The Demon Behind the Scenes

The Drum Beating Golden Hammer, in Ning Xiu's memory, was the foremost among the Four Fierce, Eight Great Hammers.

Its power was fierce; one strike would shatter a person's skull and end their life, leaving them unable to rise again.

To be wielded as a weapon by a True Man, the hammer's power naturally couldn't be underestimated.

When Ning Xiu took the Drum Beating Golden Hammer from the hands of the Myriad Treasures Merchant Caravan members, he instantly understood the feeling of holding a hammer weighing three hundred and twenty pounds.

Heavy, incredibly heavy!

If not for his Internal Energy allowing him to grip and lift it, Ning Xiu wouldn't have been able to pick up the golden hammer, let alone swing it with ease.

Seeing Ning Xiu lift the Drum Beating Golden Hammer by himself, the powerfully built man from the Myriad Treasures Merchant Caravan nodded in admiration and praised, "Young brother, your Internal Energy is quite profound. May I ask your name?"

Warriors were usually forthright. Upon seeing a young man with considerable strength, they would naturally feel inclined to get acquainted. Ning Xiu replied, "My surname is Ning, my given name is Xiu."

"Even with the aid of Internal Energy, for Brother Ning to lift this Drum Beating Golden Hammer at such a young age is remarkable. Ninth Rank martial artists wouldn't be able to achieve this level even with Internal Energy. I suspect Brother Ning's strength in the Martial Dao Eighth Rank is only higher, not lower. Are you perhaps interested in joining the Myriad Treasures Merchant Caravan? We welcome talented young individuals like yourself, and the benefits are absolutely generous."

Seeing Ning Xiu's strength, the powerfully built man felt a desire to nurture his talent and wanted to recruit Ning Xiu into the Myriad Treasures Merchant Caravan.

For anyone, joining the Myriad Treasures Merchant Caravan was a matter of great honor. Upon joining, one could obtain many resources and treasures.

Faced with the golden signboard of the Myriad Treasures Merchant Caravan, very few people would choose to refuse.

However, what the powerfully built man never expected was that Ning Xiu's backing was the Demon Subduing Bureau, the number one golden signboard in the realm.

"My apologies, elder brother, I have no intention of joining other factions," Ning Xiu replied, politely declining.

"No matter. My invitation to you is always valid. Whenever you wish to join, you can find me at the Myriad Treasures Merchant Association in Chaotian Capital."

The powerfully built man was very straightforward and decisive. Ning Xiu nodded, then carried the Golden Hammer and walked out the back door of the Moon Embracing Tower.

Huang You was already waiting for him in the carriage outside. The carriage was filled with treasures Huang You had bid on that evening.

Originally, Ning Xiu had planned to stay at an inn in Wendeng County for a few nights, and after investigating the truth behind the drowning case, he would return to Chaotian Capital.

When Huang You learned that Ning Xiu had nowhere to stay, he proactively invited him to stay at his mansion, complete with maid service.

This was much more convenient than staying at an inn, so Ning Xiu agreed.

"Is this the three-hundred-and-twenty-pound hammer? Paired with Lord Ning, it's truly majestic and exudes dominance. As the saying goes, 'Flowers are for the beautiful, treasures for the heroes.' My four thousand taels tonight were well spent, worth every penny."

Seeing Ning Xiu walk over casually with the hammer on his shoulder, Huang You immediately offered his most extreme flattery.

Oily yet not greasy, refreshing yet not cloying.

Ning Xiu smiled, "Young Master Huang's kindness in gifting the hammer, I shall remember. Should Young Master Huang encounter any misfortune in the future, you must ask for my help, so that I may repay this favor of the gifted hammer tonight."

"Lord Ning is too kind. Hurry, get in the carriage, let's head back to the mansion."

"No, no. This hammer is too heavy. If I get into the carriage with both the hammer and myself, your carriage might not be able to bear the load. I'll just walk behind the carriage. I ate too much just now; this will be good for digestion."

"Then I shall trouble Lord Ning," Huang You said, turning to the coachman, "Return to the mansion."

The night was pitch black. Four guards from the Huang Mansion followed around the carriage, each with a saber at their waist and a cautious expression.

Knowing he would be buying many items tonight, Huang You had specifically brought guards to ensure his safety.

Having lived in Wendeng County for over a decade, Huang You's impression was that the public order in Wendeng County was very good. He believed the four guards should be more than sufficient.

However, what he never expected was that the son of the newly arrived County Magistrate was not a local.

Grumble!

The carriage moved slowly down the road. Just as everyone was immersed in the quiet of the night, a large group of people suddenly surged from the alleyways on both sides of the road ahead.

They held weapons and blocked the road ahead and behind, quickly surrounding the carriage.

"Protect the young master!" Huang You's attendant shouted.

The four guards drew their sabers to confront them, but from the scene, it was clear that these four were no match for the rioters.

"Hand over everything in the carriage, and we'll let you live," someone in the crowd shouted.

"What's going on?" Huang You poked his head out of the carriage window, looking at the rioters outside, his expression instantly turning bewildered.

Damn it, when did the public order in Wendeng County become so bad that people dared to rob openly?

Ning Xiu, carrying the Golden Hammer, walked to the side of the carriage and said, "Young Master Huang, I didn't expect your misfortune to appear so soon. Do you need me to help you drive them away?"

Huang You's heart felt like ten thousand horses were stampeding through it. He had originally intended to save Ning Xiu's favor for a future difficult situation.

He hadn't expected to encounter such a major problem so quickly. If he didn't ask Ning Xiu to act tonight, he feared he would lose both his possessions and his life.

"Lord Ning, then I shall trouble you," Huang You said helplessly.

"What are you two wasting time talking about? Brothers, attack! Move now!"

The rioters were impatient and immediately charged towards the carriage, brandishing their weapons. Judging by their momentum, if Huang You dared to resist, he might not see the sun rise tomorrow.

At the same time, Ning Xiu also moved.

In the darkness, a figure leaped high into the air. With both hands, he gripped the handle of the Drum Beating Golden Hammer and smashed it down onto the ground in front of the charging rioters.

BOOM!

The street, paved with stone bricks, instantly cracked. Debris flew everywhere, and a large section of the ground caved in.

Vast cracks spread out in all directions, extending eight to nine feet before finally stopping.

In the blink of an eye, a huge cracked area appeared on the ground. If one didn't know better, they might think a meteor had fallen from the sky.

The immense commotion instantly stunned all the charging thugs. They stood frozen, not daring to take another step forward.

With the power of this single strike, anyone hit would be utterly annihilated, leaving no trace behind.

Crack!

Leaving the Drum Beating Golden Hammer on the ground, Ning Xiu stepped onto the hammer's body. He clasped his hands together, cracking his knuckles, and said with a smile, "Anyone who dares to take another step forward will be killed without mercy."

All the thugs fell silent. No one was foolish enough to not understand whether the ground or their bodies were harder.

Ning Xiu reached out and grabbed the hammer handle. "I'll count to three. Anyone still in my sight after three will be rewarded with a hammer blow."

"Three."

"Two."

Before Ning Xiu could even say "one," the thugs had already fled in a panic, disappearing without a trace.

"Young Master, this Lord Ning is truly... truly... truly not what his appearance suggests," Huang You's follower couldn't help but whisper.

Huang You nodded in strong agreement. "I originally thought he was a frail scholar, but who would have thought he's a brute force powerhouse in private."

The carriage resumed its journey. Ning Xiu returned to the room Huang You had arranged for him at the Huang Mansion. After reciting the daily Diamond Sutra for the Six-Word Golden Bead, he began cultivating several martial arts techniques.

The night passed without incident.

Early the next morning, Ning Xiu arrived at the post station. Given the Demon Subduing Bureau's efficiency, if they found anything regarding the scroll, Su Qianqian should send a letter to Wendeng County today.

As expected, the moment Ning Xiu entered the post station, the same postman from yesterday approached him, holding a sealed letter and handing it over.

"My lord, this is from that official at the Demon Subduing Bureau for you."

Ning Xiu immediately took it and opened it for examination.

In the letter, Su Qianqian explained that the scroll depicted a forbidden evil art, long sealed by the Demon Subduing Bureau. When drawn on a person, it could absorb their vital essence, leading to corpse transformation after death.

If her guess was correct, a Demon was secretly hidden within Wendeng County. They were using the drowning incidents as a cover to obtain the vital essence of the populace.

If this person were allowed to continue their wickedness, Wendeng County would eventually become a dead land.

The letter also instructed Ning Xiu to continue his investigation in Wendeng County. If he felt endangered, he could request reinforcements from the Demon Subduing Bureau. In any case, he had to find and execute the hidden Demon.

With this, the situation instantly became clear and straightforward.

Ning Xiu conceived a plan to lure out the Demon. However, this plan could not be implemented during the day; it had to wait until night.

Immediately, Ning Xiu summoned his proficiency panel.

[Pure Yang Extreme Fist: Ninth Layer (32/5000)] (+)
[Golden Bell Shield: Eighth Layer (13/4000)] (+)
[Spiritual Eye Qi Observation Technique: Fifth Layer (22/3000)] (+)
[Great Sun Profound Scripture: Eighth Layer (3/4000)] (+)
Universal Proficiency: 8500

After dealing with the seventeen corpse-transformed Corpse Fiends last time, Ning Xiu had accumulated another 8500 points of Universal Proficiency.

Since he needed to lure out the Demon tonight, he had to temporarily enhance his strength to ensure his safety. There was no need to continue saving this Universal Proficiency.

Currently, upgrading the Pure Yang Extreme Fist required a hefty 5000 points of Universal Proficiency. If he upgraded that, he wouldn't be able to upgrade either of the other two combat-focused techniques, making it less cost-effective.

Ning Xiu chose to upgrade both the Golden Bell Shield and the Great Sun Profound Scripture simultaneously, exchanging them for better defensive capabilities and deeper Internal Energy.

With the Pure Yang Extreme Fist, Golden Bell Shield, and Great Sun Profound Scripture all reaching the ninth layer, Ning Xiu now felt confident even facing a Seventh Rank Malevolent Spirit. His confidence had greatly increased.

Ning Xiu had reviewed the case files in Dong Fu's study. The records indicated that all seventeen victims had met their demise at night, meaning the Demon only struck in the dead of night.

Ning Xiu waited until nightfall at the Huang Mansion before heading out. He bought a jar of wine, intending to feign drunkenness and head to the Changxia River.

On the banks of the Changxia River at night, only the sound of flowing water could be heard, shimmering under the moonlight. Due to the bizarre nature of the drowning cases, no one dared to come near the Changxia River after dark anymore.

Activating the Spiritual Eye Qi Observation Technique, Ning Xiu wandered around the banks of the Changxia River.

If the Demon truly appeared and intended to make a move against him, he could turn the tables.

Half an hour passed. Ning Xiu sat slumped by the riverbank, holding the jar of wine, occasionally getting up to walk a few steps before falling back down.

After such a long time, the entire Changxia River remained eerily silent, with no unusual occurrences.

It made one wonder if the Demon had already left Wendeng County and gone elsewhere.

Gurgle gurgle gurgle!

Suddenly, a large number of bubbles surfaced on the calm water by the river. After a moment of bubbling, the bubbles swam towards Ning Xiu in clusters.

"Movement!"

As a martial artist, Ning Xiu's senses were far sharper than those of ordinary people. When he heard the sound of bubbles appearing on the surface of the Changxia River beside him, he immediately became aware of it.

Black mist-like evil qi began to appear on the water's surface.

"Something's about to appear."

Ning Xiu quickly feigned calmness, maintaining an appearance of being completely unaware as he took a sip from his wine jar, waiting for a suitable opportunity to act.

Splash!

As the bubbles reached the riverbank, a pale arm suddenly emerged from beneath the water and grabbed the edge of the bank, climbing out.

Under the moonlight, Ning Xiu quickly got a clear look at the creature.

It was a man with disheveled hair, his entire body bloated from being submerged!

His eyes were so swollen from the river water that they bulged like balls, his upper and lower eyelids pressed tightly together, making it impossible to see his eyeballs.

"A Drowned Ghost?!" Ning Xiu exclaimed in surprise. He wondered if the one causing harm in the Changxia River wasn't a demon, but a Drowned Ghost.

Seeing Ning Xiu slumped on the ground, the Drowned Ghost opened its mouth wide and let out a strange roar, lunging directly at Ning Xiu.

Its mouth was filled with sharp teeth, each one misshapen, unlike those of a normal person.

Bang!

Without hesitation, Ning Xiu leaped up and threw a powerful punch at the creature's face.

The fiery Pure Yang Extreme Fist was a nemesis to evil spirits.

The Drowned Ghost's face instantly turned red, emitting smoke and sizzling. In pain, its first instinct was to flee back into the Changxia River.

But how could Ning Xiu give it such a chance? He channeled his internal energy into his right palm and grabbed the Drowned Ghost by the back of its neck.

Crack, crack, crack!

With a surge of Ning Xiu's strength, the Drowned Ghost's neck made cracking sounds. After leaving the Demon Subduing Prison, Ning Xiu's strength had grown even greater. Such a Ninth Rank evil spirit was no match for him.

Finally, with its throat bone completely snapped, the Drowned Ghost's body went still.

[Killed Evil Spirit, Universal Proficiency +500]

Looking at the river surface, apart from the evil qi that had appeared with the Drowned Ghost, there were no other traces of evil qi around the Changxia River.

If the demon was still hiding within Wendeng County, it definitely wouldn't be here now.

"It seems you were the real culprit behind the accidental drowning deaths of passersby," Ning Xiu mused, looking at the Drowned Ghost's corpse in his hand.

Now the trail had gone cold. If the demon was responsible for harming people, and the incantations and diagrams that absorbed the vital energy of the populace weren't its own doing, but rather it commanded this Drowned Ghost, then finding the identity of this hidden demon in a short amount of time would indeed be a difficult task.

Thanks to 'Wei Haoyan' for the 200 fan points.

Thanks to 'Shu Shuo Wu Jie' for the 100 fan points.

Thanks to 'Dao You Qing Chi S' for the 100 fan points.

Thanks to 'Sao Di Gou' for the 100 fan points.