The following day, desiccated corpses lay spread across the ground outside the prefectural yamen.
Prefect Li Mu's face was ashen. This was already the fifth batch of bodies.
When the first batch appeared several months ago, no one had paid it much mind. There were many refugees back then, after all, and people died every day; what difference did a few more bodies make?
Yet later came a second batch, then a third, and then a fourth.
A new batch appeared almost every month.
Moreover, the intervals between subsequent discoveries were growing shorter, making the prefect realize that something was terribly wrong.
Li Mu had therefore ordered the coroner to examine the corpses thoroughly, which led to a startling revelation.
These victims did not appear to have been killed by humans or wild beasts.
"Demon martial artists?"
"It must be the work of those legendary demon martial artists."
"When a nation is about to fall, monsters and abominations are bound to emerge. To think even demon martial artists have appeared..."
Li Mu had a severe headache over this.
Demon martial artists were practically figures of legend.
Yet the government had always kept records concerning them.
Every time demon martial artists surfaced, they brought chaos to the world. As a rule, they appeared in large numbers only in the twilight years of a dynasty.
More than three hundred years had passed since the founding of the Great Fish Dynasty; it was indeed nearing its end.
"Y-Your Excellency, if it truly is a demon martial artist, what should the yamen do?" a constable asked, trembling with dread.
Legend had it that demon martial artists were originally human, but had practiced demonic martial arts. Some could even undergo "demonization," transforming themselves into terrifying monstrosities that were neither human nor ghost.
Under normal circumstances, however, demon martial artists looked like ordinary people. They concealed themselves exceptionally well and were exceedingly difficult to locate.
Now that one had appeared in Nanyang Prefecture, sending these constables to investigate was asking the impossible—none of them dared to do so.
Failing to find anything was one thing, but if they actually stumbled upon the culprit, they would undoubtedly end up dead with no one to bury them.
Li Mu said coldly, "Nanyang Prefecture has so many martial arts schools, sects, and numerous martial artists hired by wealthy merchants and local gentry, including quite a few in the Refining Organs Realm.
"Gather them all and order them to investigate.
"Hmph. It was bad enough that they offered no help during the incident with the Thirteen Desert Riders. Now that a demon martial artist has appeared, they still think they can sit back and do nothing? It will not be up to them!"
Li Mu harbored immense dissatisfaction toward those factions.
Though chaos reigned across the empire, Nanyang Prefecture had not yet suffered significant turmoil, and the imperial court still held control here.
As the prefect, his words still carried considerable weight.
Consequently, the yamen began posting notices everywhere, offering bounties for peculiar martial artists or suspicious individuals.
***
Lu Changsheng happened to pass by the yamen.
Seeing a crowd gathered, he squeezed his way to the front and saw the ground covered in corpses, along with the notice posted by the yamen.
"Demon martial artist?"
Lu Changsheng paused slightly.
He knew martial artists, but this was the first time he had ever heard of a demon martial artist.
Yet judging from the official notice, the authorities clearly knew of their existence.
Lu Changsheng glanced down at the corpses once more.
Every body was completely shriveled and dry. Lu Changsheng's eyes narrowed slightly, instantly reminding him of the corpses he had encountered the previous night.
*Could those corpses have been killed by a demon martial artist as well?*
Lu Changsheng took a deep look at the bodies on the ground before heading toward Miaoren Hall.
Inside Miaoren Hall, many apprentices were also discussing the matter of the demon martial artist.
Lu Changsheng glanced at Wang Ruhai. Wang Ruhai was a senior physician with broad experience and vast knowledge.
Unable to hold back his curiosity, Lu Changsheng asked, "Doctor Wang, do you know what a demon martial artist is?"
Wang Ruhai shook his head and let out a long sigh. "Demon martial artists? It's been countless years since one last appeared. In any case, everything about them is just legend.
"From the stories I heard growing up, demon martial artists were once normal humans who practiced evil arts, thereby acquiring some of the strange and eerie abilities of demons.
"Many demons use living people to cultivate their arts or consume human flesh and blood. They are utterly terrifying. Only martial artists at or above the Divine Strength Realm can contend with them."
Lu Changsheng grew thoughtful.
"Doctor Wang, I've heard that the origin of demon martial artists lies in demons. Have you ever seen a demon?" Lu Changsheng asked again.
"Demons? I've never seen one, nor have I even heard of anyone who has.
"Perhaps demons are nothing more than rumors. How could there be actual demons? They're merely fabrications of the common folk. As for demon martial artists, they're just a bunch of people who practiced wicked arts. Because they're excessively cruel and use living people to cultivate, they came to be called demon martial artists."
Wang Ruhai seemed skeptical about the existence of actual demons.
He even felt that the label "demon martial artist" was simply stigmatization,
and that calling them "practitioners of evil arts" would be far more accurate.
Lu Changsheng asked no further.
He figured that if he wanted more information about demon martial artists, he would still have to turn to the prefectural yamen.
As the prefect, Li Mu undoubtedly knew far more details.
However, Li Mu was a dignitary of the court; Lu Changsheng had no way to make him hand over intelligence on demon martial artists.
"Zhuang Thirteen," on the other hand, might be a different story.
At dusk, Lu Changsheng swiftly returned to Miaoshou Garden.
He waited until night fell before disguising himself as "Zhuang Thirteen." Then, slipping out of Miaoshou Garden, he hurried toward the prefectural yamen.
At that moment, the prefectural yamen was brightly lit.
Li Mu had spent the entire day summoning the wealthy merchants and martial sects of Nanyang Prefecture, exhausting every possible means to mobilize their forces to track down the demon martial artist.
Even so, worry still gnawed at him.
What would they do once they actually found the demon martial artist?
The yamen had no Divine Strength Realm martial artists.
And according to rumors, only Divine Strength martial artists could deal with demon martial artists.
There were indeed Divine Strength martial artists in Nanyang Prefecture, but Li Mu had no authority to command them.
*Creak.*
Just then, the door was pushed open gently, and a warm draft drifted in from outside.
Irritated and restless, Li Mu barked, "Didn't I tell you not to come in—"
Before he could finish his sentence, he sensed something amiss.
*Whoosh.*
He spun around abruptly, only to see a familiar figure.
"H-Hero Zhuang?!"
Li Mu was briefly startled, but that surprise quickly turned into sheer joy.
Was Zhuang Thirteen not a Divine Strength Realm martial artist?
Moreover, while others might be unaware of Zhuang Thirteen's deeds, Li Mu knew them all too well.
Zhuang Thirteen had recently traveled to Yancheng and unleashed astonishing might.
Not only had he slain Zhang Tianwu, the chief of the Black Water Gang, but he had also killed Zhao Wuji, a Guardian Elder of the Myriad Poison Cult, completely dismantling the cult's stronghold in Yancheng.
It was an extraordinarily formidable feat.
Even though Li Mu did not practice martial arts, he understood full well what such an accomplishment signified.
Yan Jiansheng, Zhang Tianwu, and Zhao Wuji—
three Divine Strength Realm experts had all fallen by Zhuang Thirteen's hands.
This alone proved that Zhuang Thirteen's strength was exceptional, making him an expert even among those of the Divine Strength Realm.
"Prefect Li, forgive Zhuang for arriving uninvited," Lu Changsheng said calmly.
For a wandering martial artist to appear soundlessly before an imperial official like Li Mu was normally a grave taboo.
Yet with the world in turmoil, how could Li Mu care about such formalities?
Naturally, an even more important reason was Zhuang Thirteen's sterling reputation. Known as "Hero Zhuang," he was widely regarded as a righteous man of integrity who hated evil as his mortal enemy.
"Hero Zhuang, what brings you to the prefectural yamen tonight?" Li Mu inquired.
"Regarding the matter of the demon martial artist that appeared recently in Nanyang Prefecture, Zhuang is quite curious about such beings. Having heard that the prefectural yamen possesses some intelligence on them, Zhuang wished to hear what you know."
Lu Changsheng stated his purpose plainly.
"Demon martial artists?"
Li Mu was overjoyed.
He had just been agonizing over what to do if the yamen found the demon martial artist, and now Zhuang Thirteen had appeared out of nowhere.
Was this "Hero Zhuang" not a powerful Divine Strength Realm martial artist himself?
"Hero Zhuang, whatever records or information we have on demon martial artists, you are free to examine all of it."
Li Mu was exceedingly enthusiastic. He immediately gave orders, and attendants brought in a massive stack of books.
Inside were records detailing the deeds and intelligence concerning "demon martial artists."
Lu Changsheng did not rush, sitting down to peruse them slowly.
He read for a full four hours.
Over the course of those four hours, Lu Changsheng gained a fundamental understanding of demon martial artists.
According to the records, no one knew when demon martial artists had first emerged. But whenever they appeared, chaos was sure to follow.
Demon martial artists cultivated "demon essence blood"; the more essence blood they possessed, the stronger they became.
There was a critical dividing line for demon martial artists: demonization.
A demon martial artist capable of demonization was equivalent to a martial artist of the Divine Strength Realm.
Those unable to demonize, while still formidable and occasionally capable of killing a Divine Strength martial artist, were ultimately inferior to those who could undergo demonization.
Furthermore, for a demon martial artist to achieve demonization, it seemed humans were required.
In other words, they needed to continually "prey" upon certain human components to stimulate the awakening of their demonization ability.
For instance, some demon martial artists favored devouring human hearts.
Others preferred gnawing on heads.
Some even favored devouring human faces.
All of this was done for the sole purpose of awakening the ability to demonize.
Lu Changsheng immediately thought of the corpses that had appeared recently.
Not a single drop of blood had remained in any of those bodies.
Evidently, it was highly probable that this demon martial artist had not yet awakened the ability to demonize.
Their demonization seemed linked to human blood, which was why they were roaming about slaughtering ordinary people to consume their blood.
"Prefect Li."
Lu Changsheng closed the book.
Li Mu had stayed awake until his eyes were bloodshot and streaked with red.
In terms of stamina, an ordinary person like Li Mu could never outlast Lu Changsheng.
"Has Hero Zhuang finished reading?"
"Indeed, I have finished. Many thanks to Prefect Li for granting me this convenience."
With that, Lu Changsheng prepared to leave.
Li Mu grew anxious. He had accommodated Zhuang Thirteen so readily and warmly not out of mere goodwill;
he needed Zhuang Thirteen to deal with the demon martial artist.
"Hero Zhuang, please wait!"
"To search for this demon martial artist, the government has mobilized the full strength of the major factions across Nanyang Prefecture.
"However, once the demon martial artist is found, the martial artists from the yamen and the local factions might not be able to slay it.
"Therefore, this official hopes Hero Zhuang might step forward to help track down the demon martial artist..."
Before Li Mu could finish, Lu Changsheng waved a hand and said, "These matters are the responsibility of your government. Zhuang is merely a humble martial artist; how could I shoulder such a heavy duty?
"However, should this demon martial artist bring calamity to Nanyang, Zhuang will naturally take action.
"Prefect Li, farewell!"
Li Mu opened his mouth to say more, but Lu Changsheng's figure flickered, and he had already vanished into the night.
"Hero Zhuang..."
Li Mu parted his lips, ultimately letting out a long sigh.
"What a pity I couldn't convince Zhuang Thirteen to take the lead.
"Still, having this promise from Zhuang Thirteen is enough. If we truly find the demon martial artist, Nanyang Prefecture won't fall into chaos..."
At the thought of this, Li Mu felt his spirits lift,
as if the gloom of recent days had been completely swept away.
***
The major factions of Nanyang Prefecture mobilized in full force, scouring every corner for traces of the demon martial artist.
The vast Nanyang Prefecture was practically turned upside down, yet they failed to find the demon martial artist.
They could not even uncover a single clue.
As time passed, the matter of the demon martial artist gradually faded from public attention.
In the blink of an eye, another month went by.
During this recent period, Lu Changsheng had been nurturing his spirit.
Two to three months had passed since his last attempt to leap the Dragon Gate.
The depletion he suffered from leaping the Dragon Gate had been fully restored.
In fact, he was in even better condition than before.
After all, Lu Changsheng had refined the Four-Eyed Toad Treasure and undergone an additional marrow transformation and blood exchange, vastly deepening his personal foundation.
Even so, Lu Changsheng did not rush.
He continued to wait patiently.
Leaping the Dragon Gate had to be accomplished in a single stroke; one needed absolute certainty to proceed.
Otherwise, a failure could set him back a very long time.
Furthermore, if one failed too many times, it could leave a psychological shadow—the "inner demon" of a martial artist—after which leaping the Dragon Gate would become impossible forever.
Lu Changsheng was waiting for the Blood Crystal Secret Method to reach perfection.
He could sense that the day the Blood Crystal Secret Method reached perfection was likely within the next few days.
It was still early morning. The morning sun was just rising, and all living things were brimming with vitality.
Gazing upon that crimson morning sun, Lu Changsheng felt his mental state reach its absolute peak. Inspired by a sudden flash of insight, he immediately began circulating the Blood Crystal Secret Method.
The next instant, a line of small text surfaced before his eyes:
*Blood Crystal Secret Method perfected. Comprehension +10.*
*Whoosh.*
Lu Changsheng opened his eyes.
"The Blood Crystal Secret Method is finally perfected!"
A smile appeared on Lu Changsheng's face.
He extended his palm, revealing a blood crystal resting within his grip.
This was one of the five blood crystals he had obtained from the Blood Fiend Sect.
As long as the Blood Crystal Secret Method reached perfection, one could refine a blood crystal.
Lu Changsheng controlled the skin on his palm. A moment later, the skin split open on its own, forming a bloody slit.
From the wound, traces of blood gradually flowed out onto the blood crystal.
All at once, the blood crystal seemed to "melt," its size shrinking as it gradually seeped into his body through the cut on his palm.
Once the blood crystal was completely absorbed, circulating throughout his body and reaching his bone marrow, Lu Changsheng immediately activated the perfected Blood Crystal Secret Method.
*Boom!*
Lu Changsheng's entire body shuddered.
It had begun—his fifth marrow transformation and blood exchange!
Lu Changsheng was already thoroughly accustomed to marrow transformation and blood exchange, navigating the process with practiced ease.
Consequently, practically no accidents occurred during this transformation.
In merely two hours, the marrow transformation and blood exchange was completely finished.
Lu Changsheng took a moment to feel the explosive surge of power within him—this was the strength of fifty whole tripods!
Yet this was not the end.
"In one breath, leap the Dragon Gate!"
Lu Changsheng had originally intended to use the refining of the blood crystal and the completion of his fifth marrow transformation and blood exchange to attain an absolute peak state, and then leap the Dragon Gate in one breath.
This was the pinnacle of Lu Changsheng's physical and mental condition.
If even this could not carry him across the second tier of the Dragon Gate, then probably no one could ever leap past it.
Lu Changsheng circulated the Ninefold Carp Leaping Dragon Gate Art, feeling as though he had instantly transformed into a carp.
Bathed in the fiery red morning sun, he seemed filled with boundless strength and limitless hope.
With a sudden, mighty leap, he surged out of the water, vaulting toward the second tier of the Dragon Gate!
The fiery red morning sun, the warm sunlight... Lu Changsheng truly felt like a fish swimming freely through heaven, earth, and the vast ocean.
In his eyes, there was only that Dragon Gate, drawing closer and closer—
*Boom!*
At last, the carp of Lu Changsheng's avatar successfully leaped across the second tier of the Dragon Gate in one breath.
Chapter 81