The evening wind blew through the half-open window into the meditation room, stirring up a strong scent of blood.
Jiang Yuechu slowly re-sheathed the horizontal saber at her waist.
Just then.
[Undocumented Demon detected. Do you wish to consume Dao Cultivation to document it?]
Hmm?
Jiang Yuechu's eyebrows rose.
Another new Demon to document?
She didn't hesitate for a moment, her thoughts stirring.
"Yes."
The next moment, on the panel, the recently acquired Dao Cultivation was rapidly diminishing.
In the blink of an eye, two hundred years of Dao Cultivation vanished without a trace.
[Successfully imprinted Black Mountain Bear Lord, gaining a Demon's gift.]
[Sealing Mouth and Solidifying Qi Method (Perfection).]
[Sealing Mouth and Solidifying Qi Method: This is the Black Mountain Bear Lord's unique body-tempering Cultivation Technique. When practicing, one must take a deep breath, store it between the chest and abdomen, then exert force to break the enemy and destroy fortifications.]
It was actually a body-tempering Cultivation Technique!
Jiang Yuechu's heart stirred.
She was no longer the novice who knew nothing about this world; she naturally understood the preciousness of body-tempering Cultivation Techniques.
So-called body-tempering is to refine the Physical Body, making it as hard as iron and stone, impervious to blades and spears.
Such Cultivation Techniques are extremely powerful; once mastered, one is almost invincible within the same Realm.
However, their difficulty in Cultivating far surpasses ordinary martial arts.
Ordinary Martial Artists rarely choose to Cultivate a body-tempering Cultivation Technique.
No other reason: it's too arduous and too slow.
Not only does it require enduring inhuman pain and daily hammering of the Physical Body, but it also demands a massive amount of rare medicinal materials for assistance; otherwise, it's extremely easy to suffer hidden injuries.
"Gulp."
Chen Tong swallowed hard, breaking the deadly silence in the meditation room.
He looked at the dismembered bear corpse, then at Jiang Yuechu, who stood calmly in the pool of blood.
He felt a chill rush from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head.
He had seen many ruthless people, but never one like Jiang Yuechu.
Jiang Yuechu glanced at the scene, ultimately suppressing the urge to test the Cultivation Technique's effects on the spot.
"Clean it up."
Several men, as if granted a great pardon, suppressed their nausea and gathered the Demon bear's remains into one place.
Jiang Yuechu personally stepped forward, picked up the massive bear head, its eyes still wide in death, blood dripping from the severed neck onto the ground.
She pondered for a moment, then turned and handed the bear head to No Abstinence, the monk beside her.
"Take this back and report for duty."
No Abstinence immediately understood Jiang Yuechu's meaning.
The bear head was proof of merit.
As for the rest, it naturally belonged to the newly appointed Squad Leader.
He didn't ask further, reaching out to take the heavy head, then casually tearing off a piece of damaged kasaya from the pile of rotten flesh on the ground, wrapping it up in a few swift motions, and slinging it over his shoulder.
"Squad Leader, there's still one more..."
A man stepped forward, pointing to the lifeless woman on the bed.
Another man walked over, reached out to check her nose, then dejectedly shook his head.
"No Qi left."
Silence once again fell upon the meditation room.
What if they killed the Demon?
The Demon Suppression Division could slay Demons and eliminate evil, but ultimately, they couldn't save everyone.
Liu Ke stood in the corner, looking at the ravaged body, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
He suddenly understood why Jiang Yuechu had been so indifferent to the crying, kneeling commoners outside the county town.
All the Demon Suppression Division could do was kill Demons.
As for saving people... many times, they were simply too late, or couldn't save them at all.
That indifference was perhaps just to avoid giving people unnecessary hope.
Jiang Yuechu, however, wasn't so sentimental.
She glanced at the sky, frowning, "It's getting late. You all go down the mountain first and wait at the county yamen."
Chen Tong was startled, "Squad Leader, aren't you coming with us?"
"I still have some matters to attend to."
Jiang Yuechu shook her head, "The Demonic Qi here hasn't dispersed. I'll investigate further to ensure no other Demons are hidden."
This excuse was reasonable, and no one thought much of it.
"Yes!"
The group dared not say more, carrying the woman's corpse and the bear head, filing out.
Soon, only Jiang Yuechu remained in the bloody meditation room.
She closed the door behind her, cutting off everything from the outside.
Looking at the mountain of flesh and blood on the ground, a flicker of fervor flashed in her eyes.
Blood Food Technique, activate!
The next moment, countless blood-colored mists burst forth from her pores, transforming into dozens of hideous tentacles, instantly enveloping the pile of flesh and blood.
Streams of extremely pure blood and Qi continuously surged into her body along the blood-colored tentacles.
Boom!
The great lake of blood and Qi within her body instantly churned with monstrous waves!
In terms of effect, it was many times stronger than the Yao Beast flesh and blood Wei He had given her before!
After a long while.
"Hoo..."
Jiang Yuechu let out a long, turbid breath, feeling an indescribable comfort throughout her body.
She opened the panel.
[Host: Jiang Yuechu]
[Realm: Middle Bone Resonance Stage]
[Dao Cultivation: One hundred eighty-five years]
[...]
Middle Bone Resonance Stage!
Jiang Yuechu clenched her fist, feeling the strength within her body, which was several times more powerful than before, and she couldn't help but feel a little emotional.
That bear Demon really wasn't boasting before its death.
Having lingered in the String Hearing Stage for a hundred years, its Foundation was indeed perfectly polished.
Not only did it provide more Dao Cultivation than the Bone Resonance pig Demon she encountered before, but the quality of its flesh and blood was also ridiculously high.
She could even feel that she was only a step away from the Late Bone Resonance Stage.
"If all the Demons in this world Cultivated like it, then my days would be full of hope."
...Chen Tong and the others didn't return to the county yamen, but waited at the entrance of the dilapidated temple.
Seeing her return alone, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and quickly went to greet her.
"Squad Leader!"
"Let's go, let's head back."
Jiang Yuechu mounted her horse, her tone calm.
"Yes!"
The group led their horses back to Hechuan County Yamen.
County Magistrate Qian had already prepared food and wine; upon seeing everyone return, he bowed and scraped, rushing to greet them.
However, when his gaze fell upon the still-dripping bear head on No Abstinence's shoulder, his eyelids couldn't help but twitch.
Oh my goodness... they really killed it!
Jiang Yuechu had no interest in dealing with him, only telling everyone to rest. She found a clean guest room, closed the door, and didn't emerge again... The next day.
As soon as dawn broke, everyone set off on their journey back to Liangzhou Prefecture.
As for other aftermath, the county yamen would naturally handle it.
Compared to the clamor of their arrival, the atmosphere on the way back was eerily quiet.
Ten Red-Eyed Colts walked steadily along the official road; apart from the sound of hooves, there was no other noise.
Everyone's gaze, intentionally or unintentionally, drifted towards the figure at the very front of the procession.
Having killed the monks of Baosha Temple and then brutally slaughtered a Half-Step Ming Gu great Yao Beast.
This newly appointed Squad Leader's ruthlessness and severe methods had far exceeded their imagination.
Jiang Yuechu rode silently on her horse, pondering.
She still had one hundred eighty-five years of Dao Cultivation left.
It seemed like a lot, but in reality, it wasn't enough.
As for Cultivation Techniques, Tiger Roar Demon Suppressing Saber needed to be improved.
As for the Demon scrolls, besides the Tiger Mountain God, the wolf Demon, pig Demon, and bear Demon were all clamoring to be fed.
"Alas, there's still too little Dao Cultivation..."
While she was sighing, two fast horses caught up from the rear of the group, riding alongside her.
It was the two who had disposed of the Baosha monks' bodies.
The two exchanged glances, and one of them gritted his teeth, pulled out a few crumpled silver notes from his bosom, and handed them over with both hands.
"Squad... Squad Leader, this is... this is what we found on those two bald donkeys."
Jiang Yuechu was a little surprised.
She had forgotten about this.
She reached out and took them; they felt quite substantial.
Opening them, she saw they were several large-denomination silver notes, redeemable at major banks in the Great Tang.
A quick count revealed a staggering three thousand taels.
She glanced at the slightly fatigued yet feigning calm expressions of the people behind her.
Although these people hadn't helped much in killing the Demon this time, merely watching the entire process.
Still, they had put in some effort, even if not merit.
Moreover, they would all be her subordinates in the future, and she would need them to do things for her, so there was no need to be so stingy.
Immediately, she counted out two five-hundred-tael silver notes and casually tossed them back.
"Take these and divide them among the brothers."
Everyone was stunned.
Especially the man who had handed over the money, he fumbled to catch the silver notes, his face full of disbelief.
According to custom, when a team gained unexpected wealth.
The leader would take the lion's share, and giving some scraps to his subordinates was already considered benevolent.
But who... would be so generous?
Taking out a thousand taels to reward subordinates?!
Even if they divided it among the nine of them, each would get over a hundred taels.
Moreover, they really hadn't helped much.
"Squad Leader, this... this is too much..."
"Amitabha!"
No Abstinence, who knows when he had joined them, snatched the silver notes, and chuckled as he stuffed them into his bosom.
"If the Captain gives it, just take it! All of you, pushing and shoving, are you looking down on our Captain Jiang, or what?"
Everyone snapped out of it and expressed their thanks.
Their expressions clearly showed joy, and their impression of Jiang Yuechu improved significantly.
No Abstinence suggested, "It's hard for us nine to split this money. How about this: everyone gets a hundred taels, and with the rest, when we return to Liangzhou Prefecture, we brothers will go to Drunken Blossom House for some 'flower wine,' each pick one, and we'll all have a good time!"
Chen Tong's eyes lit up at the mention of Drunken Blossom House, and he chuckled.
"Damn it, my mouth has been so bland these past few days it's like a bird's! I just heard that Drunken Blossom House has some new Hu women, all with red hair and green eyes, and their breasts are bigger than their heads."
A knowing burst of laughter immediately erupted among the group.
Even the previously reserved men now wore the lewd smiles that all men understood.
Only Liu Ke maintained his cold expression.
He merely watched the boisterous rough men before him, a complex glint in his eyes.
He shook his head and whispered, "I'm not into that, I don't need it."
"No problem!"
No Abstinence wrapped an arm around his shoulder, winking, "Young Master Liu is a refined man, doesn't like common women, I understand. I'll just use two then!"
"…"
Liu Ke's face darkened, but he couldn't do anything about this shameless monk, so he just turned his head away and ignored him.
No Abstinence didn't care, turning his head back to Jiang Yuechu, "Captain Jiang, what do you think... why don't you join us? Besides the girls, Drunken Blossom House also has exceptional male courtesans. I heard they all have red lips and white teeth, delicate bodies, and are guaranteed to serve you comfortably..."
"Scram."
"Alright!"