Chapter 188 - 113: Get Down From Your Horse
"According to our intelligence, that’s a major nest with over a hundred Demons. If their position is exposed and they have to face a demonic tide of that size, forget Zhu Chang—even I might not be able to get out of there in one piece!"
Another Demon Slayer Envoy interjected, panting,
"Hall Master, Master Yang’s team is the closest to White Deer Peak. Based on travel time, they should have arrived before us."
"Don’t even mention him!"
Tang Guixin, in a rare show of fury, spoke with an icy tone,
"That rich brat is just here to fool around. You expect anything from him? On the last few missions, he either cowered in the back or went off on his own, and how many times did he screw things up!?"
The others fell silent.
Everyone knew the young master named Yang had joined the Demon-slaying Bureau to pursue the Water Director.
He had little skill to speak of, but he was an expert at stealing credit and holding the team back.
No one spoke further. They just silently quickened their pace.
A quarter of an hour later, they finally reached the entrance to a hidden cave.
Just as she’d expected.
The area was eerily quiet. Besides the rustling of grass in the wind, there was no sign of Master Yang or his team.
Although Tang Guixin had anticipated this, seeing it for herself still caused a surge of anger to rise within her.
"That useless bastard!"
she cursed under her breath. Suppressing her fury, she quickly gave out orders:
"Old Zhang, take three people and guard the entrance. Set up some simple warning Talismans. The rest of you, follow me into the cave. Be careful!"
She took the lead, drawing her blade and slipping inside, with her elites following in single file.
The deeper they went, the stronger the acrid stench of blood became.
Tang Guixin tightened her grip on her long blade, her heart in her throat, ready for a vicious fight at any moment.
However, when they entered the main grotto and got a clear view of the scene within, everyone was stunned.
They stopped dead in their tracks, as if they’d been hit by an Immobilization Skill.
Inside the massive grotto, corpses were strewn everywhere.
The bodies of countless Demons were piled high. Severed limbs were scattered about, and thick, black blood had pooled on the ground, its stench overwhelming enough to make one’s head spin.
And in the middle of this chaotic slaughterhouse, their own hall members, Zhu Chang and Ming Cuicui, were crouched on the ground, carefully bandaging the wounds of three Demon Slayer Envoys from Yan City who, though mangled and bloody, were clearly still breathing.
There was no fighting, no demonic tide.
Only a deathly silence and the thick stench of blood.
The scene was simply too shocking.
The tense expressions on everyone’s faces went slack with stupefaction. They stood there, mouths agape, unable to process what they were seeing for a long moment.
"Sister Tang!"
Ming Cuicui, who had been busy, looked up and saw Tang Guixin. She waved her hand in pleasant surprise and called out.
Tang Guixin finally snapped out of her stupor.
She rushed over, taking long strides, her eyes scanning the surroundings. Her voice trembled slightly as she asked,
"What... what happened here?"
Ming Cuicui’s expression was complicated.
Even now, the young woman’s head was still buzzing.
She swallowed hard and said,
"We ran into a colleague from Hu State. And then... he just charged in, and then... he killed all the Demons here."
HISS—
Hearing this, everyone gasped in unison.
’Are the Demon Slayer Envoys from Hu State really that incredible?’
They looked at the mountain of Demon corpses; a rough count suggested there were no fewer than a hundred!
’And they were all killed just like that?’
Suddenly, a flash of insight struck Tang Guixin. It was as if she’d thought of something, and she asked with a burning intensity in her eyes,
"Hu State... Could it be the famous ’Desperate Yama,’ Master Yan Fenghuo, and his subordinates?!"
Yan Fenghuo’s name was legendary among the Demon-slaying Bureaus of the surrounding states.
He was a notorious madman.
And the men under his command were a bunch of ruthless daredevils who didn’t fear death.
Tang Guixin had always been fascinated by him but had never had the chance to meet him.
Looking at the scene before her, she couldn’t imagine anyone other than the legendary Yan Fenghuo capable of such a feat!
"Er..."
Ming Cuicui faltered for a moment, just about to explain.
Just then, the sound of footsteps echoed through the cave.
Jiang Mu walked out from a side tunnel, carrying the head of a Tiger Demon.
He was spattered with demon blood, and the piercing, murderous aura still clinging to him made everyone’s breath catch in their throats.
PLOP.
Jiang Mu casually tossed the Tiger Demon’s head into a pool of blood, sending a wave of crimson splashing outward.
He looked up and saw Tang Guixin and her group. He seemed surprised for a second, but then a warm smile spread across his face.
"Sorry about this. I started without waiting for you. But don’t worry, I know the rules. Everyone who shows up gets a share. The merit points will definitely be split with you. I’m not the type to take all the credit."
Tang Guixin was thrilled. She quickly stepped forward, performed a cupped-fist salute, and spoke with a voice full of admiration,
"I’ve heard so much about you! Tang Guixin, Hall Master of the Fourth Hall in Yunzhou City. Greetings, Master Yan!"
’Master Yan?’
Jiang Mu froze, then quickly realized the mistake and couldn’t help but chuckle.
"Master Tang, you’re mistaken. I’m not Yan Fenghuo."
"My name is Jiang Mu. I’m from the Eighth Hall of the Hu State Demon-slaying Bureau."
"Jiang Mu?"
Tang Guixin and her team members were all stunned, exchanging bewildered glances.
’Never heard of him.’
They finally took a closer look at the young man before them, only to discover with astonishment that the aura he radiated was only that of the Fourth Realm.
They had been so intimidated by his terrifying Evil Qi earlier that they hadn’t noticed.
Tang Guixin felt a bit awkward, her mind filled with even more confusion. She quickly asked, "If I may ask, young friend Jiang, where is Master Yan? Did he already leave with his men?"
She subconsciously assumed that Yan Fenghuo must have led the assault and that this young man was just left behind to clean up the battlefield.
Jiang Mu shrugged. "Old Yan didn’t come."
Tang Guixin blinked, not quite understanding what he meant. "Didn’t come?"
"Sister Tang..."
Zhu Chang walked over, his gaze toward Jiang Mu filled with fervent adoration. "Lord Jiang came alone."