Surviving in a world of demons and monsters to achieve martial arts sainthood

On the training ground at dawn, thirty trainee demon-suppressing envoys stood in stances with their swords, practicing the first move of the "Demon-Subduing Sword Technique," as usual.

After several days of practice, nearly ten people have now mastered the first move of the "Demon Subduing Blade Technique" to the beginner level.

Shen Lian was one of them.

With Wang Lin breaking through to the Body Tempering Realm, the competitive spirit of the other trainee Demon Suppressors was also aroused, and they trained even harder, hoping to break through to the Body Tempering Realm as soon as possible.

Many of them, though not yet having formed martial arts imprints, have increasingly abundant qi and blood within their bodies, and are only one step away from a breakthrough.

Shen Lian gripped his longsword tightly, feeling the surging blood and qi within his body. The power brought by the Body Tempering Realm gave him more confidence.

Zhao Shan's sharp gaze swept across the training ground, taking in the posture and strength of each person wielding their sword.

"stop!"

At his command, everyone sheathed their swords and stood at attention.

Zhao Shan walked to the front of the line and said in a deep voice, "You have been in the sect for nearly two months. You have all mastered the 'Tiger Subduing Stance' and have begun to understand the 'Mountain Splitting Style'. Furthermore, Wang Lin and a few others have officially entered the Body Tempering Realm and become martial artists."

He looked at everyone and continued, "The Demon Suppression Division trains you so that you can truly draw your swords to slay demons and protect the peace of the region."

Starting tonight, all trainee demon slayers will participate in night patrols.

"Night patrol?!"

This word has made many people's hearts jump.

Qinghe County at night is not as safe as during the day; most of the rumored strange events occur during this time.

"Good, night patrol." Zhao Shan said seriously, "You don't need to go deep into dangerous areas. Your main task is to patrol the three main streets and alleys around the Demon Suppression Division, and assist the Demon Suppression Envoys stationed at the city gate in checking for suspicious signs. This is also to let you get used to it in advance."

Hearing Zhao Shan's words, many trainee demon slayers became excited, especially Wang Lin and others who had broken through to the Body Tempering Realm. After so long of diligently practicing the "Tiger Subduing Stance" and the "Demon Subduing Blade Technique," they finally had a chance to show their skills.

Li Hu asked nervously, "Brother Lian, tonight... we're going out on patrol? What if we really run into demons?"

Shen Lian gripped the standard longsword at his waist and said in a deep voice, "Night patrols are our duty as demon slayers. Just be careful. Even if we encounter demons and can't defeat them, we can still run away."

Li Hu took a deep breath and then nodded.

……

That night, the moon was hidden and the stars were few.

The autumn night wind carried a chill as it swept across the training ground.

Thirty trainee demon slayers stood upright in the training ground.

Zhao Shan stood at the very front, his gaze sweeping over everyone present.

"Tonight is your first night patrol."

Zhao Shan said in a low voice, "There have been unusual occurrences in West Street of Qinghe County recently. Our task tonight is to patrol various parts of West Street in groups."

In case of an emergency, immediately issue a warning and do not engage the enemy without authorization.

Everyone's breathing tightened slightly, a mixture of tension and excitement.

For more than a month, they have been practicing stance training, memorizing the demon and monster encyclopedia, and swinging their swords thousands of times every day, all for this moment.

"This is Chen Biao, a junior officer. He will lead the patrol tonight," the middle-aged man next to Zhao Shan introduced. "Everyone must obey Junior Officer Chen's orders and must not act on their own."

Chen Biao scanned the group and shouted, "Night patrol rules: three people per group, patrolling along designated routes. If you encounter anything suspicious, warn them immediately; do not act rashly. If you encounter demons, retreat immediately after warning them; survival is the priority."

These words made many people's hearts tighten.

Chen Biao divided the thirty trainee demon-suppressing envoys into ten groups.

Shen Lian and Li Hu were assigned to the same group. The other person was a woman named Chen Yun. She was one of the first people to master the "Tiger Subduing Stake" and had solid swordsmanship. Although she had not broken through to the Body Tempering Realm, her strength was still considerable.

[Combat Strength]: 4~7

Shen Lian could tell at a glance Chen Yun's combat power data. She hadn't even broken through to the Body Tempering Realm yet, but she already had a combat power of 4 to 7, which was already quite good.

"Set off!"

Chen Biao immediately ordered ten squads to set off and begin today's night patrol mission.

West Street is a relatively bustling area in Qinghe County. During the day, it is full of vendors, but it becomes much quieter at night, with hardly any pedestrians to be seen.

Shen Lian, Li Hu, and Chen Yun were dressed in flying fish robes and carried standard long swords at their waists. This was their first time carrying out a night patrol mission, so they were inevitably a little nervous.

Chen Yun walked at the front. She was petite and walked with a steady gait. Her right hand was always on the hilt of her knife, and her eyes were scanning both sides warily.

Li Hu followed closely beside Shen Lian, cautiously looking around.

The streets and alleys are very narrow, and the houses on both sides are low.

Moonlight shone in the center of the bluestone path.

A stray cat darted by, making a slight noise, which startled Li Hu so much that he almost drew his sword.

"Calm down." Shen Lian pressed down on his wrist, his gaze sweeping over the surroundings.

Li Hu swallowed hard and whispered, "Brother Lian, why do I feel... this alley is much colder and more gloomy than during the day?"

Shen Lian lowered his voice and said, "Be careful. West Street has been rather unsafe lately, especially after nightfall."

"I...I understand." Li Hu tried to straighten his back.

Chen Yun glanced back at them, said nothing, and simply nodded.

The three walked slowly along the bluestone path. Apart from their own footsteps, the only sound was the whistling of the wind through the cracks in the roof tiles.

Shen Lian and his two companions patrolled until they reached an abandoned old house deep in West Street.

The gate to the front yard was ajar and swaying. It was pitch black inside, and it was impossible to see what was going on inside.

Li Hu whispered, "Brother Lian, should we... go in and take a look?"

Chen Yun turned to look at Shen Lian, wanting to know what he meant.

Shen Lian shook his head slightly and said in a low voice, "Chen Xiaoqi said that this kind of place should not be entered rashly. Something's wrong with this house. Can you smell it?"

Chen Yun and Li Hu took a closer sniff, and their expressions both changed.

Bloody smell!

And it was extremely strong; something seemed amiss.

Clang!

Just then, a loud thud was heard from inside the courtyard, as if a heavy object had fallen to the ground.

The three men immediately became alert and drew their swords almost simultaneously.

Shen Lian took a step forward, shielding Li Hu and Chen Yun behind him. His long sword pointed diagonally at the ground, his blood and qi surging within him, and his senses as a Body Tempering Realm martial artist were fully released.

"There's something inside..." Shen Lian said in a deep voice.

He gripped the hilt of his sword, his gaze fixed on the courtyard gate. After becoming a Body Tempering Realm martial artist, his hearing had become much sharper, and he could clearly hear the slightest sounds within thirty feet, indicating that there had been some movement within the courtyard.

squeak-

The gate to the courtyard was slowly pushed open, and a hunched old woman came out. She was wearing a faded coarse cloth dress and carrying a worn-out wooden bucket.

The old woman looked up at Shen Lian and his two companions, grinning, and said, "Gentlemen, is there something you need so late?"

When Li Hu saw that it was an old woman, he breathed a sigh of relief: "Grandma, why are you still outside so late? What's in this bucket...?"

"Killing a chicken." The old woman picked up the wooden bucket, from which dark red liquid was still dripping—it was fresh blood. "My son is coming back tomorrow; I'll make him some soup to nourish him."