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

The notes in the journal are relatively simple, describing an evil spirit called "Painted Skin Ghost".

[Painted Skin Demon: A ninth-rank ghost soldier, it craves essence and blood and is adept at transforming into human form. Its skin can be used to make masks, allowing one to change their appearance and aura accordingly. To kill a Painted Skin Demon, one must burn its true form with true essence; otherwise, ordinary swords and blades will be ineffective.]

The Painted Skin Demon has already killed seven people and is absorbing their life essence, attempting to break through to the Ghost General level. If it succeeds, it will completely disappear into the crowd, undetectable only by those with supernatural powers, and the consequences will be unimaginable.

At the end of the journal, there was a line of words written in blood:

"I have been tracking this demon for half a month and finally found its lair here, but I have also fallen into its trap. It has discovered me, and I am doomed. If anyone sees this letter later, leave immediately, for this demon is extremely skilled at disguise and may have already blended into the crowd—"

The blood-written message ends abruptly here.

Xu Yuan put away the note, having already made up his mind.

Even if the Painted Skin Ghost hadn't broken through to the Ghost General level, he was still confident he could find it, since the [Yin Qi Perception] was particularly sensitive to such ghosts.

What truly interested Xu Yuan was the Painted Skin Ghost's ability to disguise itself.

The mask in his hand was undoubtedly made by the Painted Skin Demon, and its exquisite detail is evident.

"The fourth page of the illustration guide is finally settled..." Xu Yuan's eyes flashed slightly.

According to the notes, the Painted Skin Ghost last appeared in the bustling downtown area of ​​the city.

That area was the most prosperous part of the entire Cangzhou prefecture.

"Trying to blend in with the crowd and play it safe?" Xu Yuan smirked. "Let's see if you can hide better or I can find you faster."

He immediately turned and left the tunnel, heading towards the bustling city center.

Meanwhile, in the center of Cangzhou city, inside a magnificent mansion.

Su Yunqing leaned against the soft couch, playing with a copper coin in her hand—one of the two coins Xu Yuan had left behind in Yangliu Town.

"Miss, you've been looking at things all day..." the maid muttered softly.

Su Yunqing did not answer.

She simply stared at the copper coin, the wisp of golden true essence swirling around her fingertips having been studied countless times.

"To have condensed three apertures at such a young age, and to have such pure true essence..." she murmured to herself, "Perhaps..."

She slightly raised her delicate hand and tucked the copper coin into her sleeve.

"Go and find out where that young master Xu is staying now."

"Miss, are you interested in him?"

Su Yunqing did not answer.

She simply looked out the window, her gaze passing through the layers of eaves and landing somewhere in the city.

That place is precisely in the direction of the Demon Suppression Bureau.

"It's not just interest," she said softly, "it's fate."

Outside the window, an autumn wind suddenly rises, blowing down a tree full of yellow leaves.

………………

The bustling city center of Cangzhou Prefecture.

Noon is the time when the flow of people is at its peak.

On the long street paved with bluestone slabs, there were vendors selling sugar figurines, making dough figurines, performing monkey shows, and setting up stalls to hawk their wares... bustling and crowded with people.

The air was filled with the aroma of baked flatbread, the sweetness of roasted chestnuts, and the calls of various vendors.

Xu Yuan stood at the street corner, his gaze calmly sweeping over the crowd.

At this moment, he was wearing an ordinary blue cloth robe, without the standard long sword of the Demon Suppression Division hanging at his waist, nor the Ghost Cry Bow on his back, and looked like an ordinary young scholar.

The [Conceal Breath] ability was fully activated, silently suppressing Xu Yuan's aura as he condensed his three apertures to around the third level of Blood Refinement.

With this level of cultivation, one can walk around Cangzhou City without attracting attention, nor be looked down upon as an ordinary person.

"downtown……"

Xu Yuan slowly walked into the crowd, and his [Yin Qi Perception] spread out like invisible ripples.

Within a radius of fifty feet, the aura of each person was clearly presented in his mind.

Most of them were ordinary people with weak blood and qi, about the size of a soybean. A few were martial artists with blood and qi that flickered like candle flames, varying in strength. There were also a few people dressed like martial arts practitioners, at the fourth or fifth level of Blood Refinement, who were probably gang members maintaining order in the market.

It appeared peaceful and serene, with no trace of evil spirits or malevolent forces.

But Xu Yuan was not in a hurry.

Since that painted-skin demon lives by sucking blood essence and has already killed seven people, it must need to frequently seek food.

Bustling city centers, with their dense crowds and constant movement of people, are their best hunting grounds.

Xu Yuan found a tea stall, sat down, ordered a pot of coarse tea, and slowly drank it.

The tea was cloudy and bitter, but Xu Yuan drank it with great relish.

After all, during my time in Shuangshan Village, even drinking this kind of tea was a luxury.

"I wonder how Aunt Zhang and the others are doing now."

Xu Yuan stroked the teacup, thinking that he would visit them after he completed the onboarding assessment.

Just then, he noticed the hushed conversation between two men dressed as vendors at the next table.

"Have you heard? Someone else has gone missing in the west of the city."

Although the voice was kept very low, it did not escape Xu Yuan's ears.

"Which one is it?"

"That's the eighth one, right? The authorities are suppressing the news; they're not letting it spread!"

"It's terrible... My wife hasn't dared to let me set up my stall these past two days; she urges me to go home as soon as it gets dark."

"Who can argue with that? In this world, with the Huns outside and demons lurking in the city, how can anyone live like this..."

Xu Yuan lowered his eyes and drank his tea, his expression unchanged.

The eighth one?

The information provided by the Demon Suppression Bureau indicated seven people, but now there's one more. It seems that the Painted Skin Demon committed another crime during the time he was on his mission.

However, this also shows that the Painted Skin Demon has sensed the danger and is accelerating its absorption of life essence, trying to complete its breakthrough before being found!

"At most three days..." Xu Yuan calculated in his heart, "Within three days, it must absorb the essence blood of at least three more people to reach the critical point of breaking through to the Demon General level."

Three days, the essence and blood of three people.

In other words, it will definitely make another move tonight and tomorrow night!

Xu Yuan put down the tea money, got up and left.

Instead of returning to the villa, he wandered around the bustling city, silently memorizing the surrounding terrain, streets, and possible hiding places.

Finally, his gaze fell upon a three-story restaurant.

"Drunken Immortal Abode".

The largest restaurant in Cangzhou city and a landmark building in the city, from the third floor you can overlook the entire market and several main streets around it.

Xu Yuan entered the restaurant and asked for a room on the third floor with a window.

"Sir, how many are in your party?" the waiter asked solicitously, leading the way.

"One."

"Alright! Our signature dishes are braised beef and roasted pork belly. Would you like some?"

"A pot of tea and two plates of snacks," Xu Yuan said calmly. "We're waiting for someone."

The waiter understood, asked no further questions, and quickly served the tea and snacks before leaving.

Xu Yuan opened the window and looked down at the bustling crowd below.

The aroma of tea wafts through the air as the sun begins to set.

One hour, two hours...

The crowds in the market gradually thinned out, vendors began to pack up their stalls, and shops closed one after another.

Night falls.

Xu Yuan remained seated by the window, like a statue.

He is waiting.

The moment that painted-skin demon couldn't help but make its move.