Hunting Demons

"Really?" Mrs. Wei asked shyly.

Zhou Chunfeng smiled and said, "Qingxian is right. Then I will write a piece of calligraphy to wish Madam a happy birthday."

"Thank you, Brother Spring Breeze." Madam Wei blushed with excitement.

Yan Shixiao looked at Madam Wei with envy.

Surrounded by the crowd, Zhou Chunfeng walked to the table, where Li Qingxian ground the ink.

Wei Yong sat alone in the chair, completely out of place with the others.

He glanced at Li Qingxian occasionally, then lowered his head to avoid being noticed.

Wei Yong recalled the ups and downs of the past years: he worked hard as a child, rose to prominence in his youth, and began to enjoy life in middle age. Although the road was full of hardships, he had never been afraid and had brought down countless colleagues.

But for some reason, looking at this teenager, Wei Yong felt a chill run through his body.

When did I become so weak that I couldn't even beat a mere kid?

Moreover, the defeat was so devastating that tomorrow the entire government office, and even the Divine Capital... Wei Yong dared not continue thinking about it.

Was it an accident, or did I really do something wrong?

After a long while, Wei Yong came to his senses and looked around, only to find the place deserted.

Madam Wei cupped her face in her hands, gazing intently at Zhou Chunfeng's calligraphy before her.

Wei Yong stared at Madam Wei for a long time before getting up, walking unsteadily out of the inner courtyard, and into the garden, where he looked at the well sealed with stone slabs.

Wei Yong returned to his study and slept soundly late into the night.

Back at Chunfeng Residence, Li Qingxian, representing himself, Zhou Chunfeng, representing the Night Guard Divine Capital Office Division, Luo Jing, representing the Ministry of Revenue, Liu Muwa, representing the Ministry of Works' Artifacts Office, and Yan Shixiao, representing the Inner Treasury Office, signed the document.

Each of the five parties holds two shares: the Ministry of Works is responsible for production, the Night Guard Divine Capital Office is responsible for management, and Li Qingxian is the inventor of the distillation method, for which the Ministry of Works will issue a certificate.

At the same time, all departments must provide full support and must help the distillery if it encounters difficulties; they must not stand idly by.

The crowd dispersed just as dawn broke.

After seeing everyone off, Zhou Chunfeng put his hands behind his back and said, "Qingxian, you'll come back to Chunfeng Residence with me."

The two returned to Chunfeng Residence in silence, one after the other.

"Speak, what happened?" Zhou Chunfeng held his Bull Bone Fan and calmly looked at Li Qingxian.

Li Qingxian praised, "Uncle Zhou is truly amazing; he's a heartthrob wherever he goes."

"I want to hear the whole story!" Zhou Chunfeng snorted.

Li Qingxian thought for a moment, knowing he couldn't hide it from Zhou Chunfeng, who probably already knew, so he explained in detail.

From Tao Zhi's comment about the strong winds and sandstorms, to resolving the conflict with Hong Cheng, to the nighttime exploration of the Grand Canal, then the deadly snakes and ants, and finally, the chance encounter today.

"Uncle Zhou, today's events are not my fault. It's purely because Wei Yong is too wicked. He wanted to get a share of the profits, but he ran right into my trap. I was actually just angry. You are Fourth Rank official, while he is only Fifth Rank official. How dare he bully Chunfeng Residence? So, for your sake, I took action."

Zhou Chunfeng ignored him, pondered for a moment, and said, "Han Anbo and Yu Ping are both veterans of the Divine Capital Office, and can be trusted. Apart from the place where the snake was buried, they won't leave any traces."

"I'll have Brother Han clean it up when I get back."

"It's already been resolved," Zhou Chunfeng said casually.

Li Qingxian laughed and said, "Uncle Zhou is indeed shrewd and calculating." But in his heart, he cursed the Night Guard for being inhuman; they knew everything that happened.

Zhou Chunfeng sighed and said, "Your actions and Gang Feng's actions seem very different, one open and the other secretive, but in reality, you both follow the path of bravery, fierceness, and mutual destruction. Too much rigidity leads to breakage; I don't need to repeat this principle to myself, do I?"

Li Qingxian said helplessly, "Uncle Zhou, I understand. But I can't always suffer injustice, can I? If I don't fight back, I almost died at someone else's hands. If I fight back now, I still have a chance to live. What should I choose? Besides, I used to be powerless, but now I understand the Fate Arts. I'm not the same as before."

As Li Qingxian spoke, he took out a talisman he had made.

Zhou Chunfeng glanced down, his expression softening, and nodded, saying, "You possess the Divine Firmament Thunder Seed, and all your abilities contain the Dao of Thunder, giving you the power to protect yourself. However, the fewer people who know about this, the better; it must not be exposed."

"Then can I sell spirit talismans through your help?" Li Qingxian asked.

"You underestimate the heroes of the world. Once someone with ulterior motives sets their sights on your talisman, they will surely investigate it thoroughly. How about this, once you advance to the Seventh Rank, which is considered the peak of the Lower Rank, you can sell a small quantity then, and keep it for personal use only."

"Okay," Li Qingxian said.

Zhou Chunfeng glanced at the sky and said, "From now on, you don't need to patrol the streets anymore. As for the banquet at Drunken Retreat, postpone it. You should focus on cultivating your Fate Arts and Thunder Arts, and also keep an eye on the distillery at the Imperial Prison."

"Can't even have a meal together?" Li Qingxian asked.

"Do you want to reach the Ninth Rank?"

Of course I want to.

"The Night Guard was originally formed to deal with Demon-Devil. If you want to advance to the Ninth Rank within the Night Guard, you must participate in at least one demon hunt. I'm letting you prepare for the next demon hunt," Zhou Chunfeng said.

"Just participating is enough?"

"Of course not, we need to kill at least ten lesser demons or one Tenth Rank- grade Demon-Devil."

"I see. Then I need to practice Thunder Arts as soon as possible. Once You Fei has recovered from her injuries in a few days, I will go to the Jadefall Pavilion to ask her for guidance on Thunder Arts."

Zhou Chunfeng rolled her eyes at Li Qingxian and said, "When the You Fei arrives in a few days, you can directly ask her for guidance. Their sect is not peaceful, so try to avoid going to Azure Firmament Abbey."

"What happened?"

"Old Master Jiang has been missing for many days. The internal strife within the Sky Firmament Sect is fierce. Even when Lü Ren was seriously injured, no one cared, and the sect even became a laughing stock. You Fei didn't want the Sky Firmament Sect to be disgraced, so she took up her sword and went down the mountain to sever the Qingyun Sect of the Devil Sect. Otherwise, she wouldn't have come to me for help. She stayed in the Divine Capital to avoid the sect struggles and seek peace and quiet. Don't bother her."

"I see..."

"It's almost dawn, you should go back and rest."

"Okay, goodbye, Uncle Zhou."

Li Qingxian took a few steps, turned back, stood in front of the table, and said with a smile, "Uncle Zhou, I'd like to ask you a few personal questions."

"Get out!" Zhou Chunfeng said.

Li Qingxian said, "This time is different from the last two times. It's not about you, and it's not about me."

Zhou Chunfeng snorted coldly.

Li Qingxian said, "This time it's about someone else. Everyone knows you've been loyal and devoted after marriage, claiming you never look at your wife. But I've heard that when you were young, many beautiful women threw themselves at you, and those women are now..."

"Go out!"

"Sigh, never mind. Brother Spring Breeze, tsk tsk..." Li Qingxian ran away, glancing back at Zhou Chunfeng halfway, afraid of being beaten.

Zhou Hen rolled his eyes; this brat was more than worth killing.

Zhou Chunfeng snorted coldly, walked to the window, and looked towards the lotus pond.

"I wonder if the Spring Breeze Society still exists..."

A gentle breeze blew before Zhou Chunfeng's eyes, and the flowers in the pond transformed into the faces of women. These women gathered together in front of a wooden building, on which were engraved three large gilded characters: "Spring Breeze Society".

The women chattered and called out "Brother Spring Breeze."

One of the women, dressed in pink and lightly made up, was radiant and dazzling in Zhou Chunfeng's eyes.

Zhou Chunfeng smiled, walked to the lotus pond, picked a lotus flower, went to the maple tree, dug a small hole next to where the candied hawthorns were buried, put the lotus flower down, and sprinkled dust on it.

Li Qingxian slept until noon, when he heard Han Anbo's voice.

"Hmm?" Li Qingxian squinted.

"The guards from Chunfeng Residence just left. They said that Liu from the Ministry of Works is coming in person, and the Inner Treasury Office has also sent a eunuch. Daren Luo from the Ministry of Revenue has also arrived. They're just waiting for you."

"How disturbing! I just dreamt of the You Fei..."

Li Qingxian reluctantly sat up, washed his face, dressed, and led Han Anbo and Yu Ping to the Imperial Prison Bureau.