The Greatest Good Man Under Heaven!

Li Gexiao’s answer was somewhat beyond Chu Yang’s expectations. He had originally thought demons and monsters should be closely connected to the other two, but unexpectedly, they had begun appearing long before the great change in heaven and earth.

No wonder he had always felt that demons and monsters had a rather odd style about them, carrying a hint of Cthulhu. That day, he had only taken one glance, and his SAN value had plummeted wildly.

Chu Yang’s intuition told him that Li Gexiao’s guess might well be right.

"How did demons and monsters appear?"

"No files record the origins of demons and monsters. Starting from some unknown day, traces of them began appearing everywhere under heaven!"

"If demons and monsters have nothing to do with Spirit Demons, then demons and monsters should also be a problem the Spirit Demons need to deal with."

"Your Highness, you are right. The Spirit Demons also take the attitude of exterminating demons and monsters completely. Moreover, they have an even harder time dealing with them than we do."

"Why is that?"

"You should know that if ordinary people come into contact with demon and monster blood, there is a very high chance that they will turn into new demons and monsters. For Spirit Demons, that possibility is close to one hundred percent—far higher than for humans. Almost no demon can escape it."

At this point, Li Gexiao let out a long breath. "It is also thanks to the existence of demons and monsters, which tie down most of the Spirit Demons’ strength. Otherwise, humans and demons would have gone to war long ago. How could we have the current situation of peacefully staying out of each other’s way?"

"Once the two sides go to war, combined with those Demon Persons who betray humanity from within, the human race would actually be at a disadvantage."

As they spoke, the two spotted a tea stall on the official road. It was already late morning, and the scorching temperature had left their mouths dry and their tongues parched, so Chu Yang decided to rest there for a while.

Even if the two of them could endure the blazing sun, the horses were suffering terribly. If they did not rest and drink some water soon, they would probably drop dead on the road.

The waiter expertly led their horses into the stable. After they dismounted, he guided them to an empty table.

"What would the two gentlemen like to eat?"

"Do you have wine?"

"We only have homemade rice wine. I wonder if it suits your taste…"

"Two jugs of wine, two catties of braised meat, and a few cold dishes. Serve whatever you see fit."

"Right away, sir!"

After the waiter left, Li Gexiao surveyed the tea stall with an amused smile. Even on an official road, there were very few people these days who dared open a tea stall in the wilderness.

The food at this tea stall cost nearly as much as at some luxurious restaurants in the capital, yet passing travelers and merchants had no complaints, because they all knew the owner was earning money with his life on the line.

There was no telling when demons and monsters might pass through. When that happened, everyone at the tea stall would be doomed.

"There are experts here."

Chu Yang lightly tapped the table and smiled.

"Wang… Young Master, you noticed already?"

To avoid trouble, Li Gexiao changed how he addressed him. Calling him "Your Highness" every other sentence in front of outsiders would be idiotic, wouldn’t it?

Chu Yang replied, "One man and one woman. The man is in the kitchen. His blade techniques are fairly decent. The woman should be the proprietress. Her breathing is deep and steady, and both her lightness skill and internal cultivation are good."

"I just don’t know whether they are doing honest business."

Li Gexiao was shocked when he heard that. From so far away, Chu Yang had already figured out those people’s details. The height of his cultivation was truly unimaginable.

"How did you know, Young Master?"

"Listen."

Li Gexiao was utterly confused.

The braised meat and rice wine were brought to the table one after another. The instant Li Gexiao caught the scent of the wine, his eyes became intoxicated, and he swallowed every question he had.

Chu Yang was not much better. He grabbed a wine jug first and started drinking straight from it.

"Young Master, wait!"

Li Gexiao anxiously moved to snatch the wine jug from Chu Yang’s hand. It was not because his craving for wine was truly that severe, but because he wanted to test it for poison before letting Chu Yang drink it.

When traveling, one had to be especially wary of tea stalls like this. If one drank things carelessly, one might wake up from a nap as meat on someone else’s chopping block.

"My constitution is unusual. Even if there is something in the wine jug, it will not matter. No need to worry."

Chu Yang heartily downed half a jug. The rice wine was not strong, and it tasted sweet, crisp, and refreshing.

Li Gexiao watched Chu Yang for a while. Only after confirming that he was truly unharmed did he inspect the jug in front of him, and he found nothing unusual.

He then picked up his own jug and began drinking. The rice wine slid down his throat, bringing a cooling relief from the heat that made him cry out in delight.

"On this trip to Jiangnan, we must catch that Four-Eyebrowed fellow and make him pay back the wine he drank on credit in the capital."

"The information from Six Doors and the Embroidered Uniform Guard cannot be wrong. I am only afraid that fellow is swift on his feet. By the time we get there, he may have run off again."

"There are so many beautiful women in Jiangnan. With his temperament, he will not be able to leave anytime soon!"

"Hahaha, that’s true."

As the two chatted, a hurried merchant caravan suddenly arrived in the distance. There were roughly a dozen people, with six carriages. One carried passengers, while the other five carried goods.

The carriages could not enter the stable and could only stop by the roadside. The caravan did not have the waiter attend to their horses, instead taking out feed themselves.

Even the water for the horses had to be tasted by someone first. Seeing such caution, Chu Yang figured they were an experienced caravan that had traveled the roads for years.

Before long, a young couple climbed down from the carriage, carrying two infants still swaddled in blankets. They were twins.

Chu Yang and Li Gexiao were the only customers in the tea stall, drinking wine and eating meat, so they naturally drew the caravan’s attention. An elderly man who looked like a steward was about to approach them and say something, but the young couple stopped him.

Chu Yang smiled. "They were originally planning to use silver to persuade us to leave."

Li Gexiao sighed. "That couple is quite kind-hearted. They should come from a family that has accumulated much virtue. Still, they ought to have tried…"

Chu Yang smacked his lips. "Exactly. The two of us are almost done eating anyway. If they had spoken up, I definitely would have agreed. I could even have earned some spending money."

Li Gexiao chuckled. "Young Master does not lack money. Why not give the silver to me?"

Chu Yang rolled his eyes at him and said irritably, "What fool in this world would complain about having too much money?"

By the time the caravan had crammed the tiny tea stall full, Chu Yang and Li Gexiao had eaten and drunk their fill. They rose to leave, giving their seats to the others.

As Chu Yang walked out of the tea stall, he brushed past the male head of the caravan. To his surprise, the man actually greeted him first.

"Jiang had no intention of disturbing the two gentlemen’s rest. There are many people in our caravan, so please forgive us."

Looking at the polite man before him, Chu Yang felt a trace of goodwill and cupped his hands. "Brother, you are too courteous."

They were merely exchanging pleasantries, and neither intended to speak further. Chu Yang stepped aside and left the tea stall with Li Gexiao.

Watching them depart, the man surnamed Jiang visibly relaxed. He lowered his voice and said to his wife beside him, "Yuenv, those two are not here for us."

The woman called Yuenv held the two infants in her arms and smiled at her husband.

Yet not long after Chu Yang and Li Gexiao left the tea stall…

A sudden change erupted!

The proprietress, the cook, and the waiter all attacked at once. Taking advantage of the caravan lowering its guard, they targeted the young couple directly!

At the same time, several Black Shadows rapidly closed in on the tea stall!

"Jiang Feng, the greatest good man under heaven, we Twelve Zodiacs will borrow your wealth today!"

"Hahahaha!!!"

The upheaval at the tea stall happened in an instant. None of the caravan’s guards could react in time and could only watch helplessly as the cook and proprietress lunged at their master.

The young man who had greeted Chu Yang earlier was Jiang Feng, while the woman beside him was his wife, Hua Yuenv, along with their newly born twins—the future Hua Wuque and Xiaoyuer.

Faced with the villains’ ambush, Jiang Feng pulled a folding fan from his waist. After snapping it open, he slashed forward with it.

A violent wind howled, and the force was as sharp as sword qi. Seeing this, the cook and proprietress forcibly twisted their bodies and narrowly avoided the strike.

The real Jiang Feng was not a helpless great philanthropist incapable of killing even a chicken. He had cultivated a divine art called the Surprise Dragon Manual. The more one cultivated this martial art, the weaker one’s martial arts became. Only after one’s martial arts vanished completely could one achieve perfect completion and reach the Surprise Dragon realm of returning to truth and origin.

How could someone sworn brothers with the greatest swordsman under heaven, Yan Nantian, possibly be a useless fool with only a fine appearance?

Unfortunately, Jiang Feng had still overlooked one person.

Taking advantage of Jiang Feng counterattacking the other two, the waiter quietly appeared before Hua Yuenv. His target was the two infants still in swaddling clothes.

If he took Jiang Feng’s children, Jiang Feng would naturally surrender obediently.

These suddenly appearing bandits were exceptionally vicious, but the waiter had underestimated Hua Yuenv. The instant he struck, Hua Yuenv also sent out a palm strike.

A strange fragrance drifted through the air. In the waiter’s eyes, it seemed as though flower petals filled the sky, dancing everywhere.

In his brief moment of distraction, Hua Yuenv’s palm struck his shoulder. He flew backward and rolled to the feet of the cook and proprietress.

The caravan guards surrounded the three of them.

The trio’s expressions darkened!

"What three useless fools!"

A curse sounded from nearby. A wheelchair appeared before everyone, seated upon it was an ugly man with short limbs and crimson eyes, like a man-eating Garou choosing its prey.

Besides him, more than a dozen people emerged from the woods, every one of them wearing cruel, venomous expressions.

"Wei Wuya!"

The leader of the Twelve Zodiacs, Rat Zodiac Wei Wuya!

Jiang Feng blurted out the dwarf’s identity, but despair rose in his heart.

His cultivation was no longer what it had once been, his wife had only recently given birth, and even their guards were no match for the Twelve Zodiacs.

How had they learned the news?

On this journey to seek refuge with his elder brother Yan Nantian, Jiang Feng had made meticulous plans. It could be said that nothing could go wrong. Even in his dreams, he had never imagined the Twelve Zodiacs would be waiting for them on the road!

At Wei Wuya’s command, Rooster Zodiac Sichen Ke attacked first: one in red, Rooster Crest; one in yellow, Rooster Breast; and three in patterned clothes, Rooster Tail. The remaining Zodiacs surged forth one after another and engaged the surrounding caravan guards.

Chu Yang and Li Gexiao stood beside the road with their horses, staring at the scene in surprise.

"Old Li, what exactly are these Twelve Zodiacs?"

"Young Master, the Twelve Zodiacs are the cruelest and most vicious bandits in the Jianghu over the past thirty years. They rarely act, but once they spot something worth taking, no one can ever hope to escape them. In thirty years, they have only failed against Yan Nantian and the Yihua Palace Master."

"They are that formidable?"

"They are indeed clever. They never confront Six Doors head-on. Back when I drank with Wuxin, I often heard him curse them for being as cowardly as rats."

"Who is Wuxin?"

"The foremost of the Four Great Divine Constables. He is not Lord Guo’s disciple, so you may not have met him."

"Oh~ Now that you mention it, I do vaguely remember him. He seemed to have a poker face, as though everyone owed him money."

"Hehe, that is him. Let me tell you some gossip, Young Master. When Wuxin gets drunk, he says he secretly loves Wuqing, the foremost of the Four Famous Arresters from the neighboring Divine Marquis Manor!"

"Holy shit, Wuqing? Isn’t he a man? How are two men even… Mm, times have changed. It is not impossible. I have absolutely no prejudice against them."

"What are you talking about, Young Master? Wuqing is a woman, and she is very beautiful!"

Chu Yang’s mind briefly crashed. For a moment, he could not figure out which version of Wuqing this was. But that was simply how chaotic a mash-up world could be.

"Then which of them are men, and which are women?"

"Both groups have three men and one woman. In the Four Famous Arresters, Wuqing is a woman, while Leng Feng, who ranks fourth among the Four Great Divine Constables, is also a girl."

"Leng Feng? Why would a girl have such a masculine nickname?"

"Young Master, that is rather rude of you. That is her real name…"

Chu Yang immediately could not hold it in anymore. With a strange expression, he forced out a sentence. "If it were a nickname, I would call it a great bit. But since it is her real name, I would call it an ultimate skill."

Li Gexiao dryly laughed. "She normally does not like others calling her by her full name, so we all call her Leng Leng."

While the tea stall was embroiled in a deadly battle, Chu Yang and Li Gexiao watched the excitement from the side. Their behavior quickly caught the attention of the Twelve Zodiacs.

"You seven, go kill those two. Do not let word get out. Yan Nantian is not someone to provoke."

Wei Wuya ordered the seven Black Dog Stars among the Twelve Zodiacs to deal with Chu Yang and Li Gexiao.

Individually, these seven were only average martial artists, but they had cultivated a joint attack technique. Having lived and died together for many years, their coordination was extraordinary. Once trapped in their combined formation, even first-rate experts would gain no advantage.

Furthermore, the seven had raised gigantic wolfhounds the size of tigers. Their intelligence had already awakened, and they were only one step away from becoming Spirit Demons. They were extremely formidable in coordinated combat.

The seven black-clad men charged toward Chu Yang menacingly.

Seeing this, Chu Yang smiled calmly. "Old Li, it is your turn. Can you handle them?"

Li Gexiao cupped his hands. "Rest assured, Young Master. Although my cultivation has not yet fully recovered, dealing with a few worthless scraps like these will not be a problem."

Chu Yang reminded him, "Since they are vicious and wicked bandits, do not show mercy. Kill them all."

"If it truly cannot be done, do not force yourself. Just retreat."

"Yes!" Li Gexiao answered, then walked alone toward the seven Black Dog Stars.

As the former second-strongest fighter of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the personal disciple of Commander Zheng Dongliu, Li Gexiao at his peak could fight the Twelve Zodiacs alone.

Though he had only recently recovered from severe injuries and had regained merely twenty to thirty percent of his cultivation, it was still enough to deal with the Black Dog Stars. He was not boasting.

The reason the Twelve Zodiacs had remained at large was not because the Four Great Divine Constables could not defeat them in direct combat, but because these people were simply too cunning.

Rat Zodiac Wei Wuya was exceptionally shrewd. He made thorough preparations for every operation, and Wei Wuya had seen through several ambushes laid by Six Doors. To this day, the Four Great Divine Constables had not even seen his true body.

Li Gexiao, wielding an Embroidered Spring Blade, soon clashed with the Black Dog Stars. Left Commander had given him this blade before their departure.

The martial arts of the Embroidered Uniform Guard broadly followed the same path as Six Doors. Both were government officers, and their targets were mostly people, so they excelled in blade techniques and close-quarters grappling.

Commander Zheng Dongliu came from the military and excelled at heavy blade techniques. He wielded a thousand-jin Guan Blade as his weapon.

Li Gexiao had also studied heavy blades under him, but his talent was exceptional, and he had comprehended a blade technique of his own from Zheng Dongliu’s methods.

The essence of this blade technique was fighting many enemies alone.

When he was young and still had chivalry in his heart, Li Gexiao gave it an imposing name.

"World’s Injustice."

Its meaning was:

Though injustice exists between heaven and earth, I shall break it with a single blade!