Chapter 67: I Still Have Some Here

Lin Lingling chased after the location where the thunder had struck.

Eventually, she found the charred corpse of the wolf demon in a five-meter-wide thunder crater.

"The mandible is shattered, and the fracture looks like it was caused by a blunt weapon. The big shot's weapon might have been a hammer, a club, or something similar."

Since a big shot had already appeared and there was no scent of human blood, it meant the three missing individuals were safe. Therefore, Lin Lingling felt no burden as she examined the wolf demon's corpse.

She bent down and picked up a piece of wolf bone, which turned into bone powder with a light pinch of her fingers. Her pupils immediately contracted, and she murmured, "To be able to summon a thunderous attack with such immense power… could it be… a General-level?"

But how many General-level individuals are there in the entire world?

Lin Lingling was shocked by her own judgment.

Currently, Demon Slayers are only classified into four levels: White, Master, Soldier, and General.

Someone like her, at the White level, could only be considered a civilian Demon Slayer.

Civilian Demon Slayers have relevant credentials but are not part of the official system and cannot be considered formal personnel.

In terms of nature, they are somewhat similar to bounty hunters.

However, there are benefits too—they are not forced to take on missions, and they can choose tasks at their own discretion. Killing demons is also up to chance, but submitting the spoils can still earn them a considerable reward. Of course, if they die due to overestimating their abilities, no one will come to collect their bodies.

Lin Lingling relied on her earnings from slaying demons to pay for her tuition.

Otherwise, who knows which shady factory she'd be working in, tightening screws.

Her ultimate goal was to become an official Demon Slayer, as only then could she explore a broader world.

"Huh, what's this?"

Lin Lingling bent down and picked up a yellow piece of paper.

The paper was less than three meters away from the wolf's corpse, with cryptic characters drawn in cinnabar. She could faintly sense a brewing, thunderous energy within it.

Realizing this, her hand involuntarily trembled.

If she were an evil spirit, she would have likely been devoured by the thunderous energy within the talisman by now.

"It seems the thunder earlier was triggered by this talisman."

Lin Lingling took a sharp breath.

If that big shot could unleash such a powerful attack just by using a talisman…

It was truly unheard of, unseen.

At least in her memory, the strongest Demon Slayer in the Huaxia region couldn't achieve such a feat.

Who exactly was that person?

She calmed her mind and followed the footprints.

Eventually, near the wolf demon's corpse, she discovered a dilapidated ranger's cabin.

…

"Why hasn't that wolf come yet?"

"Brother Huaian, how can you say that?" Su Xingchen's face turned pale upon hearing Chen Huaian's words.

The cameraman also chimed in, "What, are you actually looking forward to it?"

"Not exactly. According to the Law of Conservation of Safety, when we're safe, it means another group is in danger." Chen Huaian stroked his chin and said calmly, "Two such large wolves—do you think Director Zhang and the others hiding in the van can escape unscathed?"

Hearing this, Su Xingchen and the cameraman couldn't help but show fear on their faces.

That's right. Once the people in the van are done for, wouldn't it be their turn next?

In this vast wilderness, how could they possibly escape the pursuit of wild beasts?

Just then,

Creak—!

The door of the small wooden cabin suddenly opened.

The moonlight crept in first, casting a large shadow on the wall.

However, the shadow wasn't that of a wolf—it belonged to a girl.

Lin Lingling used the moonlight to examine the three people in the cabin, each with different expressions.

Two men and one woman: a bald man, a pure-looking college girl, and a burly man carrying a camera.

None of them seemed like experts, nor did they have the internal energy fluctuations typical of a master.

So the big shot wasn't here?

A flash of confusion crossed her eyes.

Had the big shot already left?

As expected of a General-level master, coming and going without a trace. Someone like her, a mere shrimp, couldn't detect them at all.

"Little sister, there are wolves outside. Come in and take shelter."

Su Xingchen, seeing that the newcomer was a cute-looking student, immediately felt relieved.

Though she didn't know why the girl was carrying a spear on her back.

Cosplay?

Whatever the case, as long as it wasn't a wolf, it was fine.

"The wolf is already dead." The spear on Lin Lingling's back was still dripping with blood, yet she maintained an expressionless face while using a frightened tone. "Oh, I'm so scared. I was just hiking when I saw a wolf's corpse. I panicked and ran here. So scary."

Su Xingchen: "…"

She suddenly felt that this little sister was also quite suspicious.

Chen Huaian's gaze fell on Lin Lingling, scanning her up and down, before finally settling on her hand. He blinked and asked, "Little sister, where did you find that talisman?"

Lin Lingling glanced at Chen Huaian, then looked again, and then once more, before finally staring intently.

Damn, he's so handsome.

She hadn't noticed when she first came in, but now that she looked carefully, she could hardly tear her eyes away.

However, as a Demon Slayer with some dignity, Lin Lingling forcefully suppressed her urge to ogle the handsome guy. She coughed twice, her face red, and said, "What talisman? I don't know what you're talking about. That's just my keychain."

As a Demon Slayer, it's sometimes unavoidable to be exposed to the public eye.

In the past, when demons were rare, they were required to completely hide their identities or force witnesses to sign non-disclosure agreements.

Later, the relevant authorities even developed a potion to erase memories for a certain period.

But now, as demons become more and more numerous, it's gradually becoming impossible to keep it hidden. The materials for the potion are also very expensive, so it's not feasible to give it to a bunch of eyewitnesses every time they're on a mission. Therefore, except for demons that look particularly fantastical, anything even remotely resembling a beast is uniformly explained as a mutated creature from drinking seawater.

And Demon Slayers are publicly introduced as martial artists who have trained since childhood.

Sometimes, when they're dispatched alongside security personnel, they're referred to as special enforcers.

In short, they must not reveal that they are Demon Slayers!

They must not let the world know that demons are gradually appearing!

And they must not let ordinary people come into contact with supernatural artifacts!

So, faced with Chen Huaian's question, Lin Lingling's instinctive reaction was to cover it up.

However…

"But this talisman should be mine, right?"

To prove his point, Chen Huaian reached into the inner pocket of his jacket and pulled out a crumpled Thunderfire Talisman. In his mind, he thought, "What the hell, a keychain? Who would've thought this girl, who looks so pure and cute, would lie so effortlessly."

Lin Lingling: "?"

"Here, look. I still have some."

Chen Huaian pulled out five more.

Lin Lingling: "???"

…

…