"Demon Lord?"
Upon hearing this, Zi Yan's expression instantly turned grim.
There had been many bandits and hooligans before, who, under the banner of the Demon Lord's subordinates, wreaked havoc everywhere.
Now she had finally caught them red-handed!
"Hmph, you still don't know? The Demon Lord is leading our demonic army to surround the entire Imperial Capital!"
"Tomorrow, we will storm the city and kill everyone. If you know what's good for you, get lost, and you might live a few more days."
"Otherwise... don't blame the Demon Lord's subordinates for being ruthless!"
The burly man said in a gruff voice.
At the same time, a man in a black robe with exaggerated wing-like designs on his shoulders and eyeliner slowly walked out from the woods.
Hearing the challenge from outside, the others also put down the girls they were holding and came out.
There were about twenty to thirty of them, all with grotesque appearances, not a single normal-looking one among them.
"I am the Demon Lord. I see you, girl, have good physique... no, good talent. If you are willing to join my command, I can consider making you my female disciple!"
"You know, such an opportunity is not given to everyone. Tomorrow, when I capture the Imperial Capital, I will declare myself emperor and confer you the title of general, bringing honor to your ancestors and enjoying wealth and status, how about it?"
The black-robed man said with a lewd expression.
"Ha, take me as your female disciple? Alright!"
"Then I'll have to see if you are qualified to be my master!"
Zi Yan's figure flickered, and when she reappeared, she was already beside the black-robed man.
She slammed her right palm heavily onto the black-robed man's shoulder.
With a crunch!
His collarbone broke, and the fractured bone pierced into his lungs. Blood immediately gushed out from the man's nose and mouth.
At the same time, a faint purple gas slowly erupted from Zi Yan's body. Anyone who came into contact with even a bit of the gas instantly foamed at the mouth and fell unconscious.
"I'm... this strong?!"
Zi Yan looked at her hands in disbelief, her face filled with excitement.
"With such strength, I won't be afraid of bad people bullying us anymore!"
Zi Yan eliminated more than ten of them in an instant.
The remaining people immediately scattered like birds and beasts.
However, their speed was no match for Zi Yan's.
The latter, with a late start but arriving first, killed all these people impersonating the demon army one by one, leaving only one survivor.
Zi Yan grabbed the last survivor, leaped, and covered more than ten meters, returning to Zhang Chen's side.
"A misunderstanding, it's all a misunderstanding!"
"We are not demons. Are you perhaps masters from a certain sect? We are all allies!"
The man's lips were pale with fear. Trembling, he took out a golden token from his chest, on which was branded a large character 'Tie'.
"Tie Xue Sect? You're from the Tie Xue Sect?"
Upon seeing the token, Zi Yan's expression couldn't help but change.
"Yes, yes, I knew the heroine must have made a mistake!"
"We are all allies. It was a misunderstanding just now. Those unworthy fellows are killed, but please don't ruin the friendship between our sects!"
"May I know which sect the heroine belongs to? Are you from the Furong Sect?"
The man asked obsequiously.
"Since you are from a righteous sect, why would you impersonate demons and commit murder and arson here?"
Zi Yan suppressed the anger in her heart, secretly clenched her fists, and tried her best to keep her tone calm.
"The heroine must have been in the sect for too long and rarely came down the mountain for training!"
"It's not just our Tie Xue Sect, but also the Yun Tian Sect, the Huang Tian Sect. Which sect doesn't do this?"
"They find some outer disciples with poor aptitude and specifically cause trouble. When the local gentry can't handle it, the sect will send people to suppress them."
"Impersonating demons before could earn a large sum of spirit stones. Afterward, when the sect intervenes, they can openly receive considerable rewards and gain a good reputation! It's killing two birds with one stone!"
"Otherwise, with the Imperial City's bounty and the five major sects joining forces, even the most powerful demons would have been eradicated. How could there be demons every year?"
"After all, the sects' industries are limited, and everyone wants to grow and develop. Naturally, they have to use their brains to increase their income!"
"Your Furong Sect is the same. The disappearances of so many young girls and cases of child trafficking in the southern city before were done by my friends. The Furong Sect paid very generously!"
The man became more animated as he spoke, feeling more and more justified. He even stood up on his own.
"Kneel! Who told you to stand up!"
Zi Yan shouted sternly.
The man's legs went weak with fear, and he knelt down again, pleading bitterly.
"Everything I said is true. If you don't believe me, ask the elders in your sect. They all know about this!"
Hearing the man's confession, Zhang Chen's classmates widened their eyes in surprise, stammering in astonishment.
"Good heavens, they're self-producing and self-selling, a full industry chain operation. That's amazing!"
"They can be the bad guys and gain fame and fortune. Their skin is truly thick!"
"To be honest, I used to think it was normal when people said our class was the devil class. But now, it seems like these righteous sects are the real devils, and we're just being arrogant."
"It's quite ironic, isn't it? Demons never kill indiscriminately, while righteous sects engage in dark dealings. This world is completely upside down!"
Zhang Chen waved his hand slightly, and the classmates behind him immediately quieted down.
"Go back and tell your sect leader, and the usurper, that I am the Demon Lord, and I have returned. Everyone, either surrender or die!"
"Once I initiate the siege battle, I will consider everyone participating in the battle as hostile and will eliminate them all!"
Zhang Chen walked up to the man, his gaze stern.
These words were forceful and resonant, combined with the terrifying pressure emanating from Zhang Chen, it made the man tremble like a sieve. He couldn't utter a single word, only nodding frantically.
"Begone!"
Zhang Chen waved his hand.
Zi Yan picked up the man and pushed him forward with a fierce palm strike.
Bang!
The man was sent flying straight out, blood in his mouth tracing a scarlet arc in the air.
Although this palm strike was fierce, it wasn't fatal. It allowed him to return to his sect alive.
For such a person who slaughtered innocents, this was already being lenient.
"Let's set up camp and rest here today!"
"We agreed to attack the city tomorrow, so we will attack the city tomorrow!"
"I have some palace cuisine here, let's all have some. Tomorrow, when we enter the palace, we'll have the chefs make Duke Zheng's palace cuisine!"
"I wonder if the imperial chefs' skills have improved over the years."
Zhang Chen directly took out tents from his ring and distributed them to the students, choosing a flat and clean spot by the woods.
There was no need to build walls or anything. After all, if someone were to launch a night raid, even with city walls, they wouldn't be stopped. Ultimately, it came down to raw strength.
As dusk approached, with the sun about to set, Monkey suddenly ran into Zhang Chen's tent with a look of anxiety, saying nervously.
"Teacher, please come and see, Bi Feng is acting strange!"