Mountain God

Duan Yan, who had been moving the townspeople, suddenly stopped and looked toward the yamen.

"What's wrong with you? Hurry up!"

The Fox Demon's tremors were growing stronger and stronger. If they did not quickly move the surrounding townspeople away, they would all be caught up in it.

Li Gui did not understand why Duan Yan had suddenly stopped.

"There's no need anymore."

Duan Yan silently set down the child in her hands.

"What do you mean, no need?"

Li Gui turned around as well and looked toward the yamen.

As the dust dispersed, Lin Jun's fist was buried deep in the Fox Demon's head.

The Fox Demon, whose body had been gnawed by the Blood Tiger until only scraps of flesh and a skeleton remained, lay on the ground without a trace of life.

Dead?

Li Gui was utterly horrified.

How long had it even been? Had it been an hour?

That Fox Demon had been at Half-Step Boundary Breach, and it had absorbed the souls of quite a few townspeople. It could almost be said to have one foot across the threshold of Boundary Breach.

And it had just died like that?

In such a miserable state?

Li Gui suddenly recalled his earlier spar with Lin Jun...

Should I thank him later for sparing my life?

[Killed a Half-Step Boundary Breach Fox Demon, gained 12000 experience]

Seeing the message on the panel, Lin Jun finally confirmed that Zhang Ju was dead.

Lin Jun slowly pulled his hand from the Fox Demon's head. Clutched tightly in his hand was Zhang Ju's Demon Core.

The Blood-Tiger Baleful Image had been unleashed nine times in total, pushing his body past its limits long ago. At the final critical moment, he had already run out of strength.

Fortunately, his godson's Demon Core had allowed Lin Jun to temporarily mimic it, buying him the chance for one final counterattack.

Lin Jun swayed as he rose to his feet. Chen Feng hurried over and supported him.

Duan Yan and Li Gui also rushed over. When they saw the Fox Demon's corpse, gnawed beyond recognition, they could not help but click their tongues in amazement.

The entire Green Forest County yamen had ceased to exist, and the ground was a scene of utter devastation.

"How are the townspeople in the city?"

Hearing this, Li Gui hurriedly replied,

"The Fox Demon drew away a portion of the townspeople's souls, but fortunately, Brother Lin killed it quickly. These people can still survive."

Though they could survive, their future lives would inevitably be affected to some degree. Still, it was far better than death.

Lin Jun nodded at this.

This outcome was still acceptable.

Just then, Lu Ling arrived with He Jing and his fellow disciples.

Looking at the Fox Demon's corpse on the ground, even He Jing and his fellow disciples, who had traveled the martial world, could not help but suck in a breath of cold air.

This was no ordinary Fox Demon. It was a descendant of Zhang Zhen, the pillar of Liuyang Commandery back then.

"Senior Li, now that the Fox Demon is dead, please inform the Demon Exorcism Bureau to eradicate the demons around Green Forest County."

Only then did Li Gui remember this important matter. He had been completely drawn in by Lin Jun just now.

"There is no need to worry. Before dying, the Fox Demon completely released its demonic aura. The Demon Exorcism Bureau keeps Truth-Hearing Beasts specifically for sensing demonic aura. Such undisguised aura will be easily detected. Within three days at most, this place will be surrounded by the Demon Exorcism Bureau."

Previously, Zhang Ju had concealed the information about this place. But now that Zhang Ju was dead, and he had exposed far too much aura in his life-and-death struggle with Lin Jun before dying, it would be easily detected.

However, Lu Ling grew anxious. He hurriedly looked at Lin Jun, who understood what he meant.

"Senior Li, quite a few demons here have not eaten people. What should be done about them?"

Though Li Gui did not know Lu Ling, he could sense the peaceful aura around him.

"There is no need to worry about that. The aura of demons that eat people differs greatly from that of ordinary demons, and the Demon Exorcism Bureau has specialized methods for distinguishing them. In fact, demon exorcists even cooperate with quite a few demons. In my opinion, this Deer Demon might even be granted the title of Mountain God or something of the sort."

Li Gui smiled and patted Lu Ling on the shoulder.

"The official kind, too. He could receive a stipend every year and even enjoy the incense offerings of the mortal world. The benefits are quite good."

At the words "incense offerings," Lu Ling's expression visibly stirred.

The incense offerings of an entire county—if he could maintain them over time, he might one day enter the Transcendent Realm. If his luck was good enough, perhaps he could even attempt Boundary Breach.

"In that case, thank you very much."

For a moment, Lin Jun did not understand what the two of them were talking about. What incense offerings? What Mountain God?

Seeing Lin Jun's confusion, Duan Yan slowly explained.

"Demons can advance to higher levels by feeding on human flesh and blood. It is a swift and efficient method, but if demons deliberately protect humans and gain their incense offerings and faith, then as the days accumulate and the months pile up, they can use the power of that faith to strike at higher realms."

"It is just that the process is extremely long. It may take decades or even centuries. However, demons naturally have exceedingly long lifespans, so they can afford to wait."

"But demons like that become deeply bound to humans. Once humans no longer believe in them, the demons lose their cultivation."

Upon hearing this, Lin Jun's doubts were finally resolved.

This world truly was too wondrous. It even had such a method.

Li Gui continued,

"In truth, the Fox Demon's method of advancing by absorbing the souls of the entire city was very similar to the power of incense offerings. The only difference was that one was passive plunder, while the other was voluntary contribution."

As he spoke, Li Gui sighed.

These Fox Demons were extraordinarily skilled at governing. When they ruled a county, they often let the people there live and work in peace and contentment. If they truly became gods of incense offerings, they would have been quite good at it.

What a pity they insisted on eating people.

Then there was nothing left to discuss.

Half a day later, the people who had originally fainted woke one after another, each clutching their heads as they squatted on the ground.

They felt as though their brains had been gnawed by rats, and the pain was unbearable.

Fortunately, the pain did not last long. Once they came to their senses, the townspeople looked at one another, all feeling utterly baffled.

How had they suddenly fallen asleep in the middle of the street?

Someone let out a startled cry, and everyone turned to look toward the yamen.

The most conspicuous building in the county on ordinary days had actually become a heap of ruins. Atop those ruins lay a massive skeleton, with scraps of flesh still clinging to its bones.

It looked like the corpse of some kind of canine, with a shattered hole in its forehead.

At last, the crowd understood. A demon had died while they had been unconscious.

Everyone looked toward the Demon Affairs Prefecture.

It was the only place they could think of that could eliminate demons.

And at that moment, the only person there capable of eliminating demons lay on a bed in an extremely undignified pose, covered in needles.

"Didn't you say you had trained in the Medical Department before? Why are you sticking needles in me at random?!"

"Don't move. Ah, it went crooked again."

Lin Jun snatched the silver needle from Duan Yan's hand and confiscated it on the spot.

"Go, go, go. Let me recuperate on my own."

Duan Yan awkwardly rubbed her nose, then took several candies from her bag and placed them beside Lin Jun.

"There was no helping it. We've used up all the pills we brought, and Li Gui is a pauper with no medicine at all. If nothing else, have some candy."

After saying that, Duan Yan opened the door and left as well.

Only Lin Jun remained in the room.

He had unleashed the Blood-Tiger Baleful Image nine times in succession, and his body had long reached its limits. Even standing and talking was extremely difficult now, so he could only recuperate properly.

Lin Jun took out Zhang Ju's Demon Core. He could only hope this thing would prove worthy of what he had paid.