Chapter Nineteen: The Demon’s Trail (Part Six)

After accepting the mission, Chen Fan did not reveal it to anyone and quietly made his way to the Martial Academy’s Beast Pavilion.

As a disciple of the Moonlight Tower, Chen Fan was entitled to request a special mount when venturing out.

He heeded his senior brother’s advice and kept his mission secret from everyone. The request for a demonic beast was solely to reach his destination more swiftly and avoid attracting unwanted attention.

The Beast Pavilion was where the Martial Academy housed their mounts.

Demonic beasts were fierce and difficult to tame, but certain wild beasts with demonic bloodlines were easier to train.

After careful selection, Chen Fan chose a fine steed named the Night-Illuminating Lion Horse.

Its appearance was not much different from an ordinary horse, except for its unusually abundant mane.

But in essence, it was an extraordinary creature, possessing the ability to travel at night and being one of the fastest mounts even within the Beast Pavilion.

It could return to Yandu City in less than two hours!

This was while Chen Fan was still merely a disciple of the Moonlight Tower. If he became a disciple of the Radiant Sun Tower, he could ride some of the eagle or griffin-type spiritual beasts housed in the Martial Academy, soaring through the skies to cover a thousand miles in an hour.

---

Chen Fan rode alone, departing quietly from the Martial Academy.

Along the way, he secretly donned a human skin mask, a special item purchased from the Academy itself.

He rode swiftly, avoiding main roads to ensure he was not followed.

Unfortunately, no one knew where he went after leaving the Academy under disguise and taking alternate routes.

Still, some had noticed his departure.

Whether intentional or not, Wan Qing and others kept a close watch on him.

Wan Tianbao immediately went to see Wan Qing: “Chen Fan has accepted a mission and finally left the Martial Academy!”

“Unfortunately, even family members dare not approach the Academy’s perimeter casually. And he rides a demonic horse, fast enough to disappear—now nobody knows where he’s headed…”

Wan Qing narrowed his eyes: “Did you check the mission hall? Can you confirm what mission he took?”

Wan Tianbao hurriedly replied, “My rank is similar to his, so I’ve been monitoring the mission hall’s task refreshes these past few days. Once I learned he left the Academy, I immediately checked and narrowed down a dozen possible missions he might have taken. Two or three are near Yandu City—very likely!”

Hearing this, Wan Qing clenched his fist tightly.

“Good. Send out the message immediately. Let the family formulate a plan ASAP and begin action… Remember, be extremely cautious. If anything happens to Chen Fan, it must happen only within the scope of his mission. No one can suspect any connection to our Wan family!”

Wan Tianbao nodded at once. “Rest assured!”

With that, he turned and left.

Wan Qing slowly sat back in his chair and exhaled softly.

“Only two months… I’ve never been confident I could surpass Chen Fan’s rank in the next assessment, but at last, he’s left the Martial Academy… Is this fate?”

“Don’t blame me, Chen Fan. Blame your talent—too great, it blocked my path in the martial way.”

Though they bore no grudge and had never met, Wan Qing secretly wished Chen Fan’s demise.

---

Meanwhile, Chen Fan spurred the Night-Illuminating Lion Horse onward at a breakneck pace.

The speed was incredible.

Unlike a carriage, the horse could dash freely over any rugged terrain.

Racing like the wind, Chen Fan set out in the morning and arrived at Yandu City before noon.

Leading his mount into the city, after a short incense burning, he returned to the dojo, still disguised, to meet his master, Dong Guzhi.

Only upon seeing his master did he remove the disguise.

His master was naturally someone he trusted.

Dong Guzhi was pleasantly surprised.

Since Chen Fan participated in the Martial Academy’s assessment and entered the Academy, this was the first time in months he had returned.

After some warm greetings, Chen Fan explained the reason for his recent return.

“The Martial Academy’s Yuan Points… If you lack silver or basic medicinal pills, I can provide freely, but Yuan Points cannot be bought with money—they must be earned.”

Chen Fan smiled.

“Master, do you still doubt my strength? Completing these five missions will earn me two thousand Yuan Points—enough for my cultivation.”

Dong Guzhi didn’t hesitate and immediately mobilized the resources of the White Cloud Dojo to assist Chen Fan in gathering mission information.

Chen Fan’s five missions were all about killing—either humans or demons.

The White Cloud Dojo’s influence extended to several counties around Yandu City, with vast reach.

Within half a day, all intelligence was thoroughly collected, and a clear action plan was tailored for Chen Fan: when and where to complete each mission, every detail arranged meticulously.

Chen Fan felt deeply grateful—for a reliable and powerful backing was a tremendous advantage.

Dong Guzhi was full of concern.

“I see these missions aren’t simple. One even requires confronting a suspected demon of fifth rank or above. Isn’t that too dangerous? Should I accompany you?”

Chen Fan shook his head with a wry smile.

“Master, you underestimate me. With my strength, not to mention a fifth-rank demon, even a sixth-rank I can handle.”

During the assessment in the Illusory Realm, armed with only ordinary weapons, Chen Fan had held his own against a sixth-rank demon for quite some time two months ago.

Now, having reached the fifth rank himself, even without a treasured artifact for protection, he was confident he could defeat a sixth-rank demon one-on-one.

A mere fifth-rank demon was nothing in his eyes.

Even if the Martial Academy’s information was inaccurate, any error would be at most within one rank—there was no way a seventh-rank demon would suddenly appear.

“Besides, these are missions assigned by the Martial Academy to its disciples. If you accompanied me, what would that mean?”

Dong Guzhi did not persist.

A master could only guide a disciple so far; the path beyond had to be walked by Chen Fan himself.

After sharing an early lunch with his master, Chen Fan mounted the Night-Illuminating Lion Horse once more and set out along the planned route.

---

Less than half an hour later, dusk began to fall.

Disguised, Chen Fan arrived at the location of his first mission target.

It was a remote village called Cheng Mountain Manor, nestled by mountains and water.

Nearby, traces of beasts being hunted and killed had been found in the surrounding forest—victims ranging from black bears to tigers.

Preliminary analysis suggested the predator was likely a demon of fifth rank or higher.

“This minor matter is ignored even by local officials. They wait for the Martial Academy to assign missions before acting. Such trouble!” Chen Fan muttered in frustration.

Though the Great Qian Dynasty was vast, its bureaucracy was bloated and inefficient, unable to ensure lower-level officials fulfilled their duties.

The common folk suffered the most.

This fundamental neglect reflected the Empire’s current state—dependent on the emperor’s firm hand, but as his health declined, regional offices grew increasingly fractious.

Chen Fan shook his head.

Fortunately, the demon had not yet invaded human territory; otherwise, a small village like Cheng Mountain Manor would be wiped out in days.

Under the White Cloud Dojo’s influence, experienced hunters accompanied Chen Fan—one in his thirties or forties, trained in martial arts but only of third rank, a pseudo-martial artist.

“Lead me into the mountain,” Chen Fan said without hesitation.

After understanding the situation, he followed the hunter into the wilderness.

Though demons were smarter than ordinary beasts, they remained animals, unaware of counter-surveillance tactics. Their movements and feeding left many traces.

Both Chen Fan and the hunter were martial artists, so their pace was swift and unrestrained.

Following the demon’s trail, they closed in well before nightfall.

---

“The blood scent is heavy...” Chen Fan frowned.

“Sir, the demon should be nearby. The sun is about to set. Please be careful—demonic beasts see far better at night than humans do.”

Chen Fan noticed the hunter’s trembling voice, sensing his fear.

He nodded.

“You wait here. I’ll scout ahead.”

With that, Chen Fan dashed toward the source of the blood scent not far away.

The forest rustled incessantly.

With swift strides, Chen Fan moved through the trees and mountain grasses, gripping his black sword tightly.

His foot landed steadily.

Before him, a bloody scene caused him to pause in surprise.

He had imagined the demon’s possible form and its gruesome feeding—but he never expected to see not a large beast, but a figure bathed entirely in crimson, fiercely gnawing on the bloody, mangled carcass of a wild animal before him.