Rise of The Demon General

”Has anyone from our side ever gone through the process?” Nao Pei asked. He sounded worried.

”Most of you left your homes when you were still children. So, it makes sense that you don’t know about it,” Nao Dou said. ”As for us, elders, we have gone through the worst time when our kind is hunted. I can’t say if the process is still the same as before. It has been a long time since then, after all. If it is, then the process involves not only interrogating you, but also people you are associated with. If you have parents and friends who corroborate your story, then everything should be fine. If you don’t have any, then things will be more complicated.

”Someone is usually required to register once they reach fifteen years of age. Those who register late are usually orphans who escape notice or those in remote villages who don’t fully follow the Holy Temple’s laws. Such late applicants will undergo interrogation.”

”Sounds troublesome,” Nao Mei remarked.

”That is not the most worrying thing,” Nao Dou said. ”If we must go through such interrogations, it is very easy to invite suspicion. The chance of an inquisitor showing up to use their heresy-revealing artifact is very high. Also, most facilities owned by the Holy Temple apply engravings that block mental power projections. The interrogation will surely be conducted in such facilities.”

”Then, we must ensure we pass the interrogation without using mental powers or invite suspicion,” Amon said.

Nao Dou turned to Amon as if Amon had just made a joke. He said, ”In my opinion, what we must ensure is not to go through the registration process altogether. Why must you enter the settlements? Just leave it to us who have citizen crests.”

”There is no need for Nao Pei and Nao Mei to enter, but I must. I will figure out a way,” Amon stated.

”Easy for you to say. I must warn you. Holy Temple’s facilities also possess engravings that remove invisibility and disguise. Everyone will see your true form if you enter one of Holy Temple’s facilities.”

”You said enter. That means such an engraving is only applied at the entry point?”

”Yes... What about it?”

”If that is the case, I don’t need to worry,” Amon revealed a talisman. ”This is a Disenchant Shield talisman. It can block a removal attempt on my disguise once. It is low-tier ancient grade, so I must use it sparingly, but it should be enough. I don’t plan to enter Holy Temple’s facilities too often.

”Disenchant Shield talisman? This is the first I have heard of one.”

Amon chuckled. ”It was developed out of my request by a very talented colleague of mine.”

*

They continued waiting. About half a day after the Holy Temple members passed, another group did as well. This time, the image from the scouting battle puppets showed a large wagon lugged by two ox-like beasts.

Amon turned to Nao Dou, who confirmed. ”Yep, that is a caravan, all right. One of those people should be a caravan master.”

”Only five people,” Nao Mei remarked. ”Shouldn’t be too difficult to steal their caravan emblem.”

”Don’t be careless,” Nao Dou warned. ”As I have informed you, the wagon is enhanced with words of power that manipulate the space inside. Unless the goods they carried fill up the entire space, the caravan members mostly use the extra space inside to rest. So, we can’t truly tell how many people are in that caravan troupe.”

”We will deal with them if there are,” Amon said. ”I want to make one thing clear first. No one is killing anyone but me. We need the caravan master alive.”

”What for?” Nao Pei asked.

”I don’t have time to explain. They will arrive soon. Use your mental powers only to incapacitate. You mind practitioners are better suited for such a non-fatal task than cultivators, so this should not be a problem for you.”

Nao Mei and Nao Pei nodded. ”We understand. We will only disable them without killing them.”

”Good. We will now approach that group. Follow my lead,” Amon instructed.

*

”How is the profit this month?”

Peng Chi looked at his sister, Peng Xuwa, who had asked the question.

”Not so good... It is less than last month,” Peng Chi answered. He looked at the filled-up cargo space to the side and sighed. ”All this cargo is Holy Temple’s goods. You know how they pay. If I subtract it from the tribute we must pay to them, we will have only enough for the caravan’s maintenance and a few supplies. Our group will have to fast most of the time again.”

Peng Xuwa sighed upon hearing it. ”Then, we must let go of more members.”

”They all need this job as we do. Also, we are already running short with our current members. Unlike the Holy Temple members, spirit beasts still sometimes attack us. We can’t properly defend our caravan if we have too few members. We will lose everything if this caravan is damaged. Not to mention the penalty and being blacklisted from ever applying to be a caravan master again. What will we do if that happens? Go back to toiling the field like we used to do?”

”That’s why I ask you to rein in your ego and just learn how to be a proper devout. If we join the Holy Temple, we no longer must worry about our future.”

”No way I can stand the life in the temple. Have you seen how they live? I can’t imagine anyone having to live such a strict lifestyle, and I know you are the same.”

”I don’t mind living a hard life. It is you whom I wish to have joined the temple.”

”Don’t be ridiculous. No way I let you face this world alone... Damn those temple members! They force so many limitations on us, but demand such a high tribute. If I don’t know any better, I’d say they intentionally want to fuck us over!”

Peng Xuwa looked around. There were only the two of them here, inside the caravan. Their hired hands were all outside. Even so, she couldn’t help but be worried.

”More than your ego, you should learn to rein in your impulsive speech,” she warned her brother. ”If someone reported what you just said to the Holy Temple, you will be lucky if you get off with only having your caravan emblem revoked and being lashed in public. If you are unlucky, you can be put to death or worse, sentenced to eternal servitude. Mind your tongue!”

Peng Chi gave his sister an apologetic expression. ”I know. I’m sorry... Thanks for always sticking by my side, sis.”

”Anything for you, baby brother,” Peng Xuwa replied. She then looked at a screen next to their table, bewildered. She asked, ”Why do we stop?”

The inside of the caravan was a pocket dimension. They could not feel any vibration caused to the caravan from the outside world, nor could they sense the people outside. However, there was a built-in device with a screen that displayed the region’s map. A red dot on the screen showed their position on the map. This red dot had now stopped moving.

Peng Xuwa pressed a button on the table they were sitting at. It was a device that allowed her to speak to those outside as well as hear the outside sound. She called into the receiver, ”Hey, Yong Shu, what’s going on out there? Why do we stop?”

There was no reply. She put one ear close to the speaker. She heard no sound. She had been worried that spirit beasts had ambushed them. But if they were, there should be the sounds of a battle.

She called another time into the receiver. Still no response.

”Bloody hell! Do they all fall asleep?” She scolded and rose from her seat. She walked toward the exit. ”I swear I’m going to teach them a lesson if they play pranks again.”

Peng Chi watched her leave. He was also alarmed at first, but relaxed when he heard no commotion outside. He also suspected that the five outside were playing pranks to alleviate boredom.

Peng Xuwa grabbed the handle to the exit door and turned it. She opened it, expecting the five outside to look at her with mischievous grins. Instead, she saw two strangers.

”What the...?”

Something smashed into her head before she could finish her thoughts. At least, that’s how she felt it. Nothing hit her physically. What hit her was a third-tier mind blast released by a mind practitioner standing beside Amon. The same instant that happened, Amon lunged. His Bone Shattering Shadow Fist crashed into Peng Xuwa’s chest.

When the caravan’s door opened, Amon sensed Peng Xuwa’s cultivation level. She was at the Intermediate Ancestor Stage. Hence, Amon didn’t hold back. He unleashed the full power of his fist. The sound of bones cracking was heard from the impact.

Amon and Peng Xuwa flew into the caravan from the momentum. Amon didn’t let up. He performed a downward strike that hit Peng Xuwa’s temple and sent her crashing to the floor. That strike kept her in a blackout even after the mind blast’s effect was over.

Peng Chi rose from his seat the second her sister flew into the room. He picked up a long mace on the table and advanced. Sharp rocks materialized and revolved around the mace. He swung the mace at Amon when Amon’s downward strike hit Peng Xuwa’s temple.

Amon wasn’t fast enough to react to Peng Chi’s assault after striking Peng Xuwa, but he now possessed an arsenal that didn’t require physical speed. He used his mind blast.

Peng Chi felt the blast. A sudden dizziness assailed him, and his vision blurred. Amon’s mind blast was at the low second tier. It couldn’t rob his target of unconsciousness as the mind practitioner with the third tier did just now, but it was enough to score him a valuable initiative.

Peng Chi’s mace swing slowed significantly. Amon swept Peng Chi’s feet, causing him to tumble. Amon then delivered an elbow strike to his head.