The next morning, the darkness shrouding Yong'an City was swept away. Sunlight bathed the earth, warming everyone from head to toe.
In the days that followed, the common people were astonished to discover that the gangs and powerful clans that had once run rampant had all become astonishingly docile.
They would even bow and apologize after bumping into someone. The city's public order had risen to an entirely new level.
Chu Feng had rarely slept in, and did not get out of bed until the sun was already high in the sky.
Ever since he had been hunted, he had kept his nerves taut and never dared relax. Now that all his enemies were dead, he naturally slept soundly and comfortably.
After getting up, Chu Feng stretched lazily and instinctively reached for his Mò Dāo.
But when he reached out, his hand grasped empty air.
"Ah, I finally had a weapon that suited me, and it actually broke."
Back then, the blacksmith boss had told him that it was made entirely of Precious Iron. He had never expected it to be chopped into several pieces by a short sword, rendering it completely unusable.
As he thought about it, Chu Feng picked up the short sword.
Yesterday, he had specifically asked County Magistrate Yang Chenwu, only to learn that the short sword was forged from Mithril, worth more than gold. It was peerlessly sharp and possessed the wondrous ability to suppress demons.
"What a pity it's so short. It's no fun to swing around. If only I had a Mò Dāo forged entirely from Mithril..."
Chu Feng toyed with it a few times and sighed.
If anyone learned of his thoughts, they would probably curse him for not knowing the immensity of heaven and earth.
Three hundred jin of Mithril—just the material cost alone might not be covered even by selling the entire Yong'an County Town, let alone having it forged into a weapon.
Just then, a knock sounded at the door.
Chu Feng opened it and saw County Magistrate Yang Chenwu standing outside with a grave expression.
"Master Chu, yesterday we searched the Fang Family and discovered traces of a demon..."
Yang Chenwu got straight to the point.
As for the corpses of more than a dozen young women, he did not mention them. Those were secondary matters now.
"Oh? Did you catch the demon?" Chu Feng asked curiously.
"We did not. This is what we found at the scene..."
Yang Chenwu took out a section of broken chain and said gravely:
"This chain was made of the same Mithril as Master Chu's short sword. It is a standard weapon of the imperial Demon Suppression Division, specially designed to hunt and capture demons."
"And yet this demon was actually able to snap the Demon Suppression Chain. Clearly, its strength has reached an extremely terrifying level..."
Chu Feng picked up the broken section of chain and examined it, discovering that its material was indeed identical to that of the silver sword.
He tried squeezing it with all his might. Even after exerting his full strength, the chain remained completely unmoved.
One had to know that Chu Feng's strength had now reached an utterly frightening level. In his hands, even an iron ball would probably be no different from tofu.
From this, one could see how terrifying the escaped demon's strength was!
"Master Chu need not be overly worried. I have already reported this to the Demon Suppression Division. They will send someone over soon..."
"The Demon Suppression Division?" Chu Feng began to take an interest in this institution.
"The Demon Suppression Division is an important department of the Great Zhou Dynasty, responsible for suppressing demons. Its members are all top experts cultivated by the imperial court, and every one of them has reached the level above Viscera Refinement."
A look of yearning appeared on Yang Chenwu's face. The Great Zhou Dynasty valued martial prowess over literary achievement. Even serving as a seventh-rank county magistrate required Bone Tempering cultivation, while Viscera Refinement Warriors were the minimum requirement for joining the Demon Suppression Division.
He, too, had once been a hot-blooded youth who dreamed of joining the Demon Suppression Division. Unfortunately, his aptitude was insufficient, leaving him with no choice but to serve as a local magistrate.
Yang Chenwu composed himself, then took a stack of bills and a book from his robes and handed them to Chu Feng.
"These are ill-gotten gains confiscated from the Fang Family and the Wang Family. Part of them is also a reward from the county office for Master Chu eliminating evil on behalf of the people. I hope Master Chu will definitely accept them!"
Chu Feng accepted them without hesitation.
Martial cultivation was a gold-devouring beast.
He had quite a bit of unexpected wealth, but even that could not withstand several large bowls of body-nourishing medicinal liquid every day. His spare money had long since been exhausted.
If Yang Chenwu had not brought these bills, Chu Feng would have had to find a way to make money. Otherwise, he probably would not even be able to afford the body-nourishing medicinal liquid needed for cultivation.
Chu Feng glanced at the book beneath the bills.
Five Viscera Qi Cultivation Method!
It had an utterly ordinary name and looked like something that could be found everywhere, yet it left Chu Feng deeply shaken!
"This was a Viscera Refining Breathing Technique found in the Fang Family's secret chamber."
Yang Chenwu explained, then conveniently voiced the conjecture in his heart.
"Fang Hanshan must have encountered a Viscera Refinement expert fighting a demon. He waited to reap the benefits, deliberately concealed the matter, and used the demon's essence blood to cultivate into a Demonic Warrior. This cultivation method may have been obtained from that Viscera Refinement expert."
After a pause, Yang Chenwu said cautiously, "This Five Viscera Qi Cultivation Method may very well be a relic of an elder from the Demon Suppression Division. The Demon Suppression Division could reclaim it at any time. Master Chu may copy a version for yourself, but please do not teach it to others casually, lest you invite unnecessary trouble."
Chu Feng took it and flipped through it once while silently reciting in his heart:
"Lifespan Deduction..."
[Year One: You memorized the Five Viscera Qi Cultivation Method until you knew it by heart.] [You spent five years attempting to cultivate the Five Viscera Qi Cultivation Method and discovered that anyone whose skin, flesh, tendons, and bones had not reached Great Accomplishment would be injured more and more the further they cultivated. Forcing cultivation would only result in the Seven Injuries of the Five Labors, leading to decline and death!] [Remaining lifespan: fifty-two years.]
In the span of a single breath, Chu Feng had memorized the entire secret manual and even attempted to cultivate it.
Unfortunately, he had yet to complete Bone Tempering and could not cultivate it.
"Such a precious cultivation method is best not copied, lest I leave someone leverage against me."
"Master Chu, this..."
Yang Chenwu was puzzled. He knew Chu Feng's background: he had been the lowliest servant of the Fang Family and likely had never come into contact with such a precious secret manual.
Could the other party have become a disciple of a Viscera Refinement Warrior?
Or had he obtained an opportunity of the same level?
Was that why he did not care about this Viscera Refinement cultivation method?
"Lord Yang, I have already memorized the cultivation method," Chu Feng said blandly.
"Uh..."
"Master Chu truly possesses monstrous talent. You are genuinely the most extraordinary person I have ever seen!"
Yang Chenwu's mouth hung open for a long while before he finally let out a sigh of admiration.
After sending Yang Chenwu away, Chu Feng began to ponder. The escaped demon might be hiding in some corner of Yong'an County Town, spying on them at this very moment.
"There are many disasters in troubled times. If I possessed the strength to suppress everything, I could cut down any demon, ghost, or monster with a single stroke. Why would I still need to be on guard?"
"In the end, the reason behind all disasters and fears is simply insufficient firepower!"
After sending Yang Chenwu away and thinking it over briefly, Chu Feng reached this conclusion.
Originally, he had already looked down on the little lifespan gained from the daily slaughter at Hongyun Restaurant. But he had no other source of lifespan, so he could only make do with it for now.
He no longer deliberately disguised himself. Chu Feng casually changed into coarse clothes and hemp garments and headed toward Hongyun Restaurant.
"Esteemed guest... may I ask what you need?" The old shopkeeper's face had been wreathed in smiles since early morning.
Although it was not yet mealtime and the young man before him had arrived far too early, it did nothing to diminish his enthusiasm.
He had just confirmed at the county office that the Fang Family patriarch had fallen into demonic ways, harmed the people, and been executed by the county office.
Now that the entire Fang Family had been wiped out, he no longer had to suffer oppression, nor did he have to hand over his earnings. Naturally, his brows were dancing with delight.
"Shopkeeper, you don't even recognize me?" Chu Feng had restored his original appearance. Since he had wiped out the entire Fang Family, there was naturally no need to keep hiding his identity.
"You are? Chu Liu Xiang?"
Although the old shopkeeper had vaguely guessed from his voice, he still dared not believe it.
Only after Chu Feng nodded did he finally believe that this imposing young man before him was the formerly thin and frail Chu Liu Xiang.
"Old Shopkeeper, I've come back to work. You haven't hired a new butcher, have you?"
"No, of course not..." The old shopkeeper shook his head like a rattle drum.
At the same time, he recalled what Chu Feng had said to him yesterday, and a guess arose in his heart...
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