The flagstone road outside Donglai County's gates was pitted with the scars of battle, and even the two gates had been damaged so badly that they could no longer close.
The left gate was missing half a corner, while the right was covered in claw marks. Several gouges deep enough to fit a finger had torn through its entire iron facing from top to bottom.
The smell of blood still lingered in Donglai County's gateway. Clearly, a fierce battle had taken place here earlier.
When Yi Yang led his team down from the Beast Ridge Mountains and into the city, several masons were crouched by the gate, repairing the walls.
At the sight of this fierce-looking team, they stopped working, their eyes drifting involuntarily toward the stretcher several Pacification Guards were carrying.
The huge stretcher had been hastily lashed together from two pine poles. Four Pacification Guards each carried a corner, with half a Black-Maned Leopard lying on top.
Half was not quite accurate. It was a whole beast, cleaved down the middle into two halves.
The vicious demon beast's black mane still bristled, and the remnants of gray astral energy around its four claws had yet to dissipate completely, shimmering faintly beneath the afternoon sun.
Blood dripped through the gaps in the stretcher, trailing a broken red line along the flagstone road.
"Thank the heavens, thank the Heaven Patrol Office! That damned beast is finally dead!!!"
A mason crouching at the foot of the wall caught sight of the black leopard on the stretcher. His eyes reddened as he glared at it viciously, as though nursing a deep blood feud.
News that the Heaven Patrol Office had returned after killing one of the rampaging demon beasts spread quickly.
By the time Yi Yang's team reached the main street, people