Chapter 62: One Man Surrounded by Many Demons
The food at the Demon Subduing Division was excellent. Even Li Yuan, who was used to fine delicacies, and the others who had grown accustomed to luxurious meals, dug in heartily alongside Li Hao until they were all fully satisfied.
As Cui Fan put it, "We demon slayers could face life-or-death dangers at any moment; we certainly don’t want to die on an empty stomach, right?"
It made perfect sense.
After their meal, they rested for a quarter of an hour. Then, Cui Fan took out the map of the area they’d be patrolling in the afternoon and showed it to Li Hao and the others, instructing them to get ready and meet outside.
The place they were patrolling had previously shown signs of demonic activity, which had already been dealt with. This time, they were checking for any missed threats, making it an ideal opportunity to train newcomers.
When they gathered, Cui Fan only saw Li Yuanzhao, Ren Qianqian, and the other four. Puzzled, he asked, “Where’s the other one?”
“Brother Hao said he went to the latrine and told us not to wait. As for the task evaluation, he said, ‘Just let Master Cui grade it as he sees fit.’” Li Yuanzhao relayed Li Hao’s words faithfully.
Cui Fan was momentarily speechless.
Then, he chuckled bitterly to himself.
Just as expected of a young master from a prominent family. He had come here just to have some fun and gain experience; fortunately, Cui hadn’t taken him too seriously.
Nowadays, the one who takes things too seriously always suffers.
“Alright then.”
Without further comment, Cui Fan led the group of four onward, mulling over a suitable excuse to give that young master a perfect score.
There was no way he would give a low score, no matter what.
He’d rather claim his own negligence than lower the score.
After all, a bad score might affect Li Hao’s education, but it could mean Cui Fan’s dismissal.
...
Cangyu City was a square-shaped city, surrounded on all sides by mountains.
About thirty miles east of the city, a mountain range spanned across the river leading to Cangyu City. Stretching for dozens of miles, its peaks rose steeply, covered in lush trees. The dense foliage blocked most of the sunlight, leaving the forest humid and shadowy even in broad daylight, casting an eerie, ghostly feeling.
Near this mountain range were scattered villages, where a few hunting families lived, making a living off the land.
As the saying goes, “The ducks know best when the river warms.” No one knew better than these seasoned hunters about the dangers in the mountains.
Ever since the maimed bodies of a few bold hunters who disregarded the warnings were found, no one dared to enter the mountains. Even gathering firewood was now limited to the base of the slopes.
At this moment, a figure shot across the sky above the mountain range, flying swiftly forward.
Dressed in the dark uniform of a Demon Subduing Agent, the person was none other than Li Hao.
The latrine was merely an excuse. He wasn’t needed for routine patrols, and Master Cui would never actually take them to fight demons; at most, they’d encounter minor demons for practice.
As for academic credits, he cared even less. His family, the Li Clan, already possessed everything that could be exchanged in the Black and White Hall with credits.
What he sought here in the Blackwind Mountains was a single objective: to track down a specific demon.
The Tiger-robed Immortal.
...
As he traveled, Li Hao noticed shadows of demonic creatures moving through the forest below, with various lesser demons lurking about.
But they were all minor demons with weak demonic auras.
Once reaching the Soul Fusion Realm, one could detect demonic energy.
Through the Soul Aspect’s vision, he could see the flow of energy in the world. These energies, like fallen snow, settled on the mountains and rivers, and over time, they clung to everything.
Bamboo, stones, animals—all had a faint aura of energy covering them.
These auras were light and pure, like a thin mist with no distinguishable color.
But for those who embarked on the path of cultivation, their aura blazed as brightly as a furnace. Depending on their cultivation techniques, these auras took on different colors; for example, those in the Spiritual Wandering Realm and the Fifteen Li Realm had such brilliant auras that they could be seen from miles away if they didn’t deliberately suppress them.
It was the same for demons.
Most demons with notable abilities hid their demonic auras, blending in with humans and evading detection.
...
Now, in the Blackwind Mountains, there was a haze of demonic energy drifting about, varying in intensity.
Golden light shot out from Li Hao’s head as his divine soul roamed ahead, probing the surroundings.
...
In the depths of the mountain range, in front of a jagged stone cave,
a massive rock lay with a demon, half-human, half-bear, leaning against it, towering at four or five zhang in height.
At its feet lay scattered white bones, and near the relatively flat edge of the rock beneath its pigu were crumpled pieces of human skin. A strong stench of decay filled the air.
Beside it were other figures in various postures: a seductive woman with the upper body of a snake, a shriveled old man with a narrow head, and a monstrous creature with a baby’s lower legs but a centipede’s waist.
“Great Strength True God, we’ve gathered over twenty thousand lesser demons, eight hundred spirit creatures, and twenty-five shapeshifters here in the Blackwind Mountains. We’re ready to join forces with Red-browed Daoist to devour Cangyu City whenever you command!”
A snake woman, her seductive face grinning slyly, flicked her tongue out as her eyes sparkled with hunger, as if she could hardly wait.
“When the city is emptied, we retreat. The passage to Wangchuan Mountain has already been opened; we can leave at any time,” a dry, old demon with sparse hair replied with a mirthless smile.
“We wait for the right moment.”
The giant bear’s face radiated a savage air, but its voice was calm:
“When Red-browed Daoist leads the northern forces to strike first, we’ll make our move. Half a month ago, that fellow surnamed Yue secretly sent word to the Xia Clan, but Red-browed Daoist has a solution. The Xia Clan won’t be able to intervene for now.”
“After so long, it’ll be satisfying to finally have a good feast!”
“The meat offerings Yue sent us have gotten worse in quality. This time, I’ll eat him myself.”
“Oh? That’s not for you; the Tiger-robed Immortal has already reserved him.”
The giant bear glanced at the wolf demon who spoke and said coldly, “Yue is Tiger-robed’s kin; only he can have him.”
“I was just saying. How could I possibly compete with the Tiger-robed Immortal?” The wolf demon quickly laughed it off, looking embarrassed.
Just as they conversed, the giant bear seemed to sense something and looked toward the trees.
There, a young man in a dark uniform, saber at his waist, was parting the tall grass as he walked up the mountain filled with a host of great demons.
At this moment, the other demons also noticed his presence. To their shock, a human had approached this close, and none of them had sensed it!
“So many demons…”
Li Hao’s gaze swept across them, examining each one.
Their demonic auras were only partially concealed, like torches in the night.
Seeing the hellish scene around him, his expression changed. It was difficult to imagine how many people had been brutally slaughtered here.
“A Demon Subduing Agent?”
The demons stared at Li Hao’s attire in surprise.
The dragon insignia on his sleeves and the symbols on his uniform showed he was only a Demon Subduing Agent.
And he dared to stand before them alone?
“Hm? Are you here to deliver meat? But the last delivery was just a few days ago, and… you don’t have any with you.”
A small, wizened demon, who was as short as a dwarf, hopped toward Li Hao with a creepy laugh, though his gaze remained wary.
Li Hao understood what they meant by “meat offerings.”
Deliver meat?
He froze, immediately realizing the disturbing implication behind those words, which sent a chill down his spine.
His mind racing, he scanned the crowd of demons and asked, “Which one of you is the Tiger-robed Immortal?”
“You’re here for Tiger-robed?” The demons exchanged surprised glances.
The shriveled old demon sneered, “Boy, you’ve got guts. Aren’t you afraid of us?”
“Afraid?”
Li Hao slowly drew the saber at his waist, its blade gleaming. “You’re the ones with a lot of nerve. Surrounded by me, and you’re still not running.”