The air carried a metallic scent.
The desolate wilderness stretched endlessly with withered grass, devoid of any signs of life.
Jiang Yuechu stood there, staring blankly at everything before her.
She still couldn't accept how she had traveled from being a modern person of the 21st century to inhabiting the body of an unfamiliar woman.
Fragmented memories surged into her mind.
The Shenzhou Land, the Great Tang Dynasty.
Demons ran rampant, feasting on human flesh and blood, wreaking havoc across the world.
But why was she, a woman with no strength to even truss a chicken, in this desolate wilderness?
Jiang Yuechu stood up and looked around.
Corpses were scattered everywhere.
Most of them wore gray prison uniforms, identical to the one she had on.
Others were dressed in black, with red cloud patterns embroidered on their collars and cuffs.
At the edge of her vision, a massive figure leaned against a giant rock.
As the outline of the figure became clear, Jiang Yuechu's breath caught.
A human body with a tiger's head, its physique as robust as a small mountain.
Even though it was lifeless, the aura of ferocity still emanated, making one's heart tighten.
There was a huge hole in its chest, with black demon blood flowing all over the ground.
A demon!
Thankfully... it was dead.
She let out half a sigh of relief, but her gaze was drawn to another figure not far from the tiger demon.
That person was also dressed in black with red patterns, standing tall.
But at this moment, he was half-kneeling on the ground, a broken blade stabbed into the soil before him, supporting him from collapsing.
He was covered in wounds, his left arm twisted unnaturally, his chest rising and falling weakly, clearly at the end of his strength.
In the wilderness, the wind howled ominously.
Apart from this black-clothed person and herself, there were no other survivors.
Jiang Yuechu instinctively held her breath and quietly took a step back.
The half-kneeling black-clothed person seemed to sense her movement and turned his head with difficulty.
His face was young, probably in his early twenties.
But now, he looked pale, his lips cracked, clearly not in good condition.
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He saw Jiang Yuechu and, in a hoarse voice barely audible, uttered two words.
"Come here."
"......"
Just because you say come here, I should?
Jiang Yuechu muttered to herself.
She remembered.
The previous owner of this body was the only daughter of a high-ranking official in the capital.
But when her father was convicted, the entire family was implicated, and she was demoted to a lowly status and exiled to the frontier.
And this half-dead man before her was the officer escorting them.
The Demon-Suppressing Bureau.
Mentioning the Demon-Suppressing Bureau, everyone within the Great Tang would turn pale.
Rumor had it that when the Bureau's riders came knocking, it was as if the King of Hell himself had arrived.
Children would not dare to cry at night upon hearing their name.
Moreover, being exiled to the frontier meant a fate worse than death.
It might be better to run now and perhaps find a way to survive.
Jiang Yuechu made up her mind.
She quietly retreated, turned around, and was about to take a step.
A sharp sound of something cutting through the air suddenly arose.
"Whoosh!"
Half of the broken blade embedded itself in the ground half a step in front of her.
Jiang Yuechu froze, cold sweat instantly soaking her back.
What a fierce dying man!
In such a situation, to casually throw with such skill!
If he had the intent to kill, her head would not be much warmer than the dead bodies on the ground.
Jiang Yuechu took a deep breath, feeling frustrated.
Fine.
If you say come here, then come here!
Under the eaves, one must bow their head.
She stiffly turned around and shuffled over.
The man raised his head, watching her chicken-like movements, and his lips seemed to twitch slightly.
He had indeed used the last bit of his strength to throw that broken blade.
If she had been determined to run, he could only watch helplessly.
Fortunately, this action had already intimidated the girl before him.
"Help me up."
Perhaps fearing she wouldn't comply, he added, "I am Pei Changqing, Captain of the Longyou Demon-Suppressing Bureau."
Introducing himself was a gesture of sincerity.
He took a breath, his gaze falling on her still-frightened face.
"I know you want to run... but can you really escape... as a lowly fugitive without any papers or identification, even if you miraculously reach the next town, then what?"
"If you do as I say, afterward, I promise to free you from your lowly status and restore your freedom."
Jiang Yuechu listened, rolling her eyes internally.
Damn!
Promising the moon to me?
In her previous life, how many times had her boss filled her with empty promises and motivational speeches?
And what was the result?
She hadn't accumulated enough blessings and met the King of Hell early.
However, what he said was true.
In her current situation, running away was indeed the worst option.
A defenseless ancient woman trying to survive in a demon-infested wilderness had a probability close to zero.
Moreover, even though this guy was half-dead now, who knew if he had any tricks up his sleeve?
If he got angry and killed her with a single blow, that would be a real loss.
Weighing the pros and cons, Jiang Yuechu gritted her teeth and nodded.
"......Alright."
She cautiously stepped forward, reaching out to support Pei Changqing's arm.
The place she touched was scorching hot, and even through the fabric, she could feel the frighteningly high temperature of his body.
The smell of blood and sweat mixed together, and the scent was far from pleasant.
"This side."
Pei Changqing gestured with his chin to his uninjured right arm.
Jiang Yuechu had no choice but to move to the other side, struggling to place his right arm over her frail shoulder.
So heavy!
The weight of the man's entire body almost pressed down on her, causing Jiang Yuechu to stagger, nearly sending both of them tumbling to the ground.
She gritted her teeth, using all her strength, barely managing to lift him off the ground.
Pei Changqing was very tall, and now most of his body leaned on her, his feet dragging on the ground, making each step incredibly difficult.
"Which... way..." Jiang Yuechu panted heavily.
"South."
Jiang Yuechu said no more, focusing on dragging the troublesome man step by step in the direction he indicated.
But just as they took a few steps.
Behind them, an unusual sound arose.
"Cough... cough cough..."
At that moment, both Jiang Yuechu and Pei Changqing froze.
Then came a long sigh.
"Sigh..."
"Don't run."
"In this desolate wilderness, where do you think you can go?"
Jiang Yuechu felt as if fate had left her no way out.
They say the dead cannot come back to life...
But no one told her that demons couldn't!
Her grip loosened suddenly, forgetting to hold on.
"Ugh!"
The heavily injured Pei Changqing let out a muffled groan, falling straight to the ground.
But he had no heart to blame her.
Pei Changqing's face turned pale, his eyes fixed on the slowly rising figure not far away.
The massive, bloody hole in the tiger demon's chest was still terrifying.
But it acted as if nothing was wrong... or rather, as if it was no longer a concern, twisting its thick neck, producing a series of cracking sounds.
It looked at the stunned pair, grinning.
"Surprised, aren't you..."
"Did you really think that a few mediocre Demon Suppression Guards, along with you, a mere captain, could kill me?"
Cold sweat seeped from Pei Changqing's back.
How could this be!
That last strike had clearly pierced the tiger demon's heart.
He had been slaying demons for years and couldn't possibly have mistaken it.
But the tiger demon before him, apart from the still ferocious bloody hole in its chest, showed no signs of weakness.
Unless...
A thought rose from the depths of Pei Changqing's mind.
This demon had already half-stepped into the Resonating Bone Stage!
It was said that demon cultivation differed from that of human martial artists.
Once their muscles and bones resonated, they could awaken their innate magical abilities!
Whether it was rebirth from a drop of blood or manipulating illusions, it was extraordinarily strange.
But why would such a great demon appear here?
Why would a mere group of exiled prisoners be worth its personal intervention?
To rescue someone?
It clearly didn't care about the lives of these prisoners.
In a flash, Pei Changqing had no time to think further.
He forcibly stirred the last remnant of energy and blood within him, disregarding the future consequences, and bent down to pick up a saber from the ground, left by an unknown colleague.
"Die!"
With a furious shout, Pei Changqing lunged forward, the saber in his hand slashing angrily at the tiger demon's neck.
Yet.
The tiger demon neither dodged nor avoided, raising its right leg, striking first with a kick.
Bang!
A dull thud.
Pei Changqing's body flew backward, crashing heavily at Jiang Yuechu's feet, the saber in his hand falling beside him.
This scene extinguished the last bit of hope in Jiang Yuechu's heart.
Damn!
Just crossed over, and it's bad enough to become a weak woman, but now I'm about to be devoured by a demon?
What is this?
The tiger demon licked its large palm, its thick tongue curling with barbs.
It wasn't in a hurry, instead taking the time to persuade:
"Human life is full of suffering, wouldn't it be better to be freed sooner? Don't resist anymore."
"Rest easy, in the future, I will dig graves and erect tombstones for you, as a way of doing good deeds."
"......"
To hell with that!
I've only been here for a few minutes?
If I die like this, I'd definitely top the list of the most pathetic transmigrators.
And at the very top.
Just as Jiang Yuechu was about to despair completely.
An ancient scroll unfolded before her eyes.
Golden characters appeared line by line.
[Host: Jiang Yuechu]
[Realm: Mortal Realm]
[Martial Arts: None]
[Tao Practice: Zero (By slaying creatures, you can gain corresponding Tao practice.
By consuming Tao practice, you can use demon blood as ink, the Hundred Demon Compendium as the scroll, to paint their forms and seize their abilities.
You can also use it for your own techniques, unleashing the power of the corresponding years of Tao practice in a single use.)]
This... this is...
A cheat ability?!
Having read countless web novels in her past life, she was naturally familiar with it.
But now, what use is this cheat ability?
Slay creatures? Gain Tao practice?
Where would she gain Tao practice?!
How could she, a defenseless mortal, slay that tiger demon?
Jiang Yuechu took a deep breath, bending down to pick up the saber that had fallen to the ground.
The hilt was still warm.
"Cough..."
Pei Changqing on the ground unexpectedly regained consciousness, opening his eyes just in time to see the girl's silhouette standing with the saber.
His face was full of bitterness.
This girl had some courage.
But unfortunately, it was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.
How could a mortal body hope to find a chance of survival in the hands of this demon?
The tiger demon watched with great interest, "Even ants cling to life, do you still want to..."
Jiang Yuechu, however, did not look at the tiger demon.
She lowered her head, her long hair covering most of her face.
Her arm trembled slightly.
In her mind, the words were crystal clear.
Slay creatures, gain Tao practice.
In this wilderness, apart from the unkillable tiger demon, the only other living being...
Was the dying man at her feet.
"Sorry..."
The low voice made Pei Changqing pause.
"What...?"
But before he could understand what she meant.
The next second.
Pfft.
The saber plunged into his chest.
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The Three Mortal Realms: Hearing the Strings - Resonating Bone - Core Formation
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