Estate Master's Residence

Among human cultivators, the realms could be divided into three gates and nine stages.

The Human Gate cultivated oneself: Body Tempering, Qi Condensation, Divine Intent. The Earth Gate cultivated external things: Golden Core, Five Elements, Dharma Body. The Heaven Gate cultivated the Great Dao: Seeking the Dao, Heavenly Origin, Profound Mystery.

The three teachings, martial artists, demons, devils, unorthodox schools... Though their systems were many, they were all much the same at heart.

Shushan Sect required labor in exchange for resources. Though it seemed somewhat cold-hearted, it was also meant to temper its disciples. In truth, it was still protective of them. For instance, disciples of the first and second realms were not permitted to take missions down the mountain. They could only remain within the sect, taking on miscellaneous duties such as tending spirit plants, raising spirit birds, serving as hall stewards, and so on.

Yet the Divine Intent Realm, which already qualified one as an expert when traveling the martial world, was merely the threshold for descending the mountain to slay demons in the Shushan Sect.

Even demon-slaying missions down the mountain varied greatly. The most popular were strange cases in wealthy households.

First, cities were unlike the wilderness; great demons rarely appeared there, so the danger was relatively low. Second, they were bustling and prosperous, leaving one free to enjoy oneself after demon-slaying. Lastly, wealthy families were lavish with their money. Besides the fee paid to the sect for the request, their gifts of thanks afterward were often generous as well, and all of that went to the demon slayer personally—enough to make a tidy profit.

The job Elder Shen had chosen for Chu Liang was precisely one of these.

"Greetings, Young Master Chu!"

"Greetings, Estate Master Ming."

"Young Master Chu, you've worked hard!"

"In service of the people."

"..."

Chu Liang rode his sword to the outskirts of Xingzhou City, then entered the city and went to Estate Master Ming's residence to state his identity. He was immediately received with great enthusiasm.

Estate Master Ming was a lean middle-aged man with an elegant, scholarly air and a short beard beneath his chin. He made a fairly good first impression. Only, his eye sockets were dark and his expression haggard, as though he had been tormented terribly.

"Now that a young master from the Shushan Sect has arrived, our family can finally know peace." Estate Master Ming led Chu Liang into the hall and sat him down, ordering the servants to serve tea and pour water before sighing emotionally.

"Please tell me the details first." Chu Liang smiled.

"Alas..." Estate Master Ming sighed. "The Ming family has accumulated virtue through generations. I don't know why we have encountered such a bizarre affair..."

"Three days ago, strange cat cries began sounding outside the estate—shrill, mournful, and utterly hair-raising. Two days ago, those cries appeared in our front courtyard. Some of the household servants saw that monster with their own eyes; bloody qi surged around it like towering waves! By yesterday, those cat cries had reached our back courtyard! Even my wife was disturbed..."

"Young Master..." He looked earnestly at Chu Liang. "If it isn't stopped, I fear it will enter my home and kill someone tonight!"

Estate Master Ming had acted quickly. On the second day, he had already rushed to the Daoist temple outside the city to seek help.

Usually, any Daoist temple or Buddhist monastery flourishing with incense offerings either had cultivators stationed there or was connected to an immortal sect. Otherwise, it could not have grown so large. This Daoist temple outside Xingzhou City had close ties with the Shushan Sect, so this request had reached Shushan's Sword Exchange Pavilion at once.

"Hmm..." Hearing this, Chu Liang pondered for a moment.

Only appearing at night... testing its way forward step by step... It did not seem like a demon, but rather a spirit—the sort commonly called a ghost.

After all, once demons attained cultivation, their intelligence was no different from humans, and they would not act in such unfathomable ways. Only low-level ghosts, whose intelligence had been damaged by dying once, might be driven by resentment from their former lives into making strange moves.

Like this cat demon...

It might have been the spirit of a dead cat.

Thinking this, Chu Liang asked, "Did anyone in this estate kill a cat a few days ago?"

"Certainly not..." Estate Master Ming shook his head. "My wife is exceptionally kind-hearted and has always treated animals well. We have always had our household carefully feed the stray cats and dogs around here as well."

By the time Chu Liang arrived, it was already afternoon. After asking about the details and making a round of inspections, night was close at hand.

The estate hurriedly laid out a banquet to entertain him.

After all, if it got any later, the cat demon would be coming online.

The feast was naturally filled with delicacies. Estate Master Ming and Chu Liang sat there, each attended by a maid behind him—treatment that could absolutely never be enjoyed on Silver Sword Peak.

Yet after waiting for quite some time, everyone had still not gathered when another maid came to report, "Master, Madam says her discomfort has worsened somewhat. She truly cannot attend the banquet and asks Young Master Chu and Master not to blame her."

"Ah..." Estate Master Ming immediately looked anxious. He rose to his feet, glanced at Chu Liang, and apologized, "Young Master Chu, please excuse me. I'll go see my wife first. I'll be right back."

With that, he left Chu Liang there and jogged all the way back to the rear courtyard.

Chu Liang was not offended. He merely smiled and said, "Estate Master Ming and his wife truly have a wonderful relationship."

"Yes." The maid beside him spoke with unconcealed envy. "My master and madam have been married for ten years, yet they are still inseparable as glue and lacquer. Several years ago, Madam was unable to bear children due to illness and even urged Master to take a concubine to have a son, but Master has refused to take one to this day."

Another maid also sighed. "Only a woman as beautiful and kind-hearted as Madam deserves Master's devotion, deep as the sea and heavy as a mountain."

A moment later, Estate Master Ming hurried back.

"Is Madam all right?" Chu Liang asked.

"It is nothing. These past few days, the evil presence has been causing trouble, and my wife was somewhat startled, leaving her unwell. Once this demon is eliminated, she will naturally recover." Estate Master Ming said.

"I will certainly do my utmost." Chu Liang said.

Before the feast had ended, a gust of wind rose outside.

Yin wind mixed with demon qi swept in with a rumble. With a bang, it blew open the hall doors and sent the bowls and chopsticks of the banquet clattering wildly.

"It's that cat demon! It has come again!" Estate Master Ming cried out.

Chu Liang immediately flashed to the doorway and carefully sensed the aura.

The yin qi was heavy—there was a ghost. Yet it was mixed with fierce demon wind as well. Could it be...

"Something is strange. You should hide first..." Chu Liang turned, intending to urge the noncombatants of the Ming family to seek shelter.

But when he turned around, he found the entire banquet hall empty. Aside from himself, there was not a single person left. Estate Master Ming's voice drifted over from afar on the wind: "Young Master Chu, we're counting on you..."

Well then.

They really could run fast.

Earlier, he had worried for the Ming family's safety. Now he felt that concern had been completely unnecessary. At that rate of escape, even if all of Xingzhou City were overrun by demons, they would still be fine.

"Meow-aow—"

Before he could think further, a piercing, shrill cry rang out, truly mournful and terrifying.

"Begone!" Chu Liang shouted. With a flick of his flying-sword bracelet, it transformed into a longsword in his hand as he stepped out of the hall.

At a glance, he saw the towering bloody qi outside!

A cat-faced monster crouched atop the courtyard wall of the estate, its body arched low. Its mismatched eyes glowed with lifeless white. Its face was covered in black fur caked with filthy blood, and it looked very small. Most strangely, though the creature had a cat's head, its body resembled that of a human infant, covered in filthy blood but completely hairless.

Hideous and horrifying!

Even Chu Liang felt his heart tighten at the sight.

This thing...

It was a Vengeful Spirit, a ghost formed from resentment soaring to the heavens! It was also an Infant Spirit, born when an unborn child died, its resentment ten times stronger than that of ordinary ghosts! And it was a demon spirit as well, a ghost formed after a demon died!

No wonder it was so bizarre. Vengeful Spirits, Infant Spirits, demon spirits... each one alone was already considered a rather special existence among ghosts.

But the one before him was simply...

Stacked to the brim!