So it turns out I'm the demon!

"Acting on behalf of Heaven?"

Xu Chen stared into Tian Wenyuan's eyes and said sarcastically,

"The imperial court used demonic cultivators to guard the entrance to the secret realm, and demonic monks to stabilize the city, sacrificing the people to obtain incense."

You call it prioritizing the greater good when you sacrifice the lives of ordinary people to save the city, but I call it evil and heretical when I use your lives to take revenge?

Tian Wenyuan, what right do you have to preside over this important matter?

But none of that matters anymore. I've come here today to kill you.

Xu Chen waved his sleeve and pointed to the city of Fazhou below:

"Tian Wenyuan, if you truly have the sense of righteousness you claim to uphold, and are truly willing to consider the well-being of the people of this city, then come out and fight me fair and square, and settle all grudges."

"You won, the demon army retreated on its own. I won, I will only kill you, and spare the people of this city."

"Hmph, those heretical and wicked words are not even credible enough to fool a three-year-old."

Tian Wenyuan snorted coldly.

"You, Xu Chen, have come this far today, and the number of lives on your hands is probably no less than mine. To spare the people of a city? If you truly had such compassion, you wouldn't have brought your demon army to slaughter the city."

Xu Chen looked at him, her eyes becoming playful, and said softly:

"You're afraid to come out... because you have a serious health problem, right?"

Upon hearing this, Tian Wenyuan's pupils contracted.

Xu Chen smiled and said:

"Tian Wenyuan, if I were you, I would have already sacrificed all the people in this city to save up enough for self-defense."

Anyway, for the sake of the overall situation, the imperial court implicitly allows you garrison commanders to do this when necessary, doesn't it?"

"fart!"

Tian Wenyuan shouted angrily, "I act with integrity and uprightness, how could I do such a demonic ritual as you?"

Since you want to break through the city, then come and break through!

"I'd like to see if you truly have obtained the legacy that the great demon Jiang Chaoxi abandoned, as rumored!"

"Then... I'll have to offend you."

Xu Chen stopped wasting words.

He formed a hand seal, and the huge black compass behind him began to spin again.

This time, the scale of the attack was even more terrifying than before.

With each inch the compass turned, the world darkened a little, even the swirling clouds overhead, obscured by demonic energy, were scattered by the aura emanating from the compass. Then…

A massive, jet-black sword, hundreds of feet long, emerged slowly from the center of the compass, like an inverted mountain.

The moment the giant sword appeared, it seemed to devour all the light in the world.

The tip of the sword was pointed at the city of Fazhou.

The mere force of the sword was enough to make the protective light barrier around the city tremble.

Tian Wenyuan's expression was solemn.

This time, instead of taking the initiative to meet him as before, he urged the Buddha image to retreat half a step.

He pulled half of his body back into the great formation.

"BOOM!!"

The black giant sword slashed at the light barrier.

In an instant, the city of Fazhou seemed to have experienced a magnitude 10 earthquake.

Countless house tiles were shattered, and even the demon slayers with slightly lower cultivation levels were shaken so badly that they bled from all seven orifices and fainted.

Countless cracks spread across the area where the great array barrier was struck by the sword.

"It's going to break!"

The people on the city wall were filled with despair.

However, just when everyone thought the barrier was about to shatter, a Buddhist lamp suddenly lit up inside the formation.

It was held up by an old hand and slowly rose.

It hangs in the very center of the great formation.

The flame dancing on the wick was no bigger than a bean, yet its golden glow resembled a small, melted patch of the setting sun.

Wisps of golden Buddhist flame emerged from the lamp wick and spread along the light cover.

Wherever the Buddha's fire passed, the cracks were covered and filled with a thin layer of pale gold gauze.

In just a few breaths, the protective shield gained an additional layer of gold plating.

"break!"

Tian Wenyuan's Buddha image has taken another step forward.

The enormous Buddha hand extended a towering finger and touched the tip of the black greatsword.

"Awesome!"

Tian Wenyuan roared angrily.

In an instant, the Buddhist flames spread upwards from the tip of the sword, wrapping around the blade like golden vines.

It went backwards and backwards all the way.

It climbed from the tip of the sword all the way up to the hilt and retaliated against Xu Chen in mid-air.

Xu Chen's expression changed, and he immediately formed hand seals to hold the huge black compass in front of him.

"Boom!"

The compass exploded, and Xu Chen spat out a mouthful of blood, flying backward dozens of feet.

On the other hand, Tian Wenyuan was also having a hard time.

The Buddha statue, hundreds of feet tall, was covered in cracks during the violent collision and eventually shattered.

"puff"

Tian Wenyuan also spat out a mouthful of blood, staggered back onto the city wall, and took seven or eight steps back before barely managing to steady himself.

His face was ashen, and he clutched his chest, breathing heavily.

Xu Chen wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, put away the cracked compass, and gazed at the Buddhist lamp in Tian Wenyuan's hand, which was now dimming its light, and murmured:

"Buddha's Lamp Fire... Heh heh, I didn't expect there to be this move."

He tried to forcefully gather demonic energy again, but the tearing pain in his chest made him frown slightly.

"pity."

Xu Chen sighed, suppressing his surging anger, and coldly uttered a sentence.

"Order the entire army to continue the attack!"

After saying that, he turned around and went back to the central army camp to treat his wounds.

As the enemy commander was defeated and retreated, cheers erupted from the city walls.

The fear and exhaustion that had been suppressed for many days finally found an outlet, and the morale of Fazhou City reached its peak. However, Jiang Mu, standing on the city wall, felt his hands and feet turn ice cold.

His gaze was fixed on the Buddhist lamp in Tian Wenyuan's hand, as if something had exploded in his mind.

The Buddha's lamp is burning!

Tian Wenyuan's natal divine artifact is actually the [Buddha's Lamp Fire], one of the sixty Jiazi divine artifacts?!

How is that possible!

Isn't it said that cultivators with the "Buddha's Lamp Fire" destiny and divine objects have only appeared in the Buddhist sect throughout history?

What terrified Jiang Mu even more was…

The moment Tian Wenyuan lit the Buddha lamp, the Buddha lamp on his body actually generated a faint resonance of the same origin!

What does this tell us?

The Buddhist lamp he was wearing was a modified version taken from Si Rumeng's hometown.

The tree spirit Si Rumeng once told him that in that small world, a mysterious person named "Black Mountain" suddenly appeared and forcibly imprisoned them with "the power of incense".

And they forced them to arrest civilians.

Then the heart was removed and sacrificed, and offered inside the Buddha lamp.

In the Battle of Yancheng, the mastermind who lurked in the shadows, killed the garrison commander Yuan Qianfan, and attempted to use the Dragon Vein Array to sacrifice the entire city's inhabitants was also Heishan.

Later investigation revealed that his natal divine object was the Buddha's lamp fire!

Jiang Mu felt a chill creep up her spine, spread along her spine, and pierce the back of her head.

My limbs became incredibly cold in that instant.

Is it...

The mastermind behind the scheme to wipe out the entire population of Yancheng, killing Yuan Qianfan in an attempt to sacrifice the city in blood...

That mysterious person who coerced the tree spirit into tearing out its heart and lungs in the small world...

It was actually Tian Wenyuan?!

Jiang Mu felt her mind was in complete chaos, buzzing.

Reason told him that this was just a conjecture based on the idea that Buddhist lamps and fire share the same origin, without any direct evidence.

But his intuition told him that there were never that many coincidences in the world.

Although their previous meeting was not pleasant, out of respect and trust for her former superior, Tian Wenjing, Jiang Mu subconsciously still held a certain degree of goodwill and trust in this garrison commander.

But now...

He gazed at Tian Wenyuan's pale, weary face—the face that had just risked the shattering of its own form to defend Fazhou City—and for a moment, he couldn't quite make it out. Tian Wenyuan put away the Buddhist lamp and turned to head towards the underground palace.

As he turned around, his gaze seemed to casually glance in Jiang Mu's direction.

That one glance made Jiang Mu feel like she had a thorn in her side.

The demon army's offensive continued, but perhaps due to Xu Chen's defeat affecting morale, their momentum was noticeably less ferocious than before. After more than three hours of back-and-forth fighting, the demon army gradually ceased their attack and retreated to their defensive positions.

It is estimated that there was an internal disagreement.

After all, the demon kings were bound together by the Red Umbrella Sect for their own interests, and none of them wanted to lose their entire fortune for someone else's business. Xu Chen's actions greatly displeased them.

As the demon army retreated, the demon slayers on the city walls and the defending citizens were finally able to catch their breath.

The city's defense adjutant quickly began arranging for the troops to take turns resting, letting them go down to rest in batches.

Shui Miaozheng also took Jiang Mu back to the backyard of the Demon Slayer Bureau to rest.

However, she didn't look too good the whole way.

The trusted confidant sent to arrest Yang Renxu reported back that Yang Renxu was dead.

To be precise, she was killed before her men could arrive, leaving hardly any trace of her struggle.

The killer's methods were clean and efficient, clearly indicating that they had received prior warning.

This infuriated Shui Miaozheng.

This undoubtedly confirmed Jiang Mu's judgment: there were still Red Umbrella Sect agents in the city, and these agents were of a high rank.

They can obtain firsthand information from within the Demon Slayer Bureau and eliminate witnesses in time.

In the quiet room, the candlelight flickered.

Shui Miaozheng took a roster from the drawer and handed it to Jiang Mu:

"Currently, there are only seven hall masters left in our Demon Slaying Division of Tanzhou City. If there's any traitor among us, it's most likely one of these six. Little Jiang, you're quick-witted, what do you think…?"

Jiang Mu merely glanced at the list and then tossed it aside:

"Aunt Shui, there's no need to investigate. We won't find anything out now, and it will only increase internal suspicions, which is too troublesome. We can only wait for the right opportunity to reveal his true colors."

Moreover, given the Red Umbrella Cult's nature, even if the demon army outside fails to capture the city and retreats, they will definitely leave behind one or two undetected spies to continue lurking.

"This will make it easier for them to find another opportunity to bite us; those two in Huzhou City are the best example."

Shui Miaozheng sighed softly, knowing that he was telling the truth, so she didn't dwell on the topic any further.

She looked up and her gaze fell on Jiang Mu's tired face.

Seeing the young man's furrowed brows, a layer of gloom and worry between them, she assumed it was because he was concerned about the war. Her heart softened, and she moved closer to sit beside him, gently taking his hand in hers, and said softly:

"Xiao Jiang, don't worry too much. The situation is at least in our favor now."

The demon army's offensive has temporarily slowed, and the great formation can still be maintained. If things continue like this, we can definitely hold out until reinforcements arrive." Jiang Mu shook his head.

He grasped the woman's soft, yellow breasts with his other hand, then suddenly looked up and asked:

"Aunt Shui, what's your impression of Tian Wenyuan?"

Shui Miaozheng paused, pursed her pink lips, and carefully replied, "Well... compared to his brother, Old Master Tian, ​​Tian Wenyuan is not very likable. He is too solitary and too stubborn in his actions."

However, among the garrison commanders of Daqing, he was considered quite good.

Most garrison commanders are eccentric, but Tian Wenyuan, at least, has been quite dutiful in guarding Fazhou City these past few years. His presence in Fazhou has indeed intimidated many powerful demons in the surrounding areas.

"So do you think, when faced with a life-or-death situation, he would abandon the people of this city?"

Jiang Mu stared intently at her.

Shui Miaozheng was taken aback again, and after thinking carefully, she shook her head and said:

"I can't say for sure. But judging from his behavior on the city wall today, he was willing to risk the destruction of his Dharma Image to stop Xu Chen... I think it's unlikely that he will give up Fazhou City."

Jiang Mu gazed at the flickering candlelight on the table and said softly:

"Back in Yancheng, Yuan Qianfan once told me that if he wanted, he could use a secret technique to refine the people of the city to prolong his life and save his own."

But he ultimately did not do that; instead, he chose to sacrifice himself.

If it were Tian Wenyuan, do you think he would choose to sacrifice himself like Yuan Qianfan did?

Upon hearing this, Shui Miaozheng finally realized that something was amiss.

She frowned slightly, staring at the other person: "Xiao Jiang, why are you suddenly asking that?"

Jiang Mu said:

"Back in Yancheng, we found Yuan Qianfan's body in that underground cave where the dragon vein was hidden."

The mastermind behind the ambush and murder was named "Black Mountain".

Later, it was discovered that Black Mountain's destined sacred object was the "Buddha's Lamp Fire." Do you remember this?

Shui Miaozheng was stunned.

The next second, her beautiful eyes slowly widened, and horror surged into her pupils.

Seeing her shocked expression, Jiang Mu continued his analysis:

"I've been thinking, Yuan Qianfan was a garrison commander with extraordinary cultivation, how could he be so easily killed by a sneak attack? The only explanation is that the other party knew him very well."

It was later learned that Yuan Qianfan and Tian Wenyuan had a good relationship.

But I didn't pay attention at the time. I was just caught in a misconception, thinking that someone who possessed a "Buddha's Lamp Fire" as their natal divine object must be a high-ranking monk who practiced Buddhist techniques.

But now it seems that the mastermind behind plunging Yancheng into an abyss of no return was actually right before our eyes.

"This...this..."

Shui Miaozheng was so shocked she couldn't speak, feeling a chill run through her body. "But why would he do that?"

Jiang Mu said, "Didn't you hear what Xu Chen said outside the city earlier?"

Shui Miaozheng calmed herself and carefully recalled their conversation. Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck her:

"Xu Chen said... Tian Wenyuan has a serious health problem!"

"That's right."

Jiang Mu nodded. "Tian Wenyuan must have encountered a major problem in his cultivation, which is why he took the risk of luring his old friend Yuan Qianfan to the Dragon Vein Land to ambush and assassinate him."

He also attempted to activate the underground dragon veins, turning Yan City into a living hell for his healing. Furthermore, he controlled some demonic creatures, making them capture living people for sacrificial purposes.

Shui Miaozheng gasped.

Even though the evening breeze was slightly cool, she felt icy cold all over her body.

But she quickly realized something was amiss and asked in bewilderment:

"If he needs to refine the common people, why does he have to go all the way to attack Yancheng?"

"He's the garrison commander of Fazhou City. Wouldn't it be more convenient for him to set up a scheme here and subjugate the people of Fazhou City?"

Jiang Mu shook his head and said:

"I don't know the specific reason. Perhaps it's because the objective conditions don't allow it, after all, there is no 'dragon vein' outside Fazhou City that is large enough to bear the blood sacrifice of hundreds of thousands of people."

And don't forget, Black Mountain's plan in Yancheng was to first have the Red Umbrella Sect lead the demon army to successfully breach the city. Once the city was in complete chaos, he would then activate the dragon vein.

"He'll wipe out the hundreds of thousands of civilians in the city, the attacking demon army, and even the demons of the Red Umbrella Sect, using them all as nourishment for his grand formation." Shui Miaozheng listened, her hair standing on end, muttering to herself:

"No wonder he wanted to kill Yuan Qianfan first... Without the garrison commander, the great formation of Yan City will surely be broken by the demon army."

No one will survive that time, and his plan will definitely succeed.

He just hadn't expected that a mysterious, peerless cultivator would suddenly appear and ruin his plans.

Jiang Mu nodded:

"That's right. Fortunately, a few mysterious cultivators were fighting there, which forced Tian Wenyuan to abandon his plan and flee." Of course, Jiang Mu didn't know that.

The mysterious cultivator who appeared back then was Bai Xiang.

Bai Xiang learned of Jiang Mu's death from a message sent by a female guard, so her spirit left her body and ran to find her husband.

The commotion was so great that it alerted the Imperial Observatory, attracting experts from all walks of life.

This ultimately led to a major war.

This was something Tian Wenyuan hadn't anticipated at all, and he was forced to leave.

After all, although he was a big shot in the eleventh realm, he was still no match for those super-powerful beings who could easily cause celestial phenomena and the imperial court. He could only slip away with his tail between his legs.

"If it really is Tian Wenyuan,"

Shui Miaozheng's face turned pale, and she looked at Jiang Mu with a worried expression, "Then wouldn't our Yunzhou City be...?"

They thought the demon army outside was already doomed.

It turned out that the biggest terrorist was none other than the guardian deity enshrined on the altar in their own village.

What a hellish start!

It's utterly despairing.

How can this city be defended?

Jiang Mu rubbed her throbbing temples and said helplessly:

"I don't know what to do either. But at least for now, Tian Wenyuan is still willing to step in to protect this city."

It seems that the offerings and prayers from the people of this city are, after all, the support for his cultivation, the foundation and livelihood for his path to higher realms. No garrison commander would easily sever his own livelihood unless absolutely necessary and facing a desperate situation.

Shui Miaozheng said with great concern:

"But given his selfish and ruthless nature, if the city were to fall, he would surely sacrifice the people of this city to save his own life. So, it depends on whether we can hold out until Commander Ran's army arrives."

Jiang Mu exhaled a breath of pent-up frustration and said,

"Moreover, I heard that Yancheng will also send people to provide support. If Old Master Tian Wenjing personally leads the team, perhaps with his elder brother present, things might take a turn for the better."

Shui Miaozheng nodded silently, her heart heavy.

A person who would sacrifice the lives of an entire city to repair his own flaws—whether kinship can still hold him back is anyone's guess. Jiang Mu felt like cursing at this moment.

The enemy's supreme commander was the older brother of his friend and colleague.

The mastermind hiding behind his own family, ready to sacrifice the entire city at any time, is none other than his former boss's younger brother.

What the hell is this?!

Did I, Jiang Mu, stumble upon a villain's den in my past life? How come I always run into these "our superiors are villains" scenarios wherever I go?

What Jiang Mu found even more terrifying upon closer examination, and what concerned her most, was...

Did Tian Wenjing lie to him?

Back when things were settled in Yancheng, he personally reported to Tian Wenjing that the mastermind behind it all, known as "Black Mountain," possessed a Buddha lamp flame as his natal artifact. Could Tian Wenjing possibly not know what his own brother's natal artifact was?

If he knew...

"Little Jiang."

Shui Miaozheng's voice interrupted Jiang Mu's thoughts.

She tentatively asked, "If Xu Fu also comes to provide support this time, could we ask him to go outside the city and persuade his brother Xu Chen?"

Jiang Mu shook her head:

"It's tough. Twelve years have passed. Xu Chen faked his death to escape back then, and hasn't contacted his younger brother in all these years. It seems that the kinship has been completely severed in the face of his obsession with revenge."

To put it another way, if he truly cared about his younger brother, he wouldn't have swaggered into this situation as the commander of the demon army. After all, how could Xu Fu possibly stay in the Demon Slayer Division after this?

To put it mildly, the suspicion of colleagues would ruin his career.

To put it bluntly, the imperial court could have imprisoned Xu Fu on charges of "colluding with the enemy through relatives."

Jiang Mu had already made up her mind.

Once Xu Fu arrives, we'll quickly find an opportunity to knock this simpleton unconscious and send him away.

Whether it's hiding one's identity or fleeing to another place, one cannot stay in the Demon Slayer Division and wait to be purged.

Seeing the man's face, which was filled with exhaustion and worry, Shui Miaozheng felt a pang of heartache.

In fact, there are many things that Jiang Mu doesn't need to bear.

The reason he stayed here, going through all this trouble and scheming, was simply to help lighten her burden.

A layer of watery light welled up in Shui Miaozheng's eyes.

She reached out and gently cupped the man's cheeks, whispering softly:

"Little Jiang, your aunt isn't that selfless or has such lofty ideals. In your aunt's heart, you are more important than the people of this city... no, you are more important than anyone or anything in this world."

As she spoke, she took the initiative to sit on Jiang Mu's lap.

Her plump, soft body pressed against the man, and her two slender arms naturally wrapped around his neck.

A captivating, mature fragrance wafted towards me.

Shui Miaozheng's breath was as fragrant as orchids, her warm breath brushing against Jiang Mu's ear:

"Stop thinking about those troubling things."

Before Jiang Mu could answer, she lowered her head and kissed the man's lips.

Jiang Mu's heart fluttered, and he wrapped his arms around the woman's waist.

However, before he could make his next move, the beautiful woman in his arms gently pressed against his chest, pushing him away slightly. Jiang Mu looked on with a mixture of surprise and confusion.

Shui Miaozheng slid off Jiang Mu's lap, bent her knees, and knelt on the ground.

He tilted his head slightly back, his eyes glazing.

She gathered her loose, dark hair behind her head, running her fingertips through the strands, circling them again and again...

Finally, bite one end of the hair tie and give it a gentle tug.

A neat ponytail was tied up.

Then, all that's left for the man is a docile and focused top of his head.

Inside the central army camp, several demon kings were arguing.

"How can you be so reckless when attacking a city? This Xu fellow went up and challenged Tian Wenyuan to a duel. If he had won, that would have been one thing, but he got beaten so badly he vomited blood. Isn't this just boosting the enemy's morale and diminishing our own in front of the entire army?"

"Yes, all the kids down there are saying that if even the commander-in-chief can't beat the garrison commander, how can this city possibly fall?"

"I'm telling you right now, if this keeps up, nobody's going to fight to the death."

The demons were making a huge fuss.

Xu Chen, the commander of the demon army, turned a deaf ear to these arguments.

He was pale-faced and sat quietly in a chair, carefully weaving a bracelet made of a twig.

When I fought Tian Wenyuan in mid-air, the fluctuations in my energy caused the bracelet to loosen slightly.

He is tightening it again.

This is his habit.

Whenever the demonic energy within him surged too violently, or whenever he felt agitated, he would weave this branch.

Only in this way can one calm down.

"Bang!"

A giant hand suddenly slammed onto the table.

The burly tiger demon king glared coldly at Xu Chen and roared angrily:

"Commander Xu, don't you have any explanation for us? Is this how you attack a city?"

If you are not confident in taking down Tanzhou City, why go head-to-head with Tian Wenyuan from the very beginning and needlessly diminish your prestige?

Now that it's become such a mess, what are we going to do?

Beside him, a dog demon king chimed in:

"That's right, if you don't give me a reasonable explanation today, this battle is over. I'm taking my brothers from that mountain and leaving today. Let whoever wants to fight this battle do it!"

In the shadows of a corner of the tent, Nan Zhi sat with her arms crossed.

She glanced at Xu Chen, who was weaving branches, hesitated, and ultimately remained silent.

Xu Chen still ignored them.

He reached out a hand to take a thin red rope used to tie branches, which was placed on the edge of the long table.

"Splash!"

The Tiger Demon King, already enraged, was further enraged when the other party ignored him. With a sweeping motion, he overturned everything on the table. Xu Chen's outstretched hand paused mid-air.

He raised his head and stared coldly at the Tiger Demon King: "Pick it up."

Meeting the other's eyes, which were devoid of any warmth, the Tiger Demon King felt a sudden chill run down his spine.

It then remembered that the man in front of it was an eleventh-level demonic cultivator.

The anger that had been rising within him was immediately doused with cold water, and he sobered up a bit.

But the words had already been spoken, and the things had been overturned; several demon kings were all watching it. How could it possibly lower its head now?

It was, after all, a demon king, so naturally it had its pride.

The Tiger Demon King gritted his teeth, stiffened his neck, and gruffly snorted, "At least you have to give us an explanation first!"

Pick it up. I won't say it a third time.

Xu Chen's tone remained calm.

The Tiger Demon King's face turned red, and his fists clenched so tightly they cracked.

Looking at Xu Chen's pale face, and knowing that the other party was already injured, the suppressed ferocity surged up again, and he sneered: "What can I do if I don't pick it up? Xu, who do you really think you are? Calling you commander is giving you face. If we don't give you face, you're just a coward kicked out of the Demon Slayer Division."

However, before it could finish speaking...

Xu Chen, who was sitting in the chair, suddenly disappeared.

The next moment, the Tiger Demon King felt a blur before his eyes.

A slender hand pressed down on its face.

Xu Chen stood in front of it, the hand that was holding the tiger demon king's head slowly rotating and tightening its grip.

The Tiger Demon King felt as if his face was being clamped by five steel clamps.

It tried desperately to retreat, but its feet seemed to be nailed to the ground, and even the vast demonic power within its body was sealed off by some force.

"Clang clang clang..."

The sound of bones cracking rang out.

The Tiger Demon King didn't even have time to beg for mercy or resist; he could only let out a muffled scream.

"puff"

The Tiger Demon King's head was shattered into pieces in Xu Chen's palm.

The enormous headless corpse stood frozen in place for a moment before collapsing.

Inside the tent, there was complete silence.

All the demon kings were stunned, feeling a chill rise straight up from the soles of their feet.

No one would have imagined that Xu Chen could be so ruthless.

Without a word, he instantly killed a demon king who had brought troops to form an alliance.

Isn't he afraid of inciting a mutiny?

Nan Zhi, her face ashen, stood up abruptly in the corner and said sternly:

"Xu Chen! What are you doing?!"

Xu Chen didn't even glance at her, and walked straight back to his seat.

He took out a silk handkerchief from his sleeve and wiped the bloodstains from his knuckles, his expression remaining completely unchanged throughout.

The dog demon king finally came to his senses, his eyes flashing with a fierce light of shock and rage.

It turned its head to glare at Xu Chen, about to speak angrily, but just then it met the gaze that was shot at it.

"Pick it up."

These three short words came out of the man's mouth.

The dog demon king choked on a single word, unable to utter it.

It swallowed hard and roared in a gruff voice:

"Commander Xu, do you think I'm easily scared? Do you think I'm afraid to pick it up? I'll pick it up right now and show you!"