Chapter 67: Follow Me to Slay the Demons
Rushing back toward the skies above Cangyu City, Li Hao already saw the massive demonic clouds rolling in from the north.
However, instead of heading north immediately, he first went to the City Lord's Manor to assess the situation.
Through his spirit sense, he perceived the scene within the manor.
“Demon Subduing Division?!”
At the same time, Yue Shuhong and the broad-faced man noticed the distinctive uniform on Li Hao and paused, visibly surprised.
Though he wore the uniform of the Demon Subduing Division, it was of the lowest rank for a Demon Subduing Officer.
However, judging from Li Hao’s appearance, he was far from an ordinary officer.
“You are...?”
Yue Shuhong furrowed his brow, not recalling any young powerhouse like this within the city's Demon Subduing Division.
Li Hao ignored the city defender, instead turning his gaze toward the broad-faced man. “Your name is Hu Pao? Are you the so-called Tiger-robed Immortal?”
The broad-faced man sneered, revealing a sinister grin. “That's right, you’re actually aware of my name, kid. Seems I’ve made a bit of a name for myself even outside Cangyu City.”
Li Hao’s fingers clenched tightly around his sword hilt, causing it to slowly deform under his grip.
He took a deep breath and said, “Seven years ago, you ambushed an officer on the national highway in Qizhou. Do you remember that?”
“Hm?”
The broad-faced man raised an eyebrow, his eyes suddenly gleaming with cold intent. “Are you talking about that Yanbei officer? What’s your connection to the Li family?!”
Seeing him acknowledge it, the murderous intent in Li Hao’s gaze was uncontrollable:
“My surname is Li!”
Tiger-robed Immortal’s pupils contracted slightly as his aura surged. His gaze shifted from Li Hao to Yue Shuhong, chillingly addressing him:
“Brother Yue, looks like this brat overheard our conversation. What should we do now?”
“Now that your collusion with the Demon Race has been exposed, even if you escape from me today, your reputation will still be in shambles. According to Great Yu’s laws, you should know the penalty for conspiring with demons, don’t you?”
His gaze turned vicious. “Unless... you kill this brat and I’ll forget that moment of hesitation you just had.”
Yue Shuhong’s expression grew grave as he stared at Li Hao’s back.
After a pause, he shook his head and sneered coldly. “Hu Pao, if I kept listening to you, I’d truly be out of my mind. Today, it’s either you die or I perish. When we first became allies, didn’t we say we’d die in the same year, month, and day?”
“Pah! Fool!”
...
Tiger-robed Immortal spat foul-smelling saliva, sneering hideously. “You short-lived humans dare talk about living and dying with me?”
Mid-sentence, he lunged at Li Hao, the mighty tiger soul behind him roaring thunderously. The force alone was enough to knock a lesser cultivator in the Soul Fusion Realm unconscious.
Yet this thunderous roar merely brushed through Li Hao’s hair.
His eyes were dark, absorbing all light.
When Tiger-robed Immortal’s massive form closed in, Li Hao abruptly raised his hand.
With a resounding crack, his open hand pressed onto the Tiger-robed Immortal’s forehead, slamming him down onto the stone slabs below, shattering them.
The exchange happened in a flash, so quickly that Yue Shuhong, who had been about to draw his sword, halted mid-step, his foot suspended in the air.
In Li Hao’s hand, the jagged Demon-Slaying Blade reversed, driving fiercely into the side of Tiger-robed Immortal’s neck.
Tiger-robed Immortal, stunned and incredulous, lifted his head. This sheer power, this level of skill—how could it be possible?!
But all he faced was a pair of ice-cold eyes.
“I won’t let you die so easily.”
Li Hao’s voice was as soft as a whisper.
At the same time, his actions proved his intent.
The blade’s edge slid along Tiger-robed Immortal’s neck, tearing through the flesh of his shoulder and across his tiger-patterned back, ripping his skin away.
The Culinary Dao—skinning and cooking!
This was a seasoned skinning technique, honed to perfection, nearly an art in itself!
As the skin was stripped away, Tiger-robed Immortal let out a howl of agony.
His throat released a tiger’s roar, his skin tearing as black and yellow fur burst forth, revealing his true form.
With his transformation, the entire basement grew cramped.
The enormous tiger soul behind him roared at Li Hao, but behind Li Hao, his own spirit soul emerged.
This spirit matched Li Hao’s form, and with a simple raised palm, it crushed the tiger soul’s head.
The powerful force knocked the tiger soul backward; when its head reformed, it was noticeably dimmer, and its eyes reflected horror and fear.
Unmatched!
“How did you kill Uncle Lin back then? Today, I’ll make you repay it slowly,” Li Hao said, each word ice-cold.
Covered by his spirit, the blade in Li Hao’s hand remained sharp. Even in his true form, Tiger-robed Immortal found his head pinned beneath Li Hao’s foot, unable to lift it, like a nail driven into his skull!
His body writhed, struggling to break free from Li Hao’s crushing grip.
At that moment, golden light flickered in Li Hao’s eyes, as he abruptly unleashed the chessboard power engraved within his Body Dao technique: Tiger Pressure!
Tiger Pressure: A slight boost to physical power with a menacing aura!
If embedded into sword techniques, it would increase the technique’s power and imposing presence.
...
In Li Hao’s release, his entire form radiated the majesty of a thousand-year-old tiger, the sovereign of the mountains and forests, his eyes emitting a cold glow that subdued all beasts.
The Tiger-robed Immortal, pinned beneath Li Hao’s foot, shivered as he sensed the terrifying aura exuding from him, his eyes dull with dread.
He felt as though he were being oppressed by a Tiger King, without a shred of courage to resist.
Trembling like a leaf, his entire body ached, but he could no longer summon any ferocity.
“Spare me! Please, spare me! I was wrong. I’ll do anything you ask; I’ll even serve as your slave...” Tiger-robed Immortal whimpered in terror.
Li Hao didn’t respond. Instead, he swiftly skinned the tiger from head to tail, peeling away its hide entirely.
Tiger-robed Immortal, suffering beyond words, merely lay there quivering, too terrified to flee.
Beside him, Yue Shuhong watched, dumbfounded. Was this the same Tiger-robed Immortal who had always been so arrogant before him for over twenty years?
Stripping flesh, extracting bones, severing tendons...
Blood flowed like a river from Tiger-robed Immortal’s massive body. He begged for mercy countless times, but Li Hao was unmoved.
The brutal, bloody scene deeply shocked Yue Shuhong’s mind, leaving him trembling with cold dread.
After nearly half an hour of this ruthless ordeal, Li Hao finally severed the nearly lifeless Tiger-robed Immortal’s head.
He drove the jagged blade into the tiger’s back, hoisting the fear-frozen head, and said coldly:
“Seven years ago, did you take part in the ambush of the Li family member?”
Yue Shuhong shuddered. Though the young man hadn’t turned to face him, Yue Shuhong could feel the chill seeping into his bones.
At this point, he knew his own death was inevitable. With a sorrowful smile, he said, “Though I’m guilty of many things, I’d never frame the loyal.”
Li Hao’s tone was as cold as ice. “Then was it you who conspired with demons, secretly sacrificing humans as food for them?”
Yue Shuhong’s face twitched slightly, and he nodded. “Yes, it was all me. Handing over people to these demons, harming my own kind—that was my doing.”
He mocked himself bitterly, “At first, I only sent condemned prisoners, making use of the worthless. But when their numbers fell short, and the demons pressed harder, I had to start sending mountain bandits, and even civilians.”
“Why?”
Li Hao turned, fixing him with a penetrating stare.
“Why ally with demons, you ask?”
Yue Shuhong laughed bitterly, a hint of regret in his gaze. “When I was first appointed, I too wanted to clear out the surrounding demons and bring peace to the world. But I soon learned that human strength is limited. You can’t kill them all. They multiply too fast, and there are too many. Great Yu is no longer the invincible dynasty it once was. Over the years, it has begun to show signs of decline...”
“I sent requests everywhere for reinforcements, for troops, but they all vanished without a trace.”
“Who will save Cangyu City?”
He let out a bitter laugh, looking at Li Hao. “If I didn’t sacrifice people to them, more would only die. I, Yue, have little strength. I can only shoulder the sins of the entire city to keep these people safe!”
“I know my death today is inevitable. I don’t expect forgiveness. But... I only ask to be buried in this Cangyu City. That would be enough. I beg... Young Master, please grant me that!”
Saying this, he lifted his official robe, dropping to his knees.
At the same time, he removed the city defender's hat from his head and placed it aside.
Disheveled hair framed his tear-streaked face.
Li Hao stood in the dim glow of an oil lamp, looking down at the face that remained in the shadows, observing the tears that streaked his cheeks.
After a moment of silence, he looked away and said coldly:
“You indeed deserve death, but your crimes are for the court to decide, not for me.”
“Now, with the great demons pressing in, since you still have the strength... then follow me to slay demons!”
With that, he set the massive tiger head on a nearby table and turned to leave.