Those Who Criticize My Faults to My Face Shall Face Capital Punishment

Hearing this, the fear in the eyes of the Blood Slaves receded by more than half.

"Right, the Chen Family head makes sense!"

"Don't be afraid, he's outnumbered; he's definitely just trying to scare us off with these tricks!"

"So that's it, I bet his Spirit Power is about to run dry."

"Attack! Don't give him a chance to catch his breath!"

In the courtyard, one Blood Slave let out a roar, his eyes locked firmly on Lu Yuan ahead.

He didn't know if it was just an illusion, but he actually saw the corners of Lu Yuan's mouth curl into a subtle arc.

That man was smiling?

How could that be?

However, before he could dwell on it, the surrounding Blood Slaves swarmed forward, lunging at Lu Yuan to kill him.

Seeing this scene, Wu Shouxin was burning with anxiety.

Although Lu Yuan's strikes appeared effortless, every Crystal Spike was compressed from a massive amount of Spirit Power.

The process alone was an immense drain.

Judging by his own total Spirit Power, those two spikes from earlier would have consumed at least thirty percent of his reserves.

Since Lu Yuan had only just entered the Initial Realm, his total Spirit Power was certainly less than his own, so the consumption must be even higher!

Thinking of this, Wu Shouxin forced himself to stand straight, intending to step forward and provide support.

Unexpectedly, Lu Yuan shook his head at him, the meaning clear: he didn't need him to intervene.

Wu Shouxin paused, looking at that cold, stern face, wondering where the other man found such confidence.

Since that was the case, he could only obey.

He leaned on his long blade, though he could not hide the look of worry between his brows.

In the courtyard, the leading Blood Slaves had already reached Lu Yuan.

The closest one reached out with its claws, the biting wind whipping Lu Yuan's robes until they snapped loudly.

A bloodthirsty glint erupted in the Blood Slave's pupils; it had intended to press the attack, but suddenly, an unprecedented fear welled up from the depths of its heart.

The other Blood Slaves charging in also came to a sudden halt, their scarlet eyes filled with terror.

Lu Yuan's gaze was icy, his Spirit Power—vast as an abyss and deep as the sea—crushing the surroundings as rows of Crystal Spikes condensed around him.

Spirit Power manifesting as crystals?

Wu Shouxin's eyelids twitched, his eyes filled with a complex, incomprehensible emotion.

Was his Spirit Power inexhaustible?

How on earth did he manage to create so many Crystal Spikes?

Even an veteran of the Initial Realm like himself couldn't use Spirit Power in such a way!

The response to his thoughts was a soft shout from Lu Yuan.

"Go!"

In an instant, dozens of Crystal Spikes shot out, pouring forth like a torrential rain.

The piercing sound of air being torn apart shattered the night, and dense streaks of light cut across the courtyard, moving so fast they left only afterimages.

Wu Shouxin felt his vision blur, and immediately after, he heard a continuous, dull thudding of flesh being pierced.

The bodies of the Blood Slaves were run through as if by spears, arm-thick bloody holes exploding across them one after another.

The Crystal Spikes did not lose momentum; after piercing one Blood Slave, they continued without obstruction into the bodies of those behind.

The demons that had appeared so fierce and terrifying to others were now falling in swathes like harvested wheat.

Amidst the screams, blood mists erupted, and broken bones and flesh rained down upon the ground.

Wu Shouxin's eyes widened, his lips trembling, unable to speak for a long time.

He had never seen such a method.

In the span of a breath, eighty-seven Blood Slaves had been completely wiped out.

Corpses littered the ground, blood flowed like a river, and bodies lay scattered in every direction.

"Hoo—"

Lu Yuan exhaled a breath of stale air; the Spirit Power consumption was not insignificant, but it was far less exaggerated than others had guessed.

He had cultivated the Myriad Transformation Infinite Art to perfection, long ago bypassing the stage of needing to absorb massive amounts of Spirit Power to compress it into crystals.

For him now, manifesting Spirit Power into crystals was merely a thought.

Lu Yuan scanned the area, looking at the only survivor—Chen Lianshan, who was pinned into a crater in the ground.

The latter looked up at Lu Yuan, his eerie, scarlet pupils showing no hatred, but rather an indescribable sorrow.

"Why... didn't you come sooner?"

Lu Yuan frowned slightly.

Chen Lianshan's voice rose a notch, revealing a tremor that had been suppressed for a long time.

"You are an official of the Demon Suppression Division, with such high cultivation."

"My daughter, she won't even be sixteen until next month..."

His voice trembled, and tears shimmered at the corners of his eyes.

"Three months ago, when the Blood Demon snuck into our residence, where were you people from the Demon Suppression Division?"

"My daughter was bound by the Blood Demon, soaked in a pool of blood day after day; where were you people from the Demon Suppression Division then?"

"That Blood Demon sucked my parents and wife into dried husks right in front of me; where exactly were you people from the Demon Suppression Division?"

His voice dropped low, turning into a sob.

"The Blood Demon turned me into this neither-human-nor-demon state, and used my daughter as a threat to make me lure martial artists here as its blood food."

"If I didn't agree, it would take over my daughter's body and erase her consciousness..."

"I was also an Initial Realm Martial Artist once..."

"I also... I also killed demons!!"

He suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with a scarlet hue.

Wu Shouxin leaned against the corner of the wall, his entire body drained of strength after hearing these words.

He lowered his head, a complex mix of emotions swirling within him.

When the blood-red light erupted from the Chen Family estate earlier, the Garrison Station had sent them, a few Demon-Suppressing Guards, to investigate, but they had been blocked at the door by Chen Lianshan.

If he had been firmer back then and forced his way into the residence, perhaps the outcome would not be like this now.

The Blood Demon had been lurking in the Chen Family for three months, yet they hadn't discovered it at all!

Wu Shouxin closed his eyes, his face full of guilt.

Seeing this, there was no hatred in Chen Lianshan's eyes, only an indescribable sorrow.

"Three months. Every night, I could hear my daughter's crying; she was calling for her father, calling for help."

"But I couldn't save her; I couldn't even save myself!"

"I can't even... I can't even die!"

He withdrew his gaze and looked at Lu Yuan.

"You came. You are an official of the Demon Suppression Division, and eighty-seven Blood Slaves were killed by you alone."

"But--"

His voice turned ragged and hoarse.

"What have you been doing these past three months?"

"You people from the Demon Suppression Division, you shout about slaying demons and eliminating evil every single day."

"But my daughter was bound by the Blood Demon, my wife was killed by the Blood Demon, and even I was turned into this neither-human-nor-demon state by the Blood Demon."

"Why didn't you come sooner?"

"Why?"

The words were screamed with his last ounce of strength, like a sharp blade attempting to slice open Lu Yuan's heart.

Then, footsteps rang out.

Lu Yuan moved.

He walked over step by step and stood before Chen Lianshan.

The moonlight shone from behind him, casting his face into shadow, making it impossible to tell if he felt joy or sorrow.

"You are right... I am a man of the Demon Suppression Division."

His voice was calm, devoid of any emotion.

"My name is Lu Yuan."

"I am a Demon Suppression Captain appointed by the Qingzhou Demon Suppression Division."

"So, remember this..."

"Those who dare to criticize this official to his face shall be executed!"

He raised his hand, and a crystalline radiance burst from his palm.

Chen Lianshan's eyes darted, and just as he was about to speak--

A three-foot Crystal Spike flew out, instantly shattering his skull.

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

Lu Yuan withdrew his hand, the moonlight spilling over him, his eyes as calm as still water.

"Lord... Lord Lu..."

Wu Shouxin's body shuddered as he watched the scene before him in disbelief.

"Do not concern yourself..."

Lu Yuan did not turn back, his tone as calm as if he had seen through the hidden depths of the human heart.

"Demonic words meant to deceive the masses; it is enough to just execute them."