Chen Xuance, feeling quite smug, skillfully dodged the Black Guards and did not return to the Demon Suppression Bureau. Instead, he lingered nearby, keeping an eye on the restaurant to see whether the owner was delivering the tables or making a run for it.

To send or not to send? This needed careful consideration. The Demon Suppression Bureau had its rules, and if the rat demon didn't act within the city limits, the Bureau wouldn't interfere. But not sending it? Well, that would be disrespecting the Bureau!

The owner, with his sly expression and a few thin whiskers dangling from his face, was in a dilemma. To send or not to send? Sending might mean delivering more than just tables; it might be delivering his fate! Not sending? Well, then run away. Forget about this restaurant, find a wealthy household, and get some valuables. That way, the restaurant's costs could be recovered.

"Cursed luck, why bother returning to this restaurant when things were so lively at the Pink Pavilion? What's the point of coming to a restaurant for no reason?" Chen Xuance grumbled and instructed the kitchen to start cooking.

Quietly packing up his belongings, the owner left through the back door, carrying his bundle. Not long after, he exited the city from the East Gate.

Standing outside the city, he looked back at the city walls, letting out a sigh of relief. "The inner city isn't safe either. Better hide for half a month before returning."

He had no choice. He entered the city to escape his enemies. If not for that, as a rat demon who successfully transformed after fifty years of cultivation, he wouldn't have dared to reside in Kyoto.

Once outside the city, he slowed down, strolling leisurely while looking for an inn. The sun had set, but the sky was not completely dark yet—prime time for the liveliness outside the city.

Observing an alley with few people, the owner recalled seeing an inn not far away. He decided to walk into the alley.

Midway through the alley, he sensed someone quickly approaching from behind.

"Innkeeper, where's the table delivery?"

A terrifying voice echoed from behind, and a large hand grabbed his shoulder. Five fingers felt like they were about to pierce through his flesh. Another hand covered his mouth, pulling him into a courtyard beside the road.

The house was empty. Chen Xuance, using his teleportation technique, had already found a suitable place to strike. Feeling the immense struggle in the hand he held, Chen Xuance released his grip on the owner's shoulder. Swiftly, he retrieved a crumpled talisman from his pocket and affixed it to the owner's forehead, who was almost breaking free.

As the talisman burned to ashes, a black mist appeared out of nowhere and rapidly dissipated. Before him lay a black rat, a little over half a meter long, weakened and dejected.

The feeble black rat spoke human words, a voice filled with grievance and misery, "Sir, I was just leaving the city to buy some fresh fish for you, preparing a feast. Was it necessary for you to use such force? According to the rules of the Demon Suppression Bureau, as long as I don't act, you shouldn't lay a hand on me! Sir!"

Chen Xuance grinned and replied, "Inside the city, Demon Suppression Bureau won't bother you if you don't act. But who told you there's still such a rule once you're outside the city?"

While speaking, his peach wood sword abruptly pierced the hairless spot on the large black rat's forehead, right where the exorcism talisman was attached. The sword tip emerged from the rat's belly!

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

He wouldn't waste time talking when it provided an opportunity for the enemy to turn the tables. Swiftly dispatching the foe was the right way.

Demons with fifty years of cultivation were somewhat stronger than ordinary people, but not overwhelmingly so. They relied on innate demon arts to harm others.

"As a reward, you receive the Starry Nine Transformation technique, Palm Thunder in the Heart Dao, with a magical power duration of eight years and inner strength cultivation for five years."

"Starry Nine Transformation cultivates under the stars, drawing celestial energy into the body, advancing through nine transformations to reach the realm of a first-grade martial artist capable of slaying gods. There's a chance to break through to the realm of a land-bound immortal. The strength of this technique lies in its ability to switch between various systems and easily switch to other cultivation techniques. Under the starry sky, all beings are ants."

"Palm Thunder in the Heart Dao is an effective technique against demons. Its range and power depend on the practitioner's level of cultivation."

"Inner strength is the constant circulation of a martial artist's qi within the body, continuously strengthening the physical body."

The reward information from the sea of knowledge astonished Chen Xuance; it was incredibly generous! A technique that could directly turn one into a first-grade martial artist—whether there was one in the Great Liang Empire was debatable. Rumor had it that Prince Jin, up to now, had just reached the third grade and was already considered a war god!

Thinking about it, it was probably because this was his first independent demon suppression, hence the richer rewards.

At this moment, a warm flow circulated through his entire body, and he felt a surge of strength. This was the inner strength cultivation.

The route taken by the circulating energy precisely followed the path of the first transformation of the Starry Nine Transformation technique.

"Could this count as dual cultivation of both dao and martial arts? Not bad, not bad."

Drawing out the peach wood sword, he slid it a few times over the rat's body to remove bloodstains. He then retrieved the bundle from the rat's corpse.

"What's in this bundle that's so heavy?"

Opening the bundle, he found yellow-white items, five gold bars, twenty taels of silver, ten silver notes, and some spare clothes.

After counting, the gold bars were each worth ten taels, totaling five hundred taels of silver. The silver was two hundred taels. The silver notes consisted of five fifty-tael notes, three one-hundred-tael notes, and two five-hundred-tael notes, adding up to one thousand five hundred and fifty taels.

"Quite a haul! Can I move out of the Demon Suppression Bureau with this?"

Tossing the spare clothes aside, he wrapped the gold, silver, and notes back together. Digging a large hole, he buried the rat's body—no value in areas where cultivation was lacking.

Before leaving, Chen Xuance took out one silver tael from the bundle and threw it at the front door of the house in the courtyard. This was part of the rules; if you borrowed someone else's place, you had to pay.

The silver left behind was the payment he had given the innkeeper for reserving the tables.

"Heh, if you don't let me eat, I'll suppress you!"

Feeling pleased with himself internally, Chen Xuance, with his peach wood sword on his back and bundle in hand, walked away.

In Kyoto, there were several types of places that stayed open at night. One was the Rouge Street, another was the casino, and there was also the nearby bank.

Walking towards the bank next to the casino near Rouge Street, Chen Xuance converted most of the gold and silver into silver notes before preparing to return to the Demon Suppression Bureau.

Today had been exhausting. In the morning, he received new recruits, in the afternoon, he went to the Heartfelt Pavilion, and in the evening, he dealt with the rat demon. Now, the moon was bright, and the stars were scarce.

Leaving the bank in a hurry to report back and get some rest, he took a shortcut along a small road.

This road led not far ahead to the banks of the Rouge River, where there were mostly pleasure boats. The riverside had fewer people, making it convenient for him to use his teleportation technique.

Just as he reached a dark spot without any light, four black-clothed individuals appeared about fifteen meters away.

Great, he was being targeted.

Seeing that they all held five-ring large machetes and showed no intention of communicating, it seemed they were here for robbery and murder!

Realizing there was no room for negotiation in today's matter, Chen Xuance didn't waste any words. He activated his teleportation technique, quickly closing in on the four.

In the blink of an eye, he appeared three meters in front of the black-clothed individuals. Channeling his magical power, he gestured with his fingers, and four silver-colored thunderbolts consecutively struck down.

Dao technique: Palm Thunder in the Heart Dao!