White Ape Festival

Looking at Tuoba Li kneeling before him.

Lu Jun said, "Tell me, what was this operation about?"

By now, Tuoba Li had complete faith in Lu Jun and hurriedly said:

"Previously, Your Excellency assigned us to Master Chen the Flood Dragon's command, ordering us to pose as rogue cultivators and Law Seekers to contact the Demon Slaying Division in Qinghe County and keep a close eye on their movements."

"If they showed any improper intentions, we were to report them immediately."

"This time, it was because Jia Kuiren secretly contacted us and asked to cooperate in killing Master Chen the Flood Dragon's Demon General in exchange for a chance to escape with his life."

"After receiving this intelligence, we reported it to Master Chen the Flood Dragon."

"Master Chen the Flood Dragon said that the Demon Slaying Division here had no reason to exist anymore. From then on, he would leave its management to us."

Lu Jun nodded. "Tell me about the forces behind the Ugly Ox Lord."

Tuoba Li froze for a moment and blurted out, "My lord, you don't know?"

Lu Jun activated Mountain Lord's Might. In an instant, an overwhelming aura as surging as a mountain crashed down upon Tuoba Li.

Lu Jun said coldly, "I ask, you answer. Don't ask questions you shouldn't. Understand?"

Tuoba Li nodded meekly before continuing. "The Ugly Ox Lord, like the other eleven Zodiac Lords, belongs to the Zodiac Gate. It's an alliance of the Demon Race established under the leadership of twelve Demon Kings. Our main area of activity is Tannan Province."

"By now, we've occupied fifteen prefectures in Tannan Province—nearly sixty percent of the entire region."

Lu Jun frowned. "The Demon Slaying Division hasn't noticed anything?"

Tuoba Li smiled. "That's because we mainly occupy counties, towns, and villages. The Demon Slaying Division doesn't have enough people, so it's difficult for them to notice what's happening in more remote counties, towns, and villages. Besides, we've done our best to establish cooperative relationships with some Law Seeker factions, helping us conceal our presence. Naturally, the Demon Slaying Division has had a hard time noticing."

Lu Jun raised an eyebrow. "Surrounding the prefectures by encircling the towns and counties? Advancing gradually?"

"My lord's summary was exceedingly precise," Tuoba Li said.

"Give me a list of the Law Seeker factions that have entered into cooperation with you," Lu Jun said.

Tuoba Li said, "I don't have a pen, my lord."

"Hold out your hand."

Tuoba Li obediently extended his hand.

Lu Jun raised his hand. A small wind blade condensed above it and suddenly slashed down at Tuoba Li's index-finger joint.

Tuoba Li stared blankly at the finger that had lost a joint. When he realized what had happened, he suddenly let out a miserable howl.

Lu Jun ignored him. Another wind blade condensed in his hand and shaved off a strip of Tuoba Li's clothes.

"Now you have one. Not only a pen, but paper too," Lu Jun said indifferently. "Write."

"You..."

Tuoba Li was speechless for a long while.

He finally understood why the Ugly Ox Lord had treated this man as a World Walker.

This guy was purely a humanoid demon.

He was simply a villain born bad.

He didn't regard himself as human at all!

At the same time, Tuoba Li's faith in Lu Jun's identity grew even stronger.

"Make your handwriting look better," Lu Jun said indifferently.

Tuoba Li was choking with grievance.

But under the pressure of Lu Jun's identity and his inhuman temperament, Tuoba Li used his bloodied finger to write down, stroke by stroke, everything he knew.

He wrote out every Law Seeker faction that had dealings with the Zodiac Gate.

Lu Jun took the blood letter and silently committed the factions listed on it to memory.

Lu Jun nodded. "Good. I have a task for you now. This is Your Excellency's order."

"Within three days, gather all the Ugly Ox Lord's disciples, as well as the disciples of the Zodiac Lords you're familiar with, and bring them to Qingci Town. Wait for my next instructions," Lu Jun said.

"Huh? Why?" Tuoba Li asked, stunned.

"I give the orders, and you carry them out. Understand?" Lu Jun said coldly.

"Yes, sir." Tuoba Li hurriedly bowed.

"Good. Then set out now," Lu Jun said.

Tuoba Li was dumbfounded.

No, big brother, it was the middle of the night.

Couldn't we at least rest for one night?

Was it really necessary to be this urgent?

"You have an objection?" Lu Jun raised an eyebrow.

"N-no, none." Tuoba Li shuddered.

He somewhat regretted recruiting Lu Jun as a disciple of his own master.

Watching Tuoba Li's departing back, Lu Jun nodded in satisfaction as he silently mulled over his simple and brutal plan.

"Tomorrow, kill that White Ape..."

"Then kill that so-called Master Chen the Flood Dragon?"

"As for these dregs of the evil sects, I can put them to use as well."

The next day, just as dawn broke.

Shen Lingying finished packing and, her face flushed, bade Lu Jun farewell.

"Bye-bye..."

Lu Jun smiled and said goodbye.

Not long after Shen Lingying left.

A teasing voice came from behind Lu Jun. "Brother Lu, last night... heh heh..."

Lu Jun had just turned around when he saw Li Tuo's lecherous grin.

His expression unchanged, Lu Jun ignored the lecherous Li Tuo and said softly, "You came at just the right time. That old ape is coming down the mountain tomorrow, and I happen to need your help."

Li Tuo realized this was serious business and reined in the smile on his face.

Lu Jun stepped forward and leaned lightly to Li Tuo's ear, quietly giving him some instructions.

A trace of confusion appeared on Li Tuo's face, but he still nodded. "That shouldn't be much of a problem."

"Then go," Lu Jun said with a smile.

In the blink of an eye, another day passed, and the White Ape Festival began in Qingci Town.

A quarter past noon, the sky was clear.

Everyone in town had already gathered outside Qingci Town, before the White Ape General Temple.

The temple had been built by the townspeople at the White Ape's insistence.

At every sacrificial ceremony.

They also had to use a sedan chair to carry the White Ape's own statue from the shrine and transport it to the foot of the mountain behind the town.

The entire ceremony had to be carried out strictly according to the rites previously used by the villages and towns to worship deities.

Everyone knew that the White Ape was vain, but intimidated by its might, they dared not disobey.

Those who had violated its wishes in the past had all ended up in the White Ape's belly.

Therefore, no one dared to be careless.

In front of the White Ape General's shrine.

A sedan chair had already been placed there.

Eight burly men stood beside it.

Lu Jun stood silently beside the sedan chair. Beside him were Li Tuo, Jia Kuiren, Chen Zhuo, and Fang Huai.

Behind them stood tens of thousands of townspeople.

"Raise the sedan chair. Just as the White Ape ordered, carry it to the foot of the mountain behind the town." The corners of Lu Jun's lips curled upward. "Let's invite that beast over too."

Jia Kuiren was familiar with the entire procedure, so he immediately called out, "Raise the divine palanquin!"

The eight men moved at once, lifting the sedan chair onto their shoulders.

Jia Kuiren walked at the very front, followed by the eight men carrying the sedan chair.

Tens of thousands of townspeople followed the sedan chair, walking fearfully toward the mountain behind the town.

Chen Zhuo quietly came up behind Lu Jun and asked in a low voice:

"My lord, what should we do next?"

The night before last.

When Tuoba Li had left, he had told Chen Zhuo that Lu Jun was the Ugly Ox Lord's World Walker.

Although Chen Zhuo had been astonished, facts spoke louder than words.

He had no choice but to believe it, and could only take Lu Jun as his backbone.

Lu Jun smiled. "I've prepared everything. Just watch quietly."