Great Chu, In Danger

He didn't reveal the full truth; in fact, they were the ones who wanted to kill Chu Jiang in the first place.

As for the Great Demon Tianxie wanting Chu Jiang's life, that was purely an accident.

Later, they even wanted to drain his last bit of value before he died, luring him to Black Tiger Mountain.

But these words couldn't be spoken.

Right now, their only hope of survival was to shift all the blame onto the demons.

"Godfather, how could you collude with demons to harm your own people!"

"Lord Chu slays demons to protect the common folk."

"How could you hand him over to the demons!"

Liu Guangwu listened to Assistant Magistrate Liu's words, and he couldn't believe that the father and mother official of Baishi County would act this way. He didn't understand.

He always taught himself to draw a clear line with demons, to make slaying demons his duty, and to be kind to the people, yet he himself was colluding with demons.

He couldn't accept that the person he respected most had become like this.

"Everything is fate, nothing is up to man!"

Assistant Magistrate Liu closed his eyes, still not responding to Liu Guangwu, and instead spoke to himself.

"You have your path, I have my way. Today, you are completely free."

To him, Liu Guangwu was indeed just a chess piece.

But in Liu Guangwu, he saw a shadow of his younger self.

He was also spirited and ambitious, wanting to sweep away the darkness in the world, slay demons, and usher in an era of peace and tranquility for the common people.

Full of confidence and the vigor of youth.

But life, sometimes, inadvertently leads one down another path.

Perhaps, it was because the sky was too dark.

He couldn't cleave through it and was instead swept up by it, becoming a part of the darkness.

That's why he treated Liu Guangwu with such affection.

Even though he was a chess piece, he wanted him to remain a pure person.

Perhaps, this was to make up for his own past regrets.

"From what you're saying, the demons wanted my life, and it has nothing to do with you, Assistant Magistrate Liu." Chu Jiang revealed a playful smile, his eyes sharp as light.

"That is indeed the case!"

Assistant Magistrate Liu could only answer.

Chu Jiang's gaze suddenly shifted in a certain direction, a smile playing on his lips, and he said, "My humble courtyard is quite lively tonight. Do I need to invite you in?"

"Huh?"

Assistant Magistrate Liu was startled. There was someone else? Could it be the Hall Master?

If the Hall Master himself were here, they would be saved.

"Who?"

"Come out quickly!"

The Demon Hunters shouted loudly, drawing their long sabers in unison. The blades glinted with cold light, reflecting the icy sheen of the moonlight.

"Haha, no need to be nervous, everyone. It's me!"

A very fat man in luxurious robes flipped over the courtyard wall. Despite his plumpness, he moved with the agility of a cat, landing from the several-meter-high wall without a sound.

"Shopkeeper Wang, how could it be you!"

"The authorities are investigating a case right now. This is no place for you!"

Liu Guangwu recognized the fat man instantly. He was the shopkeeper of Tianxiang Tower, and he had even helped him out of a tight spot back then. He seemed like a decent person.

"Hehe, don't worry, Captain Liu. I, Wang, would naturally not intrude without reason."

Shopkeeper Wang waved his hand with a smile.

As he spoke, he reached into his robes, fumbled for a moment, and then pulled out a token.

"Oh? What is this?"

Liu Guangwu looked at the object in his hand with confusion.

It was a round bronze plaque, intricately carved with numerous mysterious patterns. In the center, a large character "镇" (zhen, meaning suppress) was engraved, as if exuding a power of suppression.

"Demon Suppressing Guard!"

Chu Jiang recognized the token. It came from the Demon Suppression Division, an organization officially established at the provincial level. Even at the prefecture level, they only had temporary outposts.

The Demon Suppression Division's duty was to suppress demons, and it was an organization established by Great Chu specifically to deal with them.

These people were the core force resisting demons. Their County Yamen Demon Catching Division was merely considered auxiliary personnel of the Demon Suppression Division.

They handled some of the less troublesome demon cases.

It's an outsourced job.

The martial arts were also taught by the Demon Suppressing Guards to the county yamen as they happened to be completing a mission.

The Demon Suppressing Guards outrank officials by three levels. They are the true power department of Great Chu, not only suppressing demons throughout the land but also monitoring all martial arts sects.

"Yunzhou Demon Suppression Bureau, Zhang Sanbao!"

Zhang Sanbao's self-introduction truly stunned everyone present.

They hadn't expected a Demon Suppressing Guard to be stationed long-term in Baishi County; the hiding was too deep.

Demon Suppressing Guards on missions are usually short-term. Situations like this long-term stationing are extremely rare, indicating this place is of great importance.

"Greetings, sir. May I ask the purpose of your visit?" Chu Jiang asked calmly.

Zhang Sanbao glanced around and couldn't help but cough a few times.

"All of you, get out. Don't let anyone in."

Chu Jiang smiled, understanding Zhang Sanbao's meaning. Clearly, the following conversation was not suitable for others to hear.

"Sir, can you speak now?"

Zhang Sanbao said with a playful smile, "Your strength is greater than mine. There's no need for this. The Demon Suppressing Guards outrank officials by three levels externally, but internally, it's still strength that commands respect."

"We can converse as equals."

Chu Jiang nodded.

"Liu Kong and Hu Yijiang, do you know their true identities?" Zhang Sanbao asked.

"They have other identities?"

Chu Jiang's question implied that Zhang Sanbao's words suggested these two had non-trivial identities, and it was highly likely someone was sent specifically for them.

"They are from the Earth Fiend Hall!"

"A martial arts faction? Are they trying to overthrow the Great Chu Dynasty?"

"While not entirely accurate, you could say that!"

Little master, there's more to this chapter! Please click next page to continue reading, it gets more exciting!

Zhang Sanbao continued, "The Earth Fiend Hall is an extremely powerful force. They do not belong to the human race, nor do they belong to the demon race."

"However, overall, they lean towards the demon side and have some cooperation with the demon race."

"Their core members are basically in a half-human, half-demon state. They use demons for experiments and transplant parts onto themselves to increase their strength."

"Resources are limited, and some peripheral members don't even get this opportunity without special contributions."

"Sometimes, they even come into conflict with the demon race."

Using demons for experiments, good heavens, this organization is quite something.

What if they end up creating some terrifying monsters in the end?

"Hmm, looking at it this way, by using demon bodies for experiments, isn't the Earth Fiend Hall indirectly reducing our pressure?" Chu Jiang said.

Zhang Sanbao gave a wry smile and continued, "That was the case at first, and we didn't interfere. Later, the Earth Fiend Hall secretly captured a large number of human martial artists for human experimentation, and that's when conflict arose between us."

"After that, it was various covert struggles and back-and-forth."

"The Demon Suppression Bureau not only has to suppress demons throughout the land but also monitor martial arts sects to prevent them from causing trouble behind the scenes, and secretly resist the Earth Fiend Hall."

"Many people have infiltrated the Great Chu court with ulterior motives."

"Manpower is severely insufficient. Even after multiple expansions, facing such a vast country where people are needed everywhere, we can only barely maintain the current situation."

After listening to Chu Jiang, he felt that the Great Chu Dynasty's long survival was largely due to the Demon Suppression Bureau, which did all the work.

It was like a house on the verge of collapse, patched up year after year, yet it didn't fall.

However, this Great Chu Dynasty was truly precarious, teetering on the brink.

Dealing with the threat of demons was already exhausting, and the martial arts sects behind the scenes were also restless. Otherwise, they wouldn't have sent people to monitor them. It was likely something had happened in the past involving martial arts unrest.

Then there was the Earth Fiend Hall, already short-handed, and continuously undermining the Great Chu Dynasty. Sooner or later, the empire would collapse.

He couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding.

"Great Chu, in danger..."