A Compendium of One Hundred Demons: My Path to Immortality in a World of Demons and Monsters

[Slay 3 low-level vengeful spirits and absorb their power...]

Current cultivation level: Blood Refinement Level 2

[Hungry Ghost: 22% progress]

[Ability: Extremely efficient digestion]

【Characteristics: Unlimited appetite, enhanced strength, enhanced agility】

[Unlock new character: Changgui (1% completion)]

[Acquired Ability: Taming Ghosts (Able to create and control ghosts for one's own use; Current number under command: 0/3)]

[New Feature: Yin Aura Perception (Perception of Yin Spirit Aura increases as the level is increased)]

A series of messages flooded his mind, and Xu Yuan felt his blood and qi surge again. The black qi at the wound on his left arm was quickly dispelled, and the wound began to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye.

At the same time, fragments of the three-headed demon's remaining memories began to flash before his eyes:

Mountains and forests... stone pillars... tiger demon...

After Xu Yuan finished digesting the information, his newly acquired "Soul Perception" issued a strong warning—a terrifying being was targeting him!

Almost at the same time, dozens of miles away, at the rocky beach behind the mountain.

The tiger demon, bound by chains, suddenly looked up, a flash of shock and anger in its crimson eyes: "My vassal... has been destroyed?!"

It licked its lips, its fangs still stained with the blood of Zhao San and the others: "Such pure blood and qi... Blood Refining Realm martial artists... If only I could devour them..."

The chains rattled, the tiger demon struggled frantically, the runes on the stone pillars flickered, and a tiny crack quietly appeared at the base of one of the pillars.

"It will be soon... The day I am freed... will be soon..."

Its crimson eyes gazed towards the mountain village, the greed in them almost tangible: "Blood feast... just wait..."

…………

Before the morning mist had even dissipated, Shuangshan Village was already in complete uproar.

Three shriveled corpses, a pungent, fishy stench permeating the scene, and three wounds on Xu Yuan's left arm that were beginning to heal but were still faintly discernible.

"Someone's...someone's dead!"

"It was Zhao San! I got up in the middle of the night last night and saw him with my own eyes... He staggered in from the village entrance, his face as blue as a corpse!"

"A villager said, his face pale."

"Wang Erma and Guo Laizi were with him too. I heard them yesterday that they seemed to be preparing to go hunting in the back mountains. How could this be..."

"Could it be something from the back mountain that has emerged!"

Anxiety spread through the crowd, and everyone's eyes were fixed on Xu Yuan.

"Stop arguing!" Xu Laogen shouted, silencing the crowd. He walked to the three mummified corpses, bent down to examine them, his brows furrowed, and then looked up at Xu Yuan.

"Yuanwa, what's wrong with your injury...?"

"Changgui!" Xu Yuan calmly uttered the two words.

The villagers looked at each other, clearly not understanding the meaning of the word.

"Those who are eaten by the tiger demon cannot be reborn and become vengeful ghosts, who are dedicated to luring living people for the tiger demon to devour." Xu Yuan explained the information he obtained from the fragments of the vengeful ghosts' memories. "Zhao San and the others went into the mountains last night and have already become the tiger demon's puppets."

"Tiger... Tiger demon?" someone's voice trembled.

Xu Yuan nodded, his gaze sweeping over the terrified faces of the crowd: "Deep in the back mountains, a tiger demon is sealed away. Those three vengeful spirits from last night were sent by it, and moreover..."

He paused, his tone becoming extremely grave: "As far as I know, the seal has begun to loosen!"

The air suddenly froze.

"Run! Let's run away right now!" someone screamed.

"Where can we escape to? There's famine for miles around, tiger demons in the mountains, and bandits outside. Where can we go?"

Panic spread like a plague; women began to cry, children screamed in terror, and men turned pale and stared blankly.

"Shut up, all of you!" Xu Laogen slammed his cane down, his aged voice carrying a seasoned authority. "What's all the chaos about! We're not at our wits' end yet!"

He turned to Xu Yuan: "Yuan boy, what you said... is it all true?"

Xu Yuan knew he was asking about the loosening of the seal, and nodded: "Ninety percent certain."

After a long silence, Xu Laogen slowly spoke, "Go to the county town and ask for help!"

"Would the county government care about the fate of us poor mountain villagers?" a villager questioned.

"I am the village head of Shuangshan Village. According to the laws of the Great Qian Dynasty, if there is any trouble caused by demons, the village head can seek help from the county government." The old village chief looked around at everyone. "Although the Great Qian Dynasty is now defunct in name only, the Demon Suppression Division... should still have people."

"The Demon Suppression Division?"

"The government office that specifically handles the calamities caused by demons and evil spirits," Xu Laogen explained. "I heard from the older generation in the village years ago that every county in the Great Qian Dynasty had a demon-suppressing office stationed there, but with the world in chaos these days, I don't know if it's still there."

He took a deep breath, a resolute glint in his cloudy eyes: "I'll go to the county town for help. If there are still people from the Demon Suppression Division stationed at the county government office, as long as I report this matter, there might still be a chance..."

Xu Laogen's words undoubtedly rekindled the villagers' hope. After all, in these chaotic and famine-stricken times, no one would be willing to leave their home and become a displaced person living a precarious life.

"Village chief, I'll come along too," Xu Yuan suddenly said.

Xu Laogen was taken aback: "Yuanwa, you?"

"That tiger demon must have its eye on me," Xu Yuan said bluntly. "Last night I killed its henchman, and it holds a grudge against me. Keeping it in the village will only bring trouble, and besides—"

He looked towards the county town: "The world is not peaceful these days. With me going along, it might save us a lot of trouble!"

With the tiger demon about to break free of its seal, Xu Yuan urgently needs to improve his strength, but it is clearly not advisable to enter the back mountain again in the short term.

Rather than being trapped in the mountain village and waiting to die, it would be better to go to the county town with the old village chief to seek help. Perhaps there would be a chance to find the real martial arts training method.

Upon hearing this, Xu Laogen gave him a deep look and finally nodded in agreement: "Alright, since you have this intention, let's not delay and set off immediately."

Xu Yuan went back to the house and tidied up quickly. He left most of the remaining wild boar meat to Aunt Zhang, took only some dried meat as food for the road, sharpened the dull wood-chopping knife, wrapped it in a rag, and carried it on his back.

Xu Laogen brought the village head's seal and a volume of county chronicles, and instructed all villagers to never enter the back mountain again, to keep doors and windows tightly closed at night, and to arrange for able-bodied men to take turns keeping watch at night.

Before leaving, Little Stone tugged at Xu Yuan's sleeve, his eyes brimming with tears, and asked, "Brother Yuan, will you come back?"

Xu Yuan patted his head: "Yes, I will. I'll bring you candy from the county town."

After leaving the village, the two walked south along the rugged dirt road.

Shuangshan Village is located in a relatively remote area, and it is nearly 50 miles away from the county seat by mountain road.

"Once we cross that mountain ridge, we'll reach Xiaowangzhuang." After passing through a barren field, Xu Laogen, panting, pointed ahead.

Xu Yuan nodded, about to speak, when suddenly his heart skipped a beat and he stopped in his tracks.

"What's wrong?" Xu Laogen asked anxiously.

Xu Yuan made a shushing gesture, composed himself, and listened intently.

In his mind, the illustration of the changgui (a type of ghost) glowed faintly, and his Yin energy perception sent an unusually clear signal—three miles ahead, there was a heavy "death energy" and "blood energy," as well as an aura that was similar to the changgui from last night, but not quite the same!