New Demonic Calamity

Chapter 22: A New Demon Calamity

Within a few days, those with good connections in the Demon Suppression Bureau had already heard that the Mysterious Battalion had gained a new member.

Logically speaking, the Bureau took in new recruits every year, and old hands died every year—it was the most ordinary thing in the world.

But this newcomer was different.

Not only was she a woman, but rumor had it that General Wei He himself had personally named her.

Those who wanted to climb the ranks naturally spent their spare time diligently honing their martial arts, polishing their cultivation realms, and striving to rise as soon as possible.

But most people knew their own talent was mediocre, living from one day to the next.

And so, the majority were busy discussing this matter.

In the barracks of the Mysterious Battalion, a few men huddled together, whispering over a plate of salted boiled beans.

"No way? Lord Wei personally concerned himself with a newcomer's affairs?"

"Absolutely true! I heard Lord Xu say it with his own mouth that day!"

"Tsk... could she be the daughter of some big shot, here to gain experience?"

"Experience? Coming to our Demon Suppression Bureau for experience? Tired of living?"

The crowd buzzed with discussion, their words unconsciously tinged with a hint of awe.

The Demon Suppression Bureau, after all, was a place where fists did the talking.

Just then.

Footsteps sounded.

The men instinctively looked up.

Jiang Yuechu walked past the doorway, carrying her Horizontal Blade.

She seemed not to notice the atmosphere here, her gaze fixed straight ahead as she strode forward.

Only after her figure disappeared behind the door did the crowd breathe a sigh of relief.

"Damn... scared the shit out of me."

"Did she... just look at me?"

"Look at you? Because you're ugly? Hurry up and eat your beans!"

The atmosphere inside the room was somewhat oppressive.

Jiang Yuechu pushed the door open and swept her gaze across the room.

Aside from Liu Chen, the rest were vaguely familiar faces.

Among the crowd, a burly man with a fierce face stood up the moment he saw her.

It was Zhao Hu, the one she had slammed into a pillar that day.

A few days later, the injuries on his body seemed mostly healed.

Fortunately, Jiang Yuechu had held back some of her strength back then; otherwise, forget walking, he might not even have his eyes open by now.

Seeing her again, the man forced a smile onto his face and actually stepped forward to greet her.

"Jiang... Sister Jiang."

"..."

Jiang Yuechu gave him a strange look.

Zhao Hu let out a dry chuckle. "That day... that day I, Zhao Hu, failed to recognize a mountain of talent and offended you. You're a big person with a big heart, don't bother with the likes of me."

Jiang Yuechu shook her head, too lazy to waste words on him.

Her gaze passed over Zhao Hu and landed on Liu Chen.

Having spent several days in the Demon Suppression Bureau, unfamiliar with the place and knowing no one, it really hadn't been easy.

Today, finally, there was some movement.

Seeing her look over, Liu Chen nodded and gestured to an empty seat. "Sit first."

Jiang Yuechu sat down as instructed.

The room was small—a long table, a few benches, and with seven or eight people crammed in, it felt crowded.

Liu Chen's gaze swept across everyone's faces one by one before he slowly began to speak.

"In Zhangye Prefecture, Ganzhou, half a month ago, the Black River flowed backward for three days. The river water turned foul, and all the fish and shrimp died. I'm sure you've all heard of this."

Everyone nodded, their expressions grave.

Such an anomaly was naturally something the people of the Demon Suppression Bureau had heard of.

The room fell silent instantly.

Although the Yellow Battalion specialized in reconnaissance, they were no weaklings without the strength to fight back.

In a head-on brawl, they might not match the Mysterious Battalion, but when it came to concealment, tracking, and escape, every single one was a master.

Even a hundred or so ordinary bandits couldn't hold down an entire squad.

Clearly.

This matter was, nine times out of ten, related to demons.

"Chief, is the Bureau only sending our squad?"

From the corner, an old soldier who looked the oldest, around forty years old, couldn't help but speak up.

"Captain Liu, it's not that I, Old Wang, want to boost others' morale and dampen our own, but we don't even know what we're up against or what its cultivation level is. Sending us charging in blind like this—is the Bureau trying to get us killed?"

At these words, several people in the room subconsciously nodded.

They weren't afraid to fight demons to the death.

But dying for no good reason like this made everyone uneasy.

Liu Chen shook his head, a trace of bitterness on his face.

"Right now, our Bureau is stretched thin. Not to mention the sudden demon outbreaks everywhere, just the places where major demons have appeared need a lot of manpower to suppress."

He sighed and laid out the current situation in detail.

"And on top of that, every prefecture's key locations need patrols and garrisons to prevent demons from slipping in."

As his voice trailed off, the room fell into dead silence again.

Although the Longyou Circuit was remote and sparsely populated, the entire Great Tang was in the same boat.

Even the capital's main Bureau was outmatched compared to the sheer number of demons.

Jiang Yuechu didn't speak, just listened quietly.

What others heard was a crisis.

What she heard was a different picture.

More demons meant more cultivation she could harvest.

More cultivation meant her own strength would rise faster.

Of course, for the common people of the world, living in an era overrun by demons was nothing short of misery.

But as a certain saying from her past life went:

Precisely because you know you're powerless, you can't let that powerlessness become reality so easily.

Seeing everyone downcast and morale low, Liu Chen took a deep breath and slammed his palm on the table.

"The people of Zhangye are waiting to die, the brothers of the Yellow Battalion's bodies are still warm, and we're just sitting here sighing?"

"Chief, that's not what we meant..." Old Wang sighed. "It's just... we should at least know what kind of thing we're dealing with, right?"

"When do we set out?"

A cold, clear voice suddenly rang out in the room.

Everyone was startled, and all eyes turned to Jiang Yuechu in the corner.

Liu Chen was also stunned. He opened his mouth, but forgot what he was about to say.

Jiang Yuechu lifted her eyes and looked at him calmly.

"Since we're going, sooner is better than later. Wasting time here won't make the demons die on their own."

"..."

Liu Chen took a deep breath. "Tomorrow morning, at the hour of the Mao. We set out."

"Everyone go prepare. The journey to Zhangye is long. Stock up on rations, medicine, and... remember to leave a letter for your families."

Hearing this, the expressions in the room varied.

But this was the reality of the Demon Suppression Bureau.

Even if they had no idea what kind of demon they faced or its strength, they still had to steel themselves and go.

If they sat still just because the threat was unknown, then what was the point of calling it the Demon Suppression Bureau?

Maybe they'd get lucky and run into nothing but small fry.

Or maybe—they'd trade their lives for intel: a major demon was lurking here.

"...Understood!"