Ruthless and Cruel, the Siege of Niu Shi

"A Xiantian Realm martial artist bedridden with a long illness was a joke to begin with," Lu Yang thought.

As for County Magistrate Du Guinian's illness, rumors had been flying all over Black Mountain County City for ages.

Some said the County Magistrate claimed illness and refused to appear because he was hiding a beauty in a golden house within the city, wanting to free up time to share fish-and-water pleasures with her.

Others said that three years ago, in a battle outside the city against a powerful demon, Du Guinian had suffered grievous injuries, and had been lingering on his sickbed all these years while recovering.

Still others said the County Magistrate was in seclusion, cultivating a high-level martial art in preparation to slay that powerful demon.

All manner of seemingly reasonable and unreasonable claims had long since spread through the city in forty or fifty different versions over the years.

Yet the news that "the County Magistrate was ill" was something even a roadside child in split-crotch pants would not believe.

Only, no matter what the truth was, Lu Yang did not intend to return to Black Mountain County for the time being.

Black Mountain County was now in the hands of the County Assistant Magistrate and the County Lieutenant. Once he returned, if he exposed the slightest flaw, he would undoubtedly be a sheep entering the tiger's den.

Though the Returning Origin Art was powerful, he was only at the Houtian Eighth Level, and might not necessarily be able to defeat a Xiantian Realm cultivator.

Let alone at least three Xiantian Realm cultivators.

Thinking to this point, Lu Yang said, "The County Lieutenant and County Assistant Magistrate colluded with the Demon Race and sold out their own kind. Black Mountain County is no longer safe now. Don't go back for the time being."

Everyone looked at one another, and in the end, the man in the lead said, "We are willing to follow our benefactor."

Most of these martial artists from the Martial Arts School had no background. Like Lu Yang, they were rootless duckweed. Whether they returned to Black Mountain County or not did not matter much; the important thing was merely having a mouthful of rice to eat.

Lu Yang pondered briefly, then said, "Very well."

If he wanted to expose the conspiracy of the County Assistant Magistrate, the County Lieutenant, and the others, these people would be the best witnesses.

Otherwise, words without proof were empty. When the time came, with those two men's authority and the Wang Family's prestige, the common people of Black Mountain County might not believe him.

Moreover, these people had originally been reserve candidates for the County Yamen's constables. More or less, all of them had some martial skill. With a little guidance, they would all be usable men.

In the future, when he set Black Mountain County's chaos to rights, he would need some trusted confidants, so he would not end up like County Magistrate Du Guinian—schemed against and stripped of power.

"What is your name?" Lu Yang asked the man in the lead.

"Replying to benefactor, my name is Wang Kang." The man cupped his hands and said.

"And you?" Lu Yang looked toward another martial artist at the Body Tempering Fifth Level.

"Benefactor, my name is Zhang Liu."

Lu Yang memorized everyone's names one by one, then led them all toward Niushi Town.

Looking beyond Black Mountain County, the only person he had any friendship with was Niu Hanshan.

If he went to other villages or towns, Lu Yang worried the County Lieutenant, the Wang Family, and the others might have informants there.

With these Body Tempering Realm martial artists joining them, Lu Yang had no choice but to slow their travel speed.

It took a full day before the group finally arrived near Niushi Town.

Along the way, they had casually killed a few lesser demons. It was not Lu Yang who acted, but the result of everyone coordinating with one another at his command.

Though a few people were injured, after slaughtering demons and seeing blood, everyone's courage had imperceptibly swelled by a few degrees. It could be considered a small gain.

Night had drawn its curtain open, and Niushi Town, which should have quieted down, was instead somewhat noisy at this moment.

After they drew a little closer, Lu Yang could not help frowning.

"What a thick stench of blood!" Wang Kang stood atop a large boulder and focused his gaze. "Benefactor, there are Demon Race members down below slaughtering the common people!"

In truth, there was no need for him to say it. Lu Yang had already heard the roars of the Demon Race.

"Everyone, do you dare follow me into a bout of slaughter?" Lu Yang drew his saber, Baleful Intent in his eyes.

A good force inevitably had to undergo the tempering of blood and fire before cohesion and the trust to stand back-to-back could grow.

Wang Kang immediately raised his arm and shouted, "We are willing to follow benefactor and kill demons!"

Behind him, more than twenty good men promptly roared battle cries without end.

"Kill!"

"Kill!"

Everyone drew their sabers one after another and charged down the valley slope toward the Demon Race below.

Lu Yang took the lead, Primordial True Qi clinging to his long saber. Beneath his feet, it was as though wind and thunder transformed, and he killed almost once every three steps.

Caught off guard, the demons on the side of Niushi Fort were thrown into chaos, men and horses flipping over.

Wang Kang led the others after Lu Yang. When they encountered ones not quite dead, they finished them off directly; when they ran into fish that slipped the net, seven or eight of them surrounded one, relying on their numbers to exterminate the opponent.

For a time, they actually caused no small disturbance among the mass of demons.

Atop Niushi Fort, Niu Hanshan was currently using his own strength to contend against two Second Rank Demon Race members.

Below the fortress, there was also a Second Rank Bull Demon madly ramming the gates of Niushi Fort.

The gates, forged entirely from refined iron, had already caved inward by a large chunk under the Second Rank Bull Demon's repeated impacts. They looked like they were swaying in wind and rain.

At this rate, after a few more blows, they would likely be completely breached.

Over a hundred lesser demons were wreaking havoc throughout Niushi Town.

Everywhere they went, the villagers who had not had time to hide inside Niushi Fort were cut down one after another, blood splashing on the spot.

There were also many lesser demons who, after killing people, tore the corpses apart right there and began devouring the villagers' flesh and blood.

Countless villagers fled in every direction, their screams ringing without end.

The able-bodied men in the town had formed the Night Patrol Squad and were now gripping weapons, resisting with everything they had to win the women, elderly, and children of Niushi Town a chance to survive.

Originally, the situation had almost been one-sided.

The enemies attacking this time were numerous, and though Niu Hanshan had already done all he could, the people of Niushi Town were still dying nonstop.

If this dragged on any longer, he feared even Niushi Fort would be breached by the Demon Race.

If matters were allowed to continue developing this way, everyone in Niushi Town would never see tomorrow's sun.

In despair, Niu Hanshan had already planned to summon the [Azure-eyed Antelope Horn Bow] and, before dying, drag one member of the Demon Race down with him as a cushion for his back.

"Does Heaven mean to destroy my Niushi Town?" Endless sorrow filled Niu Hanshan's heart.

Just then, a dense chain of battle cries suddenly rang out from the perimeter.

From the corner of his eye, Niu Hanshan happened to see a figure charge into the mass of demons. Wherever the saber light reached, those lesser demons fell one after another.

His speed was so fast that it was as if he had entered a land without people.

In just a few rises and falls, over a dozen lesser demons were cut down beneath Lu Yang's saber.

The lesser demons that had attacked Niushi Town this time lost more than a tenth of their number in an instant!

The Second Rank Bull Demon that had previously been battering the gates of Niushi Fort stopped at once.

Its dark-red pupils stared coldly at Lu Yang. Its killing intent grew thicker and thicker, and heavy demon qi continued to pile up, locking onto Lu Yang and his group.

The steps of everyone behind Lu Yang faltered, and they only felt even their breathing slow by a few beats.

"Hmph!"

Lu Yang stamped his foot, and the demon qi enveloping them head-on instantly scattered.

Under the flickering cover of the torchlight, the long saber gave off a biting cold gleam.

The Demon Subduing Saber Art had a certain restraining effect on demon qi. Wherever Lu Yang went, the demon qi permeating the surroundings was forcibly suppressed by his blade, causing the Combat Power of the demons to drop by several notches.

Pfft, pfft, pfft!

Clang, clang, clang!

The saber turned with his will, moving with the momentum of dragons and snakes, giving off wave after wave of wind-and-thunder sounds.

Lu Yang, saber in hand, was like a wrathful Vajra. Wherever he went, the demons' flesh and blood flew, severed limbs and broken bodies scattering across the ground.

The crowd of First Rank lesser demons seemed to have seen a killing god. They let out strange cries one after another and fled in terror.