Chapter 13: Demons and Monsters Walk Beneath Black Wind Mountain

As soon as he entered the door, Li Xiang smelled a scent of blood.

Inside the room, Yun Xiu was holding blood-stained torn clothes and crying, while an injured middle-aged man stood beside her.

On the man's back, there was a huge bloody gash, from which blood was still dripping.

It was a claw mark!

What was even stranger was that wisps of black Qi were actually emerging from the wound!

What was going on?!

"Mother! Father, what happened to Father?!"

Having arrived in this world for three years, and living together day and night, this familial bond was not fake.

Li Xiang rushed over to support Yun Xiu; he suddenly had a very bad premonition.

Seeing Li Xiang return, Yun Xiu could no longer control her emotions and burst into tears.

"Your father, your father has been abducted by a Monster!"

"I told him, don't go, don't go!"

"He wouldn't listen, and now what are we to do!"

Yun Xiu held the blood-stained clothes, crying miserably, leaving Li Xiang completely bewildered.

"A Monster?!"

"What kind of Monster!?"

Before Yun Xiu could speak, the man beside her stepped forward.

"Li family daughter-in-law, stop crying, hurry up and get up so you can accompany me to report this to the authorities."

"This matter will naturally be handled by the people from the Demon Slaying Division; if we wait any longer, I fear your Lao San really won't survive!"

The man beside them had a deathly pale complexion, clearly caused by excessive blood loss.

Li Xiang knew this man; his name was Yan Xiu, and he was their neighbor. Their fields were adjacent, so they often looked after each other, and the two families had a good relationship.

"Report to the authorities! Yes! Report to the authorities!"

Having found a pillar of support, Yun Xiu hurriedly pulled Li Xiang and headed toward the Village Chief's house.

On the way, Li Xiang roughly understood what had happened.

His father and Yan Xiu had gone along the official road to Chiyang County today to do some business; they hadn't encountered bandits on the way, but had rarely encountered a Monster.

According to Yan Xiu, it was still early, and the fog hadn't yet dissipated, leaving everything gray and hazy. As the two walked along the official road, a gust of black wind suddenly blew over, and they saw a ghost-faced Monster rush out.

The Monster looked strange, somewhat like a black bear, broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, looking just like a small mountain.

After this Monster rushed out, its eyes glowed with a sharp light, and it brandished a wooden club and struck at the two of them.

The people of the Southern Wilderness were fierce; the two of them didn't run upon seeing the Monster, but instead took out the sickles they carried and fought with the black bear.

But how could Lao San and Yan Xiu be a match for this black bear? In just a few moves, the opponent snatched their sickles and slashed them until they were covered in blood.

They had originally thought the two of them could not escape death.

But who could have imagined that this black bear didn't eat the two of them, but instead demanded they hand over the valuables on their persons.

Even more absurdly, this black bear raised its hands toward the two of them and recited "Amitabha," saying that a monk does not commit the sin of killing.

This magical operation scared Yan Xiu nearly out of his wits, but he dared not make a sound, only thinking that both of them were poor people with no valuables, and today they would surely not escape death.

Yet Lao San actually took out three silver ingots from his person, which made both his and the Monster's eyes pop out.

And so, after the Monster took the silver ingots, it seemed unsatisfied and abducted Lao San, telling Yan Xiu to return to the village to get money to ransom his life—ten ingots of silver to ransom Lao San's life.

"What the hell kind of Monster is this..."

"Robbing for money but not for life?"

Along the way, listening to what Yan Xiu said, Li Xiang only felt his head buzzing.

But he was anxious and worried about his father, so he didn't say much.

Now they were going to the Village Chief's house to report this matter to the Village Chief, and then report it to Chiyang County; after the Chiyang County government made a decision, they would dispatch people from the Demon Slaying Division to handle this matter.

"No!"

"Shihe Village is so far from Chiyang County; by the time the Village Chief reports it and the Demon Slaying Division arrives, I fear my father's bones will have already been carried off by wild dogs."

"What's more, my father has a grudge against that dog Village Chief Zhang Wu; this old thing might not necessarily help my father."

"This is trouble!"

Li Xiang furrowed his brows, glanced at Yun Xiu and Yan Xiu who were hurrying toward the Village Chief's house, and while they weren't paying attention, he turned and headed toward the schoolhouse.

Compared to the unreliable Village Chief and the Demon Slaying Division he had never seen, Li Xiang was more willing to trust his own makeshift master.

Although his makeshift master usually appeared sickly, he was definitely a top-tier expert of the highest order.

Today, when looking at the memories Su Qin had given him, he clearly remembered that one year, Su Qin went south to the Chu State and encountered a Corpse Demon blocking the road!

That was no ordinary Demon; mountains stretched for thousands of miles, not a blade of grass grew, and blood-colored lightning flashed in the sky. The area for thousands of miles was a paradise for this terrifying Demon, and one couldn't even feel the aura of a single living thing in the surroundings.

The Demon merely stood in the air, and the surrounding sky began to burn with Red Lotus Karmic Fire.

Yet, facing such a terrifying Demon, Li Xiang only saw a large purple-gold character fall from the sky, and the mountain peak where the Corpse Demon had gathered completely vanished from his field of vision.

What thousand-mile scorched earth, what Red Lotus Karmic Fire—when Li Xiang looked again, only a vast plain remained; the previous terrifying scene had disappeared completely, leaving not a trace.

With one character falling, the heavens and earth were changed...

Although it was only a fleeting glimpse, it was enough to be certain that Su Qin's strength was absolutely terrifying.

Confucian Scholars are not skilled in combat, but that does not mean Confucian Scholars are a weak group...

The night was gradually falling, and Li Xiang ran toward the schoolhouse.

Bang, bang, bang~

"Teacher!"

"I beg you to save your disciple's life!"

Bang, bang, bang—

Hmm?!

No response?

Ignoring etiquette, Li Xiang circulated his Qi and Blood and kicked the door open.

Looking up, the study hall was indeed completely empty, and Su Qin's figure could not be found in the bedroom connected to the study hall either.

The teacher went out?!

"This is trouble!"

Standing before the study hall door, Li Xiang suddenly felt an indescribable sense of bewilderment.

Lao San, he isn't really going to die, is he?

This feeling of powerlessness made his hands and feet turn cold involuntarily.

With the master away, the people from the Demon Slaying Division might not even arrive for half a month.

Who, who else is there now who can save his father?

【Ding! Triggered Grade C Encounter "Yaomo Chanyuan"】

【Beneath Heifeng Mountain, the Black Bear Demon, White Snake Demon, and Gray Wolf Demon gave rise to thoughts because of the Dao, and gave rise to greed because of those thoughts. Originally creatures with deep blessings, they have become a scourge to the region due to their tangled greed. Please, Host, make a choice to intervene in the Zen Monastery.】

【Option A: Slay the Black Bear Demon, White Snake Demon, and Gray Wolf Demon. Reward: 6 attribute points. Destroy the Yaomo Chanyuan. Reward: one Yellow Grade Spiritual Treasure.】

【Option B: Engage in a debate on the Dao. The Black Bear Demon, White Snake Demon, and Gray Wolf Demon have each practiced Buddhism, Confucian Dao, and Immortal Dao, but they have not grasped the methods and have gone astray. Debate the Dao with the three, defeat the three Demons through moral reasoning and subdue them, and deliver the wronged souls of the Yaomo Chanyuan. Reward: one Mysterious Grade Spiritual Treasure, and one Minor Divine Ability each for Buddhism, Immortal Dao, and Confucian Dao.】

【Map option enabled】

【Yaomo Chanyuan has been marked】

Li Xiang: "..."

"This system..."

"It's quite user-friendly."

(End of chapter)