The food at the Demon Suppression Department was quite good. Besides Li Hao, who was used to mountain delicacies and seafood, Li Yuanzhao and the others were also enjoying their meals, eating heartily and drinking their fill.
As Cui Fan put it, as demon slayers, we always face life-and-death dangers. We can’t go out hungry like a ghost before we die, right?
That made sense.
After eating, they took a short break. Cui Fan pulled out a map of the area they were going to patrol in the afternoon and showed it to Li Hao and the others. He then asked them to get ready and gather outside.
The area they were going to check had previously shown signs of demons, but that had already been dealt with. This time, they were just checking for any missed spots, which was perfect for bringing along newcomers.
When it was time to gather, Cui Fan only saw Li Yuanzhao and Ren Qianqian among the four. He couldn’t help but ask in surprise, “Where’s the other one?”
“Brother Hao said he went to the restroom and told us not to wait for him. As for the task rating, he said to let you handle it, Master Cui.”
Li Yuanzhao relayed Li Hao’s words honestly.
Cui Fan was speechless.
He couldn’t help but smile bitterly in his heart.
As expected of a young master from a big family, he was just here for fun and to gain some experience. Luckily, he hadn’t taken it too seriously.
In this day and age, whoever takes things too seriously ends up losing out.
“Fine then.”
Cui Fan didn’t say much more and led the four of them out. Along the way, he thought about what kind of reason he could come up with to give that young master a perfect score.
In short, there was no way he could give a low score.
He would rather say he had failed in his duties than give a low score.
After all, if that young master was affected, it would only mean trouble for him.
…
Cangyu City was square-shaped, surrounded by mountains on all sides.
Thirty miles east of the city, there was a mountain range blocking the big river that led to Cangyu City. The mountains stretched for dozens of miles, with peaks and valleys, and dense trees.
The sunlight struggled to break through the large leaves, making the forest feel damp and eerie, even in broad daylight.
Scattered around the mountains were some villages, each with a few hunters who lived off the land by hunting.
As the saying goes, “The water knows the ducks first.” The hunters who had been in the mountains for years knew best how dangerous it could be.
Since a few reckless hunters had been found with their limbs torn apart, no one dared to go into the mountains anymore, not even to gather firewood, which they could only do at the foot of the hills.
At this moment, a figure quickly flew over the mountain range, moving forward at a fast pace.
Wearing the dark uniform of a demon suppressor, this person was Li Hao.
His trip to the restroom was just an excuse. He knew he wouldn’t be needed for the patrol. That Master Cui wouldn’t really take them to hunt demons. Even if they encountered any, they would only be minor ones for practice.
As for the academic credits, he didn’t care at all. The Li family had everything that could be exchanged for credits at the Black and White Hall.
That top-tier skill wasn’t something that could be exchanged for just a few credits.
His only goal in coming to this Black Wind Mountain Range was to find the whereabouts of a certain demon.
The Tiger Robe Immortal.
…
As he traveled, Li Hao noticed many demon figures moving through the forest below, along with various spirits hiding among the trees.
But they were all minor demons, with weak demonic energy.
Once someone reached the Soul Connection stage, they could sense the demonic energy.
Through the vision granted by the soul, one could see the energy of the world, and these wandering energies were like snowflakes that settled on the mountains and rivers, gradually sticking together over time.
Bamboo, stones, and animals all had a layer of “energy” covering them.
It was just very faint and pure, like a colorless mist.
However, martial artists who had embarked on their cultivation journey were different. Their energy was as strong as a blazing fire, and depending on their cultivation methods, the color of their energy could change. For instance, the aura of those at the Spirit Travel stage or even the Fifteen-Mile stage was as bright as starlight. If they didn’t deliberately conceal it, it could be seen from miles away.
The same went for demons.
But most demons with some skill usually hid their demonic energy, blending in with the crowd, making them hard to detect.
At this moment, in the Black Wind Mountain Range, various colors of mist swirled around, varying in depth.
Li Hao’s golden light shone above his head as his spirit roamed forward, probing the situation.
…
Deep within the mountains, in front of a cave filled with strange rocks.
Leaning against a massive stone was a demon that stood about four to five meters tall, a mix of human and bear.
At its feet lay scattered white bones, and under its rear was a relatively flat stone, covered with tattered human skin. A strong stench filled the air.
Nearby were other figures of various shapes, including a long snake resembling a seductive woman, a reptile with a skinny head, and a creature with the lower body of a clean baby’s legs but the torso of a centipede.
“Great Strength True God, we have gathered over twenty thousand minor demons and eight hundred spirits in the Black Wind Mountain Range, with twenty-five transformed beings ready to cooperate with the Red Brow Taoist and take down Cangyu City at any moment!”
A snake woman with a twisting body and a charming face said playfully, her eyes glinting with greed as she flicked her tongue.
“Once we’ve eaten enough, we’ll leave. The path to Wangchuan Mountain has already been cleared, and we can leave anytime.” An old man with sparse hair chuckled.
“We need to wait for the right moment.”
The giant bear’s face was rough and wild, but its voice was calm:
“Let the Red Brow Taoist lead those guys from the north first, and then we’ll strike. That guy named Yue has been secretly sending messages to the Xia family for the past half month. Luckily, the Red Brow Taoist has a way; the Xia family won’t be able to come for now.”
“It’s finally time to have a good meal after such a long wait!”
“The meat sent by that Yue guy has been getting worse and worse. This time, I have to eat him.”
“Ha! You won’t get the chance. Lord Tiger Robe has already reserved it.”
The giant bear glanced at the talking wolf demon and coldly said, “That Yue guy is a brother of Tiger Robe; we can only give it to him.”
“I was just joking! How could I compete with Lord Tiger Robe for food?” The wolf demon quickly laughed awkwardly.
As they were talking, suddenly, the giant bear seemed to sense something and looked up toward the trees.
There, a young man in dark clothing, with a sword at his waist, was pushing aside the grass by the roadside and slowly walking into the mountain where many powerful demons were gathered.
At that moment, the other demons also became aware that a human was approaching, and they hadn’t even noticed how close he was!
“So many demons…”
Li Hao looked around, his gaze sweeping over the powerful demons one by one.
Their auras were only slightly retracted, but not completely hidden, making them as obvious as candle flames in the dark.
When he saw the hellish scene before him, his expression changed. It was hard to imagine how many people had been brutally slaughtered here.
“A demon suppressor?”
The demons were taken aback when they recognized Li Hao’s outfit.
The dragon patterns on his sleeves and the number of designs on his uniform indicated that he was just a demon suppressor.
And he dared to come right in front of them?
“Hmm? Are you here to deliver meat? But we just received some a few days ago, and… you don’t have any meat with you.”
An old man with a strange laugh, who was short like a dwarf, hopped over to Li Hao, but his eyes were cautious.
Li Hao understood what the demons meant by “meat.”
Delivering meat?
He paused, suddenly realizing the terrifying implication behind those words.
Thoughts flashed through his mind as Li Hao scanned the demons and asked, “Which one of you is the Tiger Robe Immortal?”
“Are you looking for the Tiger Robe?” The demons were surprised.
The skinny old man grinned, “Little boy, you’re quite bold. Aren’t you afraid of us?”
“Afraid?”
Li Hao slowly drew the demon-slaying sword from his waist. “You all are quite bold too, being surrounded by me and still not running away.”
(End of Chapter)