Rat Plague!

Outside the county yamen gates, yamen runners gathered one after another.

More than twenty people stood beneath the bluestone steps, long sabers slung at their waists, their expressions varying.

Some wore nervous looks, some cursed in low voices, and others harbored a hint of excitement deep within their eyes.

The demon plague was dangerous, but to the county yamen runners, killing demons likewise meant merit.

Merit could be traded for silver, martial arts techniques, and weapons.

If one performed with distinction, they might even catch the eye of a head catcher and receive a promotion.

Yang Xiao stood at the back of the crowd, his palm pressing against the long saber at his waist. Within the transparent equipment slot before his eyes, the Spring Embroidery Saber pattern floated quietly.

[Initial Realm · Spring Embroidery Saber]

[Solidification condition: Equip for twelve hours, or slay one Body Forging demon]

His gaze shifted slightly. Twelve hours was too long, but slaying a demon was much faster.

Yet the county yamen was about to set out for Liu Family Village right now, which was clearly an opportunity.

"Yang Xiao, you came too?"

A slightly surprised voice rang out.

Yang Xiao looked up to see a young runner standing not far away, looking him up and down.

That man was named Zhao Qiang, an old runner under Zhang Hu, at the seventh layer of Body Forging, whose relationship with the original body was passable on ordinary days.

Zhao Qiang lowered his voice and said, "Are you really going to Liu Family Village?"

Yang Xiao nodded.

Zhao Qiang frowned and said, "This isn't patrolling the streets this time! Rat demons aren't strong individually, but when they come, they come in packs. If you get bitten, getting venom in your body means a fever and coma at best, or losing your life at worst!"

"Didn't you always find an excuse to hide whenever you encountered this kind of mission before?"

Yang Xiao said calmly, "Before was before."

Zhao Qiang was stunned, and still wanted to urge him further when Zhang Hu strode out of the county yamen ahead.

He possessed a tall build and wielded a long saber, his gaze sweeping across the crowd.

"Listen up, everyone!"

"Liu Family Village villagers are surrounded by rat demons, and the county magistrate has ordered an immediate rescue."

"The number of rat demons is not small this time, so no one is to act on their own initiative. If you encounter an awakened rat demon, shout for support immediately."

"Whoever shrinks from battle will be dealt with according to yamen rules!"

The crowd answered in unison.

Zhang Hu's gaze lingered in the crowd for a split second, falling upon Yang Xiao, but he did not say much more.

"Move out!"

The group quickly left the county town and hurried toward Liu Family Village.

Liu Family Village was not far from Xiangyun County, and the group traveled swiftly along the official road.

The closer they got to the village, the heavier the demonic stench in the air became.

The fields beside the road were gnawed into a tattered mess, and the originally golden wheat spikes collapsed in a heap, leaving only bare stalks.

Occasionally, some grey shadows could be seen flashing across the field ridges.

"Rat demons." Zhao Qiang's expression sank. "It looks like the situation is even more severe than last night."

A quarter of an hour later, Liu Family Village was already in sight.

A clamorous shouting came from the direction of the village entrance.

Several villagers stood behind a simple wooden fence erected at the village entrance, holding hoes and wooden sticks, desperately holding back the charging grey rat shadows.

In the fields, densely packed rat demons were gnawing on crops.

These rat demons were more than a dozen times larger than ordinary rats, their grey fur oily and bright, their eyes flushing red, their teeth exposed, and foul saliva dripping from their mouths.

Further away, there were a few rat demons the size of small calves pacing around the village entrance.

Zhang Hu's expression sank.

"The situation is wrong."

"These rat demons are at least at the fifth or sixth layer of Body Forging!"

He immediately issued an order.

"Zhao Qiang, take five men to clear out the small rat demons in the fields!"

"The rest of you, follow me to the village entrance to save the people!"

"Yang Xiao."

Zhang Hu looked at him, his voice softening. "Stay behind the others and don't push your luck."

"Understood." Yang Xiao nodded.

Right at that moment, a sneer came from beside them.

"Head Catcher Zhang, what did you bring him here for?"

Hu Kai walked out from the crowd, his arm still aching faintly, his expression gloomy.

He had clearly been conscripted to Liu Family Village as well.

"Yang Xiao always muddled along when reporting for duty on ordinary days. When he truly encounters a demon, I'm afraid his legs will turn to jelly."

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"Bringing him along isn't he just holding everyone back?"

The surrounding runners looked at Yang Xiao, their expressions somewhat hesitant as well.

After all, the original body's past reputation was indeed poor.

Zhang Hu furrowed his brow. "Hu Kai, now is not the time to bicker."

"I'm merely speaking the truth." Hu Kai instead let out a cold laugh.

He looked at Yang Xiao, hatred in his eyes.

"Yang Xiao, if you're afraid, it's still not too late to slink back to the county town."

Yang Xiao glanced at him and didn't retort.

"Save me!"

From the direction of the village entrance, a miserable scream suddenly rang out.

A massive rat demon broke through the wooden fence and lunged at a woman holding a child.

The woman was terrified into collapsing to the ground, and the infant in her arms wailed loudly.

Zhang Hu wore a fierce expression and immediately shouted:

"Save them!"

Hu Kai's eyes lit up, and he rushed out a step ahead.

"Watch me!"

His figure was swift, his long saber unsheathed as he dashed straight toward that rat demon.

In his view, this was precisely the opportunity to perform a meritorious service.

Yet that rat demon's speed was faster than he had imagined.

Halfway through Hu Kai's charge, the rat demon abruptly turned its head, its scarlet eyes fixing a dead stare upon him.

The next instant, its hind legs kicked off, actually abandoning the woman to lunge straight for Hu Kai's face.

Hu Kai's expression changed abruptly.

"So fast!"

He hastily swung his saber to parry.

The rat demon struck the blade with a claw, the immense force jarring him into retreating several steps as his arm went numb.

That rat demon did not stop, however, opening its toxic saliva-filled jaws to lunge again.

Hu Kai's pupils constricted.

Finished!

Right at that moment, a figure flashed past his flank.

Yang Xiao stepped forward, his long saber sweeping horizontally.

The rat demon perceived danger and attempted to dodge.

Yet Yang Xiao's slash was too fast and too precise.

The blade brushed past the rat demon's front claws, forcefully halting its momentum.

Immediately following that, the second strike fell.

Slash!

The blade bit into the rat demon's neck.

The resilient demonic hide beneath the grey fur was breached like thin paper before this strike.

Fresh blood gushed forth.

The rat demon emitted a piercing shriek, blood flowing endlessly from its neck as its massive body crashed heavily onto the ground, twitching a few times before growing completely still.

[Slew a Body Forging rat demon. Initial Realm · Spring Embroidery Saber equipment effect has been permanently solidified.]

[Physique and strength increased slightly.]

[Basic Saber Technique reached Mastery.]

[Trait (Blue) Hundred-Refined Edge has been retained.]

The surroundings grew still in an instant.

Hu Kai collapsed onto the ground, his face pale as paper.

He looked at the rat demon collapsed before him, then toward Yang Xiao standing sword in hand, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"You... how is this possible?"

Yang Xiao did not look at him, simply gazing intently at the vacated equipment slot.

The Spring Embroidery Saber's effect had already solidified.

In other words, he could now equip a new item.

And this rat calamity before him was precisely the first step for him to acquire merit and resources.

Yang Xiao raised his head, looking toward those even larger rat demons at the village entrance, his gaze gradually brightening.

"Head Catcher Zhang."

He gripped his long saber tighter, his voice calm.

"These rat demons, they count as merit when I kill them, right?"

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