Encountering a Demon!

Feng Xiu wore a rain hat, one hand gripping the reins as he spurred his horse into a wild gallop.

The official road was a muddy mess, and the horse's hooves splashed up sheets of water with every step.

North Ridge Sect, Su Wantang, Taizhou, Tang Reservoir—a jumble of thoughts assaulted him.

He was utterly agitated.

Only when his other hand reached for the Steel Mace he'd grabbed before leaving did he feel a slight relief.

The Feng Clan had three hidden channels, the nearest near Hundred Dou Farm, but they had long since dried up years ago.

After riding for half an hour, he arrived at the west side of the farm, at a crooked-neck tree, and dismounted.

Ahead lay a stretch of scattered rocks.

In the curtain of rain, the surroundings were vast and hazy, impossible to see clearly.

Behind the rocky mound, the mouth of a hidden channel carved out by water flow came into view, half-covered by weeds, revealing a narrow gap.

He squeezed sideways and slipped inside.

The channel was very narrow, with a mottled stone ceiling overhead and dry, hard mud underfoot, reeking of mold and decay.

After a dozen steps, the space opened up ahead.

In his sight appeared a dark green pool of water, and on the stone wall by the pool, a massive iron gate covered in rust.

Feng Xiu's gaze swept over it, and his brows furrowed.

On the stone wall by the pool were several clear claw marks, exposing deep stone grain patterns.

Following the claw marks downward, a few scales floated on the water's edge of the pool.

"There really is something here!" Feng Xiu's expression shifted.

Basically, this confirmed that his chain of clues was solid!

He reached down and picked up a scale.

It was larger than the one he'd found at Tang Reservoir last time, about the size of three palms, but the material was identical.

It was cold to the touch and very smooth. Feng Xiu flipped the scale over and looked at it against the light.

On the inside of the scale were etched fine thread-like patterns clinging to bits of flesh and blood. Feng Xiu's heart tightened, and he dared not linger.

He packed it into the bag on the horse's back, then mounted and spurred the horse into a wild gallop.

In the sky, the rain grew heavier again.

Feng Xiu rode swiftly along a forest path, but he hadn't gone far.

"Whoa~"

Feng Xiu's face changed drastically as he yanked hard on the reins. The horse neighed, reared up on its front hooves, and stopped.

In the rain curtain a dozen zhang ahead, a person stood.

Gray clothes, a rain hat—the rain obscured the face, but the figure looked like a man.

Feng Xiu said in a deep voice, "Who's there?"

Silence. Dead silence. No answer at all.

Feng Xiu didn't hesitate and immediately turned the horse around.

But unexpectedly, the man in the rain hat suddenly moved, charging straight over in big strides.

His leather boots stomped through the mud, splashing up small puddles.

As he got closer, Feng Xiu finally made out the man's face in his sight.

A pale face, dead fish eyes, no expression at all, staring straight ahead—utterly eerie.

"Do you know Feng Shouzhuo?" the man spoke, his voice hoarse.

Sure enough, he's here for Shouzhuo!

One of Su Wantang's people?

At those words, Feng Xiu was startled, then shook his head and said, "Don't know him. Who's that?"

"Oh~" The man let out an "oh," then stared straight at Feng Xiu's face again.

On the rain-washed, stiff face, his eyes seemed crossed, as if comparing it to a memory.

Feng Xiu's thoughts flashed, and he asked again, "What do you want with him?"

"He touched my master's things. My master told me to kill him," the man answered obediently.

Master?

Feng Xiu's heart pounded in his chest. Before he could make any connections, the man's expression suddenly turned fierce!

"No, you are Feng Shouzhuo!"

The next second, he shot forward like an arrow from a bowstring, murderous intent flaring on his face. The horse let out a terrified neigh.

Feng Xiu denied it outright, "I'm not. You've got the wrong person."

Fuck!

Feng Xiu cursed under his breath, knowing he couldn't dodge, so he leaped off his horse.

He grabbed the single mace and charged forward, swinging it straight at the man's face.

Shit!

But the moment he struck, he put too much force into it, his center of gravity tipping forward, his footing unsteady.

Sure enough, the man sidestepped with ease, dodging cleanly, and countered with a punch.

Feng Xiu had no time to adjust his stance and could only scramble back awkwardly. He'd never actually trained with the mace—he'd only used it before to weigh down his legs and stabilize his stance.

In a real fight, he'd be better off barehanded.

Before he could think further, the man's assault came again.

Feng Xiu gritted his teeth and simply swung the mace like an iron staff, throwing technique to the wind and just smashing wildly!

A horizontal sweep, a downward chop—all relying on brute force to clash head-on. The man raised his arm, and the steel mace slammed into his forearm with a dull, explosive thud.

Bam!

After that one strike, the man's pallid face remained utterly expressionless, but Feng Xiu felt his own arm shudder, the recoil numbing his tiger's mouth.

Then, the man's eyes shifted slightly, locking onto Feng Xiu before throwing another fierce punch!

Feng Xiu hurriedly sidestepped, the wind of the punch grazing his cheek and slamming into the tree trunk behind him.

With a crack, a branch as thick as a bowl snapped clean off. The man spun and lunged again, his speed terrifying!

Feng Xiu had no time to think—he raised the mace to block.

Clang~

A surge of immense force rippled through, blasting Feng Xiu back five or six steps, his feet gouging two deep furrows in the muddy ground.

Damn it, what kind of monster is this?

Feng Xiu's heart pounded wildly, but his mind stayed razor-sharp. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

"No way!"

After putting some distance between himself and the man, Feng Xiu narrowed his eyes. The battle's images flashed through his mind, and he focused intently on the man's breathing and rhythm.

"This bastard's breathing is too weird~"

The man's breath came and went, intermittent and erratic, with no pattern at all!

Only in the moments when his breath paused did his movements lag by half a beat.

It was like his brain pre-planned the attack, then executed it—the wind-up was short, but deadly.

Shwoosh~

The thought settled in an instant, and Feng Xiu lunged sideways, swinging the mace in a horizontal arc at the man's chest to test his theory.

Thud.

Hit!

But the man only staggered slightly, as if he felt no pain, and lunged again. Feng Xiu deliberately left an opening, his left ribs wide exposed.

Sure enough, the man's breath hitched for a moment, then he threw a punch.

I've been waiting for this!

The instant his breath stalled, Feng Xiu dropped low, sweeping the mace at the man's ankle!

Crack!

The sound of bone shattering was crisp and clear. The man lost his balance and pitched forward.

Feng Xiu gave him no chance. He leaped up, both hands gripping the mace's handle, and with all his strength, the golden mace body slammed down onto the man's nape!

Thud!

Blood splattered.

The man's head tilted at a grotesque angle, the crunch of his collarbone breaking audible.

His body twitched a few times, then fell to the ground with a heavy thud.

Afterward.

Hah~

Feng Xiu gasped for air, his arms trembling violently. Rain and sweat streamed into his eyes.

He couldn't bother wiping them away, his gaze locked on the corpse.

The intense mental strain of life-or-death combat, followed by the sudden release of that high-pressure tension, left him feeling dazed.

The next second, Feng Xiu's eyes flew wide!

Beneath the clothes, the corpse's skin split open, revealing dark green scales underneath. Its limbs twisted and shrank.

In the end, it transformed into a bizarre fish, covered in dark green scales, with four limbs and a body the size of a young child!

?!

"Truly not human!"

Feng Xiu was utterly shocked, a chill creeping down his spine as his worldview shattered into pieces.

"A demon that can take human form?"

No wonder its breathing had been so bizarre—had he just been fighting a monster?

Feng Xiu stared at the fish, forcing himself to calm down. He walked over, tore off the clothes to wrap it up, and tied it securely onto the horse's back.

Then he mounted the horse and galloped at full speed toward the Feng Mansion.