Thirty or forty years had flashed by in the blink of an eye.
The demonic disaster in Ping'an County had grown increasingly severe.
Especially during the twenty years Cao De had served as the Baihu of the Jinyiwei Baihu Office in Ping'an County, the situation had taken a sharp turn for the worse. The Jinyiwei had been suppressed by the Demonic Creatures until they were huddled inside the city, too afraid to venture out.
The Demonic Creatures had grown more and more numerous. Eventually, they had taken over Black Mountain and run rampant, and now they had silently seized the entire city of Ping'an County.
They controlled the officials and sucked the commoners dry. How terrifying was that?
Fortunately, the arrival of Lu Xuenning and Chen Fan had given Huang Chengyue hope that peace and stability could be restored to Ping'an County.
"Godfather, don't worry. As long as Chen Fan and I are here, Ping'an County will only get better and better."
Lu Xuenning glanced at Huang Chengyue and spoke.
"Godfather?"
Chen Fan was taken aback. Then his eyes widened as his gaze shifted between Huang Chengyue and Lu Xuenning.
He had never imagined that Lu Xuenning and Huang Chengyue were connected in this way.
"Xuenning's father was also a Jinyiwei, and a good friend of mine. He was Lu Fang, the Jinyiwei Zongqi Officer before Li Mo. He led his Jinyiwei brothers in a purge of Black Mountain, but the Demonic Creatures killed him. That was how Li Mo took over as the new Zongqi Officer of the Jinyiwei Baihu Office in Ping'an County."
"I have every reason to suspect that Cao De colluded with the Black Mountain Demonic Creatures to kill Brother Lu back then. His goal was to eliminate his rivals and put his trusted subordinate, Li Mo, in power."
"Xuenning was only a year old when Brother Lu died. When her mother learned of his death, she was heartbroken and passed away not long afterward."
"After that, my wife and I adopted Xuenning. When she was thirteen, I sent her to Longyuan Prefecture to study under a master. She only returned recently, as a ninth-rank Black-Robed Head Catcher of Ping'an County."
Huang Chengyue spoke with deep feeling.
Watching his dear friend's daughter grow up and surpass him in strength had filled him with joy.
At last, he had lived up to his friend's trust!
It was also thanks to Huang Chengyue's help that Lu Xuenning had been able to soak in medicinal baths from a young age to temper her bones. At thirteen, once her bones had fully matured, Huang Chengyue had used his connections to find her a renowned master and set her on the path of martial arts. In the end, she had reached the peak of the Spirit Concealment Realm at such a young age. Breaking through to the Spirit Aperture Realm was just a matter of time.
"No wonder you were so sure that Zongqi Officer Huang was an upright, decent man who wouldn't collude with Demonic Creatures. And the information you had about them must have come from him, too, right?"
Chen Fan glanced at Lu Xuenning and said.
"Congratulations, you guessed right. But there's no prize."
"It's getting late. We've all had a long day, so everyone should head back and get some rest."
"Also, arrange for people to patrol in three rotating shifts. We must ensure Ping'an County stays safe through the night."
"People used to say that Ping'an County belonged to the Human Race by day and the Demonic Creatures by night. From this day forward, whether day or night, Ping'an County will always belong to the Human Race!"
Lu Xuenning spoke to the constables who had come with them.
Seeing that there was nothing more for him to do, Chen Fan also returned to the Jinyiwei Barracks.
As soon as night fell, the Jinyiwei Barracks grew deserted again. When a few brothers on duty spotted Chen Fan, they all greeted him of their own accord.
Some of them had gone with Li Mo to confront him earlier that day. But they had had no choice. They didn't dare offend Chen Fan, and even less could they afford to offend Li Mo or Captain Cao!
Chen Fan had only just returned to the Jinyiwei Barracks when a figure slipped away unnoticed and headed into the county town.
By then, the county town's south gate had long been shut. But the Jinyiwei Baihu Office was in the eastern suburbs, so for convenience they had opened a small gate beside the east gate.
Jinyiwei guards watched that gate, which was only wide enough for one person to pass through. Chen Fan had used it to enter the Jinyiwei Barracks when he returned from the county town.
Not long afterward.
At Cao De's residence.
In the courtyard.
Jinyiwei Zongqi Officer Li Mo and several Xiaoqi Officers were present, along with a few unfamiliar faces. They were all hideous and massive in stature—unmistakably Demonic Creatures!
"Reporting to the Baihu, Chen Fan has returned to the Jinyiwei Barracks!"
A Jinyiwei member who had slipped out of the barracks hurried into Cao De's residence and reported.
He was startled when he saw the dozen or so Demonic Creatures in Cao De's home.
He had occasionally heard people say that Captain Cao was colluding with Demonic Creatures, but he had never taken it as more than gossip. He had never expected to see it with his own eyes.
"Everyone, I'm sure you all know what happened in Ping'an County today."
"Chen Fan, Ping'an County Head Catcher Lu Xuenning, and that old bastard Huang Chengyue led the county constables, runners, and County Soldiers in sweeping through the homes of every official in the county government. They killed a great many members of the Demon Race."
"The rest of the Demon Race have gathered here. If you don't act now, by tomorrow they may launch a thorough search. Not one of you will survive."
"Besides, if every member of the Demon Race in Ping'an County is killed, that will be tantamount to declaring war on the Black Mountain Demons. With our current strength, even with Zongqi Officer Li and me on our side, we would still be no match for the Black Mountain Three Demons."
"Chen Fan and the others have brought disaster upon us. If we want to quell the Black Mountain Demons' fury, protect the people of Ping'an County from slaughter, and keep ourselves from being punished by them, there is only one path left."
"We must kill the culprits, Chen Fan, Lu Xuenning, and Huang Chengyue, and offer their blood and heads to appease the Black Mountain Demons."
"I deliberately gathered the dozen or so surviving members of the Demon Race in Ping'an County today to take part in this operation—and to serve as witnesses, proving that we have no intention of making enemies of the Black Mountain Demons."
"The reason things have turned out this way is entirely because of the personal actions of Chen Fan, Lu Xuenning, and Huang Chengyue. We must uphold our previous agreement and keep Ping'an County stable and safe, coexisting peacefully with the Demon Race!"
Cao De spoke with great conviction.
Many people were cursing him inwardly, but they all had their own selfish reasons. They feared the Demonic Creatures, and they believed that Chen Fan and the others stood no chance against the Black Mountain Demons.
So, to avoid being torn to pieces by the enraged Black Mountain Demons, they had no choice but to climb aboard Cao De's pirate ship!
"Baihu Master, please give the order!"
"Whoever you tell us to kill, we'll kill. For the future of Ping'an County, we won't hesitate!"
Li Mo spoke out loudly.
"We won't hesitate!"
Seeing Li Mo declare his loyalty, the others followed suit and voiced their support in unison.
"Chen Fan is the biggest variable. Kill him first. Then escort these dozen members of the Demon Race out of the city and have them go to Black Mountain to carry the news. After that, we'll double back and kill that old bastard Huang Chengyue."
"Lu Xuenning is his adopted daughter. She probably lives at Huang Chengyue's residence, too."
"Li Mo, you rose to power by stepping over Lu Fang's corpse. When the time comes, you'll be the one to finish Lu Xuenning off. A family should be together, after all."
Cao De looked meaningfully at Li Mo, a devilish smile spreading across his face.
"Enough talk!"
"Get us out of the city first. Once we're out, we'll help you kill Chen Fan, then return to the mountain. We'll tell the three Demon Kings of your contribution."
A Black Gorilla rumbled in a deep voice.
But a trace of mockery flashed through his eyes as he thought:
Nearly a third of Black Mountain's Demonic Creatures have died in Ping'an County, and you still think you can preserve the peace we had before? Keep dreaming.
Once we return to Black Mountain and report what happened here, the fury of the three Black Mountain Demon Kings will burn the entire county town to the ground.
And all you wretched members of the Human Race will become our blood food!
"Hmph!"
Before you continue