52: No matter how powerful the evil is, it is afraid of thunder

"Lord, something has arrived."

Just as Lin Chuping was feeling emotional, the Rat demon couple, like thieves, tiptoed in through the back door.

First, they cautiously looked around, and only after confirming no humans were present did they breathe a sigh of relief.

"What is it?"

Lin Chuping composed himself, emerged from the idol, his steps light and graceful, once again a compassionate deity, revered like a high mountain, unreachable by the Mortal world.

The Rat demon couple exchanged glances; the Lord was indeed as Little Green Snake had said, his Divine Might unfathomable.

Shuli spoke tremblingly on the spot.

"Lord, we have been patrolling these past few days and discovered a Skeleton Monster surrounded by an evil Qi. That fellow, like a lingering evil spirit, has been hovering nearby, refusing to leave."

"We guess it smelled the scent of human blood and Qi nearby, but dared not approach due to your prestige."

Shuling also nodded repeatedly from the side.

"The Skeleton Monster emanates a putrid stench and is enormous. We dared not get too close."

Compared to the Rat demon couple's panic, Lin Chuping's heart secretly rejoiced, the corners of his mouth curving slightly upward, but he quickly reverted to his compassionate expression.

"Goodness, goodness."

"Where is that Skeleton Monster now?"

Shuli hurriedly stepped forward, respectfully.

"Replying to Lord, it's in the mass grave three li east of the village! Many small demons nearby have suffered, and among them are several of our rat pups..."

Lin Chuping's eyes flashed with a glint upon hearing this.

He wondered what kind of achievement this was... no, what kind of demon it was.

"Since this place is under this god's jurisdiction, such an evil creature cannot be tolerated."

The Rat demon couple nodded repeatedly.

"Does Lord have a good plan? That Skeleton Monster is exceptionally fierce... the four of us combined can't defeat it."

"The cycles of heaven have their own Dao."

Lin Chuping looked up at the darkening sky outside the hall and said meaningfully.

Shuli's eyes rolled, and he suddenly understood: "Does Lord mean..."

Lin Chuping lightly stroked his sleeve, his gaze distant, as if talking to himself, yet also as if guiding the Rat demon couple:

"Tomorrow at noon, Thunder Punishment will arrive. If that evil creature still lingers on Barren Stone Slope..."

No matter how skilled in martial arts, one fears a cleaver; no matter how strong an evil creature, it fears Thunder Punishment.

Barren Stone Slope is the boundary between Nan Shu Village and Da Li Village. Lin Chuping had tested it before; this was the extent of his current jurisdiction.

At that time, he would directly activate the divine art Thunder Punishment, which would not only earn him a Power Of Will reward for slaying a wild monster but also allow the Mortals from Prefecture City to deeply experience what Divine Might is.

The plan was perfect, killing two birds with one stone.

The only drawback was probably that the Skeleton Monster had no flesh, making its value inferior to that of the Black Bear Demon.

However, since it was a Skeleton Monster, its bones must have something extraordinary about them.

Curious.

But could he tell these two little rats in front of him these thoughts?

Certainly not.

A god must act like a god.

Regardless of what others thought, Lin Chuping himself thought so.

After hearing his words, Shuli and Shuling exchanged glances, their eyes sparkling.

Shuli rubbed his paws, lowering his voice: "Lord, do you mean to lure it to Barren Stone Slope?"

Lin Chuping smiled slightly, neither admitting nor denying, only speaking indifferently.

"The mass grave has too much Yin Qi. If that Skeleton Monster insists on not leaving, it might harm innocent living beings."

Shuling immediately understood and nodded excitedly: "Barren Stone Slope is high and exposed, most suitable for... ahem, most suitable for it to have nowhere to escape!"

Lin Chuping nodded with satisfaction, and with a wave of his sleeve, a wisp of Power Of Will drifted towards the Rat demon couple.

"Go."

Receiving the hint, the Rat demon couple happily retreated, immediately gathering the small demons of their clan to make arrangements overnight.

***

Having received their reward, the Rat demon couple scurried out of the temple and only stopped to catch their breath when they reached the bushes outside the village.

Shuli patted his chest, lowering his voice.

"My dear, Lord's plan is brilliant! Using the Thunder Punishment to strike down that Skeleton Monster means we don't have to risk our lives, and we still get credit!"

Shuling's small eyes darted around, excitedly rubbing his paws.

"Isn't it though! And Lord even rewarded us with a wisp of Power Of Will, which is more nourishing than gnawing on a ten-year-old wild ginseng!"

"If we had known that little mud loach was getting such good treatment, we would have come sooner."

Shuli looked around, carefully sniffing the air.

Apart from some ordinary scents of grass and earth, he didn't detect Little Green Snake's special scent.

This made Shuli breathe a slight sigh of relief; it seemed Little Green Snake wasn't here.

"Linger, since he introduced us, let's tolerate him for a while."

"That fellow is very lazy and even hibernates in winter, unlike us. As long as we work hard and perform well, we will surely gain Lord's appreciation and become his strongest warriors!"

Linger nodded, agreeing with Shuli's view.

"As long as we're diligent enough, we'll definitely make a name for ourselves!"

Shuli suddenly thought of something and leaned in conspiratorially:

"You say... did Lord plan this all along? That Barren Stone Slope isn't far from the newly built temple, and when the lightning strikes, everyone will see it!"

"They say it's Thunder Punishment, but it's still controlled by Lord. Lord's magic power is boundless; controlling wind, rain, and thunder is a piece of cake."

Shuling nodded repeatedly, thoughtfully.

"Brilliant! Truly brilliant! It eliminates the harm and displays Divine Might; won't those Mortals obediently offer sacrifices?"

"Shh—be quiet!"

Shuli nervously looked left and right, "We can't expose this matter; let's just pretend we don't know and do our job honestly!"

Shuling quickly covered his mouth, but couldn't help but mutter: "But the Skeleton Monster's bones... I heard some evil cultivators specifically collect those things for Artifact Refining..."

"Let's not worry about those for now; Lord Chuping will handle it. Let's first think about how to attract the Skeleton Monster."

Shuli and Shuling hid deep in the bushes, their two furry heads huddled together, whispering.

"My dear, what method do you think is best to lure that Skeleton Monster?"

Shuling scratched his ear, "That fellow looks foolish, but his nose is very keen."

Shuli's eyes rolled, and a plan came to mind:

"Didn't we just steal... ahem, just collect some old clothes from the villagers? They have the strongest human scent."

"Yes, yes, yes!"

Shuling excitedly clapped his paws, "And smear some chicken blood on them; that bone-rack will be drooling for sure!"

"However..."

Shuli suddenly lowered his voice, "We have to be careful not to let that Skeleton Monster discover it's a trap. Last time, the weasel from the neighboring mountain was..."

"Oh, don't worry!"

Shuling patted his chest, guaranteeing, "What are we rats best at? Digging holes! We'll dig a few escape tunnels under Barren Stone Slope, ensuring nothing goes wrong!"