Xu Shan's Death

Great Riverbank.

The waves surged and roared.

Four figures stood by the riverbank, the atmosphere taut as drawn swords.

Luo Chen drew the long blade at his waist, its edge flashing with cold light beneath the sun.

This blade was still only an ordinary standard-issue weapon from the Demon Suppression Bureau.

The piece of Mysterious Gold Iron Yue Wuchang had given him would take at least two months to forge into a precious blade.

"Skin Tempering Demon?"

Luo Chen's voice echoed across the empty Great Riverbank, carrying a note of probing.

These clones were all controlled by the Skin Tempering Demon's true body. He wanted to pry some information from its mouth.

"Hehe! Your strength has improved so quickly!"

"What a fascinating skin!"

"Refine him into a Skin Puppet!"

The three clones before and behind him spoke in unison, their tones grim and bloody.

As the last words fell.

The three clones attacked at once, three blood-red whips lashing toward Luo Chen in the middle.

They were three blood-red Spine Bone Swords, making the sound of bones colliding and locking together in midair.

Luo Chen frowned. This Demonic Beast was rather cautious.

Yet his hands did not slow in the slightest.

His blood and qi erupted, and the great tendons within his body drew tight in vicious tension.

His blade's gleam swept through the air, while the surrounding force collided and contracted, knocking the three bloody streaks flying from before and behind him.

He stomped heavily, leaving a footprint where he stood. His body had already become an afterimage as he charged toward the lone clone behind him.

After that exchange, Luo Chen had gained a rough understanding of the strength of these three newly arrived Skin Tempering clones.

Two were at Bone Forging completion, and one was at the initial stage of Muscle Tendon Transformation.

Such a lineup would have been enough to hunt down the Luo Chen of a month ago.

To ensure nothing could go wrong, this Demonic Beast had taken into account that Luo Chen's strength was also increasing and sent out three clones.

Unfortunately!

Killing intent flashed through Luo Chen's eyes, and his attacks became several degrees faster.

With one slash, he sent the Spine Bone Sword before him flying. The terrifying force made this clone of the Demonic Beast start trembling, and its sword-wielding arm snapped outright.

The Demonic Beast staggered back again and again. There was no fear in its eyes; instead, a trace of burning desire flashed through them.

"How did you improve so quickly?"

Luo Chen's gaze was icy. His long blade slashed repeatedly, and this Bone Forging clone was instantly torn to pieces.

"Still no lifespan!"

The Skin Tempering Demon's clones had thoroughly disgusted Luo Chen.

He turned to face the other two clones rushing toward him from behind.

He did not reveal his strength at Muscle Tendon Transformation completion, displaying only combat power at the initial stage of Muscle Tendon Transformation.

After having half the corner of his clothes sliced away by a Spine Bone Sword, he beheaded the remaining two clones.

"Hehe, I've taken a liking to your skin!"

Before it died, pain and greed appeared at the corner of the Demonic Beast's mouth.

Clones were not limitless. Losing three at once hurt even it greatly.

But at the thought of Luo Chen's strength, greed replaced everything in its eyes.

"I'll come back for you..."

After it spoke its final words.

Luo Chen chopped off its head with one slash.

After looking around, Luo Chen spat onto the ground.

"Damn it, I wasted one of my Treasure Fish!"

Just as he prepared to deal with the Demonic Beast's corpse.

A figure came running from afar.

"Luo Chen, what happened? Was there a Demonic Beast?"

Xu Shan hurried over from the village with a long blade hanging at his waist.

The commotion just now had been considerable, and this place was not far from the village.

Luo Chen looked at Xu Shan, a glint passing through his eyes, then nodded solemnly.

"It's all dealt with. It was a beast's clone."

"Unfortunately, that beast is like a turtle, too afraid to come out and face me."

Xu Shan forced a smile, and the corner of his eye twitched involuntarily.

"Is that so? You young people really are impressive!"

He gave Luo Chen a thumbs-up, smiling brightly.

"That's all merit!"

As he spoke, Xu Shan stepped forward and lowered his head, intending to inspect the Demonic Beast corpse at Luo Chen's feet.

Luo Chen did not stop him, instead taking a step back.

Suddenly, Xu Shan's lowered head snapped up. That familiar mocking look remained in his eyes.

The long blade slung diagonally at his waist had already left its sheath.

Its gleam swept toward Luo Chen's throat in a crescent-moon arc.

Between the two of them, metal rang against metal.

The two long blades collided, then sprang apart, sending each of them three steps back.

Xu Shan's mouth stretched wider and wider in a smile, splitting open to reveal a mouthful of scarlet.

When his ambush failed, the Skin Tempering Demon knew this attempt had failed as well.

"Xu Shan" tossed aside the long blade in his hand and applauded Luo Chen.

"What a surprise. Could you possess the legendary Martial Bone?"

"..." Luo Chen remained silent, watching "Xu Shan" opposite him.

"But it doesn't matter. Once I obtain your skin, everything will be mine."

"Hehe, Luo Chen, the owner of this body died because of you!"

As the final words fell.

"Xu Shan" instantly collapsed to the ground like a puddle of rotten mud.

His eyes were wide open, as though he had suffered inhuman torment before death.

The Demonic Beast's final words were no different from a blade piercing the heart.

Luo Chen's breathing hitched, and he slowly closed his eyes.

Though he had not known Xu Shan for long, the man who had often looked after him and taught him how to survive in the Demon Suppression Bureau had died right before his eyes.

"You are right. Xu Shan may have died because of me."

"I will avenge him!"

Only cold killing intent remained in Luo Chen's heart.

He left an afterimage where he stood and headed toward the village at top speed.

He recalled the information he had gathered about the Skin Tempering Demon.

"A Skin Tempering Demon must act personally to refine a Skin Puppet!"

"It must have only just left the village!"

Luo Chen was certain that Xu Shan had still eaten with him that morning.

At that time, Xu Shan had definitely not been dead.

He crossed more than ten li of mountain forest in an instant, arriving at the courtyard where the two lived.

Sensing the bloody stench within the courtyard, his breath caught.

He pushed open the door to Xu Shan's bedroom, and a foul stench rushed into his face.

The blood on the floor and walls was still warm. Tables, chairs, and benches lay scattered in disarray. It seemed Xu Shan had resisted, only to be easily suppressed.

To keep the village from being caught in the spillover, he spent most of his time patrolling nearby.

Yet innocent people had still died because of him.

The fury in Luo Chen's heart could no longer be restrained.

Without saying a word, he went out and inspected the village for a while.

Only after confirming that the Skin Tempering Demon had not harmed the villagers did he swiftly return to Great Riverbank.

He gently arranged Xu Shan's corpse, covered it with a white cloth, and carried it back to the village.

Outside the Demon Suppression Bureau's guard courtyard, villagers who had come to mourn filled the area.

Luo Chen turned them away one by one.

He took out an exquisite, palm-sized Mechanical Bird and wrote the details of what had happened inside it.

The Mechanical Bird beat its wings and flew into the distance.

This was a creation of the Heavenly Crafts Pavilion of the Great Gan Dynasty, used to swiftly transmit information and intelligence.

Half a day later.

Demon Suppression Envoy Wang Yue arrived with two Demon Suppressing Guards.

Wang Yue entered the courtyard and gently lifted the white cloth.

He looked at the wrinkled skin on Xu Shan's body, peeling from his flesh like old tree bark and hanging only from his torso.

He slowly closed his eyes, sorrow in them.

"Tell me everything in detail!"

After a brief silence, Wang Yue spoke in a hoarse voice.

Luo Chen nodded. He merely reported the truth.

After a long while,

Wang Yue finally sighed, covering the body with the white cloth. His tone was unreadable.

"The Demon Suppression Bureau has never been a good place, especially for people like us, whose paths of martial cultivation have reached their end."

"Xu Shan's wife became pregnant last month. He had long wanted to retire. When he heard you had come, he was happy for days! Someone could take his place."

"What a pity!"

Luo Chen said nothing, his hands beneath his robes clenching and loosening.