I Have a Golden Crow

He looked as if he’d just been fished out of water!

Du Yu stared hard at Ukesh, enunciating each word: ”Your soul will be absorbed,

You will be refined bit by bit,

Torn apart and devoured little by little...”

”Ah!” Ukesh’s Demon Soul screamed in agony—he finally realized there was still one place left uncontrolled—his Demon Soul!

”Boss!”

”Chief!” Several of the Purple Turban goons cried out, only to see a wisp of Demon Soul abruptly surge from Ukesh’s back.

Demon Soul Ukesh’s face twisted grotesquely, his eyeballs bulging, mouth agape as if screaming something.

The Demon Soul, which should have slipped out unhindered, was obstructed. Was something dragging him back?

Indeed, that was exactly the case.

Du Yu kneaded Ukesh’s shattered bones with his right hand,

While in his naturally-hanging left hand, beneath the broad sleeve of his windbreaker, he concealed a tiny Little Shadow Gu Tower.

”No! No! Save—” Demon Soul Ukesh shrieked miserably, arms reaching desperately as though to grasp at the closest underling.

Yet...

His underlings were so frightened their legs turned to jelly, scurrying backward by several steps, terrified they’d be dragged down as well.

Such ’Demon Technique’ was far beyond their comprehension, so fear was only natural.

But then again, even if there were no ’Demon Technique’, with these cowardly Purple Turban lackeys, who would really dare to step forward for a rescue?

There were a few Purple Turban underlings on the bus, and more members of the Purple Lion Corps watching outside!

The image of their chief suffering, seen through the wide, bright bus windows, was taken in by the entire Purple Lion Corps.

Regrettably, not only did no one attempt a rescue, there even came an order amidst the crowd: ”Fall back! Fall back!!”

In an instant, the once-packed bus was now surrounded by empty space as the crowd swiftly retreated.

A mob of rabble?

Not quite. The Purple Lion Corps did have some real skill, or else they’d never have held this territory.

The problem was, Ukesh’s strength was recognized by all!

As a Peak Stage Great Demon Tamer, he was among the best in this squad.

We’re not even asking you to fight on even terms, Ukesh—even if you just put up a struggle, you’d at least give the brothers some hope.

Yet, in reality, Ukesh couldn’t even muster the strength to resist, this...

”Fuck, I knew we shouldn’t mess with a Demon Tamer’s bus! Shit! Finally picked the wrong target, didn’t we?” Outside the bus, a man who looked like a commander cursed bitterly.

”But...”

”Koza, Commander!”

Koza turned on his heel: ”Cut the damn chatter! Withdraw!”

You want me to throw my life away in this hopeless fight?

If he’s dead, great—one less hindrance, my power alone on top.

The rapid patter of feet faded away; on the bus, the few Purple Turban Army members panicked as their teammates fled and scrambled for the doors.

”Stop.” A woman’s calm voice echoed through the bus.

The three Purple Turban soldiers blanched, their breath catching as they froze on the spot.

”The goods.” Yang Qingqing leaned her shoulder against Du Yu’s side, eyes settling on his naturally dangling left hand.

From within Du Yu’s broad sleeve, Ukesh’s Demon Soul was continually sucked in, the whole scene utterly nightmarish!

The few Purple Turban goons could no longer muster a shred of bravado.

Hands trembling, they threw the stolen items onto the bus seats, making to bolt.

”Did I say you could leave?” Du Yu’s words echoed like a grim specter, and the three Purple Turbans nearly broke into tears.

They didn’t dare run, didn’t dare resist—left only to beg pitifully:

”S-sir.”

”Spare us, please...”

”We’re...ah!”

The Purple Turban soldiers jumped in fright as the Shadow Gu Tower unleashed its final assault.

Right at Ukesh’s back, that twisted, anguished Demon Soul was violently yanked back in, completely vanishing into Du Yu’s billowing windbreaker sleeve.

Du Yu casually shoved Ukesh to the floor, then looked ahead: ”Drive—to the Ten Thousand Beasts Tomb.”

The driver had been watching the whole scene unfold through the rearview mirror.

He hadn’t dared defy the Purple Lion Corps before; now, he’d never dream of disobeying Du Yu’s order.

The driver scrambled to get the bus moving, even forgetting to shut the doors as he floored the gas pedal.

Per Master Qing’s instructions, Du Yu addressed the now-ashen Purple Turban Army members: ”Figure out what you’ll say at the city gate. I don’t want to be stopped again.”

”Yes! Yes!”

”Right away, sir...”

Du Yu sat down, but Yang Qingqing didn’t take her seat properly; a layer of Demon Soul still hovered over her shoulder: ”Did you finish gathering it all?”

”All clean.” Du Yu replied mentally, ”Master Qing, what about the Demon Pet in his body?”

”One tried to break out, but I’ve got his body under control, locking down the Acupoint Home.” Yang Qingqing twirled her Bell Bracelet with one hand.

Du Yu couldn’t help but marvel—the Bell Bracelet’s control was truly inside-out.

Even Demon Pets trying to burst out of the acupoints could, under the power of the Ancient Spiritual Artifact—Bell Bracelet and Yang Qingqing’s overwhelming Demon Breath, be forcibly suppressed in the Acupoint Home.

However, the moment Yang Qingqing lifted the effect of the bracelet, the Demon Pet in Ukesh’s body would surely rush out at once.

Yang Qingqing glanced at Ukesh lying on the ground.

The man’s face was blank, still breathing, but now just a soul-less shell.

Truthfully, if Ukesh had been below Third Level·Demon Tamer, he wouldn’t have been so vulnerable.

The Demon Soul Du Yu extracted from normal Demon Tamers was nothing but scraps of Residual Soul.

Maybe there were hints of the tamer’s intent and soul mixed in, but not much.

The real problem: once your foe is at the level of Great Demon Tamer or above, and possesses a true Demon Soul—things change in essence!

The Demon Soul combines many layers: the Demon Tamer’s spirit, mind, thoughts, intent, and more.

The Shadow Gu Tower’s devastation against any being with a complete Demon Soul is all but annihilating!

Once your soul is shattered, all you have left is an empty husk.

This isn’t just a simple matter of lost cultivation...

”How do you feel?” Yang Qingqing suddenly asked, her usual icy tone softening just a little.

Clearly, she’d done so on purpose.

Du Yu asked, puzzled, ”Feel?”

”Yes.” Yang Qingqing closed her eyes, fingers playing with the Bell Bracelet. ”You’ve fought with people before, but never like this.

You’ve killed too, but only Demon Beasts, Cold Beasts.”

Du Yu instantly understood—Master Qing was worried about his psychological state.

He replied mentally, ”When facing these thoroughly evil types, I don’t feel much of anything. Don’t worry about me.”

Yang Qingqing turned to study Du Yu’s profile, examining his expression closely.

With both their Demon Souls offsetting each other, her beautiful eyes seemed almost able to see through him.

Du Yu lowered his head slightly, gazing at the fallen bandits. ”Besides, if I stood by and let someone insult you before me, then I’d be unworthy of being your disciple.”

Hearing this, Yang Qingqing’s heart softened.

Du Yu turned slowly to look Yang Qingqing straight in the eyes, his own expression solemn and earnest: ”I’m just angry, that’s all. I’m fine, you don’t need to worry, Master Qing.”

The woman quietly held Du Yu’s gaze.

After a long moment, she nodded gently, at last looking away.

No one could blame Yang Qingqing for being cautious; she had every reason to worry.

Because Du Yu...was simply too powerful.

Not only did he have Divine Pets all around him, he wielded mighty Ancient Spiritual Artifacts, and even had an Ancient Demon Saint for backup!

What made it worse—such a powerful Demon Tamer was only nineteen years old.

If a Demon Tamer this young gets a taste for killing, then the right guidance is critical.

But from Du Yu’s answer just now, he really seemed unfazed.

Meanwhile, inside the Spirit Ruins Acupoint—Shadow Gu Tower.

A woman wreathed in black mist, one hand gripping a pitch-black rain umbrella, the other outstretched.

Floating before her, a half-transparent figure—Ukesh’s Demon Soul.

”No, wait, please...”

The black mist woman spoke coolly: ”I’ve never seen my master this angry before. You’re the first.”

Ukesh’s limbs were twisted and contorted, suspended in midair, feeling as though a thousand ants gnawed his flesh and bones.

The searing pain twisted Ukesh’s face beyond recognition.

Crying, howling echoed throughout the Shadow Gu Tower: ”Please...stop, I—I...please—ah!!!”