"Demon Suppression Bureau investigation."
The four words fell into the main hall, and the clamor throughout the chamber came to an abrupt halt. Even the sound of breathing seemed to grow fainter.
In a corner, Wen Liang's trusted subordinate left behind to guard the place felt his throat tighten and cried out in alarm, "Xu, Xu Jin? You broke into the provincial branch without permission. Aren't you afraid that once Crimson-Brow Patriarch emerges from seclusion, he'll grind your bones to dust?"
"And besides, even if you have an official writ, you still can't..."
A man from Red Temper's faction gritted his teeth and stepped forward. "This is the Profound Yin Hall's provincial branch! Crimson-Brow Patriarch is in seclusion deep within! If you dare make a move here, the day the Patriarch emerges will be the day you die!"
Before his words had faded, Xu Jin's throat shifted slightly.
A lead pellet rolled into his palm. With a flash of firelight, it turned into a tiny sword an inch long.
"Buzz—"
White light tore through the air, so fast that only an afterimage remained.
The man still had his arm raised, pointing at someone, but his head had already shot into the air. Blood erupted from his neck, splashing the faces of those beside him.
The headless corpse swayed before crashing heavily to the floor.
The entire hall fell silent.
Xu Jin flexed his fingers slightly. The white flying sword hovered at his side, its tip angled toward the ground, still beaded with blood that dripped onto the blue bricks one drop at a time.
"Those who resist will share the same crime."
The few evil cultivators who had been itching to move instinctively shrank back. No one dared to be the first to step forward.
A sixth-level Comprehension disciple could