Huafeng County's Dragons

"Knock, knock, knock."

The door was knocked.

"Senior Brother Shen, Steward Yan requests your presence."

A young voice came from outside the door.

Yan Xiu was looking for him?

Shen Che stood up and opened the door. It was an unfamiliar Probationary Demon Suppressor, who looked respectful.

"Understood."

Shen Che followed the person and returned to Yan Xiu's office.

Yan Xiu was dealing with a pile of documents, not even looking up.

"Sit."

Shen Che sat opposite him and remained silent.

Yan Xiu finally put down the brush in his hand, looked up, and glanced at Shen Che.

He didn't say anything, but Shen Che could feel that the other person's gaze lingered on him for a moment longer than usual.

"There's a mission. Are you interested?"

Yan Xiu pushed a document over.

"Huafeng County."

Shen Che picked up the document and opened it.

"Within three months, three official Demon Queller Envoys from our Demon Suppression Division have gone missing in Huafeng County."

Yan Xiu's voice was not loud.

"All of them were in the True Meridian Realm."

"Besides our people, some Martial Artists of the Jianghu who were passing through or traveling locally have also inexplicably vanished."

"No sight of them, dead or alive."

Shen Che flipped through the document, which recorded the names and cultivation levels of the missing individuals, as well as the location where they last sent a signal.

"The people we sent investigated for a long time and found nothing, like a stone sinking into the sea."

Yan Xiu tapped his fingers lightly on the table.

"This mission does not require you to solve the problem, nor does it even require you to find the culprit."

"I just want you to go there, keep your eyes sharp, and discover some clues that we previously overlooked."

"As long as you can bring back valuable intelligence, the mission will be considered complete."

Shen Che closed the document.

This mission didn't sound simple at all.

To make three official Demon Queller Envoys in the True Meridian Realm disappear without a trace, the opponent must be no ordinary foe.

"What's the reward?"

Shen Che asked the question that concerned him the most.

"One thousand Contribution Points."

Yan Xiu stated a number.

Shen Che's heart missed a beat.

One thousand points.

This huge sum was enough for him to redeem ten Meridian Opening Pills.

With ten Meridian Opening Pills, the cost of opening his third and fourth True Meridians would be greatly reduced, saving him a massive amount of Time Value.

This mission was practically a custom-made ATM for him.

Whether they were Demonic Beasts or strange creatures, in his eyes, they were all moving Time Value.

"I accept."

He didn't hesitate at all.

"Good."

Yan Xiu handed him a new token.

"This is a transfer order for the Huafeng County Demon Suppression Division branch. You can mobilize the local government forces to cooperate with you, but don't hold out too much hope."

"Remember, your mission is to investigate, not to fight to the death. If you find anything, use the Demon Suppressing Token to send a message back immediately."

"Don't get yourself caught in it too."

Yan Xiu added a final reminder.

"Understood."

Shen Che put away the case files and token, then turned to leave.

By noon that day, he had changed into ordinary blue cloth clothes, slung a simple travel bag over his shoulder, and left Cangyun City alone.

Huafeng County, subordinate to Cangyun Prefecture, was located at a crucial transportation hub with frequent traveler traffic.

Several days later, Shen Che arrived at this county town.

Contrary to the desolation he had imagined, Huafeng County was bustling with people, carriages, and horses, a scene of prosperity.

Shops lined both sides of the streets, and the sounds of hawking and shouting were incessant.

The more prosperous it appeared, the more it indicated the undercurrents churning beneath the surface.

To be able to abduct several experts of the True Meridian Realm here without a sound was a capability that would make any force tremble.

Shen Che did not report to the Demon Suppression Division branch.

He found the largest inn in the town center, the "Huitong Inn," and requested a room on the second floor facing the street.

After settling in, he went down to the first-floor lobby, chose an inconspicuous corner to sit, ordered a pot of coarse tea and two small dishes, and began to eat and drink by himself.

The inn lobby was the most well-informed place.

People from all walks of life, merchants traveling north and south, all gathered here.

"Did you hear? Ao Yong, the 'Overturning Sea Saber' from the Earth Ranking, went into seclusion a few days ago and broke through to the Innate Realm in one go. His fame has soared!"

"That's nothing. Fairy Yue of the Moon Spirit Sect, only nineteen years old, has already made it onto the Hidden Dragon Ranking. Now that's a true daughter of heaven!"

"Who on the Hidden Dragon Ranking isn't an extraordinary talent destined to become a prominent figure who will stir up storms in the future?"

Shen Che sipped his tea, filing away these casual remarks in his mind.

The Earth Ranking, the Hidden Dragon Ranking.

The martial arts world of this realm seemed even more exciting than he had imagined.

Just then, the previously noisy lobby suddenly fell silent.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked towards the inn entrance.

Three figures walked in.

The one in the lead was a young man in his early twenties, dressed in a white brocade robe, with a handsome face and a long sword in a jade scabbard at his waist. He carried himself with an extraordinary air.

Two young girls followed behind him.

One was dressed in fiery red tight-fitting clothes, about sixteen or seventeen years old, with a pretty face and large, bright eyes that darted around, exuding a lively and spirited aura.

The other was dressed in elegant plain green clothes, of similar age, carrying a sheathed long sword on her back. She had a cool and quiet demeanor, following silently behind.

The appearance of these three immediately created an invisible boundary between them and the other martial artists in the lobby.

"Innkeeper, three superior rooms."

The young man in the lead spoke, his voice gentle, yet carrying an undeniable authority.

"Right away! Esteemed guests, please follow me upstairs!"

The innkeeper, with a beaming smile, personally stepped forward to lead the way.

"Xue Xi, I'm still a little worried."

As they passed Shen Che's neighboring table, the green-clothed girl whispered to the red-clothed girl.

"Even official Demon Queller Envoys from the Demon Suppression Division have fallen here, and the three of us..."

"Don't worry, Qing Xuan."

The red-clothed girl named Xue Xi patted her shoulder and lowered her voice, but it was still clearly audible to Shen Che.

"With Senior Brother Mo here, what are you afraid of?"

"He's a master on the Hidden Dragon Ranking. The three of us working together should be enough to handle anything, as long as we don't run into any old monsters in the Innate Realm."

The three followed the innkeeper upstairs.

Shen Che picked up his teacup and took a sip.

The Hidden Dragon Ranking.

Sect missions.

Huafeng County.

The clues had come right to his doorstep.

As night deepened, Shen Che meditated in his room, but his ears remained attentive to the sounds outside.

Just after midnight, three shadowy figures, like cats, silently climbed out of the second-floor window. With a few leaps, they disappeared into the night.

Shen Che opened his eyes.

He waited for about the time it takes an incense stick to burn before he, too, climbed out of the window.

With a physique and senses far surpassing ordinary people, he followed the faint traces of the three, keeping a steady pace behind them.

The trio headed west, quickly leaving the county town and taking a dirt road leading to the wilderness outside the city.

The moonlight was obscured by dark clouds, plunging the surroundings into pitch blackness, with only the "rustling" sound of the wind blowing through the treetops.

Shen Che's figure blended into the darkness, becoming almost one with his environment.

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