Chapter 53: Cannot Coexist (Tenth Update)

Name: Shen Changqing

Faction: Great Qin Demon Suppression Division

Identity: Yellow-grade Demon Slayer

Martial Arts: Thirteen Grand Protectors Hard Qigong (Level 16, upgradable), Heavenly Martial Astral Qi (Level 11, upgradable), Seven Kills Saber Technique (Level 3), Iron Sand Palm (Level 2)

Kill Count: 41

The original three points of Kill Value were not counted. When he killed the female corpse, she contributed eight points, and then when he killed Wen Rong, he gained an additional thirty points.

As a result.

The Kill Value jumped directly from the original three points to forty-one.

Shen Changqing silently estimated.

If he were to focus solely on upgrading the Thirteen Grand Protectors Hard Qigong, assuming consumption did not increase, he could leap from Level 16 to Level 24.

"Level 24 of the Thirteen Grand Protectors Hard Qigong... I am curious to see just how powerful my physical body will become!"

Shen Changqing shook his head and chuckled.

It was impossible to dump all his Kill Value into hard qigong techniques.

The Heavenly Martial Astral Qi was the priority.

At least, that was the case for now.

He would only choose to upgrade the Thirteen Grand Protectors Hard Qigong when his blood and qi were insufficient to support the advancement of the Heavenly Martial Astral Qi.

At this moment.

Zhang Yue had already led his men to search the Zhang family estate.

"Chief Zhang, this Zhang residence is so quiet!" A bailiff looked at the massive estate, which lacked even a hint of human vitality, and felt a chill rise in his heart.

Hearing this, Zhang Yue shook his head. "The Zhang family colluded with evil spirits. It is possible that everyone here was killed by the Lord. We only need to follow orders and search the Zhang residence inside and out."

The fact that no one from the Zhang family had appeared gave him some suspicions.

But in reality.

Matters involving evil spirits were far beyond the involvement of a mere minor constable like himself.

Lord Shen was powerful and capable of slaying evil spirits.

If it were them facing an evil spirit, it would be a death sentence.

Hearing this, the bailiff could only shut his mouth.

The Zhang estate was not small.

Aside from the main courtyard at the front, there were several smaller courtyards and many side rooms.

Pushing open a tightly closed room door, a smell of mold immediately wafted out, forcing Zhang Yue to cover his nose and mouth.

The bailiff following behind him couldn't help but complain.

"How long has this place been empty? Wealthy families really are something—so many houses they just let them rot."

While the bailiff was complaining, Zhang Yue had already stepped inside.

It was currently midday, and the sunlight was intense. Even though the windows were tightly shut, the light filtering through allowed them to see the general layout of the room.

A lady's boudoir.

On the dressing table sat a bronze mirror and some scattered rouge, looking as if they had been left in a hurry.

Furthermore.

There were some dark brown substances on the floor.

Zhang Yue drew his long saber and lightly scraped at the dark brown substance, his expression grim. "These are traces of dried blood. It seems someone died in this room, and quite some time ago."

The dark brown stain on the floor was a large pool.

Losing that much blood would be enough to be fatal.

Sheathing his saber, Zhang Yue looked at his men. "Search this room thoroughly. See if there are any valuable items."

"Yes, sir!"

"Be careful. This room gives off an ominous feeling."

Zhang Yue looked around warily.

Even if the Zhang family had likely been thoroughly cleared out by Shen Changqing, there was no guarantee that nothing remained.

Caution is the mother of safety.

Paying attention to everything would never be a mistake.

This was precious experience accumulated through his years of service.

Every year.

The yamen would regularly recruit a new batch of constables because some would inevitably die in the line of duty, leaving the yamen perpetually short-handed.

Men like Zhang Yue, who were considered veterans in the yamen, each possessed their own strengths.

After fifteen minutes.

The room had been searched inside and out, but they only found some scattered silver; no other valuables were found.

Immediately after.

The two left the room and headed toward the next location.

For nearly half the day.

While the yamen personnel were searching the Zhang estate, Shen Changqing was in no hurry, waiting there patiently.

During this time, he took out the Clear Spirit Jade Pendant to inspect it; three black lines had appeared on it.

One black line was the thickest, the second was slightly thinner, and the thinnest one was on an entirely different level compared to the other two.

Undoubtedly.

That thinnest line was contributed by the female corpse, whose strength was not particularly high even among the Ghost-grade.

As for the other two, they came from Wen Rong and that Grievance-grade monstrosity.

In terms of strength.

Wen Rong was undoubtedly the strongest.

Unfortunately, the man was injured and overly cautious, daring only to hide in the Zhang residence. Otherwise, had he teamed up with that Grievance-grade monstrosity that night, the yamen would have been completely bloodied, and he would have had to make a strategic retreat.

Putting away the Clear Spirit Jade Pendant, Shen Changqing checked his Kill Value but did not use it for the time being.

With his current blood and qi, if he forced an upgrade to the Heavenly Martial Astral Qi, he might not be able to sustain the consumption.

Moreover, after the Thirteen Grand Protectors Hard Qigong broke through to the sixteenth level, its consumption had increased significantly. Without resources to support him, he did not dare to act recklessly.

Just then.

A bailiff came running up in a hurry.

"My Lord, we found something!"

"Lead the way."

Shen Changqing's spirit surged.

***

In a dim, secret chamber, an oil lamp was lit.

The bare walls were mottled with bloodstains, and skeletal remains were scattered across the floor. A nauseating stench of blood wafted through the air.

In front of the pile of bones sat a bed and a desk.

On the desk sat an incense burner, with wisps of blue smoke rising, mixing with the smell of blood to create a strange, faint fragrance.

Led by Zhang Yue, the group of bailiffs stood at the entrance of the secret chamber, staring at the floor covered in bones. Some looked solemn, while others were deathly pale with fear.

"The Lord has arrived!"

Someone shouted.

All the bailiffs turned around just as Shen Changqing walked in, and they instinctively bowed in salute.

"My Lord!"

Shen Changqing waved them off and looked at Zhang Yue. "What happened?"

"Please look, My Lord!"

Zhang Yue stepped aside, revealing the secret chamber behind him.

Shen Changqing stepped forward and saw the floor covered in bones and the bed placed at the very back.

"It seems this was the dwelling of that demonic practitioner!"

His expression turned cold.

There was no need to guess what those remains on the floor were.

An injured demonic practitioner would naturally need a place to recover.

Connecting this to the intelligence provided by the Heaven-Sensing Guards—that people in Lin'an City had frequently gone missing over the past year or two, with suspicion falling on the Zhang family—and comparing it to these piles of bones, the answer was clear.

"That demon might have only come to the Zhang family in the last year or two, turning the family members into corpse puppets, or he might have been here much longer, though his injury likely occurred within the last year or two.

Using the flesh and blood of the living to nourish himself... those who side with evil spirits truly cease to be human.

If he hadn't been worried about making too much noise and attracting the attention of the Demon Suppression Division, I fear the entire populace of Lin'an City would have escaped this calamity!"

Shen Changqing thought to himself, killing intent brewing in his eyes.

Though the man could only perform small-scale schemes while in the Zhang residence, it was only because the Demon Suppression Division acted as a deterrent.

Once that deterrent was gone, a demonic practitioner would act without restraint.

One only had to look at how demonic practitioners causing chaos in various regions made it difficult for the Demon Suppression Division to manage, allowing them to become increasingly brazen.

The evil spirit in Gu Yue Village must have an inseparable connection to this man.

Though the secret chamber was large, it could be seen in its entirety at a glance.

Aside from the bed for sleeping and the desk, there was nothing left but the scattered bones.

Shen Changqing glanced at them a few times before withdrawing his gaze.

"The demon has been executed, and I have avenged them. How is the search in the rest of the Zhang residence progressing?"

"Reporting to the Lord, the search is nearly complete. We have packed all the items and placed them outside the main courtyard."

"Mhm."

Shen Changqing nodded. Having stood in the courtyard for so long, he had naturally seen many crates.

"Let's go. Bring everything back to the yamen. Zhang Yue, take men to fetch some fire oil. Since there were evil spirits in the Zhang residence, there may be lingering threats. Burning it all down will ensure nothing remains."

"Yes, sir!"

Zhang Yue took the order, sending one group to move the items while he led another to find fire oil and other flammable materials.

Soon, only Shen Changqing remained in front of the secret chamber.

After a deep look into the chamber, he turned and left.

It was now late. Wen Rong's corpse still lay there, his dark blood having severely corroded the floor.

Some bailiffs brought carriages to load the crates, transporting everything back to the yamen, while Zhang Yue and the others doused the entire Zhang estate with fire oil.

Immediately after.

They laid down plenty of dry firewood.

"My Lord, everything is prepared!" Zhang Yue said respectfully, holding a torch.

Seeing this, Shen Changqing did not take the torch. Instead, he drew the long saber from his waist, condensed his Heavenly Martial True Qi, and swung the blade through the air.

A searing blade gale instantly struck the walls of the Zhang residence.

In an instant.

The fire oil ignited, and raging flames swept across the estate.

The heat forced Zhang Yue and the others to retreat, but Shen Changqing stood motionless, as if unaffected by the intense heat.

"Zhang Yue, is there any possibility of us coexisting peacefully with evil spirits?"

Looking at the raging fire, Shen Changqing suddenly spoke.

Hearing this, Zhang Yue was stunned for a moment before quickly regaining his composure. "My Lord, you must be joking. Evil spirits live by devouring the essence and blood of humans. To them, we are nothing but food. How could there be any possibility of coexistence?

If not for the suppression of the Demon Suppression Division, our people of Great Qin might have long since become fodder for the evil spirits.

To say nothing else, if it weren't for your presence, My Lord, we likely wouldn't even have had a chance to survive!"

"You are right. Humans are merely food to evil spirits; there is no way for the two to coexist. As long as the evil spirits are not eradicated, the human race will never know peace!"

Shen Changqing nodded in deep agreement.

In the past, he had read many files on evil spirits at the Demon Suppression Division, but those were merely words on paper. It was only through this mission that he truly understood how dire the relationship between humanity and evil spirits was.

Unless the evil spirits are destroyed.

Humanity will never have a good life.