What?!
Hearing this,
everyone present was stunned,
wondering if there was something wrong with their ears.
Three Yellow-Skinned Weasels, each as strong as a Third or Fourth Rank fighter—and cunning demons, no less.
Even an experienced Bronze Badge Walker wouldn't dare boast that he could handle them alone, would he?
Was this kid crazy?
Lin Guanhuo ignored everyone's stares and looked toward Commander Zhou, seated at the head of the room. He cupped his hands slightly. "Commander, I'll go deal with this myself."
"Once it's done, I want those six hundred taels of silver."
A deathly silence fell.
Everyone stared wide-eyed at Lin Guanhuo.
But one of the Division Servants couldn't help giving him a thumbs-up.
What nerve!
I like it!
Commander Zhou Tian looked at the young man.
There was no arrogance in Lin Guanhuo's eyes, only absolute confidence.
Zhou Tian suddenly laughed and swept his hand through the air. "Good!"
"If you're capable of taking it, I'm capable of giving it! Get this done and boost the reputation of our Blackwater Division, and those six hundred taels are yours by right!"
"Thank you, Commander."
Lin Guanhuo clasped his hands in salute and said no more.
He turned and strode out of the front hall under everyone's gaze.
Lin Guanhuo returned to his courtyard, led out his black Treasure Horse, then galloped away from the Demon Suppressing Division.
After everyone had dispersed,
only Zhou Tian and a few of his trusted stewards remained in the front hall.
"Commander."
Steward Liu spoke up, looking worried. "Lin Guanhuo may have talent, but isn't it too risky for him to face three Yellow-Skinned Weasels alone?"
"It would be a terrible shame if a genius like him were lost."
Zhou Tian lifted his teacup and gently blew away the foam. "My younger brother, Zhou Cang, specifically mentioned this kid to me before."
"He said the boy had astonishing talent and exceptional comprehension, a true martial arts prodigy... But talent alone isn't enough. Raw strength without anything more makes a brute. In the end, what matters is how he performs when faced with real demons..."
Even so,
Zhou Tian still waved his hand.
Two Black-Clad Guards of Martial Master rank stepped forward respectfully and waited for his orders.
"You two, follow him. Protect him from the shadows," Zhou Tian instructed.
"Yes!"
Big Fish Town lay in the southeastern part of Blackwater County.
A great river flowed nearby. Legend had it that several hundred years ago, a Fish Immortal had emerged from its waters and brought blessings to the area.
The people enjoyed good harvests for decades, and the town had been named Big Fish Town because of it.
The Li family was a wealthy local household, earning over a hundred taels a year. They had built dozens of large brick houses and even put up a Theater Tower.
The head of the family, Magistrate Li, had once been poor, working for the wealthy with nothing to his name.
Then, by chance, he had encountered a Yellow-Skinned Weasel that had become a demon in the mountains. Magistrate Li had worshipped it as a divine being, and together they had secretly killed many people. The Weasel had even wiped out his former employer's entire household in a single night.
Afterward, Magistrate Li seized his former employer's property and paid a fortune to send the Weasel away, becoming a local magnate.
In recent years, however, his conscience had troubled him. He had opened his granaries and given out food, saving many poor people amid this Chaotic World of demons.
In a way, he had seen the error of his ways.
Today was a day of great celebration for the Li family, but also a day of great sorrow.
Li Family Fort was decked out in celebration. Large red lanterns hung high, and red carpets covered the ground. It was a scene of joy and festivity.
Bang, bang, bang~~~
Bang, bang, bang~~
Toot-toot-toot-toot~~~~
Outside Li Family Fort, a wedding procession stretched down the street for several miles.
The clanging of gongs and drums echoed across the surrounding countryside.
Anyone who saw this scene with their own eyes would surely be scared out of their wits.
Because...
Those standing outside the Li family gate, beating drums and gongs and playing suonas to welcome the bride, were not people at all.
They were Yellow-Skinned Weasels in little red vests, walking upright on two legs!
They puffed out their cheeks and played the suonas, their piercing notes steeped in a ghostly chill.
In the main hall of Li Family Fort, a feast had been laid out, with mountains of fish and meat piled across the tables.
Three gaunt men with sharp mouths and narrow, monkey-like faces sat at one banquet table, dressed in bright red groom's robes.
Apart from those three, everyone seated at the table was a Yellow-Skinned Weasel. They filled every seat around it, expressionless and numb as they ate.
Judging by the looks of them, those three "men" were Yellow-Skinned Weasels too, transformed into human form.
At the very center of the table lay not a roast suckling pig, but a human corpse already gnawed to pieces.
Blood soaked the entire banquet and ran across the floor.
The Yellow-Skinned Weasels around the table paid it no mind. They feasted without restraint, turning the whole scene into something grotesque and uncanny.
"Big brother, come on, drink!"
"Ha ha ha ha ha!!"
One of them, a man with triangular eyes, raised his cup. His face was flushed, and a piece of raw meat still filled his mouth. "That trip down the mountain was a blast! We've had our fill of food and drink. All that's left is women!!"
"Heh heh, exactly!" The man they called big brother narrowed his eyes, his gaze lecherous. "Those three young ladies in the Li family are all fresh as flowers! The three of us will marry them and take them back to the mountain, then make a litter of little cubs! We won't even have to come down the mountain again this year!"
"Ha ha ha ha!"
The three of them laughed wildly.
Demonic energy surged into the sky.
Meanwhile, in a side room,
the head of the Li family, Magistrate Li, sat slumped on the ground, trembling.
Behind him, his three beautiful daughters clung to one another, weeping bitterly.
The Li family servants had also gathered in the side room, too afraid to move.
Magistrate Li didn't dare go outside. Through a crack in the side room's window, he could only see the Yellow-Skinned Weasels filling the banquet tables in the main hall.
"He Er... He Er..."
Magistrate Li tremblingly grabbed the hand of a servant beside him. "Go—go talk to those three gentlemen again! If they'll spare my daughters, I'll give them hundreds more pounds of meat, thousands of pounds of grain, and two cartloads of fine wine! I'll give them everything I own!"
"Master! Please spare me!!"
At this, He Er shook his head frantically, his voice hoarse. "Master, the chief steward went to reason with them just now, and those beasts put him on the table and ate him! I don't want to die, Master!!"
"They said they'll take the bride before nightfall. If they don't, they'll slaughter everyone in Li Family Fort!"
What??
At those words,
"Waaah!! Father, Father!! I don't want this!!"
The three girls behind Magistrate Li cried even more desperately, stricken with terror.
"What a sin! What a sin!"
Magistrate Li pounded his chest and stamped his feet in desperation. "Where are the people from Mad Saber Martial Arts School?? Didn't we send someone to Blackwater City to ask for help??"
He Er replied with a tremble in his voice, "Master, Mad Saber Martial Arts School wanted several hundred taels in silver! How could we possibly afford that?! And when they heard it was a Yellow-Skinned Weasel that had become a demon, they couldn't get away fast enough!"
"What about the Demon Suppressing Division? Have we heard anything??" Magistrate Li asked again.
At that moment, despair covered the old man's face!
Was this the punishment Heaven had in store for him??
He had betrayed his conscience in his younger days to claim this fortune, and now Heaven was punishing him in this way!!
"Master!! Master!!"
Just then!!
A servant came tumbling in, his face alight with joy. "Master! Master! They're here! An official from the Demon Suppressing Division is here!"
"They're here?!"
Magistrate Li grabbed the servant, as if he'd just found a lifeline. "Are you sure you saw clearly?? What kind of badge was hanging at his waist? A Gold Medal or a Silver Badge?"
The servant paused, then stammered, "N-no badge."
"No badge?" Magistrate Li's heart sank. That meant he was only a low-ranking Division Servant.
He asked urgently, "How many came? Did they bring a whole squad?"
The servant swallowed and held up one finger. "J-just one person."
"What?!"
Magistrate Li's vision went black. He dropped onto the ground, utterly despairing.
Before you continue