Chapter 57: Lesson
As the mixed energy surged into her, Jin Mingxi's pupils constricted, her muscles spasming uncontrollably. Hallucinations flooded her vision: arid, scorched earth stretching to the horizon, a massive black volcano spewing smoke, fire, and sulfurous fumes. Giant trees blazed in the flames, their gnarled branches like the clawing hands of demons, forming a cage that slowly tightened.
Red spots flickered in Jin Mingxi's clear eyes; for a moment, she thought she had touched death.
"Cough!" She coughed violently, retching uncontrollably. When her consciousness returned, she found herself kneeling on the ground, her clothes soaked in sweat, a thin pool of water forming beneath her.
A river breeze cooled her sweat-drenched dress, clinging to her curves. Jin Mingxi blushed, instinctively covering her chest.
She looked up to see Su Heng had turned, his hands in his pockets, his gaze fixed on the river. Hundreds of lanterns floated on the water, a shimmering golden spectacle.
"Do you know why I did that?" Su Heng turned, his gaze distant, not lingering on her.
Humiliation washed over Jin Mingxi, but fear was stronger, ten times stronger.
"Because I was wrong," Jin Mingxi stood, bowing her head.
"Where did you go wrong?" Su Heng asked, a gentle smile on his face.
"We, the Demon Suppression Agency, are too arrogant," Jin Mingxi said. "We lack the necessary respect for strong individuals."
She paused. "Thank you for your mercy."
"You're a quick learner," Su Heng nodded with a smile.
"Next time, our Grand Marshal will meet you personally," Jin Mingxi replied.
"Are you threatening me?" Su Heng raised an eyebrow. Jin Mingxi remained silent.
"The Golden-Eyed Ape King, Li Daoxuan…" Even in Baihua Prefecture, he was among the strongest.
"Tell him I look forward to meeting him," Su Heng said, his calm voice tinged with suppressed eagerness.
"One more thing," Jin Mingxi produced a letter. "This is a list of the Xu family's treasures, along with some gifts from the Demon Suppression Agency. They're at Jiangyue Pavilion; someone will deliver them to your room."
Su Heng glanced at the letter but didn't take it. Jin Mingxi took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling. She lowered her arm, held the letter with both hands, and bowed deeply before him.
Su Heng then took the letter, glanced at it, and with a surge of energy, reduced it to ashes with a flick of his wrist.
"Anything else?" Su Heng leaned casually against the railing.
"No," Jin Mingxi replied impassively.
"Good," Su Heng smiled. "Elder Jin, please leave. By the way, my sister is safe."
"Su Li is highly regarded by the Grand Marshal," Jin Mingxi said, surprised that such a refined woman had such a brash brother. They were an odd pair.
She shook her head, not knowing Su Li well enough to dwell on it.
"That's good," Su Heng waved his hand.
Jin Mingxi gave him a deep look, relieved, then leaped from the ninth-floor brothel, vanishing into the darkness.
"That woman… didn't she give you trouble?" Chen Murong asked cautiously when Su Heng returned to the platform.
"Do I look like someone who'd be troubled?" Su Heng raised his wine cup, smiling calmly.
"Not really…" Chen Murong laughed.
Their acquaintance was casual; Chen Murong didn't press further.
The music resumed. The dancers had left, and the red curtain fell. When it rose again, large oxhide drums were revealed.
Dong! A red-clad, barefoot woman descended from above, landing on a drum. The drum vibrated, echoing through the brothel. She danced on the drums, her movements powerful and graceful.
Dong! Another beat. Then a third, fourth, fifth…
"Bravo!" The platform erupted in applause. Many stood, clapping wildly. The sound drowned out the river.
Dong! The final beat. The woman leaped, her sleeves striking the drums. The four beats merged into one, echoing through the brothel.
She bowed and left. The applause continued even after she was gone.
Su Heng frowned. The dancer was beautiful but unsettling. Her movements, striking the drums with her sleeves, weren't those of an ordinary dancer.
A Demon Form cultivator? A demon servant? Or a demon?
But aside from this intuition, Su Heng found nothing unusual.
"Was I overthinking?" he wondered.
"What's that dancer's name?" he asked Chen Murong.
"The one who danced on the drums?" Chen Murong put down her pastry. "That's Li Hongxiu, the brothel's top courtesan. She's rarely seen. They say when she first arrived, wealthy young masters offered thousands of taels for a smile, but failed."
"Li Hongxiu…" Su Heng nodded, noting the name.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter 58: The Strike
The Red Mansion's atmosphere was lively. Even Su Heng, who wasn't particularly interested in such performances, found the experience worthwhile.
The grand spectacle lasted until Hai time (around 11 pm), then slowly dispersed. Chen Murong, having consumed a considerable amount of alcohol, was quite intoxicated. Su Heng escorted her back to her courtyard in the Jiangyue Pavilion before returning to the registration desk to collect the items left by the Demon Suppression Agency.
It was a massive wooden chest, a meter wide and over two meters long—like a large coffin. It would have been difficult for an ordinary person to carry.
Back at his courtyard, he opened the chest, revealing mostly items from the Xu family's hidden collection: gold, silver, antiques, and precious jewels. These worldly possessions filled most of the chest, but they were of little interest to Su Heng. He considered storing them with Su Li.
The Xu family's most valuable items were three:
First, the lure powder Su Heng had seen before, a large jar emitting a faint, dusty scent imperceptible to humans but highly attractive to demons. Unsophisticated demon servants or newly awakened demons would attack upon smelling it. Even intelligent demons would become agitated. Besides the powder, the jar contained the recipe, including ingredients Su Heng had never heard of.
Second, a superior martial art called the Lesser Five Elements Fist. If the Green Wood Longevity Art was first-rate and the Pure Yang Art third-rate, this was probably second-rate. It wasn't exceptionally profound, but its breadth and certain principles intrigued Su Heng. He set it aside to study later.
Third, the heaviest and most valuable item in the chest: a nearly two-meter-long giant blade. Dark red and not particularly sharp, it had noticeable nicks, suggesting many battles. Its material was unusual—neither metal nor jade, but some kind of bone—yet it was two or three times heavier than a similarly sized piece of steel.
"A weapon made from demonic materials?" Su Heng was delighted. He'd considered using swords or knives, but there were two problems: ordinary weapons couldn't withstand his fighting style, and the energy transmission would be inefficient. Special materials could solve this, like Su Li's sword, which was not only durable but also amplified the wielder's energy. Su Heng had tried it, but it was too delicate for him, more like a dagger.
This blade, however, was perfect in size and weight. The chest also contained a new leather sheath made from beast hide, likely prepared by Su Li.
Su Heng infused the dark red blade with True Force, causing dark flames to flicker on the edge, raising the room's temperature.
"Energy transmission efficiency is around seventy to eighty percent—less than Su Li's sword, but still good," Su Heng sheathed the blade, testing it several times to ensure ease of access.
He felt something was missing, then realized, "Right!"
"It needs a name." He thought for a moment. "Demon Slayer. That's good."
He was satisfied with the name. He usually relied on brute force, so the choice of weapon mattered little.
He continued examining the chest's contents, finding the Demon Suppression Agency's gifts: cultivation techniques, medicines, rare materials, and a booklet detailing the forces around Baihua County—clans and demons—valuable information for Su Heng. He decided to study it later; he had more pressing matters.
Su Heng, carrying "Demon Slayer," left his room. The night was clear and moonlit.
"A perfect night for killing," Su Heng mused, estimating that the Luo family would be home after the festival, relaxed and vulnerable. The time was right.
He acted immediately.
Meanwhile,
in an underground palace within the Luo family's fortress, terrifying growls echoed. The palace was dimly lit by flickering red candles, chains hanging from the ceiling clattered, their hooks bearing desiccated corpses. In the center, between nine giant stone pillars, was a five-meter-wide blood pool.
A nearly three-meter-tall, obese figure bathed in the pool, its skin a grotesque blue-black, its hair thick, its fangs protruding, its eyes crimson. Its face was ferocious, its boar-like mouth emitting pained howls.
"I'm so hungry…"
Around it, Luo family elders approached, pale-faced, carrying trays piled high with fresh, viscous organs—still twitching, judging by the yellow fat clinging to them.
Thank you to book friends 16112009504, 20221022, Yin Mei Ke Le, Jing Shen Bing Zhong De Qiang Zhe, Zhao Chen Xi, and Lin Yuan for the monthly tickets, and thank you for your readership.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter 59: Aromatic
Gurgling! The blood pool boiled, crimson smoke rising from the enormous figure within.
"I'm so hungry!"
A pained roar echoed. A massive hand emerged from the smoke, seizing a mountain of fresh viscera from a tray. Dozens of plates, hundreds of jin of innards.
The roars ceased, though smoke still billowed, his breathing heavy and beast-like.
A corpulent elder cautiously approached. "Master, are you feeling better?"
Huff! A heavy breath parted the smoke, revealing the家主's distorted face, his expression contorted with pain.
"Not enough!" he rasped, repeating, "Not enough!"
"I need more… no, not I… it needs more!"
He roared, squeezing out bloody tears.
"I can't eat anymore! My stomach will burst!"
"I'm so hungry!"
The giant thrashed in the pool, raving. His roars were like exploding grenades, shaking the flames, causing the chains on the ceiling to rattle, and the hanging corpses to fall with dull thuds.
The remaining elders' faces paled with terror.
"Damn it!" an elder cursed. "Where's Luo Sandao? The Yin Body Taisei?"
The parasitic fungus from the Taisei temporarily suppressed the家主's power, but it had vanished, along with Luo Sandao.
"Luo Sandao's soul lamp is extinguished," a younger elder whispered.
Silence fell.
"Damn it!" an elder raged. "How did that waste die? Was he killed by the Taisei?"
"But the Taisei is gone," another lamented.
"Heaven is destroying our family!" the oldest elder sighed.
"Elder, watch out!" someone screamed.
The elder turned to flee, but it was too late. A massive hand seized him, and a maw filled with saliva and flesh devoured him.
The家主's already enormous belly swelled into a mountain, his bluish-purple skin like an inflated balloon, about to burst. A human face with ram's horns was emerging from within.
The elders could see the insane hatred on its face.
"Hee hee hee!" The face grinned, its voice chilling. "Three hundred years! Three hundred years! Descendants of Luo Chengzu, you'll pay! When I'm free, I'll tear you apart and devour you all!"
Meanwhile, Su Heng moved swiftly through the darkness. He scaled the city walls, crossed the Guanjiang River, passed farmlands and forests, stopping before a large earthen fortress, built into a hillside. It housed numerous buildings, terraced fields, and a perpetual clean water source, capable of sustaining thousands for years, even in isolation.
In a previous dynasty, this fortress could withstand a hundred thousand soldiers. But in the Great Zhou Dynasty, with demons and powerful martial artists, its military significance was less important. It was a symbol of the family's unique status – their own laws, not the emperor's.
Three guards patrolled the walls, carrying spears and crossbows, their torches illuminating the darkness.
"Who's there?!" The lead guard stopped, looking behind him.
Flap, flap! A grey owl landed on a beam, preening its feathers.
"Just an owl," a companion said dismissively.
"Stay alert!" the lead guard ordered.
A tall figure appeared in the torchlight, almost colliding with him.
"Who are you?!" The guard's voice was hoarse with fear.
Bang! Su Heng didn't answer, merely striking out.
The guard's head exploded, covering several meters with blood and brains.
"Brother!" The other two guards attacked, swinging their blades.
Swish! Ghost Slayer flashed, cleaving them in two.
The commotion alerted another patrol. They didn't panic, drawing crossbows, firing at Su Heng. One ran towards the signal tower.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter 60: Collapse
Unfortunately… Su Heng flicked his wrist, two arrows materializing in his hands. He fired them with even greater speed. Reinforced by his powerful energy, the arrows were more lethal than sniper bullets. Two heads exploded, brains and flesh forming bloody rings in the air, skulls flying dozens of meters.
Swish! Su Heng threw his Ghost Slayer sword. It sliced through the last guard, embedding itself in the tower wall. The guard, his face filled with disbelief, stumbled forward before a crimson line appeared on his forehead, splitting him in two. His insides spilled onto the ground.
A booted foot crossed the corpse. Su Heng retrieved his sword and surveyed the Luo family stronghold. So far, the operation had gone smoothly. But he sensed a strange atmosphere.
"Demons… what happened within the Luo family?" Su Heng wondered, recalling the elder's dying words. This wasn't unexpected.
"My timing is impeccable," Su Heng chuckled. Whether demons or Luo family members, he would kill them all.
He leaped from the wall, vanishing into the darkness. Moments later, screams of agony and terror echoed, but were quickly muffled by the fog that swallowed sounds and obscured vision.
Below a bamboo building in the Luo family stronghold, Luo Tong stormed out of a room, slamming the door shut.
Why? He didn't understand. He was a direct descendant, yet his father forbade him from practicing martial arts. The incident at the brothel, Jin Mingxi's cold face, fueled his rage. Though his wounds had healed, the helplessness and anger weighed heavily on him.
If… if he could cultivate, integrate a demonic core… even if he couldn't defeat Jin Mingxi, the family would protect him.
His childhood friends had distanced themselves, becoming strangers. Even during visits, their disdain was evident.
"Even with wealth, one is nothing without surpassing human limits," Luo Tong took a deep breath, his expression firm. "I'll demand answers from Father!"
He strode towards the ancestral hall. But something felt wrong.
"Why is there fog on such a clear day? I heard screams… a smell of blood… this is the main stronghold! I must be mistaken!"
"Where is everyone? Those lazy guards are slacking off again! I'll flog them tomorrow!"
He reached the ancestral hall, but the sight before him turned his face pale, his legs trembling.
The hall was devoid of its usual sanctity. He saw something devouring corpses, the sounds of gruesome chewing echoing. Blood flowed like a viscous river, reaching his feet. The stench of blood choked him.
He opened his mouth to scream.
Slap! A warm hand covered his mouth. He looked up to see his father's face.
"Father!" Luo Tong stammered. "What's happening? Where are the elders?"
His father's face was pale. "Don't ask! Leave!"
"I've prepared a carriage and valuables. Leave the stronghold, Baihua Prefecture, and go to Lianshan City. Never return!"
"What about you, Father?" Luo Tong panicked.
"I… I can't leave," his father shook his head sadly. "I ate the monster's flesh; it won't let me go."
"Let's go together!" Luo Tong insisted.
His father slapped him, gritting his teeth. "Liu Qi, take him away."
A female warrior in silver armor, a long scar on her face, appeared, grabbing Luo Tong. Two more expressionless warriors flanked him. The female warrior was clearly a Demon Form cultivator.
Luo Tong struggled, but she pulled him along at incredible speed. He looked back to see his father waving.
Swish! A crimson tentacle emerged from the ancestral hall, dragging his father inside. The chewing sounds echoed in Luo Tong's mind.
Numb with grief, he could only cry.
"Hoo…" Liu Qi stopped, frowning.
"What is it?" Luo Tong gasped.
A grayish-white fog blocked their path, swirling ominously.
"You two," Liu Qi gestured. "Go check it out!"
The two warriors entered the fog and vanished without a sound. Liu Qi's face hardened.
"Stay behind me, don't move," she said, drawing her sword and cautiously advancing into the fog.
Swish! A black light flashed. Liu Qi swung her sword, a clang echoing as her blade was deflected by powerful energy. Her arms went numb, her chest exposed.
Swish! Two thick fingers pierced her neck. Her eyes bulged, her face contorted in agony. A crunching sound—armor, muscle, and spine were ripped out.
Her head hung loosely, connected only by skin and blood vessels. Her body fell, revealing a tall, imposing figure.
"You…" Luo Tong felt a chill as he recognized the figure.
"You're the one from the brothel!" he screamed, then roared in despair. "I just insulted you, and Jin Mingxi slapped me! You're going to wipe out my entire family for that!?"
"Is it worth it?"
(End of Chapter)