Lin Xiao slumped against the base of a broken stone pillar.
He coughed up a mouthful of black blood, and fragments of shattered iron armor sliced his palm.
The black iron token reflected a cold, eerie gleam beneath the moonlight. Ripples of formation patterns interwove across its surface, and the character for "shadow" exuded a strong scent of blood.
Su Yu reached out and took it. The instant the token touched his hand, a bone-piercing chill burrowed through his meridians.
He did not lower his guard simply because she had offered to recruit him.
The little Prison-Suppressing Spiritual Qi left inside him still surged madly through his meridians, and his muscles remained taut. If the cat-faced woman made the slightest suspicious move, the saber in his hand would react faster than his mind.
The mysterious woman stood atop the red-haired monster's mountain of flesh, her eyes behind the mask fixed firmly on Su Yu.
The mental storm this Demon Suppression Guard from Nanhe County had unleashed just now had sent a shiver through even a seasoned Spirit Realm third-level veteran like her.
Divine sense of that strength was no weaker than that of an ordinary cultivator at the Spirit Realm fourth or fifth level.
In her eyes, Su Yu was a rare, monstrous genius in spirit refining.
For him to have reached this point in a resource-starved place like Nanhe County, he was absolutely a monster.
"Whether you go to the commandery seat is up to you."
"But this shallow pool called Nanhe County can no longer hold a flood dragon of your size."
The mysterious woman took half a step forward and spoke in an indifferent tone.
"If you're smart, leave once you've finished killing. Go to Tiannan Commandery and take your time playing with those lunatics from the Demon God Cult."
She paused, then turned toward Lin Xiao, a note of reproach entering her voice.
"Head Constable Lin, why wasn't Yue Rao, that Ghost Shadow Sect remnant, sent to Tiannan Commandery?"
At her words, Lin Xiao instantly rallied. He was just about to speak.
"She's dead."
"I killed her."
Those few simple words landed heavily amid the ruins.
The arm Lin Xiao had braced against the ground suddenly buckled, and he nearly pitched headfirst to the ground, his blood-smeared face filled with disbelief.
Come on, brother, I know you killed her, but you can't just say it outright!
He hurriedly spoke.
"Reporting to my lady, our men were jointly ambushed by the Ghost Shadow Sect and the Liu Family while escorting Yue Rao.
"Yue Rao unfortunately perished. Please punish me, my lady!"
The mysterious woman froze briefly at his words, then waved a hand. "Forget it. An elder's daughter-if she's dead, she's dead!"
"But Head Constable Lin, for something like the Liu Family to emerge under your administration of Nanhe County... heh!"
The mysterious woman gave a cold laugh. Her meaning needed no explanation.
Besides investigating the Ghost Shadow Sect remnants, she had also come to look into the Demon God Cult. She had never expected that the Demon God Cult had already been infiltrating Nanhe County for years.
Had she not arrived in time, Nanhe County might already have been awash in rivers of blood.
All of that responsibility would fall on Lin Xiao.
Lin Xiao's face instantly went deathly pale. He knew he had indeed failed in his duties over the years, and someone would probably be sent from above to replace him before long.
But Lin Xiao felt he had grievances he could not voice. He had long since appealed to his superiors for help, hoping they would send a Spirit Realm expert to assist him, yet his pleas had all sunk like stones into the sea.
That had forced him to feign cooperation with the Liu Family. If Su Yu had not appeared, there was no telling when he could have broken the deadlock.
The mysterious woman said nothing more to Lin Xiao and turned back to Su Yu.
"My name is White Cat. I'll be waiting for you in Tiannan Commandery!"
With those words, the mysterious woman turned and left.
"A Shadow Guard Invitation Token!"
Tang Shan shuffled over, dragging his long saber with its rolled edge. His heart shook violently as he stared at the token in Su Yu's hand.
He had heard his family elders speak of the Demon Suppression Bureau's Shadow Guard. Every person who could join them possessed extraordinary talent and stood beyond ordinary people.
The ancestor who had led their Tang Family to prominence had once been a member of the Shadow Guard.
Tang Shan's gaze was complicated.
That mixture of envy and defeat made this former genius of the commandery seat look utterly ridiculous.
Su Yu put away the token and strode toward Lin Xiao.
Lin Xiao pushed away the guards trying to support him and steadied himself against the broken pillar.
"Don't look at me. I'm hard to kill. I won't be dying anytime soon."
He looked at the severed limbs strewn throughout the courtyard, his gaze dark and vicious.
"The Liu Family colluded with demons and slaughtered our comrades. The evidence is conclusive."
"Leave the rest to me."
Su Yu stared at Lin Xiao's weathered face.
After this battle, Nanhe County's Demon Suppression Guard had lost over half its men, and nearly all its core members were dead or wounded.
Although Liu Tianjue had been reduced to mangled flesh, the shadow behind him had only grown darker.
"Does a position in the Shadow Guard conflict with one in the Demon Suppression Bureau?"
Su Yu suddenly spoke.
He had no intention of giving up this official skin. His identity as a Demon Suppression Guard was his best ticket to obtaining Slaughter Points.
Lin Xiao let out a string of hoarse laughs, pulling at his wounds until his cheeks twitched with pain.
"No."
"The Shadow Guard hides in the shadows to begin with."
"Whether you're a head constable or a commandant, the Shadow Guard is simply the most vicious dagger in your hand."
"With enough merits, your public military rank can jump three grades in a row."
"In this world, it ultimately comes down to whose fist is harder."
Su Yu nodded. That was enough. With a thought, he summoned the system panel.
[Host: Su Yu] [Cultivation: Qi Refining Mortal Realm ninth layer, Spirit Refining Spirit Realm second level] [Cultivation arts: Suppressing Prison and Subduing Demons (mortal), subtle mastery; Spirit-Seizing Art (spirit), minor accomplishment] [Martial arts: Vajra Fist (mortal), subtle mastery; ultimate-realm killing move: Vajra Demon-Subduing Fist; Gale Saber Technique (mortal), subtle mastery; ultimate-realm killing move: Wind Falls Silent, Leaving No Trace; Wandering Dragon Steps (mortal), subtle mastery; ultimate-realm killing move: Dragon Concealment] [Slaughter Points: 650]
The scarlet number on the panel was especially enticing.
Six hundred and fifty Slaughter Points.
If he wished, he could bring about a qualitative transformation in one of his martial arts at any time.
Su Yu's gaze swept over the red-haired monster's corpse as flames licked at it.
"How do you intend to deal with this mess, Head Constable?"
Lin Xiao drew a deep breath, his tone icy.
"Confiscate the estate."
"Every coin and every spirit pill belonging to the Liu Family will be seized by the Demon Suppression Bureau."
"If anyone dares reach for our fallen brothers' compensation, I'll chop off their hand."
He turned and gave Su Yu a long, meaningful look.
"Su Yu, you killed Liu Tianjue. The greatest credit goes to you."
"The key to the treasure pavilion will be delivered to you shortly."
"You get first pick. If anyone dares object, I'll send them to keep the red-haired monster company."
The surrounding guards shrank back.
Having witnessed the splendor of Su Yu's punch, none of them would dare utter a word of refusal even if he wanted to become county magistrate now.
The weak were meat for the strong.
That was the hardest rule in this world.
Su Yu nodded, then turned and walked over to a corpse, looking at that utterly familiar face.
Su Yu sighed softly inwardly. Having inherited all the original owner's memories, he, too, had deep feelings for Su Daqiang, the father he had acquired.
Then I'll wipe out the Demon God Cult and avenge you!
After first having someone send Su Daqiang's body back to the Demon Suppression Bureau, Su Yu stepped through the gates of the Liu Residence.
The stone lions lay shattered across the ground, and cries filled the main hall.
Expressionless, he walked past these so-called highborn dignitaries. He had no interest in even swinging his saber at these bloodsuckers who survived by clinging to demons.
Before long, Su Yu arrived at the Liu Family's treasure vault.