Spring Embroidery Saber, Hundred-Refined Edge!

A damp, putrid stench crept into his nostrils.

Something seemed to be crawling over his body. The unbearable itching made Yang Xiao snap his eyes open.

He found himself in a low-ceilinged, cold, gloomy room. A dim oil lamp burned in the corner, illuminating several plank beds covered with white cloths.

Beneath the white cloths lay corpses.

Some were missing hands or feet; others had their chests and bellies torn open. Dark red blood had already congealed, mingling with bits of grass, dirt, and a foul, fishy stench that made his stomach churn.

"Awake?"

A rough, hoarse voice came from beside him.

Yang Xiao turned to see an old Yamen Runner in a black uniform squatting beside the threshold, smoking a pipe, his face etched with exhaustion.

"If you're awake, stop lying there. Liu Family Village just sent over three more bodies. We'll have to register them later."

Liu Family Village? Bodies?

Yang Xiao was about to speak when his head suddenly felt as though it had been struck hard with an iron hammer. Agony exploded through it.

A flood of unfamiliar memories poured into his mind.

This was a world where the Martial Dao flourished and demons ran rampant.

The Great Zhou court had established institutions such as County Yamens and the Demon Suppression Division, charged with apprehending criminals and slaying demons.

His current identity was that of an insignificant Yamen Runner at the Xiangyun County Yamen.

His ordinary duties included patrolling the streets, escorting prisoners, collecting corpses, and providing disaster relief. When a Demon Plague struck, he also had to follow the Head Constable out of town and risk his life.

If he did well, he could accumulate merit, exchange it for martial techniques and pills, and climb the ranks to become a Head Constable. He might even have a chance to enter the Demon Suppression Division.

If he did poorly... Yang Xiao glanced at the white-draped corpses before him.

This was how he would end up.

"The world's getting more chaotic by the day."

The old Yamen Runner exhaled a cloud of smoke and grumbled, "A few days ago, Liu Family Village only lost a few sacks of grain. Who'd have thought the rat demons would barge into the village last night and drag people away?"

"I heard one child was gnawed down to half a body. His mother held his corpse and cried all night."

"The county's short on men. Constable Zhang will probably have to send more people to Liu Family Village."

At this, the old Yamen Runner glanced at Yang Xiao.

"You'd best keep your wits about you these next few days, lad. If you get picked to go to Liu Family Village, Body Forging 3rd Layer won't even be enough to fill the gaps between those beasts' teeth."

Yang Xiao frowned slightly.

According to the original owner's memories, Body Forging was the foundation of the Martial Dao and comprised nine layers.

Body Forging 3rd Layer placed him right at the bottom among the County Yamen's runners.

His father, Yang Dayong, had once been a renowned Head Constable in Xiangyun County. After he died in a demonic disaster, the County Magistrate had allowed the original owner to follow in his father's footsteps and join the County Yamen in recognition of his father's service.

But the original owner had failed to live up to that opportunity.

For years, he had devoted himself entirely to his childhood sweetheart, Hu Qingqing. She had drained nearly all his wages and family savings to support her younger brother, Hu Kai, while his own cultivation had fallen by the wayside.

"Yang Dayong was a fierce one back then. With a Spring Embroidery Saber in hand, he could cut his way from one end of the street to the other without batting an eye."

The old Yamen Runner seemed to recall something as well. He turned to look at Yang Xiao, shaking his head with a sigh. "A shame his son takes nothing after him."

Yang Xiao said nothing. He merely lowered his head and looked at his hand.

It was fair-skinned and slender, with few thick calluses on the palm. It did not look like the hand of a runner who had trained with a saber for years, but rather that of an idler who held a position in name alone and drifted through his days.

In this world, demons devoured people, and low-ranking runners could die at any moment.

Now that he had come to life here, he refused to keep drifting along like this.

Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside.

A young Yamen Runner rushed into the morgue, his face pale.

"Word from Constable Zhang! The Rat Calamity in Liu Family Village may not be over. All shifts are to remain ready for deployment at any time over the next few days!"

The old Yamen Runner's expression darkened. "Looks like we won't get a moment's peace these next few days."

The young runner swallowed. "I heard the Demon Suppression Division is coming to Xiangyun County in seven days to recruit people. The County Magistrate doesn't want a major demonic disaster at a time like this. He'll probably order a purge as soon as possible."

The Demon Suppression Division. Yang Xiao's gaze flickered.

In the original owner's memories, the Demon Suppression Division was Great Zhou's institution dedicated to slaying demons and vanquishing monsters.

Its experts were as numerous as clouds, its resources countless. For a low-ranking martial artist, joining the Demon Suppression Division meant truly setting foot on the upward path of the Martial Dao.

But its recruitment standards were exceedingly strict. Few people from a small place like Xiangyun County were selected each year.

Besides, he was only at Body Forging 3rd Layer. He was far from qualified.

Yang Xiao took a deep breath and forced down his wandering thoughts.

There was no point in thinking so far ahead. What he needed to do now was survive.

Evening came.

Yang Xiao returned home after his shift.

It was a secluded little courtyard, with weathered walls and sparse furnishings inside.

A bed, an old table, and a few empty cabinets.

Yang Xiao walked to the bed and, following his memories, bent down to drag a dark wooden case out from underneath it.

The case was covered in dust, but it had been well preserved.

He brushed away the dust and opened the lid. A long saber lay quietly inside.

Its scabbard was antique in style, engraved with golden auspicious-cloud patterns. Though the blade had not truly been drawn in years, a chill still washed over him.

This was the Initial Realm weapon the County Yamen had awarded his father, Yang Dayong, for his merits in slaying demons—the Spring Embroidery Saber.

It was also the original owner's last possession of any value.

Yang Xiao grasped the hilt and slowly drew the saber.

Shing— The blade slipped free, its cold gleam flowing like water.

The dim room seemed to brighten for an instant. Looking at his reflection in the blade, Yang Xiao felt something indescribable rise within him.

Just then, a transparent square suddenly appeared before his eyes.

[Equippable item detected: Spring Embroidery Saber]

[Equip?]

Yang Xiao's pupils contracted slightly. Equip?

He stared at the transparent square before him, his breathing briefly catching.

A cheat ability?

After a brief silence, he said inwardly, Equip.

The next instant, the Spring Embroidery Saber in his hand turned into a faint streak of light and slipped into the transparent square.

Immediately afterward, lines of text appeared.

[Initial Realm · Spring Embroidery Saber]

[Effect 1: Slight increase in physical strength.]

[Effect 2: Perfect mastery of Basic Blade Technique.]

[Effect 3: Gain trait (blue), Hundred-Refined Edge: Increases blade sharpness, allowing it to cut through the hides and armor of low-tier demons. Attacks inflict continuous bleeding.]

[Permanent fixation condition: Keep equipped for twenty-four hours, or kill one Body Forging demon.]

A surge of warmth suddenly poured into Yang Xiao's body.

It felt as though warm water were washing through every limb and bone. His previously feeble strength rapidly grew solid, and his arms, back, waist, and legs all gained power.

More importantly, countless memories of saber training suddenly appeared in his mind.

Chopping, sweeping upward, slashing, thrusting, parrying, blocking. Every movement felt as though he had practiced it thousands of times.

How to exert force through his wrist, how to coordinate his footwork, how to drive the blade into an enemy's openings—all of it was crystal clear.

It was as though an old master who had trained with a saber for decades had forcibly poured a lifetime's worth of Basic Blade Technique into his body.

Instinctively, Yang Xiao gripped the Spring Embroidery Saber that had reappeared in his hand and lightly slashed forward.

The blade sliced through the air with a crisp, clean sound.

A sharp light gleamed in Yang Xiao's eyes.

Perfect mastery of Basic Blade Technique. Among the forty-odd runners in all of Xiangyun County, no more than five had even reached major mastery of it.

Perfect mastery? Many could practice their entire lives without so much as brushing its edge.

Yet he had gained it instantly simply by equipping the Spring Embroidery Saber.

More importantly, these effects could become permanent.

Once they were fixed permanently, he could unequip the Spring Embroidery Saber and equip other items.

Cultivation manuals, weapons, demon cores, pills... As long as he had enough items, he could keep stacking his strength.

Looking at the transparent equipment slot before him, Yang Xiao slowly curled his lips into a smile.

He had thought he was starting with the sky crashing down around him, but now it seemed there might still be a path to survival.

Just then, a shrill woman's voice rang out from beyond the courtyard gate.

"Yang Xiao!"

"Where's that Spring Embroidery Saber of yours? Hu Kai needs it tomorrow. Hurry up and bring it out!"

The smile in Yang Xiao's eyes faded little by little.

He lowered his head to glance at the Spring Embroidery Saber in his hand, its cold light biting, and spoke so softly he could barely be heard.

"You've come at just the right time."