Baihua County, the prosperous comrcial district on the edge of the city.
Bang!
The front door of a gambling house was violently pushed open from the inside, and two young n in brocade robes were flung heavily onto the ground.
Before they could stand up, more than a dozen thugs wielding clubs rushed out from the gambling house.
A club smashed down onto their heads.
Struggling to rise, they were suddenly plunged into darkness and collapsed to the ground once more.
The remaining hoodlums, still feeling unsatisfied, continued beating and kicking them.
The two n scread and wailed in pain.
It didn't take long for a large crowd to gather and watch the spectacle on the streets.
Yet, facing such a cruel scene, the spectators clapped and cheered, so even rushed forward to viciously kick the victims a few more tis.
"These bastards from the Pang family are bullying people because of their power. They've destroyed my family, they deserve such a fate," soone in the crowd said.
"Delightful, truly delightful!" another shouted.
"..."
"Seeing him build tall buildings, seeing them fall." In a dark, deep alley not far away, two tall silhouettes also observed the scene.
The middle-aged man in a scholar's robe whispered.
"How unpredictable life is," the bald figure retorted indifferently.
But the tightly clenched fist inside his sleeve betrayed his inner turmoil, which was far from the calm displayed on his face.
These two n were the escapees from among the prestigious families.
The scholar-robed man was nad Wei Hong, the head of the Wei family.
The other bald man was Pang Chong, head of the Pang family.
The two young n being brutally beaten were from a side branch of their respective families.
"Fortunately, our cooperation with Corpse Mountain continues, and we still have a chance to turn the tables," Wei Hong said softly, retracting his gaze.
"Corpse Mountain—"
Pang Chong thought of the powerful strength that Su Heng had demonstrated, his face cold.
There was a chilling feeling within his heart.
"The combat power a dead-class lord can exhibit in the mortal world is not only related to their own strength but also requires a sufficiently strong fleshly body to carry it," Pang Chong said seriously. "Have you found such a body?"
"Of course!" Wei Hong smiled slightly, confidence written all over his face. "This is an existence that not even that monster can defeat."
Hearing these words, Pang Chong was shocked.
But he knew that Wei Hong was never one to speak rashly.
Since such words were spoken outright, he surely had confidence in them.
"Who!?" Pang Chong's eyes widened, asking urgently.
Wei Hong didn't keep him in suspense, "The forr head of the Demon Suppression Bureau, Li Daoxuan's master. He once suppressed Baihua County for over a hundred years, built the Demon Suppression Tower, and made both the noble families and demons unable to catch their breath—an exceptional powerhouse—Shen Zheng!"
"Shen Zheng!?" Pang Chong exclaid in astonishnt. "How is that possible? Hasn't he gone missing?"
"Gone missing?" Wei Hong scoffed. "Do you think, in this vast Jiangzhou, aside from the dead-class lords of Corpse Mountain Demon Country, who else could make him disappear without a trace?"
"No wonder, no wonder... so that's how it is!" Pang Chong nodded again and again.
The more he thought about it, the more details and connections erged in his mind, weaving into a net of understanding.
"The power of the Demon Country is beyond our imagination," Wei Hong said with a grave expression. "If it were not absolutely necessary, I would not want to kowtow before demons. But this is the trend, either conform to the torrent or be shattered to pieces."
"Su Heng..."
"This man seems to be on top of the world, but he is actually going against the current of the tis."
A cold light flashed in Wei Hong's eyes as he shook his head, "The Shen Zheng of now is the Su Heng of the future. His fate can only be to have his consciousness erased, to serve as a puppet for the descent of a great lord, or even to destroy everything he wanted to protect with his own hands."
...
...
...
In a secluded forest outside the city of Baihua County.
Zhao iying's throat, jaw, and half of her face were being tightly gripped by a large hand, leaving only a pair of eyes with clearly demarcated pupils and whites visible, which at this mont were trembling, revealing the fear and panic of a frightened deer.
Earlier, she had been subdued by Su Heng in an instant and had suffered a heavy blow, causing her mind to go blank.
It was only now that Zhao iying slowly ca back to her senses.
She was being forced to lift her head upward.
In front of her, Su Heng's large face almost filled Zhao iying's entire field of vision, and behind his disheveled hair, the previously sunny and clear sky had suddenly beco overcast with dark clouds. A cold gust of wind blew through the treetops with a rustling sound, whipping up a vast spread of fallen leaves from the ground.
Crack! Stay tuned to
A faint but distinct sound could be heard.
This sound ca from her overstressed spine and jawbone, bringing a sharp pain with it.
Zhao iying swore she never wanted to hear that sound again in her life.
She struggled violently.
Her hands slapped hard against Su Heng's sturdy arm.
The hand around her throat finally loosened slightly, and although breathing was still extrely difficult, her lungs managed to draw in so much-needed fresh air.
"Cough, cough!" Zhao iying coughed twice, her expression one of pain, "I'm not your enemy!"
"Not my enemy?" Su Heng's eyes narrowed slightly as he said coldly, "Then who are you? Certainly not my friend, I hope."
"I co from the Demon Suppression Army..."
Zhao iying took a couple of breaths and recounted her origin and mission in detail.
Su Heng's eyebrows furrowed slightly as he asked several rather confidential questions.
Zhao iying was able to match them all.
So of the matters she knew were even more comprehensive and detailed than what Su Heng was aware of.
After the conversation, Su Heng's heart gradually began to trust her a bit. He released his hand, and Zhao iying floated lightly to the ground.
Her legs softened.
Leaning against the irregularly broken stump behind her, she took deep breaths of fresh air.
"Since you have completed the task assigned by the army chief, you can leave now," Su Heng said coldly. "Also, rember to pass a ssage to him for when you go back."
"What ssage?" Zhao iying lifted her head.
"Baihua County is my territory. I can tolerate such an incident for the first ti, but I don't want there to be a second ti."
"I understand," Zhao iying lowered her head. "Such an incident won't happen again."
"That's good, I also do not wish for things to get too unsightly," Su Heng nodded.
"I ca here for another matter as well," Zhao iying slowly stood up, her expression sowhat complex as she looked at Su Heng. "This matter is not official business, but rather my own private affair. It has to do with the forr head of the Baihua County Demon Suppression Bureau."
"Shen Zheng?"
"Yes," Zhao iying nodded.
"Shen Zheng is my senior brother. I have been searching for clues about his disappearance all these years," Zhao iying said sternly, clenching her fists. "Up to now, I have finally found so useful information. His disappearance is very likely related to the Demon Country."
"Demon Country…" Su Heng stroked his chin and looked up.
Boom!
The sky rumbled with thunderclouds, and a thunderclap sounded.
Large raindrops fell from the sky, quickly rging into a sheet, drenching the entire forest in a hazy mist of water.
Although it is now midsumr, and such changeable weather is quite normal,
The sudden ferocity of this rainfall, coupled with what the Red Fla Demon King previously said,
Su Heng sensed that sothing was not right.
"Not staying quiet at all," Su Heng remarked. "That being said, you can also be considered Li Daoxuan's martial uncle."
Hearing the relationship between the other party and Shen Zheng, Su Heng's gaze toward Zhao iying softened slightly.
"This is not a good place to talk," he said. "Co with to the Demon Suppression Bureau first."
"Alright," Zhao iying nodded in agreent.
...
...
...
The plaza in the inner city of Baihua County.
The Demon Suppression Tower that originally stood here had been refurbished and repurposed as Su Heng's office after the Earth Vein Array Patterns failed.
Boom, boom, boom!
Su Heng returned from outside with Zhao iying.
Touching the chanism, the door opened slowly with a grinding sound.
Zhao iying paused, looked up, and on seeing the bright red human form hanging on the doorfra, her eyelids twitched violently.
If it was just this.
It wouldn't have scared Zhao iying, an experienced veteran of the Demon Suppression Army.
What truly horrified her was that this "person," despite being tortured to such an extent, was still alive.
"This person…" Zhao iying's expression hesitated.
"What's the matter, you think there is a problem?" Su Heng stopped walking and looked back at her.
"No, nothing!" Zhao iying forced a smile on her face and laughed it off, "The design of your Demon Suppression Bureau's main gate is quite… unique."
"Thanks for the complint," Su Heng nodded and strode forward.
One advantage of the Demon Suppression Tower was that the floors inside were very high, and the rooms were designed to be quite spacious. Even as Su Heng had grown to his current size, walking through the familiar wide corridors of the Demon Suppression Tower with a mighty bearing, he felt no discomfort due to narrowness.
"Who is this person, what wrong has he committed?" Zhao iying, running to keep up with Su Heng, still couldn't conceal her curiosity.
"Murong Hanshuang."
"The foster son taken in by Li Daoxuan?"
"Yes, that guy turned out to be a traitor," Su Heng briefly explained what had happened before.
"I see, then he deserves to end up like this," Zhao iying nodded, her face no longer showing the sympathy from before.
They arrived at Su Heng's study, located on the fifth floor.
Several people had already gathered here, Zhao Jinling, Li Hongxiu, Wang Xindong, and others were all present.
When Su Heng's towering figure entered through the door, everyone stood up, their expressions solemn as they bowed respectfully to Su Heng, "Greetings, Family Head."
They also noticed Zhao iying who had co in with Su Heng.
The others did not recognize her.
But as an old mber of the Demon Suppression Bureau, Wang Xindong had t her before.
"Deputy General Zhao!?" Wang Xindong exclaid in surprise, "Why do you look sowhat disheveled?"
"Well… it's a long story."
Zhao iying looked up to see Su Heng already sitting on the bronze chair at the end of the room, one leg crossed over the other, as Li Hongxiu at his side tily handed him a cup of tea.
Su Heng took it, took a sip, and then put the cup down again.
"Now that everyone is here, then, it's perfect. Summarize the news you all have collected these past few days for ," Su Heng said calmly.
Though Su Heng's voice was even, his imposing presence and the powerful aura he exuded caused everyone to tremble slightly.
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