Chapter 281: So What if It’s a Demon? A Human Can Slay It Too

With a bloodstained hatchet in hand and the county magistrate of Tianshui County beneath his foot, the blood-soaked figure of Yan Wuyong was imprinted in the hearts of every “numb” citizen of Tianshui County.

More and more people emerged from their homes, gathering nearby to listen to this warrior—who dared to sharpen his blade against tyranny—speak of his experiences.

From Yan Wuyong’s words, the people of Tianshui County came to realize that there were places even worse than their own, places that were truly “living hells.”

Just how absurd were the oppressive taxes in Yan Wuyong’s hometown, Wu Bridge County?

Taxes were levied on all three daily meals. Taxes were required even for relieving oneself. Even stepping outside on a sunny day and getting exposed to the sun incurred a tax.

The exorbitant taxation crushed the already meager incomes of the common folk, forcing nearly every household to survive on just one meal a day.

Yet even while starving and barely clothed, they still had to toil in the fields or practice their crafts to earn money.

And that hard-earned money? It was just enough to sustain their single daily meal.

As for the rampant abduction of women and public humiliation, such acts were as common as daily routines.

Any woman—or her family—who dared to resist in the slightest would not only see the woman herself violated and killed, but her family would also be tortured to death… And the means of torture? Those were methods meant for dealing with mountain bandits in interrogation chambers.

As the crowd around him grew, the numbness in the eyes of Tianshui’s people began to fade. They had never dared to think about resisting the government. But now, seeing their once high-and-mighty county magistrate trampled on the ground like a stray dog—

Their reverence for the government, for imperial authority itself… shattered.

After finishing his speech, Yan Wuyong raised his hatchet and cleanly beheaded the magistrate.

The moment blood sprayed into the air, an inexplicable fire ignited in the hearts of the people!

“I am but a humble man, yet I once received a dream from an immortal!”

“In that dream, the immortal revealed… Great Wu will descend into chaos, and someone must rise as a warlord in the troubled times—to slay corrupt officials, exterminate demons, and establish a new dynasty!”

At this point, Yan Wuyong paused before continuing, “Before arriving here, I had already passed through eleven counties and executed eleven corrupt magistrates!”

The crowd erupted into an uproar!

None of them had imagined that this seemingly honest man had, in just a few short months, traveled across multiple counties and slain eleven county magistrates.

No!

Including the magistrate of Tianshui County today, that made twelve!

And he claimed that this was a mission bestowed upon him by an immortal… Could it be that he truly was the chosen one, sent to save the suffering common folk amidst the chaos?

Suddenly, a graceful figure dashed out from the crowd—a woman in her early thirties, dressed in fine garments. She was none other than the concubine from Wealthy Wang’s household.

“Benefactor!”

“You must leave at once!”

“There is a demon here! It is beyond human power to resist!”

Her words made the faces of Tianshui’s citizens change instantly!

There had long been rumors that the county magistrate was backed by a demon. But hardly anyone had seen it firsthand—or rather, those who had… were already dead.

Yet now, hearing this spoken publicly by a woman from Wealthy Wang’s household—someone who was frequently “visited” by the corrupt constables—her words carried at least an eighty percent chance of truth!

“A demon?” Yan Wuyong paused, just about to respond when a deep beastly growl echoed from within the county office!

Everyone turned toward the sound, only to see a massive figure covered in razor-sharp spines emerging from the three-man-wide gate of the county office.

Judging by its appearance, it was unmistakably a porcupine…

Except its sheer size was enough to strike terror into one’s heart!

At a rough estimate, this creature must have weighed well over a thousand catty!

As it slowly stepped forward, the ground trembled beneath its every step, sending shockwaves through the earth.

“Demon! Demon!”

“Benefactor! You must leave at once!”

“It eats people!”

Wealthy Wang’s second concubine trembled all over, her legs weak as she desperately shook Yan Wuyong’s arm, hoping the man who had avenged her humiliation would flee immediately.

“Don’t worry. Demons… we’ve slain them before.” Yan Wuyong stepped past the woman, raising his hatchet and positioning himself before the pig demon, which towered over him by several heads.

“How amusing, truly amusing!”

“I never expected a mere mortal to have the audacity to claim he can slay a demon.”

“What makes you think you can?”

“With that broken hatchet in your hand?”

“Do you really believe that even if I stood here and let you hack at me, you could so much as cut a single hair off your Grandpa Pig?”

The pig demon looked down at Yan Wuyong with contempt, its gaze as if it were staring at an ant.

Then, its eyes shifted, landing on the severed head of the county magistrate rolling to the side. With a deep voice, it said, “I hadn’t known this magistrate for long, but he served me well.”

“He was quite obedient… always making sure to prepare fresh midnight snacks for me…”

“And now that you’ve killed him, both sentimentally and logically, I ought to tear you to pieces and avenge him, don’t you think?”

“To ravage the people, to feed on humans—though you are a demon, I can still slay you!” As these words fell, a murderous aura gathered around Yan Wuyong.

At that moment, the martial artists who had been hiding in the shadows stepped forth from all directions. Their faces filled with resolve, they shouted in unison, “So what if it’s a demon? A human can slay it too!”

“So what if it’s a demon? A human can slay it too!”

“Slay! Slay! Slay!”

More and more voices joined the chorus, even the people of Tianshui County could not help but roar alongside them.

In that instant, an invisible murderous intent surged into the heavens, stirring the winds and clouds!

At a roadside stall, Gu Ning’an lifted his eyes with interest and sighed, “A hero rises in chaotic times—even demons cannot stop him…”

Not far away, for the first time, the pig demon’s eyes widened in shock. It could hardly believe that a mere human had gathered such an overwhelming aura of slaughter!

Faintly, behind Yan Wuyong, it saw a sea of corpses and rivers of blood.

And standing atop that mountain of corpses—was a god of slaughter!

This world—fair and unfair all at once.

A demon with profound cultivation was ordinarily an insurmountable force, a gap that humans could not bridge with mere effort.

But when mortals learned to harness the strange and myriad forces of this world, that gap could be closed in an instant—or even reversed!

Sensing an immense threat, the pig demon cast aside its arrogance and launched a charge!

It intended to rely on its sheer physical strength to crush this mortal into paste!

Yet, Yan Wuyong made no move to dodge.

He did not retreat—he advanced.

With a forceful stomp, his entire figure shot forward like an arrow loosed from its bow. In the blink of an eye, he closed the distance and leaped high into the air, bringing his hatchet down in a vicious chop!

Pffft!

Foul, reeking blood gushed from the pig demon’s neck, spraying onto the nearby crowd, drenching them in crimson.

Boom!

A heavy thud echoed as a massive body crashed to the ground.

The fearsome pig demon had been decapitated in a single strike.

Its enormous corpse collapsed, kicking up a cloud of dust.