[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-devouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h":3,"chapter-devouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h-devouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h-chapter-128":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Devouring Evil, Exterminating Demons Across All Heavens",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2267073,4426,"Chapter 128: A Few Candles, How Much Light Can They Give?","devouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h-chapter-128",128,"\u003Cp>Principal Feng carried the cat in his arms, leading Chu Tianshu across a small bridge within the school.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This bridge was far more refined than the little bridges in Chu Tianshu’s hometown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bridges back home either had no railings at all, or just bamboo poles tied as railings; only a few had hollow stainless steel railings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even half-buried in snow, this school’s bridge revealed every railing to be meticulously carved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each railing top held a miniature lion in a different pose—some raised a paw, some scratched its face, some pressed a ball.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some bit stone swords in their mouths, some curled their tails around lotus flowers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Others had bushy eyebrows curled back with a charmingly innocent expression, or bared sharp fangs with a hint of solemn authority.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu reached out and brushed the snow off one lion’s head, glancing at it twice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lions’ postures carried a peculiar rhythm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first glance, he thought they might embody some martial art’s essence; upon closer inspection, however, many details defied the principles of force generation in martial techniques.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Principal Feng turned back, smiling: “These are feng shui talismans of the internal energy cultivation lineage.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Internal energy cultivators cannot master most spirit-communicating arts, but they have their own insights into feng shui—original and distinctive.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Spirit-communicating arts mostly rely on an elusive, indescribable aerial resonance, cultivating subtle, formless, colorless fluctuations that manifest power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng shui, by contrast, focuses on the principles of auspicious and inauspicious qi flow, concealment, and storage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tiny droplets and dust gather into streams, forming nodes and channels, still or moving—its parallels to internal energy cultivation are numerous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu nodded slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the other method must also involve internal energy and feng shui?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beyond the bridge stood a large building; Feng Jianhua pulled out a key and unlocked the redwood door on the first floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the door was closed, the wind outside was gentle; but the moment it opened, it was as if a hole had been drilled into a full wooden barrel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All the cold winds surged toward it, howling into the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wind speed had increased dramatically, making clothes and pant legs ripple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as Chu Tianshu stepped inside, the principal quickly shut the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When this building was designed, they deliberately created a layout that draws air currents inward.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng Jianhua said, “Sometimes people sit here in stillness, breathing to purify their qi with the wind.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu surveyed the room’s interior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His first impression was white.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>White ceiling, white ceiling lamps, white ceramic tiles on all four walls, white floor tiles as pure as washed snow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several large windows were frosted thickly with ice flowers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room was utterly empty—perhaps meant for airflow, so no furniture stood inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only on the east wall, near the southern wall, was there a small door painted cold white.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On either side of that small door stood a potted tree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this pale room, the trees’ brown bark, gnarled branches, and deep green leaves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each color stood out vividly, pleasing to the eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Behind that door is the staircase to the second floor—above is my painting studio.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng Jianhua gestured lightly with his hand, and Bai Mei leapt from his arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll go up and fetch something—wait a moment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu felt no need to be formal; seeing the tiles were clean, he stepped forward two paces and sat cross-legged in the center of the large tile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Mei walked over, and Chu Tianshu extended a finger to stroke the cat’s chin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cat!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu chuckled, “Turn into that human-like form again and show me a set of fists.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Mei showed no hesitation, executed a backflip, and transformed into a small human-cat form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On his furry black head, the two white eyebrows looked stern; he stepped into a bow stance, one arm raised, the other extended flat, assuming a posture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hoo!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to when he first escaped the cage, exhausted and drained,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Mei now clearly had full energy, his limbs strong and forceful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He spun, swept his leg, executed a full fist set, then suddenly split his legs wide, pressing them flat against the ground, driving one fist nearly to the floor—then instantly shifting into a cat’s paw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A soft-on-outside, hard-on-inside press sent the entire cat bouncing into the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the descent, his fists and feet moved so fast they left afterimages, delivering over twenty strikes in succession.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A cat, reshaping its bones and tendons into human form, yet still delivering swift, powerful strikes—that was what most intrigued Chu Tianshu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the gaze of his Insight Technique, as the little cat completed the entire form, Chu Tianshu felt a sudden insight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bone-shrinking skill is ultimately just controlling bones and tendons.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu extended his right hand flat, then suddenly shook it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wave-like softness was merely basic training.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this shake, he added a spiral twist; the palm at the front rotated a full circle from fingers-up to fingers-up again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still fingers-up, palm-forward—but the entire arm felt strangely unnatural.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Mei stood on the ground, having finished his fist set, now performing the final bow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, a black shadow fell from above, wrapping around him—from waist to neck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black shadow moved like a flexible python, coiled twice around his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The “snakehead” finger lightly tapped the cat’s ear tip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Mei froze, staring at the “python” coiled around himself—its tail extending all the way back to Chu Tianshu’s shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu smiled, his arm whipping away like a long whip, retracting into his sleeve, palm resting on his knee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cat-man spun several times in place before finally stopping.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve learned a little about how to generate powerful force even when bones and tendons are in abnormal states.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu thought inwardly, “Unfortunately, though I can control my arm bones and temporarily soften them like bamboo strips,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I haven’t fully mastered the Guanyin Bone technique—under this state, my muscles exert excessive pressure on my bones, wasting considerable internal energy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cat-man’s tail reached out, curling toward Chu Tianshu’s palm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu snapped back to awareness, pinching Bai Mei’s tail between his fingers, seeing the expectant look in the cat’s eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Expectation?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu felt odd, and tried shaking his hand lightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meow!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Mei reverted to cat form, crouched on the ground, all four paws planted, every hair standing on end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His long tail dipped slightly downward; the whole cat looked fluffy yet formidable, a low rumbling growl vibrating within him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You like it when I grip your tail and send a palm-thunder vibration?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Mei nodded eagerly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So that’s it—you’ve gained wisdom and mastered bone-shrinking, but as a cat, you’re already elderly, your bones and tendons weakening.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When I grabbed you back then, I unconsciously used a bit of palm-thunder energy; afterward, you sensed its benefit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu found it strangely subtle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The method of the Toad Palm Palm Thunder, though said to purify one’s qi and blood, renewing the old with the new, primarily benefits the cultivator alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If one directs palm-thunder energy at another, even without intent to harm, it yields little benefit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Bai Mei, being not only a sentient spirit-cat but also a master of bone-shrinking, had somehow created a rare coincidence where palm-thunder energy actually aided him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu shook the cat’s tail a few more times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Mei bared his teeth, bristling with energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after two more shakes, his legs gave out, collapsing to the ground with a dazed meow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It seems there’s a limit to how many times you can endure this daily.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu mused, “You’re so attuned to palm-thunder, and you’ve mastered fist techniques—could you possibly learn palm-thunder yourself?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he thought this, he heard footsteps on the stairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng Jianhua came down carrying a large pile of items.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dozens of fine cloth rolls, a heap of candles, and a bag of suction hooks—all piled in his right hand, his left arm clutching a large floor mirror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Place the floor mirror on the south side.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng Jianhua muttered to himself, as if measuring with his steps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The candles were stacked before the mirror; the fine cloths were temporarily laid on the floor, while he took only the suction hooks and pressed them high onto the walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Two meters from the ground, half a meter apart.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He walked the entire room in a full circle, securing the hooks firmly onto the ceramic tiles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did he pick up the fine cloths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The yellowish-white fabric, rolled into bundles, each with a wooden rod running through the center.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Feng Jianhua hung the rod ends on the hooks and pulled down, the fabric unfurled—only then did others see the images painted across them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These cloths were originally paintings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu rose to look; each cloth was wide, filled with many figures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first painting showed a blood-red setting sun in the sky, and barren grass covering the ground below.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the high slope, a group of bandits, hats tilted, rifles in hand, bullet belts slung over their shoulders, charged toward the village below.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Flames already raged through the village; houses burned, doors collapsed, and many old and young fled for their lives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some villagers wielded broadswords, spears, and hunting bows, striking back at the bandits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu could tell the painting was rendered with colored ink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ink inevitably seeped along the fabric’s fibers, creating irregular blurs that made the outlines of the scenery appear jagged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This fabric was unsuitable for painting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the blood of villagers shot down, the tears of fleeing people, the scenes of bandits struck by arrows, their stunned and furious expressions—all looked utterly real at a glance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu nearly believed he had returned to the Republic era, standing atop some mountain ridge, gazing at such a brutal battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He saw a giant, most formidable, swinging a long saber as he plunged into the bandit ranks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The giant’s blade severed the heads of surrounding bandits, yet blood splattered across his own body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A bandit leader hid behind the others, raising his rifle to aim just a short distance away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu’s fingers twitched; his brow furrowed slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even knowing it was only a painting, he had just felt the urge to slap the bandit leader dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was only a painting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu steadied his mind and turned to the other images.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under a dark moon and howling wind, a large group of warriors signaled silently, moving through the forest, stealthily approaching the brightly lit fortress atop the hill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On several small boats at the ferry, frantic figures stood; some were already pinned to shore, crates of ancient bronze artifacts overturned, gun muzzles spitting fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a pharmacy with a blurred sign, a man with a slicked-back hairdo watched calmly as rows of gaunt workers passed below, pointing at the leader among them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the rubble of a demolished house, broken limbs lay exposed; a weeping figure knelt beside them, yet a blade had already severed the back of a construction vehicle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he saw this, Chu Tianshu suddenly recalled the earlier paintings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, the middle-aged man who slashed the car had appeared in every prior scene—only younger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The youth hiding in the pharmacy’s corner, the young warrior with rifle and saber, the barefoot boy fleeing with a child in the village—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were clearly Feng Jianhua in his youth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the middle-aged man, there were many more paintings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Against the backdrop of an exploding speedboat, the riverside battlefield was lit as he hurled his long saber.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside a crowded green-painted train, he strangled a woman clutching a child, a dagger in her hand…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The final few paintings depicted what seemed to be the same event.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside a vast shopping mall, shattered display windows littered the floor, broken ribbons drifted from midair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swarms of bats fluttered through the sky; zombie-like figures lunged at disciplined warriors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The warriors fought in groups of three or five, reckless and fearless; beside them stood civilians in civilian clothes, wielding cold weapons, even clutching prayer beads or wooden swords.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their enemies matched the warriors’ firepower, and everywhere oozed unnatural yin energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In every corner of the mall, tiny skeletons formed altars, upon which sat a blind man wearing sunglasses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A pregnant corpse was buried inside a concrete pillar; a monstrous figure with a green, ape-like claw reached into the pillar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“These are all some of my past experiences. After growing old, I either sleep or drift into daydreams.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When I recall certain vivid memories, yet find nothing tangible to commemorate them, I decided to paint them myself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng Jianhua finished hanging the last painting, stepped back a few paces, clapped his hands, and looked around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I painted many, but the ones I poured the most killing intent and deepest focus into—these are the ones before you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu said nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng Jianhua smiled: “We’ve just met; you probably don’t want to listen to an old man’s tales. But at least, carefully study these paintings. Later, when I unleash my killing intent—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu suddenly pointed at one painting and asked: “Who is that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng Jianhua turned his gaze, extended a finger, and pressed it against the painting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You mean this one?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It showed the mall’s exterior, where a group of wounded soldiers received emergency treatment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu pointed to a man beside the stretcher.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng Jianhua paused to recall: “That was our squad medic back then—Chu Guodong. A spirited young fellow. Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The principal glanced at Chu Tianshu. “Both surnamed Chu—could he be your relative?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu stared at the scene and smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Same name? He’s probably my grandfather.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng Jianhua was surprised: “So your family’s spirit-medium lineage passes down the Ghost Gate’s medical arts?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Makes sense. During the great battle to destroy these ghost markets, anyone in the Jianghuai region with even a shred of courage or reputation joined in.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng Jianhua gazed at the canvas, his voice low.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Too bad many joined as men destined to be cut down.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu asked curiously: “My grandfather always glossed over these stories. Could you tell me more?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng Jianhua hesitated: “Ah, I remember your grandfather well, but I wasn’t close to him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t need stories centered on him—I want to know the people and events he witnessed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu said earnestly: “Tell me about the ghost market battle.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng Jianhua met his gaze for several seconds, then laughed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright. Though I’m a businessman, if you’re willing to listen, I’ll tell you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng Jianhua looked at the canvases, beginning his tale from the position of Chu’s grandfather.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To say what your grandfather witnessed—he certainly remembered this man with the wine gourd.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He seemed more casual than most of us, yet he was the official representative at the time, later becoming an elder of the Special Capture Bureau.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“‘One drunken farewell in Jinghua, parting from old friends’—he later went to the capital to hold the line, hasn’t been in touch for years. I wonder if he’s grown more composed since.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“These are the Mo brothers—three of them, perfectly in sync, their cultivation exquisite. They charged hardest back then; many still remember them vividly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And these leaders of the demonic sects who ran the ghost markets…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With each name Feng Jianhua spoke, his finger shifted to a new scene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the old principal slowly moved, he recounted each painting one by one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu listened in silence, as if every figure on the canvas had come alive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though every painting contained Feng Jianhua himself,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>he was not the only figure, nor even always the main one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In many scenes, he was merely a bystander.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the killing intent gathered from these diverse figures flowed along a single thread—Feng Jianhua’s own growth—woven through each painting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu listened, then returned to the first painting and examined them all again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the old principal painted each figure, his emotions must have varied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the final killing intent formed was astonishingly pure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This killing intent could not be said to have grown stronger or denser.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rather, it had grown… brighter?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not the bleak, sinking darkness of the blind man, nor the proud, luxurious isolation of Hai Donglai, indifferent to reputation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This bright killing intent carried the stubborn resolve of those who had shared the same heart and the same cause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Precisely because it was so hard-won, it carried a precious, self-respecting warmth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng Jianhua had finished recounting all the stories embedded in the ghost market paintings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stood silent for a long while in the lingering echo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu whispered to himself: “How can killing intent be bright?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why, after such a glorious, victorious slaughter, did his grandfather sink into despair?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it merely because he wasn’t among the most prominent? That would be regret, nothing more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Killing intent can be bright.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng Jianhua repeated the words, then laughed heartily: “Perhaps because we, those who wielded knives and guns, truly accomplished so much.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We created far better things than before.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“These were deep-rooted, tangible achievements, standing openly beneath the sun, making even sunlight more beautiful—why shouldn’t it be bright?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Snowlight from the window fell on the old man’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu looked at him, and from his passionate words, he saw a trace of sorrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Too bad—if our killing intent were truly pure and bright, these paintings alone could shatter your doubts, and we wouldn’t need these secret incense, candles, or mirrors to enhance the light.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng Jianhua sighed: “You’ll soon feel it—our killing intent still holds dark, powerless parts.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even though we once had the most precious unity and resolve, even though we dared to clash with so much, there was still so much darkness… we could never—would never—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Never finish wiping it out!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng Jianhua smiled: “Sometimes, even what we’ve done feels as if we never did it at all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu lifted his eyelashes, gazing at the young medic in the painting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So this was the real reason?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grandfather, the world has so many unfinished tasks—why burden yourself with such grand ideals?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You people…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But I refuse to accept it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng Jianhua spat out those words and swept his hand outward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A pale green internal force surged forth, both yielding and resilient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pile of candles before the mirror shot into the air, then fell back, arranged perfectly into an intricate pattern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immediately, the green energy flowed back like a breeze brushing past.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a hissing crackle, all the candles ignited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu turned his gaze toward it and suddenly saw that the candlelight was reflected in the mirror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Exactly forming the character “Kill”!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As long as I’m still alive, I’ll keep killing—otherwise, these canvases will think I’ve shamed them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feng Jianhua strode toward the door and pulled the wooden door open with both hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Little Chu, look—without me here, is the killing intent in this room strong enough to help you train?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cold wind rushed in, making the paintings on the walls tremble; the wind blew all the way to the southern wall, weakened but still causing every candle to flicker wildly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu stared at the flickering “Kill” character in the mirror, then stepped sideways, placing himself between the door and the mirror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted to preserve that fiery character.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dim, powerless aura of killing intent seemed to be dispelled by the candlelight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu smiled helplessly, closed his eyes, then opened them again with sudden clarity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s enough.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You’ve done more than enough; if you can’t kill them all, it’s not your fault—it’s the world’s fault, and…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aren’t we still here?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is our world too!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",3263,"2026-06-19T20:45:51.976Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","bf482b7db130b7f5e0db962ea5cefc0ad12eb6907aa3cbf71bbaf71801c081a1","devouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h-chapter-129","devouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h-chapter-127",155,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fdevouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h-cover.jpg"]