Chapter 67: Come With Me to Slay Demons

As Li Hao hurried back to the skies above Cangyu City, he saw a vast, dark cloud of Spirit Beasts rolling in from the north. But instead of rushing toward the threat, he first headed straight for the City Governor’s Mansion, eager to learn what was happening.

Yet upon conducting a Spirit Soul search, he was met with a shocking sight within the mansion’s halls.

"Demon-Subduing Bureau?!"

At the same moment, Yue Shuhong and the broad-faced giant also noticed the Dark Robe clinging to Li Hao’s frame—and both froze in surprise.

Though technically part of the Demon-Subduing Bureau, Li Hao was merely a lowly Demon Suppression Officer. Yet the way he had arrived… there was no way he was just an ordinary officer.

"You’re…?" Yue Shuhong frowned. He couldn’t recall any such young prodigy in the city’s Bureau records.

But Li Hao paid him no mind. Instead, he turned his gaze sharply to the broad-faced man.

"You’re Hupao? The Tiger-Robe Immortal?"

The man grinned, revealing jagged, feral teeth. "That’s right—me, the Tiger Lord. Looks like even beyond Cangyu City, I’ve earned a little fame."

Li Hao tightened his grip on the blade’s hilt. The wood creaked slightly as it slowly warped under his fingers.

He drew in a deep breath of Qi and spoke, his voice calm but laced with ice.

"Seven years ago… you ambushed a Captain on the Qizhou National Road. Do you remember?"

"Hmph." The man arched an eyebrow, his eyes instantly turning cold. "You mean that Yanbei Army officer? What’s your connection to the Li Clan?"

Seeing the man’s admission, Li Hao’s eyes flared with unrestrained killing intent.

"My name is Li!"

The Tiger-Robe Immortal’s pupils contracted. His Qi surged violently, his gaze flicking past Li Hao to fix upon Yue Shuhong.

"Yue Xiong," he growled, "this boy must’ve overheard our conversation. What now?"

"You’ve been exposed," Li Hao said coldly. "Your secret alliance with the Spirit Beasts has been revealed. Even if you escape me today, your reputation is already ruined. You know the law under Emperor Yu—what crime is it to conspire with Spirit Beasts?"

Yue Shuhong’s expression hardened. He stared at Li Hao’s back.

But after a moment, he shook his head, a bitter laugh escaping him.

"Hupao… if I still listened to you, I’d truly be blind. Today, it’s either you die—or I do. We made a promise when we first joined hands: to die in the same year, same month."

"Spit!" The Tiger-Robe Immortal spat a foul, yellowish glob onto the ground. "Fool! Mortals like you, short-lived creatures—how dare you speak of sharing fate with me?"

With that, he lunged—first.

Behind him, the mighty Tiger Spirit Soul roared, a thunderous bellow that could shatter souls in the Continuation of Soul Realm.

But the sound barely stirred the black strands of hair above Li Hao’s forehead.

His eyes were deep, bottomless—like pools from which no light could escape.

Only when the massive form was nearly upon him did Li Hao finally raise his hand.

Boom!

His palm snapped open, slapping flat against the Immortal’s forehead—and then slammed down with crushing force, driving the man’s skull into the stone floor. The stone cracked beneath the impact.

The exchange happened in an instant—lightning-fast. Yue Shuhong, still mid-step, froze mid-motion, one foot suspended in the air, unable to react.

The Demon-Slaying Blade, its edge already cracked, was reversed in Li Hao’s grip. With a brutal twist, he plunged it into the side of the Immortal’s neck.

The Tiger-Robe Immortal stared up in disbelief—this power, this skill… how was this possible?!

But all he saw was a pair of eyes colder than winter’s heart.

"I won’t let you die so easily."

Li Hao’s voice was a whisper.

And as he spoke, he proved it.

The blade tore through flesh and hide—razor-sharp, precise. He peeled back the entire shoulder, then the entire back, ripping the tiger’s pelt clean off, exposing raw, glistening muscle beneath.

Cooking Dao: Skinning and Boiling for Soup!

This was the most basic, yet most brutal, method of preparing meat. And Li Hao wielded it with the grace of a master—so fluid, so precise, it bordered on the art of the Dao.

The sudden, violent stripping of skin sent the Immortal into a shrieking agony. A guttural roar tore from its throat—then, its body erupted with black-yellow fur, its true form emerging.

The massive Tiger Spirit Soul behind it surged forward, roaring at Li Hao—but before it could strike, Li Hao’s own Spirit Soul manifested.

Taller than him, yet eerily similar in form. With a single, effortless palm, it crushed the Tiger Spirit Soul’s head like a melon.

The force of the blow sent the Spirit Soul staggering back. When it reformed, its aura was faint, its eyes wide with shock and fear.

Unbeatable.

"Back then, you killed Lin Shu," Li Hao said, each word dripping with cold fury. "Today, you’ll pay for every second of suffering you caused."

The Broken Blade, now gleaming with spirit energy, remained sharp. The Tiger-Robe Immortal’s head was pinned beneath Li Hao’s foot—unable to rise, as if nailed to the earth.

The Immortal writhed, thrashing in desperation, but the pressure was unbearable.

Then, a faint golden glow flickered in Li Hao’s eyes.

He activated the Chess Scroll power embedded within his Body Dao—Tiger Press.

Tiger Press: A minor enhancement of physical power, instilling terrifying presence.

When combined with sword art, it amplifies both power and intimidation.

Now, in full release, Li Hao’s entire body radiated the aura of a millennia-old tiger king—the true sovereign of the wilds. His eyes blazed with the cold, unyielding gaze of a ruler who commanded every beast beneath him.

The Tiger-Robe Immortal, crushed beneath that presence, trembled uncontrollably. A primal fear gripped him—the sensation of being pinned by the true king of tigers.

He couldn’t even summon the will to fight.

"Mercy… please, I’m sorry! I’ll do anything! Let me be your servant… house slave… anything!" The Immortal whimpered, sobbing in terror.

Li Hao said nothing.

His blade moved again—swift, precise, relentless.

He stripped the entire tiger pelt from head to tail, layer by layer, exposing the raw, bleeding flesh beneath.

The Immortal screamed in agony, but remained motionless, too broken to flee.

Beside them, Yue Shuhong stood frozen—stunned.

Was this really the same arrogant, untouchable Tiger-Robe Immortal he’d known for over twenty years?

Peel. Slice. Chop. Tear.

Blood poured like a river from the Immortal’s body. It begged. It pleaded. But Li Hao showed no mercy.

The sight—so violent, so merciless—shook Yue Shuhong to his core. His skin crawled. Cold dread seeped through his bones.

After nearly half an hour of torment, Li Hao finally severed the Immortal’s head.

He drove the Broken Blade deep into the chest, then lifted the lifeless, eyeless tiger head—its gaze still filled with terror—and held it aloft.

"Seven years ago," Li Hao asked, voice like ice, "did you take part in the ambush on my Li Clan?"

Yue Shuhong’s body shook. Though Li Hao didn’t turn, the cold aura radiating from him was palpable.

He knew—there was no escape.

A bitter, hollow laugh escaped him. "I may deserve death… but I’d never betray loyal men."

Li Hao’s tone sharpened. "Then was it you who conspired with the Spirit Beasts? Who secretly handed humans over as food for them?"

Yue Shuhong’s face twitched. He nodded slowly.

"Yes… I did. I delivered prisoners… then bandits… then even ordinary people. I… did it all."

He gave a self-mocking smile. "At first, I only sent condemned criminals—useless lives. But when the supply ran out… they demanded more. I had no choice."

"Why?" Li Hao turned, his gaze piercing.

"Why did you side with the Spirit Beasts?"

Yue Shuhong sighed, his eyes dimming with sorrow.

"When I first arrived, I wanted to purge the surrounding Spirit Beasts. To cleanse the world. But I soon realized… no matter how hard we tried, we couldn’t win. They multiply too fast. Their numbers grow too vast. The Great Yu Dynasty… it’s not the invincible empire it once was. We’ve fallen."

"I pleaded for reinforcements. For troops. But my letters… they vanished. No reply."

"Who could save Cangyu City?"

He laughed bitterly, looking at Li Hao.

"If I didn’t feed them… more would die. I’m powerless. But if I take the burden of all their sins… maybe… just maybe… I can save the people."

"I know I’ll die for this. I don’t ask for mercy. But… I only wish… I could be buried within Cangyu City. That’s all I ask… please… grant me this."

With that, he tore open his official robes, dropped to his knees, and removed his City Guardian’s Black Gauze Hat, placing it gently beside him.

His hair fell loose, streaked with gray. Tears traced paths through the dust on his cheeks.

Li Hao stood in the warm glow of the oil lamp, staring down at the man whose face remained in shadow—yet clearly etched with sorrow, with tears.

For a long moment, silence reigned.

Then, Li Hao looked away.

"You are guilty," he said coldly. "But your punishment is for the Imperial Court to decide. Not me."

"Yet with the Great Demon Overwhelm upon us… if you still have strength, then—"

He turned, lifted the massive tiger head, and placed it on a nearby table.

"—come with me. To Slay Demons."

And with that, he walked away, leaving the blood-soaked scene behind.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end