It is common knowledge that Demon Fiends exist in this world.
But in reality, "demons" and "Demon Fiends" are two completely different concepts:
Animals that have not mastered the ability to channel and use Qi, but possess special abilities beyond that of ordinary beasts, are called demons.
Those that possess Extraordinary Power and have developed a certain level of intelligence, however, are called Demon Fiends!
Even if some individual demons are extremely aggressive, they generally do not transcend the category of "creature."
But Demon Fiends are different. Not only do they possess intelligence on par with humans, but they have also mastered a terrifying Qi that even ordinary Martial Artists would do anything to avoid!
To uncover the true cause of Han the Eighth's sudden and violent death, the brothers Han Li and Han Fei spared no expense, hiring someone in the provincial capital to buy two Demon Dogs with what could only be described as a freakishly powerful sense of smell!
The process even delayed them for several days.
One could imagine they would never have done so without a high degree of confidence.
This also showed just how insane their revenge would be if any clues were actually found!
...
Li Family Village was not small, but it wasn't large either.
After Han Li used a mix of threats and promises, clarifying the stakes, he wasted no more time and began leading the two calf-sized Demon Dogs on a house-by-house search through the village.
Without a doubt, the villagers found this method to be highly unreliable.
After all, Han the Eighth had been dead for ten to fifteen days. Even if he had left some clue behind, it should have long since disappeared.
Bringing dogs to investigate now was like marking the boat to find a lost sword—a fool's errand.
Therefore, although many people were muttering to themselves, they generally weren't afraid.
But the two Demon Dogs had only taken a single lap around the village entrance before they seemed to catch a pungent scent and began sprinting wildly along the path.
Seeing this, many of the villagers were stunned!
A few kind-hearted souls wanted to go and warn someone, but with Han Li, Han Fei, and a crowd of apprentices from their martial arts hall staring them down, they didn't have the guts to cause trouble at a time like this!
...
The Demon Dogs led the two Han Family brothers on a mad dash all the way to Li Chang'an's residence before finally stopping and barking ferociously at the main gate.
At that moment, Li Xiao, Li Dashan, and Huang Xiaoru were sitting by the door, discussing and planning Li Chang'an's future.
The village had finally produced a talented Child Prodigy. If they could send him away to study, practice martial arts, and achieve some official rank, no one in the surrounding region would dare to bully their Li Family Village again.
When the two unfamiliar, burly men suddenly appeared leading a pair of vicious dogs, all three of them jumped in fright. Even Li Xiao's withered, tree-bark-like face was filled with alarm and suspicion.
Looking at the three people before him, who appeared to be nothing more than ordinary farmers, Han Li's expression was a little strange. "You... killed my big brother?" he asked tentatively.
Hearing this, Li Dashan's and Huang Xiaoru's expressions changed drastically.
Their reaction was practically a confession. The Han Family brothers' eyes went wide before twisting with rage. "Well, well, you bastards! It really was you!"
At that moment, Li Dashan and the others finally guessed the identity of the two burly men before them. Their faces turned deathly pale, and a chill shot through them as if they had been plunged into an icy cavern.
Li Dashan and Huang Xiaoru had been on pins and needles this entire time.
They had even considered leaving the village.
But Li Chang'an had constantly reassured them not to worry too much. That, combined with their own deep-seated attachment to their homeland, meant that after much hesitation, they ultimately stayed, clinging to a sliver of hope.
But as it turned out, they couldn't escape what was coming.
A sense of Despair washed over the couple.
Just then, Li Chang'an heard the commotion outside and strolled out.
Wiping the sweat from his face, Li Chang'an spoke slowly, "Dad, Mom, Grand-uncle, you should go back inside and hide for a bit. I'll take care of these two."
Although only half a month had passed since his last battle, Li Chang'an's strength had been growing tremendously every day.
Training in isolation was safe, but it also meant his control over his body and power was imperfect.
'Now that so many punching bags have delivered themselves to my doorstep, this is the perfect opportunity to test the results of my recent training!'
Seeing such a young child speak so insolently, Han Li and Han Fei almost laughed in anger. "Kid, is there something wrong with your head?"
Li Chang'an smiled too, but he had no intention of wasting words. He circulated the Qi in his body and activated Shadowless Step. With each stride, he created a sharp whistling sound.
Seeing him act so recklessly, one of the martial arts hall followers behind Han Li, eager to prove himself, rushed forward, intending to send Li Chang'an flying.
However, the moment they made contact...
"BANG!"
With the sound of a heavy collision, a figure was sent flying backward!
When they saw that the person sent flying was the very same man who had just charged forward, the other men who had been ready to attack all froze. The looks on their faces... were as if they had seen a ghost!
Li Chang'an didn't pause for a second.
The average combat strength of these martial arts hall followers was a little higher than the goons Han the Eighth had brought before, but not by much. He had dealt with the previous group easily, so this one was even less of a concern now!
With a few flickers of his Shadowless Step, Li Chang'an ignored the small fry around him and charged straight for their leader, Han Li. He pulled a long blade he had snatched from the crowd and brought it down with a CLANG.
Ghost Gate Thirteen Blades!
Staring at the blade's gleam as it rushed toward him, Han Li was utterly horrified. He never would have dreamed that a child so young could actually have Qi circulating in his body!
In that split second, wisps of Qi also radiated from Han Li's body. Not daring to be the least bit careless, he drew the long blade from his waist as well.
The two long blades clashed.
"CLANG!"
The ringing of metal on metal was enough to make one's eardrums go numb.
Although Han Li was not yet a true Martial Artist, he had already sensed Qi, so his strength was quite impressive. Despite this, the moment his blade clashed with Li Chang'an's, he felt the webbing between his thumb and forefinger go numb.
The impact nearly knocked the long blade from his hand!
Feeling the ache in his arm, Han Li's eyelid twitched. Shock and anger mingled as he couldn't help but curse, "Monster!"
Before, he had found it unbelievable that his big brother had died in some unknown village. But now, after seeing Li Chang'an, he finally understood just how terrifying the situation was.
'This kid can't be more than ten, can he? And his Qi cultivation is even deeper than mine.'
'Where did this freak come from?!'
By now, a crowd of onlookers from the village had gathered around.
Among them were the children who had wanted to take Li Chang'an as their master just a few days ago. At this moment, as they watched Li Chang'an from a distance, the light in their eyes grew brighter and brighter!
...