Become a true immortal by emulating all demons.

Chapter 137 A Face Worth a Fortune

Yuelai Inn, Wuyang County.

Lin Shu sat on the edge of the bed, flicked her fingers to release her spiritual power, and pushed open the door.

He glanced at the figure crouching on the ground by the door and sighed softly, "Didn't I tell you you don't need to follow me?"

"Master Lin is going to get beaten up."

The man stiffened his neck and said seriously, "Only fools have to follow."

He could understand the casual conversations among the students at the martial arts academy, which implied that Master Lin was in great danger.

"..."

Lin Shu looked away with a slight sense of helplessness.

Strictly speaking, the two were not in a subordinate relationship, so he naturally couldn't control where the fool was going.

However, given the opponent's strength and their easily underestimated appearance, it is indeed difficult to encounter any danger while traveling.

"Following suit is fine too."

He pondered for a few moments, then beckoned: "But you have to remember one thing."

"Master Lin said," the simpleton said with a cheerful laugh as he got up and walked in.

"If you encounter a situation like last time again, try to leave the other person alive and bring them over so I can ask them about the situation first."

Lin Shu pretended to be serious and said, "There are some people you can't kill indiscriminately, it'll just cause trouble, understand?"

"Oh." The fool nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite.

"But it depends on the situation. If it's too dangerous, then there's no need to hold back; the priority should be escaping."

Since I can't get rid of them anyway, it would be good if I could pick up some ill-gotten gains along the way, like last time.

But Lin Shu did not insist.

In a battle between masters, life and death hang in the balance. If you truly encounter a strong opponent, you must go all out.

"The fool understands." The man nodded vigorously.

"Okay, what would you like to eat? I'll have someone bring it up."

Lin Shu called over the waiter and began to order.

"Sir, why are you heading to Wuyang County at this time of year?"

The innkeeper's waiter, a chatterbox, looked worried: "My boss is planning to close the inn for a while and take us somewhere else to avoid trouble."

"Come and take a look," Lin Shu replied casually.

If you want to conquer a territory, you certainly can't let go of any opportunity to improve.

Anren Prefecture is currently experiencing a turbulent undercurrent.

Not only did the entire Demon Slaying Division mobilize, but under the command of the Qi and Yu families, the scattered immortals, though somewhat reluctant, still dispatched many of their descendants to help slay the demons.

According to the information Lao Xu gathered.

The demons surrounding Anren Prefecture suffered heavy losses, with their strongholds being wiped out one after another and countless lesser demons dying tragically.

The Azure Sea Demon Lord is trying her best to organize a counterattack, but unfortunately, she is struggling to cope with the situation on her own.

The other Night Demon Lord chose to go into seclusion to break through his cultivation, preparing to resist the sect leader disciple sent by the Half-Life Immortal Clan.

After gathering this information, Lin Shu decided to do something.

But he needed a plausible excuse before leaving.

Taking charge of guarding more than ten county towns for Yu Sheng is a very good reason.

The Azure Sea Demon Lord intends to make the Demon Slayer Division pay for its blood debts.

According to Lao Xu, this demon lord deliberately avoids harming innocent people when he does things, and only targets lieutenant generals and immortal descendants.

However, there were some people within the Demon Slayer Division whom Lin Shu thought were good, and he planned to use them to get in touch with the Demon Slayer Division.

So before entering the mountains, he first came to the county town to check out the situation.

"You're quite carefree."

The waiter carefully noted down the names of the dishes, then retreated with a wry smile.

He had just come downstairs and was heading to the kitchen when he saw the fat cook leading several cooks carrying large and small bags, rushing out in a hurry.

The waiter quickly grabbed the other person's arm: "Hey, we were just about to start cooking, what are you doing?"

"You can burn it yourself."

The portly cook shook off his hand, his face filled with panic, and said, "Haven't you heard? This is the fourth team from the Demon Slayer Division to storm into Wu'an County today! Something terrible is about to happen!"

"what?"

The waiter stared blankly out of the inn.

The sky was dark and oppressive, as if a torrential rain was brewing, ready to burst forth like a flood and sweep away the magnificent city with overwhelming force.

"Even that immortal from the Chen family has fled, why aren't you?"

The fat cook sighed deeply, for the magistrate of Wuyang County was a descendant of the Chen family.

It was said that before dawn, the county magistrate had already driven his magnificent carriage back to Anren Prefecture.

The other side would rather give up their official positions than stay in the city, clearly showing that they had no confidence that the deputy generals and captains of the Demon Slayer Division could defend the city.

Crack!

Suddenly, a clap of thunder sounded in the sky, and a torrential downpour began without warning.

It was only evening, but the sky was already as dark as ink.

People fled in panic throughout the streets and alleys.

Outside the towering city walls, figures in black robes gathered in a continuous stream.

"Ha!"

Ruan Changfeng took a deep breath and shouted angrily, "Form ranks!"

As soon as he finished speaking, thousands of captains lined up neatly, each holding a demon-slaying sword and silently chanting incantations.

Golden veins spread out, gradually weaving into a vast net amidst the lightning and thunder of the sky, radiating an intense pressure that protected the great city.

I don't know whether to be happy or sad.

Ruan Xiangling's black armor was soaked through by the torrential rain.

She smoothed her hair, not even wanting to waste her spiritual power to shield herself from the wind and rain.

Fortunately, the mountain demons were not enraged by the previous incident and did not go on a killing spree in more than ten counties.

Instead, they deliberately revealed themselves, as if issuing a challenge, and swaggered around Wuyang County.

They have anger inside that needs to be released.

And these newly reinstated lieutenants and officers had to do their utmost to withstand this overwhelming rage.

"I feel a little wronged."

Including the Ruan siblings, there were a total of eight lieutenants, riding on armored spirit horses, gripping the reins tightly.

Among them were even veterans whose cultivation was stronger than Ruan Changfeng's, yet their faces were also filled with deep apprehension.

"They conquered cities and seized strongholds, reaping all the credit, and then left us to bear the consequences. Not only did they not ask the immortal descendants to come and help, but even the immortal descendants who were originally guarding the city fled."

"They really treat us like stepmothers."

The complaints continued, but not a single person mentioned leaving.

The situation is different now than it was at Yongzhou Pass back then.

The reason they were able to retreat at that time was because there were many immortals stationed at the border, who were eager to actively eliminate demons to gain merit and curry favor with the immortal sects.

But now, they are protecting the people in the city.

This was under the general's strict order against retreat. Even if the demons eventually captured the county town, they would have to step over the corpse of the last demon-slaying officer.

"Chang Yi, I said I would introduce you to the General, but it seems there's no chance now."

Ruan Xiangling glanced at the dark-skinned boy beside her: "Aren't you scared?"

"I'm not afraid."

Just as Chang Yi finished speaking, a thunderous roar resounded from the sky.

He shuddered and changed his words, saying, "Okay, a little bit."

"Hahaha!"

The generals all burst into laughter, which slightly dispelled the fear in their hearts.

The laughter had not yet subsided.

Suddenly, a strange change occurred in the sky.

A thick, blood-red cloud curtain rolled in like a giant tide, easily crushing the veins woven from golden light.

The massive formation composed of over a thousand captains couldn't even hold out for a single breath!

A vast, demonic aura blotted out the sky and the sun.

This made the already dark sky seem even more oppressive.

The lightning and thunder stopped abruptly, and all around was deathly silent.

"..."

Many of the lieutenants, who had been smiling just a moment ago, turned deathly pale in an instant.

They had anticipated that the monster would launch a vicious revenge.

But I never imagined that the scene would be so terrifying.

The intense sense of oppression gradually made everyone feel like they couldn't breathe.

Even the Core Formation cultivators were in such a sorry state, let alone the Foundation Establishment stage captains. Even though they gritted their teeth and tried their best to steady themselves, their originally orderly ranks still swayed and became chaotic.

"Alright, alright, I admit it. The reason Anren Prefecture has been able to remain stable for so many years is truly because these demons have been doing their utmost to restrain themselves."

Ruan Xiangling gave a stiff smile.

Everyone knows that monsters lurk in the mountains, but who would have thought there were so many?

She frantically made up her fingers, trying several different hand seals, but still couldn't figure out which technique to use to deal with the terrifying scene before her.

In an instant, Wuyang County was in complete chaos.

The cries of anguish were incessant.

"Gentlemen...try to die with some dignity."

Ruan Changfeng listened to the sounds from inside the city, licked his lips, and didn't know how to continue giving orders.

He stared at the approaching red clouds, the menacing shadows quickly engulfing the city.

The man licked his lips and growled hoarsely, "Kill!!"

With a roar, thousands of captains suddenly drew their demon-slaying swords.

But the dazzling silver light didn't last even a few breaths before it was covered by the shadow.

Just as the constables were beginning to despair, the red clouds in the sky suddenly stopped pressing forward.

The city gate was deserted.

A young man dressed in a flowing cloud-patterned sword robe walked out slowly.

He passed through the scattered ranks of the captains, over the trembling armored horses, and stood alone at the very front of the crowd.

"Senior Brother Lin!"

Ruan Xiangling exclaimed in surprise.

She never expected that, after what happened last time, the other party would still be willing to get involved in Anren Prefecture's troubles.

But the current situation is not something that can be changed by one person alone.

The demons arrived with murderous intent, eager to avenge their companions; how could they possibly be afraid of that flowing cloud sword robe?

"Shh!"

Ruan Changfeng suddenly reached out and grabbed his sister's arm, signaling her to be quiet.

Many of the lieutenants and officers stared at the demonic clouds in the sky with suspicion and uncertainty.

The moment the head of the Yu family stepped out, the overwhelming demonic aura slowly stopped.

What's going on?

Lin Shu stood upright, her clothes fluttering, her right hand casually resting on the hilt of her sword at her waist.

He did not unleash his aura, let alone perform any hand seals.

But the demonic cloud inexplicably stopped in the air.

His subsequent actions left many officers and lieutenants completely astonished.

"Lin is in charge of Wuyang, Zhongshan, and sixteen other counties including Furong."

Lin Shu slightly raised her eyes and gazed at the dark sky.

His voice was clear and calm, without any hint of threat.

Those subordinates who were not familiar with the young man didn't even understand what he was doing.

This kind of situation usually occurs with those infamous predecessors, who can scare away the demons with just their reputation and intimidation, thus avoiding greater losses.

Although Lin Shu was a high-ranking official, he had only recently arrived in Anren Prefecture.

He only entered the Demon Mountain once, and even then, he suffered a crushing defeat.

Would the demons fear him?

The next moment, the group of people suddenly widened their eyes.

After a brief pause, the rolling red clouds began to swirl backwards towards the mountains, right before everyone's eyes.

The fierce wind and torrential rain quietly subsided.

The demonic clouds, like a crimson sunset, began to dissipate at a visible speed.

The sky became clear and bright again.

"Is it... all over?"

Ruan Xiangling suddenly bit her tongue.

She had never witnessed such a bizarre scene since joining the Demon Slayer Division.

The death wish on the faces of the lieutenants and officers looked somewhat comical after the demons slowly retreated.

"Senior Brother Zhang, what's going on?!"

Ruan Changfeng dismounted and rushed to the young man's side, staring incredulously at the mountains.

"I'm not confident I can hold the county seat, so this is the only option."

Lin Shu turned around and gently shook her head.

He made up a random excuse to explain why he hadn't taken action.

The actual situation was pretty much as he had guessed.

The area outside Wuyang County is the territory of the Azure Sea Demon Lord. Since this is a revenge plan organized by this demon lord, the demons of Seven Star Mountain must also be involved.

He was, after all, a demon lord; he should still have some face to lose.

"..."

Shocked, everyone fell silent.

The other party said they were not confident they could defend the county town, not that they couldn't defeat the demons.

These two concepts are quite different.

At this moment, they suddenly became curious about what exactly had happened at Seven Star Mountain.

It seems that only the Demon Slayer Division suffered a defeat in that so-called great defeat.

The sect leader disciple standing before them seemed to have left an indelible shadow in the hearts of the demons!

"No wonder he was so angry at the time..."

Ruan Xiangling suddenly remembered something.

The fury on Senior Brother Lin's face earlier was probably not because Yu Mingxuan sent people to assassinate him, which almost caused him to perish in the mountains.

It was because of the entanglement with those few people that he was unable to quickly kill the locusts and return to provide reinforcements, causing the demon-slaying operation to fail.

In short, it's not that we can't beat them, it's that we're not killing them fast enough.

"By order of Vice Minister Yu, you are temporarily in charge of the sixteen county towns, acting as county magistrates. Do not wander off."

Lin Shu casually gave an order to the little chick.

He looked at the prompts for good deeds that appeared before him.

Besides these lieutenants and captains, there were also quite a few demons.

There are indeed no ordinary people among them.

This shows that the Azure Sea Demon Lord is still able to control his subordinate demons.

That being the case.

Although the demons gave him face, he still had to take revenge.

As long as the counties under Yu Sheng's jurisdiction are left untouched.

As for these people in front of you, they shouldn't run around during this time. They should stay put and follow the little chicks to accumulate merits.

"We obey!"

The officers and lieutenants bowed in unison, but their hearts were still churning with turbulent emotions that were difficult to contain.

The young man scared away the demons without making a single move.

This incident alone is enough to make Senior Brother Lin famous throughout Anren Prefecture.

What's the use of the Yu family not recognizing this mountain master if the demon does?

The one that can intimidate the demon hordes is the true master of the mountain!

"Go."

Lin Shu nodded and turned back to Wuyang County.

Despite the intense gazes of the city's residents, he made no attempt to use his wind-riding skills to patrol the mountains.

The purpose was to use these rumors to confirm that he was located in the sixteen counties surrounding Wuyang.

Only then can he free up his hands to do something else.

Lin Shu returned to the inn, changed out of her conspicuous flowing cloud sword robe, and put on a simple black shirt instead.

"This should be considered the easiest good deed to earn."

He stepped in as a peacemaker and made a fortune from it.

The eight lieutenants were all mid-stage Core Formation generals, with the lowest rank being 300 taels and the other two being late-stage Core Formation generals, each worth over 500 taels, totaling more than 2,900 taels.

The thousands of captains received between one and nine taels of silver, totaling 5,800 taels of merit.

The situation was slightly better for the demons, since they were numerous. Without Lin Shu intervening, they only had to sacrifice six demon generals to annihilate the entire force.

In contrast, the amount of good deeds was much less, only 1,900 taels.

"Indeed, when you're in the underworld, face is also very important."

Lin Shu looked at the full 10,900 taels of silver and was overjoyed.

However, you can probably only earn that kind of money once.

If they were to actively mobilize the demons to attack again, and since their only thought was to make money and they didn't really intend to kill these people, then fundamentally, they wouldn't die.

I'll try it next time I have the chance.

"come over."

Lin Shu summoned the Azure Phoenix that had saved her from peril.

Although good deeds temper the Niwan point, they will not improve one's strength before attaining the Golden Core.

But don't forget, although the Azure Phoenix is ​​a phantom of a celestial being and its progress slows down after reaching the Golden Core stage, its upper limit is the mid-Golden Core stage after it devoured Yu Qiheng's soul.

Even if it's slow, with so much good money being poured in, things should change by now.

"call."

Lin Shu skillfully mobilized and injected good deeds into it.

Within the Immortal Abode of Mountains and Seas.

The Dao essence surged up along the meridians of Yu Xing Dou, continuing to wash over the already sufficiently rounded Ni Wan.

Even after the third quenching, the price of further quenching began to skyrocket.

However, with so much merit poured in, only a little over a thousand taels of merit were spent, and another Dao pattern appeared on Niwan.

"It must be because too much was poured in last time. So, each additional one only requires three thousand taels of merit."

At present, this thing is purely a matter of slow and steady progress.

Having a lot of money means being arrogant.

Seven thousand eight hundred taels of silver were thrown down.

The crimson sea of ​​Dao marrow nearly roared.

Three more obscure Dao patterns appeared on the Niwan point, bringing it to the sixth level of the Dao!

This time, however, Lin Shu did not feel the same alluring sensation as before. Instead, he felt empty, as if he had lost something, causing a deficiency in his path and preventing him from obtaining the Dragon-Tiger Treasure Pill.

"There was definitely a problem."

He narrowed his eyes slightly, feeling a little annoyed: "Fortunately, although it's much more expensive now, the Purple Cloud Golden Pill is no longer an elusive thing. At least there's something to look forward to."

Lin Shu briefly sensed the mud ball.

They discovered that the difficulty of further refining the material had increased several times over.

Boo!

A clear, melodious cry rang out, and he glanced sideways at the Azure Phoenix of Calamity.

The illusory image of the blue sparrow twitched slightly as it tried to digest the white light, its internal energy having already entered a completely new level.

The overwhelming pressure reminded Lin Shu of an old friend.

He was already at the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm, comparable to Yu Qiheng.

This means that it has reached its limit and needs to devour new Azure Phoenix souls.

"Come back."

Lin Shu summoned back the Azure Phoenix that had saved her from peril, and then put away the remaining three thousand one hundred taels of merit.

Keep it on your person for now. It can replenish the Azure Phoenix's magical power, and you can also wait until you have accumulated enough merit before trying the seventh tempering.

With his foundation strengthened once again, it meant that he could truly unleash the power of the Mountain God Mirror.

Even without storing the power of mountains and rivers, this precious mirror is still a rare treasure in itself.

Lin Shu hasn't tried it yet to see the specific effects, but it should be able to suppress opponents of the same realm without any problems.

call out!

Just then, a paper crane transformed into a streak of light and flew in through the window.

Lin Shu reached out and caught it, then gently unfolded it.

Having left Anren Prefecture, it was no longer as nerve-wracking as before when delivering messages.

Old Xu led the monkeys and others to roam the mountains and rivers, only responsible for gathering information, and did not participate in the battles between demons and the Demon Slayer Bureau.

And this is the ill-gotten money Lin Shu plans to make next.

With the ability to ride the wind and patrol the mountains by his side, his cultivation level may not be as high as that of other great demons, but when it comes to putting out fires, his ability is definitely far superior to that of ordinary demon lords.

"The sect leader disciple will be temporarily retiring."

After scanning the messages, Lin Shu stretched her arms and casually yawned.

While the legitimate leaders of the Qi and Yu families haven't yet entered the world, we need to speed up our money-making efforts.

The paper crane spontaneously combusted, turning into wisps of blue smoke.

The wisps of smoke were dispersed by the breeze, and the figure had already disappeared from the inn.

at the same time.

Dozens of demon generals landed deep in the mountains.

Many people looked indignant: "What do you mean? Why should we retreat just because that sect leader appears? Not every sect leader is a Golden Core expert. He's so young... We should at least see what he's capable of!"

"no."

Ling Liu's expression was strange as she turned around: "You think we're giving him face and letting those Demon Slayers off for now?"

The demon general shrugged: "What else?"

Before he could finish speaking, the demon general from Seven Star Mountain smacked him hard on the head: "Idiot, it was the Demon Lord drawing the line for you!"

"It means there's something going on in Wuyang and sixteen other counties. The officials are there on business, and to avoid you getting involved and losing your life, they're kindly telling you to leave quickly. Do you understand now?"

"A demon, a demon lord?"

The demons stood there dumbfounded, looking at each other in disbelief.

When did another demon lord arrive in Anren Prefecture?!