"Master Chu, I want to see my mother one last time!" Su Yan'er spoke, pulling Chu Jiang's thoughts back to reality.
In the courtyard, Mother Su's body was no longer whole, almost covered in wounds.
Suppressing her grief, Su Yan'er settled her mother's remains. The only family she had left in the world was gone, and she no longer knew what to do.
After a while, Liu Ding and Li Dagang finally hurried over with their men.
Seeing the horrific scene before them, everyone froze in place, their bodies trembling uncontrollably as they stammered, "Th-this many demons... and my lord killed them all by himself."
Demonic remains littered the ground in scattered chunks. Old Goat Demon's particularly grisly state made their scalps tingle and their stomachs churn.
But.
When they saw how the people here had been slaughtered, they fully understood Chu Jiang's actions and wished they could go up and add another slash themselves.
These demons were getting more and more outrageous.
Several Demon Hunters collected themselves and began working, clearing away the demon corpses and counting the survivors.
The Demon Hunters of old had merely muddled through their days, but ever since Chu Jiang became the head of the Demon Hunting Office, they had finally begun to resemble true Demon Hunters.
"My lord, fifty-two people remain in the village. Twenty-five are elderly, ten are middle-aged, six are able-bodied adults, and five are women. Five have been severely injured and crippled. Of those under eighteen, only one survived." Liu Ding's tone was heavy. When he mentioned those under eighteen, he glanced at Su Yan'er. She was the village's sole remaining sprout.
Chu Jiang was briefly stunned. Two demonic calamities had nearly wiped this village off the map.
He had already rushed here at top speed, yet in the end, he had still been one step too late.
Almost all those left behind were elderly.
The flesh of the elderly was tough and their blood and qi were insufficient; demons found it hard on the teeth.
That was why their survival rate was slightly higher.
But being old did not mean absolute safety. When demons acted on a whim, they did not care how old you were. If they could not eat you, they would cruelly kill you for sport.
More than a dozen trembling figures walked over. At their head was the Village Chief from last time, who led everyone in kneeling before Chu Jiang.
"Thank you, Lord Chu, for saving our ragged village twice. Alas, our village has nothing left now. We have nothing to offer you." The old Village Chief's voice trembled. As Daxing Village's eldest man, he had lived through more than a dozen demonic calamities, but this one was the worst.
The demons had scarcely intended to leave anyone alive. They had not even spared the livestock.
"This old man has an unreasonable request. All the younger generation in our village has died. Only Yan'er, this single sprout, remains. I beg you to take her into the city."
"Even if she can only be a maid who serves tea and pours water, that would be enough!" the old Village Chief said. He could not bear to see the village's only child suffer another calamity afterward.
Now that demons were running rampant with increasing severity, only the county seat was much safer.
The county seat had the Demon Hunting Office, and Chu Jiang was there to hold the fort. Demons would not dare attack.
"This old man kneels before you!"
After the old Village Chief knelt, a great mass of people behind him also dropped to their knees in unison.
If demons attacked again, then so be it if old men like them died. But this child could not suffer any longer. Her father was dead, and now her mother was dead too.
Who else could she rely on now?
If she stayed in the village, life would only become harder.
Su Yan'er was unusually sensible as well. Knowing that the old Village Chief and the others were painstakingly seeking a way out for her, she immediately said, "Master Chu, Yan'er is very hardworking. I can wash clothes and cook—I can do anything. Whatever you tell me to do, I'll do. I won't eat for free... Just give me two steamed buns per meal."
Su Yan'er stared up at him with wide eyes, like two black gemstones, her face filled with sincerity.
"Get up!
"Chu Jiang said.
Now that he had the ability, he would lend a hand. Why not?
To him now, it was merely a lift of the hand.
Besides, given Daxing Village's current state, it was not suitable for this girl to remain here.
Chu Jiang rubbed Su Yan'er's head. "Come with me."
Su Yan'er nodded hard, her little hand tightly clutching the corner of Chu Jiang's robe.
With matters settled.
Chu Jiang took her and left Daxing Village.
As they walked, Su Yan'er suddenly raised her head and looked at Chu Jiang. Her gaze was firm as she said, "Master Chu, one day, I'll become as powerful as you and protect everyone!"
Chu Jiang was first taken aback, then smiled. "Then set yourself a small goal first. Surpass me before you say that!"
"Okay!"
The two figures gradually drifted farther away, vanishing into the distance.
Seven days later.
A shocking piece of news spread throughout Annan Commandery.
The Human Ranking had been updated.
The Human Ranking recorded only one hundred people. Only five people in all of Annan Commandery had made the list, showing just how difficult it was.
Every change drew countless eyes.
When the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion published the list punctually that day, its newspapers were practically sold out.
"First on the Human Ranking: Gu Jian of the Sword King Sect, Xiantian Peak. He fought three Vajra Realm Early Stage experts head-on; two died, and one fled..."
"Second on the Human Ranking: Mad Saber, a Rogue Cultivator, Xiantian Peak. In one battle, he slew four Nether Rank peak demons and defeated one Grievance Tier demon..."
"Third on the Human Ranking: Yan Xiyue of the Vajra Sect, Xiantian Peak. She withstood the prolonged attacks of a Vajra Realm Early Stage expert and exhausted his true qi..."
"Fourth on the Human Ranking: Sikong Miaoyin of the Hundred Flowers Sect, Xiantian Peak..."
"..."
"Eleventh on the Human Ranking: Chu Jiang of the Baishi County Demon Hunting Office, Xiantian Peak..."
"Twelfth on the Human Ranking: Gongsun Sheng of the Gongsun Family, Xiantian Peak..."
"..."
The top ten possessed Vajra Realm combat strength. The top three basically all had the power to defeat Vajra Realm Early Stage experts, while only the first-place holder had a Kill Record of directly killing one.
The rankings had barely changed. It was simply that Gongsun Sheng, formerly eleventh, had been squeezed down by a newcomer to twelfth place.
"Where did this Chu Jiang come from? Chu Jiang from the Baishi County Demon Hunting Office? How have I never heard of this man before?"
"Speaking of which, where is Baishi County?"
Even within Annan Commandery, Baishi County was considered one of the most pathetic counties. It had little presence. There were no powerful experts there, much less any sects.
"Baishi County borders Dahe Commandery. It's a poor county with scarce resources."
"A hidden dragon has actually emerged from such a tiny place."
Only five people from Annan Commandery had made the ranking.
The first was Sikong Miaoyin of the Hundred Flowers Sect, ranked fourth.
The second, third, fourth, and fifth were ranked in the forties and fifties, then the seventies and eighties, far down the list.
Now there was a sixth person, and he had nearly charged into the top ten.
"Doesn't the Demon Suppressing Guard refrain from competing for the Human Ranking? Why did the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion include someone from the Demon Hunting Office on the list today?"
Though the Demon Hunting Office's people were not formal members of the Demon Suppressing Guard, it was still an external agency of the Demon Suppressing Guard. Strictly speaking, they could be considered half Demon Suppressing Guards.
"You don't understand. The Heavenly Secrets Pavilion loves playing these edge-ball games. Without explosive news, who would they sell their newspapers to?"
"..."
Before you continue