"Young man, are you hiding some kind of trick?"
Foreman Wang approached at an unhurried pace, his eyes sharp as an eagle's. He tried to discern something unusual from Lu Chen's face.
Lu Chen's expression remained calm, but killing intent was already surging beneath the surface of his heart.
He knew full well that in the Demon Suppression Division, where human lives were treated like blades of grass, the moment he showed anything unusual, Foreman Wang would kill him without hesitation and seize the secrets on his person for himself.
He didn't have that many Life Points!
Lu Chen merely lowered his head slightly and replied respectfully, "Reporting to you, Foreman Wang, it's all thanks to your excellent guidance. After I went back last night, I pondered your words over and over and finally gained some insight. That's why I boldly tried the saber. I never expected it to actually succeed."
His words left no opening. He had both flattered the other man and attributed everything to the ethereal and intangible thing called insight.
"Oh? Is that so?"
Foreman Wang smiled without any warmth in his eyes, clearly unconvinced by this explanation.
He walked over to the materials and inspected them carefully. From the luster of the Yao Pill to the completeness of the Fox Fur, not even a trace of excess flesh remained on the bones that had been stripped clean.
This technique was even more seasoned than that of the veteran craftsmen who had worked in the division for decades.
"You really are a genius, boy."
Foreman Wang withdrew his gaze, and greed flashed briefly in the depths of his eyes.
He patted Lu Chen on the shoulder with tremendous force, as if testing something.
"Work hard. I have high hopes for you."
Lu Chen staggered and nearly lost his balance.
The palm resting on his shoulder appeared casual, but in truth it contained a sinister force. It traveled downward along his shoulder blade like a venomous snake, attempting to probe the true condition of Lu Chen's muscles and bones.
Had it been his former self from yesterday, this blow would have been enough to break his bones and send him kneeling to the ground.
The Demon Suppressing Saber Technique at the great mastery level brought more than killing techniques. It also granted absolute control over every inch of his muscles and every tendon in his body.
The instant that hidden force entered his body, the muscles in Lu Chen's shoulder trembled at a frequency imperceptible to the naked eye. He then sank and released along the force.
The entire process flowed as smoothly as water, like a thrown stone falling into a deep pool. It merely stirred up an insignificant ripple before vanishing without a trace.
At the same time, he perfectly played the part of a newcomer with a weak foundation and no ability to withstand a single blow.
His body suddenly lurched as if struck by tremendous force. He stumbled back two steps, his feet making hollow thud-thud sounds against the floor.
His face went deathly pale. He obligingly let out a muffled groan, and his breathing grew somewhat disordered, as though that casual pat had already inflicted a serious internal injury.
"Foreman Wang... you... your strength is astonishing. This subordinate... this subordinate can't quite stand steadily." Lu Chen lowered his head, his voice carrying just the right amount of weakness and awe.
Foreman Wang slowly withdrew his hand, rubbing his fingertips together as he felt the feedback that had vanished like a stone sinking into the sea.
The doubt in his eyes diminished slightly, replaced by even hotter greed.
In his view, this boy had indeed stumbled into incredible luck. Somehow, he had luckily comprehended a scrap of saber technique, but his physical foundation was still that of a useless wreck, incapable of withstanding a single blow.
That was for the best.
A useless wreck who was both talented and obedient was the most useful kind of tool.
"Hmph, useless thing. This is nothing." A contemptuous smile hung on Foreman Wang's face, though his tone softened somewhat. "Still, you handled this assignment well. Hurry up and put these materials into storage for me. Don't delay Captain's business."
He pointed at the perfectly divided Vengeful Fox materials on the ground, a trace of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.
"Work hard. In the future... there'll be plenty more good jobs like this waiting for you."
Foreman Wang placed particular emphasis on the words "good jobs," making the threat and inducement within them self-evident.
"Yes, yes! Thank you for cultivating me, Foreman Wang!" Lu Chen answered repeatedly, looking flattered beyond measure as he bent down and began gathering the materials from the ground.
Foreman Wang grunted in satisfaction. Only then did he clasp his hands behind his back and stride away with broad, measured steps, contentedly leaving the Corpse Handling Room that had made every inch of him uncomfortable.
Only after the heavy stone door closed once more, cutting off the light and sounds of the outside world, did Lu Chen slowly straighten his back.
The weakness and awe on his face vanished in an instant, leaving behind only a bottomless chill.
Lu Chen lowered his head and glanced at his shoulder. A faint, sinister chill still lingered there—the hidden force Foreman Wang had left behind.
Although he had neutralized most of that power, the remaining portion was still trying to erode his vital energy and blood.
For an ordinary person, it would cause a serious illness within three days, leaving their vital energy and blood depleted.
What vicious methods.
Lu Chen narrowed his eyes slightly. His vital energy and blood circulated once according to the rudimentary qi circulation method accompanying the Demon Suppressing Saber Technique, and the sinister chill was easily forced out of his body, dissipating into nothingness.
He carefully wrapped the Vengeful Fox's Demon Core, fur, tendons, bones, and other materials in specially made oiled cloth. Holding the bundle in his arms, he pushed open the stone door and walked out.
The moment he left the Corpse Handling Room, a suffocating aura rushed toward him.
Inside the Demon Suppression Division, the bluestone-paved ground remained slick year-round, while dark green moss grew in the corners. The Demon Suppression Officers coming and going all wore grim expressions and hurried along, carrying a bloodstink and Killing Intent that could never be washed away.
When they saw Lu Chen emerging from the direction of the Corpse Handling Room, every one of them frowned. They instinctively put several steps between themselves and him, their eyes mingling disgust, fear, and alienation.
In their eyes, corpse handlers were a group of "unclean people" who kept company with death and ill fortune.
Lu Chen paid it no heed.
At that moment, his senses had been elevated to an entirely new level.
Lu Chen could clearly feel that his body, tempered by twenty-two years of saber practice, was functioning with an efficiency far beyond that of ordinary people.
The several dozen pounds of Demon Materials in his arms felt as light as ordinary cotton fluff.
Lu Chen's hearing had also become extraordinarily keen. He could even hear the sound of blades and swords slicing through the air from the distant training ground, as well as the faint clinking of patrol squads' armor.
This sense of control over himself and his surroundings eased his mind somewhat.
After passing through several dim corridors, Lu Chen arrived at the storehouse.
A skinny old clerk sat at the entrance. His hair was gray, his face covered in wrinkles, and he was squinting as he dozed. A pot of cheap muddy liquor sat on the small table before him.
"Clerk Chen, the Vengeful Fox materials are here." Lu Chen gently set the things on the ground and spoke respectfully.
The old man's eyelids twitched. He reluctantly opened a narrow slit, swept his murky eyes over Lu Chen, then glanced at the bundle on the ground. Impatiently, he waved his hand. "Put them there. Just register them."
"Yes."