Slaying the Snake

The white snake before him transformed into human form amid a burst of white light, with only her neck still retaining its serpentine body.

This peculiar appearance instantly reminded Lin Jun of the first time he had killed a demon.

Combined with what the Snake Demon had said earlier, Lin Jun immediately recalled his first demon extermination.

"You killed these children to take revenge on me?"

Having come to this world, this was the first time someone had died because of him. Lin Jun felt an indescribable sensation in his heart.

"You? You think you're worthy?"

She had coveted the wealthy merchants of the city's south side for far more than a day or two. If Zhang Ju, that old fox, had not been keeping watch, she would have struck long ago.

The wealthy merchants naturally tasted far better than those skin-and-bones people.

This time, Lin Jun killing her grandson had provided the perfect excuse. These human children were no more than appetizers.

Zhang Ju had not stopped her, making her even bolder.

Of course, it would have been a lie to say she felt no anger at all. After all, it had been her own child.

She could just have another brood next time. Pythons were still too inferior; perhaps she should try mating with a venomous snake instead.

"Do you think the people in the south of this city will survive the night?"

So that was it. Lin Jun inexplicably felt much better.

Call it hypocrisy or false kindness, but Lin Jun truly was that kind of person.

He did not want anyone to die because of him. There was nothing wrong with that in itself.

Lin Jun pulled the sword from the ground, only to suddenly feel his legs go numb. They had actually been frozen solid.

"Die!"

The Snake Demon's eyes brimmed with greed. To demons, the flesh and blood of martial artists were great tonics, and eating them raw could increase cultivation.

Lin Jun's vital energy was especially vigorous. In the Snake Demon's eyes, he was simply an exceptionally rare medicine.

Lin Jun watched as the Snake Demon's jaws opened to an absurd extent before she bit down at him.

At the critical moment, lightning suddenly flashed across Lin Jun's body, and a suit of Thunder Armor appeared around him.

"Ah!"

The electricity coursed through the Snake Demon's entire body, forcing her to retreat.

A strange scorched fragrance wafted from the Snake Demon's body. Her opened mouth could not close at all after the shock, making her look utterly ridiculous.

The cold in the courtyard grew even heavier, and Lin Jun felt his body beginning to stiffen.

"Let's see how long you can hold out!"

So close combat would not work. This human had some skill.

The Snake Demon laboriously closed her mouth, but at that moment, her entire body began trembling without end.

A presence that filled her heart with terror spread through the air. The sky seemed to darken, while the surrounding air became increasingly viscous.

In that instant, she suddenly remembered when she had still been a little demon. She had secretly rejoiced after catching a field mouse, only to be brutally stamped into the ground by a massive foot in the blink of an eye.

When she raised her head again, all she saw was a glimpse of a huge white, mottled beast.

That single glance had left her entire snake body rigid as wood. She had not even noticed the field mouse escaping.

At that moment, she had experienced for the first time the racial differences among demons—the suppression of bloodlines.

Now, that sealed memory surfaced once more, and that feeling of terror flooded her entire body again.

The source of that presence that terrified her was actually the human before her!

How was that possible? He was merely a human!

How could a human possess such pure Tiger Demon pressure?

This pressure was already so immense that it left her unable to move.

The one she faced now seemed not to be a human, but a true king of all beasts.

"Ha!"

Lin Jun raised his sword. The originally pitch-black blade now blazed with red light.

Two Blood Baleful Tigers appeared at Lin Jun's side.

Blood-Tiger Baleful Image!

"Say, do you think that Lin fellow can pull it off?"

"I think he can. Haven't you seen all those demon corpses at the Demon Affairs Prefecture lately? I even bought meat there once."

"Bullshit! Don't you know what Lin Jun is made of? I say the three years are nearly up, and he bought demon corpses from who knows where to pass them off as achievements. The Demon Exorcism Bureau values that sort of thing."

"Hiss, but why have I heard the people outside the city saying otherwise?"

"What the hell do those mud-legged peasants know? If that Lin fellow really had skill, why didn't our master invite him over long ago?"

"If you ask me, Master Song is smashing a cracked pot for lack of anything better—treating a dead horse as if it were alive."

"That makes sense."

Song Yuan watched the residence with a face full of worry. He had run outside the moment the Snake Demon appeared.

"Master He, why haven't you left yet?"

Song Yuan turned to ask He Jing. He was leaning against a tree, worry etched deeply across his face.

"My sword is still in that boy's hands. It's expensive."

Song Yuan curled his lips, pretending to believe He Jing's explanation.

"Do you think Lord Lin can exterminate the demon?"

"Hard to say."

Just then, a heaven-shaking roar suddenly rang out from within the residence, and everyone outside immediately felt a suffocating pressure rush straight at them.

After the tiger's roar passed, a surge of blood-red light shot into the sky, then all fell quiet.

He Jing immediately stopped worrying about anything else. Propping himself on a stick, he hurried into the residence with a limp.

Song Yuan hurried after him. When they reached the courtyard, the sight inside nearly made Song Yuan lose his footing.

Lin Jun stood with his sword, pinning a white snake to the ground. A massive crater surrounded them, and the white snake's blood had splashed everywhere, dyeing the pit crimson.

It was difficult to imagine how a snake shorter than a person could produce so much blood.

Even He Jing found this bloody scene hard to believe.

Yet the surrounding buildings remained entirely intact. Even the window paper had not torn. Only a huge pit had appeared in the middle of the courtyard.

Lin Jun's control over his power was terrifyingly precise.

He Jing suppressed the shock in his heart.

Lin Jun pulled out his sword. The white snake still had one last breath.

"Spare me... Zhang Ju... fox..."

The white snake seemed to be trying to say something when a streak of white light suddenly flashed in the distance. Her head instantly exploded, and she was dead for good.

Lin Jun looked toward where the white light had flashed, but there was nothing there.

"Reeks of fox stench..."

Chen Feng, who had come to Lin Jun's side, suddenly heard those words and felt utterly baffled.

"How are you? Are you injured?"

Lin Jun flicked his sword, shaking the blood from it, then handed it to He Jing.

"A fine sword. Thank you, Senior."

He Jing took the sword. Several small chips had already appeared along its edge.

There was one thing He Jing had not lied about: this sword really was expensive.

The chips made He Jing's heart ache, but now was not the time to worry over them.

He crouched down and looked at the white snake's corpse.

The corpse was covered in bite marks. Not a single patch of skin remained whole, and its death had been exceedingly miserable.

Seeing the demon that had taken one of his legs die here just like this, He Jing was overcome with mixed emotions.

"If you like it, Senior, please take it. Consider it my thanks for lending me the sword."

He Jing froze. This was the body of an Origin Transformation Great Demon. Whether for tempering weapons or refining pills, even roasting and eating it would be a great tonic.

He was just giving it to him?

"Heh, I have not sunk so low. You used my sword to exterminate a demon; that should be my sword's honor. I should thank you for avenging me."

He Jing shook his head.

"I'll be returning to Brocade City tomorrow. Just see me off, and that will count as thanks. What do you say?"

Lin Jun did not refuse and nodded in agreement.

"Then I'll take my leave. I need to hurry back. The next time you see me, this leg might have healed already."

He Jing patted the empty space where his leg had been and smiled.

Not only was martial strength Transcendent in this world, its medicinal pills were even more miraculous. Bringing the dead back to life and regrowing flesh upon bare bones was no legend.

Naturally, regrowing a leg was possible.

"Farewell!"

"Farewell!"

He Jing vaulted over the courtyard wall on one leg and vanished into the moonlight.

Lin Jun crouched down again and fumbled around inside the Snake Demon's shattered head before finding a white strand of fur.

"No wonder it reeked of fox stench."