Showing Off, Guest Official?

"How could you possibly know that there is a Tier 3 demonic beast on Dangyun Mountain?"

Chief Clerk Sun did not care in the slightest about his own loss of composure, instead fixing Chen Zhuo with a scrutinizing gaze.

This Master Sun's martial cultivation might be even higher than I anticipated...

Chen Zhuo took a deep breath to dispel the oppressive weight in his chest before speaking: "How I obtained this information is not important."

"What matters is... I can help you extract the True Blood of that Tier 3 demonic beast."

"You?"

Chief Clerk Sun looked Chen Zhuo up and down for a moment, then slowly sat back down without saying a word.

The look in his eyes as he stared at Chen Zhuo held not just suspicion, but a trace of suppressed anger.

Chen Zhuo took a sip of tea with an expressionless face, knowing full well that if he hadn't just blurted out the secret of the Tier 3 beast on Dangyun Mountain, the reception he received would have been far worse than mere anger.

The other man's silence was, in fact, an opportunity for him to prove himself.

Words are never as persuasive as tangible action.

How could Chen Zhuo not understand this principle?

After swallowing the tea, he reached up to the back of his neck and plucked a sesame-sized gu-insect, which appeared in the palm of his hand.

Once separated from his body, the gu-insect tried to burrow back into his skin, but it seemed to discover that the flesh it had previously entered with ease had now turned into a layer of solid refined iron.

Seeing that it could not burrow in, the gu-insect flapped its wings, attempting to fly away, but no matter how it struggled, it could not escape the confines of Chen Zhuo's palm.

"A gu-insect? Interesting."

Chief Clerk Sun's gaze fell upon Chen Zhuo's palm, a hint of astonishment appearing on his face.

He was surprised not only that a gu-insect—something that did not belong in Baiyun County—had appeared on Chen Zhuo, but even more so that the skin on Chen Zhuo's palm was vibrating in irregular, high-frequency ripples at an incredibly minute level.

It was precisely because of this that the gu-insect could find no leverage to fly out of his palm.

"I recall that the first time I met Master Sun, it was because of that dish, Shredded Meat in Broth..."

Before Chen Zhuo could finish his sentence, he extended the index finger of his other hand and drove it directly into the gu-insect.

After his blood exchange, his fingernails were as hard as refined iron, and while gu-insects were known for their bizarre nature, their bodies were quite fragile.

The gu-insect let out a faint hiss as its body was severed in two.

"Today, I shall prepare another dish of Shredded Meat in Broth for you, Master. Please, judge it for yourself."

Chen Zhuo raised his index finger, using his nail as a blade, and began to carve the remains of the gu-insect.

Under the rapid, vibrating motion of his index finger, the gu-insect was soon reduced to thin, delicate strands.

To an ordinary eye, they were almost impossible to see.

"Wings, legs, and body clearly separated; this can certainly be considered a dish of Shredded Meat in Broth."

Chen Zhuo extended his palm forward.

Chief Clerk Sun's pupils constricted.

Looking at the "shredded meat" in Chen Zhuo's palm, his heart surged like a crashing wave.

Such meticulous, minute carving technique—could it really appear in a mere White-Uniform Runner?

Could he be... a Blade-Catcher?

At this thought, a flash of brilliance ignited in Chief Clerk Sun's eyes.

"I presume you have already guessed my identity, Master."

Chen Zhuo accurately captured that flash of light, smiled faintly, and dropped another "thunderbolt."

"If I am not mistaken, Registrar Wang and the Long River Gang must have a Blade-Catcher of considerable skill on their side."

"Otherwise, that residence would not exist."

Blade-Catchers catch demons, refine demons, and consume demons.

The mere fact that Huang Tiansheng could command a demonic beast was proof enough that there was a more powerful Blade-Catcher behind him.

Controlling demonic beasts fell under the category of demon-catching, though, much like altering demonic blood, it was a fringe practice within the Blade-Catcher trade.

Humans and demons are inherently different; most Blade-Catchers use demons to supplement their own bodies, but those who practice these fringe arts forcibly command demonic beasts for their own use.

Such behavior would inevitably lead to a backlash sooner or later.

"Indeed, the Long River Gang does have Blade-Catchers—more than one."

Chief Clerk Sun nodded slightly.

By now, the look he gave Chen Zhuo had shifted from his earlier skepticism to a burning intensity.

Though he did not say it aloud, he had inwardly acknowledged that Chen Zhuo's deductions were almost entirely accurate.

If the Tianhe Gang hadn't recruited several Blade-Catchers from somewhere, they wouldn't have been able to stir up such trouble in Baiyun County, and the Sun Family would not have gradually fallen into such a passive position.

Thinking of this, Chief Clerk Sun's eyes grew increasingly hungry.

"Kid, being a yamen runner is fine and all, but you'd be better off serving as a guest advisor for my Sun Family. With your level of skill, just name your terms—whatever you need, feel free to ask."

Chief Clerk Sun was impatient to recruit Chen Zhuo.

The offer was undeniably tempting, but Chen Zhuo was no longer the ignorant novice he once was.

The name Northern Suppressing Faction carried increasing weight in his heart.

Only by becoming a yamen runner would he have the chance to enter the Northern Suppressing Faction, and only then could he gain access to the Demon Prison.

The Demon Prison held a vast array of demon beasts of various ranks, which meant there was an abundance of True Blood to be found.

With the enhancement of True Blood, his martial path would surge forward, and his rate of improvement would surely be unimaginably fast.

Chen Zhuo politely declined, "I appreciate your kindness, my lord, but I've grown accustomed to the yamen and don't really wish to move."

Chief Clerk Sun frowned slightly; he hadn't expected such a generous offer to be refused.

"If that is the case, I won't force you. However, does the deal you mentioned earlier still stand?"

Chen Zhuo nodded, "Naturally. As long as you can capture that third-rank demon beast and extract its True Blood, it won't be a problem."

"Good! It is settled then!"

Chief Clerk Sun laughed heartily, the sound causing the doors and windows to rattle.

"Once it is done, there will be a generous reward."

Chen Zhuo shook his head, "Let's hold off on the reward for now. I would like to propose one condition today."

"To be precise, it is a question."

Chief Clerk Sun nodded, "Ask away. As long as it doesn't involve the secrets of the Sun Family, I will tell you everything I know."

Chen Zhuo lifted his teacup. As time passed, the tea had cooled from scalding to lukewarm, yet a wisp of steam still rose from the cup.

It reminded him of the white mist on the Old Blind Man's fingertips.

Coming back to his senses, Chen Zhuo began to ask Chief Clerk Sun about his experience with Aperture Opening.

Chief Clerk Sun naturally explained it in great detail.

This inquiry lasted the entire afternoon.

Outside the door, the two men surnamed Huang had grown extremely impatient.

Huang Yuan'er didn't even bother to keep up appearances anymore; he had people bring over two lounge chairs, and he had been lying there for the whole afternoon.

"Is your method actually useful? We haven't been played for fools by that kid, have we?"

After lingering for an entire afternoon, even the fiercest anger had been worn down to nothing.

In Huang Yuan'er's heart, aside from murderous intent, there was nothing but doubt regarding Huang Tiansheng's methods.

"Impossible. Absolutely impossible."

Huang Tiansheng felt the mockery in his nephew's words and grew increasingly frantic.

In truth, he had begun to lose his own confidence as well.

Of the four gu-insects, one had completely lost its connection.

As for the remaining three, the connection was growing weaker and weaker.

He had been very confident initially; in the entire Baiyun County, even the Blade-Catchers knew very little about such things, so how could anyone possibly break his gu-insects?

But the fact that Chen Zhuo had stayed inside for so long without coming out had caused him to start doubting himself.

"Could it be Sun Qifeng?"

"No, that's not right. The Sun Family doesn't even have a single Blade-Catcher."

Just as Huang Tiansheng was lost in speculation, Chen Zhuo finally walked out of the Dianshi Office.

His eyes were dull, his limbs stiff, exactly as they had been before.

Watching Chen Zhuo walk toward him, Huang Tiansheng finally set his heart at ease and turned to give Huang Yuan'er a cold smirk.

"I've finished my business. You two are still guarding this place? Waiting for me to treat you to a meal?"

"Eat, and add a bowl of beef noodles... hm?"

Hearing the voice, Huang Tiansheng responded out of habit, but he suddenly felt that something was wrong.

Huang Tiansheng turned his head to look closely and discovered that Chen Zhuo was watching him with a mocking smile.

That look was as if he were teasing a donkey.

There was no trace of dullness left.

Huang Tiansheng was stunned for a moment, then realized what had happened. His fury ignited, and his blood-qi erupted uncontrollably.

Gritting his teeth, he roared, word by word:

"You dog-spawn, I'm going to mince you!"

Hm? That sounded familiar...

Chen Zhuo leaped backward, and a figure as imposing as a mountain suddenly appeared behind him.

A cold voice echoed through the air.

"Who are you going to mince?"