Volume One, Chapter 14: Thank You

Under the veil of night, Jiang Huan groped his way through the urban village. He did not know where Zhang Yu had gone, so he could only follow his intuition, searching in the general direction. Before long, he heard a series of explosions.

The shops along the way had long since closed their doors, and the residents in the apartment buildings had bolted their reinforced windows tight. In the entire village, it felt as though only Jiang Huan remained, save for the faint sounds carried on the wind from afar.

"What is this?" Jiang Huan picked up a scorched piece of yellow paper shaped like a bat. Subconsciously, he thought of the Dog God paper charm he had seen earlier. He followed the trail of the scorched paper and soon spotted Zhang Yu in an alley, locked in a fierce battle with a man in a suit.

This was the first time Jiang Huan had seen Zhang Yu fight with everything he had. The man’s previously somewhat bloated frame now appeared incredibly robust. The ruler in his hand seemed like a three-foot longsword, every swing carrying the weight of a stern reprimand. Before him, the man in the suit gripped his katana with both hands, yet could barely hold his ground. Beside the man stood the phantom of a ronin, wielding a matching blade. The two of them attacked in tandem, yet were utterly suppressed by Zhang Yu.

Zhang Yu’s movements were clean and decisive. From time to time, a phantom of a Confucian scholar would manifest behind him, catching the man in the suit and his ronin off guard.

Jiang Huan was surprised. "To use every ounce of spiritual power exactly where it’s needed—no wonder Old Man Zhang is always so arrogant."

Ordinary spirit weapons only assist their wielders in their physical form. Once a spirit reaches C-rank or higher, and the wielder attains the third stage of strength, they can manifest the spirit to fight alongside them, significantly boosting combat power. If the spirit's quality is high enough, even a first-stage wielder can manifest it. However, manifestation consumes a vast amount of spiritual energy, so lower-level wielders do not do so lightly.

Yet, the way Zhang Yu manifested his spirit was truly breathtaking. Most of the time, he handled the man in the suit and the ronin phantom on his own. Only at critical moments would his Confucian spirit manifest abruptly, sending his opponents flying with a single strike of the ruler. This method not only minimized the consumption of spiritual power but also made Jiang Huan realize that Zhang Yu’s control over his energy was far beyond that of an average person.

"He is in the light, and his spirit is in the shadows. He’s less like a scholar and more like an assassin. Old Man Zhang is truly a veteran of the Demon Suppression Army."

The man in the suit’s face grew increasingly pale. His impeccably pressed suit was now tattered and torn. Blood seeped from the gashes, revealing mangled flesh beneath. The ronin spirit beside him fared no better, its form flickering and dimming as if it were about to dissipate.

The man in the suit raised a hand to call a halt. "You have impressive skills, sir. I concede today. I’ll give you ten million; let me go. Consider it for the sake of the Amaterasu Society, how about that?"

Zhang Yu shook his head.

The man in the suit gritted his teeth. To survive, he pressed on: "Do you really intend to fight me to the death? Do you think I could have infiltrated Caiyun City without someone backing me? If I die here today, your life in this city won't be easy either!"

Zhang Yu let out a cold snort. "You mean the Ye family? Don’t worry. Even without your lot, there is no shortage of conflict between the Demon Suppression Army and the Ye family." He paused, then added, "Besides, the Sages of Great Xia long ago declared: 'When guests arrive, provide them with peace.'"

"What does that mean?" the man in the suit asked, his fury mounting.

Zhang Yu looked at him with disdain. "Since you’ve already arrived, you may as well find your final resting place here."

The man’s rage could no longer be contained. As a third-stage spirit wielder, he had never suffered such humiliation. If there was no way to end this peacefully, then he would fight to the death!

He and his spirit swung their katanas in unison, their forms blurring into a phantom shadow as they lunged at Zhang Yu. Zhang Yu showed no signs of nervousness, watching the approaching man with cold indifference. In an instant, the Confucian scholar spirit behind him flexed its arms, its loose robes filled out by bulging, dragon-like muscles. The ruler in the spirit’s hand grew several times its original size. With a single wave, the ronin spirit was shattered, and the man in the suit was sent flying heavily to the side.

Hidden in the shadows, Jiang Huan couldn't help but click his tongue. "Good thing I didn't get into it with Old Man Zhang today. With his ability to concentrate and erupt with spiritual power like that, I wouldn't last more than three moves."

Zhang Yu walked slowly toward the man in the suit, appearing in no rush at all. Suddenly, Jiang Huan realized something. "Damn it! If I let Old Man Zhang keep going, I won’t be able to finish my mission!"

Jiang Huan’s form vanished from his spot. Utilizing his "Concealment" ability, he slipped through the darkness, rapidly closing the distance to the man in the suit.

The man in the suit stood up, drenched in blood. He stumbled, but a twisted, ferocious smile spread across his face. "You forced my hand! Let's go to hell together!" He grabbed his katana and prepared to plunge it into his own abdomen.

Even the composed Zhang Yu showed a flash of panic. He threw his ruler with all his might, striking the man in the suit. The man spat out a mouthful of blood, yet his posture remained unyielding. The katana drew ever closer to his stomach, his smile growing increasingly savage. His lips moved in a silent murmur. Judging by their shape, he was whispering: "Long live Amaterasu."

*Pfft!*

The sound of a blade piercing flesh echoed dully through the night. The man’s ferocious smile froze, and he looked down at his chest in confusion. A long blade, appearing as if it were pieced together from fragments, had abruptly appeared before his eyes.

He subconsciously turned his head, only to see a youthful face emerging from the shadows behind him.

"Thank you."

The man in the suit was stunned. Why would someone thank him after stabbing him?

The next moment, the blade embedded in his chest was pulled horizontally, shredding his ribcage, severing his right arm, and thoroughly extinguishing his life force. The man in the suit collapsed limply into a pool of blood, and the mechanical voice of the system sounded.

[Spirit Weapon "Thousand Blades" has killed a third-stage spirit wielder. Experience +345.]
[Mutual Growth triggered! Host experience +345.]
[Congratulations to the host for completing the mission. Spirit Weapon "Thousand Blades" experience +500, Compatibility +5.]
[Mutual Growth triggered! Host experience +500.]
[Reward: Ability "Tranquility." There are ten thousand temptations in the world; only a pure heart can overcome them.]

"Jiang Huan! Why are you here?" Before Jiang Huan could properly study his new ability, Zhang Yu’s voice rang out.

Jiang Huan offered an awkward smile. "Good evening, Teacher Zhang."

"Don't try to play dumb! I asked you, why are you here?"

Jiang Huan curled his lip and improvised, "I was worried you might run into danger, so I came to check."

Although Zhang Yu was skeptical, the excuse held enough water that he didn't press the issue. "Worrying about me? Do you have any idea how dangerous what you just did was?"

Jiang Huan scratched his head. "Was it? I just saw him standing there like a fool, so I came over and stabbed him."

Zhang Yu rolled his eyes. "He was a member of the Wa-nation’s Amaterasu Society! He was planning to burn his lifeblood to force his spirit into a berserk state. Once his spirit went berserk, even I would have had to retreat temporarily!"

Jiang Huan realized then, looking at the man in the pool of blood with lingering fear. "Teacher Zhang, what is this Amaterasu Society?"

Zhang Yu shrugged. "A spirit wielder organization from the Wa-nation. They’ve sent plenty of spies into Great Xia over the years, seemingly looking for something..." Halfway through, Zhang Yu’s gaze fell upon the long blade in Jiang Huan’s hand. His eyes filled with utter disbelief. "Jiang Huan, did your spirit weapon level up?"