I Can Tell at a Glance That You Are Not Human

Lu Yuan stomped his foot, shooting forward like an arrow released from a bow, covering the distance to the lead Water Ghoul in a single bound.

He reached out, his five fingers hooking like claws, locking firmly onto the creature's nape.

"Skree--!"

The lead Water Ghoul let out a shrill cry, its limbs flailing wildly, but it was utterly unable to break free.

Its black fur was plastered wetly against its body, blue veins bulged on its head, and its pair of murky yellow pupils were filled with terror.

"Spare me! Spare me!"

The Water Ghoul spoke in a human tongue, revealing a mouth full of dense, sharp teeth.

It was not uncommon for demons that had awakened their intelligence to speak human language.

"You know how to beg for mercy now? What the hell were you doing before?" Lu Yuan sneered.

"It's the Blood Demon! The Blood Demon made me do this! Spare me, my lord!" The Water Ghoul cowered.

"The Blood Demon?"

"Yes, yes, yes... It ordered us to release our aura at the North Ferry to lure the Demon-Suppressing Guards over."

The Water Ghoul's voice was laced with fear.

It had thought this was just for show; who could have imagined they would capsize in a gutter?

Who exactly was this person?

None of the Demon-Suppressing Guards in Chixia County were this ruthless.

Lu Yuan's gaze sharpened. Very well, demons using the tactic of Luring the Tiger away from the Mountain—they had indeed gained intelligence.

"Where is the Blood Demon?"

"It is hiding in the Chen Family estate on East Street."

"Why lure the people from the Demon Suppression Bureau here?"

The Water Ghoul's pupils darted around as it shrank its neck. "If you are willing to spare my life, my lord, this small demon will tell you everything I know, without holding anything back."

"You even know how to use idioms?"

Lu Yuan sneered, and a Crystal Spike shot from his palm, instantly piercing the Water Ghoul's skull.

[Killed Initial Realm Water Ghoul, obtained Green Trait [Spirit Observation]]

"If you're going to be a demon, have the self-awareness of a demon. Trying to negotiate like a human? You aren't worthy."

He opened the panel.

[Night Pupil [White] ×34]

[Synthesizable traits detected. Synthesize?]

"Synthesize."

The text on the panel shifted.

[Current synthesis trait is Night Pupil [White]]

[Synthesizing]

[Night Pupil [White] ×27 → Spirit Observation [Green] ×9 → True Sight [Blue] ×3 → Truth-Breaking [Purple]]

[Truth-Breaking: See through all illusions and hidden tricks, perceive the profound mysteries]

[Note: Only one trait can be bound per path]

Lu Yuan bound [Truth-Breaking] and looked toward the direction of East Street in the county, faint golden light shimmering in his eyes.

He had intended to visit the Chen Family anyway; perfect, he would go now.

As he turned, rapid footsteps echoed from the distance; several yamen runners clad in Ink-Black Brocade Robes were sprinting from the end of the street.

When they rushed to the edge of the ferry, the scene before them made them instinctively slam on the brakes.

Under the moonlight, demon corpses lay everywhere—some with severed limbs, some with exploded heads, others riddled with holes like sieves.

Large pools of black blood floated on the ground, reflecting an eerie sheen in the moonlight.

The thick, pungent smell of blood was enough to make one gag.

Lu Yuan stepped out from among them, the moonlight falling upon him, highlighting the splatters of blood on his black robe.

The yamen runners hurriedly steadied their nerves and bowed in salute.

"Lord Lieutenant..."

"Clean this up. You may dispose of the demon corpses yourselves."

"Yes!"

Lu Yuan walked into the darkness, mounted his horse, and vanished into the night.

The yamen runners stood where they were, looking at the sea of demon corpses, then exchanged glances with one another, their faces filled with uncontrollable shock.

How long had it even been?

More than thirty Water Ghouls were reduced to a pile of demonic corpses.

Is this something a human being is capable of?

The group shrank back, a sense of terror rising from the depths of their hearts.

If they had been the ones facing this scene, they feared they would have been eaten until not even their bones remained.

East Street of the county town, the Chen Family mansion.

The night was like ink; the entire residence was devoid of lights and sound, not even the bark of a dog could be heard.

Su Ding'an and Wu Shouxin arrived beneath the courtyard wall, vaulted over it, and looked inside.

The courtyard was deathly silent and completely empty.

The two exchanged a glance and dropped into the yard.

The moment his feet touched the ground, the hair on Wu Shouxin's body stood on end.

An indescribable sensation surrounded him, as if a pair of eyes were staring at him from the shadows.

"Lord Wu?" Su Ding'an asked in a low voice, seeing him stand still.

"It's nothing, let's go in and search." Wu Shouxin took a deep breath and shook his head.

The two crept toward the backyard.

The air was permeated with a faint, fishy sweetness, like blood.

The further they went, the more uneasy Wu Shouxin felt.

Su Ding'an also furrowed his brows.

Passing a side room, Su Ding'an subconsciously glanced through a crack in the window.

It was empty.

Passing another, it was empty as well.

Further ahead was the main room; he leaned toward the window and held his breath.

Through the window paper, he could vaguely see someone lying on the bed.

Su Ding'an breathed a secret sigh of relief; as long as there were people, it was normal.

Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly felt something was wrong.

Looking closely, he nearly collapsed to the ground.

The person on the bed was facing the window, a pair of cold, indifferent eyes staring straight at him.

"Fu—"

Before the curse could leave his mouth, the person lunged up and pounced directly at him.

Wu Shouxin reacted instantly, grabbing Su Ding'an and retreating rapidly.

The person let out a roar and stumbled in pursuit.

Under the moonlight, a middle-aged man in sleepwear appeared, his face a ghastly grey and his eye sockets a sea of crimson.

Two sharp fangs protruded from the corners of his mouth.

Blood Slave!

Su Ding'an's scalp went numb in an instant.

"Chen Lianshan?!"

Wu Shouxin's face showed shock, and the Horizontal Saber at his waist was drawn in a flash.

If even the head of the Chen Family had become a Blood Slave, then the entire Chen Family...

As if to confirm his guess, rustling sounds suddenly erupted all around.

A dense demonic aura exploded, and one black shadow after another appeared in the courtyard—men, women, old, and young—a dozen pairs of crimson eyes appearing extremely eerie in the darkness.

"Damn it, we're too late. Lord Su, retreat!"

Wu Shouxin shouted, and just as he was about to pull back, he heard the sound of wind being broken; Su Ding'an had already vanished.

Wu Shouxin's cheek twitched. Right, the man had said on the way here that if they encountered demons, he would be the first to retreat.

He had thought the man was joking, but he hadn't expected him to be serious.

He leaped into the air, just about to clear the courtyard wall, when two Blood Slaves suddenly pounced down from the roof.

Wu Shouxin swung his Horizontal Saber, cutting down the two Blood Slaves, but in doing so, he missed his chance to escape.

The Blood Slaves in the courtyard surged over like a tide. Wu Shouxin's blade flashed, each strike carving hideous wounds into the Blood Slaves.

But he knew clearly in his heart that he couldn't hold out for long like this.

There were too many Blood Slaves; it wouldn't be long before he was exhausted.

More importantly, the leader of the Blood Slaves, Chen Lianshan, was standing to the side, showing no intention of attacking, as if he were watching a play.

"As expected of a Demon-Suppressing Guard..."

Chen Lianshan's pupils were scarlet, and he laughed eerily, "A single Initial Realm Blood Slave couldn't possibly kill him; even if I went up against him, I'm afraid I could only manage a draw."

"Unfortunately, there isn't just one Blood Slave here..."

"If we can't kill him, we can wear him down."

A Blood Slave dressed like a butler beside him nodded slightly, then his expression suddenly shifted.

"Master, what about the Demon-Suppressing Guard who escaped? What if he brings other Demon-Suppressing Guards here..."

"No need to worry." Chen Lianshan shook his head dismissively, "Lord Blood Demon has already made arrangements; the Demon-Suppressing Guards of Chixia County should be playing in the water at the North Ferry right now."

"What if those Water Ghouls can't stop the Demon-Suppressing Guard?"

"Even if they can't stop him, they can stall him for a few hours, and Lord Blood Demon only needs the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn."

"After that time, even if the Demon-Suppressing Guards arrive, they will only be adding to the blood sacrifice."

As he spoke, Chen Lianshan frowned and looked toward the outside of the courtyard.

"Someone else is coming? Go deal with them, and don't let them get near the residence."

"Yes."

The butler exited the main gate and walked down the steps, only to see a person and a horse galloping toward him from the street.

Under the moonlight, the newcomer's robes fluttered, and his black hair swayed.

The butler let out a long sigh of relief, his heart settling.

Fortunately, it wasn't someone from the Demon Suppression Bureau.

As he thought this, the young man in black robes had already dismounted and arrived nearby.

The butler hurriedly stepped forward, cupped his hands, and called out:

"Little brother, I wonder—"

Before he could finish his sentence, a Crystal Spike struck out abruptly.

"I could tell at a glance that you aren't human!"

The butler's expression changed drastically, and just as he was about to dodge, he was pierced through the heart and collapsed to the ground.

Golden light flashed in Lu Yuan's pupils as his Black Boots stepped onto the butler's head.

With one stomp, it burst.

[Killed Mortal Realm Blood Slave, obtained White Trait [Bloodthirsty]]

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