The dim night sky shrouded the silent great city.
Fang Mu walked alone through the dark alley, and seeing that it was completely deserted, he couldn't help feeling a little nervous.
This was Fang Mu's first time wandering through an empty alley at night. Once night fell, no one in the city dared to go out unless they were people drinking themselves senseless.
Sensing three faint auras following him from the darkness, sometimes near and sometimes far, Fang Mu felt slightly reassured.
"Young man! Come on in! It's only two silver coins!"
When he reached a shadowy alley, several flamboyantly dressed, heavily made-up women waved at Fang Mu and blew him flirtatious kisses.
"Uh, there's actually a place like this?"
"But isn't that way too expensive? Two silver coins for one night? How much do I earn every day risking my life to slay demons?"
Fang Mu muttered inwardly, shook his head, and turned to leave.
It was obvious that the pink brothel at the corner of the alley, which opened late at night, was doing booming business. Quite a few men were visiting.
"Hmph! Tomorrow, I'll have my father level this filthy place."
After Fang Mu left, Qi Zhu, who had been hiding at the distant corner of the alley, spoke furiously.
"Qi Zhu! Leave this to me. First thing tomorrow morning, I'll personally bring people to level that nightclub."
Seeing the anger on Qi Zhu's face, Tu Qing hurriedly promised.
Tu Qing thought that the women at the nightclub weren't bad-looking. He could invite them back and have a good, intimate exchange.
"Hmph." Qi Zhu gave a delicate snort and left, while Wen Xuan and Tu Qing also disappeared into the alley.
The nightclub in the dark alley suddenly closed, and one after another, shrill screams rang out.
Gush after gush of bright-red blood dyed the ground scarlet.
As a breeze swept past, the building was emptied of people, leaving behind only a ground strewn with shattered white bones.
Fang Mu had no idea that he had unwittingly escaped a calamity.
After winding through the alley and making several turns, Fang Mu still hadn't encountered any fox demon.
Tu Qing, who had been following Fang Mu from a distance, pulled Wen Xuan and Qi Zhu aside to sit and rest, no longer planning to follow Fang Mu.
He had deliberately held Wen Xuan and Qi Zhu back along the way, hoping that Fang Mu would encounter a fox demon—preferably one that would eat him.
Fang Mu continued forward. When he reached a dark fork in the road,
he suddenly saw a girl in white sitting on the ground some distance away.
Though the alley was pitch-black, the darkness couldn't block Fang Mu's vision.
Fang Mu warily approached and saw that the other party was a delicate girl who didn't look like a demon.
Seeing her cowering in the corner of the alley, he asked, "Are you all right?"
"I-I twisted my ankle and can't walk. C-can you carry me to a clinic?"
The girl's voice rang out like silver bells as she spoke timidly.
Looking at the girl's heavenly beauty, Fang Mu couldn't help staring blankly for a moment.
"Y-young master!"
The girl's pretty face flushed slightly as she called out shyly.
Fang Mu instantly came to his senses and inwardly reproached himself, not daring to look at the girl's peerlessly beautiful face again.
He stepped forward, carried her onto his back, and headed toward the alley she had indicated.
Fang Mu remained vigilant the entire time. Even as he carried the girl, he kept his guard up against her.
After passing through several alleys, the girl still made no unusual move, which allowed Fang Mu to relax slightly.
"Young master, you're such a good person. You're not like the others, who want to get handsy the moment they see me."
Hearing the girl's melodious, bell-like voice behind him, Fang Mu froze for a moment.
"May I ask your honored name, young master?"
"Miss, there's no need to be so polite. Just call me Fang Mu."
"Fang as in 'square,' and Mu as in 'wood'; wood reaching the heavens. That's a fine name, young master."
"I'm flattered. May I ask your name, miss?"
"My name is Hu Mei'er!"
"Uh, th-that's a good name!"
"Young master, do you think all demons deserve to die?"
Hu Mei'er suddenly countered with that question, and Fang Mu's footsteps halted for a moment.
As he felt Hu Mei'er press her cheek against his back,
Fang Mu, who had never been so intimately close to a woman, felt a strange sensation rise within him.
At that moment, Fang Mu suddenly recalled Aunt Zhao's final words: "People have good and evil in them, and demons can be good or bad."
"Demons that harm people should be killed. Demons that don't harm people should be given some room to survive."
"Perhaps humans and demons can coexist. We shouldn't casually deprive other living beings of their lives."
"Young master, you understand reason, but very few people think the way you do."
"Young master, watch out!" Hu Mei'er suddenly cried out.
Caught off guard, Fang Mu was shoved away and staggered into the stone wall of the nearby alley.
"Roar!" An enraged howl rang out.
A black wolf with blood-red eyes glared at Hu Mei'er, who stood between it and Fang Mu.
"Young master! Run! This is a demon wolf. You're no match for it."
"I'm sorry. I deceived you. I'm a demon too."
Fang Mu stared blankly at Hu Mei'er as she turned around and changed from a heavenly beautiful girl into a white fox.
The white fox let out a shriek and instantly pounced on the black wolf, battling it fiercely.
"It? It's saving me?"
Watching the white fox fight the black wolf, Fang Mu hesitated, unsure whether he should step in and help.
"Demon, prepare to die!"
Suddenly, three figures shot out of the dark alley and charged toward the battling black wolf and white fox.
Wen Xuan and Tu Qing unleashed the cultivation of Martial Artist Rank 4. Their formidable strength directly crushed the black wolf and white fox.
The black wolf roared and lunged at Qi Zhu, whose strength was the weakest.
But a massive Sword Qi slashed out from Wen Xuan, blasting it away while it vomited blood.
The black wolf crashed into the distant alley, then took the opportunity to flee into the darkness.
Wen Xuan was about to give chase, but Tu Qing called out, "Help kill the fox demon first!"
As Tu Qing's words fell, Fang Mu, watching from the corner, saw him gather his energy and thrust out his palm, striking with a massive palm print of Vital Energy.
The white fox let out a miserable cry as the massive palm print of Vital Energy struck it and sent it flying while vomiting blood.
Fang Mu's heart jolted. While worrying for the white fox, he was also shocked by Tu Qing's strength.
The ability to solidify Vital Energy into a palm showed how profound Tu Qing's cultivation was.
The white fox smashed through the wall of a commoner's courtyard. Just as Tu Qing darted toward it and struck out with his palm,
the white fox spat out a cloud of white mist that enveloped Tu Qing.
Fang Mu saw Tu Qing's eyes grow dull before he fell from midair.
"Heaven and earth have their order; righteous qi endures forever."
Just as the white fox tried to flee, a voice brimming with righteousness rang out.
Fang Mu looked up and saw Wen Xuan soaring into the air, a dazzling white light blazing from his body.
The white light transformed into a chain and instantly wrapped around the white fox.
"Ah!"
The white fox began shrieking miserably as wisps of black air scattered from its body.
"You wretched thing, how dare you use enchantment arts on me!"
An enraged shout rang out. Tu Qing shot forward, swung his saber, and severed the white fox's tail with a single slash.
Amid the white fox's miserable screams, he manipulated the demon-catching bag and stuffed the white fox inside.
Watching the white fox's tail get cut off before it was sealed into the demon-catching bag, Fang Mu secretly clenched his fists, yet could do nothing.
He wanted to save the white fox, but he understood that if he acted, not only would he fail to save it, he might also get himself killed—or even implicate Fang Jing.
It was a feeling of helplessness, and that helplessness drove him nearly mad.
Strength. It was still because he lacked strength.
So weak that he didn't even have the courage to act, he possessed none of the power needed to protect others or change the rules.
"Hmph! Coward!"
Seeing Fang Mu clench his fists while only daring to hide in the corner, Tu Qing sneered coldly.
Fang Mu angrily raised his head, his blood-red eyes fixed on Tu Qing. He nearly lost control and attacked him.
Tu Qing was startled by Fang Mu's blood-red eyes. After recovering, he immediately felt humiliated.
Seeing Qi Zhu look at Fang Mu with concern, Tu Qing's jealousy instantly blazed like a raging fire.
He had originally wanted to teach Fang Mu a lesson, but when he looked at the demon-catching bag in his hand, Tu Qing suddenly changed his mind.
"Brat, since you're a Demon Slayer Envoy, you can take this fox demon back and execute it. Remember, I want its fox pelt intact."
"Hahaha!" Tu Qing tossed the demon-catching bag to Fang Mu and left, laughing loudly.
He wasn't afraid that Fang Mu would release the fox demon. If Fang Mu dared to do that, there would be no place left for him in Qingzhu City.
Fang Mu secretly clenched his fists tighter as he looked at the demon-catching bag in his hand, caught in hesitation.
"Hmph! You blockhead, I think the fox demon has bewitched your mind!"
Seeing Fang Mu gaze reluctantly at the demon-catching bag in his hand, Qi Zhu cursed him angrily before leaving in a huff.
"Don't do anything foolish! You still have a younger sister. You need to understand your situation."
"A demon is a demon. Humans and demons follow different paths. Those who aren't of our kind will always have alien hearts. Killing them is for the sake of protecting more people."
Wen Xuan seemed to have noticed Fang Mu's hesitation and kindly offered him a reminder.
Watching Wen Xuan leave, Fang Mu fell silent.
Torn with indecision, Fang Mu ultimately took the demon-catching bag and headed toward the Demon Slayer Division.
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