When had they returned to Kaoshan Town?
Su Ye's eyes gleamed with amusement. The bald giant must have been the reinforcements Huang Qianqing had called in. There was no denying Huang Qianqing was desperate for revenge. Had it been anyone else, they likely wouldn't have made it through the night alive.
About the time it takes an incense stick to burn after you left.
In that case, I'll be going ahead.
Liu Zhengyuan hurriedly said, "My lord, be careful."
Before long, Su Ye hurried back to Kaoshan Town. The town was silent, but outside the town office, layers upon layers of people had gathered.
Just then, the packed crowd parted like they'd spotted a pack of wolves, opening a path. Two figures hurried out from within.
Su Ye stopped at once and stood atop a thatched roof. The two men who emerged were Huang Qianqing and a bald man. They moved at a brisk pace.
The bald man said, "Brother Huang, I think we should let the matter of revenge go."
That man's strength was definitely above mine. If he was the one who did this to the Demonic Beasts lying on the ground, he might even be a match for the gang leader.
"Brother Zhao, I know."
Huang Qianqing's face was grim. Then he said darkly, "There's something seriously wrong with that man. When I fought him yesterday, we were evenly matched. How could he have changed so much in such a short time?"
"I'd wager there's a nine-in-ten chance he's a Demonic Beast in disguise. Once we get back, I'll make sure everyone knows."
At that, the bald man's expression changed dramatically. He cautiously asked, "Could he have been hiding his strength?"
"If a master like him wanted to kill me, he'd only need one move. There's no way he'd have let me leave. He was definitely intent on killing me back then."
Su Ye's heart jolted. The system was his greatest secret, and the foundation that let him survive in this world. Huang Qianqing had to die. He couldn't afford the slightest carelessness.
At that thought, he vanished in an instant. When he reappeared, he was right in front of the two men. Huang Qianqing's vision blurred; when he recognized who stood before him, his face changed.
"Su Ye, you—"
His voice cut off abruptly. A palm strike shot out like a bullet, and in an instant, a huge head burst open like a watermelon. Seeing this, the bald man didn't hesitate for a moment before turning to flee.
The Qi and Blood Power within Su Ye surged instinctively into his feet. In an instant, his speed multiplied several times over.
"Senior, please don't kill me! Huang Qianqing was talking nonsense!"
Su Ye's left hand shot out like an iron clamp, gripping the man's nape. As his fingers tightened, he tore the bald man's entire head off.
The whole motion flowed as smoothly as water. Su Ye's expression never changed. He bent down, pulled at the corpse's clothes, and wiped the blood and gore from his hands.
Several figures approached from the direction of the town office. Meng Daniu was at the front. When they saw the carnage on the ground, their faces went deathly pale, but their eyes shone with the relief of seeing a great vengeance avenged.
"Huang Qianqing's dead! That damned bastard is dead!"
The long-suppressed cry rang out, leaving the crowd packed outside the town office staring in confusion.
"Lord Su is back! He killed that beast for us!" several people shouted together.
The sound of hurried footsteps drew closer. The crowd surged forward, and when they saw the bodies on the ground, they exploded like a pot of boiling oil.
A man screamed at the top of his lungs, "Huang Qianqing! That damned Huang Qianqing is finally finished!"
"May the lord enjoy heavenly fortune and live as long as the heavens!"
An old man in ragged clothes staggered out of the crowd. Tears ran down his deeply furrowed face, and he wept uncontrollably. "He's dead! That damned Huang Qianqing really is dead!"
"My son, my grandson, can you see this?"
The crowd surrounded Su Ye and kowtowed furiously.
"My lord, you've given us a new lease on life. We'll never forget your kindness!"
"Thank you, my lord, for getting rid of these beasts!"
"Everyone, please get up. This is my duty. There's no need for such ceremony." Su Ye put away his long saber and helped them to their feet.
"My lord, they were a scourge. During the day, everyone went out trembling, afraid they'd catch the beasts' eye."
A burly man in rough hemp clothes sobbed as he gave his account:
"At night, we were even more terrified. Many families were dragged away. We heard them screaming until dawn before the cries finally stopped."
He retrieved a booklet from the two corpses on the ground. As Su Ye opened it, the system notification appeared at once.
[Shocking Waves Art · Mortal Grade High Rank] recorded
Su Ye looked away from the panel and turned to the crowd, their faces full of reverence. "If any of you still have a grudge to settle, you may take the two bodies on the ground and do as you please."
"Thank you, my lord."
The crowd answered in unison.
With the matter of the Fox Demon weighing on his mind, Su Ye didn't linger. He hurried toward the forest. The two places were close, and at full speed, it took him less than two incense sticks to find Big Black, who was waiting eagerly.
"Boss, what happened just now?"
"An old acquaintance came looking for me. It's taken care of now. Let's go," Su Ye said casually.
Before long, Su Ye followed Big Black to the outskirts of Xinghua Town. Before they could even enter, cries of battle reached their ears.
This was also the place guarded by the person Big Black had mentioned, the one who had broken through his shackles.
The cries of battle urged Su Ye to quicken his steps. Most of the houses on both sides had collapsed.
As they hurried along, the sounds of fighting in the distance abruptly ceased. A moment later, the clatter of chopping and hacking rang out.
"They're chopping meat," Big Black said.
"Let's go take a look."
Following the sound, Su Ye hurried forward. As he rounded the alley, the view suddenly opened up. The field once used for drying grain had become a living hell. Dozens of corpses lay piled carelessly about.
Several Demonic Beasts stood in the field, holding sharp weapons as they carved up the various corpses on the ground.
"Be careful with every cut!"
A fat Wild Boar barked the orders to the other Demonic Beasts in a voice like a broken gong.
Then he added, "Don't waste a drop of blood. Collect it in clay jars and bring it back. We can brew it into wine, and once it's ready, I'll give you all a share."
"And these hearts, livers, spleens, and lungs are all fine ingredients. If any of you damage even a little, I'll skin you alive."
After speaking, the Wild Boar picked up a young girl's corpse and hurried over to a Fox Demon. Respectfully, he said, "Fox Commander, this one was killed recently. The meat's fresh. Would you like to dine now?"
"Later."
The Fox Demon answered casually, but his eyes remained fixed on the middle-aged man on the ground.
"You must be Ma San. You were quite the hero last night."
A pleased smile spread across the Fox Demon's face. He continued, "I heard that last night, you chopped my little brats to pieces and handed them out to everyone."
Following the direction of his sharp claws, Ma San saw dozens of rough wooden cages in the field. They were crammed with people, young and old, men and women—at least a thousand of them. Their hands and feet were bound, their bodies covered in wounds, and their desperate pleas rang out now and then.
"Heh, heh."
Ma San forced the blood in his throat down and grinned. "Which pack of little bastards? They reeked, and their meat was damn tough, like chewing on wood. They wasted a good deal of my spices."
"Should've fed them to the dogs."
Hearing this, the Fox Demon suddenly burst out laughing. "Ha ha! You've got some nerve!"
"Let's see if you can still talk so tough after I've skinned and dismembered every human here."
Ma San swept his bloodshot eyes over the rough wooden cages around him. When he'd killed those beasts the previous night, he'd guessed it might draw even stronger Demonic Beasts. He just hadn't expected them to come so quickly.
So quickly that he hadn't had time to prepare at all. Boundless remorse filled his heart, but when his gaze met the countless despairing eyes inside the cages, he squeezed his eyes shut, clenched his teeth, and said nothing.
Inside one cage, a woman clutched the toddler in her arms. Her face was full of despair, but as she gazed down at the child, a rare tenderness softened her expression.
She looked up at the night sky. Tears silently streaked down her bloodstained cheek as she took the toddler's chubby little hand and murmured, "Yun'er, be good and go to sleep. Then you won't be afraid."
"Mother will sing you a song. The moon is bright, the wind is still..."
Looking at the toddler's rosy, chubby face, the woman choked on her sobs, her song breaking off again and again.
Before you continue