Chapter 34: Yellow-Rank Demon Slayer

Shen Changqing had just departed from the Zhao family when he saw someone approaching from the opposite direction.

"Lord Shen!"

"What is it?"

Looking at the newcomer, Shen Changqing raised an eyebrow slightly.

The person was not unfamiliar to him; he was a clerk from the Yongfu Pawnshop, who was also, in reality, a member of the Heavenly Inspection Guard.

As the Yongfu Pawnshop served as the base of operations for the Heavenly Inspection Guard in Lin'an City, every person within it was a member of the guard.

The man replied, "The shopkeeper has requested a meeting. He said that there has been progress regarding the matter you asked to be investigated earlier, Lord Shen."

"Oh? Lead the way."

"Lord Shen, please follow me!"

The man walked ahead while Shen Changqing followed slightly behind, heading toward the Yongfu Pawnshop.

In terms of secrecy, the Heavenly Inspection Guard in Lin'an City was actually not very effective; they merely used the pawnshop as a front to save face.

But in truth, even if the Heavenly Inspection Guard did not have the cover of the Yongfu Pawnshop, it wouldn't have mattered.

The Heavenly Inspection Guard belonged to the Demon Suppression Division.

They could have even hung up a legitimate signpost if they wanted to. After all, the Heavenly Inspection Guard stationed in Lin'an City was merely a node for receiving information; the ones truly gathering intelligence from various regions were others entirely.

Lin'an City was not large.

It took only about fifteen to thirty minutes to travel from the Zhao family to the Yongfu Pawnshop.

Shen Changqing was considered an acquaintance of the Yongfu Pawnshop, so as soon as he entered, he walked straight into the inner hall.

Seeing this, Situ Bei hurriedly stood up.

"Lord Shen has arrived!"

"Brother Situ," Shen Changqing nodded slightly in greeting.

Having dealt with the Yongfu Pawnshop many times, the two were quite familiar. Given that Situ Bei was older, Shen Changqing addressed him with a respectful title.

After taking a seat, Situ Bei handed a square wooden box sitting on the table to Shen Changqing.

"Lord Shen, half a day ago, a member of the Heavenly Inspection Guard delivered this item, stating it was brought by the Demon Suppression Division for you. Please, have a look!"

"The Demon Suppression Division?"

Shen Changqing felt a hint of curiosity. As he took the wooden box, he noticed it was somewhat heavy.

Without making any effort to be discreet, he opened the box directly in front of Situ Bei.

What met his eyes was a rectangular token.

Shen Changqing picked up the token. On one side, the words "Demon Suppression Division" were inscribed in large characters; on the other side, his name, "Shen Changqing," was written. At the bottom corner of the text, the words "Yellow-Rank Demon Suppressor" were engraved.

A Yellow-Rank Demon Suppressor identity token!?

On the other side, Situ Bei watched Shen Changqing open the box. Seeing him inspect the token, his eyes instantly caught the words "Yellow-Rank Demon Suppressor."

Immediately, he offered his congratulations respectfully: "Congratulations, Lord Shen, on successfully promoting to Yellow-Rank Demon Suppressor. May your future be bright; even the rank of Guardian is within your reach!"

"Brother Situ, you flatter me."

Shen Changqing smiled slightly and put the token away. This was his second identity token.

He still had his original token as a Trainee Demon Suppressor on his person.

According to the rules, upon being promoted to a Yellow-Rank Demon Suppressor, the original identity token should have been surrendered. However, because he had not returned to the Demon Suppression Division, many of the formal steps had been bypassed.

Having put the token away, Shen Changqing looked at the other items in the box.

Three letters.

A clear spirit jade pendant.

A book titled: *Heavenly Martial Astral Qi*.

"Heavenly Martial Astral Qi... it seems to be a martial arts technique. What is the Demon Suppression Division's intention in specifically sending a martial art?"

The moment he saw the *Heavenly Martial Astral Qi*, a sense of doubt rose in Shen Changqing's heart.

Aside from that, there was only a porcelain vial left.

Shen Changqing first put away the clear spirit jade pendant, then opened one of the letters. It was an appointment letter, stating that he was to temporarily take over the position of Magistrate of Lin'an City. The letter was stamped with a large official seal.

He didn't recognize the seal particularly well, but a seal contained within a letter sent by the Demon Suppression Division was certainly extraordinary.

"Brother Situ, do you recognize this seal?" Shen Changqing handed the appointment letter to Situ Bei.

Seeing this, Situ Bei accepted it with both hands. After a brief glance, his pupils contracted. "This is the seal of Great Qin. The Demon Suppression Division intends for you to temporarily take the position of Magistrate of Lin'an City. This is truly worth celebrating!"

"So it is the seal of Great Qin."

Shen Changqing showed no smile. He tucked the appointment letter away. Now that the letter had arrived, he realized he had no possibility of escaping this responsibility.

Taking over the position of Magistrate was clearly intended to allow him to act as a Guardian in Lin'an City with legitimate authority.

Next, Shen Changqing opened the second letter, which contained the verdict for the Zhao family.

Just as he had suspected, the Imperial Court held a deep hatred for those who colluded with demons. Once the verdict was issued, the Zhao family's path to survival was completely severed.

"The Zhao family's time is up!"

Shen Changqing sighed.

Although Situ Bei had not read the contents of the letter, he could guess much from the tone of Shen Changqing's words and gave a noncommittal smile.

"Lord Shen, you are still a bit young and do not quite understand. Since Zhao Fang dared to defect to the demons, the Zhao family deserves their fate. This matter concerns the safety of Great Qin; if they were not punished, would everyone not dare to betray Great Qin and the human race in the future? The death of the Zhao family serves as a warning to others. Colluding with demons leads to this end!"

"Brother Situ is right," Shen Changqing nodded. He did not dwell on it much; killing one person was killing, and wiping out the entire Zhao family was also killing.

It was only at this moment that Shen Changqing suddenly realized that, without knowing when, he had become cold-blooded.

Perhaps it was the influence of the Demon Suppression Division.

Finding an excuse, he stopped thinking about it.

Being cold-blooded or being a saint—one's character is forged by one's environment. Once you join the Demon Suppression Division, you are destined not to be soft-hearted; otherwise, you might be the one who dies.

Soon, Shen Changqing opened the final letter.

It contained some words from Jiang Zuo. The content essentially stated that considering the risks of this mission, the higher-ups had decided to grant him some benefits, and further instructed him to perform well.

Once the Demon Suppression Division could spare personnel from elsewhere, they would come to support him immediately.

Until then, he must ensure the safety of the people of Lin'an City.

Finally, it introduced the origin of the *Heavenly Martial Astral Qi* and what was contained within the porcelain vial.

Putting the letters away, Shen Changqing glanced at the *Heavenly Martial Astral Qi* and the porcelain vial before tucking both into his robes, leaving only the empty wooden box behind.

The current setting was not suitable for studying the *Heavenly Martial Astral Qi*, and as for the matter of his meridian opening, he did not intend to let too many people know.

Having put his things away, he looked at Situ Bei. "Brother Situ, did you call me here just because the Demon Suppression Division sent something, or is there something else?"

"A few days ago, you asked me to investigate whether anything strange had happened within a fifty-mile radius. As it happens, I have just received some news."