Seventy-five miles east of Xuantian Sect lay Danyang County. This place, adjacent to Sheng River, saw the river turn a fiery red during sunrise and sunset.
Next to Danyang County, at the center of Sheng River, stood a strange round rock formation. Under the crimson glow of the river, it resembled a black pill, which gave Danyang County its name.
Danyang County, famous for its scenic beauty, had long attracted countless visitors. But for the past half year, the town had been shrouded in gloom. Even the tourists that once brought life and prosperity to the area had dwindled, fearing attacks by demon rats or contracting the plague.
With the spread of the plague, the townspeople lived in fear. Once welcoming, the county had become unwelcoming, and its streets fell eerily quiet. The nearby villages and farmlands, overrun by demon rats, were in ruins, and sorrow filled the air.
Lin Li, who had yet to master the art of flying, rode a black horse at full speed, and after less than three days, finally arrived within the borders of Danyang County.
Along the way, he saw no smiling faces—only expressions of grief and despair. Occasionally, he passed villages where the groans of those afflicted by the plague echoed faintly.
At last, the distant city walls of Danyang County came into view.
Lin Li's spirits lifted. He spurred the black horse onward, its speed increasing.
As he galloped through the farmland, a peasant woman suddenly appeared in his path.
"Whoa!" Lin Li pulled the reins sharply, causing the horse to rear, nearly throwing him off.
Fortunately, Lin Li's cultivation granted him balance, preventing him from being thrown by the abrupt stop.
"What are you doing, blocking the road like this?" Lin Li frowned, dismounting and sternly addressing the woman.
"Help! Please help!" The woman, panic-stricken, crawled on her hands and knees toward Lin Li, clutching at his leg. "My child! My child! Please…"
"Calm down. Tell me slowly," Lin Li said, his brow furrowed, thinking: Could it be demon rats?
"My daughter… she's only fourteen years old!" The woman, though about thirty, looked weathered beyond her years. Her once-pretty features were now marked by hardship. "A vile man, taking advantage of the chaos with the plague and his brother's position as a local constable, has been terrorizing the village! The officials are too preoccupied to care about common folk like us, and that scoundrel took my daughter…"
"I see," Lin Li's frown deepened.
To think that amidst this demonic calamity, there were still humans exploiting the situation for their own vile deeds.
"I can see that you must be a heroic man from the martial world," the woman pleaded. "Please, save my daughter! I'll do anything—serve you as a slave, anything…"
"Stand up, ma'am," Lin Li said firmly, his brows still knitted. "Let me handle this."
…
Zhao Village, outside Danyang County.
"Zhao Auntie! Who's that behind you?"
"Whoa, look at that fine horse!"
"Zhao Auntie, who's this young man?"
As they passed through the village, several peasant women greeted the woman who had stopped Lin Li.
But Zhao Auntie's face was filled with anger. She forced a smile and replied, "This is someone I've brought to help."
Her words were met with doubt. "Even if this young man seems skilled, how can he possibly stand against Zhao De Zhu?"
"Zhao De Zhu's older brother is a constable! He's taught Zhao De Zhu plenty of martial skills. Even if this young man can defeat Zhao De Zhu, what happens when his brother comes looking for revenge?"
"Zhao Auntie, why not accept it? Zhao De Zhu taking your daughter may not be the worst outcome…"
"Bullshit!" Zhao Auntie's eyes flared in anger. "If he came to marry her honorably, of course, that would be a blessing! But everyone knows that Zhao De Zhu only bullies the village and snatches women by force! How can I let him defile my daughter?"
She turned to Lin Li and bowed deeply. Although she was not yet forty, the hardships of life had aged her, and tears rolled down her weathered cheeks. "Please, I beg you…"
"Don't worry," Lin Li waved his hand dismissively. "This is a minor matter. Lead the way."
"Thank you, kind sir!"
…
"No… no! Help! Save me! You can't! Don't touch me there… No! Don't rip my clothes… sob…"
As they approached a crude earthen house on the west side of Zhao Village, Lin Li could hear the helpless cries of a young girl from inside.
"My daughter's been gone for almost the time it takes to burn a stick of incense! If we don't hurry, it'll be too late!" Zhao Auntie's face turned pale with fear.
Fury ignited in Lin Li's heart. He channeled the Xuantian Infinite Breathing Technique, infusing his legs with spiritual energy.
With a swift motion, Lin Li moved like an arrow, shooting forward at a speed far beyond that of ordinary people.
"What?!"
Zhao Auntie's eyes widened in shock at Lin Li's supernatural speed, and she gasped in surprise. She tried to chase after him, but there was no way she could keep up.
Within moments, Lin Li had reached the earthen house.
Bang!
With a single kick, Lin Li smashed the barred wooden door open.
In an instant, he stepped inside and turned his head to see a scene that filled him with disgust.
A young girl, her face streaked with tears, was lying terrified, her clothes torn, exposing bruises and scratches on her pale skin.
She struggled with all her might, keeping her legs pressed together, and when she saw Lin Li enter, her fear only deepened.
"You bastard! Who are you?" The man assaulting the girl, a scruffy, unkempt man in his early twenties with a fierce expression, turned to Lin Li and barked angrily.
"Hmph!" Lin Li snorted coldly and drew the Bloodsucking Demon Sword—formerly the form of Ye Fan—and shouted, "I've been entrusted by Zhao Auntie to rescue her daughter! You filthy beast, how dare you commit such atrocities against a young girl! Prepare to die!"
"Haha… hahaha!"
To Lin Li's surprise, the man didn't seem afraid at all. Instead, he laughed hysterically.
As he laughed, his voice became sharper, and his eyes turned cold, filled with a beast-like gleam that shimmered green. His body started to sprout thick hair.
Within just a few breaths, he had transformed, looking less human and more like a hunched, gray-haired beastman. "How did you know I wasn't human?"
"Hahaha! I'd like to see you play the hero now!" he sneered, his voice growing ever more inhuman. "So many so-called heroes have already died at my hands!"
The young girl, seeing the transformation, sobbed even more in terror.