CHAPTER 81: CHAPTER 81: A CLEAR CONSCIENCE (PLEASE SUBSCRIBE)

"Leave? You can’t escape anymore. You all delight in devouring humans. Today, I will also let you taste what it’s like to be the hunted."

His aura suddenly turned gloomy and ice-cold. Qi Xiu flicked his sleeves, and dark mists surged around him.

A long-horned Mo Jiao with green pupils and black, scaly armor, thick as a water bucket, slowly undulated and sprang forth.

"Devour them!"

At Qi Xiu’s command, the eagerly waiting Mo Jiao roared furiously and leaped forward, transforming into a terrifying afterimage, instantly pouncing on the Half-Demons before it.

"Be careful!"

Keenly sensing the profound cold emanating from the Mo Jiao, the Half-Demon Grand Commander let out a low shout, drew a brass short rod, and rose to meet the attack.

Two figures collided fiercely.

The Half-Demon Grand Commander’s speed was extremely fast, the brass short rod in his hand creating an impenetrable defense. Each blow he struck wielded the force of ten thousand pounds, overwhelmingly strong. An ordinary martial artist, even one in the True Intent Realm, would not withstand his attacks for more than a few moves.

Besides, toxic gas continuously seeped from the sores on his skin. This poison was fierce; even a True Intent Martial Artist’s constitution couldn’t hold out for long against it. Once inhaled, one would instantly faint.

With such formidable physique and bones, combined with the poisonous fog and his demonic strangeness, five or six ordinary martial artists or spellcasters wouldn’t stand a chance against him. This was why King Jincai had stationed him here.

Unfortunately, his two sure-win Magic Artifacts were ineffective against the Mo Jiao, like punching cotton—utterly useless. The Mo Jiao originated from mana and vital energy, able to shift freely between tangible and intangible forms. As for that poisonous fog and demonic strangeness, it was even more laughable. Compete in poison with the Mo Jiao, which fed on dark and filthy miasmas?

With great momentum, the rod passed through the Mo Jiao’s body and crashed onto the ground.

CRACK!

The ground within a ten-meter radius suddenly sank. Dust and smoke billowed, and web-like cracks spread out in an instant.

ROAR—

The Mo Jiao suddenly bared its ferocious teeth and expelled a vast cloud of black mist from its mouth, gushing out like a flood.

ARRGH!

Hit squarely by the chilling, dark breath, the Half-Demon Grand Commander let out a pained groan. His skin rapidly wrinkled, and black ice shavings tore through it. Flesh turned to debris and flaked away, and even the bones within began to turn brittle. In an instant, his body shrank by almost a third.

"Quick, run! Notify the King!"

Feeling the terror of the Mo Jiao, the Half-Demon Grand Commander roared desperately.

Witnessing their Grand Commander heavily injured by the Mo Jiao, the Second and Third Commanders, along with the remaining Half-Demons, were shocked and panic-stricken.

"Go!"

Without hesitation, the Second Commander shouted and attempted to flee with the other Demons.

"I told you, you can’t leave."

Stepping forward, Qi Xiu’s aura surged violently. His wide sleeves fluttered, his eyes shining with emerald light as a great surge of mana flowed into the Flood Dragon Pool Ring on his hand.

A Divine Marvel spread from this Magic Artifact. The ground around him suddenly became moist, and the air turned sticky and humid.

His right hand forming a sword technique, he touched his left palm. Qi Xiu then fiercely slapped the ground. The solid, firm earth instantly rippled like the surface of water.

Secret Skill of the Azure Pond and Ghostly Scales—Dead Marsh!

Secret Skill of the Azure Pond and Ghostly Scales—Water Wraith!

SPLASH, SPLASH, SPLASH...

Continuous sounds of breaking water arose. A dozen figures with disheveled long hair, arms hanging past their knees, bodies cold and damp, and unnaturally pale skin appeared eerily. Pairs of chilling, pale eyes swept over the Half-Demons.

The Water Wraiths slowly melted, sinking into the moist ground.

"Second Commander, this ground..." a Half-Demon cried out in terror.

The ground, now like a swamp, silently swallowed the Half-Demons’ feet. They struggled desperately, trying to pull their feet out, but just as they managed to extract one foot, a cold, pallid hand suddenly reached out from below, grasping their ankles. It forcefully dragged them toward the depths!

"Damn it! Who the hell is this magic expert?!" the Second Commander roared urgently, smashing the pallid hand gripping his ankle with his rod.

But the next second, even more ghastly white palms emerged from the ground, frantically pulling at him, trying to drown him alive beneath the earth.

The power is somewhat greater than I had anticipated; it’s mainly quite troublesome.

Calmly watching the Half-Demons being dragged into the earth by the Water Wraiths, Qi Xiu nodded slightly.

The spells recorded in the Bitter Pool Elusive Scales Heart Scripture, aside from the core and most difficult to cultivate Mo Jiao, were only three in total: Shadow Barrier, Dead Marsh, and Water Wraiths. These three spells corresponded to the practitioner’s three cultivation realms before the Initiate Realm. Upon mastering each realm, one could unlock a spell.

The Shadow Barrier was the simplest, essentially the common concept of invisibility. But this spell, while simple, was not crude. Provided there was enough mana, the range of the Shadow Barrier could be expanded indefinitely, even capable of covering an entire city. However, such a level of spellcasting range was likely only possible for those within the Dao-Entering Realm.

Dead Marsh and Water Wraiths were the two spells he was now casting. Dead Marsh could turn the ground within its range into a swamp. This swamp harbored a Divine Marvel Power. Those who fell into it would slowly have their flesh and life essence drawn out, becoming weaker over time until death. And those Water Wraiths were actually the spirits of the beings that had drowned in the Dead Marsh.

Normally, these Water Wraiths remained hidden within the Flood Dragon Pool, totaling nearly ten thousand. If the caster’s mana was sufficiently powerful, the Dead Marsh combined with the Water Wraiths could besiege a county town in a short period, and those creatures that died in the Dead Marsh would turn into new Water Wraiths, until they formed a sea of Water Wraiths filling the Flood Dragon Pool.

First, invisibility with Shadow Barrier, then Dead Marsh, then summon Water Wraiths. A seamless combo, reeking of insidious villainy and shamelessness. Without Initiate-level strength, anyone who comes would only be dragged to their death. No wonder the Blood Covenant was so desperate to retrieve the Flood Dragon Pool. This ring alone, in the hands of a powerful spellcaster, is worth an army of ten thousand.

Stroking the black jade Flood Dragon Pool Ring on his thumb, Qi Xiu watched indifferently as the Half-Demons were completely submerged in the Dead Marsh. The Half-Demon Grand Commander had also been gnawed by the Mo Jiao until only half his head remained.

The life force of Demons is truly formidable.

Qi Xiu crouched down to look at the Half-Demon Grand Commander. His skull was bitten open, revealing exposed white brain matter, yet he was still alive. Qi Xiu waved his hand to disperse the thick stench.

Just right, a chance to make use of this waste.

A Bewildering Mind and Soul Talisman lit up. The familiar process of interrogation began, its sounds echoing over this land interwoven with the thick scent of death. After a long moment, the Half-Demon Grand Commander, having been squeezed of his last bit of value, tilted his head and breathed his last.

Kicking the remains aside, Qi Xiu stood up and walked to the entrance of the hall, now permeated with the stench of blood and decay.

Sunlight shone in from outside. The sudden appearance of a figure caused the shivering crowd in the hall to look over, their eyes filled with fright and unease. Feeling the fear and trembling in their eyes, which were filled with tears revealing terror and despair, Qi Xiu was slightly moved.

"Don’t be afraid, you’re safe now," he said.

These simple words brought tears to the eyes of many who had been trapped in darkness for too long. After enduring such prolonged despair and fear, watching their kin be devoured alive by those Demons—scenes akin to Hell itself—was enough to break anyone. Now, the nerves that had been stretched to their breaking point could finally relax, and wailing became the only way for everyone to vent their emotions.

In just ten days, two hundred and seventy-nine people have been eaten. What kind of hell must Dongli County be, occupied by King Jincai?

Watching the grateful survivors pile into carts and leave, a thin sheen of sweat formed on Qi Xiu’s clenched fist. Although he didn’t consider himself a paragon of virtue—he might even hesitate over returning money he found—the sight of his fellow humans being hunted and devoured by Demons like livestock stirred an indescribable revulsion and restlessness within him.

It seems for this trip to Dongli County... I’ll have to go on a killing spree.

But slaying Demons should be considered a good deed, right?

Ah, what does it matter.

Right or wrong, I only seek a clear conscience.

Demons, heh... I’ll kill them first and deal with the rest later.

To reach Dongli County as quickly as possible, Qi Xiu sat cross-legged on the head of the Mo Jiao, letting it carry him swiftly forward. Although the Mo Jiao couldn’t fly very high, it could hover ten feet above the ground. Moving at full speed, it was considerably faster than Qi Xiu using Qinggong. Its speed approached nearly three hundred kilometers per hour, comparable to a high-speed train from his previous life.

Why didn’t I think of this way to travel sooner? It’s fast and impressive!

Comfortably seated on the Mo Jiao’s head, feeling the strong wind on his face and the scenery whizzing by on both sides, Qi Xiu greatly enjoyed the exhilaration.

However, traveling this way was not without drawbacks. Maintaining the Mo Jiao’s physical form consumed a significant amount of mana. In at most one hour, his mana would be mostly depleted.

So, estimating he was near the border of Dongli County, Qi Xiu retracted the Mo Jiao back into his sleeve. He then used Qinggong to hasten towards Dongli County.

「One hour later.」

Approaching a mountain range shaped like an inverted sea bowl, Qi Xiu’s steps suddenly halted. His brows furrowed as he sniffed the air lightly.

Why does it smell so foul?

A faint, almost imperceptible foul smell lingered at the tip of his nose. This scent was unlike ordinary rot or the odor of feces and garbage; it was a sticky, slimy, and peculiar stench, as if one whiff would root itself in your nasal cavity.

Something’s not right... this odor contains a Divine Marvel!

Qi Xiu lifted his sleeve. To his alarm, he saw that pale white pustules had inexplicably formed on his skin.

Just as I suspected, there’s something malevolent at work!

The Mo Jiao emerged from his sleeve, gently bit Qi Xiu’s wrist, and a sucking force emanated out. The foul Divine Marvel that had snuck into Qi Xiu’s body through the stench was promptly absorbed by the Mo Jiao.

Has it become so perilous already, even before I’ve reached Dongli County?

Noticing the disappearance of the pustules on his body, Qi Xiu opened his satchel, took out a Suppression Talisman, and placed it in his mouth. A faint golden light circulated between his mouth and nostrils, quickly isolating and extinguishing the invading, tainted Divine Marvel.

Having eradicated the Divine Marvel’s contamination, Qi Xiu continued forward. Upon crossing the mountain range before him, he was visibly startled. He saw that beneath the mountain range, a land spanning hundreds of kilometers was shrouded in a layer of eerie, yellow-green fog. The fog permeated the air, making the entire region hazy and sinister. Whether mountains or forests, everything appeared blurry within this fog, as if twisted by some indescribable power.

Under the influence of this corrupting miasma, imbued with a tainted Divine Marvel, all creatures had ugly, nauseating blisters growing all over them. Qi Xiu even saw a bare, featherless goose, covered in blisters, struggling painfully on the ground.

And at the center of this demonic miasma, a town, its outline blurred, flickered in and out of sight.

That was Qi Xiu’s destination—Dongli County.

Is this what a true Demonic Calamity looks like?

Feeling the full brunt of the destructive power wrought by Dao-Entering Demons, Qi Xiu was deeply shaken. He couldn’t help but recall the Fox Demon he had encountered in Baoho County. Compared to this King Jincai, the Fox Demon seemed as gentle and adorable as a little kitten. Perhaps it was because it had been seriously injured. It couldn’t compare to a Demon like King Jincai, who was at the peak of his power and possessed a formidable Magic Artifact.

A peak battle, huh? This might be a bit much for me to handle alone.

With hands behind his back, Qi Xiu gazed at Dongli County, the heart of the miasma, silently pondering his strategy.

Suddenly, a streak of red light flew back from the distance.

BOOM!

It smashed a huge hole into the mountainside, sending countless rocks rolling down and crushing swathes of vegetation to pulp. The rising yellowish dust cloud spread out for hundreds of meters.

"Old toad! If you know what’s good for you, release my brother quickly! Otherwise, once my backup arrives, we’ll sun-dry you and stew you in soup!"

The unrestrained cursing was loud and clear, resonating throughout the land.

Hearing this voice, Qi Xiu raised an eyebrow in surprise and muttered softly, "The rich lady?"