[Perfected True Qi Realm ape demon, poor aptitude, cultivated for four hundred and fifty years, one hundred and fifty years of effective Cultivation available for extraction] [Remaining Cultivation: five hundred and ninety years]
Having reaped a rich haul of Cultivation, Lu Guan should, by rights, have been in a pleasant mood.
But looking at himself covered in wounds and drenched in blood, he could not help losing his enthusiasm.
He had hardly suffered any serious injuries, yet he looked so bedraggled.
It did his image as a commandant no favors.
He raised a hand to wipe his face. His palm came away covered in blood, and the more he wiped, the more he smeared it, so he stopped bothering.
Then he turned and headed toward the city gate.
He would head back while the townsfolk still had their doors and windows shut.
Yet the moment he turned around, he froze.
People stood packed together at the city gate and even atop the gate tower.
There were Demon Suppression Bureau officers in flying-fish robes and runners in official uniforms, but most were ordinary townsfolk dressed in all manner of clothes.
The instant the dragon's roar rang out, Wu Yong had limped toward the city gate.
His foot had yet to heal, and he lurched with every running step, yet he ran faster than anyone.
A large group of Demon Suppression Bureau officers followed close behind.
As though a chain reaction had been set off, doors and windows opened at every house, and people emerged.
They surged toward the city gate.
It was unlike the terror that had followed the dragon's roar that night.
After today's dragon's roar, what rang out were a demon's agonized screams.
The townsfolk did not know Lu Guan had unleashed that move, but they understood that this dragon was on their side.
"No wonder... no wonder..."
At the city gate, Wu Yong stared blankly at Lu Guan, muttering incessantly.
He finally understood what Lu Guan had meant that day by "already taken care of."
"What flood dragon passing through?"
That night, he had been so frightened he had not slept a wink.
Yet from beginning to end, this young commandant had been responsible for all the commotion.
So why would they need to report it to the commandery city?
He himself was that dragon!
"Lord Lu, did you kill the demon?"
A child's clear, piping voice rang out by the gate.
A little girl with a skyward-pointing braid called, "Did you see the dragon?"
She looked about six or seven, wearing a little floral-patterned padded jacket. Her cheeks were rosy, and her large eyes brimmed with curiosity.
Lu Guan smiled faintly at her question. "Do you want to see a dragon?"
"Yes!!!"
As her words fell, the youth extended his long saber and flicked it with a finger.
With a clear clang, the blade trembled.
In an instant, a dragon's roar filled their ears.
Behind him, an azure dragon baring its fangs and brandishing its claws glimmered pale blue-green in the sunlight, then vanished in a flash.
"Well? Did you get a good look this time?"
"So pretty!!!"
The little girl jumped up, clapping her hands.
Silence reigned around them, with only the exchange between Lu Guan and the little girl echoing through it.
Everyone present held their breath, their eyes fixed on the bloodstained youth.
Some had forgotten to close their gaping mouths, some clenched their fists and trembled all over, and some grinned despite their reddening eyes.
"Good heavens, just where did this Lord Lu come from? He's something else," a middle-aged man said quietly.
Beside him, a woman rolled her eyes at him. "Never mind how impressive Lord Lu is. That night, when you heard that sound, you'd barely taken your trousers off before you went soft."
"You still owe me your grain tax tonight."
The man nodded with a bitter smile. "You woman, why do you have to blab about everything?"
His words drew a burst of laughter from those around them.
Just then, a petite figure slipped past the crowd and ran toward the youth in oversized robes.
Yu Qianqian ran up to Lu Guan and looked him over:
"Lu Guan, you're not dead, are you?"
Seeing the woman's anxious expression, Lu Guan replied calmly:
"How could a mere ape demon hurt me?"
"Don't be fooled by all the blood. They're really just superficial wounds."
Dubious, the woman felt them, then pressed them gently. Only after finding that they were merely shallow cuts did she relax.
"Wait, what's this?"
As though she had discovered something, Yu Qianqian reached toward Lu Guan's neck.
Her fingertips touched a rough patch of skin, completely different from the smooth skin around it.
She leaned closer to inspect it. Right in the middle of the side of Lu Guan's neck was a thumb-sized mark.
The mark was dark red, shaped like a beast's claw curled into a ball, branded deep into the texture of his skin.
"A mark..."
The woman's expression immediately grew grave.
She withdrew her hand and said solemnly, "Lu Guan, that demon you killed..."
"It wasn't a wild demon. It had an inheritance."
At her words, a thought stirred in Lu Guan's mind.
He reached up and touched the spot Yu Qianqian had just touched.
It was somewhat rough, utterly unlike the surrounding skin. Just as the woman had said, it was some kind of mark.
Lu Guan was certain he had never had any mark on his body.
So this mark was connected to the ape demon he had just killed.
"This is some kind of Secret Method." Yu Qianqian's voice lowered. "Once someone implanted with the Secret Method is killed, it locks onto the killer and brands a mark on their body."
She paused, then raised her eyes to Lu Guan, her gaze full of gravity. "That demon you killed had no simple background."
"Demons with inheritances often have more powerful beings backing them. They might be its own kin, or they might be its sect."
Lu Guan blinked, considered for a moment, then tilted his head and asked, "I think I more or less understand what you mean."
"You're saying that after this mark was planted on me, the faction this ape demon belonged to will take revenge on me?"
Yu Qianqian nodded. "Exactly. This mark gives off a certain presence, like a lamp in the darkness, guiding that faction to you..."
Yet before she finished, a trace of confusion flashed through her eyes.
Unless she was mistaken, she had distinctly caught a trace of delight in Lu Guan's eyes.
Although it had vanished in an instant, she had seen it clearly.
What did that mean?
Someone planted a mark on you, and you're waiting for your enemies to come knocking, yet you're happy?
Before she could figure it out, Lu Guan patted her shoulder. "All right, let's go home first."
With that, he walked past the woman toward the city gate.
Where Yu Qianqian could not see, the corners of Lu Guan's mouth lifted slightly. He seemed to be in a good mood.
What a good thing!
He had still been worrying about where to obtain Cultivation after killing the ape demon.
He had swept away all the demons around Qianqiu County. Even the weasels had fled.
He had been considering whether to wander around the neighboring counties or look for opportunities near the commandery city.
He had not expected this pleasant surprise.
Kill the young one, and the old one comes next. I really do have the makings of a protagonist.
This ape demon really knew how to do things properly. Even in death, it left me a thread to pull out a whole string of them.
All of it was Cultivation!
Yu Qianqian stood where she was, watching Lu Guan's retreating back in utter confusion. She found the youth harder and harder to understand.
Was this how a normal person reacted to learning that a demon faction had set its sights on them?
She bit her lip, silently weighing her options.
Should I write home and ask for help?
If some old demon comes to bully the younger generation, Lu Guan won't be a match for it.
Watching the youth walk farther away, she stamped her foot and jogged after him.
No matter what, she could not stand by and let anything happen to him.
This blockhead knows nothing except slaying demons.
If an old Gang Condensation Realm demon really comes, what will he use to stop it?
Don't you die, Lu Guan.