Heading to the Chixia County Garrison Station

The passing Demon-Suppressing Guards stopped in their tracks, and the entire courtyard fell silent in an instant.

Lu Yuan curled his lips into a careless, cold sneer.

So what if I say it again?

It was the first time he had heard someone make such a request.

"I said, what kind of thing are you to be worthy of presiding over justice! Did you hear that clearly? If not, I can say it again."

"Lu Yuan!"

Zhou Tong roared, his entire body resembling an enraged black bear.

He was a Demon-Suppressing Guard who had been on the roster for seven years and had killed hundreds of demons; which newcomer wouldn't have to respectfully call him "Lord Zhou"?

Yet, this kid who had just joined was humiliating him in front of everyone!

Zhou Tong pressed a hand onto his saber hilt, his tone dripping with chilling coldness.

"I truly didn't expect you to be stupid enough to reach this point."

"Do you think you can join the Demon Suppression Division just by relying on a Direct Promotion Token?"

"To tell you the truth, a newcomer with your aptitude would only be a chore-worker even if you entered the Demon Suppression Division!"

"But I am different. I am an Initial Realm Martial Artist, and furthermore, a Demon-Suppressing Guard of seven years. Guess whose weight is heavier within this Demon Suppression Division, mine or yours?"

Zhou Tong's eyes were fierce as he stared directly at Lu Yuan, attempting to find a hint of inferiority or panic on that handsome face.

However, there was none.

Lu Yuan's gaze was calm, the indifference in his eyes like an ancient well.

"Three breaths."

He pulled back his right arm, and spiritual power erupted like an abyss or a vast sea, instantly transforming into a layer of Spirit Crystal covering his forearm.

"Just three breaths. After three breaths, you had better tell me immediately whose weight is heavier."

He threw a punch, slamming it heavily into the other man's waist and abdomen.

A massive, overwhelming force erupted, and Zhou Tong's face twisted in pain as he spat out a mouthful of blood.

However, he was a Demon-Suppressing Guard of seven years after all; his seasoned combat instincts allowed him to draw the Horizontal Saber at his waist in the first instance.

Yet, he hadn't expected Lu Yuan's speed to be even faster than his.

Before the Horizontal Saber could even leave its sheath, a second punch had already been thrown, slamming into his face like a cannonball.

To be precise, it hit his mouth.

With a dull, explosive sound, Zhou Tong's jawbone shattered, his lips were torn open, and broken teeth mixed with blood fell to the ground.

"Ugh—"

He let out an indistinct syllable, coughed up blood, and the saber hilt slipped from his hand.

Under such terrifying, immense force, his cultivation at the third level of the Initial Realm appeared fragile and unbearable.

An indescribable sense of defeat welled up from the bottom of his heart.

The next moment, his heart hammered wildly, and his eyes widened in disbelief.

No!

Wasn't Lu Yuan at the second level of the Mortal Realm?

How could there be spiritual power fluctuations?

Has he reached the Initial Realm?

Spiritual power turning into crystal!

Just how pure must that spiritual power be to achieve this!

Looking across the entire Qingzhou Demon Suppression Division, perhaps no one could reach such a level!

Zhou Tong's pupils trembled incessantly, his eyes filled with horror.

No wonder Lu Yuan was so fearless!

No wonder he dared to speak rudely to him in full view of everyone!

If he had known earlier that Lu Yuan had already broken through from the Mortal Realm to the Initial Realm, how could he have stood up for Lin Chen!

"Wait—"

He struggled to steady his breathing, attempting to speak and concede, yet his shattered jawbone made it impossible for him to utter even a single word.

"Too late."

Following a mocking voice, a black boot appeared in Zhou Tong's line of sight, and the next second, it stomped his face into the ground.

Zhou Tong's entire body trembled; he had never suffered such a humiliating disgrace.

He clenched his fists, nearly exploding on the spot.

But the meridians throughout his body felt as if they had been severed, aching so intensely that even moving a finger was an arduous task.

"A Demon-Suppressing Guard of seven years, and this is all you've got? Hahahaha..."

The laughter was filled with wanton mockery.

Zhou Tong tried to struggle, but saw Lu Yuan raise his foot once more.

Everything went black for Zhou Tong, and he lost consciousness completely.

"Old Su, let's go!"

Lu Yuan flicked his large sleeves and turned to walk outside.

"Go to the stables and pick two good horses. Hurry up so we can set off early."

"Right! Coming!"

Su Ding'an glanced at Zhou Tong on the ground and quickly followed.

A Demon-Suppressing Guard of seven years?

Was that supposed to be something to brag about?

In the Demon Suppression Division, offending a superior was a grave crime. Did he not even bother to investigate before making a move?

He was simply a fool.

At dusk, two pitch-black Wind-Chasing Horses stopped one after another outside the Chixia County Garrison Station of the Demon Suppression Division.

As soon as Lu Yuan and Su Ding'an dismounted, two yamen runners guarding the gate hurried over to greet them.

"Are you two the officials from the Prefecture Bureau?"

The older of the two runners stepped forward and bowed to Su Ding'an with a smile, clearly assuming he was the one in charge of this mission.

It wasn't that Su Ding'an was older than Lu Yuan, but there were strict regulations within the Demon Suppression Division.

The brocade robes worn by Demon-Suppressing Guards were embroidered with subtle patterns, making them clearly distinguishable from the standard black robes of the yamen runners.

Lu Yuan's official uniform had not yet been tailored, so he was wearing casual clothes, which naturally led to him being mistaken for a newly recruited assistant.

Su Ding'an looked awkward, but Lu Yuan didn't seem to care.

Walking into the main hall, it was much quieter than the Qingzhou Demon Suppression Division; only two people were present in the vast space.

Without needing Lu Ming to speak, Su Ding'an took out his Waist Token and the case files to explain their purpose.

It had been agreed beforehand that he would be responsible for leading the way, identifying targets, and investigating the specific situation; he had enough sense for that much.

The clerk accepted the files, and the Demon-Suppressing Guard standing to the side walked over at the right moment.

"May I ask how to address you, sir?"

"Su Ding'an. Just call me Old Su."

The man smiled and bowed, "I am Wu Shouxin, a Demon-Suppressing Guard at the Chixia County Garrison Station. We are short-handed during this period, and several brothers are out on duty, leaving only myself and Clerk Wang to hold down the fort."

After speaking, Wu Shouxin looked at Lu Yuan, who was standing to the side, and bowed to acknowledge him.

Great, another one who had misjudged the situation.

Su Ding'an was about to explain, but he heard Lu Yuan speak up.

"We have already read the case files. Let's talk about the case first; there are some details I would like to ask about."

"Very well, please sit here." Wu Shouxin replied, inviting the two to sit at a square table.

Su Ding'an asked, "The files state that dozens of Initial Realm Martial Artists have gone missing. How many exactly?"

"Forty-seven," Wu Shouxin said with a grave expression. "They were all disciples from small sects in the vicinity."

Forty-seven people, and not even their corpses remained. If they were truly killed by a Blood Demon, they had likely all become Blood Slaves.

Su Ding'an nodded and continued, "What is the background of the Chen Family?"

Wu Shouxin explained, "The Chen Family is a prominent household in Chixia County. Several members of the clan hold official positions in the prefecture city. Their residence is on East Street in the county, a four-courtyard compound housing about fifty people."

"Previously, yamen runners reported that a bloody light erupted from the residence late at night, and the demonic aura was alarming."

"But when we went to investigate, everything around the Chen Family was normal. There was nothing unusual at all."

Lu Yuan asked, "Did you enter the house to search?"

Wu Shouxin shook his head, "Normally we would, but we were blocked by the head of the Chen Family. He claimed we were slandering their reputation and threatened to report us to the Prefecture Bureau."

"The Commander, under pressure, could only report the matter to the Prefecture Bureau."

The Commander, the chief official of the county garrison, had the authority to execute first and report later regarding matters of demons and monsters.

If it had been an ordinary household, they would have broken down the door long ago.

The head of the family dared to block them? They would have dragged him out and slapped him twice first.

But the Chen Family was different. If they had broken in and found no trace of demons, they would certainly have been held accountable by the Qingzhou government afterward.

That was why the matter had been shelved.

Wu Shouxin hesitated for a moment, "Since you two have come down from the Prefecture Bureau, you have the authority to act as you see fit. Shall we mobilize men to head to the Chen Family now?"

Before the words had even faded, a yamen runner stumbled into the main hall.

"Officer Wu, it's bad! Demonic aura has suddenly appeared at the North Ferry! I fear a demon is harming people!"