Chapter Ten: The White Serpent Sheds Its Tail, Calm Returns to Saltwater Town

The serpent-woman let out a shrill, piercing laugh, her slender tongue flickering as she prepared to lunge forward. But Han Chong’s hand glimmered once more with a bluish light, and he sneered, ready to slash down with his blade. The serpent-woman was startled—this boy still possessed the terrifying power to unleash that deadly blade of light! She had just expended venom accumulated over years to dissolve his previous attack; now, in fear, she hastily dodged to the side.

Unexpectedly, Han Chong’s glowing hand twisted, and instead of striking at her, he suddenly slashed diagonally toward the one-armed old fox demon. It was a desperate move, for he had gradually realized that with each upgrade, the experience required for his system increased exponentially. Now, he had only enough energy left for one strike; if he wasted it on the serpent and failed to kill her, all three humans and the goose would surely perish at her fangs.

By his calculations, after slaying the black cat demon, the tea tree demon, and numerous lesser creatures, he was just shy of leveling up. Thus, he feigned to intimidate the serpent, then abruptly turned his attack on the old fox who had been watching from afar.

The old fox never expected the little constable to have any strength left, let alone abandon his attack on Lady White Jade to strike at him instead. “Ah!” The fox’s fur bristled, his remaining left paw gathering all his demonic power in a desperate attempt to shield himself, hoping to sacrifice the paw for his life as before.

But his body was already grievously wounded, his demonic power nearly spent, and Han Chong, with calculated intent, launched a sudden assault, the blade of light aimed straight for the fox’s throat. As the fox demon’s left paw barely formed its defense, the blue light flashed, and his head was severed from his body, collapsing with a thud.

[Ding! Congratulations, host, for slaying a red fox demon! You have reached the peak of the early Refining Essence stage, with a current energy value of 160 points! Ding! Congratulations, host, you have gained a skill point. You may select a new spell or upgrade an existing one!]

Han Chong instantly felt his energy surge and, without hesitation, upgraded his Demon-Slaying Technique.

Intermediate Demon-Slaying Technique: consumes 24 energy points per breath.

His heart, tight with anxiety, suddenly relaxed—he had narrowly escaped death. The bizarre turn of events left the onlookers utterly perplexed. They were astonished that Han Chong, on the brink of death, managed to drag someone down with him, but surely he hadn’t lost his mind?

“You dare kill my red fox envoy, boy? I will flay you alive, tear your sinews, and turn you all into vengeful spirits!” Lady White Jade recovered, reverting to her true form, her massive jaws gaping, snake head raised high and eyes blazing with fury, clearly intent on unleashing her full power to kill Han Chong and his companions on the spot.

“Hmph! Demon, you’ve already lost this round!” Han Chong’s right hand erupted in a blue radiance, brighter than before—three times as dazzling, emitting a terrifying Daoist aura. He slashed down fiercely.

“Ah!” Lady White Jade’s giant serpent body feigned aggression, but her tail braced behind her, and at the instant she saw the blue light, she launched backward like an arrow. Han Chong’s blade of light, larger than before and faster than a shooting star, sliced out.

“Roar!” Though the giant serpent leaped away, she still shrieked in agony—her tail had been severed by the blade, a foot-long segment sliced off, the pain excruciating. No longer daring to hesitate, she darted away, vaulting over the high wall and vanishing without a trace.

Before Xia Ruxuan and Leng Yue could react, Han Chong hurried to the severed tail, picked it up, then dragged the old fox demon’s corpse to the black cat demon’s body. As expected, upon touching the snake tail, he felt a surge within his chest.

The blood-shadow serpent emerged from his palm, burrowed into the tail, and swiftly drained the blood, absorbing the essence from the corpses of all three demons in the span of ten breaths.

“Chief Han, what are you doing?” Leng Yue eyed him with puzzlement at his strange actions.

“It’s nothing—just putting these demon corpses together to burn them.” He spoke, then spat forth a flame of blue and red, incinerating the bodies to charred ashes.

Staring into the blazing fire, Han Chong sensed his physical strength increasing rapidly as the blood-shadow serpent returned to his chest. Ignoring the tingling in his muscles, he closed his eyes to feel his body growing stronger. At this pace, his physical form would soon break through to the level of a first-class martial artist.

“Yes, it should be so. By the way, how did you learn so many strange spells?” Leng Yue was badly wounded, slumped on the ground, applying healing salve despite the pain, unable to suppress her curiosity.

“I can’t really explain,” Han Chong replied, shaking his head.

“Mysterious as ever,” Leng Yue muttered without expression.

“Chief Han, what shall we do with this Ye Santong?” Xia Ruxuan had brought over the trembling, kneeling man with the misshapen face, asking Han Chong.

“Oh, Brother Han, I was blind and ignorant of your greatness. I never imagined you’d be so formidable—a living immortal! Please spare me. I’ll grant any request, even offer my daughter Caiyi to you!”

Ye Santong’s mention of Caiyi only enraged Han Chong further. “Enough! Do you not know that Caiyi was actually the spirit of the Yellow Jade Pipa? I nearly fell for her tricks. Tell me honestly—what is your connection to these demons?”

Confronted with Han Chong’s fury, Ye Santong’s face stiffened; he hadn’t expected Caiyi’s true identity had already been uncovered, so he could only beg for mercy.

“I admit my guilt. Caiyi was an adopted daughter I found and raised, but she caught the eye of Magistrate Li—no, the old fox demon, who brought the Yellow Jade Pipa spirit to possess her. Later, he brought the tea tree demon, planted it in my courtyard, and had me gather gold and silver for him. The black cat demon here is his accomplice; I’ve never met him before, and the rest I know nothing about!”

His face streamed with tears and snot, his ugly features twisting as he tried to absolve himself in a few words.

“You might fool a three-year-old with that story! Still trying to play innocent—you are beyond forgiveness. The corpses beneath the tea tree demon are all your doing, are they not?”

Han Chong had seen enough of these dirty tricks and attempts to deflect blame.

“Chief Han, you see through everything! The old fox forced me to do it. He made me fight the Xia family openly, capture vagrants in secret, and feed them to the tea tree demon to grow the Dream Immortal Tea, which was then delivered to the Imperial Food Bureau.”

“So that’s how it is! This heartless Ye Santong deserves death!” Xia Ruxuan was furious—the villain had not only colluded with demons to kill her father, but also murdered countless innocents to feed his demonic allies. His crimes were unspeakable, provoking both gods and men; she raised her silver spear to stab him through.

“Wait, Miss Xia, I understand your feelings. But this is a major case—we must bind him by law, bring him to the yamen for trial and public execution. If we kill him here, there will be no witnesses left.”

Han Chong quickly stopped her; with the magistrate missing and the case unresolved, it was best to bring Ye Santong back for proper judgment when their superiors arrived.

“Oh! Chief Han, you are wise. May I ask, could you teach me your immortal arts? I wish to follow you, slay demons, and serve the people!”

Xia Ruxuan’s anger cooled at Han Chong’s words, and she lowered her spear.

“This—” Han Chong looked troubled. “To be honest, the immortal arts are etched in my mind and cannot be taught to others. I’m sorry to disappoint you, Miss Xia.”

She lowered her head, her expression dim.

“Miss Xia, if you were alone, I could recommend you join the Demon-Slaying Division. But Salty Water Town cannot do without you—the tea market needs your guidance to maintain order. It is truly unfortunate,” Leng Yue comforted her.

“Thank you, Officer Leng, you are right. Perhaps this is destiny,” Xia Ruxuan smiled, nodding in thanks.

...

Night deepened, hearts grew cold. Han Chong escorted Ye Santong, and with the two women, spent a makeshift night in the Ye residence. The next day, they set out for the county seat.

Xia Ruxuan did not accompany them; Salty Water Town was just settling after the chaos, and the tea farmers and merchants needed her to establish new order.

The Ye residence was sealed, the servants dismissed, and the townsfolk, farmers and merchants alike, cheered as Han Chong and his party departed, lining the streets to see them off.

...

Passing a small farmhouse outside the town, Han Chong told the truth about the vagrants’ deaths and offered a bar of silver as consolation.

“Chief, you must truly be a god descended to earth, an immortal reborn! My admiration for you flows like the endless river, surging like the Yellow River in flood, unstoppable!” The four lackeys flattered him all the way, their praise ringing out, prompting Leng Yue, riding alongside, to scowl in disdain.

“You four, enough nonsense. When we return, you must diligently train in martial arts and serve the people!” Han Chong admonished sternly.

Leng Yue’s look of contempt remained sharp as a thorn.

But the four lackeys, after a brief pause, soon resumed their antics.

...

Back at Qingqian County Yamen, they found a newly appointed magistrate in fresh robes, with a sharp nose and monkey-like features, as if a monkey dressed as a man. His greetings to Leng Yue were oddly sarcastic, even more so than the old fox impersonating the magistrate, making Han Chong and Leng Yue frown.

Could this magistrate also be a demon in disguise?