Chapter 44: Today, I, the Lu Family, Hereby Declare the Extermination of the Demons!

The heads in the great hall were exceptionally jarring; the expressions of several Lu Family members changed instantly.

Some were filled with pity and disbelief, while others were consumed by surging rage, rising to their feet in anger.

"Demon Race!"

"How dare you kill our Lu Family elders and even commit crimes within Wanren City!"

"Die!"

The weapons in their hands pointed straight at the Demon Race member standing at the entrance of the great hall, who still wore a reckless, wicked smile on his face.

One Lu Family member, as if struck by lightning, stared stiffly at a head rolling on the floor of the great hall.

She let out a wail like a migratory bird with broken wings, tears rolling from her beautiful eyes.

"Tong'er!"

"No! My Tong'er!!"

In extreme sorrow, her black hair turned white in an instant, frost covering her head; she tremblingly drew her sword and attacked without a second thought.

"Demon Race! I will make you pay with your life for my daughter!"

But her strikes were chaotic, her mind clearly shattered by the death of her own daughter; even though her cultivation was at the Saint Realm, on par with this Demon Race member, she failed to inflict even the slightest injury upon him.

Lu Ren watched this scene expressionlessly.

This beautiful woman was named Lu Guangyan, a member of the Lu Family collateral branch from the generation of the Dark Pavilion Master; because of her exceptional talent, she had been sent to the main family and had her name changed to Guangyan.

One of the heads rolling in the great hall was her daughter, and the only beloved child of her and her late husband, Lu Daotong.

She was usually exceptionally alert, her large eyes like cat's-eye glass, and when she smiled, it was as if she were filled with the warm, fuzzy glow of sunlight.

Lu Ren did not like noise, but Lu Daotong was exceptionally lively; when she was small, she had been extremely close to this stern Family Head, clinging to Lu Ren's side every day—if it hadn't been against the rules, she likely would have called him father directly.

The younger generation of the Lu Family's 'Dao' lineage all felt close to Lu Ren.

Lu Daotong also had the best craftsmanship; she was a Chu Wu who was accustomed to acting spoiled and pestering the older brothers and sisters above her to taste the new roasted spirit chicken and freshly steamed spirit rice she had prepared.

On the head that had been severed by a blade, Lu Daotong's eyes were tightly shut; one earlobe was torn, while the other still held a tiny blue crystal.

Lu Ren still remembered that year when Lu Daotong, precocious as she was, pointed at Yu Ruowei and huffed, "Why does she have one, and I don't?"

"I want something made by the Family Head himself! Even if it isn't a Longevity Lock, anything will do, I want it, I want it!"

"Tong'er likes the Family Head the most; when Tong'er grows up, I will still like the Family Head the most, even a Dao partner will have to be second!"

Last year, she had accepted an investigation mission to a border city where the Lu Family collateral branch was located; there were two elders stationed there, so it was considered safe.

No one expected that their next meeting would be separated by life and death.

Lu Ren closed his eyes, masking the grief in his gaze.

He had managed to protect Lu Daoshuang, yet he had forgotten about Lu Daotong.

Or rather, the Demon Race had become so deranged that they were willing to dispatch forces capable of slaying two Supreme Saint Realm elders, one of whom had even reached Enlightenment! "Demon Race, you deserve to die!"

Lu Ren's eyes snapped open; he clapped his hands, and with a flick of his wrist, he drew his snake-blade to take the head of the Demon Race member.

His movements were swift and sudden; even the weeping Lu Guangyan, who was close at hand, did not react before being pushed aside by Lu Ren, who took her place, gripped his snake-blade, and slashed down!

The Demon Race member clearly had not expected that Lu Ren would be able to strike with such lethal intent even when facing a face identical to his own.

His pupils constricted, revealing a hint of astonishment at being out of control, and he hurriedly shouted, "Wait, you cannot kill me, I am merely a puppet, my true body is not here, I came here for an important matter..."

His voice stopped abruptly as his eyes saw his own body still standing in place, dancing about.

At the top of that torso was a headless neck.

Just as he had said, this body was indeed only a puppet; even when his neck was severed, no blood sprayed out. The head that had fallen to the ground looked shocked, gritted its teeth, and spoke: "Lu Family Head, do you not want to know how we killed your Lu Family elders!"

As the words fell, all he could see in his vision was the sole of a shoe enlarging on his face.

*Splat! * Stomping the noisy head into pieces, Lu Ren remained expressionless, "There is no need to listen to the words of the Demon Race."

He did not need to know the process; knowing the result was enough.

The scene was silent; no one had expected Lu Ren to act in such a way, killing the Demon Race puppet directly without even listening to a word.

The crowd had various thoughts, exchanging glances, and saw the gravity in each other's eyes.

The Demon Race had risen again and had directly declared war on the Lu Family.

Although they each had their own thoughts, the Human Race and the Demon Race were inherently incompatible; whenever a matter involving the Demon Race was encountered, all other reasons were cast aside, and they had to unite against the demons.

The remains of the Demon Race puppet still lay at Lu Ren's feet.

He commanded coldly, "Clean this up, the ceremony continues."

This ceremony had ultimately been cast in a shadow.

Lu Guangyan leaned limply against the Great Elder's shoulder; she clutched the Great Elder's arm, weeping bitterly, and stood up unsteadily, holding her daughter's head in her arms as she cried out hoarsely, "Family Head! Please send me to Hongyun Cheng!"

Hongyun Cheng was the place where Lu Daotong had lost her life.

Lu Guangyan gritted her teeth, her aura of hatred so intense it felt as if she could destroy the world; even though her daughter's face was right before her, she felt a hole in her heart from which cold air constantly seeped, wrapping tightly around her.

It was as if her very life force had gone along with her daughter.

Her gaze was cold and sharp as she said in agony, "I want to avenge my Tong'er with my own hands!"

"Family Head, I beg you to grant this!"

Choking back sobs, Lu Guangyan could not say another word, tears streaming down her face, showing faint signs of falling into a cultivation deviation.

"Thump!"

Before Lu Ren could speak, the Great Elder behind her could no longer bear to watch; he struck Lu Guangyan unconscious, placed Lu Daotong's head into a storage ring, and sighed, "Family Head, Elder Guangyan is overcome with grief and rage. I will take her down to rest first."

Having said that, he collected the heads of the other two elders.

If Lu Ren had not known the Great Elder well, he might not have noticed the deep sorrow within the Great Elder's heart.

He said nothing, waved his hand, and let the Great Elder take the people away.

As for Lu Ren himself, he lowered his eyes to look at his palm, the murderous intent in his gaze vanishing in a flash.

What did it matter if it was a puppet?

The Lu Family are not so easily killed! Just a moment ago, when he killed that Demon Race puppet, he had already planted a mark that only he could detect into its sea of consciousness.

As long as this wisp of his soul returns to its place, even if the target runs to the ends of the earth, Lu Ren will find them.

This marking technique was originally discovered by Lu Ren in the Upper Realm Pill Cultivation Inheritance, intended for marking medicinal pills, but now he has used it here, and it fits perfectly.

The atmosphere inside the hall remained incomparably heavy, and many people's faces were even twitching, fearing that some unforeseen change might occur next.

However, whatever one fears, that is what comes.

A moment later, Lu Ren looked at the various sects and factions in the great hall and slowly spoke: "Everyone, you have watched this play for long enough."

"The Demon Race has risen again, and there is no corner of peace in Dongzhou; today, I, the Lu Family, hereby declare the eradication of the demons!"

"Three months from now, the Wanren City auction will sell Longevity-Increasing Pills and... Demon-Eradicating Pills."

(End of chapter)