The Chen Mansion truly lives up to its reputation as one of the top wealthy merchant families in Jiangdu City.
The property is enormous.
The sound of combat seems close, but it's actually a bit far away.
It must be due to the intensity of the battle—the commotion is so loud that the resulting noise naturally carries further.
Lin Fan moved with light, careful steps, alert to his surroundings, afraid that a stray flying blade might take him down accidentally.
Inner courtyard, backyard.
As he got closer, the ferocious sounds of fighting continually pounded against his heart, making it thump uncontrollably.
"The stuff written in novels isn't a lie—shockwaves really can kill people," Lin Fan muttered, deeply realizing how insignificant he was, and knowing he needed to find a way to improve his strength.
To the left was a rockery, to the right a flower bed.
He had to hide in the flower bed—it was common knowledge that in intense battles, rockeries were almost always smashed into rubble.
If he hid behind the rockery, he'd likely end up dead.
Lord Wang and several experts from the Demon Hunting Mansion were fighting the Black Fox Demon together, locked in a fierce stalemate. The Black Fox Demon had profound cultivation, battling five opponents without losing the upper hand or showing any weakness.
Lin Fan crouched among the flowers, his gaze darting to the other side.
Someone was already dead.
The deceased was a servant of the Chen Family, torn into chunks of meat. Even at a distance, the bloodied head, eyes wide open, could still be seen lying motionless.
As for Chen Zhong, though he appeared panicked, his eyes sparkled with anticipation and excitement.
"This guy's playing dumb to catch the tiger," Lin Fan thought as he stared fixedly at the description above Chen Zhong's head.
Chen Zhong: Third-class martial artist.
Possible drops: Corpse Demon Finger (Second-class), Gathering Technique (First-class), 300 silver taels, Demon Poison Palm (Third-class), ten years of cultivation.
Lin Fan looked down on the kinds of items Chen Zhong might drop. "What kind of garbage, huh? All of it reeks of shady, wicked practices. I wouldn't even dare to use them if I got them."
"Still, this guy's standing aside, waiting for both sides to tire themselves out, huh?"
"I'd better keep an eye on him."
...
Wang Zhou wielded a Nine-Ringed Blade with steady, sharp techniques, slashing toward the demon's vital areas with each strike. However, the Black Fox Demon was extremely fast, dodging every move and trying to break free to kill Chen Zhong, only to be intercepted by the other four warriors, unable to escape.
Clang!
The Black Fox Demon's claws struck Wang Zhou's chest, sparks flying upon impact.
Wang Zhou's expression twisted in shock. He swung the Nine-Ringed Blade horizontally, forcing the Black Fox Demon back. Looking down at his chest, he revealed the soft armor underneath, which was now emitting dark demonic energy. Without that armor, the consequences would have been catastrophic.
"Demon, you've already ruthlessly harmed all seventy-six lives of the Chen Mansion. What more do you want?" Wang Zhou yelled furiously.
The demon before him was exceedingly troublesome, with deep cultivation. To stop him here, they would likely have to pay a steep price.
The Black Fox Demon was forced into a corner, its fox eyes glaring intently at Chen Zhong.
"Don't kill me, I don't want to die! Lord Wang, you must protect me! If I survive, I'm willing to give half of the Chen Family's fortune to all of you," Chen Zhong stammered in terror, falling to the ground, dragging his feet backward in panic. He looked utterly pitiful, as though he had been scared senseless by the Black Fox Demon.
Chen Zhong's offer was generous.
Even those like Li Zhiyong, who came from distinguished families, couldn't help feeling tempted.
"Hmph, who wants your filthy money? You disgusting, revolting pig of a man!" Liu Ru glared fiercely at Chen Zhong. If not for the presence of the demon, she would have already had him strung up and beaten.
"Junior Sister Liu..." Li Zhiyong spoke with a deep voice, then looked toward the Black Fox Demon and said solemnly, "Demon, how dare you come to Jiangdu City and annihilate an entire household? Tonight, you won't leave here alive."
At this moment.
The Black Fox Demon let out an enraged howl, the demonic energy around him growing thicker, his throat moving as he struggled to utter words: "Hu...man...s."
"Everyone be careful," Wang Zhou warned. "For a demon to speak in human tongue means he's close to transforming. If this Black Fox Demon truly transforms, we'd be no match for him with our strength."
Li Zhiyong's expression turned grave. He understood the implications of a member of the Demon Clan who could speak human words.
They had not joined the Immortal Sect nor cultivated Immortal Law. They could handle ordinary demons who had yet to transform, but once faced with transformed ones, they were out of their league.
The Black Fox Demon wanted to tell these humans that he only sought vengeance and did not wish to create unnecessary trouble.
He had not slain seventy-six lives.
With his current cultivation, in another few decades, or with the aid of spirit pills or elixirs, he might indeed achieve transformation. He had only come across Jiangdu City because the White Fox was about to give birth, forcing him to temporarily stop in the western forest near the city.
When he went out to search for food, he returned to find the White Fox and the cub dead, filled with grief and rage. He had tracked their scent to this place.
After circling the city several times, he finally decided to risk entering it.
"Kill," Li Zhiyong roared, channeling his inner strength into his longsword. With a buzz, the blade gleamed sharply, directly sealing off the Black Fox Demon's escape route. Although the sword light couldn't leave the blade, its sheer lethality was astounding. Even the Black Fox Demon hesitated to take the strike head-on.
Liu Ru leapt into the air, flicking her wrist as the long whip in her hand coiled tightly, spinning like a massive python. The whip's tip shot forward with lightning speed, ensnaring the Black Fox Demon's hind leg.
"Got him!"
But she scarcely had a moment to feel triumphant before sensing a tremendous force pulling her forward. Her body was dragged uncontrollably toward the Black Fox Demon.
"Not good!"
The other two saw this and immediately sprang into action. If Liu Ru got within the demon's attack range, the consequences could be dire.
"Hah!"
One of them wielded a giant axe, veins bulging on his arm as he let out a thunderous shout, swinging the axe viciously at the Black Fox Demon.
The Black Fox Demon kicked fiercely with his hind legs, releasing the coiled whip. The whip's head snapped back quickly, striking Liu Ru hard.
Smack!
Liu Ru suffered a devastating blow, her body sent hurtling backward as she coughed up blood, her once rosy face turning pale.
Crash!
The giant axe smashed down, shattering the blue bricks and leaving a massive crater.
The Black Fox Demon screeched furiously, alternating his gaze between Chen Zhong and the humans blocking his path, his eyes flashing with savage intent. First, he'd kill these humans, then deal with that man.
...
"The destructive power here is terrifying," Lin Fan thought as he lay motionless in the flower bed. Their battle was so intense that even hiding here, he could feel the reverberations from their clashes.
Thinking about his own cultivation.
He was utterly outclassed.
One year of cultivation?
Just saying it aloud felt shameful.
His worst fear was mutual destruction.
But looking at the situation now, mutual destruction seemed unlikely after all.
The Black Fox Demon was terrifying, holding off the group's combined assault without easily losing.
Though the Black Fox Demon bore many injuries, the humans appeared similarly battered.
Wang Zhou's soft armor was already torn, revealing bone-deep gashes across his chest, blood dripping from his clothes onto the ground.
Even Li Zhiyong, who looked the strongest, had blood at the corner of his mouth, his sword-wielding hand trembling, the skin of his palm torn and frayed.
Lin Fan felt an urge to leap out and shout:
"Stop fighting! All of you, stop!"
"It's not worth it for him!"
But could he really stop them?
He feared jumping out only to get snapped up by the Black Fox Demon.
Better wait.
There might still be an opportunity.