Chapter 131: Exterminate Demons and Wicked Spirits, Earn Reward

County government office.

Inner mansion.

This was where the County Magistrate lived—a grand, imposing residence, lit up with bright lanterns.

Ordinary households dared not even light a candle, yet here there were at least eight hundred candles burning.

County Magistrate Zhu Renhe sat cross-legged in meditation.

Qi Cheng fussing over a pile of bottles and jars.

Suddenly!

"Puff!"

Qi Cheng spat out a mouthful of blood, the crimson stain on the ground stark and horrifying.

"What happened?"

Zhu Renhe opened his eyes, his gaze sharp and piercing.

Qi Cheng's face was grim.

"The ghost demon I raised has been killed."

Just now, his connection with Zhang Hao had been abruptly severed—Zhang Hao was the ghost demon he had raised; with its death, he suffered a backlash.

Zhu Renhe frowned slightly:

"Jiang Lin and Cao Wei are both away. Then who could it be?"

"Could it be Ning Zhongtian again?"

Qi Cheng shook his head: "I don't know. It must have been someone of Garrison Commander rank. Ghost demon flesh is tough—even ordinary willow sinew struggles to pierce it, yet this person struck once and killed it."

Zhu Renhe's expression darkened.

"Will they trace it back to us?"

Though the Zhu family is a great clan, if Jiang Lin or Cao Wei discovered our ties to the Ghost Ming Sect,

the outcome would be the same.

"Relax. I've already used a secret technique—the ghost demon has been dissolved into bloodwater. No matter how skilled the coroner, he won't find a trace."

Zhu Renhe's expression eased slightly: "Good."

Qi Cheng's face was pale, his eyes blazing with murderous intent.

"Who was it?"

Zhang Hao was a rare, high-quality vessel he had spent great effort to find—he hadn't even had time to properly nurture it, and now it was dead before it could grow.

A demon-raiser loses his ghost demon.

That's a massive loss.

He was furious beyond measure.

"Anning Guard—this isn't over!"

Zhang Hao had already sent him a coded message: the Anning Guard harbored the scent of a spiritual trigger, possibly linked to a celestial treasure.

He had just joined the Anning Guard.

And now he's dead. It's hard not to suspect foul play.

Seeing Qi Cheng's murderous intent, Zhu Renhe snapped: "Qi Lao, Jiang Lin and Cao Wei are returning from Yunzhou tomorrow. We must plan carefully."

Had the other not been of high status, he would have already removed Qi Cheng from Qinghe County.

To prevent him from stirring up trouble.

Qi Cheng's face darkened; he snorted coldly: "I understand."

Elsewhere.

In the secret tunnel.

Li Rui let out a soft sound of surprise as he watched the corpse of the severed ghost demon Zhang Hao dissolve into a pool of blood, seeping into the ground.

Only a few breaths passed.

There was no trace of the ghost demon left—only a pool of crimson.

Not even a fragment of bone remained.

"Impressive technique!"

Li Rui's heart tightened—it was clearly the demon-raiser's doing.

He curled his fingers slightly.

A thread of true qi shot out, striking a tiny, unremarkable insect on the ground.

The next instant.

A scream like a wailing ghost erupted within the cave.

After ensuring the insect was dead.

Li Rui crouched down, wary of poison, using the tip of his blade to roll the insect over and examine it for a long while.

"Control-body insect?"

This tiny insect matched exactly the ones described in ancient texts, used by demon-raisers to control beasts.

He had seen pictures of them in books before.

Today was the first time he saw a real one.

Li Rui rubbed his chin:

"The demon-raiser's methods resemble the witchcraft of the ancient Wu Gu tribe—both use insect parasites to achieve uncanny, godlike effects."

These techniques were truly astonishing—they could truly transfer a person's soul into a beast and remotely control it.

He stood up.

Moments ago the tunnel had been pitch black; now, with candles lit, he saw that the walls were lined with thick bamboo tubes, stuffed full of cotton.

As a man from the modern world, he knew bamboo and cotton were natural soundproofing materials.

So when they dug this tunnel, they built it as a soundproof chamber.

He had originally intended it for hiding, never imagining his first use would be to bury a corpse.

Inside this tunnel, even if you fought or screamed until your throat bled, no one outside would hear a thing.

Very useful.

Everything that happened tonight was premeditated.

The moment he heard the news from Wei Ming, he began preparing.

The brazier lit tonight was deliberately ignited by Yang Yong—he controlled the speed at which the charcoal burned to create the illusion he was still inside his room.

In truth, he had long since slipped out through the tunnel to the courtyard.

He had been observing the yard from another room the entire time.

The moment the ghost demon entered the courtyard, he spotted it.

But he did not strike immediately—he waited until the demon entered the room, then moved.

Let me repeat:

Killing is easy. Burying the body is hard.

This is the Anning Guard. Any fight will immediately draw the attention of patrolling soldiers.

They'll summon martial experts from the army.

Then his true strength will be exposed—even the secret of his dual forms might be discovered.

If someone suspects he's gained some great fortune and develops malicious intent, that would be disastrous.

Of course, all this depends on him being able to kill his opponent.

Did you really think he spent half the night freezing with Zhang Hao just for fun?

He had been observing Zhang Hao through his spiritual eye all along.

Only after confirming Zhang Hao's strength was no higher than Willow Sinew did he strike.

Had there been the slightest uncertainty, he would have immediately summoned Ning Zhongtian—even if it brought unnecessary trouble.

But now,

this is the best possible outcome. Zhang Hao likely came for the celestial treasure. If Ning Zhongtian had captured him alive and learned Zhang Hao's purpose, Li Rui would have been doomed.

He already knew:

That celestial treasure was a tribute to the Emperor. Jiang Lin had already handed over the one he obtained from the Old Mother of Ten Thousand Ghosts.

That meant Li Rui had stolen the Emperor's tribute—a crime he could never survive.

Li Rui emerged from the secret tunnel.

He sealed the entrance with stone bricks again; the room fell utterly still.

Yang Yong and Wang Zhao's rooms remained dark, unaware of any disturbance.

Neither of them had woken, let alone the patrolling soldiers. Li Rui, as if nothing had happened, took off his outer robe.

Slid into bed.

His mind had been restless these past two days—now he could finally sleep soundly.

Just as he was about to close his eyes—

A line of small characters appeared.

【Congratulations, Host! Achievement completed: "Famous in the Jianghu—Initial Plot: Exterminate Demons and Wicked Spirits."】

【Wandering the Jianghu, you encountered demons and wicked spirits bringing ruin upon mortals. You rose up, drew your blade, exterminated them, restored peace to the world, and earned a legendary hero's name in the Jianghu.】

【Task "Exterminate Demons and Wicked Spirits" completed. Reward calculation in progress.】

【Task Score: A.】

【Obtained 40 Achievement Points!】

【Achievement Points reached 100. Reward being granted.】

=9+Book_Ba

【By using true qi to slay demons and purge evil, the effect is superior. You have devoted yourself to deep contemplation and finally merged the Two Forms into one!】

【Congratulations! You have upgraded the Nine Mystical Spirit Sky Map to the Dragon Soaring Through Nine Heavens Map!】

【Young hero, begin your perfect martial world journey!】

【Age +3】

【Name: Li Rui】

【Age: 10】

【Talent: Martial Bone, Exceptional Comprehension, Spirit Eye】

【Technique: Long Chun Art, Dragon Soaring Through Nine Heavens Map】

【Achievements: 10/100】

Merged into one!

Li Rui's eyes brightened.

He bore both Forms; while others practiced one thirty-six-cycle circuit per day, he had to practice two.

This undoubtedly greatly increased the time required for cultivation.

Sometimes he had no time at all to toughen his body.

The reason was simple: no one in the world possessed both the Immortal Form and the Dragon Form, so no one had ever created a qi-circulation map combining both.

Now the system had solved his biggest problem.

"Dragon Soaring Through Nine Heavens."

"Perfect name!"

Li Rui silently praised.

Yet he did not, like those young fools, stay up all night to frantically train just because he had gained a new qi-circulation map.

Cultivation is a matter of persistent effort.

A single night's rush would yield little benefit.

Sleep, however, was vital.

Only a true man remains unmoved even as mountains collapse before him.

As long as it was not a matter of life or death, nothing could disrupt Li Rui's routine.

Moments later.

He fell into deep sleep.

The next day.

At the first hour of Chen, the sky was just beginning to lighten.

Li Rui rose precisely on time, washed up briefly, then returned to his room and sat cross-legged on his bed.

A meridian map appeared in his mind.

This map blended the essence of the Flying Dragon in Heaven Map and the Nine Mystical Spirit Sky Map—familiar, yet distinctly different.

Li Rui began circulating qi according to the meridians marked on the map.

The Xuanqing qi in his dantian rose.

Slowly flowed through his entire body.

"Use qi as the dragon, your body as the Nine Heavens. The great dragon patrols the seven sinews and eight vessels, strengthening meridians, activating tendons, and solidifying the foundation. Only through daily diligent practice can one witness the aura of the Nine Heavens."

Nine is the ultimate number.

"Its height towers above the Nine Heavens; its breadth encompasses all eight directions."

The Nine Heavens referred to the utmost heavens—the ancient sages' term for the Immortal Court.

The Dragon Soaring Through Nine Heavens Map required the dragon form to patrol the body, aiding the Chaotic Pearl in opening heaven and earth, forming the aura of the Immortal Court.

"The Immortal Court dwells within the belly; one exhalation releases ten thousand divine splendors."

Even with Li Rui's composure,

he could not help but be entranced by the supreme realm depicted in the Dragon Soaring Through Nine Heavens Map.

He completed thirty-six minor circuits.

Only then did he slowly open his eyes.

He glanced at the sky.

It was still before Chen—he had completed a minor circuit in less than an hour.

"After merging, the qi-circulation time has shortened dramatically. For the first time, I have so much leisure."

He pushed open the door.

Performed a set of "Old Man's Fist."

The name "Old Man's Fist" had been given by Yang Yong.

He had once learned it alongside Li Rui, but later found it dull and abandoned it.

True enough.

For ordinary people, this fist form, derived from the Long Chun Art, offered little more benefit than a walk.

Only because this fist form relied on Xuanqing qi to unleash its true power.

Without Xuanqing qi, practicing it merely strengthened the body.

After finishing the set,

Yang Yong and Wang Zhao stepped out of their room.

"Old Li, why are you up so early today?"

Yang Yong stared at Li Rui, fists drawn to his waist, surprised.

Previously, Li Rui always woke after Chen, ate breakfast, and barely made it to the Weapon Depot for roll call.

He hadn't seen Li Rui rise early to practice "Old Man's Fist" in ages.

Li Rui: "Getting older, can't sleep. Came out to stretch."

Yang Yong chuckled: "Stretching's good. Otherwise, cooped up all day in your room, I'd fear your old bones might fall apart."

He simply believed that as one aged, one must move more.

Li Rui ate breakfast.

Then went to the Weapon Depot.

He specifically sought out Ge Hong.

Ge Hong, as a platoon leader commanding troops, had also been on patrol last night.

Upon learning nothing had occurred last night,

he finally sighed in relief.

Then, as if nothing had happened, he resumed flipping through books in the Weapon Depot.

Around noon,

a clatter of hooves suddenly echoed outside the Weapon Depot.

Li Rui slowly set down his book.

"The hoofbeats—those are Jiang's White Rainbow and Cao's Flying Mountain."

"They've returned, then."

Recognizing riders by their horses' hooves—wasn't that normal for a stablehand?

(End of Chapter)