I am becoming the ultimate demon.

Chapter 4: Search, Disappearance; The Demon Makes Its Move, Ji Lin is Captured!

Ji Chang'an looked at the corpses scattered on the ground, and his body trembled involuntarily.

He forced back the sob in his throat and forced out a hoarse roar from his chest:

"Find...find her! Find the young lady, alive or dead! I...will reward her handsomely!"

His voice was almost hoarse by the end, and his hands were gripping the reins tightly, swaying slightly from side to side.

"Rest assured, Lord Ji, this county will definitely investigate this matter thoroughly and bring the culprit to justice."

The magistrate lifted the curtain and got out of the carriage. As he walked to the magistrate's side, several soldiers with shields immediately protected him on either side.

His hand trembled slightly in his sleeve. The forest was so quiet that even the sound of falling snow was swallowed up.

Under the command of Ji Chang'an and the county magistrate, the men quickly split into two groups: one group dispersed into the surrounding dense forest to search for traces, while the other group collected the corpses and identified the victims.

Soldiers bent down and searched through the red-stained snow, carefully picking up the severed limbs and bones and piling them onto the cart used for transporting the corpses.

The leather boots made a soft "crack" sound as they stepped on the frozen, blood-red ice, as if someone's bones had been crushed.

Ji Lin pushed open the car window, and a chilling, blood-tinged air rushed in.

He was shocked. The densely packed body parts, the uneven cuts at the severed necks, and the scattered internal organs were clearly beyond human capability.

What sent chills down his spine was the growing feeling of being watched...

A sticky gaze was wandering along the back of my neck.

I could vaguely sense that terrifying aura getting closer and closer.

Has this 'demon' finally become impatient?

"Yun Cui, you stay in the carriage." He gently pushed the maid in his arms away.

"Young Master..." Yun Cui's face turned pale, and she tried to pull him back, but Ji Lin had already stepped off the carriage.

The snow was ankle-deep, and the cold was biting. He gripped the bone flute in his sleeve, feeling only its icy hardness.

He stared intently at the direction from which the terrifying aura emanated from the dense forest, and suddenly felt a surge of excitement.

Just then, a piercing scream suddenly erupted from the dense forest: "Something's there! Ah!!!"

A short, agonizing scream came from deep within the dense forest, as if someone had suddenly choked him.

Then came a loud "rip" sound, as if the canvas had been torn apart by a tremendous force, accompanied by the muffled sound of bones breaking.

Upon hearing such a terrifying sound, everyone immediately became alert.

"Be on guard!" Ji Chang'an shouted sternly.

All the soldiers instantly tightened their formation, shields facing forward, swords and spears protruding from the gaps, pointing towards the depths of the dense forest.

The magistrate pointed to the dense forest, his voice trembling slightly: "What kind of bandits are you... playing tricks! Show yourself to me!"

Five armored soldiers, each holding a shield, moved side by side toward the source of the sound.

The snow was too deep, and the forest too dense. They could only hear their own heavy breathing and the soft sound of bare branches breaking beneath their feet.

The person at the front suddenly tripped and looked down to see half of his intestines wrapped around a tree root, still wriggling slightly.

"Here...!" He had just shouted when a dark shadow suddenly loomed over his head.

"Pfft!"

A jet-black claw covered in fine scales pierced through the shield and then plunged into his chest cavity.

Before the armored soldier could even scream, he was dragged into the depths of the shadows, leaving only his shield clattering to the ground and leaving a scarlet trail on the snow.

"Fire arrows! Fire arrows!" The magistrate's eyes were bloodshot.

The archers hastily drew their bows, and the arrows scattered into the forest, but they seemed to sink into the sea, leaving only the branches and leaves rustling.

Ji Chang'an and the county magistrate exchanged a glance, then each led their men toward the dense forest.

Ji Lin followed closely behind and quickly walked into the dense forest.

"Lin'er, go back!" Ji Chang'an turned around and shouted sternly.

"Father, I know what I'm doing." Ji Lin didn't stop walking, his gaze sweeping towards the edge of the dense forest.

He had to see with his own eyes what traces that thing would leave after killing someone.

Ji Lin had only taken a few steps into the woods when he saw the fresh corpse. He finally saw it clearly.

The body that was dragged away had jagged, broken pieces, as if it had been torn apart.

Internal organs were exposed, and blood was splattered on the snow and withered branches, just like the remains outside the forest.

It's almost certain that they were made by the same "thing".

But how do we lure this monster out?

The fact that this monster attacked from all sides, hiding and dodging, precisely demonstrates that it does not possess overwhelming power.

It is very likely a low-level demon that has not yet grown up.

That makes things easier. As long as we can find its location and focus our fire, we might be able to take down this monster.

Even if there is danger, I still have a trump card and am confident that I can get rid of the monster's attack.

Its ability to utilize its environment in combat suggests that this monster is indeed as described in "Tales of Strange Things":

Bloodthirsty, powerful, and intelligent.

The heavy snow and dense forest not only obscured visibility but also hindered large-scale battles, making it ideal for stealthy attacks and pick-offs.

But it saw that the hundreds of soldiers and armored soldiers had not retreated and had instead launched a series of attacks...

It's confidence that it can swallow everyone.

"What...what is that?!" Yun Cui had followed along at some point, her whole body trembling, her voice shaking, and she gripped Ji Lin's arm tightly.

"It's a demon," Ji Lin replied, word by word, with absolute certainty.

"What demon! It must be, it must be a giant bear or a mandrill..." The magistrate forced a smile and wiped the sweat from his forehead, his voice weak and unsteady.

But before he could finish speaking, two more screams came from the left.

Two soldiers standing on the perimeter were suddenly grabbed by the ankles by two huge black hands that emerged from the darkness, pulled down violently, and disappeared into the snow slope in the blink of an eye.

Only two deep drag marks remained, disappearing into the gaps in the forest.

Shock and fear are the reactions of most people.

The formation began to loosen, and some people started to slowly retreat, their blades trembling slightly in their hands.

"Everyone, don't panic, hold your formation," Ji Chang'an shouted to calm the situation.

He was, after all, the head of a family, a ruthless and cunning man who had survived the chaos of war.

Although his heart was churning with shock, he maintained a steadfast composure on his face.

There was no way out for them. They had no choice but to continue deeper into the dense forest to find the killer.

Ji Lin stroked the bone flute in his sleeve. The drop of "demon blood" inside the compartment was slightly warm, echoing the similar aura that permeated the forest.

He suddenly felt panic, fear, tension, and excitement!

"Father. If we let it continue to hide, we'll only be dragged away one by one." Ji Lin stood behind, his tone calm.

Ji Chang'an turned around abruptly: "What's your idea?"

"Fire. Since it's hidden in the dense forest, we'll force it out." Ji Lin's gaze swept over the cloth-wrapped Molotov cocktails on the vehicle.

The magistrate was stunned for a moment, then gritted his teeth: "Yes... set it on fire! Burn down this hellhole!"

"No! The forest is dry in winter, and a fire is hard to control. If it spreads to the main road..." the county magistrate said urgently.

"Then let it spread. Is this forest more important, or are these hundreds of lives more important right now?" Ji Lin interrupted him.

Ji Chang'an took a deep look at his youngest son; the child seemed a little different from usual today.

"...Light the fire." Ji Chang'an finally waved his hand, choosing to believe in his son.

Then seven or eight soldiers carried Molotov cocktails from the cart and were about to light them.

Suddenly, a pair of massive, black claws covered in scales emerged from the dense forest and slashed through the trees.

Several soldiers were immediately torn in half, their blood splattering everywhere.

The giant claws then reached out to grab Ji Chang'an.

In a moment of desperation, Ji Lin pushed him down, letting those giant claws grab him...

"No, Lin'er!!"

"Young Master!!!"