Clean Up the Mess You Made Yourself

On the road leading to the Mountain Villa.

Su Ding'an had wind beneath his feet, his body like a flying wild goose as he dashed forward.

The few taels of silver in his sleeve jingled and clattered the entire way, nearly falling out, but he couldn't spare the attention.

Silver was a minor matter; if Lord Lu suffered any mishap, that would be a major disaster.

Who was Zhao Heng?

He had been on the roster of the Qingzhou Demon Suppression Division for nine years and was a standout among the Demon Suppression Captains; the number of demons who had perished under that Demon-Suppressing Iron Fan was at least in the hundreds, if not thousands.

Just because he treated others with humility and courtesy didn't mean he was a pushover.

Listen to his nickname, Polite Fan—it was clear he believed in courtesy before force.

Lord Lu had been in the division for less than a month; how did he manage to provoke such a character?

Su Ding'an was cowardly, greedy for money, and could chat with anyone in the Demon Suppression Division, yet no one was willing to open their heart to him.

Only Lord Lu was different.

When they went out on assignments, wages were wages, and bonuses were bonuses.

Not only did he not despise him for being cowardly, but when submitting the mission report, he would even count him in for a share of the collaborative merit.

I, Su, have drifted for half my life without meeting a wise master; if Lord Lu suffers any mishap...

His heart was burning with anxiety, his spiritual power surging wildly as he pushed the Carefree Wind-Riding Art he had cultivated for seven years to its absolute limit.

Strong winds whistled in his ears, his steps growing faster and faster.

Finally, Zhao Heng's villa appeared in his line of sight.

He took a deep breath and was about to step forward—

His eyelids twitched, and he slammed on the brakes, his feet skidding to a halt as he saw a figure walk out from the courtyard.

The man's clothes were neat, his aura steady, and there wasn't even the slightest sign of disarray on him.

Su Ding'an was so shocked his jaw nearly hit the ground, his eyes filled with astonishment.

"Lord... Lu? You're alright?"

Lu Yuan brushed the dust from his cuffs, the hem of his robe only slightly soiled.

Su Ding'an swallowed hard and glanced into the courtyard behind him.

It was deathly silent inside, without a single sound.

"Where is Zhao Heng?"

"Lying inside."

"Huh? What does that mean?"

"It means he will likely need to sleep for a while longer."

Su Ding'an's mouth hung wide open, unable to close.

He stared at Lu Yuan with wide eyes, as if looking at a demon.

That was Zhao Heng, a standout among the Demon Suppression Captains; how could he have been knocked unconscious by a newcomer who had just joined the division?

He had wasted his breath and energy rushing to the Martial Arts Hall to fetch reinforcements; now that he thought about it, it was hard to say who those reinforcements were actually for.

Lu Yuan looked at Su Ding'an, who was drenched in sweat, and asked, "Where did you go?"

Su Ding'an gave a sheepish smile. "I was just worried Zhao Heng might be too heavy-handed, so I went to notify Lord Shen."

Shen Mo was the Chief Instructor of the Qingzhou Demon Suppression Division, and almost every Demon-Suppressing Guard had received his guidance; naturally, they would all give him some face.

But looking at it now, there was clearly no need for that.

Lu Yuan glanced behind him and asked, "Where is Lord Shen?"

Su Ding'an scratched his head. "He had business at the Martial Arts Hall, so he told me to come first."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the sound of footsteps approached from the distance.

Shen Mo strode over, his brows furrowed with a hint of gravity.

Lu Yuan had used his Waist Token to enter the division, and only two days ago had he selected a cultivation technique at the Martial Excellence Pavilion.

Meanwhile, Zhao Heng was a standout among the Demon Suppression Captains, far exceeding Lu Yuan in both cultivation and experience.

If a fight broke out, Zhao Heng might be fine, but Lu Yuan would likely suffer.

Thinking of this, he subconsciously quickened his pace.

However, the moment he looked up, he saw Lu Yuan and Su Ding'an standing at the entrance of the villa.

He paused for a moment, stepped forward, and asked, "Where is Zhao Heng?"

Lu Yuan tilted his head toward the courtyard. "Lying inside."

Shen Mo was stunned; although he hadn't read many books, he understood the meaning of those words.

He subconsciously glanced into the courtyard, then looked back at Lu Yuan.

"Hiss—"

This Zhao Heng was a veteran powerhouse of the Initial Realm, ranking easily within the top five among the Demon Suppression Captains of Qing Province.

How could he have fallen at the hands of a newcomer?

Having joined for less than ten days, to beat a veteran captain into a coma—this was truly the first time he had seen such a thing.

Shen Mo clicked his tongue in secret, though his expression remained as calm as ever.

With a flick of his wide sleeves, he strode into the courtyard.

The scene inside was even more tragic than he had imagined.

He saw Zhao Heng lying beneath a broken wall in the main hall, his face bruised black and blue, his entire body suffering from varying degrees of muscle tearing, with over a dozen bones broken.

The man had fallen into a coma, with only his chest rising and falling slightly.

Shen Mo's brows furrowed immediately.

Given Zhao Heng's cultivation, it was one thing to be beaten, but to be beaten to this extent?

He turned his head to look at Su Ding'an by the door. "Go call a physician!"

Su Ding'an nodded, glanced at Lu Yuan, and turned to run toward the infirmary.

Shen Mo took out a Rejuvenation Pill and stuffed it into Zhao Heng's mouth. Only after the medicinal power had dissolved did he look at Lu Yuan outside the courtyard.

After a moment of silence, he said in a deep voice:

"Lu Yuan, your hand was too heavy."

"Linchuan County, where Zhao Heng is stationed, has seen frequent demon activity lately. He came back to the Demon Suppression Bureau this time to request reinforcements."

"Now that you have severely injured him, even with spiritual medicine, it will take at least a month for him to recover."

"With demons running rampant, if Linchuan County is left without a guard for a month, where does that leave the common people?"

Lu Yuan did not speak, standing tall and straight, his posture one of awaiting judgment.

Shen Mo withdrew his gaze, his expression becoming even more stern.

"Lu Yuan!"

"You have left the defenses of Linchuan County empty for your own selfish reasons. You must clean up the mess you have made yourself."

"I order you to set off immediately, rush to Linchuan to slay demons and eliminate evil. Without a transfer order from the Prefecture Bureau, you are not permitted to leave your post!"

Beside him, Lu Yuan's eyes suddenly lit up.

What?

Rush to Linchuan?

Stationed in a county where he could slay demons and eliminate evil?

It's a deal!

Double the joy!

"Yes!"

Lu Yuan suppressed the excitement in his heart and cupped his fists to accept the order.

This time, it was Shen Mo's turn to be surprised.

He accepted it so easily?

Weren't geniuses supposed to be arrogant and unruly?

He had assumed that since Lu Yuan had defeated Zhao Heng, his confidence would be at an all-time high.

Shen Mo had even made up his mind that if Lu Yuan dared to say a single word of refusal, he would use thunderous force to suppress him, letting this kid know that there is always someone better, and a sky beyond the sky.

He never expected Lu Yuan to agree directly!

"Ahem..."

Shen Mo coughed and spoke helplessly:

"Demons appear frequently in Linchuan County. You go ahead first. As for the issue of manpower, I will arrange it for you as soon as possible."

"No need for arrangements. Just give me Su Ding'an. I'm familiar with him, and he's easy to work with."

"Only one person?"

"One person is enough."

"In that case, take my Waist Token to the Administrative Hall to process a Relief Token. Once you have the token, depart immediately."

"Yes! This subordinate accepts the order!"

Lu Yuan bowed and turned to walk away.

Shen Mo watched Lu Yuan walk out of the courtyard, his gaze resting on the distant horizon.

Since he is a genius, he cannot be raised in a greenhouse.

Keeping him in the Demon Suppression Bureau to follow the routine of taking assignments and earning merit would only end up ruining him.

Only by throwing him out there to kill people, slay demons, and eradicate devils...

Perhaps, in the future, he will have the qualifications to take that most critical step.

Shen Mo withdrew his gaze and looked at Zhao Heng beneath the broken wall.

"Nine years on the roster? A Demon Suppression Captain? Even a pig would be better than you after nine years of cultivation!"

"You have the nerve to lie there after losing to a newcomer?"

"Get up!"

Zhao Heng, lying on the ground, felt his eyelids tremble, and his pale cheeks visibly flushed with heat.

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