Chapter 56: The Earth Dragon Turns Over (Bonus Chapter for 2,300 Initial Subscriptions)

Corpse puppets!

A look of confusion appeared on Zhao Yue's face.

Cui Cheng explained patiently, "Corpse puppets are a method used by demons and evils. After killing a person, they are refined into puppets. Those refined into corpse puppets can retain their memories from life, but they must obey the one who refined them.

To an outsider, it is difficult for ordinary people to distinguish the difference between a corpse puppet and a living person.

However, because corpse puppets are no longer living, they need to periodically absorb fresh blood to prevent their physical bodies from decaying."

Regarding records of corpse puppets, the Guiyuan Sword Sect, as a major sect in Guangyuan Prefecture, naturally did not lack them.

After explaining, Cui Cheng looked at Shen Changqing, having already understood the intention behind his actions.

"Lord Shen is worried that if news of the corpse puppets spreads, it will cause panic among the common people!"

"Correct!" Shen Changqing nodded.

"Corpse puppets are too eerie; ordinary citizens have no way of distinguishing them. If they were to find out that the Zhang family members had long since become corpse puppets, the morale of Lin'an City would inevitably collapse. I hope you two keep this matter strictly confidential.

To repeat: your struggle for the demon essence is your business. Whether Lin'an City falls into chaos or not is my business. If anyone attempts to cause turmoil in Lin'an City, do not blame me for being ruthless."

Shen Changqing made no attempt to hide his threats.

Currently, he did not need to act with excessive caution in Lin'an City. With thirteen layers of Heavenly Martial Astral Qi, even if he could not sweep through the entire Xiantian realm, he was certainly no weakling among them, provided no Grandmaster appeared.

Cui Cheng's expression turned solemn, and he responded hurriedly, "Rest assured, Lord Shen, we will absolutely not leak news of the corpse puppets. The Guiyuan Sword Sect has established its foundation in Great Qin for hundreds of years; our duty is to maintain stability in our region."

"That is for the best." Shen Changqing picked up a teacup nearby.

Seeing this, Cui Cheng pulled Zhao Yue up. "The two of us will not disturb Lord Shen any longer. We take our leave!"

"Safe travels," Shen Changqing nodded, then looked toward the door. "Someone, see them out!"

As soon as he spoke, a bailiff entered from the door and said to the two, "This way, please!"

"Farewell!"

***

First came the extermination of the Zhao family, then the seizure of the Zhang family's assets. In a short period, almost all the prominent local factions in Lin'an City had undergone a cleansing. The few remaining larger families had all lowered their heads, not daring to make any extra moves.

Suddenly, Lin'an City returned to tranquility.

During this time, Shen Changqing also kept a low profile, rarely appearing in public. Aside from handling the daily affairs of the yamen, he had nothing else to do.

The saber provided by the Demon Suppression Division had broken, and he had wanted to find an opportunity to replace his weapon. However, Lin'an City was merely a small place; while there were blacksmith shops, the weapons they forged were inferior to his current semi-broken long saber. Thus, Shen Changqing could only make do for now.

"Calculating the time, the demon essence should be about to emerge!"

Standing at the entrance of the inner hall, he gazed into the distance.

At some unknown point, the clear sky had grown slightly dim, making one feel as if a heavy stone were pressing against their chest, causing an inexplicable sense of oppression.

For no reason, certain phrases he had heard in his previous life surfaced in Shen Changqing's mind: *The wind fills the tower before the mountain rain; dark clouds press upon the city, threatening to crush it!*

Although dark clouds were not yet pressing upon the city, it was close. He had a premonition. The emergence of the demon essence might be today.

As he was lost in thought, Shen Changqing suddenly felt the earth shake, as if a dragon were turning in its sleep. The items placed on the inner hall table fell to the ground due to the tremors, smashing into pieces.

Immediately following this, a massive amount of clamor erupted from outside.

"This is bad! The earth is shaking!"

"Quick, quick, take cover—"

The panic of the commoners was loud enough to be heard directly inside the yamen's inner hall.

Soon, Shi Qingsheng rushed in, his face filled with panic. "My Lord, the earth is shaking! It might not be safe to stay in the inner hall; we must prepare to take cover immediately!"

"Do not panic."

Shen Changqing's expression darkened slightly. His feet seemed rooted to the ground; no matter how much the earth shook, his figure did not waver in the slightest.

Seeing his master's calm expression, the panic in Shi Qingsheng's heart subsided significantly. Forcing himself to stay composed, he said cautiously, "My Lord, the earthquake is causing a lot of chaos. What should we do now?"

"Gather the people and have them seek shelter in open spaces, but do not let them leave the city without authorization. Additionally, dispatch all bailiffs to disperse and maintain order within the city. Anyone who takes this opportunity to cause trouble shall be thrown into the dungeon. Anyone who dares to resist shall be killed on the spot!" Shen Changqing ordered calmly.

Hearing this, Shi Qingsheng immediately went to carry out the instructions.

Shen Changqing remained standing in place, his brow furrowed. If it were an ordinary earthquake, it wouldn't have much impact, but if the tremors were intense, it would be a disaster for the commoners. Regardless, in the eyes of a Xiantian Astral Realm martial artist, an earthquake posed no threat.

Judging by the current intensity, the earthquake was not extremely violent. With Shi Qingsheng and the bailiffs maintaining order, Shen Changqing felt somewhat at ease.

The key was that his mind was not on the earthquake at all.

"A natural earthquake is ultimately a low-probability event. Now, with the emergence of the demon essence approaching, an earthquake appearing suggests it might be related to the essence—"

Shen Changqing's heart grew heavy at his own speculation. If the mere emergence of the demon essence could trigger an earthquake, he would have to re-evaluate the power of the demon essence.

To be honest, he did not know much about demons. "Evil" was a collective term for demons and specters, but Demon Suppressors were only qualified to deal with specters, not true demons. In the Demon Suppression Prison, the demon remains and demons being sealed were not captured by Demon Suppressors. As for the records in the first floor of the Library, there wasn't much about demons; there were only more records regarding specters.

Just as these thoughts surged in his mind, the ground suddenly underwent another violent tremor. The shaking did not last long before settling down.

In the next breath, a heaven-shaking sound erupted from the distance.

A soul-shaking roar, like a primordial beast awakening from a long slumber, echoed out. In that instant, the hair on Shen Changqing's body stood on end. That single roar was enough to make him feel a massive threat.

"The demon essence—has emerged!"

Without any other reason, this thought popped into Shen Changqing's mind. Immediately, he could no longer stand still and rushed out of the yamen.

At the same time, the people of Lin'an City were in a state of panic. That roar seemed to have awakened the fear in their hearts. As for the bailiffs maintaining order, their state was not much better.

"Run! If we don't run now, it'll be too late!"

"Everyone stay where you are! Anyone who dares to run around recklessly will be thrown into the dungeon!" Zhang Yue suppressed his inner panic and shouted loudly while drawing the long saber from his waist. The bright blade caused some citizens to feel fear, and the chaotic scene stabilized slightly.

At this moment, an elderly man with trembling fingers said, "A demon! A demon has emerged! I once heard a rumor that there is a sleeping demon in the Lin'an area. Now with the earthquake and that roar, it must be a demon emerging. Run! If a demon truly emerges, we are all going to die!"

"A demon has emerged!" These four words caused the hearts of the citizens, who had barely regained their composure, to plunge back into chaos.

Just as the crowd was rioting, Shen Changqing strode forward. His Heavenly Martial Qi surged as he let out a heaven-shaking shout: "Silence!"

With a single word, all sound was suppressed. Some citizens even felt as if their heads had been struck by a heavy hammer, nearly losing their footing.

Shen Changqing shouted in a deep voice, "The claim that a demon has emerged is unreliable. This is merely a simple earthquake; there is no need for excessive worry. Furthermore, even if a demon were to emerge, so what? I am from the Demon Suppression Division, and my duty is to slay evils. Even if a demon causes havoc, it must first ask if the blade in my hand agrees!"

These words calmed the citizens significantly. Although Shen Changqing had not been an official for long, every action he had taken had deeply impressed the people, building a powerful image. In particular, the reputation of the Demon Suppression Division added much persuasiveness.

Seeing the scene calm down, Shen Changqing's tone softened slightly. "Everyone can rest assured. As long as I am in Lin'an City, nothing will happen. Once the earthquake ends, return to your homes and do not come out easily upon hearing any sounds. Leave the rest to me."

After speaking, he looked at Zhang Yue.

"You lead everyone to maintain order in the city. From this moment on, anyone spreading rumors to incite public disorder shall be killed on the spot if the offense is severe, and imprisoned if it is minor. Do not slacken in the slightest."

"Rest assured, My Lord, I will guarantee the stability of the city's order," Zhang Yue replied respectfully with a cupped fist.

"Good!" Shen Changqing nodded and then departed.

He could clearly perceive that the heaven-shaking roar had come from the direction outside the east of the city. According to the intelligence provided by the Heaven-Observing Guards, the area around the eastern mass grave was likely where the demon essence was sealed, which perfectly matched the current phenomenon.

Whether in his capacity as the Magistrate of Lin'an City or as a Demon Suppressor of the Demon Suppression Division, Shen Changqing had no reason to stand idly by. Although he was not competing for the demon essence, it was necessary to go to the site to investigate the situation.

As Shen Changqing left the city, he also saw many martial artists rushing toward the direction of the mass grave. Along the way, there were also some familiar faces.

"Lord Shen!"

Two familiar faces entered Shen Changqing's vision. He instantly recognized their identities. They were from the Seven Luminaries Sect. One was named Ming Zhengyang, and the other was Huang Xuan.

"What a coincidence, you two."

"With the disturbances outside the city, I assume the demon essence has emerged. Is Lord Shen also interested?" Ming Zhengyang smiled slightly, though his heart was somewhat heavy.

*Didn't this man say he wouldn't compete for the demon essence? Why is he joining the fray now?*