Becoming a Martial Master: Starting as a Swordsmith

There was a soft "plop" sound.

A stream of black blood gushed out from the cut, splattering all over him.

Immediately afterwards, the snake demon's body began to convulse violently, and a thick black mist erupted from its seven-inch spot, rapidly spreading outwards and shrouding everything in darkness.

boom!!!

Another muffled explosion rang out, and the snake demon's body was torn to pieces in the explosion, with blood and flesh flying everywhere!

However, because Shen Chu's strike had preemptively severed the connection between its demon core and body, the explosive power was greatly reduced, amounting to only the force of an ordinary explosive.

Although several people present were knocked over by the blast wave and splattered with blood and flesh, leaving them looking quite disheveled and covered in dust, none of them were in mortal danger.

The black fog gradually dissipated.

The moonlight once again shone into the courtyard of the county government office.

The ground was littered with fragments of the serpent demon's remains, and the air was thick with the stench of blood and burning; the scene was one of utter devastation.

Everyone was still in shock, looking at each other, speechless for a long time.

In the center of that chaotic wreckage, Shen Chu knelt on the ground, her body covered in black snake blood and mud.

He was currently clutching a perfectly round, dark gold bead tightly in his hand.

This must be the snake demon's core.

Under the cover of the black mist, he discreetly put the demon core into his pocket, and no one noticed his little action.

Situ Aotian was the first to recover from his shock.

She brushed the dust and blood off her clothes, her gaze towards Shen Chu filled with a complex scrutiny. After a moment of silence, she finally spoke:

"Brother Shen, how did you do that?"

Shen Chu's face was covered in blood, making it difficult to discern her expression.

"I had read similar records in books before, saying that the vital points of snake-like monsters are mostly in that area. I took a gamble, and I was lucky enough to succeed."

Situ Aotian stared at him for a long while, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes.

She didn't ask any further questions, but simply nodded slowly, then reached out and pulled Shen Chu up from the ground.

"Brother Shen, I'm so grateful, I can't thank you enough," she patted Shen Chu's shoulder, her voice filled with gratitude. "If you ever need my help in the future, please don't hesitate to ask!"

Uncle-Master Li, Xu Zhibao, Xu Qingqing, and the people from Qingyang Academy and Longchuan Sword Sect also gathered around.

Especially the disciples of Qingyang Academy,

There were many casualties, and the survivors looked at Shen Chu with eyes full of gratitude.

Several young disciples were even whispering among themselves:

"Just who is this Brother Shen? That strike was absolutely amazing!"

"I don't know, but his name will definitely be well-known in Changping County and even Qingyang Prefecture in the future."

Thinking of this,

The students of Qingyang Academy stepped forward to express their gratitude.

For a moment, cries of "Thank you for saving my life, Young Master Shen!" echoed one after another, making Shen Chu quite uncomfortable. He could only return the greetings with clasped hands.

As for the Longchuan Sword Sect, Shen Chu had clashed with them before, but considering the life-saving grace, Uncle Li thought for a moment and still stepped forward on behalf of everyone to express his gratitude.

After a lively exchange of thanks, everyone finally quieted down and breathed a long sigh of relief.

Although the process was tortuous and arduous

Although a considerable price was paid,

But no matter how you look at it,

The Crimson Lotus Sect was destroyed, the Blood Lotus Seal was broken, and the snake demon was also killed.

The catastrophe that swept through Changping County has finally come to an end.

Situ Aotian stood in the center of the messy courtyard, looked around at the scene, and let out a sigh of relief: "It's finally over... Tonight was really a lot of trouble."

Uncle Li, leaning on his long sword, sat down on the stone steps. He looked up at the bright moon in the night sky and murmured:

"Yes...it's over."

Shen Chu stood to the side, touching the warm demon core in her arms, feeling the abundant spiritual energy contained within, and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

But he also knew that the appearance of this demon core meant that his cultivation path had opened up a completely new possibility.

The secrets surrounding Hu Bai were far more unfathomable than he had imagined.

But those are things for the future.

.......

Amidst the ruins of the county government office, busy figures could be seen everywhere.

The disciples of the Longchuan Sword Sect suppressed their grief and carried their companions' bodies one by one to an open space, covering them with white cloths.

The students of Qingyang Academy were divided into several groups. One group was counting the remaining talismans and supplies, another group was transporting the wounded on makeshift stretchers, and yet another group was searching through household registers and land deeds in the county government's archives, preparing to begin registering the casualties and losses of the people in the city after dawn.

Situ Aotian stood in front of the county government hall, her clothes covered in a mess, but her expression had returned to its usual capable demeanor.

She was giving instructions to several students at the academy: "You, take a few men to the east of the city and go door-to-door to inform the people that the rebellion has been quelled, and tell them to go home and not to linger in the streets. You, go to the west of the city and find the grain shops and pharmacies that are still open, and tell them to open for business first thing tomorrow morning, as the government will purchase them at market prices. You, ride a horse to Qingyang County and report the situation in Changping County to the academy, requesting that they send officials and supplies to support you."

The three students accepted the order and left in a hurry.

Situ Aotian then turned to look at a disciple of the Longchuan Sword Sect:

"Please tell Uncle Li to lead a patrol around the city to prevent any remaining members of the Red Lotus Sect from lurking. Anyone who resists should be killed without mercy; those who are willing to surrender should be disarmed and detained until dawn before being interrogated."

The disciple clasped his hands in response, then turned and ran to find Uncle Li.

One instruction after another was issued from Situ Aotian's mouth, and was conveyed to everyone's ears in an orderly manner.

Under her direction, the chaotic scene gradually became orderly.

Hu Bai stood in a corner of the county government courtyard, watching Shen Chu walk out from the crowd. He opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something.

But seeing his hesitant expression, Shen Chu simply shook her head gently and gestured to him with her eyes.

Now is not the time to speak.

Hu Bai understood Shen Chu's meaning, nodded silently, and swallowed back the words that were about to come out.

Shen Chu knew in her heart that Hu Bai's secret was no small matter and could not be explained in a few words in such a noisy setting.

After all, if it weren't for Hu Bai's guidance at the crucial moment, he wouldn't have been able to find the snake demon's fatal weakness so accurately, nor would he have been able to kill the snake demon before it self-destructed.

The boy saved his life, and he saved the lives of everyone present.

As he was thinking, a familiar voice came from behind him.