Is he the only one who came back?

Chen Bin landed steadily on the ground, blade in hand, ignoring Tiger Three's pleas.

Seeing that Chen Bin remained unmoved, Tiger Three hurriedly added, "My father is the Mountain Lord of Nanshan. If I die, Wanbao County will not have an easy time of it."

"We have a cooperative relationship with your Demon Suppression Division. If you kill me, you will be punished by your superiors."

Chen Bin looked at him and asked, "Many children have gone missing from Nanxi Village. Do you know where they are?"

Tiger Three nodded repeatedly. "I know, I know! They are all being kept at our place!"

"I can take you to save them!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Bin's footsteps paused slightly, and his brows furrowed.

Seeing this, a glimmer of joy flashed in Tiger Three's eyes, believing he had found a chance at survival.

However, before he could even rejoice, a bright red blade-streak flashed through the night sky like a clear stream of light. The Demon Suppression Blade pierced straight into Tiger Three's throat.

"Roar!" Tiger Three let out one final, furious cry, accompanied by the gurgling sound of bursting blood bubbles, before slowly closing his eyes.

[Killed Body Tempering Realm Tiger Demon: Tiger Three. Obtained Merit: 10. Remaining Merit: 494.]

The notification appeared before Chen Bin's eyes.

Only after confirming that the opponent was dead did he speak.

"Are you taking me for a fool, or are you just stupid yourself, to say such foolish things!"

Chen Bin then stepped forward and pulled the Demon Suppression Blade out with force.

The moment the blade was withdrawn, he felt a sudden, sharp palpitation in his heart.

He looked up instinctively, gazing toward the depths of Nanshan.

"ROAR!"

A deafening roar erupted from the depths of Nanshan. The sound was powerful and terrifying, certainly not something an ordinary Body Tempering Realm tiger demon could produce.

Chen Bin's heart trembled as he thought to himself, Is that the Mountain Lord?

This was clearly a response to Tiger Three's dying wail.

"This is no place to linger."

Chen Bin made a prompt decision. He raised his hand and swung his blade, severing Tiger Three's head.

He grabbed the head and bolted toward Nanxi Village, casting all caution to the wind.

At this moment, orders from superiors and investigations into missing children were all thrown to the back of his mind.

At a life-or-death moment, running away is the best policy.

As for the horses, they had been so terrified by the horrifying aura of the Tiger Demons when the battle broke out that they had long since fled without a trace.

Chen Bin had just arrived here, survived a heart-stopping battle, and now had to run for his life all the way back.

Truly, real horses are treasures, while fake horses are worthless.

Nanxi Village.

"ROAR!"

A shrill, miserable cry echoed from the distance. It was the howl of a Tiger Demon, cutting through the original tranquility of the mountains like a sharp blade.

The cry seemed to grow wings, spreading rapidly across the entire wilderness. Even the remote Nanxi Village was touched by the ripples of that sound.

Kang Ronghao had been sitting in leisure, but upon hearing the scream, he sprang up from his seat instantly.

His eyes widened, fixed tightly in the direction of the Nanshan mountain pass, his brows knitted into a deep frown. He pondered to himself: What happened?

It was just a matter of eating a few people; how could it result in a miserable scream?

That's right, Tian Jie and the others were the ones he had sent to "apologize" to the demons in the mountains.

In his view, those who broke the rules of the trade he had established deserved nothing but death.

While he was lost in thought, a majestic tiger roar suddenly erupted. It sounded like a thunderclap on flat ground, once again echoing across the entire wilderness.

The sound carried such a massive aura that even the well-informed Kang Ronghao couldn't help but feel a sense of oppression, his body trembling slightly.

He knew this roar well; he was certain it came from the Mountain Lord of Nanshan.

What on earth had happened?

What could have angered this Mountain Lord, whom even a General Banner would give a wide berth?

Kang Ronghao began to feel restless, his feet shifting back and forth involuntarily, his eyes revealing a hint of anxiety.

At this moment, Chen Chong arrived in a hurry, clutching a long saber. With a look of confusion and tension, he asked, "Lord Kang, what is that sound?"

The roar had been like a thunderclap, its power so intimidating that it stirred unease in Chen Chong's heart as well.

Furthermore, he was currently worried about his eldest nephew, Chen Bin.

He had first gone to the Demon Suppression Division to report the situation, and then to the county office, but by the time he returned, his nephew had already left.

Kang Ronghao's brows were locked tight, a flash of gravity in his eyes as he spat out two words: "The Mountain Lord."

Hearing this, everyone was shocked. They exchanged glances, expressions of terror appearing on their faces.

On the other side.

Chen Bin carried the tiger's head in one hand, sprinting at full speed.

His hair whipped wildly in the wind.

Along the way, he encountered the horse that had been scared off earlier.

The horse was currently huddled on the ground, trembling uncontrollably, its body curled into a ball.

Chen Bin shoved the tiger's head right in front of the horse. Already traumatized, the horse rolled its eyes back, foamed at the mouth, and passed out cold.

It had clearly been frightened into a faint.

Seeing this, Chen Bin sighed helplessly.

Through this battle, Chen Bin deeply felt his own shortcomings.

During the fight, the blade in his hand had whistled through the air, moving with perfect fluidity.

Every strike carried immense power, yet his footwork had been far from satisfactory.

Facing the fierce fists of Tiger Three, he had often been forced to take the blows head-on, which resulted in him sustaining quite a few injuries.

He knew clearly that if he had possessed a technique to improve his footwork, this battle would never have been so difficult.

Simply put, his offensive output was strong, but his agility was lacking.

He secretly made up his mind that once he returned, he would definitely find a movement technique to study diligently.

However, a new problem now lay before him.

He chanted silently in his heart, calling up his panel.

The panel displayed:

[Name]: Chen Bin

[Cultivation]: Body Tempering Realm (Consummate)

[Merit]: 494

[Martial Arts]:

Golden Sun Body Tempering Technique (Supreme)

Demon Suppression Blade Technique (Supreme)

With his realm, blade technique, and body tempering technique all at the consummate level, there was nowhere left to allocate points.

Chen Bin felt a wave of irritation as he read the information. He kicked the horse hard, then continued running toward Nanxi Village.

After running for nearly half an hour, Chen Bin finally saw the familiar campfire in the distance.

The campfire flickered with a warm glow in the darkness, like a lighthouse in the night.

"Who goes there?" Several figures leaped out from the houses by the roadside like ghosts, instantly surrounding Chen Bin.

The Demon Suppression Blades in their hands were drawn in unison. The blades shimmered with a cold light under the moonlight, their pitch-black tips pointed at various vital points on Chen Bin's body.

The two sides stood in a standoff for a moment before suddenly recognizing each other.

Chen Bin kept his left hand firmly on his sword hilt, while his right hand held the tiger head high. His gaze was like lightning, sweeping across the group.

He then walked straight ahead, striding past them.

The few Blood Change realm officers were stunned when they saw the massive tiger head in Chen Bin's hand. Surprise appeared on their faces, followed by expressions that turned incredibly grim.

The blood on the tiger head had long since drained away, yet its former might seemed to linger upon it.

This sight made their hearts shudder violently, as if an invisible hand had tightly gripped their hearts.

A tiger head of that size must have belonged to a beast of no low cultivation.

They watched Chen Bin's retreating back, only regaining their senses after a long while. Their Adam's apples bobbed as they spoke with difficulty, "That was a peak Jade Marrow tiger demon."

"Yes."

The group exchanged words, and someone muttered, "He's the only one who came back?"

Recalling the tiger roar that had shaken the mountains and wilderness earlier, everyone was startled and quickly hurried to follow him.