The blade in Gu Zheng's hand was a Divine Weapon he had commissioned from a Master of Weapon Casting at Famous Sword Manor. It had cost him over a thousand taels of silver and had taken three years of countless hammer blows to forge.
It could truly slice through iron as if it were mud, so sharp that a single falling hair would be severed on contact.
Because it was forged with Thousand-Year Cold Iron, the blade emanated a Frosty Cold Qi, and the wounds it left behind wouldn't heal for at least ten to fifteen days.
But now, the giant rat was healing in seconds, as if Gu Zheng hadn't even struck it.
SHLICK~!
With a flash of his blade, another deep gash appeared on the giant rat's neck.
As Gu Zheng twisted in mid-air, he clearly saw the wound begin to close the very instant it appeared.
In less than a second, it was as good as new.
'This Demon Fiend... its healing ability is insane.'
TAP! TAP!
Appalled, Gu Zheng landed. His body swayed as he fell back to the side, shouting, "Anesthetics, now!"
He immediately pulled a damp, pungent-smelling handkerchief from his robes and pressed it over his face.
The constables, who were just scrambling to their feet, heard his shout. They too quickly covered their faces with handkerchiefs, then pulled out small, palm-sized porcelain jars and hurled them at the giant rat.
CRASH~ CRASH~
The sound of shattering echoed through the clearing. Some jars struck the giant rat, others the ground, but wherever they broke, they released clouds of acrid smoke that the creature inhaled.
The giant rat shrieked. Bristling with crossbow arrows and spears, it staggered and charged about blindly. Its long, thick tail thrashed about, sweeping wildly from side to side.
Two more constables failed to dodge in time. They were struck and sent flying, blood spraying from their mouths.
SWISH!
Gu Zheng shot forward, slashing at it head-on.
SLASH! SLASH~
After two blindingly fast slashes, he swiftly retreated.
Its senses muddled by the anesthetic, the giant rat ignored the new wounds. It instinctively backed away, then lowered its head and charged in a new direction.
SWISH!
Gu Zheng was hot on its heels. He lunged forward, delivered three quick slashes, and pulled back again.
The giant rat shrieked, lashing out blindly as it changed direction once more.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
The constables with crossbows on the rooftops and in the treetops seized the opportunity. Coordinating with Gu Zheng, they fired a volley of crossbow arrows, cutting off the Demon Rat's escape and forcing it back into the clearing. The creature's body was now pierced by two more arrows.
Yet, the giant rat, now bristling like a porcupine, seemed to feel nothing, continuing to shriek and charge wildly.
Blade in hand, Gu Zheng shadowed the giant rat, watching its movements grow slower... and slower.
When the giant rat finally swayed and collapsed, lying still for a moment, Gu Zheng bellowed, "Hold!"
The word had barely left his lips when his figure blurred, and he shot toward it, his blade a dazzling flurry of overlapping strikes.
SHIK-SHIK-SHIK!
Ten strikes in a single instant. Each one landed on the exact same spot, faster than the flesh could heal.
Then, with a sickening squelch, a fountain of dark red blood erupted as the giant rat's head was forcefully severed. It thudded to the ground and rolled over three times.
Even headless, the flesh and tissue at the stump of the giant rat's neck writhed and pulsed, but ultimately, it could not grow a new head.
Healing is not Rebirth!
...
"Is it dead? Is it really dead?"
"Hahaha, the monster's dead! Mr. Gu chopped its head off! It's not moving an inch!"
"It's finally dead..."
In and around the clearing, the constables gazed at the headless body of the giant rat and erupted in cheers.
Haaaah...
Standing to the side, blade in hand, Gu Zheng steadied his breathing, then slowly exhaled. The foul air shot from his lips like a sharp arrow.
But he couldn't relax completely. His expression grim, he called out loudly, "It's not time to celebrate yet! Han Ming, Wang Meng, Li Yidao... the fifteen of you, split into three groups. Take torches and search the entire estate. Be on your guard for any other Demon Fiends that might be lurking here."
"...Yes, sir!"
The cheering men fell silent, their expressions turning serious as they acknowledged the order.
They were right. If there was another giant rat in the mansion, the mission would not be a success.
The men who had been named quickly formed groups and, torches in hand, began to cautiously search the surrounding area.
Those who remained behind kept a vigilant watch on the surroundings while tending to the wounded.
The three constables who had been sent flying by the giant rat's tail were not dead, but they were in terrible shape.
Their Iron Armor was deeply caved in, split by a vicious crack.
All three constables had every rib broken, and their internal organs were so badly shaken they had nearly ceased to function. They were all unconscious. They would need at least a year or two to recuperate, and even if they recovered, their careers as constables were over.
It was a testament to the terrifying power of the giant rat's tail.
The fact that Gu Zheng had been able to maneuver so effectively and avoid those sweeps was purely a testament to his agility, which he had pushed to its limit.
It was only now, as the headless Demon Rat lay motionless, that Gu Zheng noticed something odd: the creature's tail was a snake's tail!
'A rat's body with a snake's tail?'
...
After a moment of silence, Gu Zheng knelt and touched the dark red Demon Blood that had pooled on the ground.
The burning sensation was still there, but he didn't gain any Demon Points.
'Just as I thought. Bloodshed isn't the same as Demon Blood...'
Gu Zheng had already prepared himself for this, so he wasn't disappointed.
The Bloodshed he had obtained before looked different from regular Demon Blood.
'Is Bloodshed the essence of ordinary Demon Blood? Hidden deep within it?'
Gu Zheng rose to his feet, his mind racing as he scanned the Demon Blood splattered across the clearing.
"Chief, we've found something!"
A constable came running back, shouting to Gu Zheng, "I think we found the Demon Rat's den!"
"The rest of you, secure the area. I'll be right back."
With those words, Gu Zheng followed the constable, departing quickly.
The others, hearing this, had no choice but to remain behind. They began to discuss amongst themselves, their faces a mixture of envy and excitement.
"They found the den that fast? I wonder if there are any more Demon Rats inside."