Gift of Blood!

"Wait, let me look."

Chen Luo came back to his senses and immediately took out the Demon Identification Manual to search through it.

He examined it carefully for half an hour, until even his eyes grew sore. In the end, he had no choice but to put away the Demon Identification Manual, rub his aching eyes, and let out a long sigh. "There's no record in the Demon Identification Manual concerning the Skin-Peeling Demon's true form either. It only says that, from ancient times until now, it seems no one has ever seen the Skin-Peeling Demon's true body. Every appearance has merely been one of its incarnations."

"The Skin-Peeling Demon has appeared in many historical events. It is an extremely terrifying demon..."

Ji Qing did not seem overly disappointed upon hearing this.

He had clearly expected it already.

The Skin-Peeling Demon was difficult to kill!

"No matter the ends of the earth, no matter how long it takes—one year, ten years, a hundred years... I will definitely drag out the Skin-Peeling Demon's true body!"

Whoosh.

With a flick of Ji Qing's hand, a Bone-Piercing Nail pinned itself into one of the "corpses" on the ground.

"Hee hee hee, Ji Qing, I'll be waiting for you..."

This "corpse" on the ground had been playing dead.

It was not a Skin Puppet, but an incarnation of the Skin-Peeling Demon.

It was also the incarnation controlling the army of Skin Puppets.

"Kill a Skin-Peeling Demon incarnation. Obtained one Origin Point."

Another Origin Point appeared in Ji Qing's Demon Record.

This time, Ji Qing had killed two incarnations of the Skin-Peeling Demon and gained two Origin Points.

His gaze shifted to where Chen Luo had placed the Blood Demon.

If he could kill the Blood Demon, he would certainly gain even more Origin Points.

"Why keep the Blood Demon alive if you're not going to kill it?"

Ji Qing asked.

Seeing the killing intent in Ji Qing's eyes, Chen Luo felt a chill as well. He hurriedly covered the Blood Demon in his arms and said, "Brother Ji, the Blood Demon cannot be killed. It has always been sealed by my Demon Slayer family, and it can continuously provide spiritual power to the Demon Slayer family. It is of great use to us!"

Ji Qing understood.

So this Blood Demon was also a tool of the Demon Slayer family?

No wonder the Demon Slayer family had only sealed the Blood Demon rather than killing it completely.

"Miss Lei, Brother Chen, now that the demons have been eliminated, let us part ways here. Until we meet again in the Jianghu!"

Ji Qing turned and left.

"Wait."

At that moment, Chen Luo called out.

Ji Qing frowned. "What is it now?"

Chen Luo's face flushed red. He looked at Ji Qing, then at Lei Yu, took a deep breath, and asked expectantly, "Brother Ji, Miss Lei, it was no easy matter for us to fight side by side at Lei Family Fortress and slay demons together. Since we are so fated, why don't we become sworn siblings here?"

"Become sworn siblings?"

Ji Qing looked at Chen Luo with a strange expression.

What was going through Chen Luo's head?

Did he think this was the Jianghu from some storybook?

He immediately wanted to refuse.

However, Lei Yu kept wiggling her brows and shooting Ji Qing meaningful looks.

Though she said nothing, Ji Qing seemed to understand what Lei Yu meant.

Lei Yu wanted to agree to becoming sworn siblings?

The reason was simple.

Chen Luo was a Demon Slayer, and that identity was very special.

If they encountered demons again in the Jianghu or needed to hunt down the Skin-Peeling Demon, they might need Chen Luo, this Demon Slayer.

It was Chen Luo's first time venturing into the Jianghu. He was a newcomer who had only just spread his wings.

To encounter the Blood Demon, the Skin-Peeling Demon, and all that had happened at Lei Family Fortress so soon was an unforgettable experience for Chen Luo. With his hot blood surging, he immediately wanted to become sworn siblings with others, just like in the storybooks.

But for Ji Qing and Lei Yu, this was not a bad thing.

With that thought, Ji Qing did not voice the refusal that had been on his lips.

"Fine."

Ji Qing agreed.

"Ha ha, I have no problem with that either."

Lei Yu agreed just as readily.

"C-Can I swear brotherhood with you too?"

It was Chen Lin who spoke.

"Sure, let's do it together."

Lei Yu was exceptionally forthright. Chen Lin was a Demon Slayer too, and one more person made no difference anyway.

So Lei Yu found some incense and candles in Lei Family Fortress, and the four of them knelt on the ground to swear brotherhood.

They ranked themselves by age.

Lei Yu was twenty-eight this year, the eldest of the four, making her the eldest sister.

Chen Luo was twenty this year, ranking second among them.

Ji Qing was eighteen this year, ranking third among them.

Chen Lin was sixteen this year, ranking fourth among them.

"Hahaha, I'm the eldest sister from now on!"

Lei Yu was quite pleased.

"I'm the second brother!"

Chen Luo lifted his chin, equally excited.

"I'm third."

Ji Qing felt no particular stir in his heart.

"I'm the youngest. From now on, Eldest Sister, Second Brother, and Third Brother all have to look after me."

Chen Lin was just as excited.

"Fine. Second, Third, Fourth—whatever happens to you from now on is my business."

"Third, you're wanted by the Government Authorities. You took the blame for the Skin-Peeling Demon and became eighth on the Villain Ranking, turning into a great Demon Lord for no reason at all. Do you want Eldest Sister to accompany you to Lingxiao Pavilion and clear things up?"

Lei Yu said.

"Clear things up? Lingxiao Pavilion compiled the Jianghu rankings. Unless one is a grandmaster, who has the right to make Lingxiao Pavilion alter its rankings?"

Ji Qing knew some common facts about Lingxiao Pavilion's Jianghu rankings.

Lingxiao Pavilion had grandmasters!

And they were not ordinary grandmasters, either.

If anyone could simply explain themselves and have the rankings changed, then the Jianghu rankings would lose all authority.

"I can persuade my master and have the sect step forward. Perhaps..."

Lei Yu pondered for a moment before speaking again.

Ji Qing was instead somewhat surprised.

What Lei Yu meant was that there was a grandmaster-level expert in the sect behind her?

"Eldest Sister, are you serious?"

Ji Qing asked softly.

He had thought Lei Yu was merely swearing brotherhood casually, without taking it seriously.

After all, Lei Yu was an old hand in the Jianghu.

Why would she care about such a joke-like oath of brotherhood?

But Lei Yu's expression turned solemn. "Third, I know what concerns you, but in this oath of brotherhood, Second Brother, Fourth Sister, and I all feel the same. Since we have sworn brotherhood, then we are family!"

Ji Qing understood.

Lei Yu was an open and upright woman of the Jianghu.

Even if she wanted to gain some benefit from Chen Luo, her oath of brotherhood had been sincere.

"Eldest Sister, I've learned from you! But whether I'm on the Villain Ranking or not, I don't care much."

Ji Qing truly did not care much about the Villain Ranking.

In fact, having an "evil reputation" was not entirely a bad thing.

Many people came looking for him and voluntarily delivered gold, silver, martial arts techniques—why not gladly accept it?

"Eldest Sister, Third Brother, after we part this time, who knows how long it will be before we meet again. As you travel the Jianghu, you may encounter demons and monsters. Ordinary ones are no concern; with your martial arts, you can naturally handle them. But if you encounter demons like the Blood Demon, ordinary martial arts are completely useless. Only a Demon Slayer's blood can injure such demons."

"Chen Lin and I will each give you a bottle of Demon Slayer blood first. We have also fused some demon-slaying spells into our blood, making it even more effective against demons."

With that, Chen Luo immediately sliced open his palm with a knife and took out a porcelain bottle to collect his blood.

"Second Brother, I have to let blood too?"

Chen Lin's face fell.

"Of course. If you don't let blood, do you expect me to fill two bottles by myself? Do you still want me to live?"

Chen Lin had no choice. She likewise cut open her palm with a knife and filled a bottle with Demon Slayer blood.

Ji Qing and Lei Yu both received a full bottle of Demon Slayer blood.

Looking at the wounds on Chen Luo and his sister's hands, Ji Qing felt a stir in his heart as well.

"Then many thanks to Second Brother and Fourth Sister."

With a bottle of Demon Slayer blood, Ji Qing would have something to rely on if he encountered demons.

"By the way, what should we do about Lei Family Fortress?"

Chen Luo asked.

So many people had died here. If it attracted other demons, the trouble would be immense.

Many demons craved human "flesh and blood" and "corpses."

"Burn it down. There's no one left in Lei Family Fortress anyway..."

Lei Yu said softly.

This was her hometown, the place where she had grown up.

But everyone was gone. What use was there in keeping it?

So Lei Yu personally set fire to the entire Lei Family Fortress.

"The roads of Jianghu stretch long. Until we meet again!"

The four said their farewells and parted ways, leaving Lei Family Fortress in three different directions.

Three days later, a group of constables arrived at Lei Family Fortress.

They saw the fortress, already burned to ashes.

"We're too late!"

The constables' hearts sank.

The man leading them was none other than Green Province's foremost constable, Du Chen, the Wind Chasing Blade!