Chapter Thirty-One: Four Decrees Severed

Though the Four Commanders were no longer Demon Kings, their authority had grown immensely. Moreover, with Yang Nan’s promise to aid them in reaching the level of Revered Sages, and the weight of the Kunlun Sect above them, his artful blend of severity and kindness only deepened their loyalty and willingness to serve him wholeheartedly.

His chief subordinate, the giant crab, remained as commander of the personal guard at Yang Nan’s side. Yet his power now surpassed even that of the Four Commanders; he could freely select elite soldiers from their ranks to replenish the personal guard, ensuring Yang Nan’s supreme demon body technique was always surrounded by the strongest.

The old crab was delighted, laughing heartily. After all, he was just a ninth-rank crab demon with barely eight hundred years of cultivation; to now rank above all the demon lords was enough to make his heart soar with joy.

In the battle at Demon Valley, the personal guard had suffered heavy casualties, but with the infusion of elite troops from the Four Commanders, their overall strength had not diminished but increased. Yang Nan was generous to those who fell or were wounded, bestowing precious blood elixirs and spiritual medicines as if they were flowing water; if his guards fought and died for him, they deserved the finest treatment.

Yet the old crab cared not at all; as a demon warrior, to die for one’s master was an honor. Otherwise, what use would a master have for demon soldiers?

The three women—Fish Maiden, Lotus Butterfly, and their companion—still managed the inner quarters. The outer disciples served as inspectors, patrolling within thousands of miles to monitor the movements of other demons. Should any demon harm mortals, reports would be brought in turn. In the Hall of Jade Purity, Yang Nan arranged each duty with calm composure; his commands and appointments were all neatly distributed. Though his expression was gentle, his air of authority sent chills through the heart; no one dared to disobey.

Once he had finished assigning duties, Yang Nan smiled at the assembled demons. “The task of tribute collection will no longer fall upon the Four Commanders,” he announced. “I alone will bear that burden. You need only manage your own troops. Now, I establish the Law of Four Executions: Any demon or monster who descends to the mortal world without cause—execute! Any who harm mortals without cause—execute! Any who collude with outsiders—execute! Any who disobey my orders—execute! Even my own personal guards are not exempt; if you transgress, do not blame me for showing no mercy! Have you all understood?”

This Law of Four Executions was Yang Nan’s means of restraining the demons. With their numbers growing ever greater and man-eaters everywhere, unchecked, tens of thousands of demons would bring endless calamity to the world. Having become the greatest demon king, he was bound to impose order.

The Four Commanders, the demon captains, and the outer disciples all saw the cold gleam in Yang Nan’s eyes and the murderous intent on his brow. Fear struck their hearts, and they bowed their heads in unison. “We obey your command!”

Yang Nan’s expression softened as he turned to the outer disciples. “All of you have contributed much in pacifying Demon Valley. I have already ordered Huang Shan to work day and night refining artifacts; each of you shall have a protective magical tool. If you require spiritual medicines, stones, or iron for cultivation, you may draw them from the Hall of Jade Purity. Should you desire superior techniques, I will do my utmost to obtain them for you. Though I am not accomplished myself, if you have questions in your practice, I can always seek guidance from our senior brother on your behalf.”

The outer disciples rejoiced; their dedication had not been in vain, and at last, after months on Spirit Beast Mountain, their hardships were repaid. They chorused, “Thank you for your generous bestowal, Martial Uncle! We shall diligently assist you in managing the Hall of Jade Purity, and dare not show the slightest negligence.”

Yang Nan nodded. Most of these demons were but outsiders, few truly loyal; only these dozen Kunlun disciples could be relied upon. Their strength was mostly at the master level or above, each with their own household demon soldiers—not weak at all. With this core, plus his own methods, what need had he to fear the demons' wavering hearts?

With a wave of his hand, he continued, “The Roc has already been captured by me. Where are the eagle and horse demons?”

Fairy Haitang stepped forward. “Sir, the tiger demon was mortally wounded and has died. I have drawn forth his soul and hold it here. The eagle and horse demons have been taken alive but remain wild and unyielding, refusing to submit. They are imprisoned in the rear hall under guard by lesser demons.”

Yang Nan nodded. “Leave them to me. You have all fought hard; now go and rest. From this day forth, you need only report to the Hall of Jade Purity once each month.”

The Four Commanders departed. Chiyang lingered behind, watching Yang Nan for a long moment before laughing. “Today you truly overawed the demon horde, looking every inch a mountain lord. I am astonished, and delighted as well.” He had seen it all: Yang Nan’s bearing, his prison-like authority, the demons trembling before him—even the Four Commanders dared not relax. Such presence was hardly that of a mere sixteen-year-old youth.

Witnessing Yang Nan’s decisive actions brought Chiyang a comfort beyond words.

Yang Nan turned, grinning sheepishly; the severe and prison-like authority had vanished without trace. “Big brother, you jest. I was forced into it—like driving ducks up a rack! If I did not balance severity with kindness, how could I win the demons’ hearts?” Yang Nan alternated between intimidation and favor, dividing and winning over his subordinates to stabilize their morale. Now, with no outsiders present, he relaxed, his smile returning. If he could, he would much rather leave these demons to their own devices, caring not at all for their fate.

Chiyang chuckled. “Now you have laid the foundation and gathered worthy helpers. In the future, if others wish to scheme against you, they must weigh their strength carefully.”

Yang Nan wholeheartedly agreed. Since fleeing his family, he had walked on eggshells, in constant fear, unable to contend with the Yangs, the demons, or the Li family’s power. Only upon reaching Spirit Beast Mountain did he finally gain some true confidence!

Now, with four masters, dozens of expert followers, and over ten thousand demon soldiers at his command, should anyone attempt to plot against him, they would have to answer to these forces first!

Still, Yang Nan knew that in the eyes of true experts, this strength was negligible. Should a revered-level powerhouse appear, it would be as easy as plucking something from a bag to take his head!

Fortunately, he had not yet made any truly fearsome enemies. The Li family did have a revered-level master, but could the Celestial Master Changxu, in front of everyone and as a fellow disciple, really come to the Hall of Jade Purity to murder a comrade?

If they dared, the Kunlun Sect’s leader would uproot the Li family completely, showing no mercy!

If fellow disciples could murder each other at will, how could Kunlun have stood for thousands of years?

Such was the rule: the Li family might scheme against Yang Nan, suppress him, block his growth, but they absolutely could not kill him.

Yang Nan understood this well. In other words, even if he became an immortal or a sage, if he wished to destroy the Li family, he could only have others do it; he himself could never act directly, or else would he not risk the sword of Kunlun?

Fratricide was a grave taboo; no sect would ever allow it!

“Big brother, I have finally established myself in Kunlun Sect.” Yang Nan met Chiyang’s gratified gaze and could not help sighing. The path of immortality was hard; even to cultivate in peace, one had to first secure a foothold. With the Li family pressing him at every turn, cultivating quietly was nearly impossible—but now, with Spirit Beast Mountain as his base, a little more time would surely see him rise!

Chiyang, too, was moved. The cultivation sects were rife with intrigue; for Yang Nan, so young and at such a disadvantage, to secure his position was no small feat. He clapped Yang Nan’s shoulder, smiling. “With such accomplishments, the old Duke must be smiling in the underworld.”

A shadow passed over Yang Nan’s eyes as he recalled his grandfather’s twelve years of care. “I wonder how Grandfather fares in the underworld. If ever I have the chance to travel to the Netherworld, I must seek news of him.” But it was not only his late grandfather he remembered; more so, those uncles who had driven him from home, left his grandfather’s coffin unburied, and hunted him down!

‘Those scoundrels—I must teach them a lesson someday!’ A cold light flickered in Yang Nan’s eyes, vanishing as quickly as it had come. These beasts in human guise abandoned his grandfather’s coffin, caring only to hunt him—what kin were they?

“Big brother, let Fish Maiden sort these materials. Set aside the proper tribute and send a disciple to deliver it to the Kunlun Sect; the rest we’ll keep for our own use.” Yang Nan looked at the mountain of spiritual stones, medicines, and iron piling high in the hall, a smile rising in his heart.

It was not that the two Demon Valleys had failed to pay tribute, but that they had embezzled it for themselves! The dazzling heaps of materials, gold, silver, silks, and jewels lit the vast hall so brightly that it glowed. The tiger and roc demons had paid less each year, keeping the rest for themselves; now, with one dead and one captured, all had fallen into Yang Nan’s hands.

With such stores of spiritual stones and iron, refining magical weapons would no longer be difficult. However, at present, only Huang Shan in the Hall of Jade Purity knew this craft; among the demon horde, few understood the art, and most could only produce crude work. The dozen outer disciples all aspired to the Great Dao and had not studied artifact refinement or alchemy.

The tiger demon’s Earth Pearl and Mountain-Shaking Stone were both powerful defensive treasures; Yang Nan returned them to his Mountains and Rivers Ring for later consideration. The rest were temporarily stored in the artifact room.

Only now did Yang Nan realize that becoming an inner disciple of Kunlun seemed a blessing, but was in fact a mixed fortune.

Registered disciples studied martial arts; outer disciples learned arts, military theory, formations, alchemy, talismans, and the various Daoist branches; but inner disciples specialized only in the military arts. A typical Kunlun disciple, having passed through these stages, would never be so ignorant of both martial skills and auxiliary arts as Yang Nan was!

To focus too much on miscellaneous studies might hinder the true martial path, yet to ignore them entirely meant little could be accomplished.

Now, though Yang Nan commanded a great host of demons, none of them knew martial arts, so in battle formation they were only a chaotic crowd, useless on the field. He himself did not understand the auxiliary arts, and so could not teach them.

He knew nothing of the protective wards in the Hall of Jade Purity; should someone break in, the consequences would be dire!

The hall was filled with spiritual medicines, yet he could not refine them; magical weapons, yet he could not forge them; even the proper methods for upgrading divine weapons of the military path, he had never learned!

It dawned on Yang Nan just how shallow his foundations were. Focusing solely on the core martial arts had brought rapid progress, but eventually, these auxiliary disciplines would prove indispensable.

He voiced his concerns to Chiyang, who agreed. “You worry that you can’t even distinguish the types and quantities of spiritual iron, stones, or medicines. If you renege on your promise and send the Four Commanders to gather them again, they’ll surely be discontent.”

Yang Nan nodded; it was clear he needed to study these disciplines as well. If he wished to learn, Kunlun’s archives would provide all he needed.

“In a few days, I’ll return to Kunlun myself—it will be a good time to deliver some gifts to Senior Brother.” Having made his decision, Yang Nan no longer troubled himself with these thoughts.