Chapter 9: The "Rat Extermination" Notice!
Although it was already August, the weather had not yet cooled down.
Even in the morning, the air was filled with heat.
Ji Qing sat under a large Dahuai tree, practicing the Rising Sun Skill with the morning sun.
Half an hour later, Ji Qing slowly opened his eyes.
It had been more than ten days since he left the ruined temple.
During these ten days, Ji Qing had persisted in practicing the Rising Sun Skill every morning.
His internal energy had improved quite a bit, but compared to using source points to enhance it before, it was still too slow.
Ji Qing: Third-rate martial artist
Jade Skill: Great Accomplishment (Internal energy burst, 30% increase)
Rising Sun Skill: Entry-level
Thirteen Road Fast Saber: Great Accomplishment (Ultimate move: One Line Sky)
Flying on Grass: Minor Accomplishment
source point: 0 points
Ji Qing opened the demon record to check his current situation.
The Rising Sun Skill was still at the entry-level.
To reach "Minor Accomplishment" at the current rate, it would take at least a few years of hard work.
"If I had source points, the Rising Sun Skill could quickly reach Great Accomplishment or even Great Accomplishment. But source points can only be obtained by killing demons, and where are the demons?"
Ji Qing had been on the run from Liang City for so long, yet he hadn't encountered any demons, so he naturally couldn't obtain source points.
"Brother, have you finished your practice?"
A small head poked out from the backpack behind Ji Qing.
"Yes, let's eat some dry rations and set off early."
Ji Qing calculated the journey; he should reach Anyang City in about ten more days.
After eating some dry rations with cold water, the two set off.
Ji Qing still took country roads, never main roads.
On both sides of the country roads were fields of golden rice. It was harvest season, and judging by the look of the rice, it should be ready for official harvesting in about ten days.
"Hmm?"
After walking a few miles, Ji Qing suddenly saw many farmers in some rice fields ahead, rushing to harvest the rice.
These rice grains were clearly not fully ripe yet.
Harvesting them now would affect the quality and yield of the rice.
"Hurry, hurry, cut them all down, otherwise, by night, these grains will be ruined by those rats again."
"A few days ago, Old Man Wang's three mu of rice fields were all ruined by rats. His whole family depended on those few mu of rice to live, and now that the food is gone, they can only sell their children."
"Our Dahuai Village never had a rat plague before, so why did we get one this year? I heard there's a big rat among that group of rats. Someone saw it; its head and body were like a small calf."
"You're just spouting nonsense. If there really was a rat as big as a small calf, wouldn't that mean the rat had become a demon?"
"Don't disbelieve it; it really is a rat that has become a demon. Didn't you see that Jin Yuanwai has even posted a 'Rat Extermination' notice? Jin Yuanwai is spending a lot of money to recruit martial arts masters to exterminate the rats. If it wasn't a rat demon, would Jin Yuanwai need to recruit martial arts masters?"
Several farmers chatted while rushing to harvest in the fields, and Ji Qing overheard them as he passed by.
"A rat demon?"
Ji Qing's heart stirred.
If it really was a rat as big as a small calf, then it was definitely a rat demon!
He was worried about not encountering demons and thus not being able to obtain source points.
Now was his chance!
However, the farmers were only spreading hearsay. Ji Qing still needed to find out if it was truly a rat demon.
"Excuse me, where is the 'Rat Extermination' notice posted by Jin Yuanwai?"
Ji Qing asked the farmers.
"Young man, are you also a martial artist?"
"Yes."
"Your attire also suggests so."
The farmer carefully scrutinized Ji Qing from head to toe.
"The 'Rat Extermination' notice posted by Jin Yuanwai is on the courtyard wall about three miles ahead. Just take down the notice and go directly into the courtyard to find Jin Yuanwai. Young man, exterminating rats is no joke. That big rat is very fierce. I heard that some experienced hunters went to exterminate rats before, but they lost their lives."
The simple and kind farmer did not forget to remind Ji Qing that rat extermination was very dangerous.
"Thank you for the warning."
Seeing the sun growing more scorching, and knowing the farmers' hard lives, Ji Qing tossed a silver coin to the farmer as a token of gratitude.
Ji Qing followed the path for three miles and indeed saw an imposing large courtyard.
He arrived outside the courtyard wall and saw a "Rat Extermination" notice.
Ji Qing immediately took down the notice and went to the courtyard gate.
"You took down the rat extermination notice?"
Ji Qing nodded.
"Then please follow me."
A servant led Ji Qing into the courtyard and into the main hall.
Ji Qing saw a slightly stout middle-aged man in a silk robe sitting in the principal seat in the hall; he was likely Jin Yuanwai.
On both sides of the hall sat many people, all dressed as martial artists, who were presumably also there to exterminate rats.
Jin Yuanwai asked with a smile, "How should I address you, young hero?"
"Li Mu."
Ji Qing used an alias.
"Which sect or school does Young Hero Li come from?"
"A lone wanderer of the martial world, without sect or school."
Before Jin Yuanwai could speak, the martial artists in the hall all laughed.
"This friend, we have already discussed this. We have already eliminated some people who were just making up the numbers. Those who remain are martial artists with some renown in the martial world. Since you are a lone wanderer of the martial world, without sect or school, please leave quickly."
One of the martial artists spoke.
Ji Qing frowned, his gaze sweeping over the several martial artists in the hall, and he asked calmly, "Then what sects or schools do you belong to?"
"This is Young Hero Jiang of the Flowing Sand Sword Sect, this is Great Hero Wang of the Valiant Gate, this is Great Hero Zhao of the Swallow Gate…"
These people indeed had names and reputations, and came from various martial arts sects.
Ji Qing's gaze gradually settled on a martial artist wearing a bamboo hat and holding a long saber.
He stood up, walked over to the person, and asked, "Who are you, sir?"
"Tiger Saber Sect, Zhao Yi. What, do you want to compare saber skills with me?"
Ji Qing nodded.
Zhao Yi's expression was somewhat displeased.
With so many martial artists in the hall, "Li Mu" didn't seek out anyone else, but specifically chose him.
Didn't that mean he thought he was an easy target, easy to bully?
A hint of anger appeared on Zhao Yi's face.
The other martial artists did not stop them, but watched the scene with interest.
Since they were all martial artists, their background, reputation, and so on might sometimes be useful.
But if they really wanted to compete, they had to prove themselves with their skills.
Zhao Yi was not someone to be trifled with; he was a good hand in the Tiger Saber Sect.
"Li Mu" seeking out Zhao Yi was asking for trouble!
"We can't really fight here, let's go to…"
Before Zhao Yi could finish speaking, a crisp sound reached his ears.
"Clang."
This was the sound of a saber being drawn!
Zhao Yi's heart was filled with immense shock.
The moment he heard the sound of the saber being drawn, his vision was filled only with a dazzling flash of light.
The sharp blade instantly enveloped him, giving him a feeling as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.
His hand subconsciously gripped the saber hilt.
But before he could draw his saber.
The next moment, the white light disappeared, and even the sharp blade disappeared.
Ji Qing had already sheathed his saber.
"Crack."
The bamboo hat on Zhao Yi's head split in two down the middle and burst apart.
Seeing this, although Zhao Yi was unharmed, he still broke out in a cold sweat.
But then Zhao Yi's face turned beet red.
Humiliation!
Too humiliating!
He, a dignified disciple of the Tiger Saber Sect, who had practiced saber skills for nearly twenty years, didn't even get a chance to draw his saber?
He didn't even see if "Li Mu's" saber had actually left its sheath?
How fast was that saber strike?
Silence!
The entire hall suddenly seemed to fall into a deathly silence.
"I wonder if I, Li, am qualified to exterminate rats?"
Ji Qing looked at Jin Yuanwai and asked calmly.