Human Clan Defender

"Damn!"

Jiang Zuo spat out a mouthful of blood-tinged saliva and couldn't help cursing as he listened to the noise outside the door.

He had forgotten. In the past two days, he couldn't recall how much profanity he'd used.

Since entering Fengyun Village, Jiang Zuo and a few men from the Prefecture Yamen had been surrounded by Demon Evil.

Initially, Jiang Zuo wasn't sure about the extent of the Demon Evil in Fengyun Village. But now, he was almost certain. The Demon Evil in Fengyun Village was definitely Fiend Level. A Fiend Level Strange Monster!

Wherever it went, the leaking Yin Evil Aura from its body could turn ordinary people into Puppets. And these were quite different from the usual Corpse Puppets. They were fearless of death and pain. Their flesh wouldn't rot; instead, after transformation into Corpse Puppets, it became as hard as iron, and their strength was far greater than that of normal humans.

Most importantly, the Corpse Puppets transformed by a Fiend Level Strange Monster didn't carry any obvious Yin Evil Aura. This meant that unless they revealed themselves, even members of the Demon-Subduing Division would find it difficult to detect whether they were Puppets or real people.

The only solace was that, after all, a Puppet was still a Puppet and didn't have the Spirit Intellect of a normal person. Unless crafted by a special method, their behavior was purely instinctual, much like wild beasts.

Faced with a large number of Puppets, plus a hidden Fiend Level Strange Monster of unknown whereabouts, Jiang Zuo had no means of resistance and could only lead others to find places to hide within Fengyun Village.

Why not break out? The reason was quite simple. Mist enveloped Fengyun Village, a sealing method used by powerful Demon Evil. For an Innate Martial Artist to break through the seal was almost impossible.

"Officer Jiang, those things won't find us, will they!" Constable Wang from the Prefecture Yamen also had a panicked expression. Out of several constables, only he had survived thus far. The rest had all died at the hands of the Puppets.

Hearing this, Jiang Zuo glanced at him and then shook his head. "Survival is now a matter of human effort and fate. I've estimated the time; we've been trapped in Fengyun Village for about two days now. By rights, the Demon-Subduing Division should have sent someone by now. However, with many Grandmasters deployed with the armies, the Capital City likely has limited experts to dispatch. I'm not sure if they can arrive on time."

He looked helpless. Under normal circumstances, the Demon-Subduing Division should have already sent help. However, Jiang Zuo was well-aware of the current situation within the Demon-Subduing Division. Dealing with a Fiend Level Strange Monster required a Grandmaster to take action. Currently, there weren't many Grandmasters left in the Demon-Subduing Division. They would either have to call Grandmasters from other regions or have the powerful individuals from the imperial court take action.

One must know, the Grandmasters of the Capital City were not limited to those under the Demon-Subduing Division's control.

Yet, he couldn't be sure if the Fiend Level Strange Monster in Fengyun Village was the only one within the Capital City's vicinity. If it wasn't, even if the court's experts took action, they might not be able to spare attention for this place.

"Doesn't that mean we're doomed!" Constable Wang turned pale. Despite his righteous proclamations before entering Fengyun Village, when it came to life and death, anyone would feel afraid.

"Don't worry; we won't die in the short term as long as we can hide well. Fengyun Village is sizable, so even for that Demon Evil, finding us will take some effort," Jiang Zuo said, considerably more composed than Constable Wang.

After all, he was from the Demon-Subduing Division and had dealt with Demon Evil countless times. Even in a desperate situation, he wouldn't easily despair.

The original number of villagers in Fengyun Village was not small. However, in the initial clashes, Jiang Zuo and some men from the Prefecture Yamen joined forces to kill many Puppets, then seized the opportunity to break free. Consequently, the number of Puppets within Fengyun Village was not as high as it had been initially. Moreover, given the sizable area of Fengyun Village and using the houses as cover, those Puppets couldn't find them for the moment.

"Quiet!" Just as Constable Wang was about to speak, Jiang Zuo suddenly held up a finger, signaling him to keep silent. Then, he listened intently.

There were many slow footsteps outside, inching closer and closer. Moreover, they were accompanied by many loud noises.

"They're tearing down the houses!" Jiang Zuo's expression darkened.

Tearing down houses! Upon hearing this, Constable Wang's complexion turned utterly pale. If they were demolishing houses, it meant those things were running out of patience and were no longer willing to search bit by bit. If all the houses were torn down, they would have nowhere left to hide. At that point, they could only wait for death.

"What do we do now?"

"Don't panic; give me a moment to think. The Puppets outside aren't the issue. The only problem is the Fiend Level Strange Monster controlling them, which is hiding somewhere unknown. If we make a move, that Fiend Level Strange Monster might find us," Jiang Zuo reassured him.

He didn't disdain Constable Wang's reaction. Any normal person facing such a situation would feel fear.

Reassured, Constable Wang calmed down somewhat, but Jiang Zuo fell into deep thought.

He was contemplating how to buy time and escape from Fengyun Village.

Why has my luck plummeted in the past two years? Everything used to be fine. Now, every time I leave for a mission, there's a chance I'll encounter a Fiend Level Strange Monster. If this keeps up, I might even encounter Demon Evil! As he pondered, this thought uncontrollably surfaced in his mind.

Soon after, he secretly shook his head, banishing the terrifying speculation from his mind.

It's best not to think too much. The number of Fiend Level Strange Monsters might simply indicate that the Demon Evil side has grown stronger; it has nothing to do with my luck.

Besides, if we don't escape the current situation, never mind Demon Evil, we'll be captured by that Fiend Level Strange Monster for an extra meal today.

Time trickled away. The noise from the houses being dismantled grew increasingly pronounced. Eventually, even Constable Wang could hear the roaring sound and feel the subtle tremors of the earth.

"Wait a moment," said Jiang Zuo, before swiftly leaping out of the window, his body as nimble as a monkey, and his movements incredibly fast. In the dim light, an afterimage flashed and vanished as he silently ascended to the rooftop.

Lying low on the roof, and utilizing his ability to see at night, he surveyed the environment below. He saw Puppets tearing down houses. Thanks to their superior physical strength, the Puppets used their fists to smash the house walls, causing them to crack.

A moment later, Jiang Zuo slipped back into the house.

"Officer Jiang, how is it!" Constable Wang, who was anxiously waiting, asked immediately upon Jiang Zuo's return.

Jiang Zuo said, "Puppets are demolishing houses in all directions, and the encirclement is tightening. There's no way for us to leave without causing a disturbance now."

"What should we do?"

"At this point, our only choice is a desperate stand. We must first break through the Puppets' encirclement and then scatter and flee. That's our only chance for survival." Jiang Zuo made his decision on the spot.

Scatter and run. If there's only one Fiend Level Strange Monster in Fengyun Village, it can only target one of us. That way, the other person would have a much greater chance of survival.

He hadn't done so before because he didn't trust his luck. No choice. Numerous missions had left Jiang Zuo with serious doubts about his own luck. If they scattered, the Demon Evil would most likely target him. Facing a Fiend Level Strange Monster alone, he didn't believe he could hold his own. Therefore, Jiang Zuo would rather play hide-and-seek within Fengyun Village than gamble on that probability.

But now there was no other way. The Demon Evil had clearly grown impatient, hence sending Puppets to tighten the encirclement. If that's the case, we have to fight with our backs to the wall.

Constable Wang's expression changed uncertainly. After a long time, he took a deep breath and nodded, "Let's do as Officer Jiang says!"

"Good!" Jiang Zuo said, "We'll first join forces to break through in one direction, then split up. The dense fog outside the village is a confinement tactic used by the Demon Evil; it can confuse one's five senses, so it's best not to trust what you see or believe. The specifics are up to your own judgment now."

Having said this, he charged out of the house first, the considerable noise alerting the nearby Puppets.

Without hesitation, Jiang Zuo rushed in one direction, and the surrounding Puppets lunged at him, baring fangs and claws.

His long saber unsheathed. Its chilly light devoured the Puppets blocking his way. Even though the Puppets had bodies as tough as metal, in front of an Innate Martial Artist, they were like paper. Effortlessly, numerous Puppets were cut down.

As Jiang Zuo made his move, Constable Wang, only a beat slower, also burst out from inside and landed beside him.

"Break out!" Jiang Zuo roared, his long saber attacks relentless.

Constable Wang didn't reply. He drew the saber from his waist and joined Jiang Zuo in slaying the approaching Puppets. At the same time, they headed for the village exit.

The tremendous commotion continuously drew more Puppets, who swarmed them. However, neither Jiang Zuo nor Constable Wang showed any sign of pausing, resolutely heading out of the village.

Shortly, amidst the encircling Puppets, the two of them fought their way to the village entrance.

At that moment, a supremely mighty Yin Evil Aura exploded from within the village, creating a sensation so intense it felt as if it could change the very colors of the sky and clouds. Although Fengyun Village was shrouded in darkness, as if night had fallen, they instinctively turned to look toward the source of the aura.

"The Demon Evil has made its move! We split up and retreat. What happens next is down to luck," Jiang Zuo instructed.

Immediately, he plunged into the thick fog. Constable Wang, without a word, headed in another direction through the fog.