I Was Just Here to Watch the Fun, and You Want Me to Slay a Demon?

"Kill it! Kill it!"

"Burn it to death! Avenge my nephew's family!"

"Demons that harm people deserve to be cut into a thousand pieces!"

Before the execution ground in Cloud Mountain County, Cui Lang watched the bound demon atop the raised platform from afar, his ears filled with the clamor of the townsfolk.

The demon resembled a gigantic centipede. Though bound, it still struggled and writhed, but its body was covered in obvious wounds. Many of its legs had been broken, and green demon blood still flowed from numerous injuries.

Cui Lang's pupils contracted slightly. The memories he had fused with were not mistaken—this world truly had demons!

No wonder his predecessor had always wanted to learn profound martial arts. In a world ravaged by demons, without martial skills to protect oneself, one could become a demon's meal at any moment.

A figure in official robes suddenly appeared atop the platform and loudly announced to the crowd, "Everyone, quiet down. I am Zheng Fengyun, the constable chief of Cloud Mountain County. Yesterday, I led the county constables in capturing this demon, which had committed countless evils and harmed the people."

"This demon had hidden in Cloud Mountain County for many days, taking the lives of twenty-nine people and leaving all the people of Cloud Mountain County in a state of panic."

"Today, by order of the county magistrate, I will oversee this demon's execution and offer it as tribute to the people of Cloud Mountain County who lost their lives."

"Executioners, take the platform and swiftly behead this demon!"

Below the platform, an executioner with a face full of whiskers clutched a massive cleaver and trembled all over. He stepped onto the platform, but just as he raised his blade, he suddenly staggered, and the weapon fell straight to the ground.

"Magistrate Zheng, this lowly one caught a chill last night. My limbs are weak, and I fear I cannot behead the demon. Please forgive me."

The executioner shook from head to toe, his lips turning pale.

"Get lost!" Zheng Fengyun frowned slightly and pointed at another waiting executioner. "You. Behead the demon."

The other executioner jumped in fright. Under Zheng Fengyun's gaze, he gritted his teeth and climbed the platform. He picked up the blade from the ground, but before he could raise it, he suddenly fainted dead away.

"Oh no, the executioners must have been struck by demon magic. Can this demon really not be executed today?"

"I say just burn it. Burn the demon to ashes."

"The demon is still alive. What if the ropes burn through first and it escapes?"

The people broke into heated discussion. Zheng Fengyun's expression darkened. These two executioners were both useless!

He turned and quietly asked the bailiff beside him, "Wasn't there another executioner in the county before? Go call him over to behead the demon."

The bailiff lowered his head. "Magistrate Zheng, Old Cui fell into the water and drowned a few days ago. There—his son is right over there."

Cui Lang had been watching the spectacle from the edge of the crowd when he suddenly saw a bailiff approach him.

"Cui Lang, come with me. Your luck has arrived."

Cui Lang was dragged to the side of the platform in a daze. Zheng Fengyun spoke with a kindly smile, "You're Cui Lang? Do you want to eat the government's grain?"

Cui Lang was overjoyed. "Magistrate Zheng, are you willing to make me a constable?"

Constables were taught martial arts for free. Had his fortunes finally turned?

Zheng Fengyun froze for a moment. "You want to be a constable? Constables need to understand martial arts."

He had meant for Cui Lang to become an executioner. The threshold for becoming a constable was not that low.

Cui Lang hurriedly said, "I understand martial arts. My father taught me One-Blade Slash long ago, as well as the Fierce Bull Stance. I practice every day and have never slacked off."

"My lifelong dream has been to become a constable, hunt down criminals and thieves, and slay demons and vanquish evil."

Zheng Fengyun sneered inwardly. One-Blade Slash was merely a move even executioners learned, gathering all one's strength into a single chop. It did not count as a true martial technique at all. After all, who would stand still and let you chop them?

The Fierce Bull Stance was nothing more than the most basic stance training. Even practicing it for a lifetime might not allow one to reach the peak of the Refining Essence Realm. And this counted as understanding martial arts?

"If you behead this demon today, I will reward you."

Cui Lang looked at Zheng Fengyun without saying a word. He hated this sort of empty promise most. At least tell me what the reward is so I can see whether it's worth it.

Zheng Fengyun realized that Cui Lang was the sort who would not release the hawk until he saw the hare. Only then did he say, "A constable must at least reach the late stage of the Refining Essence Realm. When you do, come find me, and I will naturally arrange for you to become a constable."

"Go change your clothes. In a moment, come up and behead the demon."

With the inferior Fierce Bull Stance Cui Lang practiced, he might not reach the late stage of the Refining Essence Realm even in ten years. By the time Cui Lang got there, Zheng Fengyun would have long since been transferred away from Cloud Mountain County.

It was a promise he would not need to fulfill. What was there not to agree to?

Cui Lang immediately cupped his fists. "Many thanks, Magistrate Zheng."

Becoming a constable would not only give him a respectable job that could support him and his younger sister; constables could also learn more profound cultivation methods and martial techniques for free.

Otherwise, given his family's circumstances, he could not even afford a martial academy's tuition. He would never become a true martial artist in this life.

He quickly headed for a nearby room to change into an executioner's red robes.

As he was changing, he heard the sound of someone urinating behind the room. Who was that? Such poor manners—couldn't he use the latrine?

"Phew, good thing I reacted quickly and said I caught a chill. Otherwise, I'd have been finished."

The other person added, "My reaction wasn't slow either. I just pretended I'd been hit by demon magic."

"That brat from the Cui family foolishly agreed. He even thinks beheading a demon is a good thing."

"What if he gets demon blood on him and is poisoned by demon venom? He's only at the middle stage of the Refining Essence Realm. He might not recover even after ten days or half a month. If it leaves behind a lingering illness, his path of martial arts will be severed for good."

The two spoke a few more words before leaving. Cui Lang, still changing clothes, stood frozen in place.

No wonder Zheng Fengyun had wanted him to behead the demon and made so many promises. This job was even more dangerous than he had imagined.

"I was wondering—though the demon looked terrifying, the bailiffs standing beside it were all fine. Why were both executioners weak in the limbs? So they were deliberately avoiding the job of beheading the demon."

Zheng Fengyun was quite sinister. He had not mentioned at all that demon blood carried demon venom.

Cui Lang regretted it. He wanted to become a constable and learn true martial cultivation methods, but he could not gamble on his martial path being cut off.

Holding the clothes, Cui Lang found Zheng Fengyun. "Magistrate Zheng, even two experienced executioners were unable to behead the demon. A half-baked fellow like me certainly can't do it either. I won't take the reward money, so I don't bring disgrace upon the authorities."

Zheng Fengyun's previously gentle smile vanished in an instant. "Cui Lang, do you know that I can charge you with the crime of toying with an imperial official?"

"Both your parents are dead, and there is only one younger sister at home, correct? Have you considered how your sister will live after you are arrested?"

He felt that Cui Lang must have learned something, or figured something out, which was why he had changed his mind.

Cui Lang's expression changed. Zheng Fengyun's bottom line was even lower than he had imagined.

He was certain that if he insisted on refusing to behead the demon, he truly would be thrown into prison. He might even die in there.

"Magistrate Zheng, I'm only afraid that I won't be able to kill the demon and will bring disgrace upon the authorities."

Zheng Fengyun reminded him, "When the time comes, aim for the joint behind the third shell plate on the back of its head. Use the One-Blade Slash you learned, and you will definitely chop off its head."

Cui Lang forced out a smile. "Thank you for your guidance, Magistrate Zheng. I certainly will not disappoint you."

Cui Lang swiftly changed into the clothes, picked up a huge cleaver, and walked up the platform step by step.

Next time I watch a spectacle, I absolutely must not push my way to the front.

Carrying the blade, he moved behind the demon. Seeing the many people below pointing at him, Cui Lang assumed the Fierce Bull Stance and gathered all the strength in his body before swinging a single slash.

Pfft!

The demon's head rolled off the platform. Though he had been prepared, some green demon blood still splashed all over Cui Lang.

Cui Lang felt the demon blood rapidly seep into his body. Yet it did not spread through his limbs and bones—instead, it all surged into a small pot floating within his mind.