The Magistrate's Mansion

Cultivators in the mortal world are divided into three barriers and nine realms.

Among them, the Human Barrier cultivates the self, comprising Body Forging, Qi Condensation, and Divine Intent; the Earth Barrier cultivates external objects, comprising Golden Core, Five Elements, and Dharma Body; the Heaven Barrier cultivates the Great Dao, comprising Dao Seeking, Heavenly Origin, and Mystic Transcendence.

Though there are many systems—the Three Teachings, martial artists, demons, heretical paths—they differ only in minor details.

The Shushan Sect requires labor in exchange for resources. Though it may seem cold, it is meant to temper the disciples. In truth, the sect still protects them. For example, disciples at the first and second realms are not permitted to take on missions down the mountain; they can only accept miscellaneous tasks within the sect, such as spirit plant maintenance, spirit fowl care, or hall duties.

As for the Divine Intent realm, one can already be called an expert when traveling the jianghu, yet in the Shushan Sect, it is merely the threshold for descending the mountain to slay demons.

Even descending the mountain to slay demons has great differences. The most beloved tasks are the strange cases of wealthy households.

First, cities are not like the wilds; basically, no great demons appear, so the danger is low. Second, they are bustling and lively, allowing for some sightseeing after demon slaying. Finally, wealthy households are generous; besides the fee paid to the sect for the request, the thanks after completion are often substantial, and these go to the demon slayer themselves, enough for a tidy profit.

This was the task Elder Shen picked for Chu Liang.

"Greetings, Young Hero Chu!"

"Greetings, Estate Master Ming."

"Young Hero Chu has worked hard!"

"Serving the people."

"..."

Chu Liang flew his sword to Xingzhou City, then walked to Estate Master Ming's residence in the city and stated his identity, immediately receiving a warm welcome.

Estate Master Ming was a lean middle-aged man with a refined air, a short beard beneath his chin, and a rather pleasant impression. But his eyes were dark-circled, his expression haggard, clearly tormented.

"With a young hero from the Shushan Sect here, our family can finally find peace." Estate Master Ming pulled Chu Liang along to the hall, had him seated, ordered servants to pour tea, and then sighed.

"Please first tell me the specifics," Chu Liang said with a smile.

"Alas..." Estate Master Ming sighed again. "My Ming family has been charitable for generations. I don't know why we've encountered such strange trouble..."

"It started three days ago. Eerie cat cries began outside the estate, mournful and piercing, terrifying beyond measure. Two days ago, the cat cries appeared in our front courtyard. A household servant saw the creature with his own eyes—it was wreathed in bloody aura! By yesterday, the cat cries had reached our back courtyard! My wife was frightened..."

"Young hero..." He looked earnestly at Chu Liang. "If we don't stop it, tonight it might enter the house and kill!"

Estate Master Ming acted quickly; on the second day, he ran to the Taoist temple outside the city to seek help.

Usually, these thriving temples and monasteries either have cultivators stationed there or are connected to some immortal sect, or they couldn't prosper. This temple outside Xingzhou City had close ties with the Shushan Sect, so the request reached the Sword Exchange Pavilion at once.

"Mm..." Chu Liang pondered for a moment after hearing this.

Appearing only at night... testing step by step... This didn't seem like a demon, but rather a spirit—what people call a "ghost."

After all, if a demon has achieved cultivation, its intelligence is no different from a human's, and it wouldn't act so unpredictably. Only low-level ghosts, lacking intelligence due to having died once, could be driven by lingering resentment from their past lives to do strange things.

Like this cat demon...

It might be the spirit of a dead cat.

Thinking this, Chu Liang asked, "Has anyone in the estate beaten a cat to death in the past few days?"

"Certainly not..." Estate Master Ming shook his head. "My wife is very kind-hearted and always treats animals well. She has the servants carefully feed the stray cats and dogs around the area."

When Chu Liang arrived, it was already afternoon. After asking about the specifics and making a round of inspections, it was nearly dark.

The household quickly prepared a feast to entertain him.

After all, any later, and the cat demon would be making its appearance.

The delicacies on the table need not be described. Estate Master Ming and Chu Liang sat there, each with a maidservant attending behind them—treatment absolutely unavailable at Silver Sword Peak.

But after waiting a while, the guests weren't all present yet. Another maidservant came to report: "Master, the mistress says she feels unwell, and it's gotten worse. She truly cannot attend the feast. She asks Young Hero Chu and the master not to blame her."

"Ah..." Estate Master Ming immediately stood up, his face full of worry. He glanced at Chu Liang and apologized, "Young Hero Chu, please don't mind. Let me go see my wife first. I'll be right back."

With that, he left Chu Liang there and hurried off to the back courtyard.

Chu Liang wasn't annoyed; he just smiled and said, "Estate Master Ming and his wife truly have a deep bond."

"Indeed," a nearby maidservant said with envy. "Our master and mistress have been married for ten years, and they're still inseparable. A few years ago, when the mistress couldn't bear children due to illness, she urged the master to take a concubine and have a son, but he still refuses to this day."

Another maidservant sighed, "Only a woman as beautiful and kind-hearted as the mistress deserves such deep affection from the master."

A moment later, Estate Master Ming hurried back.

"Is the mistress alright?" Chu Liang asked.

"No trouble. It's just that with the evil haunting these past days, she's been frightened and feels unwell. Once this demon is eliminated, she'll naturally recover," Estate Master Ming said.

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

Before the feast ended, a gust of wind sounded outside.

A sinister wind, mixed with demonic aura, rolled in with a roar, slamming open the hall doors and rattling the dishes and chopsticks on the table.

"It's the cat demon! It's here again!" Estate Master Ming exclaimed.

Chu Liang immediately dashed to the door and carefully sensed this aura.

The yin energy was heavy; there was a ghost. But it was mixed with a strong demonic wind. Could it be...

"Something's off. You all take cover first..." Chu Liang turned back, intending to urge the non-combatants of the Ming household to hide.

But when he turned around, he found the entire banquet hall empty and silent—not a single person remained except himself. From far off in the wind came the voice Estate Master Ming left behind: "Young hero Chu, it's all on you..."

Well, then.

They sure ran fast.

He'd been worried about the Ming family's safety earlier, but now he felt that concern was completely unnecessary. At this escape speed, even if the entire Xingzhou City were overrun by Demons and Monsters, they'd still be fine.

"Meow—howl—"

Before he could think further, a piercing, shrill cry rang out, truly ghastly and bloodcurdling.

"Ha!" Chu Liang let out a sharp shout, flicking his flying-sword bangle. It transformed into a long sword in his hand as he strode out of the hall.

One glance, and he saw the surging bloody aura outside!

On the wall of the estate, a cat-faced monster crouched low, its mismatched eyes glowing with a deathly white. Its face was covered in black fur stained with gore, and it appeared very small. Strangest of all, though the fiend had a cat's head, its body seemed to be that of a human infant—covered in blood, yet hairless.

Hideous and terrifying!

Even Chu Liang felt his heart tighten at the sight.

This thing...

It was a Wraith—a ghost born of overwhelming resentment! And also an Infant Spirit—the ghost of an unborn child, its malice ten times stronger than ordinary specters! And still an Apparition—a monster that had turned into a ghost after death!

No wonder it was so bizarre. Wraith, Infant Spirit, Apparition... each on its own counted as a rare type among ghostly beings.

But this one before him was simply...

Stacked to the brim!