Luring to Kill

People had died, and there was a demonic beast in the river. Either of these things was undoubtedly a major problem. Han Qinhu stood to the side, waiting for Shen Changchuan's response.

Shen Changchuan pondered for a moment. "Record the names of the two who sacrificed themselves. When the spirit grain harvest comes, allocate ten catties to each of their families as compensation."

Although, to his knowledge, back when Shen Shiying guarded Dawan Village, if anyone died while farming the spirit fields, they were simply rolled up in a straw mat and that was the end of it; there had never been any compensation. But Shen Changchuan felt this was wrong. After all, they had been injured in the line of duty, so a pension was necessary; it would at least serve to stabilize the hearts of the people.

If there is an opportunity in the future, I will look after them a bit, he consoled himself in his heart. That is all I can do.

Ten catties of spirit grain sounded like it wasn't much—only the value of one spirit stone. But one had to remember that they were mortals, and spirit grain was a spiritual item. Among mortals, these ten catties of spirit grain were something that money could almost never buy. It might even allow a mortal to successfully awaken their spirit and step onto the path of cultivation overnight. Such compensation was already enough for them.

Too much would actually be a bad thing. The consequences of a child carrying a gold brick through a busy market were something the ancients had already made very clear. If he felt guilty, he could simply look after their descendants a bit more if any of them successfully awakened their spirit in the future.

"As for that demonic beast in the river, I must try to see if I can slay it. After all, this river is too close to the village; it will always be a hidden danger." Shen Changchuan gazed at the murky river water, his eyes deep and inscrutable.

"Changchuan is truly benevolent. In this way, I imagine those two will be grateful for your generosity even in the afterlife," Han Qinhu exclaimed, his tone tinged with envy. Those two had truly hit the jackpot. How many mortal warriors served the immortals like dogs, only to lose their lives without ever receiving a reward related to spiritual items? If those two were to come back to life, they would likely say it was worth it!

"How should we deal with that beast in the river? If we enter the water, it will have the geographical advantage. If we act rashly, won't we be taken advantage of?" Han Qinhu collected his thoughts, and thinking of the demonic beast, he couldn't help but ask with hesitation.

"A gentleman does not stand under a dangerous wall; naturally, I won't jump into the water to fight it. Therefore, I need to find another way. Please help me prepare a goat, Grandfather."

Although he didn't understand what Shen Changchuan intended to do, Han Qinhu still went to prepare it as requested.

At this moment, Shen Changchuan stood on the riverbank. He pinched a dharma seal in his hand, and a faint white light flickered in his eyes. At that moment, his gaze seemed to pierce through the heavy mist, seeing the wisps of water-vein essence flowing beneath the surface, as well as the thin, faint traces of demonic aura rising from the water.

"As expected, it isn't that easy. With the concealment of the water-vein essence, it's impossible to locate it so easily." Shen Changchuan shook his head slightly. He then withdrew his Spirit Eye Technique, no longer wasting his mana. Fortunately, he hadn't placed his hopes on this Spirit Eye Technique from the start; after all, his progress with the Spirit Eye Technique was only at 51%—it hadn't reached perfection or developed any special traits yet. The role the Spirit Eye Technique could play was...

Not yet.

Shen Changchuan could only wait patiently.

A quarter of an hour later, Han Qinhu finally arrived with a few men, carrying a goat with its front and hind legs bound together.

"Changchuan, you want this goat—is it for 'fishing'?"

As they set the goat down, Han Qinhu asked Shen Changchuan by his side. Although he hadn't reacted at first, he had eventually guessed Shen Changchuan's general idea.

"That's right."

"If I enter the water, I fear I wouldn't even be able to exert thirty percent of my strength; it is impossible to fight it beneath the surface."

"The only way is to lure the snake out of its hole, using this goat as bait to create an opening for me to strike."

Shen Changchuan did not play coy and stated his plan directly.

"Very well, wait a moment!"

Han Qinhu then called for Han Dayong. Although Han Dayong was somewhat dull-witted and often scolded as a fool by his father, Han Qinhu, his physical strength was exceptional.

Soon, a bamboo pole over ten meters long was brought over. After some maneuvering, the hundred-pound goat was suspended by a rope, the other end of which was tied to the tip of the bamboo pole. Han Dayong exerted his strength, lifting the long pole. With its limbs bound, the goat was dangled out over the surface of the river. Sensing danger, the goat struggled violently, but it was clearly to no avail.

At this moment, Shen Changchuan's eyes began to glow with a white light once more. He activated the Spirit Eye Technique to observe the changes on the river surface. Simultaneously, his right hand had already formed the seal for the Gold Thorn Technique. As the mana shimmered and swirled, a golden light flickered, and the faint phantom of a golden thorn could be seen.

Indeed, it was only a phantom. This was because Shen Changchuan did not intend to use his two quasi-low-grade magical golden needles this time. The reason was simple: before a cultivator reaches the Out-of-Body stage, they cannot project their divine sense to control magical artifacts. If he failed to slay the beast in one strike and the golden needles fell into the water, he would have no way to retrieve them. That would be a massive loss!

The Gold Thorn Technique itself was a spell similar to the Fireball or Wind Blade techniques. It was merely because of its nature as a metal-element spell that its lethality could be doubled if used in conjunction with a magical artifact. However, even without the golden needles, as a perfected-level spell, its lethality was still far greater than Shen Changchuan's other offensive spells, such as his yet-to-be-perfected Fireball or Wind Blade techniques.

All preparations were complete, and everything was ready; he was just waiting for the beast in the river to emerge. The suspended goat was lowered bit by bit until it hovered slowly over the site of the capsized boat. As the goat struggled incessantly, ripples began to spread across the surface of the water. Behind Han Dayong stood a row of villagers, all holding their breath, not daring to make a sound for fear of scaring the beast at the bottom of the river away.

Suddenly, A shadow emerged in the river directly beneath the goat.

"It's here!"

Shen Changchuan's nerves tightened instantly!

At that very moment, Whoosh!!!

The water broke, and a black shadow surged out from the depths.

A hideous, gaping maw burst from the surface, revealing rows of chilling, razor-sharp teeth, and in a single bite, it swallowed the entire goat!

Splash!

A ferocious, baleful demonic aura swept outward, striking the hearts of the villagers behind him. Their chests felt as if they were being crushed, and they couldn't help but cry out in alarm.

Everyone was startled by this sudden attack.

They couldn't help but step backward.

A demonic beast!

That was a real demonic beast!

But at this moment, Shen Changchuan had no time to pay attention to the reactions of others.

An opportunity!

His gaze turned fierce in an instant!

"Go!"

The Gold Thorn Technique he had been holding in his hands was unleashed, shooting forward in an instant!

Under the state of the Spirit Eye Technique, Shen Changchuan saw everything clearly!

It was a beast resembling a crocodile.

The creature's lightning-fast attack, under the gaze of Shen Changchuan's Spirit Eye Technique, had its form completely laid bare!

He even saw where its weakness lay!

Thus, A flash of golden light streaked through the air like lightning. In the blink of an eye, it traversed the dozen-meter distance, and the golden thorn formed of mana thrust toward the Crocodile Demon's head!

Bolstered by the Spirit Eye Technique, Shen Changchuan's Gold Thorn Technique became even more precise!

Almost perfectly centered, It struck directly at the vulnerable spot where the head met the ear!

However, just as the mana-forged thorn was about to pierce the Crocodile Demon's skull, It seemed to sense the impending danger. Its demonic aura surged instantly, and its skin took on a stone-like hue.

Clang!

A crisp sound like metal striking metal rang out.

Sparks visibly burst forth, The golden needle formed by the Gold Thorn Technique shattered, And the resulting small shockwave of mana blasted outward, scattering the surrounding water spray.

At the same time, The Crocodile Demon seemed to let out a howl. Its massive, leaping body suddenly rolled, twisting the bamboo pole tied to the goat into a mangled mess before it exploded, and the beast plunged back into the water with its giant jaws clamped shut.