Chapter 133: The Spring Palace Corrector—The Sword Child’s Song

This is the "Song of the Sword" by the "Ghost Poet" Li He!

This poem is a renowned work about swords, not only in Li He’s repertoire but in the entire history of Chinese poetry. The opening two lines immediately establish the theme, cleverly employing the allusion of "slaying the dragon child in the Wu pool" to vividly describe the sharpness of the sword in his hand.

Song Mu had transcribed this specific couplet onto his scholar's paper. As he recited the lines, he poured his literary power into the sword with fierce intensity, activating the verse in a single breath.

Suddenly, a swirling, misty aura manifested around the blade. As Song Mu raised the sword, the sound of rushing wind filled his ears.

A dark shadow, striking from an unknown direction, collided head-on with the edge of Song Mu's blade. While his companions were still shouting warnings, Song Mu had already delivered his first strike.

The shadow’s sharp claws and fangs lunged from the side, clashing with the sword in a flash of sparks. The metallic ring of the impact echoed sharply, followed by a piercing shriek as the shadow recoiled.

Song Mu retreated several steps. As he regained his focus, he saw another black monkey, though this one was more slender than the previous monkey king. It was clearly the mate of the king. With fangs bared and claws extended, its crimson eyes glared at Song Mu and his party with nothing but brutality and endless murderous intent.

"Song Mu, are you alright?" Xiao Xiong shouted from nearby. Song Mu shook his head, signaling he was unharmed.

However, this mishap made the group even more cautious. The monkey king shrieked and leaped away to join the female. Both demon generals stood with surging demonic aura, their eyes scanning the humans.

"To think there are two demon generals here! It seems the official was right; there is truly something strange about this mountain!" Fu Zefeng remarked, his eyes filled with wariness. Seeing the two monkeys preparing to flee, he shouted, "Don't let them escape!"

With that, several scholars charged forward with their swords, once again surrounding the demon generals in a formation. A fierce battle erupted.

This time, however, the two monkeys had no desire to fight; they were solely focused on escaping. The group continuously unleashed poetry to suppress and block the two demon generals, dragging out their movements step by step.

Song Mu was not idle. After using the first poem, he quickly drew upon another.

"The momentum draws the long clouds wide, the waves are light as lotus petals of snow."

Song Mu did not hesitate to unleash this verse from Zhang Ji’s "Water." The next moment, ripples appeared in the air, surging toward the creatures. Song Mu’s movements were swift, and the two demon monkeys, caught off guard, were struck by the ethereal waves.

"Well done!"

Fu Zefeng cheered. The weapons in the hands of the others suddenly shone with brilliant light, and they surged toward the two demon generals.

The two demon generals shrieked repeatedly; clearly, under the combined assault of five or six scholars, they had lost their formidable edge. Song Mu considered joining the fray, but at that moment, the monkey king let out a ferocious roar, and an immense amount of demonic aura began to erupt from its body.

The aura became visible to the naked eye, expanding rapidly in all directions. The group hurriedly channeled their literary power to shield themselves, but the next moment, their eyes widened in shock.

The demonic aura on the monkeys began to change from a dull earthy yellow. In mere moments, it transformed. A thick, dark black began to rise within the yellow, devouring it until the aura surrounding the monkeys was entirely pitch black.

But it did not end there. Another shriek, even more shrill than the last, pierced the air, and black demonic energy erupted from the female monkey as well. The two streams of energy merged in an instant.

"Fall back! This... this is not mere demonic energy!" Xiao Xiong warned, his expression shifting rapidly as an iron staff appeared in his hand.

"Is this... demonic possession?" Xiao Xiong observed the situation, his face filled with horror. Hearing this, the others felt a chill run down their spines.

In this world, humans and demons had been at war for ages, but nothing was more feared than the "demonic." They appeared from nowhere—they could be human or demon—and once possessed, they knew only slaughter. They could massacre all living things, bringing endless destruction to the Divine Land.

No one had expected to encounter such a thing here, let alone two demon generals falling into demonic possession simultaneously.

"What is happening?" Xue Kaiwen asked from nearby. Song Mu, brow furrowed, retreated quickly.

This was his second time witnessing demonic possession. The first time, in Shiyang County, it was a human. But this time, in the wilderness, he was seeing demons succumb to it. And the scale of this demonic power seemed even more potent.

"These two demon generals have been corrupted! Strike quickly! Do not let them complete the process, and do not let them leave this place!" Xiao Xiong was the first to react and attack. Abandoning the idea of a trial, he swung his glowing iron staff at the demon generals.

The others followed suit, unleashing their most powerful verses in rapid succession. Song Mu also chose to strike, casting several poems from his tablet.

However, the situation within the black aura was changing. The two demon generals seemed to have completed their transformation, and the black aura slowly began to retract.

Song Mu gasped at the sight. The two monkeys were now unrecognizable. Large, black bone spurs had sprouted from their bodies, and their forms had swelled significantly, no longer the lean creatures they once were.

A thick, foul breath exhaled from their mouths, and the menacing presence made everyone’s hearts tremble.

The group continued their attack, but the monkey king roared and suddenly vanished.

"Watch out!" Xiao Xiong warned. He appeared beside the other monkey, his heavy iron staff sweeping down, sending the female monkey shrieking into the shadows.

Suddenly, a cry of pain came from elsewhere. A scholar had been flanked by the monkey king. The demonic aura surrounding the beast nearly engulfed him; he fought back with all his might, but was viciously clawed across the back.

Fu Zefeng rushed to assist, and the other scholars unleashed their full strength. Xue Kaiwen prepared to charge in, but was held back by Song Mu.

"Brother Jingzhao, what are you doing?" Xue Kaiwen turned, his face full of anxiety, only to see Song Mu sheathing his sword and reaching for his wooden tablet and brush.

"Brother Ziyan, guard me for a moment," Song Mu requested. Without waiting for a reply, he licked the tip of his brush, held up his tablet, and began to write.

"The ancestors’ three-foot water in the case, once entered the Wu pool to slay the dragon child."

"The slanting moon scrapes against the cold dew, the silk belt spreads flat, unable to be stirred."

"Dragon-womb skin, old caltrop thorns, the kingfisher-quenched flowers, and the white-pheasant tail."

Song Mu’s brush danced like a dragon; he was intent on completing the entirety of the "Song of the Sword"!