I Have 10 Equipment Slots-Chapter 99 - 90: A Startling Appearance

Zhang Ning, meanwhile, stood rooted to the spot, his face slack. He stared foolishly at the woman, chanting over and over, "I’m willing, I’m willing, I’m willing~!"

Gu Zheng shook his head. He had been shaking it ever since the woman appeared.

His vision blurred and doubled. Space warped, the world spun, making him want to lie down and fall into a deep sleep.

Yet, an awareness deep within him kept sounding an alarm, warning him that he must not sleep. He mustn’t...

"Mrow?"

A familiar cry suddenly sounded by his ear.

’What’s wrong with you?’

’That’s right... what... is... wrong... with me!?’

Gu Zheng jolted awake.

His eyes snapped open. He activated his Bronze Elephant Body, unlocking it to 20%. As his muscles bulged, straining against his armor, his Spirit surged. A cold chill washed over him from head to toe, shocking his mind back to full awareness.

"Courting death!"

SWOOSH~

With a flicker, Gu Zheng vanished. A Half-Spirit Soldier Battle Blade appeared in his hand as his Divine Wondrous power surged, forming a thread-like Sword Gang. It tore through the air and descended upon the veiled woman’s head, cutting off all avenues of escape.

"How did you wake up?"

The woman was stunned. A green light erupted from her body.

HSSSSSS~

The Sword Gang slammed into the green, glowing shield, producing a series of strange sounds. A sharp Powerful Qi erupted from the impact, carving long, deep gashes into the ground.

POP!

Suddenly, the shield shattered. The Sword Gang flashed like lightning across the woman’s neck, sending a spray of dark green blood into the air.

’Dark green blood?’

Spirit Capturing!

[Demon Points +7]

’Just as I thought, a Demon Fiend!’

"Wake up, all of you!!"

Gu Zheng’s fierce shout, empowered by his Divine Wondrous ability, echoed across the grounds and pierced everyone’s eardrums.

"Ah! What happened to me?"

"What just happened? I think I saw..."

"A Demon Fiend! It’s a Demon Fiend!!"

"..."

Shouts, gasps, and screams instantly erupted, plunging the scene into chaos.

The chaos continued until someone saw the woman’s headless corpse. It had transformed into a slippery, salamander-like body. The head, which had fallen to the side, had two faces.

One on the front and one on the back. Both faces were stunningly beautiful and androgynous—they could have belonged to a man or a woman!

"A Double-Faced Hero Demon Fiend!? It... it’s a Double-Faced Hero Demon Fiend!"

Having come to his senses, Zhang Ning felt a chill run down his spine. He swallowed hard, his scalp tingling with fear as he looked at Gu Zheng with lingering terror.

"Mr. Gu, Jinshan Temple is colluding with Demon Fiends! Those bald-headed donkeys actually colluded with a Double-Faced Hero Demon Fiend!!"

Zhang Ning’s face flushed red as he growled with a mix of shock and fury.

Hearing this, the others were filled with shame, fear, and horror, their eyes darting around nervously.

"I see."

Gu Zheng spoke calmly, his voice ringing across the grounds. "Everyone, remain calm. I am here. This Demon Fiend won’t be able to cause any trouble."

"General Wu, issue the order at once! Have the soldiers form groups of ten and ready their crossbows. Authorize them to shoot to kill anyone who approaches within ten paces!"

"If there are any mistakes, I will take full responsibility!"

"Ye... Yes, sir!" General Wu, who had been standing stone-faced and silent at the rear, shuddered and answered with a loud cry.

He spun around and ran to relay the command.

If he had been worried about being held accountable just a moment before, all such anxieties were now gone.

Demon Fiends!

Jinshan Temple was actually hiding Demon Fiends!

Even if there was only one, every monk in this temple was doomed.

Collusion with Demon Fiends... Never mind the Prefect, the noblewomen, or even the State Governor’s own mother—the State Governor himself would be implicated if he were here!

In fact, even Gu Zheng hadn’t expected a Demon Fiend to appear.

He had assumed Jinshan Temple was merely a den of vice, home to a group of lecherous monks consumed by lust and addicted to women.

Zhang Boshong’s wife had tragically fallen victim to them, and Zhang Boshong himself had been ensnared as a result.

One’s resistance to poison wasn’t that strong in the Alien Body Realm.

With a well-laid trap, it was possible to incapacitate someone in the Alien Body Realm using specially concocted drugs or poisons.

’I never thought a Demon Fiend would be the one pulling the strings!’

The Double-Faced Hero Demon Fiend: a perverted, androgynous Demon Fiend that could be either male or female.

As a man, it was devastatingly handsome and irresistibly charming; even the most virtuous woman would fall at its feet.

As a woman, it was equally gorgeous and seductive. Even a eunuch would be so moved as to fall for it, so how could a group of monks possibly resist?

’That’s right. Everyone in Jinshan Temple, all the monks, had likely been bewitched by the Double-Faced Hero Demon Fiend, their minds completely controlled by lust.’

Even Gu Zheng had nearly fallen prey to the Double-Faced Hero Demon Fiend’s Enchanting Soul ability.

Of course.

’Just now, the Double-Faced Hero Demon Fiend had only used hypnosis, trying to put me to sleep. It bore no other ill will or malice.’

’If there had been any true malice, I would have sensed it immediately.’

’Thank goodness for Pang Hu!’

Taking a deep breath, Gu Zheng composed himself and looked toward the entrance to the hole in the ground, which was covered with wooden planks.

"Zhang Ning, you stay out here. Keep an eye out for any more Double-Faced Hero Demon Fiends."

"I’ll go into the underground chamber myself."

Gu Zheng gave his orders as he walked. "Everyone else, form groups of ten and watch for anything unusual. If you see something, shout immediately!"

"Understood!"

"Yes, sir!"

Zhang Ning and a group of soldiers shouted their acknowledgments.

CRACK~

Gu Zheng stomped, shattering the planks covering the entrance. He then descended the steps into a wide tunnel.

WHIZZ!

The moment he entered, rows of hidden projectiles and sharp arrows flew at him.

SWISH~

Gu Zheng waved his hand, forming a Sword Gang that blocked the projectiles, which clattered to the ground. PING! PING! PING!

FWOOM!

A cloud of green smoke immediately followed, exploding and filling the passageway.

Gu Zheng held his breath and surrounded himself with his Sword Gang.

SWOOSH!

Pushing off his toes, he shot forward.

The Half-Spirit Soldier Battle Blade in his hand raised sprays of blood as screams echoed through the narrow passage.

SHLICK! SHLICK!

"THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!"

Gu Zheng’s figure flickered as he weaved through the network of tunnels.

He left a trail of corpses in his wake.

The dead were a mix of monks, Martial World wanderers, constables, and soldiers.

Without exception, they had all been controlled by the Double-Faced Hero Demon Fiend, their minds lost.

Gu Zheng fought his way through the ambushes and emerged into a spacious underground cavern. The natural grottoes had been partitioned into individual prison cells.

Each cage held one or more prisoners, both men and women.

Without exception, all of them were naked. Their eyes were vacant, but they were all physically attractive.

A few cages held individuals who, while not as attractive, possessed exceptionally strong physiques.

Gu Zheng walked past the cells until he stopped in front of one. Inside, he saw Zhang Boshong, naked and unconscious on the floor.

After a moment of contemplation, he decided to turn and leave without waking him.

He continued his search.

He found about ten more people in the same comatose state as Zhang Boshong.

They were all either Grandmasters or in the Alien Body Realm.

But there was no sign of the Double-Faced Hero Demon Fiend.

Compared to other Demon Fiends, the Double-Faced Hero Demon Fiend’s Demon Qi was extremely faint; if controlled properly, it was almost undetectable.

That was why Gu Zheng hadn’t suspected a Demon Fiend was involved earlier.

He clapped his hands. CLAP. CLAP.

SWOOSH!

Pang Hu appeared out of thin air, landing on a stone stool.

"Mrow?"

The Little Fatty Cat’s blue eyes scanned the surroundings before landing on Gu Zheng, its expression full of confusion.

’What’s wrong?’

"It’s nothing. I just can’t find the Demon Fiend."

Gu Zheng smiled and asked, "Pang Hu, can you help me find them? They must still be somewhere on this mountain!"

"Mrow?"

Pang Hu tilted its head and gestured with its short little legs, letting out a few "mrrrow... mrrrow" sounds.

"That’s right, the big fish with two faces."

Gu Zheng clapped his hands. "Can you find them?"

"Mrow!"

Pang Hu puffed out its chest in response.

SWOOSH~

It vanished in a flash, leaving only an afterimage.

Gu Zheng wasn’t worried. He just waited where he was.

Sure enough, less than half a minute later...

SWOOSH!

An afterimage flickered.

Pang Hu materialized and let out a couple of "mrrrows" at Gu Zheng.

"Let’s go!"

Gu Zheng immediately followed.

Pang Hu bounded ahead.

WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH~

After a few quick dashes, it reached an exit and leaped upward.

SWOOSH!

Gu Zheng followed, emerging from the ground back onto the surface.

The exit opened into the corner of a temple hall.

From outside the main gate not far away, he could hear the shouts of the soldiers, the weeping and begging of pilgrims, and the chanting of monks.

Gu Zheng took a moment to get his bearings, then calmly followed Pang Hu out of the hall.

"Mrow! Mrow~!"

Pang Hu turned invisible, landed on Gu Zheng’s shoulder, and chirped softly, indicating two different directions.

"Thanks."

Gu Zheng nodded and started walking slowly toward the first direction, to his right.

"Sir!"

"Greetings, Sir!"

The soldiers who saw Gu Zheng immediately saluted.

"Mm."

Gu Zheng nodded in response. As he walked past a plainly dressed young girl with her head lowered...

SHLICK!

...the Half-Spirit Soldier Battle Blade in his hand suddenly slashed out.