These Rat Demons Were All Killed by Mu Yang?

"Ah—!!!"

Witnessing his brother die before his eyes, Hui Da let out an earthshaking roar. Terrifying demon qi erupted from his body like a volcanic explosion.

The might of a Third-Rank Late Stage swept across the entire scene.

Li Chuang, Seventh Uncle, and the other surviving villagers could not withstand such terrifying pressure. Already injured, their vision went black, and they fainted on the spot.

"I want you dead!!"

Hui Da's eyes turned scarlet, and every stiff hair on his body stood on end.

At this moment, he had no mind for anything else. His thoughts were filled only with avenging his brothers.

He stomped down fiercely, swung a pair of millstone-sized claws, and viciously slapped them toward Mu Yang.

The power of this claw strike was so terrifying that even human martial artists of the same Third-Stage Blood-Marrow Realm would never dare take it head-on.

After all, everyone knew that at the same level, monsters possessed physiques far stronger than human martial artists.

Yet in the face of this hate-filled blow, Mu Yang's expression remained calm.

He raised the Feather-Command Broadblade, pouring the enormous strength of over twenty-five thousand jin in one arm into the blade.

Bolstered by two and a half times the strength of an ordinary Blood-Marrow Realm Perfection martial artist, the Feather-Command Broadblade became like lightning, tearing through the air with a resonant hum.

Clang—!!

Slash—!!

Two sounds rang out in quick succession.

The Feather-Command Broadblade easily cleaved apart Hui Da's claws, hard as refined steel, tore through his tough hide, and split him neatly in half from shoulder to waist.

Hui Da's expression froze.

He lowered his head and looked at his severed body, his eyes filled with disbelief.

He was a Third-Rank Late Stage!

He was only one step away from Third-Rank Perfection!

How could it be... how could he be killed by a single slash!?

It was over.

The Rat Demon clan of Yellow Wind Mountain was likely doomed.

That was Hui Da's final thought.

The light faded from his eyes. His body crashed to the ground in two halves, organs and blood spraying everywhere.

[ Ding! Detected that the host has slain a Third-Rank Rat Demon. Equipment: Rat Demon Corpse (Third Rank) has met the conditions for permanent solidification. This equipment has been permanently solidified! ]

[ Ding! Detected that the host has slain a Third-Rank Rat Demon. Equipment: Bronze Skin Technique has met the conditions for permanent solidification. This equipment has been permanently solidified! ]

[ Ding! Detected that the host has slain a Third-Rank Rat Demon. Equipment: Iron Sand Palm has met the conditions for permanent solidification. This equipment has been permanently solidified! ]

[ Current available Equipment Slots: 4 ]

As the notifications sounded, Mu Yang sheathed his blade.

A fierce wind suddenly swept through, rolling up a sky full of bloody mist.

He stood amid demon corpses scattered across the ground. Not a speck of blood stained his black training outfit, and his eyes were as calm as still water.

Thus, all six Rat Demons that had plagued Li Village were finally put to death!

At the entrance to Li Village.

A black figure galloped over like an arrow leaving the bowstring, the gust it stirred making roadside branches rustle loudly.

Xue She halted and looked at the deathly silent village before him. His heart sank sharply.

Collapsed walls, bloodstained scraps of cloth, mutilated limbs...

There were no cries, no wails, not even the sounds of battle.

Was I too late? Xue She wondered.

He had hurried here at full speed. Could Mu Yang really have failed to hold out even this short while?

Xue She did not dare think further. He pushed off with his feet, his figure flashing toward the village center.

The farther in he went, the thicker the stench of blood became.

Having sensed a trace of demon qi, he had long since placed a hand on his sword hilt, ready to fight at any time.

Yet when he quietly arrived at the village center, the sight before him left him standing frozen in place.

On the open ground, covered in dark red bloodstains, six enormous rat heads had been stacked neatly together like a small tower.

The ones below were somewhat smaller. With only a glance, Xue She knew they belonged to First and Second Rank Rat Demons.

But when he looked at the very top, even his breathing slowed by half a beat.

"A... a Third-Rank Rat Demon!"

The oversized head, its fur hard as steel needles, and the faint demon qi that remained horrifying even after death all proved that this was a genuine Third-Rank Rat Demon head.

"Hiss~~"

After confirming it, Xue She's pupils constricted sharply, and he sucked in a cold breath.

From the time Mu Yang set out to the time he arrived, less than a quarter of an hour had passed.

In such a short time, Mu Yang had killed all six Rat Demons by himself?

One of them had even been a Third-Rank Monster?

Moreover, judging from the cuts on these heads, every one had been clean and decisive—beheaded in a single slash.

Could it be that he had not woken up yet and was still dreaming...?

It was no wonder Xue She doubted himself.

He was the chief head constable of Qingxi County's Constable Office. He had trained in martial arts for over thirty years, and his strength had long reached the Blood-Marrow Realm Late Stage. His movement technique and swordsmanship had both reached Perfection. Yet even so, facing six monsters, one of which was a Third-Rank Late Stage, he would not dare claim he could kill them all within a quarter of an hour.

Much less leave such clean blade wounds.

"With strength like this, does he even need my protection?"

The corner of Xue She's mouth twitched, and an expression of mingled laughter and tears appeared on his face.

Once he confirmed that Mu Yang was unharmed, he relaxed and began looking for him, wanting to see what sort of bearing this young man possessed.

But after searching around, he did not see any figure dressed in a constable's uniform.

He did, however, see several injured villagers treating one another's wounds.

"Where is he?"

Xue She frowned slightly and walked over to a lightly injured villager nearby. "Sir, have you seen a young man wearing a constable's uniform?"

The villager raised his head. Only after seeing Xue She's familiar official uniform did he tremble as he spoke. "O... Officer, you mean Constable Mu, right? He asked us which way Yellow Wind Mountain was, then he left."

"Yellow Wind Mountain?!"

Xue She's expression changed drastically.

This was bad!

Had that kid killed himself into a frenzy and decided to storm Yellow Wind Mountain alone?

The Yellow Wind Old Monster of Yellow Wind Mountain was no ordinary Rat Demon.

Although that old thing was only at Third-Rank Perfection, his Demon Fiend Fishy Wind had been cultivated to an exquisite level. When driven by demon qi, it could whip up a black wind that corroded flesh and Blood Qi.

Even Fourth-Stage Condensing Qi Realm martial artists could easily suffer broken tendons and shattered bones if they were carelessly caught in that fishy wind. If trapped too long, their lives could even be in danger.

What was more, Mu Yang had only just finished a great battle and was no longer at his peak, while his opponent was waiting at leisure for the exhausted foe. One rose while the other fell—the odds of victory were slim indeed!

No, such an outstanding prospect could not be buried in Yellow Wind Mountain!

Clop-clop-clop—!!

Just as Xue She was burning with anxiety, a burst of hurried hoofbeats suddenly sounded in the distance.

Xue She turned to look. More than twenty constables were galloping over from the village entrance, whipping their horses onward.

The leader was none other than Wu Cai, one of Qingxi County's four head constables, at Second-Rank Tendon-Bone Realm Perfection.

"Head Constable Xue?"

Upon seeing Xue She standing in the clearing, Wu Cai was first stunned. Then the worry on his face immediately turned into joy.

Since Head Constable Xue was here, Mu Yang had to be fine!

The other constables following behind Wu Cai also saw Xue She, as well as the six huge rat heads piled behind him.

"Good heavens, six rat heads!!"

"The one on top is huge. Could it be a Third-Rank Rat Demon?"

"S... so many rat heads? Could the chief head constable have killed them all?"

Everyone looked toward Xue She, their eyes filled with admiration.

After all, in their view, only Chief Head Constable Xue She in all of Qingxi County possessed such terrifying strength.

Wu Cai also reined in his horse and leaped down, his face full of praise. "Head Constable Xue truly is valiant! Taking on six alone without suffering a scratch!"

Who would have thought that Xue She merely shook his head, his tone complicated. "I did not kill them. I only just arrived."

"Not you?"

Wu Cai froze for a moment.

The surrounding constables were also stunned, exchanging looks.

If the chief head constable had not killed them, then who had?

Could it be...

They suddenly recalled why they had come to Li Village: to slay demons, and...

To save Mu Yang!

An unbelievable thought arose in everyone's mind at once.

"These... these could not all have been killed by Head Constable Mu, could they?"

Old Fang, carrying medicine in the group, swallowed hard. Even his voice trembled.

Xue She nodded. "It should have been him. I asked the villagers. Other than him, no one else came here."

"Hiss—!!"

The entire scene immediately filled with the sound of sharp breaths being drawn.

Wu Cai's eyes widened even more, his mouth open wide enough to fit an egg.

He knew Mu Yang had ability. He had slain Second-Rank Monsters twice before.

But he had never imagined that Mu Yang could fight six Rat Demons alone, including one at Third Rank, and kill every last one of them!

"I knew it! My brother Mu is definitely no ordinary man!"

Wu Cai came to his senses, a grin immediately spreading across his face. He slapped his thigh and said, "No wonder he dared come here alone. He had already held victory in the palm of his hand. I told you, Brother Mu definitely isn't the sort to act rashly out of a moment's impulse!"

Watching Wu Cai change his tune in an instant, Old Ye beside him could not help muttering quietly, "Head Constable Wu, that wasn't what you said on the way here. You kept saying Head Constable Mu was young and hot-blooded, acted impulsively, and that after we rescued him, you had to teach him a proper lesson so he would know the height of heaven and the depth of earth."

"Ahem!"

Having been exposed, Wu Cai's old face reddened, and he gave two dry coughs. "That isn't important. By the way, Head Constable Xue, where is Brother Mu? Why don't I see him?"

At those words, Xue She's expression immediately darkened. "Mu Yang... went to Yellow Wind Mountain."

"What!!"

Wu Cai cried out, his voice shaking the heavens.

"We can discuss the details later. First, take the men and tend to the wounded. I must set out at once and persuade Mu Yang to come back!" Xue She said.

Wu Cai gritted his teeth. "Head Constable Xue, leave the brothers here. I'll go with you. An extra person means an extra pair of hands."

"Fine."

Xue She glanced at the fine horse beside Wu Cai and nodded.

With a mount, Wu Cai should be able to keep up with his speed.