PFC Chapter 14 Slaying the Fox Demon with a Sword, the Art of Skin Painting
Chapter 14 Slaying the Fox Demon with a Sword, the Art of Skin Painting
The fox demon's eyes were filled with resentment and hatred.
It should have pounced on him, torn him to pieces, and swallowed him whole to vent its hatred for the severed arm.
But it didn't do that.
Because his biological instincts told him that this person was extremely dangerous!
"You're just a sword cultivator, yet you dare to hurt me? Do you know who I am? I am the son of the Great Fox Immortal..."
The fox demon continued her incessant chatter.
Li Qingchen found it all too noisy.
He casually thrust out his sword.
In an instant, the temperature around my body plummeted!
Ice-blue frost flowers bloom everywhere.
The cramped house exudes a beauty tinged with death.
—The third move of the Nine Swords of Soaring Void: Heavenly Frost and Ice!
The fox demon was terrified and, forgetting all about making threats, hurriedly turned around and fled.
But his feet seemed rooted to the ground, and he couldn't move them no matter what.
Looking down, I was surprised to find that my feet were frozen solid!
Li Qingchen had already arrived with his sword drawn.
"Stop! You can't kill me! Do you know who I am?"
The fox demon roared mournfully.
At this moment, it is like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered, or a fish on a chopping board, completely at the mercy of others. How could it not be terrified?
"If you kill me, my father will not let you get away with it..."
Before it could continue its whining...
The sword, as swift as a ghost, plunged into the fox demon's throat.
With a flick of his wrist, Li Qingchen sliced the fox demon in two from neck to head, killing it instantly.
But Li Qingchen did not stop what he was doing.
Swords danced and flew, their energy surging!
The silver sword moved at a moderate speed, precisely slicing away at specific parts of the fox demon's flesh, from the inside out.
The whole process felt like being torn to pieces.
Scalding hot demon blood splattered continuously.
Li Qingchen's clothes were stained with blood, his expression was indifferent, and his handsome face was full of ferocity, making people shudder.
The sword stopped.
The ice flowers melted away, leaving only a pile of broken flesh, telling the story of this massacre.
At the same time, the information on the panel was also updated:
Current number of resurrections: 1/3
Liu Yi stared blankly at Li Qingchen.
Great hero, are you... seeking revenge for yourself?
Boom—
The thatched hut, which had been subjected to numerous sword energies, could no longer withstand the force and collapsed with a crash.
Before the rubble fell, Li Qingchen picked up Liu Yi and went outside.
This commotion attracted many villagers.
Under the torchlight, everything at the scene was clearly visible.
Lin Bufan rode up on horseback, dismounted, drew his long sword, and panted as he said:
"Where is the fox spirit?"
Li Qingchen slightly raised his chin and pointed to the shredded flesh under the ruins.
Lin Bufan asked in shock, "You killed them all by yourself?"
Li Qingchen was too lazy to answer.
"The fox demon...the fox demon is dead!"
Some villagers squatted on the ground and stared for a long time, seemingly unable to believe that the demon that had been hiding among the crowd and constantly eating people was finally dead.
"The fox demon is dead! Haha, the fox demon is dead!"
"Father, someone has avenged you!"
Some wept with joy, while others waved their fists and shouted that Heaven had eyes.
More and more people joined in the shouting.
People swarmed around Li Qingchen like a tide.
They clapped, crowded around, cheered, and jumped for joy. They surrounded Li Qingchen, freely pouring out their emotions.
Without a doubt, this is a moment to celebrate.
Outside the crowd, only Liu Yi stared blankly at the cheering villagers, feeling a chilling emptiness enveloping his heart.
He will never be able to call out "Mother" again.
He was all alone in this world.
"I... have no home anymore."
Liu Yi suddenly felt a soreness in his nose and a tightness in his throat.
He opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything.
The jubilant crowd inexplicably brought him immense pressure, and Liu Yi suddenly felt suffocated.
He lowered his head, as if trying to bury his face in the dust.
He didn't notice that someone's gaze was silently watching him through the crowd.
As Li Qingchen walked over, the boisterous crowd automatically made way for him.
Li Qingchen took Liu Yi's cold hand and led him out of the crowd.
Lin Bufan followed.
……
After Li Qingchen settled the distraught boy down, Lin Bufan finally got the chance to be alone with him.
He came to Li Qingchen's side and said:
"Brother Li, could you tell me how you discovered that the woman was a fox demon?"
"It was just a coincidence."
Li Qingchen spoke the truth.
As mentioned before, everyone in Liujia Village carries a dark, demonic aura to varying degrees.
Of these, Liu Yi's burden was the heaviest.
Even so, compared to ordinary demons, no, even compared to that sickly ghost, they are still 'pitifully few', making it impossible to determine whether they are demons.
However, Liu Yi's mother, Liu Lan, was the one with the weakest demonic aura among them.
This naturally cannot be used as a basis for judgment.
But the combination of these two extremes was enough to arouse Li Qingchen's suspicion.
Even if Liu Yi doesn't come to study tonight, Li Qingchen will still go and check on him personally.
I never expected that arriving a little late, in order not to alert the enemy, would lead to such a turn of events.
In addition...
Li Qingchen looked at the panel.
[Current Martial Arts Realm: Nine Swords of Soaring Void (Minor Success), Primordial Heavenly Secrets Technique (Minor Success), Demonic Aura Observation Technique (Minor Success)]
The three secret techniques have all been mastered to a certain extent.
"I never expected that slaying demons could also increase my Qi Observation skill level."
Li Qingchen immediately used the Qi-gazing technique to test it.
Sure enough, the colors emanating from each person became clearer in his vision.
I believe that if I encounter a demon disguised as a human again, I will be able to see through it more easily.
With a thought, Li Qingchen scrolled through the information on the panel.
[Hint: The 'Plunder' talent has been triggered!]
After brutally killing the fox demon, one of his three talents, 'Plunder,' continuously refined the fox demon's demonic arts.
[Hint: You have obtained a fox pelt containing the "Art of Skin Painting"!]
There are no images in the panel, only text, with the description "fox fur effect" below.
"The art of skin painting involves first taking the skin, then drawing the shape, then covering the body, and finally creating the final image."
"By draping the target skin over it, you can change your appearance, body shape, and conceal your presence."
For skilled spies or assassins, this kind of sorcery is something they desperately want.
……
Seeing that Li Qingchen's answer was perfunctory, Lin Bufan was lost in thought again.
I assumed the other person had their own secrets and didn't want to say more, so I didn't ask any further questions.
But there are some things I just have to say.
Lin Bufan's eyes flashed with worry: "Now that you've killed the fox demon, it means you've offended the Great Fox Immortal, and there's absolutely no turning back."
"Although the Great Fox Immortal has gone out to seek the Dharma and is not in Liaocheng for the time being, it will return sooner or later to take revenge on you."
Li Qingchen snapped out of her daze and simply said "Oh."
It seemed like they didn't care at all.
Lin Bufan emphasized, "Aren't you afraid of being retaliated against by demons?"
"Do you know that the Demon Extermination Bureau has been colluding with demons? Perhaps when the Great Fox Immortal comes to the bureau to demand your release, the Chief Constable will send men to capture you and hand you over to that fox demon as an apology."
"At that time, you will face the power of the entire government office and demons."
Li Qingchen remained silent.
Lin Bufan assumed that he was just scared.
After a moment of silence, he continued speaking to himself:
"In another month, the people from the Demon Slayer Bureau will arrive in Liaocheng. You will be joining the Demon Slayer Bureau. This is your only chance to survive."
"Before that, if you have any troubles, you can come to Furong Lane to find me, and I will prepare a hiding place for you."
Li Qingchen stared straight at him.
Lin Bufan felt uneasy under his gaze: "Why are you looking at me? Is there something on my face?"
"No, I just want to ask, are we that close? Why are you so concerned about me?"
Lin Bufan was stunned for a moment, then angrily said, "Stop flattering yourself! I just didn't want you to die without knowing why! I just... I just!..."
I just never want to see good people die in front of me again.
These words were naturally left unsaid.
That's too pretentious.
Seeing that Lin Bufan remained silent, Li Qingchen suddenly spoke up, "Could you do me two favors?"
Upon hearing this, Lin Bufan inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief.
"Speak."
"Could you please look after that child for me? I already have two at home, and I can't take care of any more."
"Hmm, that's easy to say... Wait, you already have children?"
"It's not mine."
"...And the second thing?"
Li Qingchen smiled, his pearly white teeth appearing somewhat chilling in the darkness.
"I've heard that the Fox Immortal has several descendants. Could you tell me their locations?"
"I want to give the Fox Fairy a surprise."
"I'm sure it will be overjoyed to be back."
…………