Demonic Cult, Eight Dao Masters, Flesh Dao Master

"It was said that over fifty years ago, the Demonic Cult's forces ran rampant across the Great Yu Kingdom, and its Cult Master possessed power that reached the heavens and the earth!"

"Under him were eight Dao Masters, each commanding one of the Demonic Cult's hundreds of factions, great and small."

"The martial arts of these eight Dao Masters were utterly inconceivable and incomparably sinister! According to that Martial Uncle, one Dao Master of the Demonic Cult could grow his fleshly body as large as a mountain!"

"Not only did he take the form of a giant, he also possessed immortality. Even if he were killed a hundred times, he could revive on the spot!"

"It was said that, in order to cultivate an evil art, this Dao Master had even cruelly devoured a small neighboring kingdom. Whenever he appeared, cries accompanied the flesh and blood—the wails of countless commoners. Just like those two men!"

Li Minghuai spoke at length in one breath, recounting old events from the Great Yu Kingdom decades ago.

Zhang Chu's face showed curiosity after hearing it all.

He could revive on the spot even after being killed a hundred times?

Had he eaten a resurrection coin or something?

"Senior Brother, are you saying these two were members of the Demonic Cult?" Zhang Chu asked, looking at the piles of mangled flesh before him.

"No. The Demonic Cult was already jointly exterminated fifty years ago by the greatest hero under heaven, Lu Yuanjia, and the Imperial Advisor, Illusionary Pupil. Its branches were also wiped out by fellow members of the Martial World."

"What I mean is that the Boat Gang behind these two men may have acquired that Dao Master's martial arts and is now hiding in the shadows, painstakingly cultivating them!"

"That also explains why so many young and able-bodied people in Linjiang County have been disappearing one after another lately!"

Li Minghuai's speculation was quite reasonable.

Zhang Chu nodded after listening. "That does seem possible. But isn't the Boat Gang afraid of being surrounded and exterminated?"

When the Demonic Path appeared in the world, everyone had the right to kill it. This was a rule of the Jianghu tacitly accepted by all members of the Martial World.

"Ah, Junior Brother, you're still too young. Why is the Demonic Path called the Demonic Path? Because they're a bunch of lunatics!"

"Do you know what that Dao Master I mentioned was called? Within the Demonic Cult, he was known as the Flesh Dao Master!"

"He had eaten more people than there were residents in our Linjiang County. They're nothing but evil devils!"

"Those two were likely scouts searching everywhere for Blood Food for the Boat Gang, which was why they cultivated the Demonic Cult's evil arts as well!"

Whenever Li Minghuai mentioned that Flesh Dao Master, the hairs on his body rose involuntarily, and an inexplicable terror seized him...

Zhang Chu had heard a little of the Boat Gang. It was a force entrenched in the eight hundred li of Water Slope outside the county.

It had several hundred members, and its Gang Leader's strength was even more unfathomable. It was said that he had already reached the peak of the First-rate realm several years ago.

Passing merchant ships and local fishing households had to pay substantial tributes to the Boat Gang every year. If they refused, their boats might be wrecked and their people capsized without warning one day.

"This Boat Gang's Gang Leader is interesting. Instead of properly running Liangshan Marsh, he wants to cultivate demonic arts. Has he never suffered the beatings of the Jianghu, or can he revive on the spot too?"

Zhang Chu found the Boat Gang's Gang Leader somewhat intriguing.

"This way!"

"Quick, surround them all!"

At that moment, a commotion came from outside the secret chamber.

Zhang Chu and Li Minghuai exchanged a glance, then went over and released their Junior Brother Wang Yuan and the able-bodied captives.

"Come on, let's go outside and take a look!"

The three quickly left the underground passage and emerged outside, only to find the Li Family estate filled with County Yamen Constables, who had surrounded the entire residence so tightly that not even water could pass through.

"Three Daoist Priests, you're here!"

A familiar voice called out. A Constable stepped out from the crowd—it was Zhang He.

"It's good that the three Daoist Priests are unharmed. I was just worrying about you, afraid that those criminals had trapped you."

"Constable Zhang, what is this?" Li Minghuai asked in surprise as he looked at the many County Yamen personnel in the courtyard.

They had arrived at exactly the right time.

Zhang He said, "Daoist Priest Li, you may not know this. After you left earlier, the County Magistrate received a secret order from the Sky Patrol Guard, instructing him to bring men and surround the Li Family. Who would have thought that before we even arrived, we heard that the Li Family had been breached by you Daoist Priests? That was why I hurried here, afraid you had been trapped."

"So that was it."

Li Minghuai nodded, somewhat surprised. He had not expected the Sky Patrol Guard to arrive so quickly, even before their people had shown up.

But the yamen runners had clearly still come too late. His Junior Brother had already resolved everything!

Zhang He had evidently seen the outcome as well.

Staring at the corpses littering the ground, he asked in shock, "These criminals... were they all killed by Daoist Priest Li?"

"No. How could I possess such strength? Otherwise, I wouldn't be working as a Patrol Guard, scraping out a living at the County Yamen. These men were all killed by my Junior Brother Zhang Chu alone."

Upon hearing the first half of Li Minghuai's words, Zhang He had been about to frown, wondering who could possibly be so formidable.

Yet upon hearing the latter half, Zhang He's eyes instantly went wide as he stared in shock at the silent Zhang Chu.

"All... all of them were killed by Young Daoist Zhang alone! With such strength... he must have reached the First-rate realm!"

Zhang He drew in a sharp breath.

There were more than forty Axemen here. If the County Yamen wanted to wipe out a force like this, it would likely have needed to mobilize at least a hundred yamen runners—and even then, they would suffer grievous casualties!

"These burly house slaves, skilled in martial arts and fully armed, were actually all exterminated by Young Daoist Zhang alone?"

"Good thing I never distanced myself from the temple and kept in touch with them. Otherwise, I would've suffered a huge loss!"

After the Old Temple Master died, many people had deliberately distanced themselves from True Martial Temple. But Zhang He had not done so.

Now, it seemed his decision had been extremely wise!

Bullshit about the temple declining and lacking successors. This was called declining? They were clearly concealing their brilliance and biding their time!

"By the way, Constable Zhang, please send these people home. They are all poor people imprisoned by the Li Family. Every one of them has suffered injuries to some extent and has difficulty moving."

"There are also several seriously injured people in the dungeon below. Please help them find their families."

As Li Minghuai watched the sallow, emaciated able-bodied men emerge from the passage one after another, he did not forget to remind Zhang He.

"Yes, yes, yes. It's my duty." Zhang He spoke as he entered the passage, but upon seeing the scene within, he nearly vomited on the spot.

Two huge heaps of bloody, mangled flesh lay before him. These people had been slapped alive into meat paste!

Hm? Why was a human head still embedded in the wall?

Bleurgh! Zhang He immediately stumbled back out...

After coming outside and seeing that Zhang Chu and the others were about to leave, Zhang He hurriedly wiped his mouth and ran over.

"Three Daoist Priests, please wait!"

As he ran, Zhang He took out a bundle.

Somewhat embarrassed, he said, "The Li Family was destroyed by Young Daoist Zhang alone, and the brothers didn't contribute much. We'd feel embarrassed taking a share, so..."

Zhang Chu smiled at his words. They had been in such a hurry to leave that he had forgotten some of the County Yamen's unwritten rules.

In matters like confiscating an estate, everyone could take a little benefit. If you took nothing, others would find it awkward to take anything either.

"Constable Zhang, you are thoughtful. I'll accept it. Everything obtained from the Li Family was ill-gotten wealth, so there's no need to feel burdened."

"Yes, yes, that's exactly right. Knowing that Young Daoist Zhang loves martial arts, there's also a secret manual inside. The brothers couldn't make heads or tails of it, so I hope Young Daoist Zhang won't find it lacking."

As Zhang He spoke, he handed over the bundle.

Zhang Chu weighed it in his hand. It was not light.

There had to be at least two hundred taels inside.

A family of three in Linjiang County earned no more than five taels of silver per year from their harvest. These two hundred taels were enough for a family to live comfortably for decades, with plenty left over.

It could be considered a timely solution to the temple's pressing needs.

"Alright. Then we won't delay Constable Zhang's cleanup of the scene. We need to return to the temple as soon as possible to treat our Junior Brother's injuries."

The three Senior and Junior Brothers thanked him, then turned and left.

Only after leaving the Li Family did Zhang Chu take the secret manual from the bundle and see its title.

Bitter Gourd Palm!