The Demon Woman in the Painting

Outside Cloud Mountain City, Wang Family Village.

A scholar-like man stood in a room, gazing foolishly at a painting hanging on the wall.

The painting depicted a woman in a white dress. She was charming and voluptuous, and no matter from which angle he looked, she seemed to be smiling at him.

"Xiao Yu, come out and see me. We haven't met for several days."

"I know I haven't found the people you want these past few days, but I've been trying. It's mainly because too few outsiders have passed through lately, and you need quite a lot of them."

"I promise, if no outsiders pass by tomorrow, I'll buy one from a human trafficker for you."

The painting on the wall suddenly trembled, and the woman in it actually stepped out of the painting.

The scholar hurried over in delight. "Xiao Yu, you're finally willing to see me."

The woman wore a sorrowful expression. "Brother Zong, it isn't that I don't want to see you. You know my circumstances too. I don't want you to do things against your conscience, much less harm you."

Wang Hanzong seized the woman's hand. "I'm willing to do anything for you."

"You only want to survive and become a real person. There's nothing wrong with that."

"I'll definitely help you fulfill your wish. Then we can be together for the rest of our lives."

Xiao Yu looked gratefully at Wang Hanzong and nestled into his embrace, but mockery and disgust surfaced in her eyes.

Who would want to spend a lifetime with a fool like Wang Hanzong?

If not for the fact that Wang Hanzong had a little family wealth and was so easy to deceive, she would have killed him and left long ago.

Over the past two years, she had relied on Wang Hanzong to silently kill many people, allowing her strength to grow rapidly.

In another year, she would no longer be bound by this painting and would become a true great demon.

Then she would no longer need to fear those martial artists in Cloud Mountain County. Perhaps she could even devour one or two of them and raise her strength even faster.

"Brother Zong, my body is becoming unstable again. I need to return to the painting."

Wang Hanzong had only just seen Xiao Yu. How could he bear to let her go back so soon?

"Xiao Yu, wait a moment. I'll call in the old servant from the household. He's old anyway and can't work anymore, so let him help you, his future mistress."

A flicker of delight appeared in Xiao Yu's eyes, but she shook her head. "Brother Zong, he has served you for many years. Wouldn't that be inappropriate?"

"Xiao Yu, you're too kind. My family has supported him for decades, so what's wrong with it? At worst, I'll pick a good burial plot for him, so he won't have to sell himself into servitude in his next life."

"Wait here. I'll go call him over right now."

Wang Hanzong hurried out the door. Xiao Yu sat down in a chair, her face full of smug satisfaction.

If those people had not been demanding more and more Blood Pills, she actually quite liked staying in Cloud Mountain County.

There were no martial artists bothering her, she did not have to live in constant fear, and people regularly provided her with blood food to help her grow stronger. It was simply too comfortable.

"Endure for another year. By then, Wang Hanzong's family fortune will have run dry. I can devour Wang Hanzong and leave."

"Miss Xiao Yu, are you leaving?" A voice suddenly came from outside the door.

Xiao Yu immediately rose to her feet. When she saw Cui Lang enter, she frowned slightly.

"Cui Lang? What are you doing here? It's not time to hand over the Blood Pills until next month."

If Constable Li had come, she would have treated him politely. But with Cui Lang alone, there was no need to be afraid.

Cui Lang walked into the room. "What, I can't come unless there's business? This is Cloud Mountain County. The officials' words are the rules."

Xiao Yu's face turned cold. "Spit it out. Don't waste my time."

What would she say if Wang Hanzong came in shortly and saw Cui Lang? If she killed Wang Hanzong now, would she not have to find another suitable residence to hide in and trick another foolish boy all over again?

Cui Lang sat in a chair beside Xiao Yu. "Magistrate Zheng sent me. He said you're different from other demons and monsters, not easily discovered, so starting next month, you'll have to hand over two more Blood Pills."

Xiao Yu flew into a rage. "Why? If you add two more, what will I have left? Do you know how hard it is to refine Blood Pills?"

Cui Lang had already confirmed that Zheng Fengyun was involved as well. What about the other officials?

He continued probing. "This isn't Magistrate Zheng's decision alone. It's the county magistrate's decision. Are you going to defy it?"

Xiao Yu looked at Cui Lang, then suddenly smiled. "Cui Lang, why don't you put in a good word for me with the officials? From now on, I'll give you an extra Blood Pill every month. Even I can be yours."

As she spoke, she swayed her waist and walked toward Cui Lang. The light gauze on her shoulder slipped directly off.

When she reached Cui Lang, her hand stretched toward his shoulder. Her nails instantly lengthened as she viciously stabbed toward the back of his neck.

She had assumed Cui Lang was utterly bewitched by her and would certainly fall for it, but then she suddenly saw his left hand rise and clamp tightly around her wrist.

"Xiao Yu, you want to kill me? Aren't you afraid of angering the officials?"

Xiao Yu's face twisted viciously. "If the officials find out you tried to swindle Blood Pills out of me, you'll be the first one they kill!"

"Do you dare say that what you just said really came from the county magistrate?"

Her hand suddenly slipped free from Cui Lang's palm. Cui Lang was greatly startled and swiftly kicked off the ground with both feet, sending the chair beneath him scraping backward with a piercing screech.

He grabbed the nearby table and flung it hard at Xiao Yu.

But the table passed through Xiao Yu's body, leaving her completely unharmed.

"Cui Lang, do you think I'm like other demons? You can't harm a single hair on me."

She had been meek and submissive before Constable Li because Constable Li was a Martial Artist in the Essence Gathering Realm.

A Martial Artist in the Essence Refinement Realm posed no threat to her whatsoever.

Cui Lang's expression turned grave. Had the demon he had deliberately chosen turned out to be a hard nut to crack?

No, Xiao Yu feared Constable Li, so she could not be that strong. Was it because her body could become incorporeal, making her immune to ordinary attacks?

Xiao Yu lunged at Cui Lang. "You dared to come swindle me? I'll kill you. You must be a great tonic."

Cui Lang instantly drew his blade and slashed down at Xiao Yu. Xiao Yu charged at him with a look of complete indifference.

She had already said those attacks were useless, yet Cui Lang still ridiculously swung his blade at her. How foolish.

But when the blade neared her body, she suddenly felt an incomparably scorching aura. Her expression changed dramatically.

Shhk!

A huge wound appeared on Xiao Yu's body. She stared at Cui Lang in shock. "True essence is infused into your blade. You're in the middle stage of the Essence Gathering Realm?!"

How was that possible? There was actually a middle-stage Essence Gathering Realm expert among the constables of Cloud Mountain County?

Cui Lang looked at Xiao Yu with a faint smile. "So demons like you fear true essence."

He had thought Xiao Yu was formidable, but now it seemed she was not even as capable as the Toad Demon that had impersonated a river god.

"Cui Lang, stop! I agree to give you Blood Pills. You can have as many as you want. Or tell me what you want, and I'll give it to you."

Cui Lang nodded. "Fine. Then I want your life!"