Killing Demons, Slaying Monsters, and Eliminating "Humans"

The world of martial arts is Xu Xi's third simulation.

The people here.

The mortals here.

Are the most miserable among the three simulated worlds.

In the world of cultivation, mortals and cultivators are separated, governed by ordinary mortal dynasties. Only occasionally do cultivators come to select children with spiritual roots.

From time to time, kind-hearted cultivators show mercy, saving and protecting the local populace.

In the world of magic, steam and magic intertwine throughout the civilization. Mages have their place, and mortals have their necessary roles. The two are like tightly interlocking gears, moving forward together.

But the situation in the world of martial arts is dire.

Here, ordinary people don’t even have the right to decide their own life and death.

Xu Xi once asked the townsfolk of Qingniu Town, or traveled to other towns, speaking with people to understand their past.

To his surprise.

Most of them had once lived in the Thirteen Prefectures of Great Qian.

Only because of their low status or offending the powerful were they exiled to the borderlands of the Ten Thousand Mountains.

Younger generations like Zhang Tieniu, born at the border, knew nothing about life inside Great Qian.

The Ten Thousand Mountains are perilous, and the bloodthirsty, savage demons are relentless.

Endless waves of demons mercilessly wipe out everyone at the border, devouring them until nothing remains. Then, a new batch of "criminals" is sent by Great Qian.

Thus begins a new, endless cycle.

"Brother Xu, what do people in the city eat? Is it demon meat too?"

"Niu, why do you ask all of a sudden?"

"Hehe, my mom said there’s lots of good food in the city, even the rice tastes better than what we eat."

"...Compared to what we eat, it’s indeed much better, and the rice is finer."

"Wow~~~ That’s amazing. I wanna eat sweet, white rice too."

The sky was gloomy, and a cold wind howled.

Trees swayed in the wind, and the ground was frozen solid. In such conditions, even the strongest men would shiver from the cold.

The simple and honest Niu tightened his tattered robe around him.

His tone was full of longing.

When he heard Xu Xi describe white rice, he couldn’t help but swallow, though he had never tasted it. His mind conjured up the most delightful flavor, making his mouth water.

"Brother Xu."

The sun-tanned man asked again.

"Are the masters in the city really descended from the Literary Star and Martial Star?"

"My mom said the masters are born to enjoy life. They eat ten big pancakes in one meal, change clothes five times a day, and are nothing like us dirt-poor folks."

Niu rubbed his hands together and blew on them to warm them.

The back of his hands was slightly purple.

A minor side effect of long-term consumption of demon meat, harmless but unsightly.

Martial artists could dissolve it with their vital energy, but mortals bore the marks for life.

"No, Niu, they’re not."

After a moment of silence, Xu Xi reached out and patted the honest man’s shoulder, brushing off the snow.

"The people of the Thirteen Prefectures of Great Qian, the people of the imperial capital, and the people of Qingniu Town are no different."

"They get hungry, they get thirsty, they bleed, and they die."

"They are not nobler than you, and you are not inferior to them."

Is... is that so?

The man seemed to understand, yet not fully. His face showed confusion, unable to fully grasp Xu Xi’s words.

He tried to make sense of it in his own way.

The masters can eat white rice.

Brother Xu says we’re the same as the masters.

So that means...

"I can eat white rice too!?" Niu let out a hearty laugh, laughing for a long time before snapping out of it and handing Xu Xi a basket.

"Brother Xu, these are vegetable balls my mom made for you, still warm!"

The basket, woven from bamboo strips, was sturdy and durable, with clear patterns.

A piece of cloth covered it, keeping the snow from falling on the dark green vegetable balls inside.

Xu Xi didn’t refuse and took the basket:

"Niu, I’ll take these. Thank Aunt Zhang for me when you go back."

"Sure thing!"

Niu scratched his head, then turned and left with inexplicable excitement. Xu Xi stood still, watching the figure disappear into the distant snowstorm.

He reached into the basket, picked up a vegetable ball, and took a bite.

It was bitter and astringent.

Not crisp, not tasty.

Having lived in Qingniu Town for seven years, Xu Xi knew why. The vegetable balls were made from wind cluster grass, a plant with a rough and sour taste.

Poor quality, nauseating, and unpleasant.

But it was the best the people of Qingniu Town could offer.

This was their way of expressing gratitude to Xu Xi, thanking him for always sharing demon meat with them, allowing them to survive.

"What a damn world..."

Xu Xi looked up at the cold, harsh sky, then slowly closed his eyes.

The weather was cold, but his chest was warm.

It wasn’t just the surge of vital energy but also an indescribable emotion—perhaps sympathy, perhaps anger.

...

[Time always passes quickly]

[In the blink of an eye, Wu Yingxue had been gone for a long time, and the cold winter once again descended upon Qingniu Town]

[The demon tide arrived as expected, and just as you predicted, this year’s demon tide was more ferocious and terrifying than ever]

[Demons as strong as bone-refining and blood-replacing warriors appeared frequently, causing heavy casualties in Qingniu Town]

[Qingniu Town still stood]

[But in the seemingly endless demon tide, some familiar faces were lost forever—an old man who once nagged about finding you a wife, a child you once taught martial arts]

[The demons’ slaughter knew no gender or age; anyone could fall victim to their attacks]

[Death was inevitable]

[Casualties were normal]

[You managed to fend off the first wave of the winter demon tide, and the survivors, as in previous years, thanked you with voices fewer in number, grateful for your protection]

[Half the town’s people were deeply grateful]

In the first year after arriving in Qingniu Town, upon learning of the existence of the Thirteen Prefectures of Great Qian, Xu Xi had made a plan to venture into the heart of Great Qian, to explore a more exciting world, as in traditional fantasy and martial arts novels.

Later, Xu Xi gave up.

First, the pass leading to the heart of Great Qian was heavily guarded, and Xu Xi, being a person without official status, couldn’t pass.

Second, Xu Xi discovered that the life-and-death battles in the Ten Thousand Mountains provided no less improvement to his martial arts than the so-called resources within Great Qian.

From then on, Xu Xi settled in Qingniu Town, honing his skills.

But.

Xu Xi never knew what he should do.

In the first simulation, his sister’s heavenly calamity came suddenly, leaving him little time to spare as he desperately sought a way to save her.

In the second simulation, Xu Xi, with the wisdom of a mortal, spent his life unraveling the mysteries of magic, showing a witch the beauty of the mortal world.

And now, in this life?

Should he continue to train relentlessly, relying on his perseverance to become a legendary sword god?

Or, like the protagonists in passionate online novels, become a battle-hardened hero who stands above all?

In the midst of the snowstorm.

In the desolate Qingniu Town.

Facing the impoverished people who thanked him, Xu Xi couldn’t help but recall the sight, years ago, of the Great Qian army at the pass—filled with killing intent but determined to hold their ground.

At that moment, Xu Xi finally understood what he wanted to do in this simulation.

He would kill.

Kill demons, kill monsters, and kill "people."