Human Clan Defender
Chapter 51: Demonfolk of the Eternal Alliance (8th Update)

Chapter 51: Chapter 51: Demonfolk of the Eternal Alliance (8th Update)

The battle had already erupted at the Zhang Family estate.

Faced with numerous Corpse Puppets, Shen Changqing remained fearless. With each step, a blade flash would appear, and with every flash, another head would fall.

The Corpse Puppets, although tricky to deal with, stood no chance before a martial artist approaching the Outer Gang Realm. Especially since Shen Changqing knew their weakness, they were even easier to handle.

Almost every Blade Slash landed accurately on the necks of the Corpse Puppets. Although his blade’s edge had become corroded and duller than usual after slaughtering Zhuang Mingyuan, when coated with True Qi, it could still slice through iron as if it were mud. The Corpse Puppets’ flesh and blood bodies had no chance of resisting.

The battle started quickly and ended just as swiftly.

In mere moments, the hall was littered with a pile of decapitated corpses. Their bodies were so severely decayed they didn’t look recently deceased, and an overwhelming stench spread, causing revulsion.

Shen Changqing surveyed the wreckage of the Zhang Family, his expression unchanged. The Zhang Family members are just Corpse Puppets. I must see what kind of Demonfolk is behind this, controlling these Corpse Puppets!

To wipe out an entire family line and refine their corpses into Corpse Puppets—under Great Qin’s laws, this was a heinous crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of kin. In fact, any association with Demon Evil was typically met with laws decreeing the extermination of nine generations.

His senses spreading out, Shen Changqing stood still, trying to locate the Demonfolk. The Zhang Family estate was protected by special measures designed to shield the Yin Evil Aura. But once inside the Zhang estate, it was as if this barrier was completely breached. No matter how deeply the Demonfolk hid, some trace would inevitably leak out. It was just a matter of whether he could find it.

Suddenly, a chilling wind attacked from behind.

Shen Changqing whirled and slashed with his blade, just in time to see a disheveled figure retreat.

It’s that Strange Monster again!

He instantly recognized the ambusher: it was the very same Ghostly Level Fiend that had attacked him at the Yamen that night.

By now, Shen Changqing was certain. The Demon Evil that had ambushed him that night was indeed connected to the Zhang Family. To be precise, it was the work of the Demonfolk hidden within the Zhang Family. Now that this Ghostly Level Fiend had launched a sneak attack, it proved that his slaughter of the Corpse Puppets had also been observed by that Demonfolk.

Even so, the adversary did not reveal himself easily. This gave a clear indication of the hidden Demonfolk’s formidable strength.

Standing still, Shen Changqing’s senses expanded, trying to find the source of that Yin Evil Aura.

Suddenly, he moved. He swung his long blade toward an empty space, just as a female corpse materialized. The Heavenly Centipede True Qi coating the blade, radiating heat as intense as blazing flames, instantly tore the female corpse in two.

As the female corpse was slain, a familiar energy surged from the blade into Shen Changqing’s body.

At the same time, a cold, sharp presence sliced through the air, attacking his back. The swiftness of the assassination attempt suggested the attacker had been lying in wait, searching for the perfect moment.

Shen Changqing didn’t have time to turn; the Heavenly Centipede True Qi in his Dantian erupted.

HUMMM—

A thin layer of Gang Qi rose from the surface of his body, enveloping him completely.

BANG!!

The vicious attack slammed fiercely into the Gang Qi. After a half-breath pause, the Gang Qi was torn apart.

However, Shen Changqing seized this opportunity to whirl around, his long blade slashing out with lightning speed, forcing a dark figure to retreat explosively.

"An Eternal Alliance Demonfolk!"

Pointing his long blade diagonally at the ground, he stared at the figure before him. It was an old man in black, withered in appearance. Blue-black Scale Armor covered all his exposed skin except for his face, and behind him, a long, thin tail covered in barbs swayed slowly. Such an appearance had completely transcended the human.

As Shen Changqing stared at him, the old Demonfolk returned a cold gaze, his narrow, elongated eyes glinting with a viper-like chill.

Innate Outer Gang!?

The Gang Qi that had just manifested filled Wen Rong with great apprehension. The Resentment Level Monster dispatched by the Eternal Alliance had been defeated at the Yamen, giving Wen Rong a keen insight into Shen Changqing’s strength. The Demon Hunter dispatched by the Demon-Subduing Division was no mere trainee Demon Hunter but a Profound Rank Demon Hunter in disguise, his cultivation at the Innate Inner Gang Realm.

But now—Wen Rong recalled the Gang Qi that had blocked his attack, and he instantly overturned his initial guess.

Innate Inner Gang? That was merely a ruse to deceive others! His true cultivation is that of an Innate Outer Gang expert. One step higher, and he’d be considered a Martial Arts Grandmaster.

It was highly unlikely that the Demon-Subduing Division would dispatch a Profound Rank Demon Hunter merely for a Ghostly Level Fiend in Guyue Village. Even if the Division had ample manpower, it wouldn’t be to such an extent.

In an instant, Wen Rong connected the dots.

He’s come for me!

A single Ghostly Level Fiend wouldn’t attract a Profound Rank Demon Hunter, but an Eternal Alliance stronghold certainly would. He had thought himself well hidden within the Zhang Family, but now it was clear he had long been exposed to the Demon-Subduing Division. Everything the other party had done so far was merely a smokescreen; their true purpose was to lure him out. Moreover, even if he hadn’t emerged, the Zhang Family stronghold was doomed to be eliminated sooner or later.

"You turned the Zhang Family into Corpse Puppets. What was your purpose in establishing a stronghold in Lin’an City? Was it for Demon’s Essence Blood, or something else? If you tell me, this official might consider sparing your life," Shen Changqing said, his senses locked onto Wen Rong as he voiced his questions.

"You’ll find out when you’re dead!" Wen Rong sneered, and in the next instant, he lunged at Shen Changqing, intent on killing him.

As he moved, the previously faint Yin Evil Aura erupted with full force. The concealment measures arranged within the Zhang Family estate were instantly overwhelmed by this surge of Yin Evil Aura.

Cui Cheng and the others stationed outside the Zhang Family estate paled the moment the Yin Evil Aura erupted.

"This Yin Evil Aura is incredibly powerful!"

"So strong! Stronger than the Demon Evil in Guyue Village. It might be Resentment Level!"

"The Zhang Family was actually hiding a Demon Evil!"

Everyone’s face turned grim. They were unaware that the Zhang Family possessed methods to conceal the Yin Evil Aura, meaning the aura now unleashed had already been diminished. Nevertheless, this Yin Evil Aura was still startling to Cui Cheng and the others.

Through the half-open door, they could only glimpse parts of the courtyard, unable to see what was unfolding in the main hall. Now, with the explosion of Yin Evil Aura, no one dared to approach recklessly. Without entering the Zhang Family estate, they naturally couldn’t see what was happening inside.

Zhao Yue’s pretty face paled slightly, the Yin Evil Aura making her uneasy. "Senior Brother, will Lord Shen be alright?" she asked.

"Even if Lord Shen hasn’t broken through to the Innate Realm, he’s definitely at the peak of Pulse Condensation. While this Demon Evil’s aura is powerful, it’s likely at the threshold between Pulse Condensation and the Innate Realm. Even if Lord Shen can’t defeat it, he should have no problem escaping. Since he asked us to stay here and went in alone, he must be completely confident," Cui Cheng explained casually.

In truth, he didn’t quite believe his own words. Demon Evil entities are notoriously difficult to deal with. When a martial artist faces a Demon Evil of the same realm, the latter has a significantly higher chance of victory. Furthermore, the Demon Evil within the Zhang Family could very well be at the Innate Realm. If it were at the Pulse Condensation stage, they might still have a chance to defeat it by attacking together. But if it were at the Innate Realm, ten late-stage Pulse Condensation martial artists would be nothing more than a light snack for it.

Therefore, without clarity on the situation, Cui Cheng had no intention of risking his life. It wasn’t just him; none of the individuals from the other factions had any such inclination. After all, Shen Changqing had instructed them to simply guard this position; they were not privy to what was happening inside. If Shen Changqing truly perished at the hands of the Demon Evil, they would have a plausible excuse when the Demon-Subduing Division inevitably sought to assign blame. As long as they had a justifiable reason, even the Demon-Subduing Division couldn’t execute them arbitrarily. After all, each of them had their own influential factions backing them. If the Demon-Subduing Division were to kill wantonly, it would undoubtedly cause negative repercussions within the Jianghu. While it might seem that the Demon-Subduing Division killed indiscriminately, there was always a pretext for the individuals they executed and the factions they annihilated.

Hearing their conversation, Zhang Yue, the arrest officer, also looked tense. Although Shen Changqing was only the acting County Magistrate, he was currently the Yamen’s bulwark. He had single-handedly repelled a Demon Evil attack on the Yamen not long ago. If he were to fall at the Zhang Family estate, the Yamen’s situation would become exceedingly awkward. Moreover, Zhang Yue had been personally promoted by Shen Changqing. If Shen Changqing met an untimely end, Zhang Yue’s position as arrest officer would likely become precarious.

No matter how he looked at it, Zhang Yue didn’t want anything to happen to Shen Changqing. However, as a mere Body Tempering Realm martial artist, he was unqualified to interfere in matters involving Demon Evil, so he could only watch helplessly. Zhang Yue knew a little about Cui Cheng and the others. They represented prominent Jianghu factions from Guangyuan Prefecture, far beyond the authority of a humble arrest officer like himself.

BOOM!

BOOM!!

Inside the main hall, two figures, swift as specters, clashed fiercely. Cold glints of blade light flashed intermittently, accompanied by surges of intense heat. Shen Changqing used the Seven Kills Blade Technique for standard attacks and the Iron Sand Palm for close combat, his Heavenly Martial Gang Qi pushed to its absolute limit.

However, the Demonfolk he faced was no weakling. As the battle wore on, Shen Changqing had also sustained some wounds.

Similarly, Wen Rong now bore numerous injuries. By now, he was almost certain that Shen Changqing had not actually reached the Innate Outer Gang Realm. Instead, Shen Changqing was likely practicing some Martial Art that allowed him to project Gang Qi externally, which had tricked Wen Rong into believing he was an Outer Gang expert.

"If my injuries weren’t still unhealed, how could I let you act so brazenly!"