Night on Three-Demon Mountain, the Demon Suppression Division Arrives

Yang Xiao stood in the courtyard, looking up at the night sky.

Dark clouds veiled the moon, the stars vanished from sight, and the night wind carried a hint of chill.

The Ape Demon was dead, but Three-Demon Mountain still held a Bull Demon whose strength was unfathomable. Even the Ape Demon and Pig Demon had been deeply wary of it.

Thinking of the threat the Ape Demon had made before dying, Yang Xiao wondered: if it came down the mountain, how many civilians in Xiangyun County would suffer?

Yang Xiao drew a deep breath. He refused to let the hidden danger weigh on his mind.

He turned and went back inside.

He changed into a fresh Head Constable uniform, hung the Spring Embroidery Saber at his waist, then stuffed several pieces of dry rations and a waterskin into his robes.

After equipping the Ape Demon's Inner Core, his cultivation had already broken through to Twelfth Qi Gathering Orifice Perfection.

Perhaps he would have a better chance once the Demon Suppression Division's people arrived.

But he did not want to wait any longer.

Rather than wait for the Bull Demon to descend the mountain and cause an irreversible disaster, he would strike first while it still did not know the Ape Demon was dead.

Yang Xiao pushed open the courtyard gate, his figure merging into the night.

At the city gate.

Two gate guards were yawning and dozing against the wall.

Suddenly, a black shadow emerged from within the city.

"Stop! The city gate is closed. Come back out after dawn!" one soldier shouted, tightening his grip on the hilt at his waist.

The black shadow halted, revealing a young face.

"I'm Yang Xiao. I have urgent business outside the city."

The two soldiers froze. By the dim lamplight, they recognized Yang Xiao's face.

"Head Constable Yang? Where are you going this late at night?"

"Three-Demon Mountain."

The soldiers' pupils abruptly widened. Wasn't that where the demons were entrenched?

"Head Constable Yang, there... there's a great demon there!"

One soldier's voice trembled slightly.

"I know."

Yang Xiao's voice was calm. "That's why I have to go."

The two soldiers exchanged a glance, both seeing the shock in the other's eyes.

Was Head Constable Yang going to kill a great demon?

Alone, in the dead of night?

"Head Constable Yang, should... should we call for more men?"

"No need." Yang Xiao waved a hand. "Oh, right. Tomorrow, tell the County Magistrate not to waste manpower searching for me."

"I should be down the mountain before sunset tomorrow."

Without waiting for their reply, he vanished into the night.

The two soldiers stood blankly at the city gate, staring in the direction Yang Xiao had left and unable to recover for a long while.

"He... he really went?"

"Head Constable Yang... he's got some nerve!"

The next morning.

On the official road leading to Xiangyun County, a party of eleven rode forward on horseback.

At the head was a middle-aged man dressed in dark-colored martial attire, a long saber hanging at his waist. His face was stern, his gaze sharp as an eagle's.

The ten people behind him were all elites of the Demon Suppression Division. Every one of them had a steady aura and was clearly a skilled fighter.

"Flag Officer Shen, Xiangyun County is just ahead."

"Mm."

Shen Qingyang nodded, pulled a dossier from the pack on his horse, and began reading through it.

"Xiangyun County has seen frequent demon activity recently."

"A Rat Calamity in Liu Family Village in the western suburbs, packs of Dog Demons in Wang Family Village in the eastern suburbs, and a missing-person case in Li Family Hamlet in the northern suburbs..."

"According to the dossier, at least four demons of the Qi Gathering Realm are entrenched there."

Another man clicked his tongue. "Four demons of the Qi Gathering Realm? It's not easy for Xiangyun County to have held out until now."

"With your Liquid Condensation Realm cultivation, Commander, taking them down should be a piece of cake."

"First get a clear picture of the demons' situation, then formulate a suppression plan." Shen Mo spoke blandly. "These demons live extraordinarily long lives. It's hard to say whether they've developed other troublesome abilities."

He had always been steady and never overestimated himself.

"By convention, an infestation of this scale should take two or three days to resolve." Shen Qingyang closed the dossier and lightly urged his horse onward.

"While we're at it, see whether Xiangyun County has any suitable candidates to bring back to the Demon Suppression Division."

"How many do you think we can pick out, Flag Officer?"

"At most two or three. And that's only if we lower the standards."

Shen Qingyang's tone was indifferent. "In a remote little county like this, producing one young man at the Seventh Layer of Body Forging would already be considered good."

Everyone nodded. None of them found this surprising.

The Demon Suppression Division's selection process had always been strict. Not just anyone could enter.

"By the way, the dossier mentioned that Xiangyun County has a new Head Constable named Yang Xiao..."

One man flipped through the information in his hands. "Apparently he's young and has killed quite a few demons recently."

"Oh?"

Shen Qingyang took a little interest. "How many?"

"He killed nine Rat Demons during the Rat Calamity in Liu Family Village, and thirty-seven Dog Demons plus a Qi Gathering Realm Old Dog during the Dog Demon calamity in Wang Village. The information was recorded up to three days ago."

The more the team member read, the more astonished he became. "This... this record is real?"

A trace of surprise flickered through Shen Qingyang's eyes.

If it was true, this Yang Xiao certainly had some ability.

"We'll verify it after reaching Xiangyun County." He spurred his horse faster, interest rising in his eyes. "We'll go to the county yamen first."

When Shen Qingyang and the others arrived, the County Magistrate was anxiously waiting at the city gate.

"You've finally arrived!" The County Magistrate hurried forward to greet them, his face full of eagerness. "I've been waiting for you for quite some time!"

Shen Qingyang dismounted and cupped his hands. "Shen Qingyang, Flag Officer of the Qingzhou Demon Suppression Division in Cuiyun Circuit."

"Sorry for the trouble, Lord Shen!"

The County Magistrate repeatedly cupped his hands. "Please, come in! Come in!"

The group entered the county yamen. The County Magistrate ordered people to prepare tea and refreshments and entertained them with exceptional attentiveness.

Shen Qingyang looked around, his brows drawing together slightly.

"County Magistrate, where are your county's Head Constables?"

The County Magistrate's expression changed, and he sighed.

"Lord Shen, you may not know this, but yesterday evening, the county was ambushed by demons..."

Shen Qingyang's pupils contracted.

"What kind of demon?"

"It was the Ape Demon from Three-Demon Mountain, a great demon of the Qi Gathering Realm!"

The County Magistrate's voice trembled slightly. "Head Constable Zhang Hu was gravely wounded and his life or death is still unknown. Second Constable Li Tie... colluded with the demons and died on the spot."

Shen Qingyang's expression darkened.

Had a Qi Gathering Realm demon actually grown bold enough to launch a direct assault on the county?

The demon plague in Xiangyun County was even more serious than the dossier recorded!

"What about the Ape Demon?"

"Yang Xiao killed it." A hint of pride flashed through the County Magistrate's eyes as he added, "Yang Xiao killed the Ape Demon alone, right in the main hall of the county yamen."

A trace of astonishment flashed through Shen Qingyang's eyes.

A mere yamen runner from a small county had killed a Qi Gathering Realm demon alone?

This Yang Xiao really did have some ability. Shen Qingyang suddenly looked forward to meeting the young man.

"Where is Head Constable Yang now?"

The County Magistrate's expression turned strange.

"Well..." He hesitated before saying, "Head Constable Yang left the city last night."

"Left the city?"

Shen Qingyang frowned. "Where did he go?"

"Three-Demon Mountain."

The County Magistrate's voice lowered, helplessness showing on his face. "He didn't tell me. He went out of the city alone under cover of night..."

Shen Qingyang's expression abruptly changed.

"Alone?"

"Yes."

Shen Qingyang drew a deep breath and suddenly stood up.

"Foolish!"

His voice sank. "What sort of existence is the Bull Demon? It's an old demon that has lived for several hundred years, with strength far beyond that of an ordinary Qi Gathering Realm cultivator!"

"He's only at the Qi Gathering Realm, yet he went alone to throw his life away?"

The many Demon Suppression Guards below exchanged glances, their expressions even stranger.

"Entering a demon mountain alone at night—how many guts does that kid have?"

"Whether he can make it back alive is one thing, but that fellow really has guts! He's a real man!"

"We should go look for him soon. Maybe we can still recover his bones..."

Listening to them, the County Magistrate's face paled, and his hands trembled faintly.

Shen Qingyang turned toward the doorway, his gaze deep.

It was now the Hour of the Snake. Four or five hours had passed since Yang Xiao left the city.

With Yang Xiao's pace, he should have already ventured deep into Three-Demon Mountain.

"Flag Officer Shen, shall we..." one man began.

Shen Qingyang did not hesitate and issued his order directly.

"Everyone, set out immediately!"

"Destination: Three-Demon Mountain! We must find Yang Xiao. Alive, we bring back the man; dead, we bring back... the body."

The ten Demon Suppression Guards answered in unison, "Yes!"

Shen Mo hurried into the courtyard, mounted his horse, and turned his gaze toward Three-Demon Mountain.

That young man had plenty of courage, and no small amount of ability.

But if he truly faced the Bull Demon alone... it was still far from enough.

"Hyah!"

Shen Mo squeezed his horse's flanks. The warhorse let out a neigh and charged through the county yamen gates.

The ten team members followed close behind, their hooves thundering like thunder and kicking up a trail of dust.

The County Magistrate stood at the gate, watching the Demon Suppression Division's party disappear into the distance. He pressed his palms together and prayed silently.

"Head Constable Yang, you have to hold on..."