Slaying the Qi Gathering Pig Demon!

"You talk too much."

Yang Xiao's face was expressionless as his fingers slowly tightened around his saber's hilt.

Before his words had faded, his figure flashed, closing the distance to the Pig Demon like a phantom.

The Spring Embroidery Saber left its sheath, cold light flashing.

The blade sliced through the air, driving straight for the Pig Demon's throat with fierce killing intent.

The Pig Demon's pupils contracted. It had never expected this early Qi Gathering Realm brat to dare strike first.

Still less had it expected this strike to be so astonishingly fast!

It instinctively tilted its head to dodge, but was a moment too slow.

The blade swept across the side of the Pig Demon's neck, cutting through its thick black bristles and leaving a wound deep enough to expose bone.

Blood immediately gushed out.

"Aaargh!"

The Pig Demon let out a shrill, furious roar, the red light in its eyes blazing.

"You dare wound me!"

Its enormous body suddenly swelled. Already several times larger than an ordinary wild boar, it now more than doubled in size!

Its black bristles stood on end, its muscles bulged in gnarled knots, and a terrifying pressure erupted from its body.

Its Qi Gathering Three Apertures Demon Power circulated at full force!

"I'll tear you to pieces!"

Roaring, the Pig Demon slammed its thick forehooves into the ground.

The ground cracked, sending broken stones flying.

It sprang up with the force, its enormous body bearing down on Yang Xiao like a moving hill.

Five or six Body Forging Black Pig Demons also howled and lunged at Yang Xiao, drool streaming from their mouths.

Yang Xiao's gaze remained calm as his feet flickered through the Astonishing Swan Steps.

His figure wove among the Pig Demons like a fallen leaf in the wind, light and elusive.

Demon-Slaying Blade Technique! Saber light streamed like a length of silk!

Squelch!

The first Black Pig Demon's neck was severed with a single stroke, its enormous head rolling to the ground.

Without pausing, Yang Xiao pivoted, sweeping his blade across the second Black Pig Demon's belly.

"Aaargh!"

The Black Pig Demon fell screaming, its intestines spilling from the wound in its abdomen.

"Stop!"

The Pig Demon flew into a rage at the sight, wrenching its enormous body around to intercept Yang Xiao.

But Yang Xiao was too fast.

Using the agility of the Astonishing Swan Steps, he roamed among the Pig Demons, each strike precisely reaping another Pig Demon's life.

The Qi Gathering Pig Demon's massive size, meanwhile, prevented it from attacking accurately.

More importantly—it dared not strike with its full strength!

The five or six lesser Pig Demons surrounded it. If it attacked at full force, it would inevitably hurt its own offspring.

Yang Xiao had clearly seen through this.

He deliberately wove among the lesser Pig Demons, making the Pig Demon afraid to throw at the rat for fear of breaking the vase.

"Bastard!"

The Qi Gathering Pig Demon roared repeatedly, yet could only watch helplessly as one lesser Pig Demon after another fell into pools of blood.

In just ten breaths, all five or six Body Forging Black Pig Demons had been slain!

Yang Xiao stood beside the last Pig Demon's corpse, blood slowly dripping from his blade.

"Now, it's just the two of us."

He looked at the Pig Demon, his gaze calm.

Red light flickered in the Pig Demon's eyes, fury and fear intertwined.

This human at the early Qi Gathering Realm was actually this formidable!

His saber technique was too fast, his footwork too nimble. This was nothing an ordinary Qi Gathering Realm martial artist could achieve!

"You think... killing a few lesser demons means you can beat me?"

The Pig Demon drew a deep breath, and a crimson glow suddenly spread over its black bristles.

A bloody stench emanated from its body. When it touched the surrounding vegetation, the plants withered and corroded at a speed visible to the naked eye!

Crimson Killing Intent!

This was an innate ability it had worked out after breaking through to the Liquid Condensation Realm, capable of corroding everything around it and eating away at an enemy's flesh.

Yang Xiao's brows furrowed slightly. He could sense how terrifying that crimson killing intent was.

An ordinary martial artist would likely have their skin split and flesh torn by this killing intent before they could even approach the Pig Demon.

But he had the Iron Cloth Technique. Perhaps he could withstand it.

As his Qi and blood circulated, a faint metallic sheen appeared on the surface of Yang Xiao's skin.

The crimson killing intent surged toward him, only to be kept outside his body, unable to corrode his flesh.

"How... how is this possible?"

The Pig Demon's pupils contracted.

Its crimson killing intent had actually been blocked?

"There's nothing impossible about it."

Yang Xiao advanced with his saber raised, his steps steady.

"Your tricks end here."

Saber light poured down like a waterfall, stroke after stroke, every strike deadly.

The Pig Demon roared and swung its forehooves to block, but its movements were ultimately no match for Yang Xiao's agility.

The first stroke sliced open the Pig Demon's left shoulder joint.

The second stroke cut into the Pig Demon's hind leg.

The third stroke split open the Pig Demon's flank.

Blood gushed like a spring. More and more wounds covered the Pig Demon's enormous body, bleeding without cease.

It was like a punctured leather ball, its flesh constantly "deflating," already considerably diminished from its initial powerful state.

"Stop!"

The Pig Demon finally felt fear.

It had lived for hundreds of years, yet had never encountered such a troublesome opponent.

"I... I surrender!"

The Pig Demon took a step back, its eyes filled with terror.

"I'm willing to submit to you! I can tell you the secrets of Three-Demon Mountain! I can help you deal with the Bull Demon and Snake Demon!"

The saber in Yang Xiao's hand paused slightly. He looked at the Pig Demon without the slightest ripple in his eyes.

The blade cut into the Pig Demon's neck, nearly severing its entire head.

The Pig Demon's enormous body crashed to the ground, and the crimson killing intent lingering around it dispersed.

"I don't negotiate with man-eating demons."

He walked over to the Pig Demon's corpse, expertly cut open its chest and abdomen with the Spring Embroidery Saber, and removed a fist-sized Inner Core.

The Inner Core was dark red and still warm, emanating dense Yao Qi.

Yang Xiao put away the Inner Core and looked toward the male and female villagers nearby. Only after checking them and finding that they had merely passed out did he feel reassured.

Then he sat cross-legged nearby to regulate his breathing and tend to his Aperture, which had expended a considerable amount of Spiritual Qi, silently waiting for the yamen runners from Li Family Hamlet to arrive.

About an incense stick's worth of time later.

Hurried footsteps sounded in the distance.

"Head Constable Yang! Head Constable Yang!"

Zhao Tieniu's booming voice carried through the woods.

Yang Xiao opened his eyes and saw Zhao Tieniu and the other three running toward him, with Li Tie and several yamen runners from Li Family Hamlet following behind.

"Head Constable Yang, are you all right?"

Zhao Tieniu rushed up to Yang Xiao and looked him over.

"We heard a commotion over here and hurried over..."

His gaze fell on the Pig Demon's enormous corpse, and his pupils suddenly widened.

"This... this is..."

"A Qi Gathering Realm Pig Demon," Yang Xiao said evenly. "I've already slain it."

Zhao Tieniu, Sun Ming, and the others froze, staring at the enormous Pig Demon corpse in disbelief.

A great demon at the Qi Gathering Realm...

And one so young and strong, slain just like that by Head Constable Yang alone?

Sun Ming swallowed, his voice trembling slightly. "Head Constable Yang, you... you did this alone..."

The four yamen runners exchanged looks, their awe of Yang Xiao rising another level.

Li Tie also walked over just then, his face somewhat pale and his eyes filled with shock.

"Head Constable Yang... this Pig Demon..."

Li Tie opened his mouth, wanting to say something, yet not knowing where to begin.

He looked at the Pig Demon's corpse, shock and fear mingling in his heart, a jumble of conflicting feelings.

He had only just conspired with the Pig Demon, and the next moment, it had become a corpse.

And Yang Xiao, the one responsible, stood calmly before him.

"Excellent skills, Head Constable Yang." Li Tie forced out a faint smile. "I... I truly admire you."

Terrified that the Pig Demon might have told Yang Xiao something before dying, he asked tentatively.

"Did this Pig Demon happen to reveal anything?"