Chapter Two: The Demon Soldier Has Fallen!

In the blink of an eye, Ye Feng had caught up.
“Miss, you cannot go with them!”
“Damn it, are you looking for death?”
The two demon soldiers, seeing Ye Feng blocking the girl's path, were instantly enraged, their eyes gleaming with murderous intent.
One of them drew his saber and leapt forward.
With a sharp whoosh, the blade swung viciously at Ye Feng.
The attack was so swift and forceful that Ye Feng had no time to dodge. He could only shut his eyes, bracing himself for death.
Unexpectedly, his legs suddenly gave way beneath him, and he crouched down.
A cold gust of wind brushed over his scalp as the blade swept past his head.
Before Ye Feng could open his eyes, a furious voice shouted behind him, “Boy, you dare dodge?!”
Another surge of wind came from behind, aimed at the back of his head.
Ye Feng realized death was certain. He stretched out his neck, ready to meet the next blow head-on.
Suddenly, a piercing pain shot through his knee.
Instinctively, he kicked backward.
His balance lost, his whole body toppled to the ground.
Just as his leg struck something, a miserable scream sounded behind him.
“Ah—!”
Ye Feng opened his eyes, terrified beyond measure.
He saw that the demon soldier behind him had been knocked to the ground by his kick. The man's saber, thrust forward, had stabbed directly into the chest of his own comrade.
The demon soldier, realizing he had slain his own brother by mistake, hurriedly threw down his weapon to help him.
Clutching his chest with one hand, the wounded soldier pointed at his brother with the other, blood gushing from his mouth, his breath growing faint as he struggled to say, “You… you…”
Before he could finish, his eyes rolled back, his legs spasmed, and he breathed his last.
In an instant, his true form was revealed—a sky-piercing dog with blue wings.
“You brat! You killed my brother. Today, I will make your death a living hell!”
The surviving demon soldier wiped away his tears, his voice dripping with hatred.
He drew his saber from the corpse and advanced on Ye Feng with a hideous glare.
Ye Feng was petrified. Seeing the demon soldier close in, he snatched up the other saber from the ground, holding it in front of him for protection.
He stammered, “You…you…don’t come any closer! It wasn’t…me…it’s not my fault…”
But the demon soldier pressed on relentlessly.
Ye Feng watched in horror as the soldier bared his fangs, mouth agape as if he would swallow him whole.
Terrified, Ye Feng screwed his eyes shut, waving the saber wildly in desperation.
He cried out in panic, “Don’t come any closer, don’t come any closer!”
Suddenly, he felt a jolt through his hand, the blade tip meeting resistance.
A sharp tearing sound, like leather splitting.
Then a heavy thud, like a sack of stones dropped to the ground.
Ye Feng opened his eyes to see the demon soldier sprawled on the earth, clutching his throat in agony, blood spurting between his fingers, unstoppable.
He tried to scream, but no sound came; he tried to move, but could not.
Within moments, his breath ebbed away.
With a final convulsion, he died.
Soon, his true form was revealed—a blue-scaled, spotted leopard.
Looking at his own saber, Ye Feng saw fresh blood dripping from the tip.
Utterly terrified, he flung the weapon away as if burnt, muttering, “I didn’t kill him! I didn’t kill him!”
Glancing around, he saw the crowd in shock, exclaiming together, “A demon has been slain! The soldiers are dead! Run!”
In an instant, the onlookers scattered, vanishing without a trace.
Even the girl in blue had disappeared.

Only Uncle Li stood there alone.
Seeing Ye Feng utterly distraught and the area deserted, he hurried over to comfort him, “Young Master Ye, what’s done is done. There’s no other way—run!”
Ye Feng finally came to his senses, mumbling, “Run… but where can I go?”
“If you’ve caused such trouble, there’s no point hesitating! Flee to Mount Menglian—there’s the righteous resistance army there, fighting the demon soldiers!”
The words struck Ye Feng like a bolt of lightning. Enlightened, yet still uncertain, he asked, “Join the resistance? Fight the demon soldiers?”
“Yes! Join the resistance, fight the demon soldiers! If I weren’t so old, I’d have joined them long ago. Fight back, save our people!”
Uncle Li nodded, patting Ye Feng’s shoulder in encouragement, “Go! We’ll be waiting for your return!”
“But… but… what about my father?”
Ye Feng hesitated.
“Don’t worry. Your father’s traveled the world for decades—he’s seen everything. He’ll manage; you won’t drag him down!”
Still, Ye Feng was uneasy.
“If you don’t leave now, the authorities will arrive and you won’t get away!”
Uncle Li pushed Ye Feng away urgently.
“Uncle Li, I… I… please tell my father I didn’t mean for this to happen. I can’t be a filial son—I’m sorry!”
Ye Feng was still reluctant to leave.
Suddenly, a commotion arose in the distance—a cloud of dust was rising.
“Hurry! The soldiers are coming!”
Uncle Li stamped his foot in urgency, snatching up the demon soldiers’ whip. He raised it high and swung, but pulled back before striking Ye Feng.
With a loud crack, the whip snapped in the air.
“If you don’t go now, I’ll really beat you!” Uncle Li scolded.
With no choice, Ye Feng fled.
Uncle Li called after him, “Avoid the main roads! Take the alleys—hide in the lanes, and the soldiers won’t catch you! Be careful, we’ll wait for your return!”
…
Relying on his childhood familiarity with the city, Ye Feng darted through the web-like alleys, soon losing his pursuers.
Night had fallen, the gates were closed; there was no escaping the city that night.
Ye Feng found a secluded spot to rest for the night.
At dawn, he returned to the city gate.
The gate was still closed, but already a long line of people had formed, waiting to leave. Many others gathered by the wall, watching something.
Ye Feng found a battered bamboo hat to hide his face and squeezed into the crowd.
On the wall was a wanted poster bearing his likeness.
A bounty of a thousand silver coins had been offered for his capture.
Ye Feng pulled the hat lower, anxious to avoid recognition.
He listened carefully to the whispers around him. Most of the townsfolk, oppressed by the demon soldiers, were delighted that two had been slain—some praised the killer, some worried for him, while a few local thugs were eager to turn him in for the reward.
Ye Feng’s heart pounded. He thought, “I never expected a wanted notice so quickly. Escaping today will be harder than ascending to heaven! But if I don’t get out, there’s nowhere to hide—staying means certain doom.”
How could he escape safely?
Ye Feng scratched his head, restless with anxiety.
Just then, he spotted a mounted patrol approaching.
His anxiety deepened. He turned his back, hoping the patrol wouldn’t notice him.
As he fretted, someone suddenly grabbed his collar from behind, dragging him away.
Ye Feng struggled in terror, but then a familiar voice hissed, “Don’t move, it’s me—Uncle Li. Come with me!”
Relieved, Ye Feng followed Uncle Li into a quiet alley.
There, a sturdy child was playing with mud.
The boy was broad-shouldered, thick-browed, and round-eyed. Though young, he was strong and tall, with a horse tethered to his waist by a rope. The white horse neighed and circled him, but the rope held firm.
Ye Feng recognized him as Li Xiong, Uncle Li’s son.
The boy was known for his strength and speed—few adults could match him in a fight.
“Xiong’er, come here and swap clothes with Young Master Ye!”
Uncle Li called his son over.
“Uncle Li, what are you doing?” Ye Feng asked in confusion.
“You two switch clothes. When the gate opens, Xiong’er will draw the soldiers away and you’ll have a chance to escape!”
“But… what about Ah Xiong?”
Li Xiong wiped his nose with a filthy sleeve, smudging his face, and grinned foolishly, stammering, “Ye… Ye… Young Master… I… I’m not afraid! If they come, I’ll… I’ll… just twist their heads off!”
“Nonsense! How could you fight those soldiers? Do you want to get your father in trouble?”
Uncle Li smacked his son’s head with a sharp crack, leaving Li Xiong dazed and speechless.
“Well? Didn’t you hear me? No supper for you if you don’t listen!”
Frightened, Li Xiong shrank his neck and lowered his head, not daring to speak.
“Now, answer me—what did your father tell you to do?”
Li Xiong mumbled, “Fa… father… said… Xiong’er… mustn’t… twist… people’s heads off…”
Uncle Li finally nodded in satisfaction.
Ye Feng, listening from the side, couldn’t help but chuckle to himself: This foolish boy! Even in front of his father, he calls himself ‘Master Xiong.’ What kind of seniority is that?
But thinking of Li Xiong’s safety, he said, “Uncle Li, this won’t do! If Xiong’er gets caught because of me, how will I ever forgive myself?”
Uncle Li reassured him, “Don’t worry, Young Master. The soldiers will never catch him. Even if they do, he’s just a simple-minded boy—they’ll realize he’s not you, and they won’t bother with him.”
With that, Ye Feng felt better. As he changed clothes, he asked, “Uncle Li, how’s my father?”
Uncle Li replied, “Don’t worry, your father’s fine! Last night, the city lord led soldiers to search your house, demanding your whereabouts. He said if your father didn’t hand you over in three days, the whole family would be punished and exiled to a desolate land.”
At this, Ye Feng panicked, hurriedly pulling his own clothes back on. “Let’s go home! I can’t drag my father and family into this!”
Uncle Li shook Ye Feng off, his expression turning grim. “What’s the rush? I’m not finished! Your father told me to tell you: the city lord can’t do anything to him. If they exile him, who’ll manage all his businesses? Half the city would collapse, even the city lord would have nothing to eat! He’s just trying to extort money. As long as your father pays up, someone else will take the blame.”
He continued, “As for you, the farther you run, the better. Then your father will have no more worries.”
Ye Feng, hearing this, felt a burden lift. Remembering the trouble he’d caused, he knelt, facing home, and kowtowed three times, praying, “Father, your son has failed you, bringing you such trouble. When this is over, I’ll return and make it up to you. Please, take care of yourself!”
He rose, swapped clothes with Li Xiong, and prepared to leave.
By now, the city gates had opened.
People lined up as usual for inspection, passing through one by one.
This time, the inspection was stricter than ever—soldiers seized property and harassed women, and the air was filled with shouting and weeping.
Soon, a figure dashed through the gate at breakneck speed.
Dressed in a black student’s uniform, legs churning like a wind-up machine, he vanished in a flash.
Moments later, an elderly man hobbled after him, gasping for breath, and shouted, “Catch Ye Feng! Ye Feng has escaped!”
The cry set off a hornet’s nest. All the guards and the mounted patrol surged after the decoy, leaving the gate unguarded.
The townsfolk, seeing the chance, rushed outside in a wave of relief.
Seizing the opportunity, Ye Feng mounted the white horse and galloped for the gate like a whirlwind.
Just as he was about to escape, a soldier appeared, humming a tune and fastening his belt as he ambled in from outside.
He had gone out to relieve himself and hadn’t joined the chase.
Now, returning to his post, he ran headlong into Ye Feng.
He recognized him at once and shouted, “Ye Feng! It’s Ye Feng—the real Ye Feng is escaping!”
He snatched up a spear and thrust it at Ye Feng’s chest.
Ye Feng, a scholar with no martial skills, found himself unable to dodge the blow—

—
This is a brand new work! If you enjoy it, please add it to your bookshelf and collection. Your monthly votes and recommendations are greatly appreciated.
Thank you to all supporters!