Chapter 19: The Serpent’s Desperation

“Damn it, damn it, damn it! Why? Why was I exposed?!”

“Didn’t these humans say they were going to capture that fox demon called Bai Jiujiu?”

“If it weren’t for the Demon Suppression Banner, do you truly believe you could corner me like this?!”

The creature, Lóng Zhí, had split into nine parts. Its largest component was currently the mother body, which also carried a single youngling on its back.

As long as the mother body remained alive, the separated younglings would not dissipate; they would eventually return to her.

Yet, Lóng Zhí was utterly bewildered. She had hunted in this town for decades, and never once had demon catchers appeared. Even when they did, she had always managed to cover her tracks with Li Sibao’s cooperation.

Last night, she had merely been drawn by a familiar, potent demonic energy and, on a whim, devoured the inn’s waiter who was lost in an illusion. How could that possibly lead to so many demon catchers pursuing her now?

Lóng Zhí had lived for over three hundred years, cultivating by absorbing the souls of abandoned infants who perished in this town. Through both overt and covert observation, she had even killed a Light Opening Realm demon catcher, absorbing his soul to significantly boost her cultivation.

By merging with that demon catcher’s memories, Lóng Zhí also learned about the Demon Suppression Bureau.

But logically, even if they were coming for her, why would they deploy the Demon Suppression Banner and send out dozens of cultivators and demon catchers?

‘No, it’s all that fox demon’s fault. These guys are here for the fox demon, Bai Jiujiu!’

‘It’s all the fault of that fellow demon.’

‘If I can survive, I will definitely eat her!’

‘No, no, no. I’ll give her soul to my children, let that fox demon become my child too!’

‘Or maybe I should skin Bai Jiujiu and pull out her tendons. Her flesh would surely fetch a good price!’

‘No… the little fox is so cute…’

‘I want her fox tail; I’ll pluck it off and make a scarf!’

‘My dear Tuantuan, Mommy will pull out Bai Jiujiu’s spine for you to wear as little pants.’

‘Can she be my mommy? Being my daddy works too!’

‘She is… Mom…’

Lóng Zhí had absorbed a vast number of souls, and normally, her mother body would fall into a comatose state, with the younglings’ consciousness controlling her movements.

However, with all the younglings now split off, relying solely on the single remaining youngling on her back made it difficult to fight.

Lóng Zhí was forced to awaken her mother body. This caused the chaotic consciousnesses of the souls she had frantically absorbed in pursuit of power to crash against her mind like a tsunami.

“Demon! Where do you think you’re going?!”

Following closely behind the mother body, Lóng Zhí, was the third-rank demon catcher, Zhang Feng, who was in the Core Condensation Realm.

Having reached the Core Condensation Realm, he had already condensed his primordial soul core within his body, allowing him to endlessly draw upon the surrounding spiritual energy. His proficiency with cultivation techniques and the frequency of their use far surpassed that of a Light Opening Realm cultivator.

Moments later, he unleashed three more sword qi strikes, each blocking one of Lóng Zhí’s potential escape routes.

No matter how she tried to evade, she would be hit.

Left with no choice, Lóng Zhí turned back. The youngling and the mother body together channeled demonic energy, launching two black orbs that struck directly at the soul. One orb blocked a sword qi, while the other shot straight towards Zhang Feng.

The black orb hit Zhang Feng, but instead of exploding, it merely passed slowly through his body before dissipating.

Zhang Feng felt as if all his senses had vanished, plunging him into an endless abyss. The demons he had once slain seemed to whisper incessantly in his ears.

By the time he regained his composure, Lóng Zhí was nowhere to be seen, and his official uniform was drenched in cold sweat.

“Hmph, a demon is still a demon, always resorting to tricks. With the Demon Suppression Banner here, let’s see where you can run.”

Zhang Feng lowered his gaze, noticing a trail of blood leading deep into the forest. He let out a cold laugh.

After shaking off Zhang Feng, Lóng Zhí crouched behind a bush, two sword marks already marring her abdomen.

She had endured the sword qi to successfully land the Soul-Remembering Orb on Zhang Feng. Under the Demon Suppression Banner, she couldn’t guarantee how long she could hold him off.

“Mommy, where’s Daddy? Where are my other sisters and brothers?”

The youngling Lóng Zhí on her back asked with a touch of curiosity.

Unlike the mother body, whose thoughts were in disarray, and the other eight younglings, whose emotions were blinded by hatred, this particular youngling had only been born a year ago. Its consciousness had integrated perfectly, making it a truly innocent little demon.

This was why this youngling hadn’t split off like the others, but was carried by the mother body at all times.

Furthermore, to manipulate Li Sibao, she hadn’t merged the souls she had devoured with this youngling.

“They’ll all… all be sold by me soon! No, baby, Mommy will eat them all soon!”

The mother body Lóng Zhí tried to soothe her child, but the other consciousnesses constantly interfered, making her head sway from side to side and her eyes nearly bulge out.

“Is this the ultimate fate of Lóng Zhí? Have you forgotten what I once taught you?”

Bai Jiujiu leaped down from a tree, looking with a hint of pity at the mother body Lóng Zhí, whose eyes were filled with utter confusion.

Earlier, in Li Sibao’s house, due to the effects of the Demon Suppression Banner and the overly chaotic demonic energy from the ten demons within his body, Bai Jiujiu hadn’t immediately recognized who the creature was.

But now, with the two demons face to face, Bai Jiujiu recognized Lóng Zhí with just a glance.

She had expected it to be a demon of her own kind, but she hadn’t anticipated such a coincidence.

“It’s you! The fox demon Bai Jiujiu!”

“I’m a snake demon! A snake demon!”

Upon hearing this, Bai Jiujiu immediately flared up in anger!

She was clearly a snake!

They were all demons; how could this one get it wrong?

Lóng Zhí, however, became exceptionally furious! She intensely hated the demon before her.

If not for this creature, how could so many demon catchers have appeared?

‘It’s all her fault!’

‘Eat her!’

‘Sell her!’

‘Slaughter her!’

‘No…’

“Ah!!!!”

Under intense stimulation, the different consciousnesses cried out collectively, causing Lóng Zhí’s eyes to become bloodshot. She lunged at Bai Jiujiu, brandishing her sharp claws.

Her demonic energy was almost depleted, leaving only her physical body to attack.

‘We’re all demons, and under the Demon Suppression Banner, no demonic arts can be used. If I just eat her, if I absorb her soul, I can become stronger! Then I won’t have to fear that bastard demon catcher anymore!’

‘I can sell myself completely to be eaten!’

“Sigh…”

Bai Jiujiu knew her body held an irresistible allure for demons. While demons on Cloudfall Mountain were suppressed by her demonic energy, some minor demons still spread rumors that eating Bai Jiujiu’s flesh could grant eternal life.

Her demonic energy, from birth, inherently suppressed other demons.

However, under the Demon Suppression Banner, Bai Jiujiu’s demonic energy was also affected, allowing Lóng Zhí to dare take such a desperate risk.

Before Lóng Zhí could even get close to Bai Jiujiu, the Demon Binding Rope immediately fell from Bai Jiujiu’s wrist, flying towards Lóng Zhí like a swimming dragon.

But it was swatted away with a single slap.

‘Ah, this…’

The Demon Binding Rope struggled to get up, then lay limp on a tree branch, its fate unknown.

‘Master, I did my best…’

“Did your best, my foot, you big dummy!”

Bai Jiujiu gritted her teeth, instinctively ducking to avoid Lóng Zhí’s attack. She pulled the (pseudo) Demon Suppression Banner from her waist.

Treating this long-range magical artifact like a mere wooden stick, she swung it hard at Lóng Zhí’s face.

“You too, wake up! Remember who saved you three hundred years ago!”

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