Chapter Twelve: The Shadow of the Demonic Beasts

Chen Fan and Meng Qi were pleasantly surprised to reunite, and they exchanged a few brief words. Just then, the two leaders of the He and Bao families approached with expressions of astonishment, looking at the scene with bewilderment.

"Patriarch He, Elder Bao!" Meng Qi’s expression tightened as he hurriedly cupped his hands in a respectful salute.

Chen Fan noticed that these two were among those who had been locked in a bitter struggle against the Level Six mutated demon earlier; both were at the sixth level of martial arts. One was a frail, elderly man, and the other was a middle-aged man. The elderly man was surely Elder Bao; he looked deathly pale, having clearly utilized a forbidden technique moments before. At his age, such a feat likely meant he did not have many years left to live.

Elder Bao looked at Meng Qi with a strange expression. "Cough, cough... I recall you are of the Meng family, right? Do you know this hero from the Martial Academy?"

Meng Qi’s expression turned odd. He turned to the people nearby and said, "It is not just me who knows him; many should recognize him... And if I remember correctly, he still holds the status of a guest practitioner for the Bao family..."

Some of the younger disciples standing around indeed recognized Chen Fan. Chen Fan had been on good terms with Bao Tianyou in the past, and many of these individuals were from the Bao family. Elder Bao’s eyes widened.

The Patriarch of the He family was also struck with wonder. "A guest practitioner of the Bao family? You mean to say this hero is one of our own from Feiling County?"

Chen Fan waved his hands, feeling awkward, and quickly replied, "Please, do not call me a hero. I am Chen Fan, and I am indeed from Feiling County. I studied at the White Cloud Martial Arts Hall, and I did accept the invitation of Brother Bao Tianyou to become a guest practitioner for the Bao family, though I never actually fulfilled any duties..."

The old man looked thoughtful. "Chen Fan? I seem to have heard that name..."

The Patriarch of the He family, however, realized immediately and was even more shocked. "You are that Chen Fan?!"

Chen Fan was something of a legend in Feiling County; he had slain a Level Four demon beast at fifteen and entered the Martial Academy the same year. The He family patriarch was the father of Chen Fan’s junior sister, He Hongshan, so he naturally knew of Chen Fan’s reputation. He had not expected, however, that Chen Fan’s strength would have grown to such a degree that he could now easily slay a Level Six mutated demon. Thinking of Chen Fan’s age, he could not help but gasp.

He then briefly introduced Chen Fan’s background and recent experiences to Elder Bao. Upon learning of Chen Fan’s age, Elder Bao was equally astonished. Chen Fan, having no interest in exchanging pleasantries with these "big shots," chatted briefly before leaving with Meng Qi.

He looked around and asked, "This is where the Bao family disciples are gathered; why do I not see Brother Tianyou?"

Upon hearing this question, Meng Qi’s expression shifted slightly. Chen Fan felt a sinking sensation in his heart. "Did something happen to Brother Tianyou?"

Initially, Chen Fan had no deep connection to Bao Tianyou. The other party had sought to recruit him, and he had been happy to share a meal, but over time, Bao Tianyou had proven himself to be a kind and upright man who had treated him very well. Though Chen Fan did not consider himself a saint, he was not made of stone.

Meng Qi sighed. "Sigh, follow me. Brother Tianyou, he... sigh..."

Tents were pitched before the city gates, many of which had been converted into field hospitals. Doctors from across the county were stationed at every strategic pass and stronghold. Chen Fan followed Meng Qi into a tent. In the small room, several beds were set up. Bao Tianyou lay on one of them, his face pale, his eyes tightly shut, and his body wrapped in a white quilt.

Chen Fan’s heart tightened as he strode to the bedside and let out a bitter laugh. Meng Qi sighed again, standing by his side.

"This morning, while fighting the demons, Brother Bao was targeted by a demon beast, and then..." Meng Qi’s voice choked, unable to continue.

Just then, as if hearing their voices, the eyes of the man lying on the bed suddenly snapped open. He looked both shocked and delighted. "Junior Brother Chen Fan, why are you here?"

He forced himself to sit up, leaning against the edge of the bed. His left sleeve hung empty, and his shoulder was wrapped in thick gauze. Chen Fan looked at the missing arm and sighed softly. "Brother Bao, your arm..."

Bao Tianyou shook his head slightly. "Don't be sad. My martial talent is average anyway; losing an arm is no great matter. I am still alive, and as long as one is alive, there is still opportunity..."

Feiling County had survived this demonic plague through blood and fire. Bao Tianyou had seen many disciples perish; to have survived himself was fortune enough. Chen Fan felt a complex mix of emotions but was powerless to help. Perhaps some Heaven-grade elixirs from the Martial Academy could regrow limbs, but that was far beyond his means to procure. Fortunately, Bao Tianyou’s talent was not world-class, so the loss of an arm would not necessarily derail his future.

...

With the Level Six demon at the North Gate resolved, the battle subsided. Given the importance of his status, Chen Fan visited various strategic points in Feiling County after checking on Bao Tianyou, providing support wherever needed. These areas were much more stable, and even when Level Six demons appeared, they were successfully repelled or slain.

"A county of Feiling’s size and scale is not worth the attention of a Level Seven demon; those big monsters have their sights set on the major cities!" These demons were not truly trying to kill as many people as possible; their goal was to tie down the experts of the major cities to prevent them from reinforcing the borders. The demons had a clear objective and would not waste their strength on a small county. Even if they slaughtered everyone, there was not a single Grandmaster here, so it held little strategic value.

Chen Fan understood this logic, yet a dark cloud remained in his heart. He could not guarantee that a Level Seven demon would not attack. Demons were cruel and could not be measured by conventional wisdom; expecting them to act logically was laughable. If a Level Six demon attacked, the local warriors could hold out even without the help of Martial Academy disciples, as defense was simpler than offense. But if a Level Seven demon were to attack, all of Feiling County would likely be reduced to a graveyard.

Chen Fan sighed. "Feiling County has no Grandmaster of its own, which is our greatest weakness. The warriors here can only pray that no Level Seven demon takes an interest in this place." Although Feiling County was not far from Yan Capital and a Grandmaster could be dispatched immediately if a Level Seven demon appeared, it might be too late by the time they arrived.

"However, the Green Python Army is holding the border firmly. The demons from the Western Wastelands cannot get through, and these local demons are few and dwindling with no reinforcements. As time passes, Feiling County will only become safer!"

Chen Fan had spent the better part of the day running across all the checkpoints of Feiling County. He had slain countless demons and mutated demons, many of which were at the sixth level. Without realizing it, his progress in the "Three-Foot Sword" technique, which had reached the perfection of subtlety, had leaped forward toward the state of "Unity." To maximize his efficiency today, he had consumed three Yuan-cores. Now, he grasped Yuan stones to rapidly replenish his true energy and condense new cores.

The Martial Academy disciples followed Chen Fan, retreating to guard the outskirts of Feiling County, ready to signal for help if they encountered danger, while Chen Fan sat at the center of the county to ensure he could provide support at any moment.

Time passed, and the number of rampaging demons dwindled. Just as Chen Fan began to think Feiling County was safe, the Patriarch of the He family hurried to find him.

"A major crisis! I just received an urgent message from Yan Capital. A Level Seven demon beast failed to breach the capital and was wounded by a Grandmaster before fleeing to the west. The Grandmaster is in pursuit, but may not be as fast as the beast, and our Feiling County lies directly in its path of retreat..."

In the Martial Academy, communication talismans could be used, but in the outside world, long-distance communication relied on specialized arrays. Every county had such an array to maintain contact with the capital.

"A Level Seven demon beast?" Chen Fan took a deep breath, his expression shifting rapidly. Demon beasts were not mere mutated demons; they were ten times more terrifying. "If this beast comes to Feiling County..."

He tightened his grip on his black sword and looked at the Patriarch of the He family. "In this situation, we cannot abandon the county and evacuate the residents. If the beast truly comes, we must give our all to stop it."

The Patriarch of the He family sighed. "I have already passed the news to all the major families and martial arts schools..."

Chen Fan nodded.

...

All the experts in Feiling County above the sixth level were gathered. The leaders of the major martial arts schools now stood before Chen Fan with deference, lowering their heads in respect. After an anxious wait of an hour and a half, Chen Fan finally received further news: "After leaving Yan Capital, the Level Seven demon beast went to Suiyang County, where it was intercepted by a coalition of Level Six warriors. It was then caught by the pursuing Grandmaster and severely wounded, but it managed to escape again!"

Demons of this level could recover their strength and heal their wounds by consuming flesh. Their vitality was immense, making them far harder to kill than mutated demons, and some quadrupedal beasts were incredibly fast. Suiyang County was very close to Feiling County, separated only by Beitong County. No one could be sure if the beast would invade Feiling County next.

The Patriarch of the He family pointed at the map, his expression grave. "According to intelligence, the beast fled south from Suiyang County. If its target is indeed Feiling County, it is highly likely to approach from the northeast."

Chen Fan nodded and took a deep breath. "Although the beast is severely wounded, it remains a disaster-level threat to the ordinary populace. We must assemble the top martial experts of Feiling County and intercept it outside the city walls. We do not need to kill it—we only need to stall it until the Grandmaster arrives."

Though young, Chen Fan’s strength gave him significant authority. Given the experience in Suiyang County, everyone agreed with his proposal. Warriors were immediately dispatched to the outskirts of the county, each carrying signal flares to ignite the moment the fleeing beast was spotted.

Although the demonic plague in Feiling County was largely quelled, leaving the city was still an extremely dangerous task. Every warrior who ventured out was risking their life, but in such circumstances, everyone understood the necessity.

All the Level Six martial artists of Feiling County gathered with Chen Fan outside the city to wait in silence. Feiling County had less than twenty Level Six warriors in total—the cream of the crop from various families and martial schools, the youngest of whom was over forty. Among them was the elderly man from the Bao family who had used the forbidden technique; at over a hundred years old, his presence here was a final stand.

While waiting for the beast to arrive, they practiced a simple defensive formation called the "Four Directions Array," which could unify their true energy for defense.

Half an hour later, a red mist suddenly rose in the distant western sky.

"A red signal flare!"

Everyone’s expression changed. It had been agreed that the red flare would only be ignited if a suspected Level Seven demon beast was encountered.