My strength increases by one percent every day; I can destroy stars with my bare hands.

The people lived in fear and anxiety all night, and only when dawn broke did they finally feel at ease.

Everyone rushed out of their rooms to check, wanting to know whose house had been ravaged the night before.

"There are signs of a fight, possibly between government officials and demons."

The scene of last night's fight is still preserved, and many surrounding buildings have been destroyed.

"I heard that the army took over the security of the county town yesterday. It must be that the army fought against the demons."

Some well-informed people were overjoyed to learn that the government had already sent the army to take action.

"Great! With the army involved, perhaps we can really deal with the demons."

"The army is much stronger than the government, and we will be much safer in the future."

"We hope the army can eradicate the demons and restore peace to the city."

"..."

The army took over and fought a great battle with the demons last night, a stark contrast to the government's previous inaction. The people finally saw a glimmer of hope.

"Whose house was the one that had an accident last night?"

The people asked each other, trying to find out whose family was being targeted by demons.

"My son, who has seen my son?"

Just then, a disheveled couple rushed into the crowd, grabbing people and questioning them.

Upon witnessing this scene, the others immediately realized what kind of demon had attacked them last night.

"It's a soul-stealing demon that steals children; another family has been torn apart."

During this period, demons have been rampant and have been making constant attacks, and the people have become aware of some of their methods.

Among them, the Soul-Stealing Demon specializes in stealing children. It can put people into a deep sleep without them realizing it, and when they wake up, the child has already been taken away.

"Ugh!"

Some people shook their heads and sighed, suddenly realizing how difficult life was.

Barbarians and demons are about to attack, and monsters are rampaging through the city. Beset by internal and external troubles, there is nowhere to find peace.

"My child, my child..."

The couple sat slumped on the ground, looking utterly dejected and lifeless.

They were utterly devastated when they learned that their child had been murdered.

Two more couples rushed over, wailing and crying; their children had also been taken away the night before.

Just as the group was feeling numb and desperate, a squad of soldiers and constables approached them.

"They're from the military and government, get out of the way."

As the soldiers and yamen runners approached, the crowd hurriedly made way for them, not daring to obstruct them.

Song Wen came to the center of the crowd, and the soldiers behind him carried out three children.

"My child, my child."

The people who had lost their children were overjoyed to see them again. They disregarded their fear of the officials and rushed forward to take their children back.

"Give them to them."

Song Wen did not stop them and let them take their children back.

"Thank you, sir. Thank you, sir..."

After their children were found, the couples hugged their children tightly and kowtowed repeatedly to Song Wen and the others.

Song Wen stopped them, shouting, "Last night, demons stole children, but we discovered them. Lord Li arrived at top speed, drove the demons away, and retrieved the children."

These words immediately caused an uproar.

"Last night I heard someone fighting with demons, and I thought it was my imagination, but it turns out I heard it right."

"We were able to have peace last night because Lord Li defeated the demons."

"That's great! I hope Lord Li can completely eliminate the demons."

"..."

The crowd cheered with joy and anticipation, hoping that Li Xuancang could slay the demons and end the days of fear and unease.

Song Wen continued loudly, "Lord Li is personally overseeing the yamen and will not tolerate the rampant demons. Anyone who discovers any traces of demons or anything suspicious should immediately report to Lord Li at the yamen or to the patrol team."

Song Wen relayed Li Xuancang's orders.

Li Xuancang intends to mobilize the power of the people to expose the demons and monsters, leaving them nowhere to hide and revealing even the slightest clues.

After conveying the order, Song Wen and the others left, leaving behind a crowd of people discussing the matter.

"I have heard of this Lord Li. He is the one who transported grain back to the county seat and killed hundreds of barbarians."

Some people had heard of Li Xuancang's reputation and knew that he was a fierce and daring man.

With such a formidable figure presiding over the government office and dealing with demons, the people could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"Everyone must carefully observe their surroundings. If any abnormalities are found, report them to Lord Li immediately so that we can resolve the demons as soon as possible and restore peace and order to Xuan Yang City."

As long as the demons are not eliminated, no one will have a day of peace.

Encouraged by what happened last night, the people were determined to help the army find the demon's whereabouts and completely eliminate it.

It seemed that the army had taken over the city's security, and the demons did not make a move for several days in a row.

Li Xuancang, however, was not careless at all and ordered all teams to patrol continuously.

Demons harming people is like people needing to eat; it's an instinct ingrained in their bones. They can endure it for a few days, but they can't endure it forever.

Li Xuancang guessed that the demons were about to make a move, so he put on his armor and sat in the government office, ready to act immediately once a signal was given.

In the dead of night, the streets and alleys of the county town were deathly silent, with only the footsteps of the night patrol soldiers echoing on the empty stone-paved roads.

Inside a residential house in Dongcheng, there was no sign of life.

When a small patrol team arrived, they were immediately struck by the strong, pungent smell of blood in the air.

"Something's wrong, everyone be careful."

Sensing something amiss, the squad leader hurriedly issued a warning.

Everyone was on high alert, drawing their weapons and cautiously looking around.

"Go in and check."

Everyone was on edge, approaching cautiously.

"Bang!"

A soldier kicked open the tightly closed door, and the sight that greeted everyone sent chills down their spines and made them feel cold all over.

The room was filled with a strong, sweet, and pungent smell of blood. The family of three lay sprawled on the ground, their bodies shriveled and withered, their life essence drained away, and they were already lifeless.

Three bluish-black zombies with stiff fur lay beside the corpse, their fangs protruding and crimson blood dripping from their mouths.

The murky eyes of the corpse slowly turned toward the patrolling soldiers who broke down the door. They exuded a chilling, bone-chilling aura of death, and their stiff bodies began to move.

Their bodies were stiff, their flesh like hardened black iron, devoid of any trace of human life. They were the legendary bloodthirsty zombie demons that sucked life essence and were impervious to swords and spears.

"Retreat now!"

At the squad leader's shout, everyone hurriedly retreated from the room, raised their torches, and surrounded the three-headed zombie.

"It's a zombie! Signal now!"

The squad leader roared, gripping his long sword tightly, his expression one of extreme horror.

He knew that these zombie demons had incredibly strong bodies, and ordinary weapons couldn't harm them at all. The only way to kill them was to immediately call for help.

"call out!"

A blinding red signal flare pierced the darkness of the night and exploded in the sky above the eastern part of the city, its light dazzling.