angry rebuke, Shang Shuqing abruptly opened her eyes.

She got to her feet and looked toward the man pointing his sword at them.

Niu Youdao asked, "You should be able to understand him. What is he saying?"

Shang Shuqing turned back in surprise, her expression almost asking, You can't understand him?

She immediately explained, "He's asking who we are and how we dare trespass into their encampment."

Zhao Xiongge said heavily, "Commandery Princess, it's time to announce your identity and take command of this army."

Shang Shuqing looked puzzled.

Niu Youdao leaned closer and said beside her ear, "You only need to shout one thing: 'The Grand General Is Here!'"

Shang Shuqing looked doubtful, as though asking whether that alone would truly be enough.

The sword-wielding commander suddenly gave another angry burst of muffled sounds.

At once, the surrounding Crow General army advanced in disciplined ranks, weapons ready, closing step by step around Niu Youdao and the others.

Niu Youdao smiled and nodded to Shang Shuqing. "Don't worry. They can understand your command."

With the army closing in on every side, Shang Shuqing no longer dared hesitate.

Her clear voice rang out.

"The Grand General Is Here!"

The Crow Generals advancing from every direction froze as though turned to stone.

The sound of marching armor vanished instantly from the entire underground chamber.

In one pair of eerie blood-red eyes after another, the crimson light suddenly flared brighter.

Once the glow in the Crow General commander's eyes settled again, he sheathed his sword.

Step by step, he walked forward.

When he reached Shang Shuqing, he suddenly dropped to one knee and cupped his hands.

"This subordinate general, Long Bao, pays respects to the Grand General!"

With a crashing wave of armor, the entire Crow General army dropped to one knee around them, each warrior bracing a weapon as they shouted in unison:

"We pay respects to the Grand General!"

The force of the cry surged through the chamber like a vast breaking wave.

To Niu Youdao and the others, however, all that reached their ears was an incomprehensible chorus of muffled sounds. They could not understand a word these Crow Generals were saying.

[End of Chapter 1552]