I Stand While You Kneel, So You Must Listen to Me

The Scroll Fairy, whom he regarded as a deity, was actually dead!

And she had died at the hands of this young man!

Furthermore, he didn't even have the chance to seek revenge.

"Who... who exactly are you?"

No sooner had the words left Lu Xuan's lips than he was sealed into the painting, the terror and unwillingness in his eyes rendered lifelike.

"Why waste your breath when death is at your doorstep?"

Lu Yuan gave his hand a sharp shake, and the person within the painting shattered along with the paper.

Blood mixed with paper scraps scattered across the floor, while the corpses of the surrounding Longevity Cult members lay in disarray.

Standing amidst the wreckage, he was soaked from head to toe in blood, with hardly a clean spot left on him.

The night wind blew, swirling the stench of blood and paper scraps into the air, causing him to frown slightly.

Thinking of his blood-stained appearance at this moment, he couldn't help but reveal a self-deprecating smirk.

Blood-Clad Yama—that moniker really wasn't a misnomer.

The stage had collapsed, the paper effigies were shredded, the Wraiths were extinguished, and the Longevity Cult members were thoroughly dead.

Lu Yuan exhaled a long, murky breath; the county town had returned to its usual tranquility, with the faint sound of dogs barking drifting through the night wind.

The stench on his body was unbearable; he needed to return to the Garrison Station to wash up first.

Meanwhile.

Xu Zhi and his three subordinates had finished off the Longevity Cult members, only to discover that the ancient painting seal within the Sword Hall was ruined, and the Scroll Fairy sealed inside had vanished without a trace.

This was a grave matter, so they immediately headed to the Linchuan County Garrison Station, only to be told that the Demon Suppression Captain stationed in Linchuan was no longer Zhao Heng.

"You're saying Lu Yuan replaced Zhao Heng? The one they call the Blood-Clad Yama?"

"A newcomer in charge of Linchuan? What a grand title! How many demons has he even killed?"

Zhao Long carried a heavy broadsword on his back and looked at the flustered Su Ding'an with a tone of contempt.

Xu Zhi stood to the side, his expression arrogant, remaining silent.

Blood-Clad Yama Lu Yuan—he had heard that name before.

Not because of his fearsome reputation, but because of his fiancée, Liu Qingsi.

Back when he was away on duty, Liu Qingsi had been seduced by Yan Jiuyuan into joining the Longevity Cult and practicing evil arts, taking many lives within the borders of Qing Province.

Xu Zhi had once sworn to kill her himself to purge the sect.

But Lu Yuan had beaten him to it.

This matter had been a thorn in Xu Zhi's side ever since.

The reason he hadn't sought out Lu Yuan was that he had been in seclusion for some time.

It wasn't until the day before yesterday that his cultivation broke through to the ninth level of the Initial Realm, just one step away from the Mystic Realm, and his Lone Cloud Sword technique had reached perfection.

With his current cultivation, he had the strength to fight even if he encountered a Mystic Realm demon.

Thus, he had taken the initiative to accept the demon-related mission at the Shen Family in Linchuan County.

He hadn't expected the Shen Family demon to be a dead end, only to run into Lu Yuan here instead.

There is no time like the present; today, he was determined to demand an explanation from Lu Yuan.

But this matter could not be handled openly.

Glancing at Su Ding'an, who stood with his hands at his sides, Xu Zhi said with an arrogant expression:

"Lu Yuan is nothing but a name without substance."

"The Blood Demon of Chixia County and Yan Jiuyuan of the Longevity Cult were both only at the Initial Realm; his killing of them is not worth mentioning."

"Although the Corpse Demon of Cangyun Ridge was at the Mystic Realm, it had been sealed for years and was already half-dead; his victory over it is more of a disgrace than an achievement."

"He dares to call himself a Yama after killing a few small demons? He is nothing more than a fame-seeker."

No sooner had the words fallen than a sound of rushing wind came from outside the Garrison Station.

A black shadow struck out, and Xu Zhi raised his sword to block.

He saw a pale, grey hand reach out from beneath a blood-stained sleeve and casually slap the spine of his blade.

A massive force surged forth, causing the longsword in Xu Zhi's hand to tremble violently; the webbing between his thumb and forefinger split, and blood flowed freely.

The sword flew from his grasp, and he was sent flying backward, smashing the garden's rockery into pieces.

Lu Yuan stood in the main hall, his gaze indifferent, "You can't even take one palm strike from me, yet you call me a fame-seeker? Then what kind of thing are you?"

Su Ding'an stood in the corner, his eyes lighting up instantly.

My Lord!

The other three Demon-Suppressing Guards felt their pupils constrict, their expressions turning grave.

This is the real Blood-Clad Yama?

"How dare you hurt my lord! Take this!"

Seeing Xu Zhi sent flying, Zhao Long wore a ferocious expression, let out a loud shout, and drew the heavy broadsword from his back.

The blade was wide with a thick spine and a razor-thin edge, a weapon that could kill without leaving a trace of blood.

Ignoring the overwhelming aura radiating from Lu Yuan, he raised his hand and swung down.

The wind whistled as the blade slashed toward his face.

Lu Yuan didn't even lift his eyelids, flicking his hand to strike the spine of the blade.

A crisp sound rang out, and the momentum of the blade veered off course.

A sharp pain shot through Zhao Long's entire right arm, and the back of the blade slammed into his chest with terrifying force, sending him flying to roll into a flower bed, covered in dirt.

Lu Yuan took a single stride and arrived beside Zhao Long.

"You think my reputation is inflated? You want to ask how many demons I've killed? Very well, I'll give you a chance to question me—stand up!"

Zhao Long remained silent, only coughing up blood.

He didn't dare to speak, nor did he even dare to look up.

To be beaten into such a state with a casual palm strike—even Xu Zhi wasn't this terrifying!

Xu Zhi picked up his longsword, staggered to his feet, wiped the blood from his hand, and roared, "What kind of skill is a sneak attack? If you have the guts, face me in a fair fight!"

Lu Yuan turned his head to look, raising his hand to fire a Crystal Spike.

A flash of crystalline light shot out, fast as lightning, precisely piercing through Xu Zhi's right shoulder.

A mist of blood exploded into the air!

The Crystal Spike punched through his shoulder, pinning Xu Zhi firmly against the wall behind him.

"A fair fight? You survived my palm strike just now not because you're tough, but because I held back."

"If I had gone all out, you wouldn't even have had the chance to open your mouth to speak."

"Remember this: the fact that you are wounded but alive is a mercy I granted you."

The two Demon-Suppressing Guards who had been silent the whole time looked grim, and one middle-aged man reached out to gesture a stop.

"Lord Lu, we came here to quell the demonic infestation. If you beat them into such a state, how are we supposed to—"

"Demonic infestation?"

Lu Yuan glanced sideways, cutting him off directly, "With me stationed in Linchuan County, what need is there for you to meddle in other people's business?"

The middle-aged man frowned, "For Lord Lu to act in such a manner is, to say the least, against the rules."

"Rules?"

Lu Yuan acted as if he had heard a joke.

"The rules you speak of—are they written in books or carved into stone arches?"

"Those high-sounding words are just idle chatter spoken by winners while they pick their teeth after a feast."

"There is only one true rule—I stand, you kneel, and you must listen to me."

He turned his body, no longer looking at the middle-aged man.

"You dared to step out and stop me out of a sense of camaraderie, but to commit insubordination and fail to bow before a superior—who taught you those rules?"

The man's expression stiffened for a moment as he realized that the young man before him was not only profound in cultivation but also the youngest Demon Suppression Captain in the Qingzhou Demon Suppression Division.

Blood-Clad Yama Lu Yuan, the name fit the man; he was a ruthless character!

Even a long-renowned expert like Lone Cloud Sword Xu Zhi had been pinned to the wall; what could a small fry like him do?

With a thud, Wu Shou knelt directly on the ground, the aura he had used to block the path having long since shattered into nothingness.

He stared fixedly at the blood-soaked cracks between the bricks on the floor, not daring to look up, and even less daring not to answer.

"An... answering the lord," Wu Shou said, his throat bobbing with difficulty, "This subordinate did not know of your arrival, this subordinate—"

"I asked you a question! Who taught you the rules?" A trace of chill permeated his voice.

"No one... no one taught me..."

Wu Shou's forehead slammed against the bluestone floor with a rhythmic thudding.

"This subordinate was blind and ignorant, I beg the lord to forgive my sins!"

The other man behind him also knelt and prostrated, curling up and begging for mercy.

"I beg the lord to show mercy! This subordinate knows he was wrong, this subordinate truly knows he was wrong!"

Lu Yuan let out a cold snort and looked away, too lazy to waste time on such small characters.

"You want to leave? You can, but you must pay the price for the things you've broken."

Xu Zhi, who was already withered from his severe injuries, spat out a mouthful of fresh blood in anger upon hearing this.

Not a single piece of furniture in this entire courtyard had been broken by them!

To put it bluntly, they were just like those objects—they were the ones who had been beaten!

Not only was he beaten into a serious injury, but now he had to pay money to settle the matter?

This was going too far!

"Old Su, go write up a contract. Collect the silver before letting him go."

Lu Yuan didn't care about Xu Zhi's reaction; he gave Su Ding'an a quick instruction and turned to walk toward the backyard.

His body was soaked in too much blood, and the stench was far too pungent; he needed to wash it off quickly.

If you can't find the book title, you can try searching for the author; perhaps it was just renamed!