Why Risk Our Lives for That Meager Salary?

Xiao Hong watched the scene, scratching the back of his head in confusion.

Then he heard clearly what the guards were shouting and turned around, asking Kong Wu in puzzlement, "You injured General Zhang?"

Kong Wu's expression did not change as he shook his head. "They must have made a mistake."

Xiao Hong nodded. He also felt that the Demon Suppression Division had probably mistaken the wrong person.

He had met General Zhang of the Demon Suppression Division a few times. He was a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage.

Although Kong Wu's physique was extraordinary, Xiao Hong did not believe he could injure a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage.

Thinking that things would become troublesome if he could not explain the situation, Xiao Hong's gaze sharpened, and an astonishing aura radiated from him.

After unleashing the astonishing aura unique to the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, Xiao Hong stood there with his hands behind his back, waiting for Captain Jin to come out.

In Purple Flame County, there were only three people at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage. Once Captain Jin sensed this aura, he would naturally come out to see what was going on.

Then they could explain the misunderstanding.

With that thought in mind, Xiao Hong did not have to wait long before he saw a figure in red brocade robes walk out from inside.

A mighty group of Demon Suppression Guards followed behind him, every one of them armed.

When he saw Xiao Hong, Jin Hefeng froze slightly, and his expression became extremely ugly.

"Hall Master Xiao, are you planning to attack a government institution?"

Xiao Hong froze. The cheerful mood he had been in, ready to greet him with a smile, was ruined by Jin Hefeng's words, and he narrowed his eyes.

"Captain Jin, what do you mean by putting such a heavy accusation on me?"

True Qi surged through Jin Hefeng's body, as if he would strike at any moment.

"What do I mean? I was about to ask what you mean. You brought the person who injured our General to the Demon Suppression Division. Could it be that you intend to humiliate us?"

As soon as he said this, the many Demon Suppression Guards also grew agitated, and countless waves of True Qi rose and fell one after another.

Only after sensing the undisguised killing intent from Jin Hefeng did Xiao Hong realize that something was wrong. In a deep voice, he said, "Captain Jin, could there be some misunderstanding? Are you saying that this little friend, who has no cultivation, injured General Zhang?"

Jin Hefeng nodded. "I admit that Zhang Hao acted without thinking and misunderstood him, but even so, he should not have injured a General of the Demon Suppression Division. This is a provocation against the authority of the imperial court!"

"Wait! Are you telling the truth?"

As he spoke, Xiao Hong turned his head and saw Kong Wu tilting his head to the side with an expression that said, This has nothing to do with me.

For some reason, the more Xiao Hong looked at Kong Wu's appearance, the more he felt that Kong Wu was acting guilty.

The next moment, Yang Zhaohui, who stood beside Jin Hefeng, stepped forward and shouted, "Senior Xiao, more than a dozen Demon Suppression Guards witnessed it with their own eyes. Do you think we could still be lying?"

Xiao Hong said nothing, staring at Kong Wu without a word.

Kong Wu said helplessly, "I didn't know they were from the Demon Suppression Division. That guy tried to chop me down without saying a word. I was only defending myself."

Xiao Hong's heart was suddenly filled with mixed feelings.

On one hand, he had gained an even deeper understanding of Kong Wu's strength and felt that the matter was now as good as settled.

On the other hand, injuring a General of the Demon Suppression Division was not something that could be resolved so easily.

He turned around and cupped his fists toward Jin Hefeng. "Captain, this little friend is not a man who goes around committing evil. There must be some misunderstanding."

Of course there was a misunderstanding.

Jin Hefeng understood that Zhang Hao bore some responsibility for being beaten into that state.

Who had told him to act rashly without asking clearly about the situation? He had not even figured out whether his target was male or female before attacking. Who else could he blame?

But in the end, Zhang Hao was a General of the Demon Suppression Division. They could not let someone injure him for no reason and then refuse to uphold justice for him.

So that fellow could only be considered unlucky.

Jin Hefeng shook his head and said, "Senior Xiao, the Demon Suppression Division is handling a case. Please do not obstruct us."

Seeing that he had not wavered in the slightest, Xiao Hong's heart sank.

It seemed this matter could not be resolved peacefully.

"Old man, if it won't work, then forget—"

Before Kong Wu could finish, Xiao Hong waved his hand, indicating that he could handle it.

In the past, Xiao Hong definitely would not have chosen to take on this mess.

But right now, the success or failure of that matter depended on a single thought from Kong Wu, so he could only bite the bullet and step in.

Thus, he strode forward, and his gaze suddenly turned sharp.

As surging True Qi roiled, it blew against his robes with loud smacking sounds.

The strongest cultivator in Purple Flame County stood alone before the countless people of the Demon Suppression Division. The auras radiating from both sides collided, and crackling sounds rang through the air.

"Jin Hefeng, I'm protecting this man!"

At this, Captain Jin's brows drew tightly together. Looking at Xiao Hong, who stood alone yet suppressed so many people from the Demon Suppression Division, he found himself caught between a rock and a hard place.

What the hell is this old thing doing?

What is that fellow to him, that he would protect him even at the cost of offending the Demon Suppression Division?

He knew that even if everyone from the Demon Suppression Division came out, they still could not keep Xiao Hong here. The old man had cultivated for many years, and neither his cultivation nor his external magic treasures and talismans could be compared to those of ordinary cultivators.

Moreover, Xiao Hong's strength was not the only thing formidable. The strength of Purple Flame Hall firmly surpassed that of the Demon Suppression Division in Purple Flame County.

Although, if things truly escalated, the Demon Suppression Division, as a government institution directly under the imperial court, could obtain assistance from above, Xiao Hong had operated in Purple Flame County for so many years that he had a complicated network of connections and people in the imperial court as well.

Just as he was caught between a rock and a hard place and unable to make a decision, Xiao Hong first dispersed his aura and said loudly, "My junior accidentally injured General Zhang. As his senior, I must offer some apology. One Blood Spirit Pill! How about it?"

The Blood Spirit Pill was something the Blood Spirit who had fought Kong Wu in Qingshan County had taken before.

This kind of pill could help Foundation Establishment cultivators break through bottlenecks.

When used by a cultivator at the third layer of Foundation Establishment, it could enable them to break through to the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage.

When used by a cultivator at the sixth layer of Foundation Establishment, it could enable them to break through to the Foundation Establishment Late Stage.

One had to know that, during Foundation Establishment, breaking through each minor realm was incredibly difficult, let alone breaking through a major realm.

A single Blood Spirit Pill could allow Zhang Hao to break through directly to the Foundation Establishment Late Stage.

If he woke up now, he would probably agree on the spot.

But after pondering for a moment, Jin Hefeng shook his head.

A Blood Spirit Pill was extremely precious, but it was still lacking something.

Xiao Hong also knew that a single Blood Spirit Pill definitely could not satisfy Jin Hefeng.

So he immediately said, "Two Blood Spirit Pills, plus one liang of Purple Flame Crystal for every member of the Demon Suppression Division."

The reason Purple Flame County was called Purple Flame County was that there was a Purple Flame Mine in the mountains behind the county, which produced abundant Purple Flame Crystals.

This material had a wide range of uses. It could be used for both artifact refinement and talisman crafting.

The reason Purple Flame Hall had grown into a second-rate sect in Qingzhou in such a short time was naturally inseparable from the contributions of this Purple Flame Mine.

This condition was already extremely generous. Jin Hefeng did not hesitate and immediately nodded in agreement.

When the other Demon Suppression Guards heard that they would also be receiving some extra money, they naturally had no objections.

Why risk our lives for that meager salary?