Cutting Ears for Merit!

Cutting Ears for Merit! "Next."

Yang Xiao spoke in a quiet voice, yet it made the surrounding yamen runners' hearts leap.

That sapient rat demon at the 6th layer of body forging fell dead by his foot, its severed tail still twitching in the muddy ground as the smell of blood drifted with the wind.

The swarm of rat demons that had been about to charge into the village entrance collectively stepped back half a pace.

Demons knew fear, too.

Especially these beasts that had awakened a trace of spiritual wisdom, which excelled at seeking advantages and avoiding harm.

Zhang Hu recovered his wits first, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

"Good!"

"Zhao Qiang, lead men to hold the breach!"

"The rest, press forward with me and don't let these beasts scatter into the village!"

The gathered yamen runners rallied their spirits, drawing their sabers and charging out.

Just moments before, they had been somewhat panicked by the rat demon charge, but seeing Yang Xiao cut down several rat demons in succession bolstered their courage immensely.

Yang Xiao did not retreat.

The standard saber in his hand had already chipped in a few places, but under the blessing of the Hundred-Refined Edge trait, it remained shockingly sharp.

Zhang Hu killed rat demons while casting a distracted glance toward Yang Xiao.

The more he looked, the more alarmed he grew.

His basic blade technique had reached at least major completion, or perhaps even perfection!

Had he not seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed that Yang Xiao, a lad who used to slack off even when reporting for duty, could cultivate the basic blade technique to this level.

"Yang Dayong..."

Zhang Hu muttered inwardly.

"This son of yours has hidden himself deep indeed."

The body forging rat demons at the village entrance were completely slain, and the rat demons in the wheat fields were also beaten into a full retreat.

The villagers who had been trapped at the village entrance finally caught their breath, and a few bold, sturdy youths picked up wooden clubs and hoes to help reblock the breach.

A short time later, about an hour.

The rat demons outside Liu Family Village were finally cleared away.

Rat demon corpses littered the wheat fields, bloody water flowed along the irrigation ditches, and the air was filled with a fishy stench.

The yamen runners panted, all of them bearing some degree of injuries.

Fortunately, with Zhang Hu holding the line this time and Yang Xiao slaying the sapient rat demon first, no more villagers died.

Zhang Hu sheathed his saber and said in a deep voice, "Tally the casualties, cut the ears for merit."

Tallying merit at the county yamen was simple: cut the ears of low-tier demons, and take the heads of high-tier demons.

If there was a dispute, the constable would adjudicate.

Yang Xiao crouched down and sliced the ears from several rat demon corpses.

Zhao Qiang walked over, looked at the pile of rat ears by his feet, and couldn't help twitching the corner of his mouth.

"Yang Xiao, you've made a killing today."

Yang Xiao pondered thoughtfully, "About how much merit can these exchange for?"

"Body forging realm demons are generally ten points each, and more if they're above the 7th layer of body forging."

Yang Xiao's eyes lit up slightly. He had killed quite a few just now and figured his harvest was substantial.

Seeing his reaction, Zhao Qiang chuckled, "You didn't like taking on assignments in the past, so I thought you really lacked ambition. Now it looks like you were just hiding out and waiting for today?"

Yang Xiao did not explain.

Zhang Hu walked over shortly.

He glanced at the rat ears before Yang Xiao and then at the corpse of the sapient rat demon not far away.

"Yang Xiao."

"Present."

"Today you slew one sapient rat demon at the 6th layer of body forging, one rat demon at the 5th layer of body forging, several rat demons below the 4th layer of body forging, and you also rescued villagers."

Zhang Hu paused, his eyes carrying a hint of approval.

"I will report this merit truthfully."

Hearing this, the surrounding yamen runners wore complex expressions.

Envy, shock, and a trace of unspeakable awe.

Was this still the same Yang Xiao they knew?

Hu Kai stood at the back of the crowd with an ashen face, the fingers gripping his saber turning white.

Today, not only had he failed to stand out, but he had also nearly been bitten to death by a rat demon.

Had Yang Xiao not intervened, he would likely be lying at the village entrance right now.

Yet what made him feel worst was not this.

It was that from start to finish, Yang Xiao had not even looked him in the eye, as if he was no longer worthy of being treated as a rival.

"Yang Xiao..."

Hu Kai gritted his teeth, his inner jealousy and hatred almost impossible to suppress.

Xiangyun County Yamen.

The yamen runners who participated in the rescue at Liu Family Village returned one after another.

Some had torn clothes, some had white cloth wrapped around their arms, and others still wore lingering terror on their faces.

A single rat demon was not strong, but once they gathered in swarms, they acted like a gray tide, capable of pouncing and tearing apart anyone careless for even a moment.

Being able to return alive was already a matter of great fortune.

In the front courtyard of the county yamen, Zhang Hu stood on the steps holding a merit ledger.

"The rat calamity at Liu Family Village has been quelled, with seven villager casualties and forty-three rescued."

"A total of seventy-two rat demons were slain this time, including twenty-one body forging realm rat demons."

Hearing this, the gathered yamen runners eased their expressions slightly.

With spoils came merit.

To martial operatives of their low rank, merit was even more practical than silver coins.

Silver coins could only buy food and support a family, but merit could be exchanged for cultivation techniques, medicinal pills, weapons, and even the chance to climb higher.

Zhang Hu opened the ledger and began reading out the names one by one.

"Zhao Qiang, killed six rat demons, credited with sixty points of merit."

"Li Shun, killed four rat demons, credited with forty points of merit."

"Wang Er, killed three rat demons, credited with thirty points of merit."

The yamen runners whose names were called all wore joyful expressions.

Patrolling the streets on ordinary days for a month wouldn't accumulate this much merit.

Though dangerous, this trip had proved quite profitable.

Soon, Zhang Hu called out Hu Kai.

"Hu Kai, killed four rat demons, credited with forty points of merit."

Hu Kai's expression stiffened slightly.

Forty points wasn't considered a small amount under normal circumstances.

Yet today, not only had he failed to outshine the others, but he had also been forced to the brink of death by rat demons, and finally rescued by Yang Xiao.

Falling into his ears, this bit of merit felt like a slap in the face.

Several surrounding yamen runners subconsciously glanced at him, then quickly looked away.

Zhang Hu continued reading down the list.

"Yang Xiao."

The courtyard suddenly quieted down a fraction.

Many gazes fell upon Yang Xiao.

In today's battle at Liu Family Village, the most surprising person was neither Zhang Hu nor the veteran yamen runners, but this usually most unremarkable Yang Xiao.

Zhang Hu glanced at Yang Xiao, his eyes carrying a hint of complexity.

"Killed nine rat demons."

"Among them, one 6th-layer body forging rat demon, two 5th-layer body forging rat demons, three 4th-layer body forging rat demons, and three ordinary rat demons."

"Total merit, ninety points."

As his voice fell, the front courtyard instantly went still.

Ninety points!

Many yamen runners' eyes turned red.

"Isn't that way too many..."

"Did he really kill that 6th-layer body forging rat demon?"

"I saw it with my own eyes. He split its neck with a single blade, and the rat demon's leather armor was like paper."

"Since when did Yang Xiao get so strong?"

Murmurs gradually arose.

Hu Kai stood in the crowd, his face growing even uglier.

Zhang Hu swept a cold glance over the crowd.

"I personally verified the merit. Does anyone have an objection?"

The courtyard instantly grew quiet.

"Yang Xiao, your performance during this Liu Family Village rat calamity was commendable." Zhang Hu closed the ledger and looked at Yang Xiao. "However, slaying demons is no child's play. If you encounter a demon plague again in the future, do not act rashly."

"Thank you for the reminder, Constable Zhang."

Zhang Hu nodded, then said, "This is your first time obtaining so much merit. Have you figured out what to exchange it for?"

"I'd like to look through the armory first."

"Follow me."