An abandoned temple in the southern outskirts, on a dark and windy night.
Inside the dim, abandoned temple stood a young woman wearing a light black gauze dress.
Like a lecher up to no good, the late-night breeze stealthily lifted her flimsy gauze skirt.
Her graceful curves appeared and disappeared in the moonlight.
"A beauty of sixteen, soft as cream, supple and light, easy to push down?"
Lu Guan leaned against a doorpost, arms folded, staring straight at her.
A seductive smile rose on the young woman's face. With a gentle crook of her finger, the gauze slipped silently from her shoulders.
"Were you referred by someone you know, too?"
In an instant, a snowy landscape unfolded inside the abandoned temple.
Any ordinary man would already have felt his blood surge and stood at attention in salute.
Lu Guan, however, was in no hurry to get his hands on her. Instead, he asked, "What made you get into this line of work?"
The young woman inwardly rolled her eyes.
With practiced ease, she gave the standard answer-
A gambling father, a sick mother, a younger brother in school, and her broken self.
With the routine out of the way, Lu Guan finally walked slowly toward her.
Up close, the young woman's features were indeed exquisite.
Her innocence held just a trace of seductiveness beyond her years, balanced to perfection: a touch more would have been garish, a touch less would have been bland.
Had he not known beforehand that she was a demon in disguise, he might truly have stood at attention to show his respect.
The young woman leaned into him of her own accord, pressing against Lu Guan's chest as her fingertips traced lightly over his lapel.
Feeling the young man's vigorous, beating heart through that thin layer of clothing, she could not help licking her lips.
His heart isn't beating very fast. I didn't expect him not to be some impatient lecher.
A flicker of surprise crossed her eyes.
Lu Guan reached out and stroked her dark hair, winding it around his fingertips.
His other hand did not remain idle either, traveling over mountains and ridges before finally lifting her chin slightly.
The young woman obligingly tilted her face up, her gaze hazy and a perfectly measured hint of bashfulness curving her lips.
The next second, Lu Guan abruptly pressed down with his fingertip.
A small section of the young woman's cheek actually sank inward, like a painted skin pressed into a dent.
Inside, it was completely hollow. There was nothing there.
For an instant, the temple fell silent.
The young woman's delicate body stiffened slightly. Slowly, she tilted her head, a bizarre smile emerging on her face, the corners of her mouth nearly splitting all the way to her ears.
"Oh... you noticed."
Before her words had faded, she abruptly shot backward, her feet never touching the dust. In one drifting motion, she retreated more than ten feet, putting distance between herself and Lu Guan.
Clang, clang!
The next second, a streak of silver flashed.
Lu Guan raised his saber and slashed, its edge cutting diagonally down from her shoulder. Her skin split like an old garment and slipped off.
There was no flesh, blood, or internal organs inside, only a ghastly white skeleton. Its bones were deathly pale, fine black hair grew around its joints, and a foul stench assailed his nose.
"Demon, I knew at a glance you weren't human!"
Long saber in hand, Lu Guan sneered.
A month earlier, he had accepted the fact that he had transmigrated to another world and become a probationary officer of the Demon Suppression Bureau.
This was no dream.
While absorbing the memories in his mind, Lu Guan had also gained a deep understanding of what sort of world this was.
Demons and horrors plunged the world into chaos, leaving the people unable to eke out a living.
Three generations of his predecessor's forebears had all served as officers of the Demon Suppression Bureau, and every one of them had died slaying demons-a whole family of loyal martyrs.
His predecessor's mother had also fallen bedridden after his father's death and soon departed this world.
From then on, he had been utterly alone.
These upheavals had directly filled his predecessor with hatred, driving him to vow to slaughter every demon and sweep away the world's chaos.
So he had trained bitterly, never stopping, day or night.
Finally, on the day he broke through to the Qi and Blood Realm, he successfully worked himself into a sudden death.
That was how Lu Guan had transmigrated here and inherited everything, including his position as a probationary officer of the Demon Suppression Bureau.
Today was his first demon-slaying mission. If he succeeded, he could drop the word "probationary," become a full officer, and draw an imperial salary.
"Yohohohohoho~"
Having revealed its true form, the White Bone Demon twisted its bony body, looking sinister and eerie as its strange laughter echoed through the abandoned temple.
"I thought you were some martial artist from the jianghu. Turns out you're a black-uniformed lackey from the Demon Suppression Bureau."
At that, Lu Guan raised an eyebrow.
This wild demon did have some knowledge.
According to the intelligence, the wild demon before him was merely in the early Qi and Blood Realm, roughly the same realm as him.
It had used a painted skin to pose as a prostitute in this abandoned temple and lure in customers, killing several people before attracting the Demon Suppression Bureau's attention.
At that thought, Lu Guan could not help cursing inwardly:
A bunch of lust-addled idiots!
With looks and a figure like that, she'd be a top courtesan even at the Courtesan House of Red Delights in the city. How could she have sunk to working in an abandoned temple? You could figure out something was wrong with your toes!
The White Bone Demon said eerily:
"Such a handsome young gentleman. Your skin should make a fine outfit, too."
"You ruined one of mine, so you'll have to give me one in return!"
Before its words had faded, it abruptly closed in with incredible speed and struck out with a thunderous palm.
A white shadow flashed, and a foul wind came howling toward him.
Lu Guan reacted quickly, twisting to dodge.
But the demon was faster. Agonizing pain instantly erupted in his abdomen, just like being hit by that Dayun truck when he transmigrated.
Fuck, that's not right!
The tremendous force hurled him backward, smashing him hard into the temple wall before he crashed to the ground.
He spat out a mouthful of blood mixed with fragments of his internal organs.
"I thought you might be a tough one. You've only just entered the Qi and Blood Realm, yet you dare come looking for trouble with me. Who gave you the nerve?"
The White Bone Demon approached indifferently.
Lu Guan lay collapsed on the ground, clutching his abdomen as cold sweat poured from his forehead. He forced his head up to look at that skeletal figure, gritting his teeth.
I demand to inspect the cards!
Those fucking useless seat-warmers at the Demon Suppression Bureau even got the intelligence wrong?!
The Great Li Dynasty is going to collapse sooner or later!
A White Bone Demon that had only just entered the Qi and Blood Realm, a suitable target for a probationary officer's promotion assessment?
Utter bullshit!
This was clearly a demon comparable to the late Qi and Blood stage!
An intelligence blunder like this could easily get someone killed.
And right now, that someone was very likely him.
Normally, only a veteran Demon Suppression officer leading a team could deal with a demon at this realm.
An unconfirmed probationary officer like him had nothing but death awaiting him in such an encounter. Escaping would already be a tremendous stroke of luck, let alone killing it.
The skeleton drew closer and closer, the shadow of death gradually engulfing him.
Without its skin to conceal it, the demon's foul stench hit him full in the face.
Lu Guan clenched his teeth.
"Looks like I'll have to stake my life."
The next second, his view changed, and several lines of text appeared.
[Name: Lu Guan] [Age: Eighteen] [Remaining lifespan: Seventy-two years] [Realm: Early Qi and Blood Realm] [Martial arts: Qi and Blood · Demon Subduing Saber Technique (beginner), Qi and Blood · Demon Suppression Cultivation Method (beginner)] [Cultivation attainment: None] [You can convert your lifespan into cultivation attainment at a rate of one hundred percent. Invest cultivation attainment into martial arts to obtain the corresponding cultivation results.]
This was his golden finger.
Looking at the panel before him, a complicated look flickered in Lu Guan's eyes.
Spending lifespan to gain cultivation attainment, then using it to advance his martial arts-wasn't that fucking putting the cart before the horse?!
After all, wasn't the whole point of practicing martial arts to break through to higher realms and extend one's lifespan?
Since demons existed in this world, and the Great Li Dynasty had endured for three thousand years without falling, there naturally had to be a supernatural system for fighting demons, too.
The Martial Dao!
At least, as far as Lu Guan knew, Martial Dao grandmasters who had lived for more than five hundred years really did exist.
When he transmigrated a month ago, Lu Guan had agonized over this as well.
Should he spend his lifespan cultivating, live two years in the limelight, and win a lifetime's glory?
Or should he simply live an ordinary life?
He had pondered that question for a month without reaching a conclusion.
Now, however, the choice was no longer his.
If he did not spend his lifespan, he would die immediately.
If he did, there was still a thread of hope.
That made the choice easy enough.
Having thought it through, a trace of madness flashed in Lu Guan's eyes. He bared his teeth, threads of blood seeping between his lips and teeth, making him look especially savage.
It's just staking my life. Who's afraid of whom?!
"Panel, add points."
"Let me see just where my limits lie."