"Yes, of course you are qualified! Please take a seat, Young Hero Li!"
A warm smile appeared on Landlord Jin's face. To him, the stronger the Martial Artists exterminating the rats were, the better. Earlier, "Li Mu" had cleaved through the bamboo hat with his saber, yet Zhao Yi remained completely unharmed. Even though Landlord Jin was not a Martial Artist, he knew such precise control meant this strike was extraordinary.
"Please take a seat as well, Hero Zhao. Let us discuss exterminating the rats together," Landlord Jin said, not forgetting to comfort Zhao Yi.
However, Zhao Yi felt overwhelmingly ashamed. He cupped his hands at Landlord Jin and said, "I lack the necessary skill. I won't stay here and make a fool of myself. Farewell!"
With that, Zhao Yi resolutely turned and left.
"Hero Zhao, why must you do this?" Landlord Jin tried to make him stay.
Unfortunately, pride was to a man what bark was to a tree, and Zhao Yi had indeed made quite a name for himself in the Martial World. Having his hat shattered by "Li Mu" before he could even draw his own saber... if he had the audacity to stay, he would truly become a laughingstock.
Zhao Yi left, but there was still a sizable number of Martial Artists remaining to deal with the rats. Including Ji Qing, there were five in total.
Landlord Jin swept his gaze over the five of them before speaking, "I will have to trouble you five Heroes to help our Dahua Village exterminate the rats. Once successful, one thousand taels of silver will be offered as a reward. At that time, each of you five Heroes will receive two hundred taels of silver."
Ji Qing actually did not care much about the reward money. He valued the "large rat" more.
"Landlord Jin, I heard some rumors saying that the rat infestation in Dahua Village was actually caused by a massive rat. Its size is huge, and it might be a rat that has gained sentience. I wonder if this is true?" Ji Qing asked directly.
Landlord Jin had no intention of hiding anything. He nodded and said, "Actually, some Hunters went to clear out the rats previously, but they suffered heavy casualties. A few Hunters managed to escape, and according to their descriptions, this infestation is indeed led by a massive rat they call the 'Rat King.' This Rat King can even command large swarms of rats. It is very hard to kill."
Ji Qing fell into deep thought. Based on Landlord Jin's account, this large rat was very likely a Demon Monster.
"Even if this big rat really became a monster, the five of us can still slaughter it! Landlord Jin, where is this large rat? You better take us there quickly. The sooner we solve the rat problem, the sooner we can get our reward," one of the Martial Artists said nonchalantly.
"There is no need to rush, Heroes. Please, eat first! Once you have eaten and drunk your fill, I will find a Hunter to guide you. Then, you will naturally be led into the mountains to exterminate the rats."
Landlord Jin was a very thoughtful host to Ji Qing and the others, immediately arranging a sumptuous lunch. Everyone stood up and took their seats at the dining table.
Ji Qing carefully set down his bamboo basket. The others were quite perplexed. They wondered what exactly was in "Li Mu's" basket to warrant such caution.
Ji Qing gently patted the basket. Instantly, a small head poked out from inside.
"Brother, it smells so good." Ji Yao stared at the rich spread of food on the table, gulping repeatedly.
Landlord Jin was somewhat surprised. He asked, "Young Hero Li, who might this be?"
"My younger sister, Li Yao." Ji Qing had also given his sister an alias.
Ji Yao climbed out of the basket. The stools at the dining table were a bit low, so she couldn't even reach the table while seated.
Seeing this, Landlord Jin smiled and said, "Young Hero Li, my Suo'Er is about the same age as your sister. Why not let them eat together? Later this afternoon, when you Heroes go exterminate the rats, they can play together. What do you think, Young Hero Li?"
Ji Qing hesitated slightly. Bringing Ji Yao along to kill rats would definitely be inconvenient.
"Brother, you can go with peace of mind. I'll wait here for you to come back." Ji Yao was very sensible and knew she couldn't drag Ji Qing down.
Hearing this, Landlord Jin immediately shouted toward the outside, "Suo'Er!"
As soon as his voice fell, a beautifully fair young girl with a bit of baby fat quickly ran inside.
"Father, what did you call Suo'Er for?"
"Suo'Er, this is younger sister Li Yao. Take her to go eat, and the two of you can play together this afternoon."
"Okay, Father." Suo'Er blinked her large eyes, then immediately grabbed Ji Yao's hand and ran out.
At the dining table, Ji Qing essentially had no conversation with the other four Martial Artists. Landlord Jin, however, was quite the tactful host and constantly worked to liven up the atmosphere.
After finishing his meal, Ji Qing went to find Ji Yao. He saw Ji Yao and Jin Suo'Er squatting on the ground playing a game of knucklebones. Jin Suo'Er was chubby all over and wore gold and silver jewelry on her neck and wrists, looking incredibly endearing. Ji Yao also let out peals of laughter from time to time; both of them were having a great time.
Ji Qing fell into a daze. He wondered how long it had been since Ji Yao smiled. It seemed this was the first time he had seen her so happy since they left Liang City. He could roam the Martial World and wander the ends of the earth, but Ji Yao couldn't. The Martial World was not her home. This only further solidified Ji Qing's determination to bring Ji Yao to Anyang City and settle her down.
One Two-hour later.
Landlord Jin called over a Hunter. "Big Bull, you have been to the cave where the Rat King is located. You will lead the way for these five Heroes."
"Landlord Jin, we agreed that I would only take them to the Rat King's cave. I will not go inside!" Big Bull had been heavily bribed by Landlord Jin to come. Otherwise, he would never have agreed to be their guide.
"Alright, as you wish." Landlord Jin was also very generous, directly handing Big Bull fifty taels of silver.
Big Bull gritted his teeth and said, "Five Heroes, these are insect-repelling herbs. Keeping them on you will ward off the venomous bugs in the mountains."
Ji Qing and the other four did as instructed and carried the herbs on their persons.
"Landlord Jin, please watch over Yao for me."
"Set your mind at ease, Young Hero Li. I will have someone watch your sister."
Ji Qing nodded. Thus, the party of five followed the Hunter, Big Bull, into the mountains.
There was miasma, venomous insects, and thorns in the mountains. Fortunately, they had the prepared herbs and the experienced Hunter Big Bull leading the way. The group arrived at the bottom of a slope just one Two-hour later. Midway up the slope, they could see a deep, pitch-black cave.
Big Bull gazed at the cave, a trace of fear in his eyes. "Heroes, the rat swarm is hiding in that cave. However, there are many rat holes inside. During the day, the rats are all sleeping and basically inactive. Even if you go in now, you won't find many of them.
"Only at night will the rats come out to forage. At that time, the 'Rat King' will also reveal itself in the cave. As long as you kill the 'Rat King,' the rat infestation will naturally end."
Hero Wang of the Martial Hero Sect furrowed his brows. "We still have to wait until nightfall?"
There were still two or three Two-hours until nightfall.
"Never mind. Going in now will only alert the enemy. If the Rat King hides, I'm afraid no one will be able to find it. We will wait until nightfall to make our move!"
Thus, everyone found a spot nearby to rest. The four Sect Martial Artists gathered together, while Ji Qing sat alone under a tree to regulate his breathing. The two sides drew a clear line, not disturbing each other. Although they were all Martial Artists of the Martial World, Ji Qing and the other four were clearly not the same kind of people. As for cooperation? It was completely unnecessary; they would simply rely on their own methods when exterminating the rats.
Time flew by, and soon it was night.
The mountain breeze blew, bringing a trace of chill. Everyone stared intently at the cave. All five were Martial Artists of the Martial World with profound Inner Power. With acute hearing and sharp sight, they could clearly hear waves of SQUEAK SQUEAK coming from inside the cave. Clearly, the rats in the cave had begun to move.
"Huh?"
Suddenly, the Demon Monster Record in Ji Qing's mind began to vibrate violently. This meant the Demon Monster Record had sensed the aura of a "Demon Monster." Clearly, there was a Demon Monster nearby!
At the same time, a dense horde of rats swarmed out of the cave. The rats moved in packs, unexpectedly forming neat rows one after another without breaking formation. They were just like a highly disciplined army!
Everyone held their breath with rapt attention, not even daring to breathe loudly. Soon, a "giant rat" the size of a calf crawled out of the cave, guarded in the center by the multitudes of rats like stars orbiting the moon.
This was the Rat King! Not only was it as massive as a calf, but its entire body was completely bald without a single strand of hair. Its skin was blood-red, making it look incomparably hideous.
The Rat King leapt into the air, landing directly on a giant boulder outside the cave. Then, it raised its head toward the full moon in the sky, opened its mouth, and inhaled. A stream of bright moonlight was sucked into the Rat King's mouth.
Seeing this scene, everyone's hearts sank. This Rat King had truly become a monster! They wondered if it was absorbing the Essence of the Moon.