The Martial Lord of the Troubled World

Chapter 50 [Listening in the Dark]

Fu Juemin and others laid several layers of ignition rings around the kiln opening beforehand.

Originally intended to stop the rat demon from escaping, it has now been put to use ahead of schedule.

At Fu Guoping's command, the ambushing crowd stopped hiding and jumped out from the shadows, though they could no longer remain hidden anyway.

Five layers of fire rings were lit, and the raging flames illuminated the vast kiln. Under the light, the swarm of rats looked even more eerie.

Even Fu Juemin, who doesn't have trypophobia, got goosebumps all over.

Cao Tian and Qian Fei quickly ran to Fu Juemin's side and protected him in the middle.

What was expected to be a small-scale battle between humans and rats turned out to be quite unexpected. Neither the darting shadows nor the swarm of rats paid any attention to the people present and headed straight for the kiln filled with sesame oil.

Except for one unlucky fellow who was accidentally pounced on by a swarm of rats and was terrified, the rest of the group were completely unharmed.

Everyone underestimated the allure of that cellar of sesame oil to the rat demon.

Five layers of fire could not stop the surging swarm of rats; they were smashed to pieces in an instant and then extinguished layer by layer.

In the flickering firelight, Fu Juemin finally saw the true form of the leading figure in black—

Unlike a simple enlarged version of an ordinary rat, it resembles a combination of a wild boar and a badger, about the size of a calf, entirely black, with two strange white stripes growing on either side of its eyebrows, extending all the way to its tail.

Fu Juemin smelled a stench so strong it was almost tangible, like the strange smell of old sewer grime, rotting grain, and the stench of cattle and sheep.

Fu Juemin glimpsed the rat demon's eyes, which were two thin, turbid yellow vertical lines that were constantly trembling.

This is nothing short of a mutated monster born from filth and greed.

"Oh!"

With a muffled thud, the cover that Fu Juemin and the others had placed over the kiln entrance was violently smashed open by the rat demon.

The rat demon plunged into the kiln, followed quickly by the swarm of rats. Black water poured into the cave like a burst dam, even pushing away the kindling that had been placed near the entrance.

"ignition!"

Fu Juemin stared at the kiln entrance and spoke sternly.

The group immediately picked up their torches and lit the pre-set fuses.

But before the flames on the oil-soaked hemp rope could reach the kiln entrance, they were trampled out by the crowd of rats halfway there.

A man from the Civil Affairs Bureau cursed and went over to try to shove the rats all over the ground with something. Fu Juemin frowned, snatched the torch from Qian Fei's hand, and simply threw it directly towards the kiln entrance.

Seeing this, the others followed suit, throwing out their torches. Several torches landed at the kiln entrance and were immediately bounced away and rolled out, but two torches were caught by the rats rushing down and were swept into the kiln with flames.
"boom--"

In an instant, a muffled sound came from the ground, and a blazing, surging orange pillar of fire shot up from the cave, rising straight up to a height of four or five meters!

The shockwave from the explosion blasted out a large group of rats and the rat demons that had previously burrowed into the cave.

"Squeak-"

The rat demon, still engulfed in flames, emitted a piercing, sawing sound like iron rods. Its pair of turbid yellow vertical pupils stared intently at the crowd, and its mouth opened, revealing a mouthful of sinister, yellowish-white teeth shaped like curved blades.

This ferocious and terrifying appearance made everyone's hearts tighten, and they instinctively cocked their guns and raised them to fire.

"and many more!"

At this moment, Fu Juemin suddenly raised his hand, stopping everyone from immediately firing their guns.

He stared at the ferocious rat demon, his face solemn, as if waiting for something.

One breath, two breaths
Several breaths passed, and as Fu Juemin had predicted, the rat demon, its ferocity stirred by the flames and explosion, ultimately succumbed to the increasingly intense and alluring aroma of oil after being burned. The cruelty in its murky eyes was gradually replaced by desire and greed. It abandoned the others, braving the raging flames that were still rising and distorting the surrounding air, and once again plunged into the now-burnt cavern.

"call--"

Fu Juemin felt a sense of relief, then took a deep breath and calmly ordered everyone: "Continue adding oil, then seal the kiln!"

Unbeknownst to them, the men from the Civil Affairs Department had become completely obedient to Fu Juemin's instructions and began to get busy.

As barrels of tung oil, which had been prepared in advance, were continuously poured into the burning kiln, several men worked together to cover the kiln opening, leaving only a small ventilation gap about two fingers wide.

The hearts of everyone present gradually calmed down.

The rats continued to arrive, but because the kiln entrance was sealed, they could not squeeze in. They were also reluctant to leave because of the tempting aroma. So they could only circle around the kiln entrance, their skin and flesh torn open by the occasional leaks of flame. The entire kiln was filled with a burnt and foul smell.

Fu Juemin led his men a little further away, letting the rats gather there.

So far, Fu Juemin's plan has been fully realized.

The sealed cave will become a perfect combustion chamber in the coming days, with no place for flames and high temperatures to escape.

The rat demon inside the kiln might not initially realize the gravity of the situation, but once it's unbearably burned and awakens to the truth, it will suddenly discover—

The walls of the kiln were covered with sesame oil, making them so slippery that it was impossible to get a foothold. The rich and delicious sesame oil that made it drool had long become the best fuel for the flames, including the oil that it had already ingested.
It couldn't climb up, couldn't get out, and could only wait until it was burned alive by the fire.

This was a vicious plan specifically designed to exploit the rat demon's greedy nature. Throughout the entire process, the Civil Affairs Department staff did not need to fire a single bullet; they only needed some sesame oil and fuel to drive the cunning and ferocious rat demon into a desperate situation.

"You've improved so much since the last time we were in Peach Blossom Village."

Seeing that the situation was under control, Fu Guoping patted Fu Juemin on the shoulder and sighed with emotion, "Second Uncle hardly recognizes you anymore."

Fu Juemin's eyes reflected the flickering flames rising from the kiln, and he suddenly spoke up: "Second Uncle, how about we think of a way to deal with that water monster at the dock another day?"

Fu Guoping was taken aback, remained silent for a moment, then simply shook his head and quietly walked to the side.

Fu Juemin knew that Fu Guoping still had concerns. After all, the water monster at the dock was unusual, and the Civil Affairs Department had invested countless manpower and resources in it.

Of course, he was just mentioning it casually; Fu Juemin hadn't yet come up with a foolproof plan to deal with the water monster at the dock.

The mournful howls of the rat demon in the kiln echoed all night long, until the next day when the sky began to lighten and the kiln finally fell silent.

Fu Juemin was still not at ease, so he ordered someone to add oil again and let the fire in the kiln burn for another two hours before ordering someone to extinguish the fire and check the situation.

The morning sun shone on the desolate and messy ground of the kiln. Fu Juemin stepped over the charred remains of rats scattered on the ground and slowly approached the kiln entrance, which was still emitting billowing heat.

At the kiln entrance, a man from the Civil Affairs Bureau had just laboriously hooked up a charred, mangled body.

The original appearance of the rat demon was completely unrecognizable. The entire mass of corpses was almost carbonized, and some parts were still sparking.

Fu Juemin secretly rejoiced that he had put out the fire in time; otherwise, in another half hour, the rat demon would probably have been completely burned to ashes.

He covered his mouth and nose with a handkerchief and walked up to the rat carcass.

Before he could bend down to take a closer look, a ferocious gray shadow lunged straight at his face.

Fu Juemin was prepared. He swayed slightly but quickly recovered and immediately checked his character panel.

At the bottom of the panel, the previously empty right-side energy bar was instantly filled with brilliant golden energy, and the familiar golden skill point "+" reappeared.

Behind the "Talent" section, two new gray-white words have appeared, named—

【Listen quietly】.

(End of this chapter)