"Divine Mansion Sect, heh heh heh!"

"Ugh!"

...

"The Divine Mansion Sect?"

"Ah!"

...

This was the thirteenth house Bai Yuan had challenged.

Ruan Xiuluan, Liu Donghai, and the others following Bai Yuan had grown numb. They never expected that when this Sect Leader Bai said he would "hit back," he meant it literally.

Bai Yuan had led them on a tour of challenging one school after another, beating every single person who had previously made a move against them.

An eye for an eye, a wrist for a wrist.

Without exception, Bai Yuan severed the wrists of every single one of them.

This was the way of the Jianghu: beat the young, and the old will come.

Since those Peak Masters were not skilled enough, it was naturally up to him, the Sect Leader, to reclaim their lost honor.

And if even he, the Sect Leader, couldn’t settle the score, then he would just have to let Old Dong do it again in Du Qinghui’s name.

That Du Jiedu Envoy was originally from the Imperial Inspection Office. As a court official without factional allegiances, he wasn’t afraid of offending anyone.

Bai Yuan knocked an Elder from some so-called Han Family to the ground with the back of his blade, then departed with a flourish.

Fourteen...

’It’s a shame I can’t just kill them. I could have earned a good amount of Enhancement Points otherwise.’

’I’m still too kind to this world, after all.’

...

「Two days later.」

Aside from those who had already fled back to Ling Province, Bai Yuan had gone after and beaten every single person who had dared to make a move against the Divine Mansion Sect.

He was nothing if not impartial.

Whether they were at the Muscle and Tendon Transformation stage or the Entering Power stage, he finished them with a single strike before severing a wrist.

As for whether those people could find a miracle-working doctor to reattach their wrists, that would depend on their own fortune.

"Younger Brother Bai, beautifully done! I’ve long been fed up with those bastards."

Yang Fangyu had already heard of Bai Yuan’s exploits.

Challenging eighteen houses single-handedly—it sounded incredibly domineering.

Of course, Bai Yuan had actually taken a shortcut; he hadn’t faced the strongest experts of those factions in Ling Province. Otherwise, the outcome would have been uncertain.

Still, it was incredibly satisfying.

As the Prefect of Huanglong Prefecture, Yang Fangyu couldn’t count the number of times those sects and clans had disgustingly schemed against him behind his back.

If not for his official position, his personality was such that he would have taken matters into his own hands long ago, just like Bai Yuan.

Yang Fangyu added, "Those people are vicious and cunning. You must be on your guard."

Bai Yuan nodded.

Since he had made his move, he had already made ample preparations.

"By the way, Younger Brother Bai, another batch of Northern Demon People has recently crossed the Great Wall. I need your help."

Yang Fangyu got down to business.

The reason Du Qinghui had taken action was precisely because of the war in the Northern Territory.

But those factions were only responsible for guarding the Official Roads and ensuring the grain shipments were safe. The task of exterminating the Demon People who crossed the border still fell to the various Prefecture Magistrate’s Offices.

As for the Demon Slayer Guard of the Huanglong Prefecture Magistrate’s Office, they’d be lucky not to get wiped out completely; actually slaying demons was just wishful thinking.

If Yang Fangyu wanted to earn merits, he had to rely on the powers of the Jianghu.

Fortunately, although Du Qinghui was at odds with Xu Dingchun, he hadn’t targeted Dong Wanjun and him too much because of the war in the Northern Territory. Otherwise, their lives would be even more difficult.

Bai Yuan replied, "Of course."

Yang Fangyu had given him a book on Toad Venom, so he owed the man a favor. Now was the perfect time to repay it.

Besides, he was desperately short on Enhancement Points and needed to kill some demons to practice his skills anyway.

"You truly are a good brother."

Yang Fangyu was overjoyed. With Bai Yuan’s help, things would be much easier for him.

Bai Yuan suddenly spoke up, "Brother Yang, I have another friend, Lu Yu. He’s a live-in son-in-law of the Fang Family from Lu State. He has a heart full of sincere patriotism and also wishes to join in exterminating the Demon People."

Yang Fangyu slapped his thigh. "Excellent!"

...

"Brother Bai, did you really say that?"

Lu Yu’s eyes lit up.

He had urged Bai Yuan several times, hoping he could help build a bridge between him and Yang Fangyu.

The Fang Family would eventually have to pick a side. He had no say in who they chose in Ling Province, but in Huanglong Prefecture, he was determined to follow Bai Yuan.

Bai Yuan said, "Those Demon People are not easy to deal with. You’ll need to be extra careful."

Lu Yu’s expression turned serious. "Understood."

"Then let’s go."

Bai Yuan immediately took Lu Yu to the Prefecture Magistrate’s Office to meet up with Yang Fangyu.

"Brother Yang, this is the Lu Yu I mentioned to you."

"So you are Hero Lu."

Yang Fangyu’s attitude was still enthusiastic, but compared to how he treated Bai Yuan, it lacked a certain warmth.

After all, Lu Yu was merely a live-in son-in-law of the Fang Family. Until he proved his worth, there was indeed no reason for Yang Fangyu to hold him in high regard.

"Greetings, Lord Yang."

Lu Yu had a sharp mind and naturally perceived the difference in treatment between himself and Bai Yuan.

But he didn’t expect Yang Fangyu to treat him like a brother after just one meeting. If that were the case, he would have to wonder if he was following the right person.

As the saying goes, strangers at the first meeting, friends at the second. At least by meeting, there was a possibility for things to develop further.

Yang Fangyu said, "Younger Brother Bai, that fellow Zhu Wu has been waiting outside the city for a while. Let’s get moving."

Bai Yuan nodded.

The three of them set off immediately.

Once outside the city, they indeed saw Zhu Wu with several dozen men.

They were all experts from the Nine Sword Sect.

"And this is?"

Zhu Wu asked curiously upon seeing Lu Yu.

Bai Yuan answered, "Lu Yu of the Fang Family. A friend of mine."

Zhu Wu grinned and nodded. "Younger Brother Lu."

Like Yang Fangyu, he wasn’t overly warm, but his attitude toward Lu Yu was already much better than how he treated others.

He could, of course, tell that Lu Yu was a live-in son-in-law of the Fang Family.

Although being a live-in son-in-law wasn’t exactly a lowly status, it was difficult for it to earn any high regard from scions of powerful families like them.

This time, Lu Yu had brought dozens of experts from the Fang Family, and Bai Yuan had mobilized half of the Divine Mansion Army.

Including the men from the Huanglong Prefecture Magistrate’s Office, the total force numbered over a thousand.

In all the prefectures of Ling Province, a force of this size was the grandest of them all.

Watching the vast, mighty force of a thousand men, Yang Fangyu felt as if he had returned to the Northern Garrison Army, and a heroic spirit swelled in his chest.

"Move out!"

...

Compared to killing humans, demons were much harder to kill.

Not only were demons of the same level stronger, but they also frequently hid deep in the mountains, making them extremely difficult to find.

"Younger Brother Bai, how did you do it?"

Yang Fangyu stared at Bai Yuan in astonishment.

In just ten days, they had slain over twenty demons that had crossed the Great Wall. This level of efficiency was countless times faster than the other prefectures.

Without Bai Yuan, they would still be out in the mountains, feeling the breeze.

"I’ve learned some Demon Hunter techniques."

Upon hearing the words "Demon Hunter," both Yang Fangyu and Zhu Wu’s eyes lit up.

Compared to the factions in Ling Province, they knew a great deal more about Demon Hunters.

Legend had it that in ancient times, the myriad demons fed on the Human Race. Later, the Human Race received a blessing from a Celestial God, and a portion of them became Demon Hunters, which gradually turned the tide.

Later still, the methods of Demon Hunting evolved into the Martial Dao, which led to the subsequent prosperity of the Human Race.

In a sense, Demon Hunters could be considered the progenitors of all Martial Artists.

However, an unknown cataclysm occurred later on, causing the number of Demon Hunters to plummet. In the end, their presence could only be found in the deep mountains of the Southern Border.

"Impressive skills."

Yang Fangyu couldn’t help but praise him.

No wonder Bai Yuan was so capable at finding demons; it turned out he had learned the techniques of a Demon Hunter.

"Younger Brother Lu, your Lightweight Technique is also quite remarkable."

Yang Fangyu then turned to look at Lu Yu.

After fighting side-by-side during this period, his impression of this live-in son-in-law of the Fang Family had improved greatly.

Although Lu Yu’s combat power was average, his Lightweight Technique and poison skills were superb, giving Yang Fangyu a reason to befriend him.

Lu Yu grinned playfully. "They’re just a few little tricks."

He had put in no small amount of effort to break into Yang Fangyu’s inner circle.

A relationship as close as Bai Yuan’s was naturally impossible. His current background was a step below, not to mention the connection that Bai Yuan and Yang Fangyu shared through Old Dong.

But as long as he could be on the same side, that was enough for Lu Yu.

Compared to his previous situation as an illegitimate son of the Lu Family, his life was much better now.

"Let’s go. We’ll wipe out those vermin from the Northern Territory."

Yang Fangyu grinned.

...

「The night was dark.」

「Deep within the mountain forest.」

The howls of wolves rose and fell, one after another.

"Have those humans taken the bait?"

A monster with the head of a tiger and the body of a man peeled back its lips, revealing terrifyingly sharp fangs.

"Mm."

A figure completely shrouded in a black robe, their gender indiscernible, grunted in affirmation.

This black-robed person was none other than Jia, the Soul Chasing Tower Lord.

"Very good."

The Tiger-headed Demon gave a sinister chuckle.

He was a demon from the Northern Plains—yes, a pure-blooded demon, not one of the Demon People.

These Demon Sect members, Demon People, and demons who crossed the Great Wall naturally came to throw Ling Province into chaos.

To stir up trouble in Ling Province, they had to join forces with the Soul-Chasing Tower.

Although the current Ling Province was much stronger than before, Jia’s power was not to be underestimated, to say nothing of the strange and unpredictable methods of the Soul-Chasing Tower’s Assassins.

He had joined forces with the Tiger-headed Demon to deal a heavy blow to Huanglong Prefecture, and by extension, all of Ling Province.

The death of a Prefect of Huanglong Prefecture would surely give that Du Jiedu Envoy a massive headache.

...

"Foul beast, don’t you run!"

Yang Fangyu roared.

Behind him, Bai Yuan and the other two followed closely.

Demons were hard to kill, and avian demons were even harder.

No matter how skilled a Martial Artist was, they couldn’t fly, which made dealing with these avian demons the most troublesome task.

Bai Yuan had used his demon-finding ability to locate this Eagle Demon and had already wounded it severely, but it still managed to escape.

Once the Eagle Demon broke through their encirclement, catching it again would be extremely difficult.

But as the Prefect of Huanglong Prefecture, Yang Fangyu knew full well how much trouble this Eagle Demon would cause for the grain transport caravans. Thus, even after a full day and night of pursuit, he had no intention of giving up.

No matter how well an eagle could fly, it eventually had to land.

Especially since this Eagle Demon was severely injured and couldn’t fly far.

Just as Yang Fangyu had predicted, the Eagle Demon in the sky began to flap its wings slower and slower, losing altitude until it was only a few feet above the forest canopy.

The corners of Yang Fangyu’s mouth tilted up slightly.

"Die!"

He bent his knees slightly and leaped into the air.

The long saber in his hand swung fiercely toward the Eagle Demon.

But just as Yang Fangyu was about to succeed, a throwing knife shot out from the woods, aimed straight between his eyes.

Yang Fangyu’s pupils contracted. Left with no choice, he had to abandon his attack on the Eagle Demon, twisting his body in mid-air to dodge the vicious throwing knife.

"What kind of coward strikes from the shadows?"

Yang Fangyu landed and shouted toward the direction the knife had come from.

The person who threw that knife had to be powerful.

Just as his voice faded, several figures emerged from the woods.

There were demons, humans, and Demon People...

Yang Fangyu’s eyes narrowed. He hadn’t expected that his group had already walked into an enemy encirclement.

He stared intently at the most conspicuous figure among them—the one in the black robe.

"The Soul-Chasing Tower?"

He finally understood why they had been surrounded.

The Soul-Chasing Tower’s concealment techniques were unparalleled. They had clearly been lured into a trap!