Chapter 5: 10 Terrifying Fox Demons

The very first line of this letter was saturated with venom and fury.

"To the people of Shengyun County, I have returned. From this day on, I will drag Shengyun County into a hell from which there is no escape. Everything you did to me, I will repay in kind, piece by piece, until you are all utterly destroyed."

From that one simple sentence, Shen Bai could feel the profound depth of the resentment within.

The letter went on to explain his recent actions. He had commanded the Fox Demon to kill the constables, and the destruction of this village was the price they had to pay for killing it.

There was another line that caught Shen Bai’s attention.

"I have prepared a wonderful gift for you in this village. I’m sure you’ll love it."

’A gift? What kind of gift?’

Shen Bai stroked his chin. "Chief Zheng, has there ever been anyone like this in Shengyun County’s past?"

Chief Zheng shook his head. "I’ve never known of anyone who hated Shengyun County this much. In all my years on duty here, nothing like this has ever happened."

Shen Bai nodded.

’Chief Zheng is a veteran in Shengyun County. If even he doesn’t know anything, then investigating this will probably be next to impossible.’

But Shen Bai was more concerned with the last sentence.

’The man said he left a gift in this village, but whatever it is, it hasn’t appeared yet.’

Just as Shen Bai was thinking this, a sudden rustling sound came from all around.

As the sound arose, a cold wind began to swirl through the village.

The wind was faint at first, but it rapidly intensified.

Along with the wind, Shen Bai heard a series of whimpers rise up one after another from the outskirts of the small village.

Shen Bai wasn’t the only one who sensed it; the other constables noticed it too, their eyes scanning the surroundings.

At the edges of their vision, pairs of ghastly green eyes emerged from the darkness surrounding the village.

When Shen Bai turned to look, he saw ten snow-white foxes pacing in the darkness.

A cold, sinister presence emanated from the foxes, as if they were wreathed in Yin Feng.

Their ghastly green eyes shone with an eerie light, enough to make one’s blood run cold.

Unsettling.

Fox Demon aberrations.

A full ten of them!

Shen Bai narrowed his eyes, thinking, ’Looks like this trip is going to be a profitable one.’

But another question arose in his mind.

’Controlling even a single Fox Demon requires paying a terrible price. To be able to handle this many... just what kind of power does this person possess?’

’Counting the two from before, that makes twelve Fox Demons in total. Even for a powerful individual, the strain would be immense. Yet here they are, real as day, proving that the person behind the scenes can withstand it.’

Shen Bai couldn’t figure out how it was possible. The situation had become extremely dangerous.

A grave expression appeared on Chief Zheng’s face as he tightened his grip on his long saber.

The last encounter with just two Fox Demons had nearly ended in disaster for them. If not for the mysterious figure’s intervention, they would have all been done for.

Now, faced with ten Fox Demons, Chief Zheng felt this night might very well be a battle to the death.

"Zhou Qing, waste no time! Get Shopkeeper Shen and his people out of here!"

Chief Zheng ordered.

As far as the Government Office went, Chief Zheng was a decent man.

At the very least, as Chief Constable, he genuinely worked for the good of the people.

Even at a critical moment like this, Chief Zheng’s first thought was to ensure Shen Bai and his group were safe.

Zhou Qing nodded but said nothing, his gaze instinctively falling upon Shen Bai.

’Protect Shen Bai?’

’He’s got it all wrong.’

’It should be Shen Bai helping them.’

’He was the only one in this group who knew just how powerful Shen Bai was.’

But since Shen Bai hadn’t said anything, Zhou Qing, as his good friend, naturally kept his mouth shut as well.

While the men were deliberating, the Fox Demons grew more ferocious.

Then, each of the Fox Demons began to transform.

The pack of Fox Demons took on the form of fox-headed, human-bodied creatures.

Their heads were those of terrifying foxes, but their bodies were the smooth, naked forms of women, giving them an endlessly bewitching appearance.

The stark contrast made for an incredibly bizarre sight.

But no one had time to dwell on the strangeness, because the Fox Demons had already attacked.

A terrifying blast of wind ripped through the village.

In an instant, the ten Fox Demons were upon them.

"Engage them! And be careful!"

Chief Zheng roared, his long saber humming as he charged the two nearest Fox Demons.

He intended to take on two at once to relieve some of the pressure, at least buying enough time for his constables to engage the others.

With two of the Fox Demons occupied, the remaining eight clashed with the constables.

The constables engaged the Fox Demons in a chaotic melee, and Zhou Qing joined the fray.

However, Zhou Qing stayed close to Shen Bai, making a show of trying to escort him out of the village.

Shen Bai remained still, his eyes gleaming as he watched the Fox Demons.

After a long moment, Shen Bai placed a hand on the hilt of the longsword at his waist.

’It’s time to act.’

’There were three reasons.’

’First, these Fox Demons are aberrations, which to him are just sources of Evil Qi. With ten of them, he could gain ten wisps of Evil Qi.’

’That was a critically important resource.’

’Second, the situation was critical. The constables were steadily losing ground, and Zhou Qing was one of them.’

’If he didn’t intervene, it was very likely that his only true friend in Shengyun County would die right here.’

’Third, the fiend from the Upper Evil Sect was unpredictable and his methods were ruthless. With the great tomb about to open, Shen Bai wouldn’t be able to stay hidden for long anyway.’

’He might as well act decisively. He could even leverage the Government Office’s intelligence network. There was no point in hiding anymore.’

’Each of the three reasons was important. For Shen Bai, weighing the risks and rewards, the benefits far outweighed the dangers.’

As Shen Bai slowly drew his longsword, the sound of steel scraping against sheath was steady yet chilling in the dark of night.

Chief Zheng, in the midst of the fight, caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye and saw that Shen Bai had drawn his longsword. He shouted,

"Shopkeeper Shen, get out of this village, now! A normal person can’t harm these aberrations, even with a sword!"

It was a well-intentioned warning. After all, in his and the other constables’ eyes, Shen Bai was just an ordinary person. Plus, given his connection to Zhou Qing, Chief Zheng didn’t want to see him get hurt.

Shen Bai sighed. "I didn’t want to get involved, but in a situation like this, what choice do I have?"

As soon as he spoke, a blood-red sword light, blazing with awe-inspiring righteous power, suddenly flashed through the darkness.

The very night seemed to recoil from the Sword Qi.

Countless streams of Sword Qi surged toward the nearest Fox Demons.

With several sickening thuds, three Fox Demons were pierced through by the Sword Qi and pinned to the ground, where they struggled in agony.

The surroundings fell deathly silent. Everyone present was completely stunned.