That carriage didnât make any detours, clearly well aware that without the scrutiny of any underworld in the city, it could move freely through the streets.
Because Luoping Cityâs gates were closed tightly at night, the carriage didnât seem to be heading out of the city, but instead went directly to a large mansion somewhere in the northern part of the city.
The monster servants in the carriage then drove the women and children and women out, bringing them into the grand mansion alongside the other servants and retainers. The âSixth Masterâ followed a step behind them.
Ji Yuan and Niu Batian arrived outside the mansion a moment later, taking in the opulent gate adorned with two hanging lanterns.
Niu Batian looked at the plaque and said to Ji Yuan,
âMr. Ji, it reads âLang Manor.â
1
This must be that wolf demon.â
âSetting up residence directly within the city â how bold!â
Ji Yuan remarked coldly.
âHeh, Mr. Ji, I have long found him irritating. Last time in the Endless Ghost City, Gao Tianming and his wife taught him a lesson, but this Old Bull didnât get a turn. This time, you donât have to bother making a move, let me do it!â
Niu Batian said impatiently, afraid that Ji Yuan would simply wave his hand and eliminate the demon in the manor.
âHeâs still a transformed demon. Donât mess it up.â
âDonât worry! Those low-class bastards are no match for this Old Bull here!â
Ji Yuan believed his words. Niu Batian had achieved his demonic body through independent cultivation, forging his own path towards becoming a Great Demon. He was fundamentally different from the usual run of the mill monsters and demons.
As they spoke, Niu Batian and Ji Yuan had already entered the mansion, heading directly towards the back courtyard, seemingly invisible to any household servants they encountered.
This manor was actually even larger than it appeared from the outside; Ji Yuan had the impression that it might even be bigger than the Wei familyâs estate in Desheng Prefecture.
In a side room within the mansion, several burly female servants worked together to bring in hot water. The sounds of sobs and weeping filled the room.
âStop crying! This is a blessing for you!â
âThatâs right, wash yourselves thoroughly tonight, then change into those new clothes over there. Tomorrow, Sixth Master will take you out of the city to find a good new home!â
The muscular women ordered the surrounding servants to prepare several large wooden tubs of bathwater. After testing the water temperature, they shouted loudly at the cowering group on the other side of the room.
âWhat are you hiding for? Come over and wash yourselves! Do you need me to help you?â
Four or five burly women approached the women with terrified faces, their expressions bearing looks of disdain.
âNo! I donât want to take a bath! Everyone who has been taken by Sixth Master Lang have never returned! I donât want to! Please let me and my child go, Iâll borrow money from my birth family, Iâll definitely repay the money my husband owesâŠâ
âWhat can you even do? Youâre going to far away places, donât think about repaying any money. If you had money, you wouldnât be here in the first place. Itâs better than being sold to a brothel. Come and take a bath. If you donât come over, this old woman has no choice but to help you!â
âAaaahâŠâ
âWuwuwuwu, MamaâŠâ
The voices drifted over from afar. Though Ji Yuan couldnât see where they were coming from, he knew where the captured individuals were. He continued walking in the direction of the demonic aura, and patted his chest. Immediately, a small paper head poked out from his robe.
The Old Bull was stunned, his gaze instantly drawn to it. What was that thing?
The next moment, a paper bird crawled out from a brocade pouch tucked in Ji Yuanâs robes, spread its wings, and flew onto Ji Yuanâs shoulder.
âA paper bird?â
The Old Bull was astonished. This paper bird didnât seem to possess any monster Qi or similar aura, nor did it even have a âspiritual presence,â yet it could fly on its own, and even gave off a feeling of agility, unlike any ordinary enchanted object.
Ji Yuan ignored the Old Bull. He leaned his head toward his shoulder and whispered a few instructions. Then, the paper crane flapped its wings and flew away.
âIt can obey Mr. Jiâs orders? Is it truly alive?â
The Old Bull was inwardly very surprised, but tactfully did not question him right now. After all, there was more important business at hand.
After passing through three arched courtyard gates, Ji Yuan and Niu Batian finally arrived at the main wing bedroom of Lang Manor. Loud snores filled the air; the wolf demon had returned, sleeping soundly on the large bed.
2
However, as Ji Yuan and Niu Batian approached, even though the snoring continued, the ears of the person on the bed twitched slightly.
Although he didnât sense any strange aura, he did hear a faint unusual movement. But before the wolf demon could fully awaken, something strange suddenly happened.
It was as if the air itself trembled slightly.
âBang!â
The bedroom door suddenly exploded. A dark figure, shrouded in wisps of white mist, instantly charged towards the wolf demon, bringing many of the fragments along with it.
âMooâŠâ
Amidst the bellow of a bull, the shadow of a fist appeared in a flash before the wolf demonâs eyes, instantly growing larger before he could react.
âBangââ
A powerful punch struck the giant wolf demonâs head, sending shockwaves through the air and sending hair and scalp flying in all directions.
âBoom! Boom!â
The entire bed collapsed in that same instant, crashing to the ground under the weight of the wolfâs body. As the stone floor shattered, splinters of wood shot out in all directions, and clouds of dust billowed outward.
âRoarâŠâ
The wolf demon opened his blood-spattered mouth and, as if by some animal instinct, bit fiercely down on Niu Batianâs arm, forcing the latter to take a step back, kicking at the ground to move. With a âbang,â the roof split open.
âClink clank clinkâŠâ
Tile after tile fell to the ground. Ji Yuan looked up at the hole in the roof and could vaguely see a demonic mist ascend into the sky and disappear into the distance.
âHead of iron, bones of steel, waist of tofu. Next time you fight a wolf, remember to strike at its waist.â
âHey, this Old Bull was just aiming to chase him out of the city!â
With that, Niu Batian leapt out of the hole in the roof through which the wolf demon had escaped, flying on his own cloud of demonic Qi to give chase.
The panicked cries of the Lang Manorâs servants echoed in his ears.
Ji Yuan didnât linger either, but instead of escaping through the hole in the roof, he went outside, rode on the wind, and chased after Niu Batianâs demonic aura from afar.
With their incredible speed, it only took moments for the three figures pursuing each other to fly out of Luoping City. With Ji Yuanâs hearing, he could hear Niu Batianâs arrogant voice bellowing,
âHahahahahaha. . . You little stray dog, you canât escape! Why donât you turn around and fight this Old Bull here, at least then you can die honorably! Mooââ
A bullâs roar pierced the sky. Along with the roar, the Old Bullâs body was enveloped in a demonic aura, gaining a vague, ethereal outline: a blurry figure with a human body but long, curved horns sprouting from its head.
As the roar continued, this blurred figure seemed to grow larger bit by bit, then instantly shrank back to cling tightly to Niu Batianâs body, transforming into a halo of light.
âLittle stray dog, your cultivation isnât strong enough, and your flight speed isnât fast enough! Try a taste of this Old Bullâs Thundering Hoof!â
WhooshâŠ
The Old Bullâs demonic cloud instantly accelerated, soaring above the wolf demonâs head. Before the latter could even react, Niu Batian punched backhanded towards the sky, striking it as if smashing into a wall.
âBoom!â
With a mighty sound like thunder, a beam of yellow light flared up from above the wolf demonâs head. Niu Batian detonated his demonic wind, his body sent whistling downwards. One leg bent into a flying kick, the phantom of a bullâs hoof appearing at the tip.
This was the scene Ji Yuan witnessed upon arrival.
âBoomâŠâ
A tremendous roar echoed from the clouds. The wolf demonâs condensed demonic Qi was instantly shattered by the hoof strike. The wolf demonâs body was also struck down, smashing through a layer of clouds in the sky and plummeting heavily towards the ground with a tearing, shrieking sound.
âWhoo-whoo-whoo⊠BoomâŠâ
The ground, stone and mud shattered, and dust rose everywhere.
âAwooâ!â
A wolf howl echoed from the ground. A dense demonic aura and Demonic Qi erupted. A pair of crimson eyes glowed, and a massive wolf tail swept away the dust. Down below, a giant wolf, six to seven zhang long, slowly rose from its prone position.
âOh, hahahahahaha⊠Going to reveal your true form and fight desperately? Hahahahahaha. . . Little stray dog, just accept your death!â
Niu Batianâs mad laughter echoed from the sky, and his silhouette broke through the clouds, descending. Now, a pair of massive horns glowing with yellow light appeared above his head. His figure seemed much sturdier and more powerful than before.
âRemember this Old Bullâs name. You will die knowing who to blame! It is I, Niu Batian, who will take your pathetic dog life! Mooooâââ
The bullâs roar instantly cut a large swath in the clouds in the sky. Centered on the wolf demonâs location, the ground in an area of several li across filled with a yellow aura, like silent waves of energy rolling and converging towards the wolf demon. The flowing earth spiritual energy had already locked down the wolf demonâs entire body.
The wolf demon desperately tried to muster its Demonic Qi, but remained stuck, as if in a quagmire.
Ji Yuan, who was still hovering in the clouds, was startled. This was the exact same move Niu Batian had used against the escaping female demon last time, but its current momentum and power were far greater.
âAwooâ! Roarâ! I donât even know you! We are both demons, why would youâŠâ
âDieâ!â
The Qi within the clouds in the sky gathered in Niu Batianâs hand, forming a giant axe. He didnât bother wasting any more time chatting with the wolf demon. He brought the axe down wildly, trailing wisps of white misty Qi.
âBoomââ
The ground was once again covered with smoke and dust, and countless rocks exploded, sending sand flying everywhere.
âHuff⊠huff⊠huffâŠâ
Niu Batian descended from the sky. His aura was dark and somewhat unstable, and he gasped for air with big breaths.
âMr⊠Mr. Ji⊠who cares if he has an iron head, steel bones, and weak waist? With enough strength and power, even a head of gold or iron will be split open!â
Ji Yuan looked down from the sky as the dust on the ground gradually cleared, revealing what appeared to be a giant wolf. In comparison, the Old Bullâs body was tiny. However, the wolfâs entire head, from neck to snout, had been split open, its skull cleaved apart, red and white matter splattering everywhere.
âHahaha, this wolf demon was too cowardly. I chased him down and beat him to death, and he died without even managing to unleash his full strength! How exhilarating, simply satisfying! HahahahahahaâŠ.â
Niu Batian laughed wildly, then suddenly staggered, gasping for breath as he quickly calmed his spiritual energy and demonic Qi, muttering to himself.
âDid I let off too much energy on the girls at the Soft Jade PavilionâŠ?â
âYou brute of a bull! You killed him without even asking a single question!â
Ji Yuan descended from the clouds, observing the Old Bullâs smug expression and deliberately chiding him, leaving Niu Batian dumbfounded.
âAh? You wanted him alive?â
He looked at the wolf corpse beside him. Its head had been split open, and it was completely dead. Even its demonic soul had been scattered under the murderous intent of that strike.
However, when the Old Bull saw the faint smile on Mr. Jiâs face, he immediately scratched his head again.
âSo Mr. Ji can also tell jokesâŠâ
Ji Yuan suppressed his smile and shook his head.
âIt wasnât entirely a joke. Since he was called âSixth Master,â itâs likely thereâs a âFifth Master,â âFourth Master,â âThird Master,â and so on. Itâs just that Iâve already calculated a divination and found that those other Masters are all mortals involved in debauchery and the flesh trade.â
T/n: I find it very funny how NB glanced behind him at the wolf corpse as if to double check that no, there really is no way to hide the fact that this guy with his head fully split down the middle is dead, or to bring him back
é (lĂĄng): minister/official
T/n: my what big ears you have, grandma Lang XD