Chapter Thirty-Four: Subduing the Demon

Seeing Yang Nan’s murderous expression, the yellow-faced bandit was terrified: How could this young lad turn hostile so quickly, attacking without a second thought? Had he misjudged the boy? He hurried to say, “Young master, I’m willing to pledge allegiance to you! As for the treasure—”

Yang Nan let out a cold laugh. Old Crab strode forward with a menacing aura, grabbing the scrawny yellow-faced bandit as easily as an eagle snatching a chick, and dragged him outside. Soon after, heart-wrenching screams began to echo. Yang Nan merely raised an eyebrow, unmoved. Chiyang, hot-blooded and fiery by nature, had always found these river pirates detestable. That Yang Nan was disciplining this slippery scoundrel suited him perfectly; why would he intercede on the villain’s behalf?

Buxu’s face was even colder. In her eyes, it would be simpler to slay all these pirates with a single sword stroke—why go to such trouble? Still, since Yang Nan wanted to handle them his way, she had no objection and retreated to her room to meditate.

Yang Nan, meanwhile, had his own plans. From now on, he intended to tread the path of cultivation. Without a base of followers and strength, he would inevitably be bullied and suffer greatly. Yet, recruiting people required strategy—it could not be done carelessly.

Niu Laoda was stubborn and wicked; keeping him would only invite betrayal in the future. The yellow-faced bandit, though cowardly, was cunning—if not properly broken in, he too would become a problem. Still, the yellow-faced bandit had his uses: he hailed from an artifact sect and knew something of forging. The Blood Demon Ring he wielded was formidable, holding its own even against a supreme demon body. Yang Nan had yet to refine the flood-dragon corpse in his Qiankun Ring into a weapon; the yellow-faced bandit could be put to good use.

The art of employing men required both favor and intimidation. Without a thorough beating, how could the yellow-faced bandit be truly loyal?

“Ahhh—!” The bandit’s agonized wails came from outside. Niu Laoda’s face turned pale. The goldfish demon, its gills run through, could barely speak. Yang Nan gently loosened the golden threads binding it, and the goldfish demon sighed with relief before suddenly shouting, “I am a disciple of Golden Stupa Temple! You soldiers of the Martial Sect are going too far—aren’t you afraid of incurring the wrath of the Buddhist Sect?”

The goldfish demon, clad in resplendent golden armor, struck an impressive figure—far better looking than the brutish Old Crab or other ugly demon soldiers. Though captured, it maintained the bearing of a great general.

Yang Nan sneered, “Golden Stupa Temple? Never heard of it. Is that a monastery?” He cared little for what connections the goldfish demon might claim; if need be, he’d just eliminate all witnesses.

The goldfish demon stared at Yang Nan with bulging fish eyes, unable to believe that anyone in the world hadn’t heard of Golden Stupa Temple.

Chiyang approached and whispered, “Golden Stupa Temple is one of the three great Buddhist holy lands in the Central Plains, famed for its many venerables and arhats—certainly not to be trifled with.” Seeing Yang Nan’s unfamiliarity, he explained the principal sects of cultivation: Golden Stupa Temple, Hundred Refined Gate, and others.

Mount Longhu was a great talisman school, a branch of the Law Sect, specializing in spirit and summoning talismans—one of the top Daoist schools. Hundred Refined Gate belonged to the Martial Sect’s artifact branch, a middling power. The late red-faced bandit hailed from Miaoqing Isle, a major Law Sect school; though the bandit himself was mediocre, Miaoqing Isle was first-class, home to many experts.

Golden Stupa Temple, Bodhi Temple, and Lotus Zen Monastery were the three great Buddhist holy lands, ancient and powerful, combining to far surpass the might of the Kunlun Sect. Golden Stupa Temple presided over all temples under heaven; Bodhi Temple focused on cultivation, while Lotus Zen Monastery was famed for training elite Buddhist disciples. Together, they boasted over twenty venerables, including three bodhisattva-level masters who should have ascended to the celestial realm—formidable indeed.

If a horde of shaven-headed monks appeared wielding their staves, few in the world would not tremble in fear.

Yang Nan understood at last. No wonder the goldfish demon was so arrogant—backed by such a super-sect, he had no fear of what Yang Nan might do. Having a powerful sect was truly a fine thing… at the very least, it served as a talisman in times of trouble.

But every gain had its cost. Capturing these men would bring both reward and danger. The Law and Martial Sects had always been at odds. With the red-faced bandit dead, if Miaoqing Isle learned he had died by Yang Nan’s hand, it would spell trouble. Dealing with these three prisoners was no easy matter. First of all, Niu Laoda could not be allowed to live…

As Yang Nan pondered, the screams outside abruptly ceased. Old Crab swaggered in, dragging in someone so battered as to be inhuman—clothes in tatters, flesh mangled and bleeding, a sight too pitiful for words. Who else but the sly second-in-command?

Clearly, Old Crab relished such work. Bowing to Yang Nan, he announced, “Young master, Old Crab did not fail you. This fellow has but half a life left, not even a breath to spare! If it’s not enough, I’ll finish him off entirely.”

Seeing the yellow-faced bandit’s miserable state, even Niu Laoda and the goldfish demon trembled. At Yang Nan’s signal, the white-clad girl stepped forward and used a water technique to heal the bandit slightly. He groaned awake to see Yang Nan’s smiling face and was seized with terror. “Young master! Please… no more… I’ll tell you everything! Just make it quick and kill me!” After such torment, the yellow-faced bandit actually wished for death, but was too weak even to end his own life.

Yang Nan’s smile faded. “To enter my service, the rod of intimidation is inevitable.” He knew well the tool Old Crab had used: in the River Palace, the flood-dragon had forged a special instrument from countless silver crystal fish scales, called the “Fish Scale Flayer.”

Silver crystal fish were fierce; when threatened, they would bristle their scales and scrape their foes, whose flesh would be shredded unless their bodies were exceptionally tough. The Fish Scale Flayer was a whip inlaid with these razor-sharp scales—one lash could slice through even iron, and the tiny scales would strip dozens of pieces of flesh at once, like a thousand cuts. Such agony was beyond words. The flood-dragon had used it to punish disobedient lesser demons; now, used on the yellow-faced bandit, it was no wonder he was half-dead with terror.

Old Crab had coveted the instrument for ages. Now that it was his, he took gleeful delight in using it thoroughly.

After suffering such torment, the yellow-faced bandit was fully broken; had Yang Nan ordered him to die, he would have gone gladly, just for a quick end. Hearing that Yang Nan intended to recruit him, he nodded frantically, “Young master, your grace is boundless! I dare not be the least bit negligent—please, spare my life!” For such a crafty man, nothing was more terrifying than extreme torture; once broken, the fear would never leave him.

Yang Nan’s cold gaze swept over Niu Laoda and the goldfish demon, his eyes glinting with killing intent. Whether pirate or demon, this world was survival of the fittest—had Yang Nan fallen into their hands, his fate would have been no better. Thus, he saw no need for mercy.

“Take this Niu Laoda and let him sample the Fish Scale Flayer as well. Remember, he’s a tough one—Old Crab, don’t hold back! I want him left with just a breath.” Yang Nan’s smile returned, but it chilled all who saw it.

Old Crab grinned, seizing Niu Laoda and dragging him out. He was no saint and felt no pity for this so-called tough man. Niu Laoda tried to beg for mercy, but there was no chance. When the Fish Scale Flayer struck him, its hissing sound made everyone’s teeth ache. No matter how tough he was, he could not withstand such agony, and his screams were bloodcurdling.

Though weak, the yellow-faced bandit could not help but gloat at seeing Niu Laoda suffer just as he had. Yang Nan strolled forward, eyeing the goldfish demon, whose blood ran cold beneath that butcher’s gaze. Even with powerful backing, he could not help but fear.

“So, King Golden Scales, is it? That golden armor of yours is quite impressive. Men! Strip him of it!” Yang Nan had sized him up for a long time before suddenly barking out the order.

The goldfish demon was aghast. His golden scale armor was his dearest treasure, second only to his lotus hammer. If Yang Nan took it, his strength would be greatly diminished. “Fellow Daoist, have mercy! I yield—please don’t go so far…” It took a thousand years to perfect those scales; without them, his life would be in danger. He had no choice but to bow his head in submission.

Yang Nan shook his head and sighed, “Golden Stupa Temple, how frightening… Without your golden scales to protect me, I’d be terrified. King Golden Scales, just think of it as a good deed.”

The goldfish demon was so frightened his soul nearly left his body, but Buxu had bound him tightly with the Coiling Dragon Rope, leaving him no chance to resist. He could only cry out, “If you must kill me, do it! But to humiliate me so—are you not afraid Golden Stupa Temple will come for you?”

Yang Nan smiled faintly. Offending a great Buddhist sect was done already—surely they wouldn’t descend upon Kunlun over a single fish. Hadn’t Buxu also offended Elder Long-Brow outside the hot springs with no consequence? If one had no strength, anyone could bully you to death; with strength, not even the heavens need be feared. Since he’d captured the goldfish demon, he’d already offended Golden Stupa Temple—he might as well finish the job.

Had his own uncles not pursued him for a thousand miles, simply because he was powerless?

As Yang Nan finished, several shrimp soldiers entered with sinister grins, dragging the goldfish demon outside. Soon, his pitiful wails as his scales were stripped joined Niu Laoda’s screams in a dreadful chorus. The yellow-faced bandit, lying on the ground, was shaken to the core. Only now did he understand how ruthless this young master was: he looked barely over ten, but when it came to violence, he was merciless, sharp-eyed, and black-hearted—a truly formidable figure!

With the two tough men broken, Yang Nan began his questioning. The yellow-faced bandit, terrified out of his wits, answered everything he was asked.

On the turbulent river, the various bands of pirates numbered in the tens of thousands, but none were individually strong. The Star Lake Pirate Lair had originally been a mere hideout for a thousand men. Niu Laoda, from Mount Longhu, was hot-tempered—after killing his master and senior brother for some reason, he fled here and quickly gained fame. Local pirates flocked to him, swelling his power. The yellow-faced bandit had been a pirate chief himself, but seeing Niu Laoda’s growing strength, he had no choice but to submit.

Relying on his wits, he managed to become Niu Laoda’s second-in-command, while the red-faced bandit from Miaoqing Isle became the third. All three were master-level cultivators, wielding powerful magic, and had become a major force on the river. The Star Lake River Lord, the goldfish demon, was greedy and lawless, colluding with humans and demons alike to perpetrate great crimes.

Now, with the kingdom in chaos, the demonic star falling westward, monsters and spirits running rampant, and the immortals who once kept order vanished, the river was more lawless than ever. The three men and one demon joined forces with a powerful local martial sect, gaining the support of local bosses and growing ever bolder.

This time, the Wang family’s fleet was passing downriver to the East Sea, carrying goods worth at least a million. The Star Lake pirates targeted them early on, planting spies in Deyang Prefecture. However, the fleet was delayed in Dejiang Prefecture by an enraged flood-dragon. Impatient, the pirates decided to strike directly, hoping to seize the treasure-laden fleet. The Wang family’s strongest man was only a low-level magician, but unexpectedly, Yang Nan and his fierce companions appeared, bringing the pirates to this wretched end.