“Brother Shen, why are you not sleeping?”
A faint, eerie voice sounded from behind, instantly making the hair on Shen Changqing's neck stand on end.
Without any hesitation, he struck the courtyard gate with a palm, shattering it, and rushed outside.
Once out of the courtyard, Shen Changqing did not look back, instead bolting toward the distance.
It was only after a long while that he finally came to a halt.
When he turned to look back, the courtyard had already been left far behind.
At this moment, the pounding of Shen Changqing's heart gradually began to steady.
"What on earth was that thing!"
He was now certain that something was definitely wrong with Mo Zijin.
Because he had clearly seen the man enter the room, yet the man had abruptly appeared behind him the moment he left.
At Shen Changqing's current level of cultivation, no movement within ten feet could escape his senses.
And yet—
He had not detected Mo Zijin's footsteps at all.
In fact, had the man not spoken, Shen Changqing wouldn't have even known someone was standing right behind him.
"If he were an evil entity, how could he lack even a trace of sinister aura? And why hasn't he attacked me from start to finish—"
After the initial shock, he regained his composure.
*Or should I... go back and check?*
Such a thought surfaced in Shen Changqing's mind.
If he fled in such a panic without seeing the actual situation, he would feel somewhat dissatisfied with himself.
"When I left just now, Mo Zijin didn't try to stop me. It could be that he simply didn't want to, or perhaps he couldn't. If that's the case, even if I turn back, as long as I am cautious enough, I believe there won't be any problems."
After estimating the risks of returning, Shen Changqing quietly retraced his steps along the original path.
The sky was dark. Only the lights within the courtyard guided travelers.
When Shen Changqing arrived not far from the courtyard, he saw the gate standing open. Mo Zijin was standing there, meeting his gaze calmly.
Looking into Mo Zijin's eyes, Shen Changqing felt nothing unusual, but as his gaze shifted to the courtyard gate, his pupils suddenly contracted.
It was intact!
He remembered clearly that he had just smashed through the gate. Such force should have shattered it to pieces.
But now, the gate was perfectly intact, which explained a great deal.
"Traveling at night is inconvenient. It would be better, Brother Shen, if you were to rest here at my place."
Mo Zijin spoke softly. His smile was originally gentle, but in Shen Changqing's eyes, it had become eerie and terrifying.
"What exactly are you?"
"What do you mean by that, Brother Shen?" Mo Zijin's expression turned to one of confusion.
Immediately after, he beckoned with his hand.
"Come back quickly. It's about to rain again."
"—"
Watching the man's expression, the wariness in Shen Changqing's heart intensified.
However, he also noticed something.
Mo Zijin had remained at the courtyard entrance the entire time, showing no intention of stepping out.
"Could it be that he cannot leave the courtyard?" Shen Changqing wondered.
His confusion grew. Throughout the encounter, Mo Zijin had not emitted a single shred of sinister aura; he didn't even look like a powerful evil entity.
Yet, there was no doubt that something was wrong with him.
After staring deeply at Mo Zijin for a few moments, Shen Changqing decided it was best to withdraw for now.
After all, the thing standing before him was less a human and more an unknown entity. With his current knowledge, he had no way of understanding it fully.
However, there might be records within the Demon Suppression Division.
"It seems I must return to the Demon Suppression Division to investigate properly."
Having made his decision, Shen Changqing withdrew.
The entity in the courtyard was too bizarre; until he could determine the man's true strength, he did not want to engage in a major conflict.
Among the Demon Slayers who had died throughout history, some had perished during missions, while others had simply courted death through their own recklessness.
Let the failures of the past be a lesson for the future. Shen Changqing felt that staying alive was the most important thing.
Watching him leave, Mo Zijin's expression remained calm as he muttered words to himself.
Only when Shen Changqing's figure had completely vanished did he close his mouth and return inside.
The courtyard gate quietly closed.
***
Outside.
The horse tied under the tree was still there.
Shen Changqing had no intention of continuing his journey immediately. Since the rain had stopped, he went to an open space and found a somewhat flat rock.
He released his Heavenly Martial True Qi, evaporating all the moisture on the stone.
He leaped up, managing to find a relatively comfortable position. Sitting cross-legged, he closed his eyes and entered a state of spiritual rest.
The wilderness was unsafe; if he were to enter deep cultivation, he would inevitably be disturbed. The main issue was that his Heavenly Martial Astral Qi had reached an unprecedented thirteenth level, and there were no subsequent cultivation methods, making further progress impossible for now.
The night passed quickly.
At the moment the eastern horizon turned pale, Shen Changqing suddenly inhaled, his mouth slightly open, swallowing a wisp of purple qi into his abdomen.
As the purple qi entered his belly, his true qi seemed to grow slightly stronger, though it also seemed unchanged.
He leaped to the ground, went to the horse, untied the reins from the tree, mounted up, and continued his journey toward the capital.
Much time passed.
Ten days later, Shen Changqing finally saw the walls of the capital. Unfortunately, the horse he had bought in Lin'an City had finally collapsed on the road to the capital.
However, they were not far from the city by then. Even without a horse to assist his speed, it wouldn't take much longer.
Compared to Lin'an City, the walls of the capital were very high. Soldiers patrolled day and night, and the gates were heavily guarded. Everyone entering the city was subject to inspection and required a travel permit.
In Shen Changqing's understanding, a travel permit was much like an ID card from his previous life.
"Halt! Show your permit!"
When it was Shen Changqing's turn to enter, he was intercepted by a soldier.
Seeing this, he produced his identity token.
Upon seeing it, the soldier's expression changed instantly, and his previously indifferent tone became enthusiastic.
"So it is an official from the Demon Suppression Division. My apologies for the rudeness. Please, enter, sir."
"Mhm."
Shen Changqing nodded, tucked his token back into his pocket, and walked straight in.
Once inside the city, the sounds of bustle were endless. Everywhere one looked, people were coming and going. The level of liveliness was incomparable to anywhere else.
Shen Changqing paused to observe for a moment before heading toward the location of the Demon Suppression Division.
The capital was divided into the Outer City and the Inner City.
The Outer City was where the commoners lived and was the most bustling part of the capital. As for the Inner City, only high-ranking officials and court ministers were eligible to reside there. Ordinary citizens might not even have the right to step foot inside, let alone live there.
Consequently, the Inner City was much quieter, lacking the vibrant prosperity of the Outer City.
As a vital institution of the Great Qin, the Demon Suppression Division was located within the Inner City.
To move from the Outer City to the Inner City, one had to pass through an important checkpoint. The purpose of the checkpoint was to prevent ill-intentioned individuals from sneaking in.
After Shen Changqing presented his Demon Slayer identity token, he entered the Inner City without any hindrance.
Among the people of Great Qin, there was a consensus: you could offend anyone, but you must never offend the Demon Suppression Division.
Historically, those who crossed the Division rarely met a good end. No matter how much power you wielded, unless you were the current Emperor, a good outcome was unlikely. Over time, the reputation of the Demon Suppression Division had become deeply ingrained in the hearts of the people.
"An institution with such rising influence would likely have been suppressed long ago in the dynasties of my previous life. Yet here in Great Qin, the Demon Suppression Division is not only unhindered but heavily supported by the Imperial Family. It's impossible that this isn't related to the presence of evil entities."
Walking through the Inner City, Shen Changqing understood the situation based on the news he heard.
"Great merit overshadowing the master" was a principle that applied everywhere. The Division was at its peak but faced no suppression from the royals precisely because of the rampant evil entities. If the Division were suppressed, who would deal with the monsters?
Although there were many people in Great Qin capable of fighting evil, the vast majority came from the Demon Suppression Division. If the Division were gone, most of Great Qin's territory would become a playground for evil.
"However—"
"It's not impossible that there are members of the Imperial Family within the high ranks of the Division. After all, no matter how much the current Emperor trusts the Division or fears the evil entities, he wouldn't leave himself completely unprepared."
Shen Changqing did not know much about these matters; he was merely a newly promoted Yellow-rank Demon Slayer and did not have the clearance to access high-level information. But even if he hadn't "eaten the pork," he had "seen the pigs run." He understood the underlying logic quite well.
Although the Inner City had fewer people, the space was vast. It took Shen Changqing twenty minutes to reach the gates of the Demon Suppression Division.
He presented his identity token and entered the grounds without any resistance.
Instantly, a familiar scent of blood rushed toward him. Unlike the tranquility outside, the Demon Suppression Division was permeated at all times by a heart-pounding, murderous atmosphere.
When he had first arrived in this world, Shen Changqing would have felt intense discomfort with such an atmosphere. Over time, he had grown accustomed to it.
By now, after spending a long time away on a mission, the atmosphere of the Division actually brought him a sense of peace.
"I'm home!"
Shen Changqing sighed. To him, the Demon Suppression Division was his home in this world. To others, it might be a tiger's den, but to him, it was home.
After his moment of sentiment, Shen Changqing did not go to report to Jiang Zuo immediately. Instead, he first returned to his own small courtyard.
Opening the gate, nothing had changed. However, when he returned to his room and pushed the door open, a musty smell wafted out, accompanied by a slight puff of dust.
Seeing this, Shen Changqing activated his true qi, sweeping away all the mustiness and dust in one go.