Invasion Like Fire

Rustle, rustle...

"Stay close to me, there are many small paths here."

Shan Renhu led Jiang Yan and the other three along a country path, each of them carrying a lantern for illumination.

"Brother Shan, what do we need to do once we reach the orchard?"

Ying Cong asked earnestly.

"What else? Just like during the day."

"But it's so dark at night, I can't see anything..."

"That's why it's dangerous at night..."

Shan Renhu suddenly stopped speaking, waved his hand, and halted abruptly. His expression turned grim. "Be careful, I smell blood!"

On the path ahead, illuminated by the dim yellow light, lay a man's corpse, still in a pool of blood. His face was contorted in a look of terror, as if he had seen something truly horrifying before he died.

His eyes were wide open, staring blankly at the sky. The scent of blood, carried by the gentle night breeze, wafted through the small area.

Jiang Yan raised his lantern high, scanning the surroundings. He saw nothing.

"Brother Jiang, let's retreat quietly. This person hasn't been dead long; that thing might still be nearby."

A chill ran down Jiang Yan's spine. He stealthily took out a Yellow Talisman, drew his sword, and tensed every muscle, ready for battle.

"Alright, but let's send a signal first."

"Uh, okay."

Shan Renhu glanced at Jiang Yan, who was already preparing to send a signal for reinforcements, even though they didn't know what kind of monster it was.

"Damn it, he's even more cautious than I am."

However, he agreed with Jiang Yan's decision. In his many encounters with monsters, Shan Renhu relied not only on his keen observation and rich experience but also on his... fear of death. He wouldn't take risks.

This was also why he always emphasized calling for backup when encountering monsters.

In fact, for veterans like them, they knew the basic attributes of most common monsters. A small group could handle them easily.

After all, killing monsters came with generous rewards from the patrol team.

As Shan Renhu spoke, his hands moved swiftly. He took out a signal arrow, aimed it at the sky, and sharply pulled the small rope at its base. After a sharp whistle, a long trail of fire shot into the sky.

He breathed a small sigh of relief.

Under his gestures, the group slowly retreated.

Jiang Yan cast one last look at the man lying on the ground, his expression calm, his eyes indifferent.

In this world, if you weren't strong enough, you were just food for monsters.

After moving two to three hundred meters away, they finally felt a little safer.

"Brother Shan, should we call over the other teams? What if monsters appear in their patrol areas?"

"Hmm, that's a good point. It's actually a small piece of experience from our patrol team. Generally, once a monster appears in one area, it won't appear in other areas for a short period. I don't know why, but it's a pattern."

"Even Captain Tang and the others don't know why."

Jiang Yan stroked his chin, a flicker of inspiration seeming to cross his mind, but it vanished as quickly as it came.

"Shan... Brother Shan, you, you, you, you..."

Meng Sheng started stuttering again.

"Me?"

"Brother Shan, behind you!"

Jiang Yan slapped a Blazing Flames Talisman onto his sword and looked behind Shan Renhu.

Beside the path stood a large willow tree, ancient and gnarled, with thousands of branches hanging down, creating a canopy that blocked out the sky. The clusters of leaves swayed in the lamplight, not with beauty, but with a chilling aura, like a ravenous beast baring its fangs.

Through the dense foliage, the star-filled sky was invisible, replaced by utter darkness.

Hmph, hmph, hmph.

The sound, sudden and abrupt in the quiet night, drew their attention involuntarily.

"Hmph, hmph." In the lamplight, a small child's figure was crouched on the ground, his back to them, digging at something.

The four stared intently at the small figure, a strong scent of blood emanating from it.

The group slowly backed away. In the distance, the lights of approaching figures were already visible.

Suddenly, all four felt a heavy weight on their backs, as if a mountain had been placed upon them. A chill spread through their hearts. The monster had noticed them!

Looking up again, the dark figure was only a few meters away.

"Uncles," a childish voice called out, "have you seen my..."

"See my ass!"

Jiang Yan lunged forward, his sword slashing upwards with all his might.

The sword emerged, like a flash of lightning, dazzling under the light. Yellow flames surged above the blade, carrying a bone-chilling cold as it shot downwards at extreme speed.

Simultaneously, a pair of dark green hands reached out, grabbing towards Jiang Yan.

The further these small hands were from the dark silhouette, the larger and more ferocious they became, eventually resembling ghost claws that gleamed with cold light.

Clang!

The sword and claws collided. The sword blazed with intense flames, imbued with immense power. The dark green giant claws only blocked for a moment before shattering with a crisp sound, as fragile as paper, unable to withstand the force.

Exhausted, before the silhouette, the Monster, could react, Jiang Yan struck again.

He cleaved directly from head to neck and abdomen, nearly splitting it in half.

"Ah!" the dark silhouette shrieked.

At this moment, Jiang Yan's third strike, his most powerful, the Chopping Iron First Form, was already unleashed.

His left foot lowered, transferring layers of power. The sword tip aimed directly for the center of its brow.

Boom! A large hole appeared, and torrents of flame poured into the dark silhouette along with the sword.

Finally, with a scream and a bang!, the dark silhouette exploded, turning into black ash, utterly annihilated.

A wisp of ashen airflow drifted into Jiang Yan's left hand.

Monster Value: 12

Jiang Yan panted heavily, his entire body flushed. Although his fight with the Monster had only lasted a few breaths, he had not held back in any of his attacks, going all out. This was how he had unexpectedly gained the upper hand, beating it into oblivion.

Shan Renhu, Meng Neng, and Ying Cong stared blankly at Jiang Yan. The three of them had just slapped their Blazing Flames Talismans onto their weapons when they saw Jiang Yan step forward.

With a few swift strikes, he had beaten the Monster into a state where it couldn't retaliate, directly reducing it to dust and scattering its soul.

Ying Cong, in particular, felt utterly bewildered. What happened to the terrifying Monster they were warned about? What happened to the dangerous night watch they were told about?

As Jiang Yan recovered his stamina, he replayed the recent battle in his mind.

"It seems things are different from what I imagined. When facing a Monster, my attacks must be fast, ruthless, and decisive. If I can kill it in one blow, I won't use a second."

"If I can obliterate it, I won't leave any pieces behind."

In his previous life, this could have been summarized as: "If you can fight, don't just talk. If you can kill it, don't just cripple it."

"It's best to finish it in one go."

Here, he set the combat tone for himself: when still, be like a mountain; when attacking, be like a raging fire, with earth-shattering force.

A gust of wind suddenly appeared, and leaves fell. The shadows of willow leaves swayed, dappled, casting Jiang Yan's face in shifting light and shadow, starkly defined.

Finally, Jiang Yan's gaze, sharp as a sword, turned towards the direction where the middle-aged man had just died. "Sooner or later, I'll kill all of you."

PS: Requesting recommendation tickets from everyone.