Chapter 31: The Rise of the Demons

Chapter 31: The Emergence of Demons

"He passed away from illness at the start of the year. Heaven truly envies talent." Yang Huzhan wore an expression of deep regret.

Li Guangqian was truly dead. Qin Yuan was surprised to find that upon hearing the news, he felt no sadness at all.

"I didn't actually know Li Guangqian; I only saw his letters." Yang Huzhan rose and pulled a large stack of letters from his drawer. "There are so many, and I don't know why no one gave them to you. Had I not stumbled upon them by chance, you likely would never have known in this lifetime."

Qin Yuan felt a sudden urge to strike someone. He had always wondered why Li Guangqian never wrote to him, assuming the relentless wars had severed all communication. It turned out they had all been here the entire time. No wonder Yang Huzhan had looked at him with such pity earlier.

He opened the first letter and began to read as he walked outside.

*My dear friend Yuanda:*
*It has been several months since we parted. Are you well? I have reached Liuhe. The journey was arduous, but fortunately, the scenery here is quite beautiful, refreshing to the spirit...*

The second letter:
*Yuanda:*
*Why have you not replied to my previous letter? Has some misfortune befallen you? I have enclosed fifty taels of silver; please make use of it... The taxes of Liuhe have been collected seventy years in advance. The people are suffering, and all trades are withering. I cannot bear to inflict more hardship and fear I cannot remain in this post much longer.*

The third letter:
*Twice now, no reply. Was it never delivered, or did you not receive it? My father-in-law's family has left the capital; otherwise... The wealthy Huang family of this county is quite greedy and cruel, but they have powerful backers. It infuriates me... Recently, I have felt occasional pain in my liver, for reasons unknown.*

The fourth letter:
*Three times, never mind... Having offended the Huang family, I have lost my official position and have joined the governor's staff... The pain in my liver grows increasingly severe. The physicians cannot cure it, and I have been unable to sleep for many days. I have never harmed a soul in my life; why does Heaven treat me so?*

The tenth letter:
*My days are numbered. Looking back on my life, I find only the word "mediocre." I am ashamed... My son, Shoumin, will head to the capital next year. I trouble you to look after him.*
*—The final words of Li Guangqian.*

Even though Qin Yuan’s heart had turned to iron, he felt a suffocating tightness in his chest. "I really want to dig up the ashes of Wei Tong and the former Chief Administrator and scatter them to the winds."

Back home, Qin Yuan read the letters ten more times. It was nearly dark before he finally put them away.

*Knock, knock, knock.*

A rhythmic knocking at the door. Who could it be at this late hour? Qin Yuan intended to use his spiritual sense to check, but at the last moment, he decided to simply listen.

It was him. He walked over and opened the door.

***

Song Yufu stood outside. Compared to a month ago, he looked visibly haggard, but the confidence in his brow had not diminished in the slightest. Seeing Qin Yuan, he revealed a warm smile.

"Greetings, Chairman Song." Qin Yuan bowed. Though he did not wish to get entangled with this man, he could not very well turn him away now that he was at his doorstep.

Song Yufu glanced inside. "Will you not invite me in for a seat?"

"Please." Qin Yuan stepped aside.

As Song Yufu walked in, he looked startled. The entire courtyard was riddled with pits and hollows caused by Qin Yuan. It did not resemble the home of an ordinary civil official; it looked more like a training ground where martial artists had drilled for years.

"Before I came, someone told me that Record-Keeper Qin was an Eighth-Rank, and I didn't believe it." As he spoke, Song Yufu walked to the peach tree, looked up, and marveled, "This peach tree has grown so tall, its trunk so thick—I haven't seen one like it even in the South."

*With a pile of high-level experts buried underneath, full of essence and energy, how could it not grow?* Not to mention the Grandmaster from Haidong who had been buried alive. There were several mysterious factions that had tried to recruit him, and the people they sent had been killed by him. Ever since news of his wealth in Gulong and Jingyao had spread, it had drawn a wave of "heroes" looking to become fertilizer.

"Perhaps it is because I often fertilize and tend to the pests," Qin Yuan laughed.

"Fertilizing and tending to pests—only then can things grow tall and sturdy, just like this world," Song Yufu remarked with a touch of melancholy. He looked around and asked, "Does this vast residence house only you, Record-Keeper?"

"I am accustomed to living alone. It’s freedom." Qin Yuan did not want to be silencing people every three days.

"You are truly a remarkable man, Record-Keeper," Song Yufu praised. He had been in the capital for a month and had met many people, but only this Qin had given him a sense of refreshing surprise. He had intended to invite Qin Yuan to the South, but the words died in his throat. For one, given Qin Yuan’s nature, he certainly would not agree. Secondly, he did not wish to drag a man who yearned for freedom into the chaos of the world.

They went on to talk about children. Song Yufu mentioned he had a twelve-year-old child whose temperament was overly timid, which caused him some headaches.

Unbeknownst to them, the sky grew dark. Song Yufu took his leave. Qin Yuan walked him to the end of the alley before returning.

Song Yufu rode in his carriage, moving slowly through the still-bustling streets. From time to time, he lifted the curtain to gaze outside. Just as they were about to reach the Huitong Hostel, where he had been staying for a month, someone suddenly tossed an envelope into the carriage.

No—it had flown in on its own, like a falling leaf. Intrigued, Song Yufu leaned over to pick it up. He opened it to find a bank note for five hundred thousand taels. Tucked beneath the note was a small slip of paper with a single sentence: *A gift from Wei Ting.*

Clearly, Wei Ting was attempting to bribe Song Yufu with money. Had it been anyone else, they might have accepted. After all, this was five hundred thousand taels of silver; even in the South, few gentry could produce such a sum.

Song Yufu scoffed. He signaled the coachman to stop, stepped out, and declared in a loud voice, "This is a five hundred thousand tael bank note sent to me by Administrator Wei!"

Then, to the astonishment of the coachman and the passersby, he tore the bank note into shreds. He tossed the pieces into the air, where they fluttered down like snow.

"Since you refuse a toast, you shall be forced to drink a forfeit," a deep, rumbling voice suddenly boomed.

In the next moment, a group of clawing, snarling demons charged out. An ape with eight arms and blood-red eyes. A giant bear, thirty feet tall with a gaping maw. A black tiger with two fangs and razor-sharp claws. A strange, eerie deer with jagged teeth. A red, flame-wreathed bird flapping its wings.

They swarmed the carriage. In an instant, a normal world was dragged into an era of demonic chaos.

The clean-shaven guards beside Song Yufu’s carriage tensed and charged forward. They were all Ninth-Rank fighters—a force that could sweep through any region. Yet, in the blink of an eye, nearly half of them were slaughtered. The deaths were horrific: heads bitten off, hearts ripped out, entrails torn away...

"De... demons!"
"Demons are attacking!"

Passersby fled in a blind panic. They collided with each other and with walls; the scene was one of utter terror and filth. The remaining guards became even more frantic, unable to unleash their true strength. After a brief struggle, they were all killed in battle.

Under the dim night sky, amidst the desolate autumn wind, Song Yufu offered a disdainful smile before he, too, was tackled to the ground by the demons.

"Wei Ting, someone will settle the score with you eventually," Song Yufu’s voice was lost amidst the chaotic sounds of gnawing.

Duan Hu, hiding in the shadows, felt an inexplicable chill. He waited for a moment. As the demons finished consuming Song Yufu and his guards and turned their eyes toward the paralyzed onlookers, Duan Hu descended like a god. He swept his black-gold saber horizontally.

As the terrifying blade aura raged, the demons were either decapitated or fled, wounded. Those who had been invincible against the Ninth-Rank experts now seemed as fragile as paper. Only Duan Hu knew that he was so effective not because he was strong, but because he knew the fatal weak points of these creatures who had not yet fully matured.

"ROAR!"

The roar of a giant bear echoed from the next street, followed by the sounds of combat. Clearly, they had met resistance from martial artists. The capital lacked many things, but it never lacked people who practiced martial arts. Fearing that the true nature of the demons would be exposed, Duan Hu immediately gave chase, slaughtering them one by one.