Chapter 29: The Situation

Guodu, Demon Suppression Division.

Compared to usual, the atmosphere within the Demon Suppression Division was even more solemn; the aura of slaughter was so palpable that it could be felt even from a great distance.

"The demonic forces have become increasingly rampant lately!"

Clad in iron armor, Zhou Yuanzheng’s majestic face bore a cold and fierce expression. When discussing the demons, he made no attempt to hide his killing intent.

At this moment, within the great hall.

Aside from him, three others were present.

Each individual carried a tremendous prestige of their own, enough to strike fear into the hearts of others.

As his words fell.

One of them spoke: "The demons have been eyeing Great Qin for more than just a day or two. Now that His Majesty is aging, the demonic side wants to test the depth of our Great Qin's foundations."

"Hmph, for over three hundred years, the demons have been unable to do anything to Great Qin. Even if His Majesty is aging, our Demon Suppression Division is no pushover. In the last battle, we slew several Great Demons; that should have been enough to leave them wounded and broken!"

"In the past, slaying a few Great Demons might indeed have made the demons wary, but the current situation is different. Our Demon Suppression Division paid a heavy price to kill those Great Demons; many high-ranking Guardians have fallen. Now, with demons causing chaos in various regions, it is not an easy task for us to suppress them all."

The person in the center wore a blue and white long robe, and his somewhat pale face remained calm from beginning to end.

Dongfang.

Zhou Yuanzheng spoke coldly: "The Demon Suppression Division has existed for over three hundred years and has slain countless demons. Even if they truly wish to go to war, Great Qin does not fear them!"

"Great Qin naturally does not fear war, but the fact that Great Qin's strength is gradually weakening is a reality that cannot be ignored. If a full-scale war truly breaks out, it will be a case of killing eight hundred enemies while losing a thousand of our own. Once the people of the Demon Suppression Division are all dead, how much strength will be left to contend with the remaining demons?"

"How is your injury now?"

Zhou Yuanzheng's anger subsided significantly as he looked toward the man in the center.

Dongfang Zhao!

Among the experts currently stationed at the Demon Suppression Division, his strength was considered one of the best.

Hearing this, Dongfang Zhao shook his head slightly. "It is nothing serious. I did not expect such powerful demons to have awakened, but for now, he cannot do anything to me. The current chaos caused by the demons is merely temporary. Although His Majesty is aging, he has not truly reached that stage. As long as His Majesty remains, if those powerful demons enter Great Qin, they will have to seriously consider whether they can withstand His Majesty's wrath."

Having finished, he looked at the others and continued: "The demons are only testing us for now, but their methods are cruel. Our Demon Suppression Division cannot simply stand by and watch. We must fully dispatch all suitable Demon Slayers to ensure the demons are suppressed. As for the Guardians in various regions, they are to remain on standby. Should any powerful demon strike, they must be slain or expelled immediately."

Powerful demons.

The destruction they caused was far more terrifying than that of ordinary demons.

Beings of that level could massacre an entire city or prefecture with ease. Every time such a demon emerged, it was accompanied by terrible natural disasters, with the death toll of civilians numbering in the millions. No matter how powerful Great Qin was, it could not withstand such constant upheaval and turmoil.

Once or twice might be manageable, but if it happened too often, the very foundation of the Great Qin state would be shaken.

Suddenly.

Someone walked in from outside. Upon seeing the four men, he bowed deeply in salute.

"Jiang Zuo, Manager of the Yellow Department's Demon Suppression Academy, greets the various Guardians!"

"What is your business?" Zhou Yuanzheng's gaze fell upon him as he spoke indifferently.

He recognized Jiang Zuo. One could not serve as a manager in the Demon Suppression Academy without sufficient strength; they would not have the qualification.

"According to the latest intelligence, the County Magistrate of Lin'an, Zhao Fang, has colluded with demons. He has murdered over a thousand villagers to nurture a Ghost-grade anomaly, and he even intends to sacrifice one hundred thousand citizens of Lin'an to allow that anomaly to advance to the Fiend-grade!"

"What!"

"How dare he!"

"Preposterous!"

Inside the hall, the expressions of the men changed completely, each one filled with immense fury.

Colluding with demons!

Sacrificing the people!

These were heinous crimes that could never be tolerated.

"Speak!"

Dongfang Zhao's face suddenly turned indifferent, uttering only a single word calmly.

Instantly, Jiang Zuo felt an immense pressure. He pulled a letter from his robe that he had obtained beforehand and held it out with both hands: "Please, Guardian Dongfang, take a look!"

In the next instant, the letter seemed to be lifted by an invisible hand and landed in his grasp.

After glancing through it twice, Dongfang Zhao tossed the letter to the other Guardians.

"You all take a look as well!"

As the letter was passed around, he looked at Jiang Zuo: "Aside from this, is there any other evidence?"

"This is the Pure Spirit Jade Pendant, sent back by the apprentice Demon Slayer Shen Changqing, who traveled to Lin'an City!"

Jiang Zuo produced the Pure Spirit Jade Pendant.

With a wave of Dongfang Zhao's hand, the jade pendant landed in his palm.

Upon the jade pendant, two black threads lingered.

Looking closely, one could see that the black threads seemed to be flowing slowly.

"The traces on the Pure Spirit Jade Pendant vary in depth. The deeper one should be considered quite strong among the Ghost-grade, while the shallower one has not progressed far within the Ghost-grade."

With a single glance, Dongfang Zhao saw through the nuances of the jade pendant. As a Guardian of the Demon Suppression Division who had slain countless demons, his judgment regarding the strength of demonic power was unerring.

By this time, the other three Guardians had all read the letter, and the fury on their faces was evident.

Suddenly, Dongfang Zhao squeezed his hand hard, and the Pure Spirit Jade Pendant instantly shattered.

As the jade broke, the two black threads hidden within were released like escaping gas.

Immediately following this, a mysterious force descended upon the two black threads. The black lines twisted and changed, soon transforming into their original forms.

However, the difference was that both Zhuang Mingyuan and the Blood Soul now had vacant stares, their bodies appearing illusory as if they might dissipate at any moment.

No one present was surprised by this turn of events.

The Pure Spirit Jade Pendant did not merely record demonic aura; it was capable of capturing and preserving a fragment of a demon's power imprint. What Dongfang Zhao had done was to completely release that power imprint.

"I ask you: has the County Magistrate of Lin'an, Zhao Fang, already defected to the demons!" Dongfang Zhao questioned sternly. His voice resonated like a great bell within the hall, piercing straight into the depths of one's soul.

The Blood Soul stood motionless before suddenly letting out a shrill scream and dissipating into nothingness.

Zhuang Mingyuan's vacant face struggled violently, and he managed to squeeze out a single word: "Yes—"

Before the word could even finish, his illusory body also vanished.

However, the expressions of the Guardians present had already turned completely grim.

From Zhuang Mingyuan's mouth, they had obtained the answer they sought.