Chapter 53

(53) The Demon's Selection

"How can you trust those people? They act as if they'll give you their all now that they need you, but they are fundamentally rooted in the righteous sect. It wouldn't be strange if they cast you aside at any moment. Especially, it's suspicious that they would entrust a major responsibility like the leader of the Demon Extermination Squad to someone like the Sevenfold Demon Lord. Will they really keep their word until the end? I don't think so. They'll use you as much as they need and then discard you without a second thought."

Chao E Liang nodded.

Still, as a leader of an information organization, he had a fairly discerning eye.

"So? Do you have a place to go now?"

Neng Su Mi smiled bitterly.

Fortunately, he had survived, but he couldn't return to the Divine Saber Sect now. The Wu Lin Alliance wouldn't be fools; they would certainly issue a warrant for his arrest.

"I plan to kill Li Gui first and then think about it."

"With your condition?"

Neng Su Mi's eyes were filled with intense killing intent.

"For someone like him, all I need is a set of teeth. I'll chew him up from head to toe."

"Alright. Then let's talk again after that."

"Sir?"

"Didn't I say I'm a person who keeps my promises?"

Chao E Liang smiled slightly.

"And I always keep my word."

With that, Chao E Liang took something out of his pocket and threw it to Neng Su Mi. Neng Su Mi caught it in surprise and looked at Chao E Liang with a puzzled expression.

"What is this? What is it?"

"It's a spirit pill."

"A spirit pill?"

In reality, it was a health pill made by Dan E Xian, but Chao E Liang nodded.

While he hadn't tasted spirit pills like the Great Revitalizing Pill of Shaolin or the Zisu Pill of Huashan, the effectiveness he had experienced so far was remarkable.

"I'll be back soon."

With those words, Chao E Liang disappeared. His movement was so astonishing that it was hard to believe even when seen with one's own eyes.

"What? Suddenly..."

Neng Su Mi muttered, still bewildered. He looked at the pill Chao E Liang had left behind.

"Surely it's not poison, right?"

After staring at the pill for a moment, Neng Su Mi chuckled.

There was no reason to save someone only to kill them again.

Moreover, Chao E Liang was a person far removed from poison. No, he detested poison intensely. The fact that his feud with the Tang Family was due to poison was already a well-known anecdote in the martial world.

The Tang Family had dispatched their best expert to kill Chao E Liang.

Thousand Hands Demon.

His martial arts were as formidable as his reputation, to the point where it was openly said that if a position in the Five Great Sects became vacant, he would be the next in line.

That's how deep the hatred between them was.

'Well, even such a monster is now a lone soul under the moon.'

Chao E Liang, who had drowned three such monsters in the underworld at once.

If he wanted to, he could kill with a single snap of his fingers.

There was no reason for him to use poison.

Neng Su Mi carefully peeled off the wax wrapping the pill.

A refreshing and fragrant aroma spread around.

He immediately understood why Chao E Liang called it a spirit pill. To prevent the medicinal energy from dissipating, Neng Su Mi quickly brought the pill to his mouth and chewed it, swallowing it.

Soon, a warm energy filled his body, and the pain began to subside rapidly.

The effect far exceeded his expectations, leaving Neng Su Mi amazed.

"At least you have a conscience. Damn brat."

At that moment, a shadow fell over Neng Su Mi from behind.

"......!"

Startled, Neng Su Mi quickly turned around. But there was no one. It was just the shadow of a tree cast by the moon peeking through the clouds.

"Phew."

Neng Su Mi let out a sigh of relief and calmed his racing heart.

Then he slapped his own mouth.

"Watch your mouth, you!"

While waiting for Chao E Liang, Neng Su Mi pondered deeply.

Chao E Liang had said he would return, but he couldn't just stay here indefinitely. It was only a matter of time before the deaths of the interrogator and the Demon Extermination Squad leader were discovered, and the Wu Lin Alliance would certainly search the area.

'Should I just run away?'

Just as he was seriously considering this.

Bang!

A heavy object fell in front of him.

Startled, Neng Su Mi took a step back reflexively, his eyes widening.

"What?"

The man lying on the ground.

His face was all too familiar.

The man also recognized Neng Su Mi and was equally startled.

"Bo, Boss!"

"You little brat!"

Neng Su Mi's eyes widened as he confirmed Li Gui's face. At that moment, Chao E Liang landed between them.

"Why did you bring this guy here?"

Neng Su Mi asked, to which Chao E Liang replied with a puzzled look.

"You said you wanted to kill this guy first, didn't you?"

"But he's fine?"

From what he could see, Li Gui didn't seem to have any serious injuries.

In contrast, Neng Su Mi was in no condition to fight after being tortured.

Chao E Liang chuckled and asked Neng Su Mi.

"Didn't you say all you needed was a set of teeth?"

At first, Neng Su Mi looked bewildered, but then a murderous intent began to cloud his face.

"That's right."

Grinding his teeth, Neng Su Mi glared at Li Gui with renewed determination.

"Li Gui! Listen to me..."

"Shut up and fight."

Neng Su Mi, with a face twisted like a demon, took a step toward Li Gui.

"I'm going to chew you up now."

Neng Su Mi let out a roar and lunged at Li Gui. They quickly became entangled in a brutal fight.

However, Neng Su Mi's injuries were severe, and he couldn't fully utilize his martial arts.

The only difference was in their momentum.

Neng Su Mi, disregarding his own life, charged to kill, while Li Gui was only looking for an opportunity to escape.

This difference in attitude led to a clear disparity in the outcome.

While they were rolling around, Li Gui's elbow struck Neng Su Mi's side.

"Ouch!"

Neng Su Mi spat out a mouthful of blood and laughed like a demon.

"......!"

Li Gui's heart sank.

Neng Su Mi, with a face covered in blood, looked even more terrifying as he closed the distance.

Neng Su Mi spat the blood in his mouth at Li Gui's face. While Li Gui was still in shock, Neng Su Mi climbed onto his chest.

Li Gui's arms were pinned under his knees, completely immobilized.

Neng Su Mi leaned back his head.

Then he headbutted Li Gui.

Thud!

Once.

Crack!

And again.

With five consecutive headbutts, Neng Su Mi completely crushed Li Gui's face and laughed like a madman, not even bothering to wipe the blood streaming from his forehead.

On the other side, Chao E Liang, who was prepared to intervene if Neng Su Mi was in danger, was inwardly impressed by the unexpected outcome.

He hadn't expected the injured Neng Su Mi to kill a healthy opponent.

Even Chao E Liang couldn't deny the intensity of his killing intent.

Chao E Liang approached the panting Neng Su Mi.

"Is there anyone else you want to kill?"

"There is one more, but I'll give up on that."

Chao E Liang looked puzzled at the unexpected answer but chuckled at Neng Su Mi's next words.

"He's beyond my capabilities."

"Then let's continue our conversation. What will you do now? Do you have a place to go?"

"I'll have to hide in some mountain and live quietly. Damn it! Yue Xiang said she opened a new brothel and invited me to visit!"

"If the Heavenly Yi Sect really gets involved, there will be nowhere to hide."

"What can I do? I'll have to die then."

Neng Su Mi, lying on the ground, panted heavily.

"Don't worry. I won't mention your name even if they catch me. If you really doubt me, you can kill me here and now."

Neng Su Mi muttered, looking up at the sky as if he had given up.

Chao E Liang, looking down at him, said,

"Get up."

"Do you really want to kill me?"

Neng Su Mi's tense expression made Chao E Liang chuckle.

"I'll arrange a place for you to stay."

After much deliberation, Neng Su Mi finally decided to follow Chao E Liang.

After all, wherever he went, survival was uncertain.

Half a month later.

'No. This is not right.'

Neng Su Mi couldn't believe the current situation.

He wanted to turn around and run away without looking back.

But that was an impossible dream.

On his right was the Blood Water Venerable, and on his left was the Wandering Mountain Immortal.

'And the Ice Jade Immortal too!'

The more he thought about it, the more absurd it seemed.

'How can I survive in such a place?'

He would rather be chased by the Wu Lin Alliance.

Of course, before coming here, Chao E Liang had given him a brief explanation.

But he hadn't mentioned these people.

Moreover...

'He's a money ghost!'

Neng Su Mi couldn't have imagined he would encounter the money ghost, whom the Wu Lin Alliance was searching for with all their might, here.

Faced with Neng Su Mi's bewildered and fearful gaze, Shao Wuxin offered a friendly smile.

But Neng Su Mi shivered.

Once you got involved with this persistent money ghost, the only place to run was the underworld.

Moreover...

'This kid is the son of the Divine and the Demon?'

As a leader of an information organization, Neng Su Mi knew about the recent rumors in the Wu Lin Alliance.

The successor of the Divine and Demon's Profound Technique had healed the daughter of the Wu Lin Alliance leader.

And he had healed her broken meridians.

But he hadn't expected the person to be so young.

"You've suffered greatly."

Dan E Xian looked at Neng Su Mi, who was a mess from torture, with a sympathetic gaze.

"To endure such severe torture and still keep your word to Uncle Chao..."

Neng Su Mi just smiled bitterly at Dan E Xian's words.

It wasn't that he wanted to keep his word.

It was just stubbornness.

"Fortunately, you took good emergency measures."

Neng Su Mi tilted his head in confusion at Dan E Xian's words.

"Emergency measures? I didn't do anything..."

Suddenly, he felt a chill as killing intent poured in from all sides.

It was a bone-chilling, heart-stopping killing intent.

"......Yes."

Neng Su Mi quickly switched to a formal tone.

The killing intent that had been slicing through his body vanished as if by magic.

"Did you contract your muscles to stabilize your broken ribs?"

Dan E Xian looked at Chao E Liang with admiration.

Ribs were difficult to keep in place even with splints, as they would shift with each breath.

Chao E Liang smiled awkwardly.

At least when it came to bone setting, he was proud to be the best in the Central Plains.

He had a deep understanding of the movement of bones, joints, and muscles.

"Compared to Doctor Dan's skills, it's a crude method."

Chao E Liang's modesty left Neng Su Mi puzzled.

It was unexpected to see the Blood Water Venerable, a renowned figure, show such respect and humility.

Dan E Xian was even more impressed.

"Your martial arts can be applied to such treatments."

Dan E Xian smiled and said to Neng Su Mi,

"You're lucky. If you hadn't met Uncle Chao in time, your condition would have been much worse."

Looking around, Neng Su Mi wondered if he was really lucky.

'With monsters all around, where can I even get a drink of water comfortably?'

Unaware of Neng Su Mi's inner thoughts, Dan E Xian continued.

"You need to rest and recuperate for a while. Your broken ribs will heal over time, and fortunately, your internal injuries are improving. We just need to treat the burns and external injuries so they don't worsen. Try to stay still and rest until you recover."

Dan E Xian looked around at the group for their opinions.

"It would be best if you stay here, if the others agree. What do you think?"

"If Doctor Dan thinks it's good."

Fan Jie Wei nodded, and Han Xue Hua also nodded in agreement.

Shao Wuxin also smiled warmly.

"I'm fine with it. Hehe."

Thus, the decision to stay in the Demon Valley was made unanimously, without regard for Neng Su Mi's wishes.