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Zhang Liuxue's grandfather was a Celestial Master in the county's Demon Suppression Bureau Mystic Arts Hall.
When she came of age, she once asked her grandfather:
"Grandfather, is there truly no way for ordinary mortals to kill demons?"
"There is one method that exists in theory."
"What is it?"
"If a mortal wishes to slay a demon, they must obtain a magical treasure through their own ability—either by stealing it from a Celestial Master or seizing it from a demon. Then they must incite two demons to fight each other and profit from their conflict. This is a heaven-defying method."
Why did Zhang Liuxue remember her grandfather's words? It was because this content was impossible to forget.
An ordinary person obtaining a magical treasure from a Celestial Master or a demon possessing one?
Could such a person still be called ordinary?
Moreover, provoking one demon was bad enough—but to provoke another as well?
Was this person tired of living?
Zhang Liuxue recounted what her grandfather had said back then.
"..." After hearing this, Lang Qing was dumbstruck.
This content was truly... spectacularly absurd.
After a brief silence, Lang Qing shook his head to express his view: "An ordinary mortal could never accomplish this."
"Indeed, it's impossible." Zhang Liuxue spoke to herself: "But nothing is absolute."
"When demons encounter ordinary mortals, they often only use ten or twenty percent of their strength. Otherwise, how could there be a saying of 'nine deaths with one chance of survival'? With a demon's abilities, it should be ten deaths with no survival."
There was such a saying?
Demons looked down on mortals?
Gu An recalled his experiences with Abang. How much of his strength had Abang used?
"One cannot say it like that."
Lang Qing shook his head.
"No matter how much strength a demon uses, even if only ten or twenty percent, how many lives does an ordinary mortal have to face it?"
"Not to mention demons wielding magical treasures—even nine lives wouldn't be enough for the demon's persecution."
Not just nine lives—even multiplying that several times probably wouldn't be enough.
Zhang Liuxue secretly scoffed to herself.
She wasn't angered by Lang Qing's rebuttal, because she thought the same way.
Anyone who understood demons would find her grandfather's words absurd.
If there truly was a mortal in the world who could accomplish this, how tremendous would their fortune have to be? How great a fortune would one need to avoid the demon's persecution time and again, then lure another demon, harm both demons simultaneously, make them kill each other, and profit from it all?
She nodded in agreement: "Grandfather did indeed say this matter was as difficult as a mortal ascending to heaven."
"Indeed... Even if they succeeded and two demons killed each other, it would be fine if both demons perished. But if one demon survived, how would they deal with it?"
"Wouldn't that mean they'd have to keep finding demons and provoking them?"
By the time Lang Qing finished speaking, he shuddered.
Just thinking about it was chilling.
"Not so." Zhang Liuxue shook her head, actually negating Lang Qing's words.
"Grandfather said..." An indescribable expression appeared on her face—the same expression her grandfather had when speaking: "If a mortal could truly kill a demon, they could obtain tremendous immortal fate."
"Acting against heaven, if they truly took that step, they could obtain heaven-defying fruit."
"Using this to become a Celestial Master, be called an Exalted Immortal, and then slay the remaining demon."
Lang Qing was astonished.
Then he shook his head with a bitter smile.
These words became more and more absurd.
Listening to their conversation, Gu An's eyes showed unusual emotion.
Got it!
He'd obtained the answer he wanted!
This method seemed like nonsense to them, even to the Celestial Masters of the Mystic Arts Hall.
Because people only had one life. How many would do this? This was no different from not running when seeing a demon but instead sticking your face out to seek death.
However, just because others couldn't do it didn't mean he, Gu An, couldn't.
Gu An carefully savored the content of their words.
He nodded faintly, like a true Exalted Immortal acknowledging their words.
"You two have provoked a demon. How did you provoke it?"
Another question.
Only this time, Lang Qing and Zhang Liuxue didn't answer.
Their faces showed alarm.
Their gazes fell on Abang.
He had devoured the yellow elongated shadow until only a palm-sized shadow remained—just one more bite to finish.
"Exalted Immortal, the demon you're slaying... Abang has almost finished eating the shadow. Look... shouldn't you deal with the demon first?"
Lang Qing was trembling with fear.
Having eaten the yellow elongated shadow, Abang's legs had already recovered. Holding the remaining shadow demon flesh, he turned to look over.
Gu An bent down to observe the demon through his knees.
Abang had indeed recovered.
...So demons eating demons could regenerate severed limbs.
In a moment, he unwrapped the clothing covering the sickle blade.
"A magical treasure!!" Lang Qing and the other exclaimed in unison, seeing the sickle blade.
Gu An walked to the side, avoiding Abang's soul-stealing supernatural power.
Though he couldn't see the demon, having spent so long with Abang—trading dozens of lives and deaths for his body's genuine sense of the supernatural power—he could now judge the direction of Abang's power without looking.
Of course, he couldn't avoid it every single time.
"You two siblings aren't Celestial Masters. How can ordinary eyes see demons?"
As he walked, he spoke aloud.
Lang Qing and the other's faces stiffened.
Wait, at a time like this, he still had the leisure to ask questions?
"Answer me!"
As Gu An spoke, he swung the sickle blade toward Abang's legs.
He couldn't kill Abang—he could only cripple him again.
The next moment, he continued looking down at the demon.
Abang was gone. In his place, nearby was a pair of familiar legs.
Abang was faster than when they first met—much, much faster. One of his legs had been severed, but his body had also gotten closer.
Gu An showed no surprise.
Zhang Liuxue's earlier words surfaced in his mind.
Even mud figurines have some temper, let alone demons. After being crippled by him, Abang had clearly become enraged and used his full strength. It was only because his legs had just regrown and weren't yet nimble that one leg could still be severed.
This thought flashed through his mind.
Regarding this, he made no attempt to resist.
Having interacted with Abang for so long, he knew very clearly that with Abang this close, he had no chance.
If that was the case, he could only start over.
Squelch—
His stomach was pierced through by Abang's arm. Blood gushed out, and then his torso was severed at the waist.
On the other side, after this "Exalted Immortal" Gu An prepared to deal with the demon, Lang Qing and Zhang Liuxue efficiently retreated backward.
They didn't go too far—firstly, they feared being too far would prevent the Exalted Immortal from protecting them; secondly, they feared being too close would get them caught in the crossfire. They maintained a position one zhang away.
One zhang away, the two stood watching, joy on their faces.
A Celestial Master with a magical treasure—calling him an Exalted Immortal was absolutely not excessive.
"You just need to drip ox tears and willow leaf water on your eyes..." Lang Qing answered while running, then turned to look back.
In an instant, the joy disappeared from their faces.
Were they seeing things? Had they fallen into ghost wall supernatural power, dream-entering supernatural power, or other illusion powers?
How was the Exalted Immortal severed at the waist?
As the saying goes, when a person is about to die, their words are kind.
With his last breath, Gu An looked at them and calmly remarked: "Thank you both for your answers. Actually, I'm not an Exalted Immortal—I'm just an ordinary mortal. You two were deceived by me. And since you used me as a scapegoat earlier, now we're even."
In an instant, the two understood they'd been played.
"You..."
Lang Qing trembled with rage.
He couldn't understand.
What was the point of Gu An doing this? Was it because they'd wronged him, so he used his life to disgust them?
Was he insane?!
He couldn't understand, nor could he ever understand. It all transformed into a shrill, prolonged howl.
"You inhuman..."
The voice cut off abruptly—he was cleaved vertically in half by Abang.
On the other side, Zhang Liuxue's bewildered and terrified scream pierced through the official road.
...
Inside the thatched cottage.
Gu An sat on the bedding made of straw.
"Ox tears and willow leaf water dripped in the eyes?"
After murmuring this, he stood up and calmly walked toward the door.
Opening the door and walking to the side, avoiding Abang's persecution while recalling what those two had said.
"Should I go find those two things and drip them in my eyes?"
"Better not."
"Finding those two things takes time—I won't encounter them later."
"I should just ask them for it. I still have several questions to ask them."
Then Gu An looked toward Old Man Hong and smiled broadly.
"Old Man Hong, I've encountered a demon."
This time, the smile had more genuine warmth than the previous numb, fake smile.