Chapter 38: A Dangerous Individual

The predecessor of Jinnan Prefecture was a small village beside a ferry crossing. After the founding of the Great Ning Dynasty, water conservancy projects were vigorously developed. The humble ferry crossing became a vital waterway hub for the Great Ning, and the small village of yesteryear evolved into its current form. The name Jinnan Prefecture itself was derived from that ferry. It was selected as a waterway hub simply because there were two tall mountains on either side, which not only provided stone for construction but also allowed for the building of dams to store water. Standing on these mountains during the day, one could overlook the entire Jinnan Prefecture; at night, from the summit, one could only see the flickering starlight of the city lights below.

Meng Ran’s rate of growth far exceeded that of Chu Chen. Defined by the hierarchy of the demon race, he was already a Tier 9 demon beast, comparable to a human at the peak of the Soul Formation stage. The story of Chu Chen slaying demons and eliminating evil had just begun to spread wildly throughout Jinnan Prefecture before it was carried by riverboats to every major city in the Great Ning. Given this speed of propagation, it was inevitable that it would reach Meng Ran. When he learned that there was a young hero in the Jinnan Demon Suppression Office who had slain a Tier 4 demon while at the Qi Refining stage and had then stepped into the peak of Qi Refining in one leap, he already knew the answer. Meng Ran could think of no other way this was possible besides the rewards from the "Illustrations of Heroes."

Human cultivation, much like that of the demon race, is a dull and tedious affair. For a Tier 10 Great Demon, the fastest progression takes a millennium. Only those who have lived it know how much life, death, and suffering must be endured during that time. With the rewards from the Illustrations of Heroes, Meng Ran’s cultivation speed was comparable to the speed of light. He had arrived here with Chu Chen, and in a mere seven days, he had already become a Tier 9 demon beast and successfully recruited three underlings.

Meng Ran had his own set of criteria for selecting people: they must have a clear and definitive goal. Before he crossed over, Old Wu, the driver who transported his goods, was a single father. A failed marriage had left him filled with guilt toward his daughter. His only goal was to provide his daughter with an excellent life. Meng Ran had helped him choose schools and classes, arranging everything properly. He even set up a large sum of money in an overseas fund. Engaging in such business meant a firing squad if caught. Yet, even if Old Wu were captured one day, the overseas fund would continue to deposit twenty thousand yuan into his daughter’s account every month. Meng Ran had built his criminal network using this very method. After crossing over, he continued to employ this model. Because of the existence of the Illustrations of Heroes rewards, this was an advanced version of buying demon hearts.

You do not need to be strong; as long as you harbor an indelible desire within your heart, you are worthy of being cultivated by Meng Ran. According to their order of arrival, the three underlings he recruited were as follows:

The first was a Tier 8 Red-Tailed Fox Demon, skilled in shapeshifting, disguise, and bewitching the hearts of others. Red-tailed foxes were extremely rare in the Great Ning; their tails were bright, vivid red, and when fashioned into fur scarves or hats, they were worth tens of thousands of gold. Once a red-tailed fox underwent demonization, its tail became even more vibrant and emitted a faint, delicate fragrance. Such tails were priceless and rarely seen on the market. Many unscrupulous merchants in the Imperial Capital would use dyed and perfumed common fox tails to pass them off as those of a red-tailed fox. Succeeding just once was enough to ensure a lifetime of wealth.

When Meng Ran first encountered this little fox, a small accident occurred. As he walked through the forest, the fox suddenly lunged out, nearly biting his throat. The ambush failed, and the little fox, not wishing to prolong the battle, zipped into the woods. Meng Ran was startled at first, but transforming into a snow-white wolf demon, he caught up to the little fox in a few strides. The little fox was terrified, never expecting that the one he had ambushed was not a human, but a powerful Tier 9 demon. Meng Ran did not kill him but curiously asked why he had launched the attack. Faced with such overwhelming power, the little fox dared not hide his hatred for humans.

Red-tailed foxes were highly spiritual and easily embarked on the path of demon cultivation. To escape hunters, the little fox’s family had traveled everywhere, fleeing from lush, green forests to the grasslands, and from the grasslands to the desolate Gobi Desert. Along the way, they had to evade not only hunters but also the predatory attacks of their own kind. Even after the family reached the wilderness, they could not escape the fate of being hunted. They were discovered by a group of cultivators wearing the robes of the Demon Suppression Office. The little fox’s parents, only at Tier 3 of demonization, both died in battle to ensure their child could escape. The little fox grew to hate his own tail, believing all his misfortune stemmed from that bright red appendage. If not for this tail, his parents would not have died. In a fit of rage, he bit off his own tail. Unexpectedly, the tail of a red-tailed fox is the foundation of their demon cultivation; without it, the little fox’s path to cultivation was severed. He came to hate humans and returned to the forest of his birth, often ambushing passing travelers, though due to his diminished strength, he rarely succeeded.

After learning the cause and effect, Meng Ran asked the little fox one question: "If you were a Tier 10 Great Demon, what is the one thing you would want to do most?"

"Kill every last human!" the little fox replied without hesitation.

This answer satisfied Meng Ran immensely. He needed those who harbored such hatred, those who vowed to accomplish the impossible. "I provide them with cultivation resources, allowing them to fulfill their dreams. In the process of achieving their dreams, they can simply do a few things for me." There was no coercion or temptation; everything was done from the heart.

For this attack on the Jinnan Demon Suppression Office, Meng Ran had completed his entire plan in a short time.

The first step was to gather Tier 6 and 7 demons and throw them into the Demon Suppression Office to stir up chaos. As the battle progressed, everyone would begin to worry about the depletion of their spiritual energy. Just as they were in desperate need of Spiritual Rhyme Pills, the second step of the plan was initiated.

The Red-Tailed Fox Demon transformed into the likeness of Chu Chen and deliberately let himself be seen setting a fire, planting the fuse for the infighting that would soon consume the Demon Suppression Office. The third step was to lure the tiger away from the mountain, using the fake Chu Chen to draw Bai Ning out of the office. Meng Ran could not fathom Bai Ning’s strength and could not allow her to remain.

With Bai Ning successfully lured away, the fourth step was played on the chessboard: escalating the conflict. The fox demon possessed an innate charm ability, and after his demonization level rose to Tier 8, this charm evolved into emotional manipulation. Although limited by his cultivation rank, his status as a Tier 8 demon beast was more than enough to deal with the Jinnan Demon Suppression Office.

Hidden within the Demon Suppression Office, the Red-Tailed Fox Demon, following Meng Ran’s instructions, released a colorless and odorless emotional gas the moment Bai Ning departed. Under the influence of this gas, Huang Zhengliang heard someone claim that Chu Chen had burned the warehouse, sparking an intense urge to prove Chu Chen’s innocence. Han Zilin, whose face was disfigured and who relied on dissipating his spiritual energy to sustain his life, became enraged upon hearing someone speak up for Chu Chen and deny what he had seen with his own eyes; he confronted Huang Zhengliang.

The others, also controlled by the emotional gas, began to wonder if the price Han Zilin would pay for framing Chu Chen was too high. Since the one defending Chu Chen was the eldest grandson of the great General Huang Yuan, no one dared to stand up for Han Zilin. When someone muttered a quiet remark, Huang Zhengliang flew into a rage, cursing everyone present as cowards. This remark completely ignited the collective fury of the group; one by one, they stood up, admitting that it was they who had said, "Who knows if you are really slaying demons or just hiding to avoid danger."

The person who had actually said those words slowly lowered his head, hiding an uncontrollable smile. *My lord truly foresees everything; everything is proceeding in an orderly fashion.*

*Fight. Start fighting now.*

*Tonight, not a single soul in the Jinnan Demon Suppression Office shall be left alive!*