"Rat Extermination" Notice!

Although it was already August, the weather still showed no sign of cooling.

Even in the morning, the air was thick with dry heat.

Ji Qing sat beneath a great huai tree, practicing the Rising Sun Skill alongside the morning sun.

Half an hour later, Ji Qing slowly opened his eyes.

It had been another ten-odd days since he had left the ruined temple.

Over those ten-odd days, Ji Qing had persisted in practicing the Rising Sun Skill every morning.

His Inner Force had improved considerably, but compared with using Origin Points to enhance it before, it was still far too slow.

Ji Qing: Third-Rate Martial Artist

Jadeite Skill: Mastery (Inner Force Burst, thirty percent increase)

Rising Sun Skill: Beginner

Thirteen Fast Blades: Mastery (ultimate move: Thread of Sky)

Grass on Wings: Minor Accomplishment

Origin Points: 0

Ji Qing opened the Demon Record and checked his own status.

The Rising Sun Skill was still at the beginner stage.

To reach "Minor Accomplishment," at his current pace, he would need at least several years of hard training.

If I had Origin Points, the Rising Sun Skill could swiftly reach Major Accomplishment or even Mastery. But Origin Points can only be obtained by killing demons. Where can I find demons?

Ji Qing had been fleeing Liang City for so long, yet he had not encountered a single demon. Naturally, he had no way to obtain Origin Points.

"Brother, are you done practicing?"

A little head poked out from the basket on Ji Qing's back.

"Mm. Eat some dry rations, then set off early."

Ji Qing calculated the distance. In roughly another ten-odd days, they should reach Anyang City.

After eating some dry rations with cold water, the two of them got to their feet.

Ji Qing still took country paths and never traveled by the official road.

On both sides of the country road stretched swathes of golden rice. It was the season of autumn harvest, and judging by the rice, it should be ready for proper harvesting in another ten-odd days.

"Hmm?"

After walking several li, Ji Qing suddenly saw many farmers hurriedly harvesting rice in the fields ahead.

The rice was clearly not fully ripe yet.

Harvesting it now would affect both its quality and yield.

"Quick, quick, quick! Cut it all down now, or those rats will ruin the grain again tonight!"

"A few days ago, all the grain from Old Wang's three mu of fields was ruined by rats. His whole family depended on those few fields to survive. Now that the grain is gone, they can only sell their sons and daughters."

"Our Great Huai Village never had a rat infestation before. Why did we get hit by one this year? I heard there's a huge rat among them. Someone saw it—the size, the build—it was practically like a little calf."

"You're just blowing hot air. If a rat were really as big as a calf, wouldn't that mean it had become a demon?"

"Believe it or not, it really has become a demon. Haven't you seen Steward Jin's 'Rat Extermination' notice? Steward Jin is spending a fortune to recruit Jianghu experts to exterminate the rats. If the rats hadn't become demons, would he need to recruit Jianghu experts?"

Several farmers chatted as they rushed to harvest their rice. Ji Qing caught a few words as he passed by.

"Rats becoming demons?"

Ji Qing's heart stirred.

If there really was a rat as large as a calf, it was undoubtedly a Rat Demon!

He had been worrying about not encountering demons and being unable to obtain Origin Points.

Now, an opportunity had come knocking!

But the farmers had only heard rumors. Whether it was truly a Rat Demon or not, Ji Qing still needed to find out.

"May I ask where Steward Jin posted the 'Rat Extermination' notice?"

Ji Qing asked the farmers.

"Young man, are you from the Jianghu too?"

"Yes."

"Dressed like that, you certainly look the part."

The farmer carefully sized Ji Qing up and down.

"Steward Jin's 'Rat Extermination' notice is posted on the wall of the courtyard three li up ahead. Tear it down, then go straight into the courtyard to find Steward Jin. Young man, exterminating rats is no joke. That big rat is vicious. They say an experienced Hunter went to exterminate the rats before, only to lose his life."

The farmer was simple and kind-hearted, and did not forget to warn Ji Qing that rat extermination was dangerous.

"Thank you for the warning."

Seeing the sun grow ever more scorching and knowing how hard the farmers' lives were, Ji Qing tossed the farmer a piece of broken silver worth one qian as thanks.

Ji Qing followed the path for three li and indeed saw an imposing courtyard.

He came outside the courtyard wall and saw a "Rat Extermination" notice.

Ji Qing immediately tore down the notice and came to the courtyard gate.

"You tore down the Rat Extermination notice?"

Ji Qing nodded.

"Then please follow me."

A servant led Ji Qing into the courtyard and brought him to the main hall.

Ji Qing saw a slightly plump middle-aged man in a silk robe seated in the place of honor. He was likely Steward Jin.

Quite a few people sat on both sides of the hall as well, all dressed like Jianghu martial artists. They were probably all here to exterminate the rats.

Steward Jin asked with a smile, "How should I address you, young hero?"

"Li Mu."

Ji Qing used an alias.

"Which sect does Young Hero Li come from?"

"I am a lone wanderer of the Jianghu, with no sect or school."

Before Steward Jin could speak, the martial artists in the hall all laughed.

"Friend, we already discussed this earlier. We have eliminated some people who were merely here to make up the numbers. Those who remain all have some reputation in the Jianghu. Since you are a lone wanderer with no sect or school, you should leave at once."

One of the martial artists spoke.

Ji Qing frowned, sweeping his gaze one by one across the martial artists in the hall. In an even tone, he asked, "Then what sects do you belong to?"

"This is Young Hero Jiang of the Flowing Sand Sword Sect, this is Hero Wang of Mighty Gate, this is Hero Zhao of Swallow Gate..."

These people indeed had names and came from Jianghu sects.

Ji Qing's gaze gradually settled on a martial artist wearing a bamboo hat and carrying a long saber.

He rose and walked over to the man. "And who might you be?"

"Zhao Yi of the Tiger Blade Sect. What, do you want to compare saber skills with Zhao?"

Ji Qing nodded.

Zhao Yi's expression darkened.

With so many martial artists in the hall, "Li Mu" had ignored everyone else and singled him out.

Wasn't that treating him like a soft persimmon, easy to bully?

A trace of anger surfaced on Zhao Yi's face.

The other martial artists did not stop them. Instead, they watched the scene with great interest.

Since they were all people of the Jianghu, background, reputation, and the like might sometimes be useful.

But if they truly wanted to determine superiority, they still had to see the real thing under their hands.

Zhao Yi was no pushover. Even within the Tiger Blade Sect, he was quite skilled.

For "Li Mu" to pick Zhao Yi was simply asking for suffering!

"There isn't enough room here. Let's go—"

Before Zhao Yi could finish speaking, a crisp sound rang in his ears.

Clang.

It was the sound of a saber being drawn!

Zhao Yi was utterly horrified.

The instant he heard the saber being drawn, all he could see was a dazzling flash of blade light.

The sharp edge instantly enveloped him, making him feel as though he had fallen into an icy abyss.

His hand instinctively gripped the hilt of his saber.

But before he could draw it—

The next moment, the white flash vanished, and even that razor-sharp edge disappeared.

Ji Qing had already sheathed his saber.

Crack.

The bamboo hat on Zhao Yi's head split down the middle and burst apart with a crash.

Seeing this, Zhao Yi had not suffered the slightest injury, yet he was still drenched in cold sweat.

But then Zhao Yi's face flushed crimson.

Humiliation!

Utter humiliation!

He was a dignified disciple of the Tiger Blade Sect, who had practiced the saber for nearly twenty years, yet he had not even gotten a chance to draw his weapon?

He had not even seen clearly whether "Li Mu's" saber had truly left its sheath.

Just how fast had that strike been?

Silence!

The entire hall seemed to have fallen into deathly silence.

"I wonder whether Li is qualified to exterminate the rats?"

Ji Qing looked toward Steward Jin and asked calmly.