Kill the Saints First in Troubled Times

Shi Yun arrived with his men.

Looking at the nest of Yellow Weasel cubs, as well as the adult Yellow Weasel already killed by Lu Yuan,

Shi Yun immediately panicked.

"This is the Yellow Family, one of the Five Great Demon Houses. Its background is far stronger than that Gray-Skinned Rat Demon's. And the Five Great Demon Houses are extremely united."

"They have dealings with countless demons. They are simply not something we can afford to offend."

"Now that you've killed one of them and want to slaughter the cubs too, the Yellow Weasel demons will never let you go."

"You'll be harassed by an endless stream of demons."

"You'll also bring colossal trouble upon Pingyang County."

Shi Yun spoke in a furious frenzy.

He was not doing this for Lu Yuan's sake.

If this fellow died, then so be it.

But if they slaughtered demons like this and enraged them,

how would they clean up the mess?

"You're saying they'll keep coming after me without end."

Lu Yuan's voice carried a note of confusion.

Yet an inexplicable thrill rose within him.

"Only now you realize it? Yellow Weasels hold grudges. Just wait for death!"

A constable named Bao Tianbao pointed at Lu Yuan's nose and cursed.

"You killed the adult and won't even spare the young. When the demons come to settle the score, are you expecting the yamen to take the blame for you?"

"The captain told us to prioritize stability. Who gave you permission to kill the Yellow Weasels?"

Another constable named Bao Dibao chimed in.

The two had come with Shi Yun, so naturally they stood on his side.

Hearing Shi Yun and the two constables, the villagers who had followed them into the cave immediately erupted.

"What? One of the Five Great Demon Houses? Isn't that poking a hornet's nest? How are we supposed to deal with this?"

"It's over, it's over! This officer didn't kill some lone demon, but a demon with a Lineage! If the Yellow Family retaliates, will Great River Village still be able to live? We can't kill them—we absolutely can't kill any more!"

Some of the more timid villagers

immediately began trying to stop him.

Some of them even began blaming Lu Yuan.

But even more clear-headed villagers had red-rimmed eyes as they cursed, "Bullshit! Those demons showed no mercy when they killed our villagers—not even the children! They deserve to die! Kill every last one of these beasts!"

Just then,

a young woman in plain silk clothes, with a lovely face, suddenly squeezed out from the crowd.

She ran to Lu Yuan's side and threw herself in front of the remaining nine Yellow Weasel cubs.

Like a mother guarding her young, she spoke with a trace of reproach. "The one who killed people was that adult Yellow Weasel demon. It's already dead!"

"These are newborn cubs. They pose no threat at all, and they're so cute."

"Why can't you let them go? Or is your thirst for killing simply too great?"

The woman stared at Lu Yuan accusingly.

Usually, plenty of men in the village fawned over her, and it had made her somewhat overbearing in everything she did.

"Oh? So what you mean is?"

"I was wrong to kill them?"

Lu Yuan asked with a frown.

"Of course you were wrong..."

the woman shrieked.

"You damned Yellow Weasel, you actually bit someone! This woman has already been infected..."

Lu Yuan shouted.

Whoosh!

Without the slightest hesitation, he flicked his wrist, and the rusty blade drew a shrill arc through the air.

Splurt!

A fine head shot into the air. The headless corpse crashed heavily onto the dry grass, blood splashing all over the little Yellow Weasels.

The compassionate expression on the woman's face had not even had time to fade before her head and body were already parted.

The sight made everyone present suck in a cold breath. In an instant, the place fell silent as a graveyard.

Lu Yuan flicked the blood from his blade, his gaze sweeping across the remaining nine cubs like a knife. Then his blade rose and fell.

A sanctimonious bitch?

Why keep her around until New Year's?

When that Yellow Weasel had sliced living people into pieces and devoured the flesh raw,

why had this woman not stepped out and told it to show mercy?

If you did not pull out the roots, the spring wind would bring new growth.

Especially when dealing with demons that nursed grudges over the slightest slight?

How could Lu Yuan possibly be swayed by a few words from a sanctimonious bitch?

Since she wanted to protect those little Yellow Weasels, she could die with them.

"Hiss!!!!"

The sight made everyone present suck in a cold breath. In an instant, the place fell silent as a graveyard.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Blade light flashed. The nine little Yellow Weasels did not even have time to scream before every one of them was beheaded.

[ Ding! Experience gained: 9 points. ] [ Current experience: 960 points. ]

He was still short by 40 points.

Lu Yuan sighed.

"You are utterly lawless, to dare slaughter villagers."

Shi Yun looked at the headless female corpse on the ground, along with the little Yellow Weasels that had already lost all breath.

He rebuked him.

"I already said she was infected by the Yellow Weasel. She would soon become a demon."

"If I hadn't killed her, she would have harmed the villagers."

"I killed demons and eliminated evil. Was I wrong? Or is it that... you, Shi Yun, have some shameful connection with these man-eating demons?"

Lu Yuan slowly turned around, holding the dripping rusty blade as he stared at Shi Yun.

"You... You're talking nonsense! Don't spit blood at people!"

At the word "connection," Shi Yun's expression changed drastically. He stumbled back two steps in fright, his back instantly soaked with cold sweat.

Colluding with demons was a capital crime.

If those words reached the Demon Suppression Office, even ten heads would not be enough for him to lose.

Tolerating demons and colluding with demonkind—such things, even if they existed, could never be brought into the open.

"Killing demons is naturally eliminating evil for the people!"

"I... I was merely worried that wiping them out would provoke the Yellow Family into even crazier retaliation. Then the demons would continue harming the villagers. I'm protecting the villagers."

Shi Yun forced himself to stay calm, swallowed, and gave a strained explanation.

"These demons are already harming the villagers! When they treated living people like livestock, slicing off flesh and eating it, where were you? Is this your so-called protection—having us offer roast chickens to demons? Letting villagers wait for death?"

"To deal with beasts like these, we can only use methods fiercer and crueler still. Kill until they tremble with fear, kill until they are extinct—only then can we truly intimidate these demons!"

Kong Jie, who had remained silent the entire time,

could no longer hold back after hearing Shi Yun's words.

Before this, he had listened to these veteran yamen men, these old hands.

He had offered tribute to demons.

He had tried to buy time.

All he received in return was the demons' contempt, followed by even more brutal slaughter.

"You..."

Shi Yun was left speechless by the rebuke. His face shifted from green to white, before finally turning livid.

He opened his mouth, but could not utter a single retort for a long while. All he could do was glare viciously at Lu Yuan and Kong Jie, a flicker of venom flashing through his eyes.

"Well said! Well killed!"

"Officer, mighty indeed! These demon beasts deserve to die!"

Kong Jie's words also ignited the rage and fierce spirit of Great River Village's villagers.

Lu Yuan glanced at Kong Jie.

He had not expected the kid to have some backbone after all.

Lu Yuan sheathed the rusty blade and pointed to the woman's headless corpse, his voice calm. "Everyone, I killed the demons. When retaliation comes, it will have to come for me."

"But I still need to remind you of one thing."

"Those of you who just said these Yellow Weasel cubs should not be killed, you had best stay far away from them in the future."

"Why?"

A villager asked in confusion.

"Because today, they could stop the yamen from killing demons for the sake of a few Yellow Weasels."

"When demons come again tomorrow, in order to save their own lives, they may very well tie you up and deliver you to the demons as rations."

At those words, the villagers suddenly understood. The way they looked at those who had tried to stop him instantly filled with disgust and wariness.

Lu Yuan said nothing more and left the mass graveyard directly.

He had ruined Chen Kuang's plans more than once.

Tomorrow's escort mission would probably not be easy along the way.

Still, thankfully, he was close to saving up 1,000 experience points.