Chapter 327 - 318: The Demon Rhinoceros and the Spirit Lord’s Procession

Chapter 327: Chapter 318: The Demon Rhinoceros and the Spirit Lord’s Procession

In the woodshed in the southeast corner of the Yan Mansion’s rear courtyard was a movable bluestone slab. Beneath it were stone steps leading down to the secret underground chamber that housed the Yan Family’s Demon Rhinoceros.

Yan Xi carried a lantern, respectfully guiding Fu Juemin down the stone steps. Before long, they saw an ancient bronze door standing at the end of the dim, secret passage.

The door was cast with what looked like ox-head patterns. Fu Juemin gave it a cursory glance while Yan Xi pressed a mechanism on the wall. With the sound of a turning metal device, the heavy bronze door slowly swung inward.

A thick, foul stench—a mix of rot and blood—rushed out.

The stench hit Yan Xi hard, and he leaned against the wall, dry-heaving. Once he recovered slightly, he managed to say to Fu Juemin, "Spirit Lord, the Demon Official my Yan Family keeps is just inside."

Yan Xi paused, his eyes filled with resentment as he lowered his voice. "In the past, if anyone made a mistake, that old bastard Yan Huai’an would throw them in there to feed the Demon."

"Over the years, the number of Yan Family members thrown in has gradually grown to..."

"It doesn’t matter."

Fu Juemin couldn’t be bothered to listen to his ramblings. After a curt reply, he strode right in.

Yan Xi froze, his expression suddenly changing to one of alarm as he hurriedly shouted, "Spirit Lord!"

"This Demon has a violent temper! Whatever you do, don’t... get too close..."

But before he could finish his warning, Fu Juemin’s figure had already vanished into the darkness beyond the door.

Fu Juemin stepped into the secret chamber.

The chamber wasn’t completely dark, as a few ever-burning lamps were lit inside.

In the center was a large pool filled with murky, black water.

Piled up like small hills around the pool’s edge were human bones, rotting corpses, and mountains of feces.

This was the source of the overpowering stench.

Fu Juemin frowned, his gaze passing over the filth to land on the center of the pool.

In the light of the ever-burning lamps, he could vaguely make out a huge, stout black shape lying in the water.

It was motionless, like a giant rock sunk at the bottom of the pool. Only a slight rising and falling motion proved it was still alive.

Fu Juemin instinctively took two steps forward. The shape seemed to sense him, letting out a deep, ragged breath before slowly rising from the pool.

"ROAR—"

The roar shook the chamber, making the walls hum.

...

Meanwhile, Yan Xi stood cowering by the door, hesitant and conflicted.

He was worried about the safety of this Spirit Lord sent down from the Profound Banner and wanted to go in to warn him. But he was also terrified of his own family’s savage Demon Rhinoceros and didn’t dare take a single step forward.

In his moment of indecision, a sudden roar from within the chamber made him shudder with fright. He instinctively reached for another mechanism on the wall.

WHOOSH—

Just then, a wave of heat abruptly billowed out from the secret chamber.

Intense, brilliant firelight shone from behind the bronze door, casting flickering shadows down the secret passage...

The commotion inside seemed to cease all at once.

Yan Xi’s hand rested on the mechanism that activated the Array. It stayed there for a moment, but ultimately, he didn’t press it.

He summoned his courage, cautiously craning his neck to peer through the doorway and see what on earth had happened.

The moment he peeked inside, he looked as if he’d been struck by lightning. He collapsed onto his rear, his face a mask of utter shock and confusion.

"How... How could this be?..."

There, in the center of the chamber by the filthy, stinking pool, now stood a ferocious figure over four meters tall. It had a Scorpion Tail, and four long, slender centipede-like legs—the Fire Centipede Steps—were spread out from its back.

Orange-gold flames flowed and coiled around the figure, their blazing light illuminating the entire chamber as brightly as day.

He just stood there, perfectly still.

At his feet, a Demon Rhinoceros the size of two water buffaloes was prostrated on the ground, trembling uncontrollably.

...

’Its personality is actually quite docile...’

In his Flame Monarch form, Fu Juemin hovered one hand over the Demon Rhinoceros’s skull. His four Fire Centipede Steps were poised to strike, and a faint hint of surprise flickered in his dark golden eyes.

He had been fully prepared for a fight, never imagining the Demon Rhinoceros would instantly grovel the moment it saw him.

The Demon Rhinoceros before him resembled a giant rhinoceros—an ox’s head with a single horn, a body of ashen black, and skin that seemed to be shrouded in a faint, earth-colored yellow mist.

Fu Juemin lowered his hovering hand and lightly patted the giant rhino’s head.

The head with its single, jade-like horn instantly drooped lower. Its corpulent body trembled more fiercely, and it let out a soft "huff, huff"—a sound that was part fear, part plea for mercy, and part attempt to curry favor.

According to the previous dynasty’s official rank system used by the Nine Banners, the Yan Family’s Demon Rhinoceros was only at the level of a Junior Fifth Grade.

Its intelligence, however, seemed higher than that of the two Fourth Grade Demon Fiends Fu Juemin had previously killed.

Fu Juemin "petted" the creature for another moment before pulling his hand back.

He didn’t plan to kill this Demon Rhinoceros for now, intending to keep it as a material component for the Fake Internal Energy Method.

Of course, he had no intention of practicing the Fake Internal Energy Method himself, but the Martial Artists under his command could use it. When it came to subjugating the clans of the Lower Five Banners, he couldn’t be expected to handle every little thing personally.

Calculating the time, Cao Tian and the remnants of the Ghost Camp should be arriving soon.

Fu Juemin intended to give them a power boost as well. Although undergoing the Fake Internal Energy Method would shorten their lifespans—requiring regular consumption of Human Pills to replenish their life force—but Fu Juemin had his Perfection Realm Pharmacist Skill and Innate Primordial Liquid. Perhaps he could create a substitute for the Human Pills.

’With that thought,’ Fu Juemin deactivated his Flame Monarch form. He put his outer robe back on and walked slowly out of the secret chamber.

Yan Xi, his guide, was still sitting on the ground in a stupefied daze. Fu Juemin couldn’t be bothered with him and walked straight past.

As soon as he exited the secret passage, Fu Juemin summoned Mu Feng.

"For the time being, I will be staying with the Yan Family. I need you to bring my friend here."

"Also, prepare all the necessary materials for the Fake Internal Energy Method. Inform Hong Huan and Xu Chu that they are to prepare for their second enhancement..."

"Yes."

Mu Feng replied respectfully.

Mu Feng, of course, knew which friend Fu Juemin was referring to.

Over the past few days, Mu Feng had put two and two together. He now realized that Fu Juemin’s earlier claim of being a "Transformed Realm Great Demon Fiend" had been a bluff.

In Mu Feng’s view, Fu Juemin had to be a powerful individual who had cultivated the "Nine Spirits Filth Loading Technique" to a high degree!

’Perhaps he’s a pawn the Profound Banner has been secretly cultivating for years—Prince Helu’s ultimate confidant! Now he’s been unleashed, ready to lead the Lower Five Banners in some grand...’ "undertaking."

’The path ahead was perilous, but risk and reward went hand in hand. The future was also one of boundless opportunity!’

As he thought this, Mu Feng couldn’t help but add, "Spirit Lord, everything with the Yan Family is settled."

"The Ninggu and Chaha clans probably won’t talk."

"But people from the Royal Banner did die. If the higher-ups decide to investigate..."

"That is not your concern."

Fu Juemin said coolly, a flicker in his eyes, "The Profound Banner will take care of it for us."

Mu Feng nodded and said no more.

....

「Three days later.」

The sun was bright, and the air was filled with the warmth of spring.

At the Dongzhimen Gate of Yingjing City, a large procession on horseback thundered out from within the city walls.

"Out of the way! Get out of the way!"

"Don’t block the Noble’s path!"

Before the procession even arrived, the junior officer on duty at the gate, with a keen sense of propriety, began driving away the commoners, quickly clearing a path before kneeling respectfully by the roadside.

Moments later, the procession passed through the gate. Six men struck gongs, six carried banners, and six cleared the path.

All were dressed in fine long robes and brocade jackets.

Following them were dozens of guards and Attendants, some on foot and some on horseback. Those who were mounted were all Martial Artist Tributors, each with an extraordinary bearing!

And at the very center of this procession was a carriage drawn by a team of six Demon Horses.

The carriage was magnificent. Planted before it was a brand-new banner of profound black embroidered with gold, its silver tassels whipping in the wind. Emblazoned on its surface was the large character for "Spirit."

Such grand pageantry made it clear, even to the densest observer, that a Noble from one of the Banners was traveling.

The commoners kneeling by the roadside secretly raised their eyes to watch. The sharp-eyed among them recognized men from at least three of the Lower Five Banners in the entourage: the Blue, White, and Gray!

To be served by three Banners at once, this person had to be a major figure from the Top Four Banners.

But no matter how they racked their brains, they couldn’t recall when a new Noble named "Spirit" had appeared among the Upper Three Banners or the Top Royal Banner of Yingjing City.

The grand procession left the city gates and traveled west for less than two miles before stopping at a small estate.

Seeing the sudden arrival of the procession, the dozens of travel-worn, sharp-eyed men waiting outside the estate immediately tensed up, going on high alert.

But before the men could pull their weapons, long and short, from their luggage, the six-horse carriage at the heart of the procession moved to the front. From beneath the "Spirit" banner, a figure slowly stepped out of the magnificent carriage.

The man was dressed in a moon-white robe. His features were handsome, his bearing noble. Bathed in the spring sunlight, he casually glanced toward the group of men outside the estate.

The men’s eyes immediately lit up.

The weapons in their hands were lowered as well.

A graceful figure, who had been protected in their midst, flew like an arrow toward the man.