Tell Me, Do You Listen to Head Constable?

"Your strength is impressive. You're more than qualified to be a head constable. I still have matters to attend to, so I won't disturb you any longer."

Li Tie took a deep breath and gave Yang Xiao a strange look.

He forcibly suppressed the shock in his heart, turned around, and left.

According to Hu Kai and the rumors circulating in the County Yamen, this fellow had killed more than thirty Dog Demons. He had thought it was all bluster, but he had not expected him to really possess some strength.

He had actually failed to gain the upper hand when their attacks clashed just now?

He had practiced martial arts for twenty-three years, while this kid was only eighteen, right? At most, he had trained for two or three years. How could that possibly make sense...

Yang Xiao watched Li Tie's back, a trace of wariness flashing in his eyes.

Li Tie had been testing him just now. He did not know what his purpose was.

He touched the Spring Embroidery Saber at his waist, gathered his thoughts, and headed toward the back courtyard of the County Yamen to meet the four Yamen Runners Zhang Hu had arranged for him.

In the back courtyard, several young Yamen Runners were gathered together, practicing martial arts.

Yang Xiao entered the back courtyard, and the four men immediately stopped and rose to their feet in unison.

"Greetings, Head Constable Yang!"

Yang Xiao swept his gaze over the four men, letting his eyes fall on each of them in turn.

The first was a burly young man at the sixth stage of the Body Forging Realm. He looked simple and honest.

The second was a thin young man at the fifth stage of the Body Forging Realm. His eyes held obvious scrutiny as he looked at Yang Xiao.

The remaining two dark-complexioned young men looked like brothers. Both were at the fifth stage of Body Forging, and they smiled and nodded at him in greeting.

Yang Xiao noticed a trace of doubt in the second Yamen Runner's eyes.

But he did not care. In a few days, he would be going to the Demon Suppression Division. As long as this man did not cause trouble for him during his tenure, Yang Xiao could not be bothered with him.

"What are your names?" Yang Xiao asked.

The first burly young man said in a simple, honest voice, "This subordinate is Zhao Tieniu."

The second thin young man said, "This subordinate is Sun Ming."

"This subordinate is Zhou Qiang." One of the sturdier dark-faced Yamen Runners pointed toward the man beside him. "This is my younger brother, Zhou Gang."

Yang Xiao swept his eyes over the four men without bothering with further pleasantries. "Make your preparations. In a moment, you'll accompany me to Wang Village to investigate the Demon Traces."

The four men answered in unison, "Yes, Head Constable Yang!"

A quarter of an hour later, outside the County Yamen's main gate.

Yang Xiao mounted his horse, took the lead, and urged it forward, with the four Yamen Runners close behind.

The group of five traveled east along the official road toward the eastern outskirts.

On the way, Zhao Tieniu rode over to Yang Xiao's side.

"Head Constable Yang, I heard that you killed thirty-seven Dog Demons by yourself yesterday?" His voice was filled with admiration.

Yang Xiao nodded. "Yes."

Shock flashed through Zhao Tie's eyes. "That's incredible!"

"Head Constable Yang, how did you do it?" Zhou Qiang also rode over.

Yang Xiao fell silent for a moment, recalling all his past memories.

"Grip the saber tightly and keep hacking until all the Dog Demons are dead."

Zhou Qiang froze for a moment, then laughed. "Head Constable Yang, you're quite the joker."

Zhou Gang remained silent the entire time, quietly following behind.

Sun Ming, meanwhile, let out a cold snort from the rear and muttered under his breath, "He's spouting nothing but nonsense..."

After roughly half an hour, they finally arrived at Wang Village.

The scene in Wang Village was still horrifying.

Collapsed houses, bloodstained ground, and the omnipresent stench of decay permeating the air. Although the Dog Demons had already been exterminated, the devastation here still made one's heart tremble.

At the village entrance, an old man sat on a tree stump, staring blankly at the ground.

Hearing the commotion, he raised his head. When he saw Yang Xiao and the others, he immediately went up to them.

"Sir! Sir!"

He recognized Yang Xiao, who was leading the group, and a strange glint flashed through his eyes. "Sir, you've come."

"It's you?" Yang Xiao recognized him as the old man who had used his clothes to carry the Dog Demon ears for him yesterday. He dismounted and asked, "Why are you waiting at the village entrance? What happened?"

The old man lowered his voice. "We discovered Demon Traces!"

Yang Xiao's brows furrowed. "Demon Traces?"

"Yes!" The old man nodded and pointed deep into the village. "It's in a residence on the eastern side of the village. Someone saw a Demon enter!"

Yang Xiao's gaze sharpened as he carefully observed the old man.

There was something strange about the old man's expression...

His eyes darted about, and the corners of his mouth twitched faintly, as if he were suppressing something.

Moreover, his breathing rhythm was abnormal as well.

A villager who had just discovered Demon Traces, especially after witnessing yesterday's village massacre, could not possibly be this calm.

Yang Xiao turned to look at the four Yamen Runners and discovered that they were observing the old man as well.

Zhao Tieniu wore an indignant expression, while Sun Ming's eyes were lively, as if he had noticed something.

Yang Xiao looked at the old man. After a moment of silence, he spoke:

"Lead the way."

The old man was stunned, then nodded. "All right, all right. Sir, please follow me."

He turned and walked toward the eastern side of the village, his steps somewhat stiff.

Yang Xiao followed, deliberately keeping some distance from the group ahead. The four Yamen Runners exchanged glances and hurried after them.

On the way, Sun Ming quietly approached Zhao Tieniu.

"Tieniu, that old man's expression is strange. This could be a trap."

"A trap?" Zhao Tieniu was somewhat shocked. "Then what should we do?"

Sun Ming thought for a moment. "We should go back and report first, then have Constable Zhang send more men."

"What if the Demon in this village eats all the villagers and leaves while we're gone?"

Sun Ming gritted his teeth. "There's nothing we can do. The demon situation is unclear, and we could easily be ambushed."

"But our leader now is Head Constable Yang. We should listen to him."

Zhao Tieniu's expression was utterly resolute.

The brothers Zhou Qiang and Zhou Gang also nodded in unison from the side. "We trust Head Constable Yang."

Zhao Tieniu put an arm around Sun Ming's shoulders, signaling him to relax as he consoled him, "Our superior is Constable Yang, a ninth-layer Body Forging fighter."

"He can kill thirty-seven Dog Demons alone without even blinking! With such strength, who in the County Yamen could do the same?"

"Tell me, do you listen to Head Constable Yang or not?"

Seeing that the other three all supported Yang Xiao, Sun Ming was silent for a moment before gritting his teeth. "Then I'll listen to Head Constable Yang, too."

The group continued forward and soon arrived at a residence.

It was a dilapidated residence. The main gate had long since disappeared, and the courtyard wall was broken and incomplete. However, the doors and windows of the houses inside were tightly shut.

The old man stood in front of a room and pointed inside. "The Demon Traces are in there."

Yang Xiao looked at the tightly closed door, a grave look flashing through his eyes.

A faint fishy stench permeated the air.

It was similar to the smell of the Dog Demon from before, but denser and colder.

"Sir, hurry and go in. The Demon might still be inside."

The old man urged him somewhat impatiently.

Just then—

"Pfft—"

A fleshy palm smashed through the door and instantly reached out from behind the old man, piercing straight through his chest!

Blood gushed out, and the old man's body stiffened.

An anxious expression still lingered on his face, but his eyes had already gone blank.

"Ghhh—"

The old man's throat issued a groan like a broken bellows, and his body collapsed with a thud.

The fleshy palm that had pierced through his chest was covered in yellowish-white fur, and its long claws were sharp as blades.

At that moment, the fleshy palm tightly clutched a bright-red heart that was still beating. It extended from the old man's back and slowly lifted it toward the creature's mouth.

"Pfft—"

Blood splattered in all directions, and the intense, rusty smell of blood drilled into Yang Xiao's nostrils.