At the words of the Squad Leaders,
Jiang Deyun felt very pleased.
Among the group on this expedition, he was the strongest.
Houtian Third Layer!
On top of that, Jiang Deyun was physically formidable, and his saber technique was so fearsome that even demons trembled before it.
If he encountered that Second-Order Mid-stage Demon, he could hold his own with help from his subordinates.
But if anyone else ran into it, who knew what would happen!
These five Houtian First Layer Squad Leaders had all made Jiang Deyun their backbone, praising him at every turn.
If they really encountered that fearsome demon,
without Jiang Deyun, they would have no chance of eliminating it.
Not only would they fail to eliminate it, but they might also lose their lives in the process!
So by now, the other Squad Leaders all treated Jiang Deyun as their Leader and showed him great respect.
After they finished speaking, the five Squad Leaders formed a team.
Then they cautiously headed toward another fork in the road.
Watching the five Squad Leaders leave,
a vicious smile flashed across Jiang Deyun's eyes.
Next, only his team and Lin Feng's remained.
Turning to Lin Feng, Jiang Deyun spoke with an unmistakable excitement held in check: "Let's go, Squad Leader Lin!"
Lin Feng walked on calmly, his expression composed.
The people behind Lin Feng, including the ordinary Constables and several Squad Leaders, all wore relieved expressions.
They had benefited from Lin Feng's good fortune, somehow ending up on the same team as Jiang Deyun!
Jiang Deyun was the strongest in the demon-suppression party.
With him there, their chances of surviving an encounter with that Second-Order Demon were extremely high.
The group walked on.
The road was deserted. Apart from the Demon Suppression Guards, there were only some rotting, stinking corpses.
There was no one else around.
After they had walked for a while,
Hu Biao, one of Lin Feng's subordinates, suddenly sensed that something was wrong!
A chill rose from his back.
Lin Feng's team was at the front, while Jiang Deyun's team was at the rear.
Hu Biao sensed danger because he felt a killing intent from behind, so dense it seemed to have taken solid form.
He whipped around.
He saw Jiang Deyun and his subordinates staring coldly at them.
More precisely, they were staring at Lin Feng!
Lin Feng's expression remained calm, but his subordinates were no longer composed.
Their faces all turned to shock.
No one understood why Jiang Deyun and his men were looking at them like that.
As if they were enemies!
At that moment, Hu Biao was the first to lose patience. In a low voice, he asked, "Squad Leader Jiang, what's going on? Has a demon appeared?"
As he spoke, he warily scanned their surroundings.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Jiang Deyun did not answer.
His subordinates drew the sabers at their waists, their blades gleaming coldly.
Then they surrounded Lin Feng and the others.
At that point,
everyone except Lin Feng changed expression dramatically!
By now, even a fool could understand what was happening.
They were going to surround and kill them!
But what was going on? What was the reason? Why were they doing this?
What deep grudge did Jiang Deyun have against Lin Feng that he would actually move to kill him?
In an instant, Lin Feng's newly recruited subordinates turned deathly pale!
Hu Biao's eyelids twitched violently. "Squad Leader Jiang, what do you mean by this?!"
Jiang Deyun chuckled and drew his own saber.
"I'm sorry, everyone."
"My original intention was to kill only Lin Feng. But since you joined his side, I have no choice but to kill you all too."
Jiang Deyun's tone was casual.
Jiang Deyun had known his subordinates for a long time and trusted them.
Even if he killed Lin Feng and the others as well, he had no need to worry about word getting out.
But he had to deal with Lin Feng's subordinates too.
Otherwise, if any survivors let the news slip, things would get troublesome.
He had killed a promising Demon Suppression Guard who had just taken first place in the Demon Suppression Division's examination. When the time came, even Captain Zhao wouldn't be able to protect him.
At Jiang Deyun's words, everyone's faces changed dramatically!
One of the Demon Suppression Guards stammered, "Lord Jiang, what are you saying? Killing a fellow Demon Suppression Guard is a serious crime in the Demon Suppression Division!"
"Lord Jiang, could you spare me? I'm willing to pay any price!"
"Squad Leader Jiang, I've never wronged you!"
Jiang Deyun gave a sinister grin. "You'll die at the hands of a demon. What does that have to do with me?"
"And spare me the pointless begging."
"Don't blame me. Blame Lin Feng."
For Jiang Deyun,
killing Lin Feng to settle the score was one reason.
Another was that he coveted the reward Lin Feng had won for taking first place in the examination.
A full five hundred True Qi Pills!
Just thinking of them brought a deep, greedy gleam to Jiang Deyun's eyes.
No Houtian Realm martial artist could refuse five hundred True Qi Pills!
As for the bow, arrows, and armor on Lin Feng,
they weren't things Jiang Deyun could conveniently wear himself.
But he could still sell them for a handsome sum.
In short, Jiang Deyun was killing Lin Feng out of half vengeance and half greed!
The Demon Suppression Guards under Lin Feng turned as pale as paper.
One by one, they were at a loss.
After all, Jiang Deyun himself was at the Houtian Third Layer.
His subordinates also had the highest average strength.
They were all at least at the Eighth Level of Body Tempering!
By contrast, Lin Feng's side was much weaker on average. The weakest were at the Fifth Level of Body Tempering, and even the strongest were only at the Eighth Level.
If a fight broke out, no one would escape.
Lin Feng's subordinates trembled, their faces filled with despair.
They had thought that joining Jiang Deyun's team would improve their chances of survival.
They hadn't expected it to be a plunge into the abyss!
"Lin Feng."
Just then, Jiang Deyun said in a chilling voice, "Hand over the True Qi Pills and the armor you're wearing first. I'll make sure you die quickly."
Jiang Deyun was certain Lin Feng had the incredibly precious True Qi Pills on him.
Lin Feng didn't move. He simply looked at Jiang Deyun.
There was also a hint of excitement and anticipation in his eyes.
"Make your move. I'd like to see just how big the gap is between me and a Houtian Third Layer martial artist!"
After the examination, his strength had surged.
He was eager to find out how great the gap between him and a Houtian Realm martial artist really was.
"Won't cry until you see your coffin!"
"You think beating me in the examination with a special advantage means you're stronger than me?"
"Today, I'll show you just how vast the gap in our fighting strength is!"
Jiang Deyun's face twisted with rage as he sized Lin Feng up.
He raised his saber.
In an instant, Jiang Deyun leaped into the air.
He traced a perfect arc through the sky, like a shadow too swift to catch.
He shot forward and brought his saber down hard on Lin Feng!
Jiang Deyun attacked with ruthless decisiveness, slashing straight at Lin Feng's waist.
If the strike landed, Lin Feng would split in two, the cut perfectly even.
Jiang Deyun wanted to cut Lin Feng in half at the waist
so that he wouldn't damage the Second-Order armor.
That was a real treasure!
Before you continue