In Qi Ziru's right eye, the twisting fox head was just a hazy gray shadow.
The fox leaned closer to sniff him, its nose twitching, as it took in his scent again and again.
Shi Chun also caught the fragrance coming from the fox demon in front of him.
His smile, meant to be ingratiating, mixed with the pain tormenting his body, ended up looking rather dismal.
But soon enough, his smile froze on his face as the Azure Fox Demon bared its terrifying fangs at him.
In a panic, Shi Chun shouted, "Fox Immortal Lady..."
He couldn't tell if it was male or female, but he guessed it was female since he heard a woman's voice earlier.
However, before he could finish pleading, he was silenced.
A slippery pink tongue slid out from between the menacing fangs, licking his face and body a few times, then disdainfully turned away.
A bell-like feminine hum echoed, "Your blood smells foul."
Suddenly, the fox demon lowered its head and bit down on the corpse of the defamer, blood splattering as it devoured a mouthful, carrying the body away.
Shi Chun, standing very close, shivered in fright.
The Azure Fox Demon's head then withdrew into a spatial crack, and the overwhelming demonic qi receded like a tide.
The clawed appendages retracting from the rift, which quickly sealed shut, leaving the place as if untouched.
In the city, thin traces of demonic qi still lingered, but the terrifying pressure that accompanied it had vanished as if it had never been.
Lan Qiaoyan and others in Bowang Pavilion, along with those throughout the city full of suspicion, all seemed fixated on the same direction.
Shi Chun landed on the ground, wiping the wet saliva off his face and body.
Although his heart was still pounding, he was thankful that he was temporarily safe.
His legs felt weak as he recalled the defamer being devoured right before his eyes.
One city guard, still holding a drumstick, gulped as his Adam's apple bobbed, visibly shaken by the powerful presence from a moment ago.
He had thought to run, but knowing someone was watching, he didn't dare leave his post.
Meanwhile, Du Huoguan upstairs remained calm.
He was aware that the Azure Fox Demon had been released by the Warden, yet he couldn't help but feel a bit puzzled.
He remarked, "Warden, the wounds on the dead can serve as evidence. Shi Chun should be clear about the events of that night."
His words implied: why let the fox demon devour the evidence? Warden Nie simply replied, "How long do we intend to keep these corpses lying around? Clean it up."
Du Huoguan was taken aback; apart from the bodies of Qi Yueru and her son's, there wasn’t anything else.
Glancing at the bloodstains on the ground with no corpses in sight, understanding suddenly dawned upon him.
It seemed the Warden deliberately let the fox demon devour the evidence, which pointed to Shi Chun as the murderer of Qi Yueru's son! The suggestion to clean up the bodies was now clear to him.
His eyes widened slightly.
Could it be that the Warden intended to protect that young fellow downstairs who was weak in the knees? He found it hard to believe; the Warden was such a formidable figure, yet was willing to protect an unfamiliar "ant"?
"Yes," he complied verbally, yet doubt lingered in his eyes, wondering about the Warden's shocking decision.
He pondered over the demonic technique the Warden had recognized, the pronunciation of which he couldn't quite grasp due to so many homophonic characters.
The skull imprint pressed onto the defamer's flesh was vivid in his memory, an extraordinary occurrence indeed.
Tentatively, he asked, "Warden, is it possible that Shi Chun practices a demonic technique?"
His heart was uneasy as he asked.
Good and evil were opposites.
Why would the Warden protect someone practicing a demonic technique?
Nie shot him a sidelong glance, initially unwilling to explain but aware the misunderstanding involved the critical opposition of good and evil.
Rarely did he clarify, "It’s the Demon Bathing Technique, ‘bath’ as in bathing. The first person to cultivate this technique severely injured countless demons and beheaded the demon ancestor during the ancient war between gods and demons."
Du Huoguan was utterly shocked, exclaiming, "Beheading the demon ancestor?" He glanced out the window at Shi Chun with a peculiar expression.
This little ant was practicing a technique capable of slaying the demon ancestor, so it’s no wonder his strikes were so aggressive upon first showing.
As if predicting his thoughts, Nie continued to clarify to prevent misunderstanding, "This technique has long become like chicken ribs, even less useful than that. It is extremely selective, but specifics are unclear. It’s said to be difficult to begin, and if one can enter, it’s more formidable than ordinary techniques at first, as you’ve seen. But he will eventually have to switch techniques, or he will be stuck in the Initial Martial Realm, barely able to reach the Advanced Martial Realm."
Du Huoguan didn't understand, "Why?"
Nie explained, "Once mastered, though formidable, the cultivation process, as the name suggests, thrives on demonic qi. The higher the advancement, the more demonic qi is needed. The era of rampant demonic paths is long over, and they cannot sustain the ‘Demon Bathing Technique.’"
"I see," Du Huoguan understood, looking again at Shi Chun below with a new awareness, "And in Sheng Prefecture, there’s still a legacy of the ‘Demon Bathing Technique.’"
Such a supreme technique ought not to be obscure, yet it seemed lost to time, suggesting it must indeed have become obsolete.
Nie mentioned, "Before coming to Sheng Prefecture, I had never heard of this technique either. After taking on the reins of Sheng Prefecture, I found a passage in some ancient record in the Warden's inheritance, which was from long before the Heavenly Court had changed hands multiple times. It seems a practitioner of the ‘Demon Bathing Technique’ was indeed banished here long ago."
"Ah?" Du Huoguan was very surprised, instinctively asking, "Why?"
Nie explained, "Because it was too much of a dead end to cultivate successfully, one had to go to extremes. This technique indeed has its powerful aspects. In addition to absorbing demonic qi, it can absorb killing intent to refine the body.
The most intense killing ground was war zones. That person secretly engineered killings and wars on earth. Eventually, the commotion was too great, and they were captured, had their cultivation abolished, and sent here.
According to the records, they soon died after being sent here. I didn’t expect that after all these years, there would still be a continuation."
Du Huoguan nodded repeatedly.
Indeed, only if a technique was too restrictive and practitioners were unable to succeed would it remain unknown.
Otherwise, it would not remain obscure for so long.
Nie looked at Shi Chun below too, "The most domineering aspect of this technique is that those it kills will have their souls scattered, destroyed completely, leaving no chance for reincarnation. Perhaps this extreme method of killing is why this art cannot flourish."
"Ah!" Du Huoguan took a sharp breath.
That meant it not only ended someone's current life but severed their next life as well.
Indeed, the killing method was too extreme.
He couldn’t help but recall the skin-encased face struggling, seemingly ravaged by great pain.
Having said all he needed, Nie nodded toward the floor below, "He has won, let them go."
"Yes," Du Huoguan accepted the order, but thought again of the intention to protect Shi Chun and reminded, "Warden, although he can leave here, outside he may still be pursued by the Qi family, and going out might be a dead end."
In other words, even if you help him now, it might all be for naught.
Nie paused in thought, then mildly responded, "The woman who came to visit, execute her on the spot."
Du Huoguan thought he misheard, but upon realizing, he hurriedly asked, "Killing Qi Yueru, how do we account to the Qi family?"
"What Qi family? Never heard of them," Nie replied, walking toward the brocade couch, "After executing, display her body outside the city, claiming it was done by my own hand!"
The implication was clear: afraid of needing to provide an explanation? Let the Qi family come to me.
(End of Chapter)