Chapter 97: Repel Demon Beasts, Slay Demonic Evildoers

In the black night, a cloud obscured the moon, plunging Qinghe City into darkness; occasionally, a few warm red lanterns could be seen along the streets.

A rapid pounding of footsteps.

“Brother Zhang, what’s going on?”

Li Rui was woken in the dead of night by Zhang Yang, who gave no specifics—only ordered him to come along and bring his weapons.

He threw on an outer robe and reached the branch’s entrance.

He found Tang Sheng, Dao Xiong, two deputy branch masters, and several hall masters already assembled; together, they left the branch.

Zhang Yang shook his head helplessly: “I don’t know either.”

“They say it’s the county magistrate’s order. The branch master said nothing more—we’ll find out when we get there.”

Li Rui’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“Such caution—it seems the county magistrate is about to make a major move.”

Even at the city gate, they showed no sign of stopping.

“Are we really leaving the city?”

Li Rui followed Tang Sheng and the others out of Qinghe City; after walking about a li along the official road, he saw disciples of Huaqing Sect and members of the Blood Tiger Gang.

Tang Sheng stepped forward.

He bowed to the middle-aged leader of Huaqing Sect: “Exalted Envoy, all members of the Heaven and Earth Alliance are assembled.”

The middle-aged man nodded: “Good. Follow me.”

Swift and decisive.

The Heaven and Earth Alliance had barely arrived when, without further words, he led his men into the woods beside the road.

Li Rui did not see Jiang Lin’s figure.

He quickened his pace and found Han Qin in the crowd: “Little Han, what are we doing?”

Han Qin’s face was grim:

Ambush the Ghost Sect.

Paozi Ridge.

Flames lit the forest crimson; the clashing of weapons and cries of battle never ceased.

Damn Ghost Sect—die!

Zhang Yang kicked a fleeing Ghost Sect disciple to the ground and brought his blade down on his head.

Blood spurted high.

He dropped dead instantly.

Li Rui had already drawn his longsword; he slashed away one charging Ghost Sect disciple, retreating subtly backward.

He remained always in the center of the crowd.

This position offered both offensive advantage and defensive security—an ideal spot.

This was the Ghost Sect’s stronghold; they had no shortage of experts. If someone targeted him, trouble would follow.

He watched Ghost Sect disciples pouring out of the cave.

“They’ve actually found the Ghost Sect’s hideout!”

The Ghost Sect persisted because, whenever they vanished into deep mountains, they became impossible to find.

Just like this cave.

Paozi Ridge had at least eighty, if not a hundred, such caves.

Unless someone leaked the location, they’d never be uncovered.

As Li Rui knocked down approaching Ghost Sect disciples, he subtly reached out and snatched items glowing with golden light.

He silently regretted it.

He’d left in a hurry.

He should’ve worn an outer robe with hidden pockets—this one couldn’t hold much.

He could only selectively take items rich in spiritual essence, ignoring the rest.

“Too much—far too much.”

At that moment,

Zhang Yang glanced warily toward a distance: “Ghost Mask Blade, Hu Yanzhao!”

Li Rui turned his head at the sound.

He saw a massive, pot-bellied man, eight feet tall, swinging a colossal blade as tall as a man, shaped like a coffin lid.

Just the sight of him struck fear into the heart.

Before him, a Huaqing Sect disciple floated like a falling leaf, locked in fierce combat with the Ghost Mask Blade.

The two were evenly matched.

“Impressive footwork.”

Li Rui silently praised.

Huaqing Sect truly was exceptional. Ghost Mask Blade was a notorious killer across several counties near Qinghe, yet the Huaqing disciple handled him with ease, pinning him down relentlessly.

Zhang Yang clicked his tongue.

“Zhao Wei didn’t die unjustly—no wonder his bones were never found.”

Li Rui nodded: “Ghost Mask Blade lives up to his reputation. Today, we’ve avenged Deputy Branch Master Zhao.”

“Exactly.”

Zhang Yang laughed loudly and slashed another Ghost Sect demon to the ground.

As he spoke,

A strange, animalistic roar echoed—unidentifiable in origin.

His pupils shrank sharply.

“It’s a demon beast!”

Before the words left his lips, over a dozen ferocious monsters burst from the cave—some as tall as ten feet, like hills, instilling dread.

Li Rui braced himself as if facing a dire enemy.

“These must be the demon beasts raised by the Ghost Sect.”

The demon beasts were enormous.

They charged through the crowd; the stronger fighters held their ground, but the weaker ones were flung dozens of feet away, collapsing and spitting blood.

“It’s a Nine-Horned Silver Lizard!”

Li Rui’s gaze sharpened.

As the massive lizard lunged at him, memories of the Nine-Horned Silver Lizard’s details surfaced in his mind.

Demon beasts were entities beyond ordinary animals.

They dwelled in deep forests and remote mountains.

Most village legends of ghosts and spirits were actually caused by demon beasts.

People classified demon beasts from first to ninth rank.

This Nine-Horned Silver Lizard had two main horns; upon closer inspection, small bumps clustered beside them.

A rank-eight Nine-Horned Silver Lizard.

When it grew nine horns, it became a rank-one demon beast capable of summoning storms.

For some reason, this Nine-Horned Silver Lizard fixated on Li Rui.

Reluctantly, Li Rui had to fight the giant lizard.

“Demon! Die!”

Li Rui uttered a sharp cry, his longsword weaving as he struck at the Nine-Horned Silver Lizard.

This was his first time facing a demon beast.

Though the Nine-Horned Silver Lizard knew no martial arts, its hide was thick and its strength terrifying.

Any ordinary martial artist would suffer grievously.

With one tail lash, it deflected Li Rui’s powerful slash; sparks flew as the blade scraped across its scales.

His pupils contracted slightly.

“Incredible defense.”

Li Rui concealed his true strength, revealing only six-tenths of his power—yet the Nine-Horned Silver Lizard’s defense still startled him.

He recalled the creature’s weakness from memory.

“The belly!”

Li Rui twisted his blade, changing from a downward slash to an upward thrust, targeting the softest part of the lizard’s underbelly.

After several strikes, the Nine-Horned Silver Lizard retreated repeatedly, growing cautious and hesitant.

After more than a dozen moves,

Li Rui found an opening; he thrust upward, slicing a gaping wound into the creature’s pale belly.

The Nine-Horned Silver Lizard let out a piercing roar.

Its primal instincts surged; it twisted its body and bolted into the nearby woods, vanishing quickly.

That slash had struck a vital point—the Nine-Horned Silver Lizard, even if it escaped, would not live long.

The forest ahead was uncertain.

The situation in the forest is unclear.

Li Rui did not rashly chase after them, and let out a breath of relief.

Just as he was about to find an opportunity to withdraw from this chaos—

A piercing roar came from the direction of the cave.

“Jiang Lin, do you truly intend to wipe us out completely?”

He turned his head.

There, he saw a humanoid monster, its gender indiscernible, its body black-green and bloated, standing a full zhang tall, bursting out of the cave.

The earlier roar had come from that monster’s mouth.

Could this thing even be called a human?!

Li Rui stared at the monster.

He drew in a sharp breath:

“Wan Gui Laomu?”

(End of Chapter)