A Compendium of One Hundred Demons: My Path to Immortality in a World of Demons and Monsters

Upon hearing this, the old butler seemed to wake from a dream and nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes..."

"We're going the same way." Xu Yuan mounted his horse without saying another word.

He didn't ask the host's name, nor did he exchange pleasantries, and he didn't even explain the matter of slaying the demon just now.

Inside the teahouse, a pale hand gently lowered the veil.

Beneath the veil was a delicate, yet sickly, pale face.

"Miss..." the maid beside her whispered, "Who is that young master? He's incredibly powerful..."

The young girl did not answer.

She simply peered through the gap in the carriage curtain at the figure riding slowly ahead, and the silver epaulette on his shoulder that shimmered slightly in the morning light.

The Demon Suppression Division, a seventh-rank loyal and distinguished captain.

"He's an interesting person," she said softly.

After the three-tailed cat demon died, the carriage returned to normal, and the old steward quickly told the driver to follow and continue northward.

Xu Yuan walked in front, his yellow horse moving at a leisurely pace; he wasn't deliberately waiting for anyone.

My actions just now were neither a deliberate display of divine power nor a gesture of heroism to save a damsel in distress.

But the three-tailed cat demon happened to be blocking his way.

Incidentally, he also wanted to test his combat skills after condensing the three apertures.

The conclusion reached was naturally very satisfactory.

"The difference between condensing the aperture and refining the blood is indeed like heaven and earth," Xu Yuan sighed inwardly.

When one reaches the ninth level of Blood Refinement, their Qi and blood flow like a river, and a single, full-force strike can cleave through city bricks, but ultimately it still falls under the category of "strength."

After the energy channels are condensed, the Qi and blood transform into true essence, and "intention" and "momentum" begin to be mixed into the power.

Just now, he merely raised his hand and pressed down lightly, seemingly casually, but in reality, he had already used the true essence nurtured in the Tanzhong acupoint, combined with the soul lock of the Shenting acupoint, and the continuous supply of spiritual power from the Qihai acupoint.

With the three orifices working in unison, even a simple "external release of true essence" is far more powerful than a full-force strike from a level nine Blood Refinement cultivator.

This is the terrifying aspect of the Condensation Realm!

He still has thirty-three such acupoints to refine.

"The Demon Suppression Division..." Xu Yuan looked towards the faint outline of the mountains to the north, "I hope it won't disappoint me."

Around noon, a market town appeared ahead of the convoy.

The old steward rode forward cautiously and asked, "Sir, this is Willow Town. My young lady is frail; may we rest here for a while...?"

Xu Yuan nodded without saying a word.

Yangliu Town is small, with only about a hundred households. It is named after the towering ancient willow tree at the entrance of the town.

There is only one inn in town, which also serves tea and meals.

Xu Yuan tied his horse outside the inn and went up to a window seat on the second floor by himself.

After a while, the old steward led the way, and the young maid helped the "young lady" into the inn.

Xu Yuan then got a clear look at the other person's appearance.

She was about seventeen or eighteen years old, dressed in a plain white dress, with delicate features and a hint of sickly weariness in her eyes.

She walked very slowly, each step as if she were gathering her strength.

But what Xu Yuan cared about most was her eyes.

Those eyes were very pale, almost transparent, like a bottomless ancient well.

Xu Yuan's [Yin Qi Perception] did not react to this.

But deep within his soul, the Netherworld Guide that had merged with him stirred slightly.

It happened only briefly, then immediately fell silent.

"My name is Su Yunqing. May I ask your honorable name, sir?" The woman in white sat down at the next table and spoke softly.

Xu Yuan glanced at her.

"Xu Yuan".

Su Yunqing nodded slightly, neither inquiring about his identity nor mentioning the demon-slaying incident, but simply asking, "Young Master Xu, is your trip to Cangzhou Prefecture on official business?"

"Job application".

"The Demon Suppression Division?"

"Um."

Su Yunqing didn't seem surprised by this; she simply nodded and said nothing more.

However, the maid beside her couldn't help but interject, "Young Master Xu, my young lady is going to Cangzhou Prefecture to visit relatives. Perhaps we'll meet again in the future!"

Xu Yuan did not respond.

He picked up his teacup, his gaze passing over the window and landing on the towering ancient willow tree at the entrance of the town.

Willow branches droop and sway, their green shade like a canopy.

But Xu Yuan saw that beneath the green shade, a very faint wisp of black mist was slowly rising from the roots of the tree.

He calmly finished his tea and put down two copper coins.

Get up.

"I've rested enough." He nodded slightly to Su Yunqing. "Farewell."

"Take care, Young Master Xu." Su Yunqing rose to see him off, her appearance still showing signs of illness, but her manners were impeccable.

Xu Yuan went downstairs, untied his horse, and headed north.

Su Yunqing only looked away when his figure completely disappeared at the end of the official road.

"Miss, that young master Xu is so cold..." the maid whispered.

Su Yunqing did not answer.

She simply looked down and fiddled with the two copper coins Xu Yuan had left behind.

A faint wisp of golden true essence lingered on his fingertips.

"Having condensed the three apertures, the true essence is now so pure..." Su Yunqing murmured to herself, "Cangzhou Prefecture is about to get lively again."

She gently put down the teacup in her hand.

The tea in the cup had unknowingly frozen into a thin layer of ice!

………………

Xu Yuan rode his horse northward all the way.

Only after the outline of Yangliu Town had disappeared from view did he slowly speak:

"We've been following you all this way, aren't you coming out yet?"

The wind blew across the wilderness, but no one answered.

Xu Yuan reined in the horse and turned his head to look at the dense forest on the left side of the official road.

"Should I treat you?"

A moment of silence followed in the dense forest.

Immediately afterwards, a low, hoarse laugh rang out.

"To have only condensed three apertures, yet possess such keen perception... truly a formidable young talent!"

The shadows swayed in the woods, and a tall, slender figure slowly emerged.

He was a man in his early forties, dressed in a gray-white linen robe. He had a thin face, slightly protruding cheekbones, and extremely dark, deep eyes that seemed to have no whites.

He had a sheathless longsword hanging at his waist; the blade was pitch black, neither reflecting light nor objects.

The strangest thing was his left arm—the sleeve was empty and swayed in the wind.

Xu Yuan didn't move, but the [Yin Qi Perception] had already sent a warning:

[Target's strength: Unknown]

Threat Level: Extremely High

Recommendation: Avoid combat.

His right hand rested on the hilt of the knife, but he did not draw it.

"Xu Changming," Xu Yuan said slowly.

The tone was flat; it wasn't a question, but more like old friends reminiscing.

The man in hemp clothing paused for a moment, then laughed.

The smile wasn't exactly gentle, but it wasn't malicious either; it was more of a complex sense of relief.

"Did your father mention me to you?" he asked.

"The old village chief is waiting for a son who will never return." Xu Yuan looked at his empty left sleeve. "You made him wait for twenty years."

Xu Changming's smile faded.

He looked down at his missing left arm and remained silent for a long time.

"Soon," he said softly.

"how long?"

Three years.

Three years.

Three more years have passed!

After a long silence, Xu Yuan did not ask any more questions.

He loosened his grip on the hilt of his sword, spurred the horse's flanks, and the yellow horse continued northward.

Behind him, Xu Changming's voice drifted on the wind:

"On the day the Netherworld opens, there will be great chaos in the back mountain. At that time, I will need help."

"Why do you think I'd help you?" Xu Yuan asked without turning his head.

Xu Changming did not answer the question.

He simply said:

"Li Ergou isn't crazy; he deliberately let you find that book."

Xu Yuan's back stiffened slightly.

"His time is running out." Xu Changming's voice faded into the distance. "Live well for him."

The wind blew, and the forest fell silent.

When Xu Yuan turned around, the figure in hemp clothing had already disappeared.

The official road still extends northward.

Xu Yuan gripped the reins tightly, remaining silent.