Chapter 135: Eradicating All Demons Across the Seven Counties, a Charming Peach Spirit, and the Arrival of the New Magistrate

Deep within the Dead Bone Mountain lay a subterranean palace, shrouded in gloomy vapors year-round and fully equipped with every luxury, resembling an underground fortress.

Cages holding captive women could be seen everywhere. In each cage was locked a weeping, disheveled woman with vacant eyes. These women were scattered throughout every corner of the underground palace, intended for the master of this domain to enjoy at any time.

Upon the throne of the underground palace sat a skeleton nearly three meters tall, its bones slightly yellowish and dark. Two eerie green lights flickered in the sockets of its huge skull, signifying that this bone demon still possessed vitality. A black cloak draped over its shoulders like an emissary of hell. One of its hands had grown into a sharp bone blade, emitting a chilling frost and cold aura—this was the fourth-rank bone demon of Dead Bone Mountain, the absolute monarch of this domain.

Seated on thrones to the left and right of the king were several fifth-rank wild ghosts, corpse demons, bone demons, and nether-beasts. A wild ghost from within Dead Bone Mountain drifted in, reporting the events that had taken place in the peach grove one by one.

Nearly thirty fifth-rank wild demons: annihilated!
The fourth-rank wild demon, Ancestor of the Green Fox Demons, subdued as a beast pet!

"What?"
"That Green Fox Demon Ancestor was a fourth-rank wild demon; how could she willingly become a human's beast pet?"
"Could this be true?"
"How is that even possible?"

As soon as the minor demon finished speaking, several hall masters of Dead Bone Mountain showed expressions of profound shock, breaking into whispers and murmurs. Even the bone demon sitting upon the throne found it hard to believe, asking from on high, "Where did this news come from?"

"Reporting to the Great King, this was witnessed firsthand by several spies hidden in Yanggu County. That Su Yang rode the Green Fox Demon Ancestor back into Yanggu County, and his carriage was loaded with the corpses of nearly thirty fifth-rank demons," the minor demon hurried to report.

Silence!

The scene instantly fell dead quiet, without a peep. The gazes of all the demons converged in unison upon the bone demon.

"Great King, when this Master Su of Yanggu County beheaded the tiger demon previously, we didn't pay it much mind, assuming it was merely the result of a sneak attack. We never expected that today he would also subdue the Green Fox Demon Ancestor."
"Our plans have undoubtedly fallen through," a corpse demon said helplessly. "In my view, we should set our sights on other counties instead."

"Great King, what he says is true. We can no longer crack Yanggu County, so we might as well turn our attention elsewhere. We should simply avoid provoking Tiger Prison County and Yanggu County."
"I think Bailiu County looks promising. There are only three fifth-rank martial artists in the city, and it is rather remote. That would be a manageable target."

Inside the underground palace, several hall masters of Dead Bone Mountain spoke up one after another, eager to divert their targets away from Yanggu County.

"Mhm, that makes sense."
"Since this Master Su resides in Yanggu County, it is indeed difficult to strike. In that case, let us set our sights on Bailiu County first."

After pondering for a moment, the Dead Bone Mountain bone demon finally nodded in agreement, as he had no desire to court misfortune with Su Yang either.

The news that Su Yang had slain thirty demons and even taken the Ancestor of Qingyu Mountain—the Green Fox Demon—as a beast pet quickly spread throughout the surrounding seven counties. Upon learning of this, demons big and small were thoroughly terrified, restraining their subordinates and trying to keep as low a profile as possible recently.

This change was most vividly felt by the villages situated outside the county towns. Fewer demons were seen wandering about, and the number of beasts running amok in the villages decreased dramatically. All of this was the work of Master Su of Yanggu County.

For a time, Su Yang's reputation echoed not only within Yanggu County but throughout the surrounding seven counties. His renown skyrocketed, momentarily surpassing that of any county magistrate across the seven counties.

***

"Magistrate Ma, regarding the demon-slaying team, the Su family cannot be the only ones providing manpower; your official government must also contribute some men. Your officials won't even need to fight when we exterminate the demons—you only need to handle the aftermath. For instance, collecting the corpses of the demons, the gold and silver jewelry from their lairs, or the women kept captive in their dens, and bringing them back to Yanggu County will suffice."

"Once the demon-slaying campaign goes smoothly, you, as the magistrate and my father-in-law, will also earn considerable political achievements. Who knows, you might even be able to rise to a higher position."

Su Yang voiced what was on his mind. Dealing with the aftermath every time was particularly troublesome; for instance, the women rescued from the cave after slaying the tiger demon had all been assigned to work as seamstresses in the Su household. Fortunately, the Su family's textile business was expanding rapidly, practically dominating the cloth trade across all seven counties. After all, with such cheap and affordable prices, who wouldn't accept them?

Right beside the Su residence, Su Yang had flattened all the newly purchased properties to build a dedicated factory and dormitories capable of accommodating about a thousand female workers. Moreover, the textile business of Yanggu County had already begun extending toward the other counties under the Su family's influence. Relying on these low prices, they would soon successfully penetrate the market.

"Oh, my good son-in-law, are you truly willing to let me have a share of this pie as well?"

As soon as Su Yang finished speaking, Magistrate Ma felt a surge of joy, a brilliant spark bursting in his eyes.

"Qingci is carrying a child of the Su family. As a grandfather, remaining a mere county magistrate forever simply won't do; you must climb higher eventually. Have a portion of your constables dispatched here; starting tomorrow, I intend to sweep clean all demons, large and small, within these seven counties," Su Yang declared.

"Very well."

Hearing Su Yang's words, Magistrate Ma hastily agreed, his heart filled with incomparable excitement. If not for the fact that Su Yang showed no interest in his other daughters, he would have married them off into the Su household as well.

***

Early the next morning, over a hundred Su family martial artists and nearly a hundred constables and yamen runners from Yanggu County marched in an imposing formation out of Yanggu County. Two martial artists carried banners bearing the names of the Su family and Yanggu County respectively.

"What are the Su family and the government runners doing leaving the city?"
"I heard they're going to exterminate all the demons, big and small, across the seven counties, with Master Su himself personally overseeing the vanguard."
"What? Master Su is going to wipe out all the demons in the seven counties? Such a massive undertaking?"
"Don't you know? That fourth-rank wild demon, the tiger demon, was long ago beheaded by Master Su! And the Green Fox Demon Ancestor... see that? The one Master Su is riding is also a fourth-rank wild demon. Right now, the only fourth-rank demons left in these seven counties are the ones in Dead Bone Mountain and Peach Mountain. As long as Master Su doesn't provoke those two, the rest of the demons are ripe for total eradication. Even if he does provoke them, it hardly matters; with Master Su's prowess, sooner or later he will beat those Dead Bone Mountain demons to pieces."
"If all those demons outside the city can be wiped out, we can go out of the city to burn incense and worship Buddha with much greater peace of mind."
"If there are no demons outside the city, my parents living in the countryside can finally rest easy."
"We traveling merchants fear encountering demons more than anything else."
"The Su family are truly the living Buddhas of our Yanggu County!"

Gazing at the demon-slaying team formed by the Su family and the Yanggu County government, the citizens of Yanggu County gave them thumbs-up all around. Su Yang's reputation within Yanggu County had reached its absolute zenith.

***

Su Yang rode atop the soft-furred Green Fox Demon Ancestor, leading his grand procession toward their first target.

It had to be said, this demon made quite a fine mount. When there was nothing to do, she could be ridden as a beast of burden; when business called, she could transform into human form, lift the carriage curtain, and step inside to serve.

"Master, the first entity we are targeting is a snake demon entrenched on Yincao Mountain, not far from Yanggu County. There are countless venomous snakes there, and neither farmers nor hunters dare to ascend the mountain carelessly. Later, it was occupied by a fifth-rank snake demon, becoming a scourge to the region."

"This snake demon is extremely fond of human women. Countless women have been ruined by it; after violating them, it always sends them back home. Unable to endure the pointing and whispering of others, most of these women choose to hang themselves and commit suicide."

"And this demon would secretly transform into a snake, coil itself inside the farmer's household, and watch with its own eyes how the woman it humiliated failed to endure the gossip and hanged herself in despair."

Li Yeniu looked over the prepared documents, which clearly marked the locations occupied by each fifth-rank demon. He hoped that after this expedition, the area would be swept completely clean. The final stronghold on the list was, naturally, Dead Bone Mountain.

"This snake demon is truly twisted."
"Still, it deserves to die!"

A hint of murderous intent flashed in Su Yang's eyes. Leading his troops, he soon arrived at the so-called Yincao Mountain. The vegetation on this mountain was lush and exceptionally damp, which was why snake demons loved to inhabit it.

"Hiss, hiss...!"

In the dark, an eighth-rank lookout snake demon was the first to spot Su Yang and his party ascending the mountain. It hurriedly wriggled its body, trying to slip back and sound the alarm.

"Swish!"

The next second, a flying dagger flashed through the air like a serpent, instantly piercing through the snake demon's head. Its limp body crashed to the ground, perishing on the spot. Annihilated!

"Sixth-rank martial artists, follow me up. The remaining martial artists wait below for orders, lest we alert the enemy."

Surveying the massive procession behind him, Su Yang gave his command before sneaking toward the summit with a handful of sixth-rank martial artists. His current worry was simply that these demons wouldn't dare to fight back—wouldn't that make the trip a waste of time?

***

Up on Yincao Mountain, a black-and-white patterned snake demon was selecting from the batch of village maidens just plundered from the foot of the mountain. Though there were only a dozen or so, every single one of them was fresh and as pretty as a flower.

In the clearing atop Yincao Mountain, surrounded by towering ancient trees that blocked out the sun, amidst the damp and sultry air, the black-and-white snake demon—with a serpent's body and a human head—slithered across the ground, picking out a woman to its liking. Surrounding it were its trusted aides, waiting for the Great King to finish picking before stepping up one by one to select their own favorite women.

"This batch of goods isn't bad at all."

The Snake Demon King of Yincao Mountain ultimately selected a woman in her twenties who was already a wife. She had a full figure and retained a mature charm—precisely the type the snake demon loved best. Because after every time it defiled such a woman, the snake demon would release her back, just to watch how the local men and villagers humiliated these women. To it, this was the ultimate joy in life.

Chosen, the woman trembled all over, her body shrinking backward instinctively.

"Help! Help... Help me...!"

Staring at the monstrous snake demon before her, the chosen wife screamed at the top of her lungs and bolted wildly toward the deep woods, her face pale white, her body trembling continuously, her heart pounding frantically.

"Heh, heh, heh... Running?"
"No one has ever escaped the palm of this snake demon...!"

The snake demon sneered coldly, wriggling its serpentine body in pursuit of the fleeing village woman, while the remaining snake demons waited with amused anticipation.

Soon, the woman's cries for help vanished into silence.

The trusted aides of the Snake Demon King exchanged knowing, wicked grins.

"Looks like that woman still couldn't escape the Great King's grasp."
"The Great King really doesn't know how to cherish jade; he must have knocked her unconscious."
"When the Great King returns, let's make our picks quickly. This lord demon is already losing control of his inner fire."

Darting their forked tongues, several snake demons looked up and down the dozen or so women before them as if appraising merchandise.

"Swish, swish...!"

From the bushes along the path where the fifth-rank snake demon had departed, a rustling sound echoed. A human figure slowly emerged before the gathered snake demons, carrying the corpse of a snake demon in his hand.

It was precisely that fifth-rank snake demon that had gone off to chase the human woman.

Only now, it was completely lifeless, dangled carelessly like trash in Su Yang's grip.

Silence!

The scene instantly fell dead quiet, without a peep. Staring at the snake demon dangling from Su Yang's hand, all the demons were stunned—until Su Yang spoke.

"The Su family, here to slay demons!"

The next second, Su Yang tossed the snake demon aside and charged toward the remaining demons. Wherever he passed, flesh and blood flew; one snake demon after another perished on the spot at a single encounter.

The surviving snake demons turned pale with fright and scrambled wildly down the mountain.

"Spit!"

A flying sword danced and spun through the air, carrying boundless sharpness as it effortlessly pierced through the heads of the fleeing snake demons. Down the mountain, the martial artists and constables who had prepared in advance saw the signal and closed in from all directions. All they needed to do was entangle the demons.

An hour later, the procession marched grandly toward the next demon stronghold. The snake demons on the mountain had been mostly slaughtered, and though a few might have escaped—it was impossible to ensure zero survivors—they had minimized any loose ends.

The corpses of the snake demons filled several carts. Once stripped of their venom back home, these demon bodies would act like precious medicinal ingredients, rapidly enhancing the strength of the Su family's martial artists.

"Master, the next target is a wolf demon that craves human hearts. I've heard it requires the heart of one human every single night before it can fall asleep."

Li Yeniu opened his little notebook once more, reviewing the pre-recorded information and route map.

"Craving a human heart every single night to sleep? Courting death!"

Su Yang snorted coldly, leading his grand procession toward the wolf demon's lair like a funeral procession.

***

In the course of a single morning, Su Yang led his team to eradicate two demon strongholds, eliminating two fifth-rank demons along with a large number of sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth-rank demons, all of which were loaded onto carts by the government runners to be hauled back.

"Master, there's a village ahead. Our men have been working for half a day and must be tired. Why don't we stop at that village to rest and recuperate?" Li Yeniu pointed to a settlement coming into view ahead.

Su Yang nodded, leading the family martial artists and government runners toward the village ahead.

Upon seeing the banners of the Su family and the government, the village elder hurried out to welcome them, guiding Su Yang and his men into the village to treat them with fine food and wine. Su Yang instructed his men to leave behind some silver. The elder dared not accept it, yet dared not refuse it either, so he had no choice but to take it. After all, feeding and housing such a large crowd consumed a considerable amount of provisions.

"Clang, clang, clang...!"
"The Dragon King takes a bride; mortals and demons stand aside...!"

Just as Su Yang's men had set up fires and were roasting the leftover carcasses of the wild demons—carcasses that had already been stripped of their venom by Su Yang—the sound of gongs echoed from outside.

"Village Elder, what is happening outside?"
"The Dragon King takes a bride? What does that mean?"

Confusion etched across his face, Su Yang asked.

"Reporting to Master Su, this Dragon King is a local demon, a loach turned spirit residing in the Black Water River. To secure peace and safety for the region, we are required to offer an unwed maiden to this demon once every three years as a bride."
"Our nearby villages do this every single year," the village elder said with a helpless sigh.

"Oh, do you know what kind of strength this demon possesses?" Su Yang asked.

"This... we don't really know. We only know it is exceptionally powerful. We once invited some martial artists to come and exterminate it, but they were all eliminated by the demon in the end," the elder said awkwardly.

"Let's go take a look."

Su Yang led Li Yeniu toward the source of the gongs, soon spotting a woman dressed in a red bridal gown bound tightly to a wooden post, being hauled toward the Black Water River.

A piece of white cloth was stuffed into the woman's mouth, but her delicate facial features were clear to see. As an unwed maiden, she retained a somewhat youthful innocence.

The carts were surrounded by villagers, yet no matter how the woman struggled, the villagers acted as though they saw nothing, moving like walking corpses.

Su Yang followed within the crowd without making a move prematurely.

After about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, the villagers pushed the young woman directly into the Black Water River. The woman struggled all the more violently, while the villagers remained completely indifferent.

An elder dressed in extremely exaggerated ritual attire stood before the Black Water River, continuously striking a bronze gong in his hand and performing an unfamiliar ritual dance, seemingly conducting some kind of ceremony.

"Sigh, Guihua really has a bitter fate. She lost her parents when she was young, and just as she finally grew up, she's thrown away as a sacrifice. Hopefully, she won't hold a grudge against us after death."
"Indeed, we have no other choice."
"O Dragon King, please do not plague us any longer...!"
"Guihua is so pretty. How wonderful it would be if she could be my wife—what a pity, she's about to be sacrificed to the Dragon King...!"

The villagers present harbored various complex and conflicting thoughts in their hearts. Presently, a small whirlpool gradually formed in the middle of the Black Water River.

"The Dragon King! The Dragon King has manifested his spirit!"
"Hurry and kneel, everyone, the Dragon King has manifested his spirit...!"

With the appearance of the whirlpool, even though everyone in their hearts knew what this "Dragon King" truly was, they still dropped to their knees one after another to pray for the Dragon King's blessing.

"Why aren't you kneeling?"

The ritual shaman, who had been marching and beating his gong at the front, noticed that Su Yang remained completely unmoved. A spark of anger flared in his heart. "Hurry up and kneel! Are you trying to get us all killed?"

"Swish!"

The crowd turned in unison to look at Su Yang. In the blink of an eye, Su Yang left an afterimage in place and leaped with a heavy splash directly into the Black Water River.

"Oh no! Hurry, come back up! The Dragon King's sacrifice requires a maiden, not a man! Come back up...!"
"We're finished for sure. We've bound to have angered the Dragon King now. If his wrath erupts, our nearby villages won't have a single peaceful day left."

Seeing Su Yang voluntarily leap into the Black Water River, the shaman turned pale with fright.

"Where did this fellow come from? How can he be so reckless?"
"Exactly! Isn't he trying to drag us down with him?"
"Wait, that looks like Master Su of the Su family...!"
"What? What Master Su...!"

***

"Splash, splash...!"

Before the villagers could sort out Su Yang's identity, Su Yang had already climbed back out of the river, dragging a loach demon in his hand. It had already reached the fifth rank, acting as a scourge to the region. However, this loach demon had no subordinate demons of its own; it lived a solitary existence, ruling as a tyrant purely in this localized spot—which was rather strange.

"Hiss... Th-that isn't Lord Dragon King, is it?"
"Lord Dragon King has been...!"
"Slain?!"

Staring at the loach in Su Yang's hand, the villagers widened their eyes in shock and utter disbelief.

Likewise, the young woman named Guihua, still tied to the wooden stake, widened her pretty eyes, looking at Su Yang with a newfound sense of wonder.

"Is this the Dragon King you spoke of?"
"Just a loach spirit that has attained cultivation. Now that this loach has been slain by me, you won't need to continue making sacrifices in the future."

With that, Su Yang tossed the loach's demon corpse back into the courtyard, stripped away its venom, and threw it over the charcoal fire to roast.

Half an hour later, just as the team finished resting and was preparing to leave, the young woman in the red bridal gown hurried over, dropped to her knees before Su Yang, and kowtowed. "Thank you, Master Su, for saving my life. Guihua has neither father nor mother, nor any ties left in this world. I only wish to follow behind Master Su as a beast of burden, and I pray Master Su will take me in."

Seeing the sincerity in the eyes of the bride-robed woman, Su Yang took her wrist and tested her using the [Root Testing Technique]. Her innate foundation was quite good, belonging to the grade-C tier.

"You can serve as a maid in the Su residence first. Are you willing?" Su Yang asked.

If the mood struck him later on, he could certainly favor this woman a little.

"I would be more than willing! This humble girl is more than willing!"

Seeing that Su Yang had actually accepted her, Guihua felt a surge of joy and hastily bowed her head to kowtow to Su Yang once more.

***

Over the next few days, Su Yang continued to eradicate demons across the jurisdiction of the seven counties, cartload after cartload of demon corpses continuously dispatched back to Yanggu County.

Every time a carriage returned to Yanggu County, the citizens gave the Su family thumbs-up while secretly praying for Su Yang's safety, hoping he would return unharmed. As long as Su Yang was around, Yanggu County would remain safe and sound.

As for the demons throughout the seven counties, upon hearing Su Yang's name at this point, they were truly struck with mortal dread. Many demons even prepared to relocate or flee to avoid the spotlight. Furthermore, quite a few fifth-rank demons went to seek refuge in Dead Bone Mountain. Naturally, some also attempted to seek shelter at Peach Mountain, only to be driven away.

On this day, Su Yang arrived at a village to rest. A man fell to his knees, begging Su Yang to save his daughter.

"Old man, get up quickly. Tell me what happened in your family."

Su Yang helped the old man to his feet and asked. The old man then revealed the tribulation that had befallen his household.

It turned out that the old man's family had long worshipped a certain deity. Though they didn't know precisely what deity it was, the worship had been passed down through generations, and the old man had inherited the custom.

However, a short while ago, a man had walked right out of the idol. He looked identical to the deity depicted in the shrine, but his eyes were filled with greed. At first, the family was astonished that the deity had manifested its spirit.

To their horror, the deity hoisted the old man's daughter over its shoulder and carried her straight into a bedroom. When the family rushed to intervene, they were all heavily beaten and tossed outside. The screams and strange sounds coming from the room made it abundantly clear to everyone that the daughter had met with a terrible fate.

From then on, the deity occupied their home, frolicking with the daughter day and night, leaving behind only the food the daughter demanded at the doorstep each morning. They hadn't seen their daughter in a long time. Therefore, they desperately hoped Su Yang could rescue her.

"An evil deity acting out of line?"

Su Yang frowned deeply, immediately telling the old man to lead him to the house. The self-constructed cottage looked extremely unstable, practically on the verge of collapse. The old man pointed to one of the rooms and said, "My daughter is in that room."

"Old man, wait here."

With a single kick, Su Yang shattered the door and glanced toward the bed inside. Sure enough, a man was dallying with a woman.

The man had an exaggerated appearance, looking identical to the idol enshrined in the room—he had indeed become a deity nourished by incense and faith.

This sort of incense-nourishment spirit was also a form of demon, not fundamentally different from wild dogs or wolves turning into spirits; it existed more like a wild ghost, though its vital blood and malignant aura could still allow it to be severely injured and killed.

The strength of this incense spirit had presumably reached the seventh rank. Having received worship for so long, it was entirely possible for a powerful incense spirit to be born. Such a creature was a rarity.

"What impudent brat dares to disturb this deity's pleasure?" Seeing Su Yang kick the door open, the evil deity coupling on the bed flashed with angry eyes.

Su Yang's vital energy surged violently, and the incense spirit instantly shut its mouth.

"Whoosh!"

The incense spirit scrambled off the bed, attempting to leap through the window and escape, but Su Yang grabbed it by the neck. With a single punch squarely landing between its brows, the body formed of incense shattered.

"Crack!"

With a crisp snap, the idol that the family had worshipped for so long shattered into pieces, turning into a pile of common dirt.

After this incense spirit died, it actually produced numerous soul fragments that were absorbed by the system panel. The original soul fragment count, which had been at 9, quietly ticked up to 10 points!

It had finally reached 10 points!

A surge of joy welled up in Su Yang's heart. Now that the soul fragments had reached 10 points, he could condense an incense body for one of his wives and concubines. A hundred years later, when their physical bodies perished, their souls could slip out of their shells and become local incense deities.

The condensed incense body differed from the incense spirit Su Yang had just destroyed; that spirit was merely a demon. But an incense deity would be his subordinate deity; even if beaten apart, Su Yang could use incense to help them re-condense their bodies—meaning they shared his lifespan. Similarly, they could accept worship from the mortals of the world to gather tiny amounts of incense, and his own descendants could provide him with incense as well.

Su Yang had long since decided on the candidate for the first condensed incense body:

Taohua.

Little Taohua was the first woman to follow him, so he naturally wanted to treat her well and condense her incense body first. Next in line would be to condense one for Zhang Qingshi.

Gathering soul fragments was quite simple after all, given the vast number of wild ghosts in this world.

Time flew by. Half a month passed.

Across the region of the seven counties, virtually no powerful demons were to be seen anymore. They had either fled far away long ago or gone to seek refuge with the Great King Bone Demon of Dead Bone Mountain.

"Master, the lairs of all the fifth-rank demons have been cleared out. Now there is only that one stronghold left in Dead Bone Mountain. Should we head back to rest for a couple of days before coming back?" Li Yeniu asked, checking his notebook where all the fifth-rank wild demons had been marked as cleaned up.

"Just a petty bone demon, no need for such trouble. Follow me to Dead Bone Mountain right now; we shall slay that bone demon once and for all."

With those words, the procession marched grandly toward Dead Bone Mountain.

***

"Master Su has already swept away all the other demons in the seven counties and is now heading toward Dead Bone Mountain to clear out the final den of beasts...!"
"Big news, big news! Master Su has wiped out all the demons in the seven counties...!"

For a time, not only in Yanggu County, but also in neighboring Tiger Prison County, Bailiu County, and other cities, Su Yang's name was widely praised, his fame reaching its absolute apex.

At the same time, every citizen felt as though a heavy boulder was pressing upon their hearts, hoping Su Yang wouldn't fall against this final fourth-rank bone demon. If he could defeat this bone demon, from then on, virtually no demons would ever plague the seven counties again.

Yet, if Master Su failed to defeat this bone demon... those beasts would likely make a comeback, growing even more cruel in their retaliation against the survivors.

Qingshan County!

An old woman knelt before a Buddha statue, praying that Master Su would triumph over the bone demon of Dead Bone Mountain, that he would return safely, that he must return safely.

Even three-year-old children recited Su Yang's virtues, picturing in their minds the scene of Su Yang defeating the bone demon.

The storytellers in the county seats even specially crafted a play script for Su Yang:
*Today's Final Act: Master Su fights the Dead Bone Mountain Bone Demon seven times, achieves total victory, and shakes the seven counties with his renown!!*

***

Over at Dead Bone Mountain, the bone demon had also received word early on; today's battle was unavoidable. Unless the bone demon took its subordinate soldiers and fled the jurisdiction of the seven counties right now to seek a way out elsewhere.

The bone demon had long since gathered its fourteen hall masters and a horde of demons, waiting right in front of Dead Bone Mountain. Each of these fourteen hall masters was a fifth-rank wild demon or wild ghost, most of whom had sought refuge with it later on and harbored a blood feud against Su Yang, backed by a massive crowd of demons who had come to pledge their loyalty.

Su Yang's procession drew closer and closer.

From afar, Su Yang spotted the bone demon's army, a cold sneer tugging at the corner of his mouth. They really thought themselves a match for him.

"Su Yang, we have no enmity in the past and no grudge in the present. Must you truly drive us to extinction?"

The Bone Demon King of Dead Bone Mountain had two eerie green fires burning in its eye sockets, its voice harsh and grating. It remained a mystery how a demon without vocal cords managed to make a sound.

"No enmity in the past?"
"You demons treat human beings as cultivation resources and slaughter them at will. How can you say there is no enmity?"
"This is a hatred as vast as the heavens," Su Yang said coldly.

"Heh!"
"Before we demons became spirits, weren't we also hunted by your hunters, our flesh turned into dishes on your tables and our pelts into clothing on your backs? Now that we've become spirits, what does eating a few of you humans matter?"
"After all, do humans eat more of us, or do we eat more of you humans?" the bone demon retorted.

Anyone else might have paused for a moment, unsure how to reply.

"The dark forest obeys the law of the jungle; the weak grovel at the feet of the strong. That is an immutable law through the ages."
"If you can cut me down, the citizens within these seven counties will remain your cultivation resources. But if you fail to cut me down...!"
"Sorry, you lot will be the cultivation resources for this master of mine!"
"Enough idle chatter, let's fight!"

Su Yang didn't want to waste any more breath. After all, the opponent was merely a fourth-rank demon; relying on his own strength, he could easily cut it down.

Villains died from excessive talking. Right now, he was in a guaranteed winning position; if he blabbered too much and the demon found an opening or called for reinforcements, he wouldn't even have a place to cry.

"Do you know who my master is?"

Seeing that Su Yang was about to strike, a gleam flashed in the bone demon's eyes as it declared its background, hoping to spare its life once the fighting began. Of course, if it could defeat this human before it, it would skin him alive and pull out his tendons.

"Let's fight!"

Su Yang ceased the idle talk and charged directly toward the bone demon. Wearing a black cloak, its bones slightly yellowed and emitting a foul stench, standing nearly three meters tall with a hideous skull, it certainly looked imposing enough to frighten people.

"Attack together!"

With a wave of the bone demon's hand, its fourteen hall masters gritted their teeth, their eyes filled with murderous intent as they rushed toward Su Yang.

"You lot really are overestimating yourselves."

Su Yang snorted coldly. His flying sword instantly shot out from his mouth, darting toward the surrounding fifth-rank wild demons while he himself lunged straight at the bone demon.

Since he had been able to subdue the Green Fox Demon Ancestor and slaughter thirty fifth-rank demons back then, why couldn't he slay this fourth-rank bone demon and the dozen or so fifth-rank demons today?

Sheer arrogance...!
Arrogance came with a price...!

"Senior Brother...!"

At that moment, the bone demon roared, and a chilling skeletal hand suddenly burst out from beneath the earth, lunging fiercely to grab Su Yang's ankle. Su Yang's heart leaped in shock, and he dodged frantically.

"Boom!"

From beneath the soil, a bone demon less than a meter tall emerged, revealing itself to be of fourth-rank strength as well.

Two bone demons?

A jolt went through Su Yang's heart. No wonder this bone demon dared to take him on...!

"Heh, heh, heh... Master Su, did you truly think there was only a single fourth-rank on Dead Bone Mountain?"
"Hiding one's strength is, after all, the greatest trump card."
"Today, you will surely die...!"

The two bone demons emitted a piercing, sinister laugh as they howled and closed in to gang up on Su Yang.

Having beheaded a few fifth-rank demons, the flying sword returned to Su Yang's mouth, nurturing itself within his dantian.

"Not good!"

At that instant, the earth beneath his feet shifted strangely. Su Yang rapidly poured vital blood into his legs and leaped fiercely into the air. From beneath the ground once more burst a third bone demon, its entire frame gleaming with stark white bones.

Fourth rank!
Yet another fourth-rank bone demon?

There were actually three fourth-rank bone demons in total? If he had been an ordinary fourth-rank martial artist, he would undoubtedly have met his doom here...!

"Heh, heh, heh... Big Brother, let's go together and kill this audacious martial artist...!"
"Let the martial artists of the seven counties know that the will of Dead Bone Mountain cannot be defied...!"
"Three fourth-ranks—what do you have left to fight us with!"

The bone demon standing nearly three meters tall laughed wildly, its speed growing faster and faster as it grew eager to tear Su Yang into pieces.

"I never expected Dead Bone Mountain to hide so deeply!"
"How could humans ever be a match for our demon clan? This time, the seven counties will return to being our playground."
"Heh, heh, heh... Once we return, I'm definitely capturing a dozen humans to savor properly. It's been so long, this lord demon almost forgot what humans taste like...!"

The remaining surviving fifth-rank demons rejoiced upon seeing that Dead Bone Mountain actually possessed three fourth-rank demons, unable to suppress their inner excitement.

Dead Bone Mountain truly hid its depths well...!

Yet—

"Die!"

As the word fell, an unmatched wave of vital energy burst forth from Su Yang's body like a blazing sun, crashing heavily downward toward the fourth-rank bone demon below. Accompanying it, his dharmic flying sword shot forth from his mouth once more.

"Clang!"

Sensing Su Yang's full-strength blow, the bone demon below felt terror grip its heart. Only when facing Su Yang directly could one truly feel that terrifying pressure. It hastily crossed its arms above its head to block.

The flying sword descended, instantly battering its arms apart, followed by Su Yang plunging down like a falling meteor.

A breath of the savage bull...!

"Crack, crack...!"

With crisp, splitting sounds, the skeletal frame of the fourth-rank bone demon known as "Big Brother" was shattered to pieces by a single kick.

Screams rang out.

Su Yang's eagle-claw-like hand had already clamped fiercely onto the bone demon's skull. With a powerful squeeze—

"Crack!"

The skull shattered, the pale green flames in its eye sockets extinguished, and its soul fragments were scavenged by the panel, falling straight into its inventory.

"F... Fourth rank?"

The remaining two bone demons stared wide-eyed as their brother was killed by Su Yang in a single move, filled with shock and disbelief. The power erupting from this brat was so immense it was practically on the verge of entering the third rank, hovering right at the threshold and ready to step into it at any moment.

"Swish!"

A flying sword shot toward one bone demon while Su Yang charged directly at the other.

Su Yang had all along been suppressing his true strength, keeping himself hovering just below the third rank while standing firmly above the fourth, infinitely close to third-rank might. Though there were three fourth-rank bone demons, their individual strength among the fourth rank was not exceptionally formidable.

The flying sword intercepted one bone demon and engaged it in a fierce tangle, while Su Yang quickly caught up to the other and engaged it in combat.

As for the remaining fifth-rank wild demons, seeing that things had gone south, they turned and bolted wildly in all directions, leaving only a few loyal hall masters of Dead Bone Mountain to gang up on Su Yang.

However, the vital energy within Su Yang's body felt as though it flowed without end.

Ultimately, Su Yang found an opening in this bone demon's defense and shattered its head with a single punch, its soul fragments instantly drifting into the panel.

The very last remaining bone demon was, naturally, even easier to deal with.

Half an hour later, Dead Bone Mountain had been leveled by Su Yang, who loaded up carts with demon corpses and slowly headed back toward Yanggu County.

By now, any demon within the seven counties would undoubtedly be struck with mortal dread at the mere mention of Su Yang's name.

Su Yang was exhausted as well. Sitting inside the carriage, holding the Green Fox Demon Ancestor in his arms, he opened his status panel.

***

**Name:** Su Yang (Quasi-Immortal)
**Incense Value:** 1230
**Literary Qi & Fortune:** Minor Confucian Scholar
**Human Merit:** 32
**Soul Fragments:** 22
**Realm:** Third Rank
**Magical Treasures:** [Hanguang Flying Sword (Merit Magical Treasure)], [Hundred-Treasure Pouch]
**Techniques:** [Incense Department+], [Qi-Observing Technique], [Fifth-Rank Heart-Controlling Worm], [Root-Testing Technique]
**Secret Manuals:** [Savage Bull Long Fist+], [Fire Dragon Overlord's Three Spears+]
**Reference Materials:** [Gynecological Sacred Book+]
**Lifespan:** 917+
**Family Descendants:** 13 individuals
**Family Progress:** *You are about to head to Jiangzhou for the imperial examinations, but the demons around Yanggu County have yet to witness the true strength of the Su family. Please establish the Su family's renown, eliminate hidden dangers for the clan, and make all demons around the seven counties flee in terror at the mention of your name to earn 10,000 points of incense.* [Fourth-Rank Heart-Controlling Worm], [Demon Bull Nine Strengths (Advanced Version of Savage Bull Long Fist)]

***

Having spent half a month slaughtering demons, his Human Merit had accumulated to 32 points, and his soul fragments had remarkably reached 22 points—meaning he could condense incense bodies for two wives and concubines. This realization brought great joy to Su Yang.

Yet, why hadn't this family progress quest completed yet?

The demons around the seven counties could practically be said to have been swept clean by him. Which demon was still audacious enough not to feel fear upon hearing his name?

Did he really need to hunt down every last remaining demon until none were left?

No, there was still one more!

Su Yang's eyebrows twitched!

Peach Mountain, Peach Spirit!

"Yeniu, to Peach Mountain!"
"Coming right up!"

The procession marched grandly toward the final destination: Peach Mountain!

Deep within Peach Mountain.

A woman dressed in a peach-pink gown possessed delicate facial features and a mature charm. A pair of soft, slender legs were concealed beneath her skirt, brilliantly white.

It was precisely the Peach Spirit!

Only at this moment, she was gradually transforming into a massive peach tree, standing tall in the dead center of the peach grove!

***

Back in Yanggu County, things were equally lively.

"Magistrate Ma, this is my imperial appointment warrant. Three days from now, I shall be the magistrate of this Yanggu County!"

Dressed in an official robe of dark green, Qiu Changfeng handed the warrant in his hand over to Magistrate Ma.

"Oh, the date for taking office hasn't arrived yet. Brother Qiu is certainly in a rush, aren't you?"

Examining the warrant carefully, Magistrate Ma wore a face full of doubt, wondering why he hadn't heard even a whisper of this beforehand. Yet outwardly, his expression remained completely calm and unruffled!