Chapter 57: Chapter 57: Who Knew You Were Such a Demon Fiend

Liu Hai opened his mouth, about to explain, but Li Rushan cut him off again and said to Jiang Che:

"Kid, I don’t know how you convinced Chief Liu, but this job really isn’t for you! If you don’t want to get yourself killed, then please, go back!"

Jiang Che didn’t answer, instead turning his gaze to Liu Hai.

Liu Hai was the one who had invited him; it was his responsibility to explain the situation.

Liu Hai sighed and said,

"Senior Li, just listen to my explanation..."

"Explain? What is there to explain? We need someone in the late-stage Stone Skin Realm at a minimum! This kid just entered the Stone Skin Realm. Are you trying to send him to his death?!" Li Rushan continued.

"Are you aware that this young friend encountered that Blood Sacrifice and successfully escaped *before* he even broke through to the Stone Skin Realm?!" Liu Hai was getting angry too, and his voice rose sharply.

"Wait, are you saying this kid encountered the Blood Sacrifice back when he was in the Bull Skin Realm, and he managed to escape?!" Li Rushan could hardly believe his ears.

"That’s right, Senior Li. I saw it with my own eyes! What’s more, it was against a Blood Sacrifice that had already broken through to the Iron Skin Realm!" Liu Hai said with a nod.

Li Rushan sized Jiang Che up again, then said with a puzzled expression,

"If I recall correctly, the White Cloud Martial Arts Hall teaches the Cloud-Stacking Fist, right? While that Fist Technique can focus Strength into a single point and has decent killing power, it offers no advantage for escaping. So how did you manage it?"

He still wasn’t quite convinced.

"Answering Senior Li, I have also trained in both Qinggong and Iron Body Skills!"

Jiang Che met Li Rushan’s gaze and replied, his voice neither servile nor overbearing.

"Oh? You’ve trained in three different Martial Arts?" Li Rushan frowned.

It was difficult enough for the average person to master one.

Training in multiple Martial Arts at once usually means you’ll be a jack of all trades and master of none.

He found it hard to believe that someone so young could master all of them at the same time.

Either the kid was bluffing, or he was a true Martial Arts prodigy.

But he had seen far too many so-called geniuses, and very few of them ever amounted to anything in the end.

"Kid, show me a set of your Cloud-Stacking Fist," Li Rushan said gravely.

Jiang Che nodded and immediately demonstrated a set of the Cloud-Stacking Fist.

He didn’t enter the Heart Stream State. After all, he still had to go capture the Blood Sacrifice later and couldn’t waste one of its limited uses here.

Besides, even without entering the Heart Stream, he was confident his Cloud-Stacking Fist was flawless.

Li Rushan had a discerning eye; he could tell at a glance that Jiang Che’s Fist Technique was built on an incredibly solid foundation.

He nodded as he watched, his expression softening unconsciously.

"Your Fist Technique isn’t bad. Now, let’s see your Qinggong."

He was starting to believe him; someone who could perform a Fist Technique with such finesse was unlikely to be a braggart.

Immediately, Jiang Che executed the Flying Swallow Step. His feet tapped lightly in the courtyard as his figure began to soar and tumble through the air.

"Oh? This Qinggong is impressive as well!" Li Rushan was somewhat shocked. "Now for the Iron Body Skills!"

He was starting to feel a sense of anticipation.

Jiang Che then channeled his Qi Blood. His skin began to take on a grayish-black sheen, giving it an almost metallic texture!

"This... Great Success in Iron Body Skills!" Li Rushan cried out.

Jiang Che’s Fist Technique and Qinggong were both impressive, to be sure.

But for a Force Integration Artist, they weren’t unheard of. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

But he had never once seen someone achieve Great Success in Iron Body Skills at this age.

And while training in multiple Martial Arts, no less!

He couldn’t help but marvel, ’What kind of Demon Fiend did Luo Kun manage to train?!’

Liu Hai, standing to the side, was equally stunned.

He knew Jiang Che had some aces up his sleeve, but he had never actually seen his skills in action.

Witnessing it firsthand now sent a massive shock through him.

"Senior Li, am I qualified now?"

Jiang Che asked in a clear voice.

"Qualified? You’re more than qualified! HAHAHAHA!" Li Rushan burst out laughing, stepping forward to clap Jiang Che on the shoulder several times.

"You’re a good kid! I like you!"

Liu Hai smiled and shook his head. "Little Brother Jiang, that’s just Senior Li’s temperament. He’s very direct, so don’t take it to heart."

"Yes, yes, that’s just my temper. I say what’s on my mind. I was just worried you’d be throwing your life away for nothing. Who knew you were such a Demon Fiend!" Li Rushan boomed, his voice so loud it made Jiang Che’s ears ring.

"I wouldn’t dare! I’m also aware that my Realm is too low, so it’s only natural for Senior to be concerned!" Jiang Che said, quickly cupping his fist.

He could understand. If he were in Li Rushan’s shoes, he would also have been worried about a lack of strength.

After all, everyone first judges strength based on one’s Realm.

People like him, who had a low Realm but could train in multiple Martial Arts and master them all to an extremely high level, were virtually nonexistent.

"Little Brother Jiang, you really have a lot of tricks up your sleeve!" Liu Hai said with a sigh. "But the Blood Sacrifice is in the Iron Skin Realm, so you absolutely must be careful. The moment something feels wrong, light the signal flare. Don’t try to be a hero!"

"Understood!"

"Alright, then let’s move out!"

...

「East District, Prefecture Street」

Night had fallen, and the street was completely empty.

Jiang Che paced slowly back and forth along the dark street, keeping a careful watch on his surroundings.

Liu Hai and Li Rushan had already taken Elixir Pills to conceal their auras and were lying in ambush nearby.

As soon as the Blood Sacrifice appeared, Jiang Che’s job was to lure it toward them.

Then, the two masters would strike simultaneously, and the Blood Sacrifice would have no chance of escape!

’Strange... Why hasn’t it shown up yet?’

After pacing the street a few more times, Jiang Che began to wonder.

He had been walking for over two hours, but he hadn’t seen a thing.

’Could it have left the East District?’

Just as Jiang Che was pondering this, he suddenly heard a rustling sound up ahead! RUSTLE... RUSTLE...

He immediately held his breath, slowed his steps, and crept closer.

The sound grew closer, and Jiang Che’s heart leaped into his throat.

’Strange, why isn’t Omen reacting? Am I too far away? Or is this not it?’

As Jiang Che drew closer, he saw a figure up ahead walking toward him.

He squinted, and it looked like a person.

’Out this late? Does this person have a death wish?’ Jiang Che found it strange.

When the person drew near, Jiang Che could see clearly that it was a man walking with an uncoordinated gait.

’A drunk?’ Jiang Che thought.

The man was muttering to himself,

"Evil spirits... There are no evil spirits in this world..."

"Hah, making a bet with me... This is just free money..."

"What a bunch of idiots..."

His voice was faint and broken.

Jiang Che was speechless.

This man was practically asking to be killed.

Although the Blood Sacrifice currently preferred to eat Martial Artists...

...that didn’t mean it would refuse a meal delivered right to its doorstep.

’Whatever, I should save him,’ he thought.

Jiang Che walked over, but just as he was about to warn the man, [Omen] suddenly flared with a warning!

The source of the danger was the man right in front of him!

Jiang Che looked closely and saw that the man was bleeding from all seven of his facial orifices. His limbs were stiff, and he walked with a mechanical gait, like a puppet on strings!

And in the shadows behind him, something seemed to be moving!

The man saw Jiang Che and walked toward him, his mouth still moving:

"Evil spirits... There are no evil spirits in this world..."

But then, Jiang Che noticed his feet weren’t touching the ground!

The man was hovering!

Jiang Che instantly entered the Heart Stream and, in a single stride, moved to the man’s side.

There, crawling behind the man, was a humanoid monster with long arms and long legs!

The five slender fingers of the monster’s right hand were plunged into the back of the man’s skull.

Large patches of blood had already dried on the back of the man’s clothes.

Up close, he could smell the strong stench of blood and rot.

The man, it turned out, had been dead for who knows how long!

He was being held aloft by the monster’s single hand, which was why from a distance it looked like he was walking.

And the words he was muttering were also just a mimicry produced by the monster!

This monster was the Blood Sacrifice!