Chapter 18: Slaughter
Li Qingfeng, who had burst through the window, wore a grave expression.
His heart sank.
No matter how much he had calculated, he hadn’t expected that one of these two would be a Qi Refining cultivator.
And judging by the glow of spiritual aura, this person was far stronger than him.
However, the foot-long banner tucked against his chest gave him a sense of security.
With the Soul Banner in hand, he could absolutely fight above his level.
Zhang Wanlong abruptly stood up, opening his mouth to call for the armored guards.
But the young man beside him stopped him.
"Father, no need. Have you forgotten that I’m already an immortal master?" The youth’s expression was calm, as if the black-clad intruder meant nothing to him.
Zhang Wanlong immediately recalled this fact, and the panic in his heart settled.
As long as one was an immortal master, they were equivalent to an innate expert among ordinary people.
The tempering of the body by spiritual energy could turn even a frail person into someone with the physique of a martial artist who had trained for decades.
And this was just the most basic, most visible effect of being a Qi Refining cultivator.
So Zhang Wanlong didn’t summon the guards stationed around the government office.
"Who are you?!" Zhang Wanlong sat back down, his face showing a trace of anger.
To prevent assassinations, the security of the governor’s residence was extremely tight. Yet someone had still managed to sneak in.
A barrier of spiritual power appeared in front of Zhang Gui, blocking the erosion of the black mist.
Li Qingfeng hadn’t expected to fail in pulling the two into the dream.
His original plan had been to kill them while they were defenseless.
Now, he had to face the governor and a young Qi Refining cultivator head-on.
Li Qingfeng had sobered up considerably, and nervousness surged in his heart, making his breathing rapid.
Killing an imperial official without authorization was no different from rebellion.
It was a crime punishable by extermination of one’s entire clan.
Especially when the target was a county governor.
Inside the Soul Banner, Tu Shanjun saw Li Qingfeng’s hesitation.
No matter how mature he seemed, he was still just a young man. If he were some reckless fool, it might have been different but he was a scholar and intelligent people often overthought things.
When listening to Advisor Sun’s confession, rage had suppressed his rationality.
Now that his rationality had resurfaced, his emotions left him torn.
But the arrow was already nocked on the bowstring, he had no choice but to shoot. If his true identity were to be discovered, it would still mean death.
As spiritual power surged through his body, a flash of murderous intent crossed Li Qingfeng’s eyes.
Months of training in fist techniques had nurtured a touch of fierce intent within him.
Tu Shanjun watched coldly from within the banner.
Of the three forms of the Demonic Ape Fist, only the third was meant to calm the mind and dissolve hostility.
The first form was about endurance, the second was violence.
Coupled with the influence of the Blood Fiend Grand Method’s spiritual power on his mind, even a slightly cowardly person would act decisively under the urging of this fierce intent.
This fierce intent existed precisely for moments like this, when one was torn between choices.
"Using humans as medicine, you deserve death ten thousand times over."
"Die!" Li Qingfeng roared, the floor tiles beneath his feet shattering as he charged straight at governor Zhang Wanlong.
Shoot the horse before the rider; capture the king before the thief.
In Li Qingfeng’s eyes, Zhang Wanlong, who had no spiritual aura, would never withstand his assault.
Zhang Gui would surely try to save him, thus losing the initiative.
Horror flashed across Zhang Wanlong’s face.
Too fast.
Far faster than any ordinary assassin.
Just the act of attacking carried the force of a thunderbolt.
The murderous aura was thick with killing intent.
Zhang Wanlong truly felt the breath of death.
It reminded him of the many assassination attempts he had survived but this one was different.
This time, it was far worse.
Just as Li Qingfeng had predicted, Zhang Gui intervened. Despite starting later, he somehow managed to block Li Qingfeng’s path.
Spiritual energy surged as Zhang Gui stepped forward, his palm striking toward Li Qingfeng’s shoulder.
The blow sent Li Qingfeng stumbling off balance.
He staggered back several steps, only stopping when his toes hit the wall.
His shoulder was numb, his arm hanging limp at his side.
At the same time, in a quiet room elsewhere, a young man suddenly opened his eyes.
Spiritual energy surged within him.
He moved like a fleeing hare, swift as a hunting leopard.
Spiritual light flickered in his gaze as he locked onto the source of the spiritual power fluctuations.
He rushed straight toward the governor’s residence.
"Spiritual energy fluctuations… You’re a Qi Refining cultivator too?" Zhang Gui narrowed his eyes, a glint of realization flashing across his face.
He hesitated slightly.
Zhang Gui had recognized that Li Qingfeng was also a cultivator.
But this exchange made it clear that Li Qingfeng’s strength was inferior to his own.
Even if Li Qingfeng was a Qi Refining cultivator, he was likely only at the first or second layer of the early stage.
Cultivators stood above mortals, but this also made Zhang Gui cautious.
Killing Li Qingfeng outright would be unwise.
If Li Qingfeng had a master or sect backing him that they couldn’t afford to offend, trouble would follow.
Li Qingfeng had no such reservations. He had come here seeking news of Meng Zhen, only to receive a tragedy. Now, his heart held nothing but hatred.
However, even though Zhang Gui didn’t press the attack, the commotion had already alerted the patrolling soldiers.
Black-armored troops surrounded the courtyard.
Under Zhang Wanlong’s orders, they only encircled the area without advancing.
Li Qingfeng glanced at them out of the corner of his eye. If he didn’t finish this quickly, he would be trapped here.
His identity couldn’t withstand scrutiny.
If captured, his parents, relatives, and entire clan would be implicated.
So even if he had to die today, it would be in the wilderness, not here.
His mind made up, he channeled ten strands of spiritual power into the Revered Soul Banner.
"Night Parade of a Hundred Demons!"
The small banner in his hand instantly expanded to a full zhang, black mist billowing out.
Li Qingfeng gripped the unfurled banner with both hands and shook it violently.
The lifelike demon on the banner’s surface rolled its eyes then, to everyone’s shock, it leaped out of the banner.
The forty-seven ghosts within the Soul Banner merged into Tu Shanjun’s form.
Amid the swirling black mist, a green-faced, red-haired demon with fangs landed on the ground.
The moment it touched down, it lunged forward like a gust of wind, its frenzied killing intent pressing down like a mountain.
It charged straight at Zhang Gui, who stood shielding Zhang Wanlong.
If he could eliminate Zhang Gui, Li Qingfeng’s strength would be enough to handle the rest.
Ten strands of spiritual power could only sustain the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons for three breaths. Tu Shanjun had to make every second count.
The mist spread but under the torchlight, the demon’s appearance became clear.
It looked like a fiend crawled straight out of hell.
The soldiers were thunderstruck, their legs trembling uncontrollably.
Fear spread like wildfire.
Some of the weaker ones collapsed to the ground, unable to stand.
Zhang Wanlong stared in terror as the demon rushed toward him. He couldn’t react in time.
Zhang Gui, blocking his path, was equally stunned. He had never seen such a ferocious ghost before and could only raise a spiritual barrier.
He hadn’t expected the black-clad man to carry a magical artifact capable of summoning a vengeful spirit.
In the blink of an eye, the spiritual barrier shattered like paper, utterly failing to stop the demon. It couldn’t even slow the red-haired fiend down for a moment.
The demon’s claw tore through Zhang Gui’s skull, yanking out his soul and clutching it in its grasp.
Then, it turned and returned to the Soul Banner.
Zhang Wanlong’s eyes bulged as a heart-wrenching scream tore from his throat:
"My son!!"
He caught Zhang Gui’s headless corpse, collapsing to the ground, his body shaking with agony.
"Ahh-!!!"
His anguished wail pierced the night.
"Kill him."
"I want him dead."
"Kill him!!"
Despite Zhang Wanlong’s maddened roars, the black-armored soldiers were paralyzed with fear, their bodies frozen in place.
Li Qingfeng hadn’t expected the main soul, this malevolent ghost to be this powerful.
The Night Parade of a Hundred Demons could only last three breaths and drained half his spiritual power, but it had killed Zhang Gui in a single strike.
Li Qingfeng prepared to attack again. Killing Zhang Gui wasn’t enough, Zhang Wanlong had to die too.
A life for a life, a debt repaid in blood.
He had to avenge Meng Zhen.
But before he could act, a young man in Taoist robes appeared in the hall.
The newcomer didn’t even glance at Zhang Gui’s corpse. Instead, his gaze locked onto Li Qingfeng, who held the zhang long Soul Banner.
"A magical tool?"
"Demonic cultivator."
"Kill him!" Behind him, Zhang Wanlong’s frenzied screams continued.
The youth frowned slightly in annoyance but said nothing about Zhang Gui’s death.
He raised his hand, and a palm-sized ebony sword flew out from his sleeve.
Infused with spiritual power, it expanded into a three-foot-long blade.
"Go."
With a whoosh, it shot toward Li Qingfeng.
The moment Li Qingfeng saw the young man, he knew he stood no chance. The spiritual aura radiating from this person was even stronger than Zhang Gui’s.
Not only was his spiritual power formidable, but he also wielded an offensive magical tool.
So Li Qingfeng turned and fled.
Ten strands of spiritual power pushed to the limit could sustain his current speed for half an hour.
If luck was on his side, he might just make it out of the city.
(Chapter End)