Volume One: Menial Servant of Changshui County Chapter Forty-Five: Your Son Will Be Passed to You

“This creature is nothing but a corpse!” Zhou Cheng barked. “The air here is thin; it doesn’t affect its movements, but in this environment, we’ll tire easily if we keep fighting.”

“We withdraw first!”

Zhou Cheng fought as he retreated. The creature, unrestrained in this place, displayed a ferocity that left everyone shaken. In just a short while, Zhou Cheng was panting heavily, sweat streaming down his body.

Suddenly, a strange sound echoed from up ahead.

Attacked from both sides!

Two of these creatures appeared in quick succession, both of considerable strength. In the cramped confines of the cave, it was nearly impossible for the group to defend themselves.

“We’ve been set up!” Zhou Cheng shouted angrily. “Break through! Find a way out—if we stay trapped here too long, it’ll be our deaths!”

Upon hearing this, Lu Jiuzhang’s scholarly energy surged within him, and he followed Zhou Cheng, charging to the very front. The two of them fought desperately to force the creatures back, leading the others rapidly toward the cave entrance.

“Brother Lu, wait for me!” Wang Yunshan quickly rushed to Lu Jiuzhang’s side. Zhou Cheng was not easy to get along with, but Lu Jiuzhang was one of their own. Standing beside Lu, he thought, should at least ensure his safety.

Of course, that was only what Wang Yunshan thought.

He had no idea that these very creatures were after Lu Jiuzhang.

“Brother Lu, I’ll take the lead. You follow behind me and cover the rear!” Wang Yunshan shouted. “I’ll scout the way!”

He hurried past Lu Jiuzhang; with another two or three incense sticks’ time, they’d be out of the cave. There was little danger ahead, but behind them were two vicious, snarling creatures. Wang Yunshan could clearly tell which danger was greater.

“Brother Wang, maybe we should split up and run?” Lu Jiuzhang hurriedly suggested.

Sticking by Lu Jiuzhang’s side would only get you killed faster!

“Brother Lu, how could I bear to abandon you in such danger? I must stay by your side and help you deal with those monsters!” Wang Yunshan replied righteously, “You haven’t even married yet. You absolutely must not come to harm! Otherwise, how could I face your late elder brother?”

Anyone who didn’t know better would have been moved to tears by Wang Yunshan’s words.

But Lu Jiuzhang was clear-headed as a mirror—he wasn’t buying any of it!

The old fox was cunning indeed!

Just as Wang Yunshan finished speaking, another strange sound echoed from ahead.

Now there were three of these creatures!

This was terrifying indeed.

Did someone intend to wipe them all out in the cave?

Though these were merely three corpses animated by evil power, each was ferocious and formidable.

Zhou Cheng was almost ready to give up hope of survival.

He had already been badly injured before, with one arm broken and his fighting strength waning. Now he only had his left arm, and he was not yet adept with his left-handed blade. Facing three such monsters in this state was simply overwhelming.

As for Lu Jiuzhang: though a grade-nine scholar could restrain monsters, there were too many here. Could Lu Jiuzhang really handle them all?

Once again, their intelligence had failed them.

Zhou Cheng was deeply puzzled. The Demon-Slaying Division’s intelligence work was usually reliable; they could analyze the strength of monsters and devise countermeasures. Yet recently, the information had been vague, and the numbers didn’t match previous years. In less than a month, eight monsters had appeared. Counting the incident in which Lu Jiuzhang’s elder brother, Lu Huaigu, died, the number exceeded ten already. In previous years, the Demon-Slaying Division in Changshui County might encounter that many monsters in an entire year, but now they had in under a month!

The four monsters before them now seemed to be under someone’s control.

To manipulate four or more monsters at once, the controller behind the scenes must be extraordinary—likely already at the eighth rank of the shamanic path.

With such formidable strength, why target the Demon-Slaying Division?

No, the target did not seem to be the division, but—Lu Jiuzhang himself!

Zhou Cheng was startled by this sudden realization.

Looking around, he saw that the monsters all seemed to be attacking Lu Jiuzhang, ignoring everyone else!

Damn it!

No wonder it was always so dangerous—Lu Jiuzhang was the reason.

Zhou Cheng had experienced something like this before: being hunted until he had no hope of survival, which led him to take refuge with the Demon-Slaying Division. But those who hunted him had done so openly; in Lu Jiuzhang’s case, it was an assassination, with the mastermind unwilling to show themselves, sending monsters instead to take Lu Jiuzhang’s life.

Truly pitiful!

Zhou Cheng was curious—Lu Jiuzhang was just a lowly errand-runner in the Demon-Slaying Division. How had he offended someone so powerful?

Mobilizing so many monsters at once, even Magistrate Wang would be hard-pressed to manage it!

And then there was that eighth-rank shaman. Such a person was not someone a county magistrate could casually command. If this was official business, perhaps; if it was private, the price would be steep.

Someone as miserly as Magistrate Wang would never pay dearly to hire an expert.

Besides, the trouble at the Three Virtues Manor happened days ago, before Lu Jiuzhang had offended Magistrate Wang or the Zhang family bullies!

“Lu Jiuzhang, you hold off the monsters; the rest, try to escape!” Zhou Cheng ordered.

He, a dignified grade-nine martial artist, usually led every demon-slaying charge from the front. But ever since meeting Lu Jiuzhang, they always had to think about retreating!

It was infuriating.

Let those errand-runners escape; keeping them here would just mean needless sacrifice.

“Brother Lu, I can’t help you any longer. If you die, I’ll adopt my son into your family so you’ll have an heir!” With that, Wang Yunshan was the first to bolt.

Lu Jiuzhang, scholarly energy radiating outward, blocked the way before the monsters.

A dark mass barreled through the pitch-black tunnel.

Lu Jiuzhang’s standard-issue saber, enhanced by his scholarly aura, now possessed exorcising power.

“Slash!”

Lu Jiuzhang executed the most basic chopping strike. The blade landed on the monster’s body, but it still charged forward. The massive impact sent Lu Jiuzhang sprawling to the ground.

His chest felt as if it had been struck by a speeding carriage—an agonizing and stifling pain.

Unable to hold back, Lu Jiuzhang spat out a mouthful of blood, finally feeling a bit relieved.

The other monsters came rushing in.

A crisp clang rang out—it was Zhou Cheng, stepping in front of Lu Jiuzhang and blocking a blow for him.

The errand-runners of the Demon-Slaying Division took advantage of this moment to rush halfway out of the cave. The rest were also sprinting for the exit.

Three monsters—under normal circumstances, it would take at least four martial artists of grade nine or higher to deal with them!

Now there were only two, and Zhou Cheng’s arm was broken, while Lu Jiuzhang, though a grade-nine scholar, seemed lacking in combat strength.

Staying here was certain death.

Best to hurry back to the Demon-Slaying Division and call for reinforcements.

Of course, the faster you ran, the better. The first back would be credited with reporting the situation and calling for help; those who lagged behind would be branded deserters!

“Damn it, that old fox Wang Yunshan usually keeps such a low profile—how come he’s running so fast now?”

“Don’t ask, just run!”

“Right, talking just wastes time fleeing!”

With just a few brief exchanges, the errand-runners all broke into a sprint.

Running fast didn’t guarantee survival, but being faster than the others usually meant someone else would die instead.