Chapter 29: Deng Jiu'e's Assignment — Three Great Demons Attack!

It was now late March.

The spring planting had finished, and Four Seas Village had opened up a great deal of new farmland, all sown with rice.

The large number of Warriors who had appeared in the village were the finest laborers one could ask for.

Excellent at building houses.

Equally excellent at farming.

"Temple Priest, sir."

"The village currently has one thousand nine hundred and ninety-two residents, including one hundred and six children under the age of five."

"Among them: one mid second-grade Martial Master, eight peak first-grade Warriors, and sixty-eight mid first-grade Warriors."

Li Deyang stood behind Li Youming and reported.

"Go and fetch Deng Jiu'e, and also bring ten women from among the mid first-grade Warriors."

Li Youming instructed.

His gaze rested on the Spirit Field ahead, its Spiritual Energy swirling in a gentle haze. Even though it was already the second day, his heart was still stirred with excitement.

After all —

This was a Spirit Field.

Cangmu Town didn't have one.

The county seat had only one and a half acres.

Now Four Seas Village had one of their own. Naturally, it had to be cultivated with great care — no damage could be allowed.

Before long.

Deng Jiu'e came running over. She looked to be only twenty-one or twenty-two years old, slight and slender. She bowed respectfully and said:

"Temple Priest, sir, you sent for me?"

She had a pair of large, bright eyes. The hair that had looked dry and dull just yesterday was now lustrous and full after she had become a peak first-grade Warrior, and her skin had grown plump and radiant, her cheeks even carrying a touch of baby fat.

Behind her, ten female mid first-grade Warriors came running up in succession.

Among them were middle-aged women and young girls alike.

All ten bowed to Li Youming, their eyes filled with reverence.

Having received Lord Zhangyue's blessing and become Warriors —

Their standing in the village was no longer what it once was.

Even those who had once been farmwives waiting on their husbands had now become the pillars of their households, with their husbands waiting on them instead.

Not that the husbands had much choice.

The gap in martial strength was simply too great.

And they had the Temple Priest and the Village Chief backing them up.

"Deng Jiu'e, effective immediately, this one acre of Spirit Field is your responsibility."

"Planting, pest control, weeding, protection — all of it falls to you and these ten women."

"My one requirement."

"Is that the Spirit Field suffers not the slightest damage, and that the harvest is guaranteed."

Li Youming turned to face Deng Jiu'e and said in a firm, measured tone.

"Ah?"

"Me?"

Deng Jiu'e glanced at the Spirit Field ahead and immediately panicked, waving her hands in protest:

"Temple Priest, sir, I'm not up to this."

"I have no experience in such matters. I'm afraid I'll make a mess of it."

Before coming to Four Seas Village, she had been nothing more than an ordinary villager in the Land of Demons.

Back then, she had lived in constant terror of being devoured by some demon.

She had even feared what it would feel like when a demon ate her — whether it would hurt.

How could someone like her possibly handle something this important?

This Spirit Field was a divine gift bestowed by Lord Zhangyue himself.

She was terrified of failing and wasting what Lord Zhangyue had given, and equally terrified of letting down the Temple Priest's expectations.

"If I say you can do it, then you can."

"You are someone who has received Lord Zhangyue's divine blessing twice. Have confidence in yourself."

Li Youming patted Deng Jiu'e on the shoulder, his tone brooking no argument.

Then —

He turned his gaze to the ten female Warriors:

"All of you are to follow Deng Jiu'e's arrangements without question. If I hear of anyone paying lip service while doing as they please, don't blame me for what follows."

"Four Seas Village has never had the precedent of expelling a villager."

"Do not be the first."

His voice was not harsh, yet it sent a chill through all ten female Warriors, who quickly replied:

"Temple Priest, rest assured — we will follow Lady Deng's every instruction!"

As if they'd dare do otherwise —

If the Temple Priest expelled them from the village, how could they ever face their families again?

And being expelled meant losing Lord Zhangyue's protection.

In a world crawling with demons and evil spirits, how long would they last?

"These are the White Jade Spirit Rice seeds. They must be planted with the utmost care."

"These White Jade Spirit Rice seeds were also bestowed by Lord Zhangyue — they are extremely precious."

Li Youming solemnly produced the pouch of White Jade Spirit Rice seeds and placed it in Deng Jiu'e's hands, his expression grave.

Deng Jiu'e received it in a daze.

Not only had she been so deeply blessed by the divine, but the Temple Priest trusted her this much?

Two divine gifts, both entrusted to her…

Her expression hardened with resolve, and she gave a firm nod:

"Temple Priest, rest assured — I will not let you down!"

Li Youming smiled and nodded in approval.

* * *

Half a month later.

Deep in the night.

Li Youming was immersed in cultivation.

Suddenly, three earth-shaking bestial roars rang out from far away, shaking the mountains!

"Demons?"

He snapped awake at once, stepped out of his room, and looked toward the direction of the sound.

Even in the depths of night, by the faint light of the stars, he could make out three enormous demons standing atop a distant mountain peak, roaring toward Four Seas Village!

"The three demon leaders from the Land of Demons!"

Li Youming's eyes went cold.

The Land of Demons was home to many demons. Most were of modest cultivation — only lower second-grade, with a smaller number at mid second-grade or upper second-grade.

But among them were three demon leaders who had reached peak second-grade, no weaker than the wolf demon of Thousand Wolf Mountain.

And above those three demon leaders, there was said to be one great demon!

He understood.

These three demon leaders had come looking for trouble because of what he had done earlier — slaying seven demons in the Land of Demons and bringing back a large number of people.

But he wasn't worried in the slightest.

Where did they think they were?

This was Four Seas Village!

This was Lord Zhangyue's territory!

He still vividly remembered the awe-inspiring scene at Thousand Wolf Mountain — Lord Zhangyue's divine might manifesting, commanding the thunder of heaven and earth, slaying the wolf demon with a single strike.

What were these three demon leaders before Lord Zhangyue?

Nothing but walking corpses.

At this moment —

Lights came on in every household across Four Seas Village as people emerged from their homes.

Many of those who stepped out were Warriors, each with exceptional eyesight, gazing up at the three demons on the distant mountain peak without a trace of fear on their faces.

Under Lord Zhangyue's protection, demons dared to come and cause trouble here?

On the distant mountain peak.

A bear demon standing over ten meters tall had crimson eyes, the black fur on its arms bristling like steel needles. It looked down upon Four Seas Village as more and more lights flickered on, and bellowed:

"Who entered the Land of Demons and slaughtered my subordinates?!"

"Get out here and die!"

Beside it.

A dog demon reared up on its hind legs, standing even taller than the bear demon — nearly thirteen meters — and licked its lips as it stared at Four Seas Village, drool dripping steadily from its jaws.

This was a village it could devour at will!

Tonight it would eat a hundred of them!

And it would pick the tender, soft-skinned ones!

As for the third demon, it was a massive snow-white horse. It held its head high with an air of arrogance, as though it disdained to even speak.

"This is a place under the protection of an Ordained Earth God. How dare you wretches cause a disturbance here."

Li Youming stood before the Land God Shrine and shouted at the three demon leaders.

His voice rolled out through the night sky, carrying across five or six li to reach the ears of the three demon leaders.

"Ha ha ha —!"

"What Ordained Earth God!"

"There are no gods in this world!"

"Let me see just what kind of creature is masquerading as a god in this Four Seas Village of yours!"

"Today I'll eat your so-called god!"

The bear demon let out a cold, booming laugh, then its massive body leapt directly from the mountain peak and charged toward Four Seas Village!

The dog demon and the snow-white horse charged out as well.

A moment later —

They had already stormed into the boundaries of Four Seas Village.