Qinghe County, Zhu Family Estate.

As one of the most prominent and wealthy families in Qinghe County, the Zhu Family’s estate in the eastern part of the city alone spanned a full five acres.

In a courtyard on the eastern side of the Zhu Family estate.

"Did Elder Wu agree?"

Zhu Huan’s expression was grim as he stared at the subordinate kneeling before him.

Elder Wu was the Zhu Family’s sole Yijin Martial Master, hired from another county at great expense.

Though the Zhu Family thrived in business, most of its disciples showed little promise on the path of the Martial Dao. Zhu Huan was already the most exceptional talent of his generation.

Zhu Huan was an Inner Courtyard Disciple at the Flying Eagle Martial Arts Hall and had long since passed the Bone Forging Pass.

Yet, if he wanted to mobilize the Zhu Family’s Martial Artists, he still needed Elder Wu’s approval.

It was precisely because the Zhu Family Master had granted Elder Wu such great authority that they were able to keep the Muscle Changing Realm expert with the family.

"Elder Wu said..."

The kneeling subordinate hesitated, trailing off.

"Said what?"

"Elder Wu said... that the Young Master should settle his heart and that diligent cultivation is the righteous path."

Zhu Huan took a deep breath, suppressing the anger in his heart.

’Before I break through the Yijin Pass, the Zhu Family has to rely on that old bastard.’

"Fine. I’ll do it myself."

A flicker of killing intent flashed in Zhu Huan’s eyes. The one he wanted to kill was, naturally, Bai Yuan.

’Cut the weeds and pull up the roots!’

He had already offended Bai Yuan. Rather than wait for Bai Yuan to grow powerful and cause him trouble, it was better to strike now and cut him down early.

Zhu Huan was an Inner Courtyard Disciple long practiced in the Bone Forging stage, while Bai Yuan was merely a talented Outer Disciple. He was confident he could kill Bai Yuan.

He gradually composed himself.

"Send someone to Baisha Town to keep an eye on things. We move tomorrow night."

"Yes."

The young subordinate acknowledged the order with a tremor in his voice and fled the courtyard.

Watching the subordinate’s retreating figure, Zhu Huan cursed under his breath, ’Useless trash.’

With that, he turned and entered his room.

He didn’t go to bed, however. Instead, he picked up a bamboo basket and walked over to a bookshelf.

With the CLICK of a hidden mechanism, the bookshelf swung open, revealing a secret door! 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Zhu Huan walked into the secret room, his face devoid of expression.

The secret room wasn’t large, perhaps twenty feet across. In its very center, a massive green snake—as thick as a bucket and over ten meters long—was watching him, its scarlet tongue flicking in and out.

"Do you have what I require?"

The great snake actually spoke in a human voice!

Zhu Huan set down the bamboo basket and lifted the white cloth covering it.

Inside the basket lay a heart—to be precise, the heart of a pure-yin maiden.

The great snake greedily inhaled the metallic scent of blood filling the room, an unnervingly human expression of pleasure on its serpentine face.

This was the Zhu Family’s greatest secret!

The reason Zhu Huan’s martial cultivation progressed at such a tremendous pace, nearly rivaling Ji Hanming’s, was precisely because of his symbiotic bond with the great snake before him.

His father had paid a fortune to buy this method from Elder Wu.

To maintain the Snake Demon’s power, they had to feed it the heart of a pure-yin maiden every month. This had gone on for three years, and countless innocent girls had been brutally murdered for this purpose.

Zhu Huan took no pleasure in it, but to become stronger, he would stop at nothing.

"Hurry and eat."

He placed the basket before the great snake. His eyes were completely bloodshot, making for a terrifying sight.

Each time the Snake Demon fed, his own body would grow stronger.

Just as the Snake Demon opened its cavernous, blood-red maw to devour the maiden’s heart—

CREAK. The secret door, which had already closed, swung open again.

Zhu Huan whipped around, his face a mask of utter disbelief.

’In the entire Zhu Family, only the Zhu Family Master, Elder Wu, and myself know about the Snake Demon! How could anyone else possibly open this door?!’

Bai Yuan walked into the secret room, his face concealed by a black mask.

A single glance at the scene was all it took for him to understand what was going on.

’That’s one huge bamboo viper...’

’...and utterly disgusting.’

It was just as he’d suspected: Zhu Huan was practicing a wicked, symbiotic Cultivation Technique with a Snake Demon.

Since becoming a Demon Hunter, his sense of smell had become almost superhuman. He had caught the scent of the Snake Demon on Zhu Huan earlier that day at the Hongqiao Dyeing Workshop.

A Snake Demon must molt nine times to become a dragon.

He dared to confront it now because he knew this particular Snake Demon had been interrupted midway through a molt.

Otherwise, it would never have been captured by Elder Wu, let alone forced into a symbiotic bond with Zhu Huan. The Snake Demon was now at its absolute weakest.

"They deserve death!"

Bai Yuan’s gaze turned icy, radiating a palpable killing intent.

Who knew how much innocent blood stained the hands of this man and this demon.

Zhu Huan watched Bai Yuan warily. "Just who are you?"

’This room is soundproof for secrecy’s sake. It’s impossible to call for help.’

But Zhu Huan wasn’t overly panicked. Even with its strength greatly diminished, the Snake Demon was far beyond what any ordinary Martial Artist could handle.

"Are you from the Soul-Chasing Tower?"

When he received no answer, Zhu Huan pressed on.

Suddenly, the great snake behind him lunged, its massive jaws, large enough to swallow a man whole, snapping at Bai Yuan, intent on devouring him alive.

Bai Yuan’s reaction was instantaneous. He showcased the Body Technique of his master-level tracking skill, deftly evading the Snake Demon’s ferocious strike.

While still in mid-air, a massive Firewood Cutting Saber appeared in his hand.

Blood Tiger Saber!

This was the first time since he began practicing with the saber that he had unleashed the Blood Tiger Saber with his full power. His Qi and Blood surged, and a boundless killing intent flooded his mind, turning his eyes crimson.

A bloodcurdling shriek from the beast echoed through the secret room, so loud it made their eardrums pound.

Zhu Huan was horrified. He never imagined this masked stranger could be powerful enough to wound the Snake Demon.

’He has to be from the Soul-Chasing Tower!’

’Who on earth wants me dead?’

Sweat beaded on Zhu Huan’s forehead. He was now utterly convinced that Bai Yuan was an assassin from the Soul-Chasing Tower.

Bai Yuan narrowed his eyes.

’This Snake Demon is tougher to kill than I expected.’

’A truly demonic beast, as expected.’

He pulled a small packet of yellow powder from his robes—realgar!

Zhu Huan’s vision swam as a pungent odor filled the secret room, refusing to dissipate.

Snakes fear realgar. While a demon is no longer a mere snake, its basic instincts remain. And at a critical time like molting, those instincts would be even more pronounced.

Just as Bai Yuan predicted, the Snake Demon began to thrash about wildly, desperate to avoid the realgar powder.

Bai Yuan seized the opportunity to draw his hardwood bow.

THWIP, THWIP, THWIP!

He loosed three arrows in quick succession. His expert-level archery found its mark, striking the Snake Demon’s eyes and driving it into a frenzy of pain and rage.

Bai Yuan dropped the bow and gripped his saber, the eerie crimson glow of its blade growing even more dazzling.

’Most people think a snake’s weakness is the spot seven inches below its head. They’re wrong. It’s the mouth.’

’But most people never get the chance to prove it.’

One slash!

The Snake Demon’s enormous head was split vertically, clean through the jaw. With a heavy THUD, its massive body collapsed to the floor.

It all happened too quickly for Zhu Huan to even react.

His life was bound to the Snake Demon’s—they prospered or perished together. Now that the demon was dead, he suffered a severe backlash, leaving him with barely thirty percent of his combat strength.

Bai Yuan raised his Firewood Cutting Saber, his face a cold, emotionless mask.

Zhu Huan, dead.