One more catty, one more attribute point

After memorizing the cultivation technique, Su Heng opened the chest in the corner.

As expected.

The chests contained materials harvested from demon bodies.

There was flesh, bones, various strange hairs, and pills crafted from them, but no demon carcasses were seen inside.

This was normal, after all, the Luo Family had reached a dead end.

Any item that could potentially boost their strength would have been used up in an attempt to survive this crisis.

Unfortunately, they still failed in the end.

Su Heng silently sighed at the waste of so many good things.

He returned to the main hall with a displeased face, found a garment, and packed up all the miscellaneous items in the chest to take with him.

Bulging bags of various sizes were carried on Su Heng's back to the fullest, and he also held a sword in his hand.

Su Heng didn't find them too heavy.

It was just that these things took up a lot of space, and the bundles made from clothing were very inconvenient.

While on the road, he had to be careful not to spill them.

"If I could practice the Taotie Technique and awaken a secondary stomach, it wouldn't be this troublesome," thought Su Heng. "Then I could stuff all these items directly into my belly."

He made up his mind.

Once he returned, he would eat a great deal to accumulate attribute points.

He would first push the Taotie Technique to its limit.

Su Heng double-checked to make sure he hadn't left anything behind, then prepared to leave.

It was already getting late, and if he waited for the sun to rise, carrying so much back to the city would only cause unnecessary trouble.

As for the murals in the secret chamber.

Su Heng thought for a moment, waved his hand gently with a ghostly sadness, and a burst of force scattered in all directions, sprinkling white ashes and completely erasing the patterns.

He hadn't wanted to do this, but there was no choice.

Firstly, the murals were too big to carry and he would have nowhere to put them.

Secondly, and more importantly, Su Li had mentioned that some of the great demons in the Sky Demon Alliance would cooperate with humans.

If these murals fell into Taotie hands.

With the original diagram and Taotie flesh, they could create a large number of strong Martial Artists under the command of demons.

Although Su Heng wasn't afraid, he did not want to leave himself with future troubles, so he ended it once and for all.

After all, he had already memorized their contents; if later needed, studying a bit of drawing skill to depict the original diagrams again shouldn't be difficult.

Thus, before dawn.

Su Heng left the Luo Family's earthen fortress carrying a large harvest and valuable cultivation techniques.

At the same time, as one of Baihua County's seven great families, the ripple caused by the annihilation of the Luo Family had only just begun to stir.

*

*

*

Baihua County, early morning.

In a modest estate within the inner city, inside a study.

The golden rays of dawn passed over the river, streamed through the window, and tiny motes of dust floated up and down in the bright morning light.

Li Daoxuan's waist was bent.

One hand held the shaft of a writing brush while the other rested behind his back.

He wrote "To Good Conscience" in three large characters on the paper before him, examined them carefully for a while, and his deeply lined, aged face revealed a satisfied smile. Then he placed the thick brush onto the stand next to him.

He knocked on his back and lifted his head, a simple movement like this seeming somewhat difficult for him.

Even so, as he straightened his tensed-up spine, there came a distinct cracking sound.

"Hiss..."

Li Daoxuan's mouth twitched slightly as he gasped in a breath of cold air.

At a glance, he looked just like any old man in his late eighties or nineties, nearing the end of his life.

However...

Only a few knew.

In the whole of Baihua County, a city with a population of one million,

The true top figure was this unremarkable, gaunt old man—in both status and strength.

An old man whose mere stomp could make the entire Baihua County tremble.

Now he was blankly raising his head, staring at a hanging scroll on the wall with a vacant gaze, clearly daydreaming.

The scroll, like the old man, had seen many years.

Under the dawn sunlight, it took on a dark yellow hue.

The figure in the picture had become somewhat unclear, but it could still be made out: a tall and burly middle-aged figure standing together with seven young men and women.

The tall figure was slightly bending down, smiling happily and showing all his white teeth, as he wrapped his arms around his seven disciples. Time seemed frozen within the dim frame, and under the sunlight, the shadows of the trees on the painting appeared to sway.

"Ah..."

Li Daoxuan let out a long sigh as he recollected the days when he studied with his mentor and vowed to defeat demons and protect the righteous path.

But time is cruel and merciless.

Those exhilarating moments had all become things of a hundred years past.

His mentor had disappeared without a trace, his life or death unknown.

As for the few remaining senior brothers and sisters, some had been killed by demons, while others had failed to merge with demonic remains and fallen into the demonic path, suppressed by his own hand.

Nowadays, only he remained, still upholding the vows from long ago.

However, the echoes from Changsheng Heaven were intensifying.

The demons were reviving, the noble families harbored ulterior motives, and there were frequent disturbances in the Demon Suppression Tower. Even within the Demon Suppression Bureau, there was a multitude of factions and complex allegiances.

His end was nearing, and with each sunrise, he could feel his body weakening.

But the successor he had chosen was too inexperienced to take charge of the situation.

"Do I really have to take that path?" Li Daoxuan's eyebrows knitted slightly, knowing that merging with the demonic remains could prolong life, but the consequences were endless.

After all, if there was a first time, there would definitely be a second.

The ultimate outcome would inevitably be loss of control.

His senior brother had lost control, but he was still able to manage the situation. However, if one day he too was to lose control and fall, who then would be able to handle affairs?

"Bang, bang, bang!"

The urgent knocking interrupted Li Daoxuan's thoughts.

Without waiting for Li Daoxuan's response, the room door was forcefully pushed open, and a figure in white with a cold elegance gracefully entered.

Li Daoxuan didn't need to look up.

Just from the assertive demeanor alone, he knew the visitor was Jin Mingxi.

Jin Mingxi was highly talented, but her personality was too proud and impatient, causing Li Daoxuan to worry she would suffer for it later.

"Hmm?"

Li Daoxuan looked up.

On Jin Mingxi's fair cheeks, apart from the typical indifference, there seemed to be... a hint of grievance.

Unsure, he looked again. It was gone.

Li Daoxuan was somewhat puzzled but still instinctively asked, "What's the situation?"

This was about Jin Mingxi's visit to Su Heng the night before. Seeing that she didn't respond, Li Daoxuan patiently asked, "Did you meet him?"

"I did," Jin Mingxi nodded.

"How about his strength? Any issues?" Curiosity crept into Li Daoxuan's voice, recalling the contents of the letter.

"Very strong," Jin Mingxi said sparingly.

"So, has he agreed to join the Demon Suppression Bureau?" Li Daoxuan asked again.

Jin Mingxi remained silent.

A huge question mark sprouted in Li Daoxuan's head - had the person agreed or not? What did this silence mean?

"He didn't agree, nor did he refuse," Jin Mingxi said after a long silence, taking a deep breath.

Then, she briefly recounted what had happened the previous night.

"I see..." Li Daoxuan stroked his chin, a contemplative look on his face, "You weren't injured, were you?"

"No," Jin Mingxi shook her head, "He held back."

"Since you told him I would meet him, then I shall see him myself," Li Daoxuan said with a smile.

One Su Li had been surprise enough for him.

And now, Su Li's brother seemed even more exceptional. Was the bloodline of this family really so extraordinary?

"However, this matter will have to wait," Li Daoxuan said as he picked up a letter from under the desk, his expression growing serious as he read the content.

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"Are we preparing to take action against the Luo Family?" Jin Mingxi asked.

Su Li's letter had explicitly linked the attack on the Demon Suppression Tower to the Luo Family.

"These noble clans have grown increasingly audacious these days. Taking advantage of this opportunity would be good to knock down their arrogance," Li Daoxuan said, straightening his back, his eyes emitting a faint golden light, "Regardless of the future, for now, this Baihua County is still under our Demon Suppression Bureau's control.

If the noble families cross this line, they must be dealt with."

"Call on me when the time comes," Jin Mingxi said.

Li Daoxuan nodded and was about to continue speaking when the room door was suddenly pushed open with a loud noise.

"Huff..." A two-meter-tall burly man entered the study room gasping for air, first glancing at Li Daoxuan and then noticing Jin Mingxi, who was standing silently aside.

This man was Deputy Governor Wang Xindong.

"What happened that has you so rushed?" Li Daoxuan asked with knitted brows.

Wang Xindong looked up, his expression complex, "I just overheard that you were discussing taking action against the Luo Family."

"Yes, what about it?" Jin Mingxi's clear voice asked, turning to look at him.

"There's no need for discussion anymore," Wang Xindong said.

"Why?" Li Daoxuan asked.

"Just received news that the Luo Family has been exterminated."