Chapter 108: Chapter 108: One of Our Own
The two took their seats, one to the left and the other to the right.
Nie Xu shook his head. "There’s nothing major, but last night many citizens of Jincheng reported hearing bizarre and dreadful screams, suspecting that Demon Evils were causing trouble."
At this point, his expression grew serious as he looked towards Shen Changqing. "Lord Shen, are you aware of this matter?"
"Why does Lord Nie ask this?"
Shen Changqing picked up the teacup beside him, took a slight sip, then placed it back down, a faint smile on his face.
Upon hearing this, Nie Xu said, "There are rumors among the citizens that last night’s screams were not caused by the Demon Evils wreaking havoc, but rather by the Black Tiger Army slaying Demon Evils. In my view, there’s really no issue with this speculation. After all, if it were truly Demon Evils causing chaos, there would certainly be deaths in the city today. Now that there have been no deaths, and if the screams were indeed related to Demon Evils, it means that someone took it upon themselves to eliminate the Demon Evils in Jincheng last night. I inquired with Wen Ce, and the Black Tiger Army did not take action last night. After giving it some thought, apart from the Black Tiger Army, the only one in Jincheng capable of slaying Demon Evils would be Lord Shen, right?"
As he spoke, Nie Xu’s gaze remained fixed on Shen Changqing. He truly wanted to figure out who took action last night. If it wasn’t Shen Changqing, then it meant a powerful but unknown individual had arrived in Jincheng, and he would need to find a way to make contact.
Under Nie Xu’s gaze, Shen Changqing smiled. "Yesterday, after I visited those incident sites with Arrest Officer Liu, I found traces of Demon Evils at those locations. However, the Demon Evils were well hidden, and it wasn’t convenient to strike directly. So, I waited until nightfall when the Demon Evils revealed themselves to exterminate them."
"After all, as members of the Demon-Subduing Division, our duty is to slay Demon Evils, and Lord Nie needn’t overthink it."
Upon hearing this, Nie Xu took a deep breath, stood up, and paid his respects to Shen Changqing. "Lord Shen willingly took action to eliminate Demon Evils, making immense contributions to Jincheng. On behalf of all the citizens, I thank Lord Shen!"
"Lord Nie is too polite."
Shen Changqing gestured slightly with his hand, and Nie Xu took the cue to straighten up and sit back down.
"Since the Demon Evils at those locations have been slain, would it be safe to say that there might no longer be any Demon Evils within Jincheng?" He voiced the question that concerned him most.
Shen Changqing shook his head, providing no definitive answer. "I cannot be one hundred percent certain. Some Demon Evils excel in hiding their presence, and their Yin Evil Aura does not leak out. However, I’ve pretty much exterminated the visible Demon Evils."
Having been in Jincheng for several days, he roamed through the city every day. If he didn’t encounter any, then it was all well and good, but the Demon Evils he did come across were all slain afterward.
Nie Xu nodded, feeling more or less assured. "Is Lord Shen about to return to the Demon-Subduing Division?"
"Almost. My mission here is complete, and with the Demon Evils in Jincheng eradicated, there’s no need for me to stay. I might as well return and report my findings," admitted Shen Changqing frankly.
On his return to the Demon-Subduing Division, he was certain to be promoted to the rank of Profound Rank Demon Hunter. By then, as a Profound Rank Demon Hunter, he might have the opportunity to make contact with even higher-ranking Demon Hunters and consult them on questions of cultivation. Even if he couldn’t consult them, the third floor of the Scripture Pavilion might possess what he was seeking.
"It’s a pity that Lord Shen isn’t a native of Jincheng. If Lord Shen were to stay, how could Demon Evils dare to offend Jincheng again in the future!" Regret filled Nie Xu’s expression.
Although Jincheng was garrisoned by the Black Tiger Army, the army did not have many strong fighters. Despite their impressive strategic formations, which could exert far more power than a single Innate Martial Artist, oftentimes, deploying troops and tactics might not always be the most useful. Conversely, the influence of individual high-end combatants could be even greater.
Nevertheless, Nie Xu understood that Shen Changqing’s return to the Demon-Subduing Division was inevitable, and it was out of the question to have him stay in Jincheng. "If there is a chance in the future, I hope Lord Shen will still come to Jincheng for a visit."
"Lord Nie is joking. If I were to visit Jincheng again in the future, it wouldn’t be a good sign," Shen Changqing chuckled.
Nie Xu was taken aback, then quickly realized and smiled as well. "Of course, it is my hope that Lord Shen will come as a friend next time, not in his capacity as a member of the Demon-Subduing Division."
"Alright, if there’s an opportunity in the future, I will surely come to Jincheng to visit Lord Nie," Shen Changqing’s smile faded, and he spoke earnestly.
Upon leaving the Yamen, Shen Changqing strolled around the city once more. As evening approached, he returned to Tianyi Tower. After dining to his content on the second floor, he went back to his room to rest. Traveling at night was inconvenient, so Shen Changqing chose to sleep an extra night and wait until morning to set off back to the Demon-Subduing Division.
Compared to his last mission, this one was undeniably completed much quicker. All things considered, he had only spent about four or five days in Jincheng in total. Last time in Lin’an City, he had almost stayed for a month or two, making the two experiences hardly comparable.
Deep into the night, Shen Changqing was sitting cross-legged on the bed, meditating with his eyes closed. The sound of the night watchman’s gong echoed, reminding people of the passage of time. It seemed as if all the Demon Evils within Jincheng had indeed been completely eradicated, returning the city to its former tranquility.
「In a certain mansion.」
The main hall was brilliantly lit, where a man, a woman, and an old man were sitting around. Under the illumination of the lights, their faces appeared somewhat eerie.
The man spoke slowly, his voice hoarse and grating, "All those Demon Evils have been killed. Whoever did it is either from the Demon-Subduing Division or the Black Tiger Army."
"It couldn’t have been the Black Tiger Army." The woman shook her head, a fierce look on her seductive face. If Shen Changqing were here, he would realize that the woman was none other than Hongyi, with whom he had previously clashed.
The wound on the current Hongyi’s severed arm was nowhere to be seen. A brand-new arm had reappeared on her body. She touched her shoulder. As if recalling the pain of the amputation from before, Hongyi’s beautiful eyes shot a cold light.
"The only truly formidable one in the Black Tiger Army is Chu Ding, but Chu Ding wouldn’t leave the Black Tiger Army’s camp so easily. To deal with Demon Evils, the rest of the Black Tiger Army would need to form a military formation. A military formation is anything but inconspicuous. Moreover, I sensed a familiar aura lingering at those locations. If I’m not mistaken, it has to be the work of the Demon-Subduing Division."
"Are you saying that the one who killed those Demon Evils is the same Shen Changqing who inflicted heavy wounds upon you?" The old man frowned. He had never crossed paths with Shen Changqing. But among all present, Hongyi was the strongest. Her return, heavily injured that day, had given them all quite a scare. They almost thought the Demon-Subduing Division had come knocking. Therefore, the old man also harbored a deep wariness towards Shen Changqing.
"Exactly!" When Hongyi spoke, she clenched her silver teeth firmly. "Currently, in Jincheng, he is the only one from the Demon-Subduing Division, and with his strength, killing those Demon Evils wouldn’t be a problem at all. He poses a great threat to our Eternal Alliance. I’ve tried to recruit him before and failed. If he can’t become an ally, then we can only destroy him; otherwise, when he grows stronger in the future, we’ll be in a lot of trouble."
Thinking of Shen Changqing’s potential, deep wariness flickered in Hongyi’s eyes. Though he hadn’t stepped into the Grandmaster Realm yet, his strength was already approaching that of a Grandmaster. The only difference was that he had yet to comprehend the Martial Dao True Intent.
The man spoke with an icy tone, "What should we do now? With that Demon-Subduing Division’s person around, we can’t make any other moves. I’m afraid Jincheng won’t be thrown into chaos now."
"What are we afraid of? Whether Jincheng is chaotic or not, what great concern is it of ours?" Hongyi’s eyes were cold as she gave the man a glance that made his heart tighten for a moment. Immediately after, she retracted her gaze, her face showing clear coldness. "Wanhua Building has always been well-hidden. If it weren’t for the Zhou Family’s destruction, how could we have been exposed so quickly? Although they don’t openly oppose our Eternal Alliance, their behind-the-scenes actions are undoubtedly pushing Wanhua Building into the spotlight. If so, then let them be."
"Are we just going to let it be then?" the old man asked in a deep voice.
Hongyi shook her head. "We’ll let it be for now. If we lie low for a few days and the Demon-Subduing Division’s people leave, we can set up other footholds. It’s good to lay low for a couple of days too."
No sooner had she finished speaking than a fierce wind swept through the outside of the mansion, rustling the leaves.
"Who’s there!" Hongyi immediately stood up, her beautiful face filled with a cold expression.
The man and the old man also stood up as if by some tacit agreement, their expressions stern as they looked towards the outside of the hall. In their line of sight, a middle-aged man in a black robe walked in from the outside at a leisurely pace.
"No need to be nervous, I’m one of us." The man in the black robe spoke with a light chuckle. His eyes, filled with obvious disdain, skimmed over the other man and the old man before finally settling on Hongyi. Only then did the disdain in his eyes diminish considerably, and he clasped his fists in a salute. "Greetings, Hall Master Hongyi!"
He didn’t dare to be presumptuous in front of a Hall Master of the Eternal Alliance. After all, anyone who could become a Hall Master would be one of the rare powerhouses in Jianghu. Even if they were not Grandmasters, they were still qualified to be counted among the strongest just below the Grandmaster level.
"It’s you!" Hongyi’s gaze landed on the man in the black robe, a flash of cold light seemingly fleeting through her pupils. "Are you the one who dared to threaten Wanhua Building and disdain the Eternal Alliance backing it?"
Upon hearing this, the man in the black robe’s expression changed slightly. He quickly bowed his head and replied, "Hall Master Hongyi, you misunderstand. I have never dared to underestimate Wanhua Building, let alone be disrespectful to the Eternal Alliance."
"You knew our Eternal Alliance had just established some foundations in Jincheng, yet you caused such a commotion. For such insolence, you deserve death!"
"Hall Master Hongyi, please calm your anger," the man in the black robe said, straightening his back and facing Hongyi’s gaze unflinchingly. "The Demon-Subduing Division killed a precious asset of mine, so I naturally had to respond. Otherwise, wouldn’t it be allowing others to look down upon our Barbarian Clan!"