Qingzhou City.
At the majestic city gate, two rows of troops stood holding long spears, standing straight and tall.
Looking from afar, the broad and level official road outside the city gate was filled with hundreds of horsen in black, approaching like dark, dense clouds, the sound of their hooves thundering.
Although the residents of Qingzhou City had seen a lot in their lives, they had seldom witnessed such a significant move by the Demon-suppression Bureau.
"So many?" Their eyes bulged as they crowded onto the long street.
"Pfft, this is nothing." A mber of a minor family stood with arms folded, ridiculing the people for their lack of knowledge. Unlike the top forces, these middle-of-the-road existences would most likely join the Demon-suppression Bureau in the future, so they didn't share the sa visceral reaction towards the annihilation of Qingfeng Mountain.
To them, both top-tier forces and the Demon-suppression Bureau were equally unattainable.
The Li siblings stood in the crowd, their expressions not looking too good. Continue reading at empire
Li Xinhan had not expected that in just a few days of being injured, his elder sister would have sent Shen Yi to Qingfeng Mountain—a place where even the flanking generals would not guarantee their safe return, let alone Shen Yi.
He knew about Shen Yi's killing of a late-stage Jade Liquid Boundary River Demon, an impressive feat, even if the demon was in poor condition at the ti, and beyond Li Xinhan's own ability to finish off, which he admired.
But he also heard about the reward Shen Yi took after returning—the Wind-Thunder Sun-lting Manual. If it really was the battle where the Qingfeng Mountain was wiped out, even an Initial Realm practitioner with a few secret moves was far less likely to survive than those with higher cultivation realms.
In such a cruel battlefield, more than the sharpness of weapons, what was needed was the ability to take hits and run fast, with long breath and sufficient strength.
"..."
Li Mujin said nothing to explain the situation that night; she just silently stared outside the city gate.
The palm hidden under her wide sleeve clenched slightly.
The ones likely to return first would be the Colonels and generals summoned on short notice, as they were not responsible for the follow-up tasks.
If Shen Yi was still alive, he would probably be among them.
Even Li Mujin didn't know what she was watching for.
A severely injured Shen Yi?
Did she want to prove that his decision back then was foolish or that pushing the wen book back to him was too rash?
She bit her lip slightly; she would prefer him to return safe and sound.
What use was a mont's pride compared to the life-saving grace he had given?
But the chances of that were exceedingly slim.
Even the Qingfeng Sect was gone; one could imagine how horrific the situation was there, and a Second Pattern Commandant forcibly conscripted would likely be used to reduce the strength of the Sect Disciples.
"Sigh!"
With the reins pulled in unison, hundreds of Demon Horses ca to a sudden halt.
A series of figures in black dismounted one after the other.
It was a strict rule laid down by the General of the Demon-suppression Bureau, who barred any Colonel or higher rank from riding horses within Qingzhou City without urgent matters.
Violators would not only be fined but also whipped.
The crowd surged towards the city gate again, and even the offspring of noble families couldn't help but get excited, "Can we see General Chen?"
"There! General Chen Qiankun!"
Soone shouted and pointed outside. Amidst his calls, countless gazes surged like tidal waves toward where his finger pointed.
As all the figures in black dismounted, one silhouette suddenly stood out among them.
A group of Golden Eagle Commandants slowly walked into the city, their eyes cold, quickly clearing a path.
A few generals in large cloaks surrounded a Demon Horse.
The robust Demon Horse had a handso young man holding the reins; his figure in black robes was slender but erect, with his robes fluttering.
A pale face, a pair of clear eyes looking neither left nor right, a tall nose, firmly closed thin lips, and a Mo Dao at his waist conveyed a hint of ruthlessness.
As the horse's hooves clopped along, even without the protection of the Golden Eagle Commandants, the onlookers spontaneously stepped back.
"Screw that, General Chen is not nearly as handso... or young."
The young n were sowhat disappointed and pushed the man who had just called out back into the crowd. The girls, however, still fixed their eyes on that face, and even though he was not General Chen, it seed to be no problem.
With Colonels opening the way ahead and flanking generals holding the horse, the man's status couldn't be low.
In the crowd, the Li siblings suddenly found their breathing becoming rapid.
Li Xinhan, looking blankly at the two cloud patterns on the man's sleeves and then the familiar face, suddenly slapped his own cheeks and turned to his sister, gasping, "I'm not mistaken, am I?"
He was more familiar with the General's rules than anyone else.
After all, he had been whipped not long ago.
"It should be, no mistake."
Li Mujin suppressed the slight tremor in his voice and looked up as the tall, large horse crossed in front of him before gradually walking away.
His opponent didn't even cast a glance his way.
There was no mocking smile as he had imagined, no ridicule for the self-confidence he had displayed that day when he thought his presented docunts would suffice to control the situation.
It just... calmly passed by in front of him.
"..."
"I'm saying, why the long face?"
Hong Lei, walking beside the demon horse, asked in a low voice with so puzzlent, "We're from the Demon-suppression Bureau, not tax collectors."
"I'm being aloof."
Shen Yi's face was expressionless as he stared ahead at nothing in particular, sowhat stiff.
He quietly wiped the sweat from his palms on the horse's mane.
Hong Lei noticed his little movent and pursed his lips. If he were the one on horseback, he would definitely wave his hands non-stop to draw cheers from the crowd, as wasting this opportunity would be a sha.
They had just managed to shake off the excited townspeople.
Having finally made it to the Demon-suppression Bureau, Shen Yi didn't hesitate to swing his leg, looking to dismount.
But as soon as he made a move, Hong Lei shoved his shoulder against Shen Yi's leg, hissing through clenched teeth, "General Chen has ordered that if we're not at the yan, whoever dares to get off will have their legs broken."
"..."
...
anwhile.
Inside the immaculate bamboo tower of the Demon-suppression Bureau's dical ward,
Bai Ziming, looking displeased, picked up a needle and inserted it into Fang Heng's arm, listening to his muffled grunt and said indifferently, "Continue fooling around, and next ti I'll demonstrate the Condensation Elixir Realm acupuncture technique that Master begged from the Imperial Court for ."
"It's been so many days, how much longer do I have to wait?"
Fang Heng, lying on the bed and feeling the numbness in his arms, was noticeably impatient.
"Interesting. I've wasted so much of my salary healing you, and now you don't even call senior brother anymore."
Bai Ziming smiled warmly and then inserted a dozen or so needles swiftly.
Fang Heng's body jerked like a carp, veins popping on his forehead. He nearly shattered his teeth on a whimper of surrender, "Senior Brother Bai... I'm really in a hurry... I need to go to Qingfeng Mountain..."
"If Master knew he had accepted such a disappointing disciple, tsk, a revered Martial Immortal, you've been turned away twice without even seeing his face. As his disciple, you're still eager to chase after soone who cold-shoulders you."
Bai Ziming shook his head, thodically removing the silver needles.
He got up and patted down his clothing, "Let's go."
"Where to?" Fang Heng asked, raising his head in confusion.
"To et this Commandant whose hand is so heavy, to see if he's truly capable."
Bai Ziming's eyes remained calm as he placed the flat needle case into his chest, "While the senior brother and sister are not ho, he beat you up like this. If Sister Jiang found out, she would think that Bai has forgotten how to strike after several years of quitting martial arts to practice dicine."
He ca back? That fast?
Fang Heng quickly got up, his lips moved, and finally he said disheartened,
"Senior brother, I was the one who struck first."
"How much did you lose by?" Bai Ziming glanced over, already expecting the answer.
"Eleven to one." Fang Heng's shoulders drooped, and in response to the other's puzzled look, he sighed, "I put in a hundred percent, and he knocked to the ground with a single slap."
"..."
Bai Ziming pretended to reach for the needle case, "I almost forgot, a doctor must be benevolent and not compete. Let's leave this to Sister Jiang."
Fang Heng knew he was being mocked and reluctantly said, "If you were to fight him, of course Senior Brother Bai would win. After all, your thods are so devious. Although he has so Body Refining skills, they're nowhere near sufficient."
They both were masters who could defeat him with a single move. Shen Yi needed to get close, whereas Senior Brother Bai used poisoned flying needles taken from the body of a Jade Liquid poison demon and even had precious dicines given by Master for self-defense—ordinary warriors would die upon contact.
It was hard enough to guard against, and he always liked to attack with a smiling face.
One second he'd be exchanging pleasantries, the next a flying needle would be headed your way.
In comparison, Shen Yi looked more like a strong figure, letting his opponent strike first, but that also made him more vulnerable.
"I'll take it as a complint."
Bai Ziming stepped out of the bamboo tower, unconcerned. He was now genuinely curious about this new Commandant.
The two n quickly headed towards the Foreign Affairs Hall.
They were promptly greeted by the sight of Commandants swarming in, blocking the entrance to the yan so tightly that not even water could pass through.
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