Follow the path of Dao from infancy

Chapter 74: Chapter 71 Meritorious Service

Whose flying sword is this!

Has a Fifteen Li Realm expert arrived?!

Everyone was pleasantly surprised, looking around—could it be the Xia Family had come?

As Song Yueyao was stunned, an image popped into her mind, but the person she recalled previously wielded a damaged demon-slaying saber, not this sword. Could it really be the Xia Family?

Speaking of which, where is that guy?

Song Yueyao couldn’t help but look around, yet she did not see Li Hao’s figure.

Similarly, she did not see any generals from the Xia Family; perhaps they were standing somewhere out of sight.

While everyone was rejoicing, the remaining Great Demons were panicked and disordered.

This sudden change was completely unexpected!

Reinforcements? The Xia Family?

No matter what it was, the Red Eyebrow Taoist was dead!

Even he was instantly killed; the other remaining Divine Travel Realm demons didn’t stand a chance.

Moreover, it was said that the Red Eyebrow Taoist had cultivated in the Holy Palace, possessed a millennium of Taoist practice, and was an extremely strong existence even among those in the Fifteen Li Realm.

The Giant Strength True God from the Black Wind Mountain Range, who was once a tyrant outside Cangyu City, known as the Giant God Demon King, was also defeated by the Red Eyebrow Taoist and had no choice but to obey his command.

However, faced with a Fifteen Li Realm expert from the Xia Family, was the Red Eyebrow Taoist really so vulnerable?

The demons were terrified and hastily began to retreat, no longer caring about the demon tide below them.

And as the Great Demons fled, the other Soul Succession Realm demons also saw the situation—the Red Eyebrow Demon King had fallen. How could they continue to fight?

The hordes of demons behind were still rushing forward, but the demons in front were already frantically turning to flee.

Their collisions with each other caused the entire demon tide to become chaotic.

Meanwhile, after the flying sword killed the Red Eyebrow Taoist, Li Hao continued to maneuver it through the battlefield, pursuing the escaping Divine Travel Realm Great Demons.

These Great Demons had the power to regroup and come back; Li Hao naturally would not spare them.

The sword light was like divine lightning, swiftly passing through the battlefield. The fleeing Divine Travel Realm Great Demons, stricken with terror, tried to resist, using their life-saving Demon Art. But under the divine speed and immense power of the flying sword, they stood no chance, effortlessly pierced through with no suspense.

One by one, the Great Demons screamed as they fell.

These Great Demons could only scatter and hope that Li Hao’s Object Control range wouldn’t be enough to catch up with them.

But as Li Hao operated the flying sword, he himself began to move, flying towards the north of the city.

Seeing this, Wei Feng, who had been ready to retreat, changed his mind. With Li Hao as a strong Fifteen Li Realm expert by their side, it seemed unlikely that the city would be taken, unless it was by a Heavenly Human Realm Great Demon.

And if that were the case, why would a Heavenly Human Realm Great Demon need the help of other demons and cause such a commotion?

Laying waste to a city would be just a matter of casual effort, a task that could be completed in the time it takes to burn a stick of incense.

But a Heavenly Human Realm Great Demon entering the region would be even more dangerous—if it committed such a massacre, it would definitely be pursued to the ends of the earth by the Five Great Divine General Mansions, and so they rarely invaded alone.

If they invaded mixed within the demon race forces at the border, they would not be individually marked for pursuit, and it would also be easier to retreat back into the demon realm to save themselves.

Thinking of this, Wei Feng immediately took Ren Qianqian and Li Yuanzhao and leapt forward to pursue, wanting to see the outcome of the battle for themselves.

With him at their side, if the situation turned bad, he could also retreat to safety in time.

At the same time, with Li Hao himself in action, the range of his Object Control expanded. The Divine Travel Realm Great Demons had not even escaped the battlefield before they were cut down one by one.

“How can his Object Control distance be so far!!”

A Great Demon that had shrunk into a small ball of black fog heard the whistling wind behind it and showed deep despair in its eyes.

Whoosh!

The sword light flashed by, shattering the black fog.

After all eight Divine Travel Realm Great Demons perished, Li Hao maneuvered the flying sword to turn and slash towards the demon tide.

The sword light sewed through the demon tide like threading a needle, with blood splattering incessantly as the demons were reaped crazily.

The once ferocious demon tide, in the blink of an eye, was left with nothing but a tragic sea of blood and countless corpses. The remaining demons scattered and fled.

Seeing this, the city defenders immediately called to others to pursue and attack.

Liu Shunqing and the Qi Family also led their disciples, rushing out to hunt down the demons—a rare opportunity to earn merit.

In less than half the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, the demon tide had collapsed.

Gazing at the demon corpses littering beneath the city walls, and notably the most striking Red Jiao’s body, severed into three sections, many of the City Defense Army felt as if they were dreaming.

They had already despaired, even having written their wills and left them in their military tents, yet they ended up successfully defending the city.

An attack by demons?

Under the onslaught of the flying sword, it seemed almost farcical—the ferocious buildup ended abruptly.

The demon clouds hovering in the north, following the death of the Red Eyebrow Taoist and the successive deaths of other Divine Travel Realm Great Demons, had already dispersed, and the sky returned to clarity.

Atop the city walls, soldiers and officers alike cheered with raised hands.

When Yue Shuhong rushed over, all he saw was the scattered demon horde and couldn’t help being stunned.

Twenty years of deceitful coexistence with demons and painstaking efforts… all defeated by a single youth with a sword?

Besides being emotionally stirred, he also felt an unspeakable sadness and bitterness.

Seeking help everywhere, pleading, but it was all as fleeting as bubbles.

What was the point of all his compromising and struggling over the years?

He knew well that only strength could clear every obstacle.

But since his transfer here, with official duties weighing on him, how much spare time did he have to cultivate?

He stood speechless, looking up to the sky with a light sigh.

The tide of demons had ended. Given the number of their dead and injured, Cangyu City should have no fear of demon intrusions for decades to come.

But what about himself?

He smiled bitterly, then composed himself and walked towards Li Hao.

“Li Family’s young master, I, Yue Shuhong, shamelessly represent all the people of Cangyu City in thanking you for your aid!”

Yue Shuhong’s expression was solemn, hands clasped together, eyes grave, as he bowed deeply to Li Hao.

Li Hao beckoned with his hand, and the flying sword in the distance came floating over like a cloud, landing in his palm.

He looked at the city defender beside him, a middle-aged man with a tanned, rugged face bearing the marks of exposure to the elements.

“It was a trifle, no need for thanks,” Li Hao said calmly.

Yue Shuhong’s mouth twitched with bitterness, and he immediately said, “My collusion with demons and fraternizing with them, I will report to the Imperial Court. Furthermore, the young master’s merit in defending the city, I will also record and submit, with all the soldiers here as witnesses. Your credit for this feat will not be diminished.”

“Merit, a trifling matter,” Li Hao shook his head slightly, unimpressed.

Seeing Li Hao’s indifferent and casual demeanor, Yue Shuhong paused for a moment, recognizing that the youth’s eyes were clear, not falsely modest.

But whether he was modest or not didn’t matter; as he said, the credit was too significant to be obscured.

To note, during ordinary times, earning merits was extremely difficult.

Even in a state of war, earning great merit was no easy feat, with the most common methods being penetrating enemy lines, being the first to scale walls, capturing flags, or beheading generals.

There were also merit awards for capturing leaders or annihilating the enemy.

The first two, penetrating enemy lines and being the first to scale walls, were second-class merits that according to Dayu’s reward and title laws, could confer a second-tier noble title.

Capturing flags and beheading generals, on the other hand, were first-class merits, even harder to attain, which conferred a third-tier noble title.

The noble titles in Dayu were ranked from lowest to highest: Knight, Baron, Earl, Marquis, and Duke!

Above the dukedom was the most prestigious title of Divine Marquis.

The ancestors of the Five Great Divine General Mansions were Divine Marquises; they followed the Former Emperor in battle, establishing the Dayu Dynasty and earning incredible merits that lasted a thousand years.

Apart from Divine Marquis, all other titles had three ranks. If one could earn a first-class merit, it would result in becoming a first-tier knight.

If it was a second-class merit, then one would become a second-tier knight.

If one was already a knight and then achieved first-class merit or three second-class merits, one would be promoted to Baron, awarded with farmland and lands, akin to being a noble landowner.

If one was an Earl, one could receive an estate!

Earning merit was difficult, but today Li Hao had single-handedly defended the entire city and its citizens; his merit surpassed even a first-class merit award.

As for how to calculate it specifically, Yue Shuhong didn’t bother to think about it. He would leave it to the Imperial Court, estimating it to be at least a third-tier Baron.