Hundred Demons Compendium

The wind carried a stench.

The desolate wilderness was overgrown with withered grass, stretching endlessly without a soul in sight.

Jiang Yuechu stared blankly at everything before her.

She still could not accept how she had gone from a modern person in the twenty-first century to inhabiting the body of a strange woman.

Fragmented memories flooded into her mind.

The Divine Land, the Great Tang Dynasty.

Demons ran rampant, devouring human flesh and blood, wreaking havoc across the world.

Yet, why would a woman as powerless as a chicken like her be stranded in this wild, desolate place?

Jiang Yuechu stood up and looked around.

Corpses littered the ground.

Most of the people wore dusty, grey prison uniforms, identical to the one she was wearing.

Others were dressed in black, with crimson cloud patterns embroidered on their collars and cuffs.

At the edge of her vision, a massive figure leaned obliquely against a giant rock.

As the silhouette of that figure became clear, Jiang Yuechu's breath hitched.

A human body, a tiger head, and a physique as sturdy as a small mountain.

Even though it no longer breathed, a fierce, malevolent aura still surged toward her, tightening her chest.

There was a massive hole in its chest, and black demon blood had pooled across the ground.

It was a demon!

Thankfully... thankfully, it was dead.

She let out half a breath, her gaze then drawn to another figure not far from the Tiger Demon.

That person also wore the black, crimson-patterned uniform and had a tall, upright frame.

But at this moment, he was half-kneeling on the ground, a broken blade thrust into the soil before him, supporting his body so he would not collapse.

He was covered in wounds, his left arm twisted at an unnatural angle, and his chest rose and fell weakly; he was clearly at the end of his rope.

On the wilderness, the wind howled like the cries of cranes.

Aside from this man in black and her, there were no other survivors.

Jiang Yuechu subconsciously held her breath, her feet quietly inching backward.

The half-kneeling man in black seemed to notice her movement, his head turning with great difficulty.

His face was young, roughly in his early twenties.

But looking at him now, his complexion was deathly pale and his lips were cracked; he was clearly in a dire state.

He saw Jiang Yuechu and, in a voice so hoarse it was almost inaudible, spat out two words.

"Come here."

"..."

Just because you say come here, I should come?

Jiang Yuechu muttered to herself.

She remembered now.

The predecessor of this body was originally the only daughter of a high-ranking official in the Capital City.

Unfortunately, her father was convicted of a crime, implicating the entire family; she was relegated to a lowly status and exiled to the frontier.

And this half-dead man before her was the very official tasked with escorting them.

The Demon Suppression Bureau.

Whenever the Demon Suppression Bureau was mentioned within the Great Tang, everyone's expression would change.

Rumor had it that once the Imperial Guard of the Demon Suppression Bureau arrived at one's door, it was as if Yama himself had come in person.

Children would not dare to cry at night upon hearing their name.

Moreover, the fate awaiting them at the frontier was worse than death.

It would be better to run now; perhaps she could still find a way to survive.

Jiang Yuechu made up her mind.

She retreated quietly, turned around, and was just about to take a step.

A sharp, whistling sound of wind suddenly erupted.

"Swish!"

Half a broken blade embedded itself into the ground half a step in front of her.

Jiang Yuechu's entire body stiffened, cold sweat instantly soaking her back.

What a ferocious dying man!

To be in such a state and still possess such skill with a casual throw!

If he had truly intended to kill, her head would likely have no more warmth left in it than the corpse on the ground.

Jiang Yuechu took a deep breath, her heart filled with gloom.

Fine.

If he wants me over, I'll go over!

When under someone else's roof, one must bow their head.

She turned around stiffly and shuffled over with small steps.

The man raised his head, watching her chicken-like movements, and the corners of his mouth seemed to twitch.

He had indeed used his last bit of strength to throw that broken blade.

If she had been determined to run, he truly would have only been able to watch her go.

Fortunately, that display had been enough to intimidate the young girl before him.

"Help me up."

Perhaps fearing she might refuse, the man added, "I am Pei Changqing, a Team Leader of the Longyou Demon Suppression Command."

Declaring his identity was a gesture of sincerity.

He caught his breath, his gaze landing on her still-shaken face.

"I know you want to run... but can you really get away? A low-caste fugitive without a household registration or a Travel Permit—even if you were lucky enough to survive until the next town, what could you possibly do?"

"If you do as I say, afterwards, I guarantee I will clear your low-caste status and grant you your freedom."

Listening to this, Jiang Yuechu rolled her eyes internally.

Trying to feed me empty promises?

How much corporate drivel had she been fed in her past life, how many hollow checks had she been promised?

And what was the result?

She hadn't earned enough "blessings" and ended up meeting Yama ahead of schedule.

However, what he said was the truth.

In her current situation, running away was truly the worst possible strategy.

For an ancient woman with no strength to truss a chicken, the probability of surviving in the wilderness where demons and monsters roamed was effectively zero.

Moreover, even though this guy was half-dead, who knew if he had any hidden cards left?

If he got angry and chopped her down, that would be a real loss.

Weighing the pros and cons, Jiang Yuechu gritted her teeth and nodded.

"...Fine."

She stepped forward cautiously and reached out to support Pei Changqing's arm.

The contact was searing hot; even through his clothing, she could feel his terrifyingly high body temperature.

The smell of blood and sweat mingled together, and it was certainly not a pleasant scent.

"This side."

Pei Changqing gestured with his chin toward his uninjured right arm.

Jiang Yuechu had no choice but to circle to the other side, laboriously draping his right arm over her thin shoulders.

So heavy!

The man's entire body weight pressed down on her, the force causing Jiang Yuechu to stumble, nearly sending them both tumbling to the ground.

She gritted her teeth and used every ounce of strength she had to barely hoist him up from the ground.

Pei Changqing was tall and broad; with most of his body leaning on her, his feet dragged along the ground, making every step incredibly difficult.

"Which... which way do we go..." Jiang Yuechu asked, panting heavily.

"South."

Jiang Yuechu said no more, focusing on dragging the wretched man step by step in the direction he indicated.

But just as the two of them had taken a few steps.

Behind them, a strange sound echoed.

"Cough... cough cough..."

At that moment, both Jiang Yuechu and Pei Changqing froze.

Immediately following was a long, drawn-out sigh.

"Hoo..."

"Stop running."

"In this desolate wilderness, where exactly do you think you're going?"

Jiang Yuechu felt as though the heavens were leaving her absolutely no way out.

They say the dead cannot return to life...

But no one told her that a demon couldn't either!

Her grip suddenly loosened, forgetting to support him.

"Urgh!"

Pei Changqing, severely wounded beside her, let out a muffled groan as he fell straight to the ground.

But he had no heart to blame her.

The color had drained completely from Pei Changqing's face, his eyes fixed intently on the figure slowly rising to its feet not far away.

The massive, mangled hole in the Tiger Demon's chest remained terrifying.

Yet, it acted as if nothing had happened... or rather, as if no demon had happened. It twisted its thick neck, producing a series of crackling, popping sounds.

It looked at the two stunned people and grinned.

"Surprised?"

"Did you truly believe that a few low-ranking Demon Suppression Guards, plus a mere Team Leader like you, could kill me?"

Cold sweat seeped from Pei Changqing's back in layers.

How could this be!

That strike of his just now had clearly pierced the Tiger Demon's heart.

He had been slaying demons for years; it was impossible for him to have misjudged it.

Yet, the Tiger Demon before him showed no signs of weakening, save for the still-ghastly blood-hole in its chest.

Unless...

A thought rose from the depths of Pei Changqing's heart.

This demon had already stepped half a foot into the Bone Resonance Realm!

It was rumored that the cultivation of demon-kind differed from that of human martial artists.

Once their sinews and bones resonated in unison, they could awaken innate supernatural abilities!

Whether it was rebirth from a drop of blood or the manipulation of illusions, they were freakishly bizarre.

But why would such a Great Demon appear in this place?

How could a mere squad of prisoners exiled to the frontier be worth its personal intervention?

To rescue someone?

It clearly didn't care whether these prisoners lived or died.

In a flash of lightning, Pei Changqing had no time to think further.

He forcibly spurred the last wisp of surging blood-energy within his body, disregarding the hidden injuries that would surely follow, and leaned down to pick up a Horizontal Blade from the ground that had belonged to some unknown colleague.

"Die!"

With a violent roar, Pei Changqing lunged forward, his Horizontal Blade slashing out in a fury, aimed straight at the Tiger Demon's neck.

However.

The Tiger Demon neither dodged nor parried; it raised its right leg, striking after but arriving first, and kicked out.

A muffled thud echoed.

Pei Changqing's body flew backward, crashing heavily at Jiang Yuechu's feet, the Horizontal Blade falling to the side.

This scene caused the last shred of hope in Jiang Yuechu's heart to vanish into smoke.

Having just transmigrated and become a weak woman was one thing, but was she now to lose her life at the jaws of a monster?

What kind of joke was this?

The Tiger Demon licked its massive palm, its thick tongue curled with barbs.

It was in no hurry, instead finding the leisure to persuade them:

"Human life is full of suffering; wouldn't it be wonderful to find release early? Do not resist any longer."

"Go in peace. In the future, I shall dig graves and erect monuments for you all; it can be considered an act of charity and merit."

"..."

Screw you!

She had only been transmigrated for a few minutes!

If she were to die just like this, she would definitely rank at the top of the list for the most pathetic transmigrators on Tomato.

And she would be at the very top of that list.

Just as Jiang Yuechu fell into complete despair.

An Ancient Scroll slowly unfurled before her eyes.

Lines of golden text emerged one after another.

[Host: Jiang Yuechu]

[Realm: Mortal Realm]

[Martial Arts: None]

[Dao Cultivation: Zero (Slay living beings to obtain corresponding Dao Cultivation.

Consume Dao Cultivation to use the blood of demons and monsters as ink and the Hundred Demons Compendium as a scroll to trace their forms and seize their divine abilities.

It can also be applied to one's own techniques, unleashing power equivalent to the number of years of Dao Cultivation consumed in a single strike.)]

This... this is...

A golden finger?!

Having devoured countless web novels in her past life, she was naturally no stranger to this.

But what use was this golden finger right now?

Slay living beings? Obtain Dao Cultivation?

Where was she supposed to obtain Dao Cultivation?!

Was she, a mortal without the strength to truss a chicken, supposed to slay that Tiger Demon?

Jiang Yuechu took a deep breath and leaned down to pick up the Horizontal Blade that had fallen to the ground.

The hilt still held a trace of warmth.

"Cough..."

Pei Changqing, lying on the ground, actually regained consciousness. He opened his eyes, just in time to see the young girl standing tall with the blade in hand.

His face was filled with bitterness.

This woman certainly had some courage.

It was just a pity that it was, in the end, like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

How could a mortal body possibly carve out a sliver of survival in the hands of such a monster?

The Tiger Demon watched this scene with great interest. "Even ants cling to life; don't tell me you still want to..."

Jiang Yuechu, however, did not look at the Tiger Demon.

She kept her head lowered, her long hair covering most of her face.

Her arm trembled slightly.

In her mind, that line of text was incredibly clear.

Slay living beings, obtain Dao Cultivation.

On this desolate wilderness, apart from that unkillable Tiger Demon, the only other living creature...

Was the dying man at her feet.

"I'm sorry..."

The low murmur left Pei Changqing stunned.

"What...?"

But before he could even begin to understand what those words meant.

The next second.

Squelch.

The long blade plunged into his chest.

Mortal Dust Three Realms: String-Hearing - Bone Resonance - Core Formation