Chapter 70: Let None Escape

The three constables pressing down on Constable Liu saw a puff of incense ash burst from his mouth. Realizing it was the Old Ancestor Mouse Demon, they tried to intervene but were already too late. The gray vapors that the Old Ancestor Mouse Demon transformed into not only fled abruptly but also moved at astonishing speed, drilling straight toward the ground. Clearly, it intended to repeat its old trick and escape by burrowing underground.

Seeing that the constables failed to stop it, the Old Ancestor Mouse Demon was overjoyed, believing it would soon break free and survive. Yet it never expected that Shang Lu had been guarding against this tactic all along. Back in Oxhorn Alley, the Old Ancestor Mouse Demon had already used earth-burrowing once—not long ago. How could Shang Lu have forgotten?

Almost at the instant the Old Ancestor Mouse Demon shot out from Constable Liu's mouth, Shang Lu waved his hand and threw several snake scales. Though he wasn't skilled with hidden weapons, he had practiced throwing after obtaining the snake scales. Moreover, he was not far from the Old Ancestor Mouse Demon, so his accuracy was high and the speed swift!

The Old Ancestor Mouse Demon immediately sensed that its escape route was blocked by these snake scales. Forced to twist and flick its tail in furious, piercing squeals, it dodged the scales and changed direction, drilling toward another patch of ground.

But in that moment’s delay, Shang Lu chased after it like the wind, raising his foot in a killing move from Tiger Step Technique—the Tiger’s Tail Sweep—accompanied by a fierce whistling wind, lashing viciously at the Old Ancestor Mouse Demon.

A shrill scream burst from the Old Ancestor Mouse Demon’s mouth. Yet in its face, there was no sign of terror or panic—only a hint of malice and ferocity.

“Trying to stop me with your foot? Dream on! Watch me bite through your leg—let’s see if I can take some revenge for my slaughtered offspring!” the Old Ancestor Mouse Demon roared inwardly, confident in its sharp teeth. Facing Shang Lu’s powerful kick, it did not dodge or flinch. The gray vapors churned, revealing a huge mouse head that opened its mouth wide, exposing rows of gleaming, razor-sharp fangs, biting fiercely at Shang Lu’s foot.

In a blink, Shang Lu’s kick landed squarely on the Old Ancestor Mouse Demon, and its fangs, at the same time, clamped down hard on Shang Lu’s foot. Yet the imagined scene of biting clean through his foot did not occur. Shang Lu’s foot was harder than metal or stone, nothing like flesh and blood.

Not only did the Old Ancestor Mouse Demon fail to pierce Shang Lu’s foot, several of its sharp teeth snapped off, flooding its mouth with blood. Only now did it realize in stunned disbelief that Shang Lu’s foot was not simply hard—his shoes were extraordinary.

These shoes were crafted from tough snake skin, densely studded with sturdy snake scales. And these scales and skin were clearly not from ordinary snakes, for they exuded a scent that made the Old Ancestor Mouse Demon deeply uneasy and uncomfortable—the aura of a natural enemy!

Since stealing incense and becoming a demon, the Old Ancestor Mouse Demon had not felt this heart-pounding fear in years. In fact, in recent years, it had hunted and devoured many snakes and cats, avenging its former jitters. But now, it once again felt the anxiety and dread of facing a true nemesis.

Knowing things were dire, it hurriedly tried to release its bite and escape. Yet the aura from Shang Lu’s snake-skin shoes forcibly held it for a heartbeat—short, but in this moment, fatal.

Activated by Shang Lu’s blood energy, the snake scales on his shoes all stood upright. The Old Ancestor Mouse Demon was horrified to discover that these scales were not only sturdy but razor-sharp! Its mouth, still biting several scales, was suddenly pierced and sliced from within as the scales shot up.

Were these not just shoes, but hidden weapons as well? The Old Ancestor Mouse Demon wondered in agony and shock.

In the next instant, these blade-like scales stabbed through its mouth and even its head, riddling it with holes. Without even a chance to cry out, its head exploded in this bizarre manner at the hands of Shang Lu’s snake-skin shoes. The gray vapors of its lower body were scattered by the surge of blood energy, revealing its mouse form for all to see.

The Old Ancestor Mouse Demon’s body was much larger than other mice, about the size of a small dog. Its fur glistened gold amidst the gray, likely a mutation from consuming incense energy. Its two forepaws were no longer mouse claws, but human-like hands matching its face.

Had it not coveted the secret realm and instead remained hidden in the Earth God statue, quietly stealing incense, it might have become human and earned a divine title after a few years.

The Old Ancestor Mouse Demon seemed unable to believe it would die this way. Its body hung from Shang Lu’s snake-skin shoe, trembling, eyes filled with disbelief.

Shang Lu, having struck successfully, withdrew his blood energy at once. The snake scales on his shoes retracted, returning to their original appearance. Because it was dark and all happened so quickly, the constables failed to notice anything odd about Shang Lu’s shoes.

The corpse of the Old Ancestor Mouse Demon slid from Shang Lu’s foot, landing with a dull thud. Shang Lu’s blade followed, chopping the demon into several pieces like its offspring before.

At this moment, Constable Liu regained his senses, shouting for the others to get off him. The other two constables, whose “tongues” had been pulled, convulsed briefly before climbing up, also returning to themselves, faces pale with lingering fear.

Their tongues remained intact, not actually torn out. But the demon’s possession left their tongues wounded, bitten and scratched, full of bleeding and oozing sores, bringing intense pain that forced them to stick out their tongues in agony.

Yet Constable Liu did not have this problem, nor did Du Feng earlier. It seemed the Old Ancestor Mouse Demon’s possession worked differently from ordinary mouse demons.

Once Constable Liu stood up, Shang Lu instructed him, “Take your men and search the area. See if there’s anything suspicious. Don’t let a single evil spirit slip through.”

“Yes,” Constable Liu replied, saluting and directing his men to scour around the stage. The two constables with injured tongues, though in pain and drooling, joined the search. Their appearance was a bit odd—almost like human-shaped dog demons.

While Constable Liu and his men searched, Shang Lu saw San Niang’s red silhouette fly out from her shelter under the oil-paper umbrella. She headed straight to the Earth God shrine beneath the stage, carefully rummaging through the shattered statue.

Shang Lu was intrigued. He walked over, curious to see what San Niang was looking for.