"You're awake, huh? Hey, kid, you took quite a hit this time. Your wound hasn't healed yet, so take a break for a couple of days. It's no big deal. Don't overexert yourself using Cloud Qi."
Tie Dan got up, and Senior Brother Yue was roasting chicken over the campfire.
"By the way, who is Lady Yuan? You were calling out for her in your sleep. Is she your mother?"
Tie Dan shook his head and silently pulled out the iron sword from under his pillow, carefully wiping it down.
The sword was two feet long, made of cast iron, with a Beichen Golden Saber Talisman drawn in vermillion on the sword spine. While it wasn't a magic treasure, Senior Brother Yue had bought this handy weapon for him from a blacksmith's shop, considering his height and arm length. Yet, a sword is a sword, used for cutting down people. It needs to be sharpened and the blade protected day and night. It would be too late to hone it right before a battle.
"Tch, you really are a silent one. Three whacks and still no reaction. Even a sword poke won't make you utter a word. You're way too quiet."
Yue Peng shook his head helplessly and tore off a chicken leg for him.
Tie Dan frowned,
"Where's the chicken from?"
"Oh, I went for a stroll up ahead and came across a village. Not sure what disaster struck there, but no one's left, and chickens are running all over the place.
It's clear this wasn't the work of wild animals or bandits. There must be some demon causing trouble nearby. Perfect, we can kill the demon and get the elixir, helping you find treasures to establish your foundation."
Tie Dan took the chicken leg and looked at it,
"Demon?"
"Ha? You don't know about demons? They're those bizarre creatures that murder and eat people. What, you've never seen a demon?"
Tie Dan shook his head.
"Makes sense, if you'd seen one, you wouldn't be around anymore. The Northern Plain army is stationed there, so there shouldn't be many demons left."
Yue Peng pondered for a moment, devouring the remaining chicken leg, then used the bone to draw a circle on the ground,
"Here is Guangxia Mountain."
Then, he drew three large circles around Guangxia Mountain, to the south, north, and east,
"To the south is Kun Country's Jindu City. To the north is Dui Country's Liangzhou Prefecture. To the east is the Western Town Army Guard, all territories of the Demon Palace."
He tossed the bone into the campfire and wiped his hands on his green robe,
"Everywhere else, it's all demons."
"All of it?"
Tie Dan frowned in confusion, looking between the circle of Guangxia Mountain and the northern one.
Not looking at Liangzhou, but further north.
Yue Peng understood his curiosity and chuckled, with his big and small eyes,
"With us brothers guarding you with our swords, nothing with eyes would dare show itself on our path. Alright, eat up, and let's hit the road after."
Tie Dan saw that Senior Brother Yue was fine after eating, so he gnawed on the chicken leg, strapped the iron sword to his back, and stood up.
However, Yue Peng remained squatting, calmly tearing at a chicken wing, pointing to the southwest, where the sky was dimming over the mountains.
"While I'm here, those things won't come out. The village is in that direction. Just keep walking until the monster appears, and then chop it down. If you can handle it alone, I won't help.
If you can't deal with it, just shout 'Good Senior Brother, save me!' three times, and I'll come to your rescue."
He then started savoring the wing again.
Tie Dan didn't argue, nodded, and set off with the iron sword toward where the wing was pointing.
The evening was gradually turning dark, quickly obscuring the puddles along the path. In the tranquil nighttime mountains, the dry, twisted branches looked like figures with outstretched claws, neither human nor beast.
Tie Dan wasn't afraid of walking at night, though he wasn't quite used to it yet.
Because he used to crawl before.
Crouching on the ground, moving on all fours, he relied on scent to track the smells and traces left by passing prey.
But after joining Guangxia Mountain, his master forbade him from crawling.
You are a person; you must walk upright.
Saying is one thing, but walking upright means missing the traps underfoot and arrows from behind.
"Crack."
Hearing the sound of a branch snapping from behind, downwind, Tie Dan didn't hesitate, crouched low, lifted his hips, and sprang forward on all fours, darting into the woods at a diagonal angle.
The creature following him was startled. It was planning to hold its breath and hide, getting closer before making a move but didn't expect the kid to react so decisively, running off without even a glance back. Caught off guard, it instinctively took a couple of steps to follow.
Following Tie Dan's lead, it leaped into the woods, only to be met with a sword energy slicing through the dead branches, cutting it clean in half!
"Aaaagh!"
Hearing the inhuman shriek from behind, Tie Dan continued without looking back, and didn't stop until he sprinted over fifty paces away. Suddenly, he came to a halt, held his breath, made a wide loop, and silently circled back to the downwind side to peer back.
On the ground lay a beast, severed cleanly at the waist, with blood gushing out, already dead.
Tie Dan lay on the ground listening for a while, ensuring there were no other presences around. Then he drew his sword and unleashed a sword wind from afar, slicing off the beast's head from a distance before approaching for a closer look.
Demon... it shouldn't be referring to this thing. It appeared to be a yellow rat, surprisingly humanoid in size, even walking upright on its hind legs, seemingly on the verge of becoming a demon.
Just an ordinary beast, teeth not even as sharp as a dog's.
Tie Dan coated the sword blade with sword energy and dissected the body, extracting a bloody flesh ball. He then dug up some mud and decayed leaves, wrapped them into a fist-sized dirt ball to mask the blood scent, placed it in his bundle, and continued southwest.
It wasn't long before he found the village Yue spoke of, yet Tie Dan didn't see chickens running amok; only saw, from afar, dim lights flickering in the mountain stream, illuminating each household. Shadows stood lining the windows, seemingly spotting him as soon as he set foot in the village, all pressed against the windows, watching him through yellowed paper.
If it were any other kid his age, they'd probably be scared out of their wits right now, calling for "Senior Brother, save me!"
But Tie Dan was truly unafraid.
Not out of bravado, but after seeing enough dead bodies, there's nothing left to fear.
In fact, sometimes Tie Dan truly felt that there was nothing in the world more reassuring than the dead.
The dead don't lie.
"From where does this swordsman hail!"
As soon as he stepped into the village, a ghostly female voice whispered from behind, like a cold winter breeze creeping into his collar.
"Yanzi Peak."
Tie Dan sniffed, picking up no live scent, and twitched his ears, hearing no human sound either. Unconcealed, he gathered his killing intention, right hand on the sword hilt, left hand forming the sword technique. He drew his iron sword and advanced slowly, the sword blade cloaked in Green Qi, casting a ghostly glow on his youthful face.
"To where does this swordsman march!"
The location of the voice shifted unpredictably, now emanating from the front, atop a large locust tree in the village center.
"Nine Yin Mountain."
The voice hesitated, followed by wild laughter, "Hehehe!" "Hahaha!" "Hohoho!" Laughter echoed from all around, above and below, spreading in waves as if the heavens and earth were mocking the boy.
"Overestimating yourself!!!"
If this person laughed while manipulating Qi to teleport, flying lightly through the air, then this silent, phantom-like skill would be unheard of, with cultivation high enough to rival even Chen Huzi...
What nonsense! Evil spirits at best, playing tricks!
With a sidestep, a toe tapped, neither moving forward nor retreating!
Tie Dan suddenly dashed sideways. Stamping a foot, he kicked a door open and thrust his sword at the shadow behind the window!
"Squeak-squeak——!"
This strike pierced the brow of a human skin standing tall at the window, impaling a yellow rat hiding within. It squeaked, vomiting blood,
"Spare me, Swordsman! Spare my humble life!"
Tie Dan said nothing, flicking his wrist and flipping the blade, sending the rat's head flying with a spray of blood, revealing a bowl-sized scar.
A group of yellow rats donning human skins burst through doors, leapt from trees, vaulted over walls, surrounding the hut tightly, chattering noisily.
"Such cruel hands!" "It's a swordsman from Guangxia Mountain!" "Disciple of Tianku Old Monster!" "A smell of roasted chicken! He's the one! He's the one who stole our chickens!" "Kill him! Kill him!" "Flay him! Eat his flesh! Drink his blood!" "He seems to understand our language..."
"Squeak——!"
Suddenly! Amid the noisy chatter by the rat crowd! A massive yellow rat! Broke through from the earth! Swiping a claw at Tie Dan's guts!
"Puh!" A claw reached the gut! Snatching a handful of blood from Tie Dan!
"Ha! Fool! Ha-squeak——!"
But the giant yellow rat barely finished two breaths before a sword was thrust into its throat, emerging through its neck!
Indeed, what it had grabbed was the flesh Demon Core Tie Dan had just extracted and hidden at his chest!
Wolf Head was right; these beasts love blood and human flesh, always attacking the most blood-filled area.
So Tie Dan began his breathing exercise.
"Hiss——"
A slash opened up the spine, raising soaring sword energy, splattering waves of hot blood, carving a crescent sword wind slicing through the human-skinned rats!
"Hah——"
The sword swift like wind pierced through the blood sea with a streak of azure light, once again piercing through the largest and loudest heartbeat yellow rat, killing it on the spot!
"Hiss——Hah——Hiss——Hah——Hiss——Hah——"
The slaughter began.
No superfluous movements.
No fancy sword dance.
In rhythm with his breathing, thrust with each breath, retrieve the blade with the inhalation.
One thrust, one sweep, one thrust, one sweep...
A single breath Qi, circulating through the young man's mouth and nostrils, roved like a clouded dragon.
The azure smoke Dao Breath swirling around his eyes, akin to a cloud-dragon exhaling mist, frigid pupils, cold sword shadows, were mercilessly churning up a surging blood sea, reducing bones, meat slices, blood broth...
All cut down beneath the sword.
Yue Peng squatted on a dead tree in the village entrance, wide-eyed, watching his newly initiated junior brother, only using a single breath Qi, performing a single style of sword, slashing through the human-skinned rats like slicing through melons and vegetables.
"...Didn't you say you hadn't seen a demon before?"
"Never seen, oh,"
Tie Dan wiped the blood on the sword with his green robe's edge, finally realizing,
"Is this it?"
Then he sliced off another rat's head, shrugged, and once again fell silent.
Yue Peng figured this kid would be the death of him someday.

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