Demon and Confucian

The carriage curtain was drawn aside, and Advisor Li and Chen Luo stepped out of the carriage, a verdant mountain coming into view.

West Xiu Mountain was a forested hill east of Wan'an County, about one-tenth the size of the county town itself, lush with vegetation and teeming with birds and beasts. Many residents of Wan'an County made their living relying on West Xiu Mountain.

"Patriarch Chen, This Humble One asks once more: are you certain you wish to investigate West Xiu Mountain? My master says that even if you produce another three thousand silver taels, if you want to use the Fortune Lock a second time, you'll have to wait until a month from now..."

Chen Ping looked toward Chen Luo. Chen Luo stared intently at West Xiu Mountain before him, rapidly reconstructing the known clues in his mind, and finally nodded: "Investigate!"

Advisor Li then put away his smiling expression, his face turning solemn. He took out the Authorization Order previously written by Cai Tongchen from his sleeve and pressed it against the official seal. The paper quickly burned, yet not a single ash fell. In an instant, the paper was consumed, and a faint green light emerged on the Seal of the Seventh-Rank Magistrate. On the seal's main body, a map of Wan'an County could faintly be seen.

Advisor Li extended a finger and lightly tapped twice on the marked location of West Xiu Mountain on the map. In that instant, Chen Luo felt a presence descend from the sky, covering the entire mountain.

Almost simultaneously, roars of beasts and cries of eagles rang out from within West Xiu Mountain. Advisor Li paid them no mind, instead explaining to Chen Luo: "Fortune is like clear water. Beneath clear water, any impurity will be seen at a glance..."

As Advisor Li's words fell, three cold white beams shot out from within the forest. Within the three pillar-like beams of light, the phantoms of a deer, a sparrow, and a civet appeared. Advisor Li said: "These are three demons who have purified themselves with moonlight and bear no killing karma. They are protected by the Great Xuan Law..."

Just then, another beam of light shot up from West Xiu Mountain. The pillar of light was red, mixed with a trace of black, and was more than twice as thick as the previous three white beams.

Advisor Li's expression changed: "How bold! Red with Black—this is not only Human Blood Light, but also carries Human Heavenly Condemnation Power... This is a Sinful Demon!"

Chen Luo also stared fixedly at the pillar of light. Within it, a twisted phantom gradually became clear—it was a tiger with its mouth wide open.

"Advisor, that's it!"

Advisor Li nodded slightly: "This beast knew it was locked by Fortune, yet instead of hiding, it's charging straight at us..." With that, he handed the official seal to Chen Luo. "Hold the seal, and you'll be protected by Fortune! Just watch from the sidelines; don't enter the battle circle."

No sooner had Advisor Li finished speaking than a heaven-shaking tiger roar sounded. On the distant mountain path, a three-meter-long striped giant tiger shot out from West Xiu Mountain like lightning, charging straight toward Chen Luo's location.

Advisor Li's kindly, good-natured demeanor had vanished, replaced by a dignified, awe-inspiring appearance. A thin layer of green light swirled around him, inexplicably making him seem righteous and imposing.

"Righteous Qi!" Chen Ping, standing beside Chen Luo, said softly. Chen Luo nodded slightly, his eyes fixed on the striped tiger, because he had spotted a peculiar blood-colored pattern on its body!

Advisor Li let out a bold laugh, took a step forward, and met the pouncing tiger head-on. As he strode forward, he sang loudly:

Black clouds press down, threatening to crush the city walls; Armor gleams in the sun, golden scales open. Horn sounds fill the sky in autumn colors; On the frontier, rouge congeals into night purple. Half-rolled red flag approaches the solemn water; Heavy frost, cold drum, sound does not rise. Report your intentions on the Golden Platform, And draw the jade dragon to die for your lord.

As Advisor Li chanted, the phantom of a red war banner appeared behind him. The banner unfurled, and from within emerged the phantom of a general holding a spear, charging forward valiantly.

The general's phantom collided head-on with the tiger. A powerful shockwave spread in all directions, sending sand and stones flying, toppling trees and snapping branches. The official seal in Chen Luo's hand trembled slightly, releasing a wisp of energy that formed a token-like barrier, shielding Chen Luo from the impact.

After the collision, Advisor Li and the tiger each retreated dozens of meters, then charged at each other again.

"So, this world also has the same poem, just with the place names changed." Hearing the familiar verses, Chen Luo thought to himself.

While Chen Luo was still pondering, the blood-colored pattern on the striped tiger suddenly flashed. Chen Luo vaguely saw the space above the tiger twist, leaves drifting, as if a tiger claw formed of wind was swatting toward Advisor Li.

"Wind Follows Tiger, Cloud Follows Dragon. This tiger demon has actually evolved the 'Wind Control' demon art into a Divine Ability." Chen Ping exclaimed in surprise. Having followed Chen Father for over a decade, he was no stranger to such things.

"Uncle Ping, can Advisor Li win?" Chen Luo was now slightly tense. Before Chen Ping could answer, Advisor Li spat out a single word—

"Duo!"

The moment this word left his mouth, a golden light burst forth from the top of Advisor Li's head, rapidly condensing into a golden blade that slashed down at the Wind-Gathered Tiger Claw.

And at the instant the word "Duo" was spoken, though Chen Luo only heard a single syllable, a war poem flashed through his mind:

A piebald horse, newly saddled with white jade, After battle, the battlefield moonlight is cold. On the city wall, iron drums still resound; In the scabbard, the golden blade's blood is not yet dry.

Golden light streaked through the night sky like a thunderbolt. A single howl of agony, and the tiger claw shattered instantly. The striped tiger let out a pained roar, tumbling several times on the ground. When it rose again, a bloody wound ran from the back of its neck all the way to its belly. The tiger looked at Advisor Li, then at Chen Luo not far away. Making up its mind, it turned its head and charged straight at Chen Luo. In that instant, its speed seemed to increase further—in the blink of an eye, it was less than a hundred meters away.

Advisor Li seemed prepared. The golden blade, which was about to dissipate above his head, suddenly condensed again, though much smaller than before. Advisor Li swept his sleeve, and the golden blade transformed into a streak of light, shooting forward. The tiger couldn't dodge in time. The blade entered through one shoulder blade and exited through the opposite side of its abdomen, crashing into the ground and dissipating into light. The tiger lost its strength, stumbling forward a few steps before collapsing heavily. But it wasn't dead yet. Its heavy breathing sounded like a bellows, and its eyes stared fixedly at Chen Luo, who was only a few dozen meters away, a human-like unwillingness on its face.

Chen Luo slowly approached the fallen tiger demon but didn't dare get too close. He stopped about ten meters away, holding the official seal in one hand, meeting the tiger's gaze, and asked: "I ask you, was it you who sent the tamed ghosts to kill over twenty members of my Chen household?"

The tiger opened its mouth slightly and spoke in a low, hoarse voice: "You harmed my wife. I came to take revenge—what wrong have I done? Do you know that when my wife was killed, she was already carrying tiger cubs in her belly! You destroyed my family; I wiped out yours. Fair and square."

"What a case of the villain... no, the evil tiger, crying victim first. It was your wife who kidnapped my tenants first..."

"Patriarch Chen, why bother arguing with it?" Advisor Li had returned to his usual smiling demeanor as he walked over. "This evil tiger is just quibbling. That tigress was merely a wild beast; this one is a demon that has awakened intelligence. They're no longer the same kind of life. What 'husband and wife' or 'family' is there between a beast and a demon? If that were the case, herbivorous beasts that become demons would have to kill all carnivorous demons first! And all the hunters, butchers, and meat sellers under heaven would have to die out!"

"Besides, this is a Sinful Demon!" Advisor Li walked up to the tiger, placed one foot on its neck, and demanded: "Speak. Which faction sent you to our Great Xuan? The Buddhist Sect? The Myriad Demon Kingdom? Or the Barbarian Tribes?"

The tiger closed its eyes slightly and refused to answer, clearly seeking death.

Chen Luo stepped forward a few paces, glanced at the tiger, then looked at Advisor Li and asked: "Advisor Li, what is a Sinful Demon?"

Advisor Li replied: "You saw that its blood light carried a trace of black—that's Human Heavenly Condemnation Power. Being entangled with Heavenly Condemnation Power means this demon has harmed someone who rendered meritorious service to humanity. Such a demon is called a Sinful Demon. The Great Xuan Dynasty has decreed: Sinful Demons must be killed!"

The tiger let out a cold laugh: "At least four of the ten Saint Lords of the Myriad Demon Kingdom are entangled with Human Heavenly Condemnation Power. Does your Great Xuan dare to break through the myriad demons and kill those Saint Lords? No—you still practice marriage alliances, sending imperial princesses to marry the kings of the Myriad Demon Kingdom."

"You..." Advisor Li was rarely enraged. "A mere tiger demon dares to discuss my Great Xuan's national policy?"

The tiger did not reply. It simply closed its eyes indifferently. In moments, Chen Luo noticed that the tiger's once-mighty body had begun to shrink slightly. Advisor Li sensed something was wrong and reached out to check, only to discover that the tiger had somehow activated the "Bloodline Exhaustion" Self-Destruction Technique and had already lost all signs of life.

No doubt, to hide its activation, the tiger had deliberately argued with them just now, diverting Advisor Li's attention.

Just then, Zhong Kui's voice suddenly rang in Chen Luo's mind: "Master, this tiger demon's soul is somewhat unusual. Perhaps I can probe some information..."