I defeated the saint with a parry.

"Demon Slayer!"

Zhao Yi interrupted their pleasantries in a low voice, asking, "Lord Zhongsong is dead. May our merchant guild request your escort?"

He certainly has a good plan.

Xu Ling glanced at Li west, who, as the boss, didn't object, so he asked, "Where are you going?"

"Fancheng!" Zhao Yi said with a smile. He had just heard Xu Ling and Li Xi mention Fancheng, so he brought it up himself, since it was on his way.

"It's a coincidence that we're going the same way, but I must remind Master Zhao that I took on the job from Young Master Li's family first. There's a first-come, first-served principle. Even if I agree to escort the merchant guild, I will take care of the Li family first."

"That's how it should be."

Zhao Yi didn't care at all.

The Zhong Song they hired is dead. If they don't have a demon slayer with them, they'll be powerless against any monsters they encounter on the road. They're lucky to be able to hitch a ride; at least they have a chance to survive.

Since I'm just getting a ride anyway, why ask for so much?

Zhao Yi took out a bag of silver from his sleeve and handed it to Xu Ling. He tossed it to check its weight; it was worth at least a hundred taels.

As expected of a merchant, he was even more generous than the young master of the Li family. After all, he had more people, so the amount he gave was reasonable.

"Is that monk alright?"

No sooner had he finished asking than the young monk rushed out of the hut: "Esteemed benefactor! The abbot invites you in!"

"Oh?"

He's still alive? His chest was pierced, yet he's still breathing. He's a real menace.

Xu Ling kept a cold face and showed no intention of moving inside.

The young monk sensed his attitude and began to get anxious: "It's like this, my abbot would like to ask you to give up that demon core."

A demon core is a treasure that can only be formed by demons that have reached the Condensation Realm.

These two, master and apprentice, really have a shrewd attitude. They didn't exert any effort at all, yet they wanted the lion's share.

Xu Ling drew his sword, the gleaming blade already pressed against the little monk's neck: "Want a demon core? Trade your life for it. If you dare ask again, I will kill you."

The little monk retreated in fear and ran back to his hut without saying another word.

Xu Ling snorted coldly. People like the old monk would find him dirty even if you gave them money.

Inside the room, the merchants had already left, leaving only the old monk lying on the ground. His face was deathly pale, but the bleeding from his chest had stopped. Seeing the young monk return, he asked, "Where's the demon core?"

The young monk knelt there, responding timidly, "That sir refused to give it to me, saying... if I dared to ask for it again, he would kill me."

"Fine, fine, let them go then. They won't live much longer anyway."

The old monk waved his hand and said nothing more. His blood and energy completely disappeared, making him no different from a dead person. The young monk ignored him.

In the courtyard, Xu Ling turned to Zhao Yi and Li west: "It's almost dawn, let's pack up and head out."

With Zhong Song's map as a guide, they only needed to pass through one more village to get back on the right road and soon reach Fancheng.

Nobody wants to stay in this lousy place any longer.

Li west and Hou Le had nothing to tidy up, so after Zhao Yi and the others finished, Zhao Yi approached them and said, "I have something else to ask. I wonder if you have any plans for the tiger demon's corpse, sir?"

"What are you going to do?"

"That tiger demon is a treasure from head to toe. If we bring it back to Fancheng, we can sell it for a lot of money. If you are interested, I can help you find a buyer to dispose of it."

"Alright! It'll be an 80/20 split, you get 20%, I get 80%. If you agree, it's yours, I can even give you the demon core."

"make a deal."

With Xu Ling's approval, Zhao Yi called his men, and within a quarter of an hour, the tiger demon was dismembered.

Without the protection of spiritual energy, the tiger demon's fur had long been breached, and they, as mortals, could easily deal with it.

The tiger demon was at the Concentration Realm, and the tiger whip was a great treasure. Zhao Yi carefully put it away, and judging from how precious it was to him, he valued it even more than the demon core.

Xu Ling was speechless: "Is it really necessary? Is Boss Zhao going to make up for it even for his own family?"

Zhao Yi laughed heartily: "My lord, you don't understand. Tiger penises are something that can only be found by chance. Tiger demons are rare to begin with, and tiger penises that are preserved so well are even rarer. There may be plenty for sale in the capital, but in Fancheng, there is no market for them."

"Merchants value things based on their rarity. Although the core of a Nascent Soul Realm demon is precious, it is not considered rare."

After saying that, he made a knowing look that all men would understand.

"Alright, I'll leave the sale to you. You guys pack up quickly so we can get going."

As dawn broke, the group quickly departed, and no one cared whether the old monk or the young monk lived or died.

After leaving the temple, the group walked south for ten miles, crossed a mountain, and walked another ten miles or so.

Before nightfall, we finally saw "Peach Blossom Village" on the map.

The village is nestled along a mountain road, where peach blossoms bloom on both sides of the mountain.

The climate here is pleasant, and the peach blossoms are in full bloom. As far as the eye can see, the village is surrounded by these flowers, making it a truly beautiful sight.

"No wonder it's called Peach Blossom Village."

Li west was delighted by the sight and couldn't help but exclaim, "The myriad flowers are dazzling to the eye; it's truly a beautiful scene. Living here wouldn't be bad at all."

Zhao Yi echoed, "I didn't expect that there would be a hundred households living in this desolate place. It seems that it is indeed very close to Fancheng."

The closer to the city, the larger the population.

"Master, there seem to be people at the village entrance."

Upon hearing the sound, Xu Ling looked towards the village entrance, his brows instantly furrowing.

The people of Taoyuan Village are a bit strange. As dusk approaches, instead of rushing home to close their doors and windows, they gather at the main road at the village entrance and line up to walk into the village, dancing the Nuo dance as they go.

As you get closer, you can hear the villagers chanting in their own low voices, using the same words and the same tune as the leader.

The leader wore a huge ghost mask on his head, but his own face was painted black, and he had four pairs of sharp teeth in his mouth, staring with a ferocious expression.

His left-hand knife and right-hand sword were both stained dark red, and Xu Ling could smell a stench from them; they must be real blood.

"Excuse me...."

Zhao Yi had just opened his mouth when Xu Ling stopped him.

The last few people in the village procession turned around and looked fiercely. Only when Xu Ling clasped his hands in apology did they look away and continue dancing with the procession.

Zhao Yi was so frightened by the group that he broke out in a sweat. He swallowed hard and asked in a low voice, "Sir, why is this? I just wanted to ask for directions. Why do you look like you're going to eat me alive?"

"Eating you wouldn't be the case, but killing you is more likely." Although Xu Ling didn't know what ritual they were performing or what god they were worshipping, he knew very well that such rituals were most inviolable if interrupted.

Whether it's superstition or genuine wisdom, interrupting someone's journey is like cutting off their path. At best, it will backfire; at worst, it will bring serious taboos.

Xu Ling had heard that if one called out the real name of the person impersonating a god during a ceremony, it would break the spell and could be fatal.

So, enjoy the game and watch, but don't make any noise.

Moreover, this is a fantasy world; who knows what strange things we might encounter?

Xu Ling couldn't help but emphasize, "This village is not simple. Everyone must be careful with their words and actions. If you cause trouble because of saying the wrong thing, don't blame me for being ruthless."

Having learned from Zhao Yi's example, everyone behaved themselves and said they knew what to do.

"You don't need to worry too much. This village has such a ritual, which is a good thing for us who are staying here. Perhaps even demons won't dare to approach, and we can sleep peacefully at night."