Did He Really Come Back Alone?

Chen Bin carried his saber and landed steadily on the ground, ignoring Tiger Three's pleas.

Seeing that Chen Bin remained unmoved, Tiger Three hurriedly added, "My father is the South Mountain Lord. If I die, Wanbao County won't fare well either."

"We have a partnership with the Demon Suppression Division. If you kill me, your superiors will punish you."

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

Tiger Three nodded repeatedly. "I know, I know. We're raising them at our place!

I can take you there to save them!"

Chen Bin's steps faltered slightly, and his brow furrowed.

A flash of delight crossed Tiger Three's eyes. He thought he might yet survive.

But before he could even begin to celebrate, a streak of scarlet flashed through the night sky. The Demon Suppression Blade plunged straight into Tiger Three's throat.

"Roar!" Tiger Three let out one final furious roar. As bubbles of blood burst with a gurgle, his eyes slowly closed.

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

A notification appeared before Chen Bin.

Only after confirming that his opponent was dead did he speak:

"Which one of us do you think is the fool? You or me? What a stupid thing to say!"

Only then did Chen Bin step forward and wrench out the Demon Suppression Blade.

The instant the blade came free, a sudden shiver of dread ran through him.

He looked up instinctively, toward the depths of South Mountain.

"Roar!"

A deafening roar rang out from deep within South Mountain. The sound was deep and terrifying, nothing an ordinary Body Tempering Realm Tiger Demon could produce.

Chen Bin's heart quivered. Could that be the Mountain Lord?

It was clearly a response to Tiger Three's wailing.

"We can't stay here."

Chen Bin acted decisively. He raised his blade and cut off Tiger Three's head.

He picked up Tiger Three's head and raced toward Nanxi Village with all his might.

At that moment, he cast everything aside: orders from his superiors, the investigation into the missing children—everything.

At the brink of life and death, running came first.

The horses had bolted without a trace as soon as the battle began, frightened by the Tiger Demons' terrifying presence.

Chen Bin had only just run all the way here and fought a harrowing battle. Now he had no choice but to race back with his life on the line.

Real cattle and horses were precious; fake cattle and horses were worthless.

Nanxi Village.

"Roar!"

A shrill scream rang out from afar. It was a Tiger Demon's roar, like a sharp blade slicing through the quiet of the mountains and wilderness.

The scream seemed to sprout wings, swiftly spreading across the entire wilderness. Even remote Nanxi Village was touched by its echoes.

Kang Ronghao had been sitting at ease, but when he heard the scream, he sprang up from his seat.

His eyes flew open, fixed on the entrance to South Mountain. His brows drew together into a deep furrow as he wondered, What happened?

They'd only gone to eat a few people. How had it ended in a scream?

That was right: Tian Jie and the others were the ones he had sent to "apologize" to the monsters in the mountains.

In his view, anyone who broke the rules of the deal he had made was doomed to die.

As he pondered, a mighty tiger's roar suddenly rang out, like thunder exploding across the plains. It once more echoed through the entire wilderness.

The roar carried a vast, overwhelming force. Even Kang Ronghao, who had seen and heard much, felt a hint of pressure and shuddered.

He knew that roar all too well. It had come from the South Mountain Lord.

What on earth had happened?

What could have angered the Mountain Lord, whom even the General Banner gave a wide berth?

Kang Ronghao began to grow restless. His feet shifted back and forth without his realizing it, and anxiety showed in his eyes.

Just then, Chen Chong hurried over with a long saber in hand, looking confused and tense. "Lord Kang, what was that sound?"

That roar had exploded like thunder, its might terrifying. Chen Chong couldn't help feeling uneasy.

He was also worried about his eldest nephew, Chen Bin.

First he had gone to the Demon Suppression Division to report the situation, then he had gone to the County Office to give his report. But by the time he returned, his eldest nephew had already left.

Kang Ronghao furrowed his brows. A grave look flashed across his eyes as he uttered two words: "The Mountain Lord."

Everyone was startled. They exchanged glances, their faces filled with fear.

On the other side.

Chen Bin ran at full speed, carrying the tiger's head in one hand.

His hair streamed wildly in the wind.

Along the way, he came across the horse that had fled earlier.

The horse was now trembling on the ground, curled into a ball.

Chen Bin shoved the tiger's head right in front of the horse. Already terrified, it rolled its eyes, foamed at the mouth, and passed out on the spot.

It had clearly been scared unconscious.

Chen Bin sighed helplessly at the sight.

This battle had made Chen Bin keenly aware of his shortcomings.

In the fight, the blade in his hand had swept through the air with tiger-like force, moving with tremendous ease.

Every slash carried tremendous power, but his footwork had left much to be desired.

Faced with Tiger Three's fierce punches, he had often been forced to take them head-on, leaving him with plenty of new wounds.

He knew that if he had a technique to improve his footwork, the fight would never have been so difficult.

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

He silently resolved to find a movement technique and study it carefully as soon as he got back.

But now, another problem had presented itself.

He silently brought up his status panel.

It showed:

[Name]: Chen Bin

[Cultivation]: Body Tempering Realm (Perfection)

[Merit]: 494

[Martial Arts]:

Golden Sun Body Tempering Technique (Supreme)

Demon Suppression Blade Technique (Supreme)

His cultivation, blade technique, and body-tempering technique had all reached perfection. There was nowhere left to spend points.

Chen Bin felt a little frustrated when he saw the information. He kicked the horse hard, then continued running toward Nanxi Village.

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

Its warm glow flickered in the darkness like a beacon in the night.

"Who's there?" Several figures leaped out of the houses beside the road like ghosts and instantly surrounded Chen Bin.

The Demon Suppression Blades in their hands all slid from their sheaths. Their edges gleamed coldly in the moonlight, their black points aimed at Chen Bin's vital spots.

The two sides faced off for a moment, then suddenly recognized one another.

Chen Bin quickly pressed his left hand to the hilt of his saber. With his right hand, he held the tiger's head high, his gaze sweeping over them like lightning.

Then he strode straight ahead, passing right through their midst.

The Blood Change constables saw the enormous tiger's head in Chen Bin's hand. They froze in surprise, then their faces turned grim.

The blood on the head had long since dried, but the aura of its former might seemed to linger.

The sight made their hearts clench, as if an invisible hand had seized them.

A tiger's head that large had to belong to a powerful demon.

They watched Chen Bin's departing back. It took them a long while to recover before they swallowed hard and said with difficulty, "That was a Jade Marrow peak Tiger Demon."

"Yes."

As they murmured among themselves, someone asked, "Did he really come back alone?"

Remembering the tiger's roar that had shaken the wilderness, they were all startled and hurried after him.