The biting north wind howled past the cliff's edge, bringing with it waves of cold.

The voice of the dog demon was like ice, adding an extra chill.

Elder Monkey's eyes flashed with an imperceptible intent to kill upon hearing this: "Elder Dog, we are both elders of the Demon Hall, why be so aggressive?"

The little demons below trembled, without even the courage to look up.

These two great demons in the Pulse Condensation Realm held high positions in the Demon Hall; how could these little demons dare to look them in the eye?

At this moment, as the two elders were at each other's throats, no one was more tormented than this innocent little demon.

Elder Dog's robe sleeves fluttered, his sharp white fangs glistening coldly in the wind: "If you can't bring back Qin An's head, you don't deserve to be an elder. Why should I be courteous to you?"

Elder Monkey's eyes blazed with fury: "You pup! When I became an elder, you were just a junior in the Gui Cang Realm. Now, by sheer luck, you've broken through, and you dare to act wantonly before me?"

"You know the Hall Master's temperament." Elder Dog sneered repeatedly: "Kill Qin An, and you remain the prestigious elder. But if you can't..."

He didn't finish the sentence, but the threat was self-evident.

The fire in Elder Monkey's eyes gradually extinguished, replaced by a deep ominous gloom.

He understood his current predicament.

Repeated failures had caused him to fall out of favor with the Hall Master.

He had lost face in the Demon Hall over the matter of Qin An.

If he couldn't return with Qin An's head, the only path awaiting him was death.

As the strategist of the Demon Hall, he understood this position's cruelty better than anyone.

Many eyes were watching like tigers, eager for his early demise.

This was the scheming and intrigue among the demons.

Although the demons of Lingzhou were slightly stronger than the Evil Extermination Bureau, endless internal strife kept them suppressed by the bureau's unity.

Elder Monkey forcefully suppressed his anger and squeezed out a word through gritted teeth: "Scram!"

He didn't need to say more.

As long as he could bring back Qin An's head, he would have plenty of time to deal with this arrogant mongrel.

Elder Dog left a disdainful cold smile on his lips: "Your good days are over."

With that, he flung his sleeves and departed, his figure quickly disappearing into the endless mountain mist.

The cliff top returned to silence, with only Elder Monkey standing like a withered tree.

The little demon prostrated on the ground, trembling as he looked up: "Elder... now..."

Bam!

A dull sound echoed on the cliff.

The table shattered into pieces under Elder Monkey's palm, and the fragments fell into the abyss.

"I must go down the mountain!"

The little demon shivered all over: "Absolutely not! You are on the Evil Extermination Bureau's patrol commanders' wanted list. If..."

He left the sentence unfinished, but the implication was clear.

Just like the Demon Hall hunts patrol commanders, the patrol commanders also register important demons from the Demon Hall.

All great demons in the Pulse Condensation Realm knew not to act recklessly.

If they were caught alone outside, the patrol commanders would sniff out their scent and pursue them.

Encountering a patrol commander meant only death.

Elder Monkey sneered: "I know my limits."

Upon hearing this, the little demon dared not continue to dissuade him.

All elders of the Demon Hall had their followers, and he was under Elder Monkey.

Now that Elder Monkey had made up his mind, he dared not oppose it in the slightest.

Elder Monkey's eyes flashed with a hint of ferocity, then he waved his sleeve and went down the mountain.

He knew well the Hall Master's unequivocal nature; this mission was fraught with peril.

But wealth is sought amidst danger.

As long as he acted cautiously, avoiding the patrol commanders' eyes and ears, there might still be a chance.

More importantly, Qin An, who could single-handedly kill thirty-two Gui Cang Realm demons, was not as simple as he appeared.

He needed to ensure absolute success.

Since this was the case, that old favor should be called upon.

"If I kill Qin An, I remain Elder Monkey of the Demon Hall, and my position will undoubtedly be higher than now."

Elder Monkey's figure gradually disappeared into the mountain mist.

"To securely kill Qin An, I must seek out Lord Deer..."

...

Time passed, and several days flew by.

The Evil Extermination Bureau had been calm recently, with no major casualties except for a few scattered demon incidents.

Patrol commanders guarded the wilderness, while prefectural commanders held the city, complementing each other to maintain Lingzhou's superficial peace.

But the keen-eyed knew that under this calm, undercurrents surged.

When it erupts, it will be astonishing.

The calm before the storm is often the most terrifying, and many martial world people have begun plotting in secret.

At this moment, inside the Evil Extermination Bureau.

Qin An stretched lazily, looking at the text in front of him, his mouth curving upward slightly.

[Butcher lv.8 (1800/2000): The livestock you slaughter are more delicious and can enhance their essence]

[Talent: Gui Cang Realm knife cultivation technique Great Success, Gui Cang Realm weapon cultivation technique Insight Great Success]

These days, he kept a low profile, shuttling between the butcher shop and the Evil Extermination Bureau.

As a patrol commander, whether to take on tasks is entirely up to the patrol commander himself.

So, this two-point lifestyle of Qin An didn't provoke any commentary from the prefectural commanders.

The butcher successfully advanced to level eight, and in subsequent improvements, gained 1800 proficiency points, just a step away from level nine.

This one step, for Qin An, could be achieved in just a day.

After changing into clean clothes, Qin An left his home.

First, he had a simple breakfast, then headed to the butcher shop.

The butcher was already familiar with him, instinctively making way, looking at Qin An with envy as he butchered inside the shop.

As the best craftsman in Lingzhou, facing Qin An, he felt as if a minor magician met a grand sorcerer.

The butcher often joked that if Mr. Qin didn't hold office, perhaps with this butchering skill, he could also earn a decent living.

As an insider, this was an acknowledgment of Qin An's skill.

To this, Qin An only smiled without speaking.

Day rose and set.

The street's hustle and bustle turned to desolation.

Until the sky was painted with sunset, only then did Qin An raise his hand and stab the sharp knife into the chopping block.

In front of him, the smoke gradually gathered, floating snake-like in the air.

[Butcher lv.9 (0/3000): The livestock you slaughter is more delicious, enhancing its essence and increasing slaughter speed]

[Talent: Mastery of Gui Cang Realm blade cultivation techniques, Insight mastery of Gui Cang Realm weapons cultivation techniques, Damage mastery of Gui Cang Realm blade cultivation techniques]

[Promotion conditions: Slaughter fifty Gui Cang Realm monsters (50/50)]

[Promoted]

"Finally... level nine." Qin An's eyes slightly narrowed, and the corners of his mouth slightly lifted.

After so many days of intense practice, he finally succeeded in advancing the butcher profession to level nine.

Upon reaching level nine, a new trait emerged, increasing Qin An's slaughtering speed.

Although this trait isn't combat-related, it allows Qin An to gain proficiency faster during practice.

It's equivalent to an amplification.

But compared to the trait, the talent is more important.

All talents have turned into Gui Cang Realm mastery, and in addition, there's an extra talent.

Damage mastery of Gui Cang Realm blade cultivation techniques.

This talent allows Qin An to gain a damage bonus when performing blade techniques.

If it's a Gui Cang Realm blade technique, the bonus will be threefold.

If it's a Pulse Condensation Realm blade technique, the bonus will only be onefold.

Beyond that, there's no bonus; one needs to advance the profession to get it.

But such a bonus will greatly enhance Qin An's actual combat power.

"With the Ice Flame Water Breaker I presently execute, even if it doesn't unleash the power of the three strikes, could it match the Blood-Burning Dragon Demon Hand?"

Qin An only slightly sensed it before being astonished at the terrifying nature of the level-nine talent.

Even the ferocity of the Blood-Burning Dragon Demon Hand pales in comparison to Qin An's current blade techniques.

"If I exchange for blade techniques with merits and advance my blade techniques to the initial Pulse Condensation level, wouldn't I be able to dominate in the Pulse Condensation Realm?"

Qin An's heart itched at the thought.

This thought was immediately suppressed by Qin An.

He had no merits left.

During the journey to the Earth Walking Sect, Qin An exchanged all his merits for demon essence; now he needs to take on some tasks to exchange for the corresponding blade techniques.

"Forget it, I'll take a task tomorrow."

Qin An used the handkerchief nearby to clean the grease off his hands, thinking inwardly.

The arrival of the big figure is still far off, and recently the Demon Hall has shown no movement except for gathering once.

It's hard for Qin An not to connect the two matters.

During this period, Qin An plans to elevate his profession as much as possible and at the same time raise his cultivation techniques to the Pulse Condensation Realm as far as he can.

Only then can he seize a sliver of hope for survival.

Having made up his mind, Qin An didn't linger anymore and walked towards the Evil Extermination Bureau.

The butcher looking at Qin An's back sighed: "I wonder what hobby Mr. Qin has, why does he seem to like slaughtering so much."

"However, it's been quite a few days since I've seen Mr. Qin."

Previously, Qin An had slaughtered here, so the butcher knows well that likely Qin An won't be coming any time soon.

It was already the time to close up shop; the butcher stopped pondering and planned to close early and go home to his wife and children.

At this moment, a figure suddenly appeared in front of the stall.

"I'll take all this meat."

The butcher was slightly dumbfounded, seeing a young nobleman dressed in brocade approaching.

The nobleman was handsome, holding a folding fan in his hand.

Beside the nobleman stood a middle-aged man dressed in black.

"All... all of it?"

The butcher doubted if he had heard correctly.

This meat, kept until now, was no longer fresh. Yet, this seemingly rich nobleman was willing to buy it all.

It was simply odd.

The middle-aged man in black tossed silver coins onto the cutting board: "Is that enough?"

The butcher's eyes slightly bulged, quickly collecting the silver coins with a fawning smile: "Enough! Enough!"

Although he didn't know why the nobleman was doing this, not making money when possible does seem foolish.

The butcher deftly wrapped up the meat and handed it to the nobleman.

The man in black glanced at the butcher and said: "Just now..."

Before he could finish, the nobleman raised his hand to interrupt.

"Let's go."

The man in black froze momentarily but concealed his doubts and quietly followed behind the nobleman.

Soon enough, the two left amidst the butcher's muttering.

...

After leaving the street, the nobleman and the man in black arrived at a secluded alley.

The man in black hesitated for a moment, then curiously asked: "Why didn't you let me ask?"

The nobleman glanced back, somewhat ungracefully throwing his robe to the sides: "Disguising as such a refined person is quite inconvenient."

He opened the lotus leaf wrapping the meat, crouched down, and started inspecting it carefully.

"Hei Feng, remember this: some things can't be understood merely by asking; the truth requires the eyes to discover."

The nobleman, while fiddling with the greasy pork, said without looking up: "What difference do you see in this pork?"

Hei Feng instinctively looked down and suddenly his pupils shrank: "Blade technique!"

The nobleman stood up, wiped the grease off with a handkerchief, and said: "Exactly, he uses slaughtering to refine his blade technique. After walking through Xunyang Prefecture for years as Zhao Wuhuan, it's the first time I've seen something like this."

Hei Feng's pupils contracted, bowing: "Should we apprehend him first?"

Zhao Wuhuan frowned slightly: "Why apprehend him?"

Hei Feng thought for a moment, then said: "Yang..."

Zhao Wuhuan placed his hand on Hei Feng's shoulder, a playful smile in his eyes: "Remember, some things can't be understood merely through the eyes; you must feel it with your heart."

Hei Feng widened his eyes: "But sir... you just said to use our eyes."

Zhao Wuhuan patted Hei Feng's shoulder: "Am I the boss, or are you?"

Hei Feng quickly lowered his head: "You are..."

Zhao Wuhuan looked towards the direction where Qin An disappeared and said: "In a few months, from concealing air to Pulse Condensation, such talent does exist in Xunyang Prefecture, but usually achieved through the accumulation of rare resources."

"He's different. He's just a country man. How did he advance so quickly?"

"I'm very interested in him."

Hei Feng shivered, fully aware of Zhao Wuhuan's personality, and didn't dare to speak.

Zhao Wuhuan clapped his hands, walked into the dark, and said meaningfully: "Remember, we are not those incompetent fellows; we are looking for the true warriors who slay demons and eliminate evils."

"Let's see how he performs in the Demon Hall matter."

"If I'm satisfied, what's the issue with the Yang Elixir?"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.