Outsiders and Vermin

"Ah!"

Fang Tianhu's tragic screams echoed throughout the prison cell as Ning Xiu brutally peeled off the entire Ghost Back from his back.

With his Ghost Back gone, Fang Tianhu was instantly reduced to a bloody mess.

Stripped of his Ghost Back, Fang Tianhu collapsed powerlessly, as if his vital points had been shattered.

His long black hair instantly turned as white as winter snow, his face became weathered and wrinkled, and his body began to wither at a visible rate.

Ning Xiu held the entire back skin in his hand. This piece of skin was like Fang Tianhu's essence, spirit, and energy.

By stripping away this essence, his true form would be revealed, and his magic would be completely lost.

"The old interrogators before couldn't find the reason for your invulnerability, so they couldn't do anything to you. But it's different now." Ning Xiu's hand moved like a blade, and the dejected Fang Tianhu was instantly decapitated, dying cleanly and swiftly.

[Killed Demon, Universal Proficiency +2000]

"Huh!" Ning Xiu's expression showed a hint of surprise upon hearing the proficiency gained.

He never expected that a demon of Martial Dao Sixth Rank like Fang Tianhu could yield so much proficiency, which was 500 more than Steward Chu he had killed before.

With Fang Tianhu's death, the Ghost Back skin held in Ning Xiu's hand lost its host. Its vitality was clearly on its last breath.

The entire skin began to wither, and it made a final attempt to bewitch Ning Xiu: "As long as you cover yourself with me now, I can still impart the Path of Longevity to you."

Ning Xiu remained unfazed: "You can keep that path for yourself."

With that, he stabbed the Ghost Back skin with a knife.

Seeing Ning Xiu's actions, the Ghost Back skin had no choice but to give up. It immediately opened its mouth and began to chant:

"Black Liang Zen Tai Mountain, Golden Light Cave in the mountain, I impart longevity, believers will find their way."

It wasn't a roar, but its voice was as invigorating and soul-stirring as the ringing of bells and drums, penetrating deep into people's hearts.

Ning Xiu's mind instantly became hazy. A panorama of peaks slowly appeared before his eyes, with a majestic mountain bathed in the scorching sun.

Under the clear sky, it was as conspicuous as if bathed in golden light, and the faint lingering sounds around it emanated from a cave dwelling within this mountain.

A figure, whose appearance was unclear, emerged from the cave dwelling. Instantly, golden orioles flew horizontally, and white cranes ascended into the blue clouds.

Flowers bloomed in mid-air, and ethereal music played.

Such a scene would surely make ordinary people believe it was the work of immortals.

Not only Ning Xiu, but everyone in the Demon Subduing Prison, the entire Demon Subduing Bureau, and the surrounding areas heard the ethereal chanting from an unknown source and saw the same illusion.

The Demon Subduing Captains of the Lower Three Ranks and the common people all wore dazed expressions, with a hint of piety and reverence in their gazes.

Most of the Demon Subduing Captains of the Middle Three Ranks possessed the ability to resist and did not fall into the illusory realm.

Roar!

In an instant, a dragon's roar erupted from somewhere within the Demon Subduing Bureau.

"What kind of rat dares to come into the Demon Subduing Bureau to spread its doctrine?"

Following a cold snort, everyone felt as if gongs were clanging in their ears, and a chill touched their backs. They all snapped out of the illusion, feeling a sense of lingering fear.

Ning Xiu, still in the prison cell, instantly regained clarity in his eyes and looked at the Ghost Back skin in his hand with surprise.

Just then, the prison door was pushed open from the outside, and an old Taoist priest in plain clothes, carrying a wine jar, walked in.

"Huh!"

Ning Xiu and the man made eye contact, and he felt a sense of wonder.

The person was the same plain-clothed old Taoist priest that Qin Daorong had drawn on paper. His appearance and his very essence were exactly the same as in the drawing, which showed just how miraculous Qin Daorong's drawing skills were.

He remembered how Marquis Wuyi had addressed him last night... a commoner, a talisman master, Immortal Path Rank 2, Bai Taicang.

This was a truly important figure!

"Greetings, Lord Bai," Ning Xiu said, cupping his fists in greeting.

"You know me?" Bai Taicang's expression was filled with doubt.

Although he held the position of Silver Tiger Demon Subduing Captain in the Demon Subduing Bureau, he rarely went out and never got involved in affairs.

He lived a reclusive life deep within the Demon Subduing Prison, either drinking or on his way to buy more wine.

Apart from guarding the Demon Subduing Prison, Bai Taicang would intervene to stabilize the situation when any accidents or disturbances occurred within the prison.

At other times, Bai Taicang never appeared in public or wore the bureau's uniform.

Very few of the younger Demon Subduing Captains in the bureau knew his identity, and he knew those few.

Therefore, when Ning Xiu spoke his name, Bai Taicang was quite surprised.

Who, who exposed my identity?

"Your subordinate is Ning Xiu. Last night, when Lord Qin was fighting Marquis Wuyi, he drew your esteemed self to assist. Your strength is formidable. I was fortunate enough to learn your name from Marquis Wuyi. It is truly an honor to meet you today, Lord Bai," Ning Xiu explained.

Bai Taicang: "..."

In his long life, perhaps the most regrettable thing he had ever done was accepting Qin Daorong's enthusiastic invitation for a drink one day.

What followed were two to three months of continuous drinking, with delicious food and fine wine at every meal, which led Bai Taicang to let down his guard and indulge in the days of good wine.

He hadn't noticed back then that every time he got drunk, Qin Daorong would be observing him with a serious gaze.

He looked like a gem merchant who had just found a precious jade, which was incredibly strange.

Until one day, Qin Daorong, who had always been hospitable, suddenly changed. He stopped seeking him out for drinks, and his invitations ceased. This left Bai Taicang very dejected, as he had lost an opportunity to get free, high-quality wine.

Later, a piece of gossip inexplicably spread through the Silver Tiger Demon Subduing Captains' circle: Qin Daorong had captured Bai Taicang's divine charm and could even use it to paint.

Bai Taicang suddenly realized he had been used. Qin Daorong had used drinking as an excuse to secretly observe him and comprehend his divine charm.

The ultimate goal was to be able to paint him as a tool during his battles.

Bai Taicang was filled with regret. He couldn't believe Qin Daorong had schemed against him, an old man. People of the Path of Painting truly had dirty hearts.

However, being a man who valued his reputation, he would never confront Qin Daorong over such a matter.

Besides, Qin Daorong had also treated him to expensive wine for several consecutive months. He simply couldn't bring himself to fall out with him.

"Did you come here for something, sir?" Ning Xiu asked, confused.

Because he was inside the Demon Subduing Prison, he was unaware of the significant impact the incantations recited by the ghost-faced skin had on the outside world.

He thought he was the only one who had seen that illusion.

Bai Taicang's expression was helpless. "A rogue cultivator from outside the realm infiltrated the Demon Subduing Prison to spread their teachings. I observed the source of the disturbance originating from this cell, so I came to investigate. Did you discover anything unusual during your execution?"

Ning Xiu immediately recounted everything that had just happened and his findings to Bai Taicang.

Taking the ghost back skin from Ning Xiu, Bai Taicang examined it carefully. "This rogue cultivator from outside the realm actually attached themselves to a human body with a wisp of residual soul. Their disguise was incredibly clever. No wonder the Demon Subduing Captains who guarded this place before couldn't detect it. It's perplexing why these cultivators go to such lengths to sneak into Chaotian Capital to spread their teachings when there seems to be no benefit. Yet, they appear repeatedly. Truly, these demons have an unyielding desire to harm our race."

As a stream of green flame erupted from Bai Taicang's palm, it instantly incinerated the entire ghost back skin into ashes, turning it into a pile of embers.

Black Liang Zen Tai Mountain referred to Zen Tai Mountain in Black Liang Prefecture. The cave dwelling of this demon cultivator was located there.

It is worth noting that Black Liang Prefecture was not a prefecture under the jurisdiction of Great Shang, but one of the twenty prefectures that had not yet been reclaimed and were still outside its territory.

Bai Sha Prefecture was adjacent to Black Liang Prefecture, belonging to the border region.

According to Bai Taicang, this demon cultivator, using their residual soul to become a ghost back, attached themselves to Fang Tianhu. Their plan was to secretly cause destruction within Great Shang under the guise of Fang Tianhu's identity. However, they were discovered by the Demon Subduing Bureau halfway through and captured.

But this demon cultivator's residual soul, before its demise, still wanted to spread its teachings to the people of Chaotian Capital, which disgusted the Demon Subduing Bureau.

It was unknown how many citizens' hearts had been sown with seeds by the doctrines of the Path of Longevity today. The Demon Subduing Bureau would have to send dedicated personnel to appease and warn them, lest any citizen's thoughts deepen and they ultimately succumb to temptation and truly go to that Zen Tai Mountain to seek longevity from the demon cultivator.

Such an action, which consumed manpower and energy, was a true malignant tumor, thanks to the demon cultivators.

However, there were countless such malignant tumors hidden in the mountains and rivers of the twenty prefectures. These vermin spent their days plotting to invade the prefectures under Great Shang's jurisdiction, to bewitch the populace and divide Great Shang.

They caused many citizens and cultivators who couldn't resist temptation to fall by the wayside, colluding with these demon cultivators and acting as their accomplices. Their intentions were truly damnable and disgusting.

But with Great Shang's current border garrisons, they could only prevent the invasion of demon country armies and could not completely stop the infiltration of rogue cultivators from outside the realm.

Therefore, incidents like Fang Tianhu's were very common and fundamentally unavoidable and impossible to eradicate at the source.

Even though the Demon Subduing Bureau found them detestable, they were powerless. After all, their hands were not long enough to reach into the twenty prefectures to deal with those demon cultivators who called themselves cave masters, prefecture masters, true selves, seats, or kings.

There would always be vermin hiding in the shadows, striking secretly.

There would always be foolish people succumbing to greed and temptation, falling by the wayside.

All the Demon Subduing Captains could do was consolidate internally and resist externally. Perhaps one day, the Great Shang army would truly recapture the twenty prefectures.

At that time, the Demon Subduing Bureau would definitely act to execute all those demon cultivators from every mountain and cave.

"Lord Bai, my execution work is complete. If there's nothing else for me to handle, I'll be taking my leave," Ning Xiu asked tentatively, watching Bai Taicang burn the ghost-faced skin.

Since Fang Tianhu, a tough nut to crack, had been executed, it was time for him to collect his daily execution quota from the jailer chief. As agreed, he could execute to his heart's content in the Demon Subduing Prison today.

"Take this and wear it. You may only remove it after three days. This is an order, and you are not to disobey or be negligent," Bai Taicang said, handing Ning Xiu an orange-yellow talisman.

As the person who had been closest to the demon cultivator's residual soul, the possibility of having seeds planted in his mind was very high.

"In the past, many Demon Subduing Captains who had seeds planted in their minds were not taken seriously. The power of those demon cultivators influenced their temperament, consciousness, and thoughts day and night, causing loyal Demon Subduing Captains to fall by the wayside and descend into the demonic path. This is a Calming Spirit Talisman, which can effectively clear the bewitchment of demon cultivators."

"Thank you, sir," Ning Xiu said, accepting it solemnly and with genuine gratitude.

He was only at Martial Dao Seventh Rank. If seeds had truly been planted in him, he wouldn't have been able to detect it with his own abilities. Bai Taicang's gift was incredibly timely.

After tucking the talisman into his robes, Ning Xiu left the cell.

After he departed, Bai Taicang immediately scratched his head and sighed. "I need to have a talk with Qin Daorong. I don't want the juniors of the Demon Subduing Bureau to learn about my existence from Qin Daorong in the future. Wouldn't that make me his golden-ticket henchman?"

When Ning Xiu informed the jailer chief that Fang Tianhu had been successfully executed by him.

The jailer chief's expression was quite remarkable. Although Ning Xiu was at Martial Dao Seventh Rank, the veteran executioners he had previously dispatched were not weak either.

How was it that this kid managed to succeed where they failed? Could it be that the veteran executioners were truly past their prime?

Only after Ning Xiu explained the entire execution process did the jailer chief finally understand.

"I didn't expect you to be so shrewd. Alright, as promised, I'll arrange a satisfying one for you." The jailer chief flipped through the roster in his hand, reading out cell numbers as he turned the pages.

He read through more than two hundred cells in total, most of which were in the Xuan Zone and Huang Zone, with a small number interspersed from other regions.

As for the Heaven Zone, there were none.

The reason for escorting those malevolent spirits and demons from afar to Chaotian Capital and imprisoning them in the Demon Subduing Prison was...

It's precisely because certain malevolent spirits and demons possess exploitable value.

For example, the demon that possessed He Yunlang and could produce Black Origin Pills itself – its abilities are what the Demon Subduing Bureau requires.

As long as it cooperates obediently, the Demon Subduing Bureau won't plan to execute it unless its lifespan runs out.

Besides that, many malevolent spirits produce materials suitable for alchemy within their bodies, or grow parts suitable for crafting weapons.

These are the reasons the Demon Subduing Bureau captures them alive and imprisons them.

However, once they lose their exploitable value, there's naturally no need to keep them in the Demon Subduing Prison, wasting cells and food, so they are executed without a second thought.

The malevolent spirits and demons that can be imprisoned in the Heaven Zone are all powerful demons and formidable individuals of the Upper Three Ranks, so they must possess infinite value.

It's not unusual that there are no cells for execution in the Heaven Zone.

After noting down the cells reported by the jailer chief, Ning Xiu immediately set off, beginning today's executions.