"The leader is probably a Third-Grade Realm martial artist."
"On top of that, there are two Second-Rank Upper Realm fighters, all so young. Azure Rock Sword Manor truly deserves its status as one of Qingzhou's five great sects."
Lu Yuan muttered.
Such young yet powerful martial artists—
No small sect could possibly nurture them.
He had seen records of Qingzhou's five great sects in the Azure Province Hundred Talents List he had bought at Sandalwood Palace in the Black Triangle.
Azure Rock Sword Manor followed the path of the sword. Most of its disciples were sword cultivators, and their strength was formidable. Within Qingzhou, it was one of the foremost major sects.
Beside the three members of the Azure Rock Sword Sect stood only one person.
This man wore a loose black robe. His face was lean, his cheekbones high, and his aura was as deep as an abyss, making it impossible to gauge his true depth.
The third group consisted of three people, one man and two women. All wore fitted black uniforms, long sabers at their waists, and savage beast-head emblems embroidered on their chests—the mark of the Demon Suppression Office.
The Demon Suppression Office specialized in slaying demons and exterminating evil. Decisive and ruthless in killing, it was renowned throughout Great Harvest. Ordinary demons turned pale at the mere mention of its name.
When Lu Yuan clearly saw the leading woman among the three—
His entire body jolted, and he nearly slipped from the branch.
"Shen Qingzhu???"
Lu Yuan's eyes widened.
As though he had seen something utterly unbelievable.
Especially Shen Qingzhu at this moment—clad in the black fitted uniform of the Demon Suppression Office, her long hair tied high, a narrow-bladed saber hanging at her waist. Her face was cold as frost, and heroic sharpness pressed from between her brows.
Her blood and qi were condensed like mercury, her aura steady yet razor-sharp. She had clearly reached the Second-Rank Peak Realm.
She was worlds apart from that female prisoner she had been before.
Especially since the two of them had spent an entire night together in the same room.
And Shen Qingzhu had been in that state.
"What if this woman takes revenge?"
Lu Yuan could still remember slapping this woman across the face before.
That exhilarating feeling.
If he had known she was from the Demon Suppression Office—
He would never have dared to do that.
"This woman... is she sick? Why pretend to be a female prisoner?"
Lu Yuan was filled with uncertainty.
He suppressed the turmoil in his heart and continued watching intently.
Beside Shen Qingzhu, the male Demon Suppression Office guard was broad and burly, with a rugged face. His name was Han Lie, and he possessed Second-Rank Upper Realm cultivation.
The other female guard was named Sun Yun. She was beautiful, yet carried a hint of Killing Intent. She too was in the Second-Rank Upper Realm.
The three formed a horn formation, facing the people of Azure Rock Sword Manor at the cave entrance. The atmosphere was taut as drawn swords.
"Move aside." Shen Qingzhu's voice was cold as ice. Staring at Xue Cheng blocking the cave entrance, she said each word distinctly, "I'll say it one more time. Move aside."
Yet Xue Cheng did not shift even half a step.
He spoke unhurriedly. "Lady Shen, this is the Azure Cloud Mountain Range, territory under the influence of our Azure Rock Sword Manor. It is not under your office's jurisdiction. Your Demon Suppression Office is reaching its hand rather too far."
"My Demon Suppression Office recognizes only Great Harvest territory. I have never heard of any Azure Rock Sword Manor territory."
"The demon aura here is dense. So long as it is within Great Harvest, any demons discovered are the concern of my Demon Suppression Office."
Xue Cheng merely gave a faint laugh. "Lady Shen herself said it—there is only demon aura."
"I advise you to move aside. If there truly is a demon causing harm ahead and your Azure Rock Sword Manor obstructs us from slaying it, that would mean colluding with demons."
"Under the Great Harvest Code, those who collude with demons may be executed first and reported afterward by the Demon Suppression Office!"
Han Lie, beside Shen Qingzhu, spoke in a deep voice.
Sun Yun also stood with her hand pressed against her saber.
Her gaze fixed rather unfriendly on He Changqing and Bai Lingsu.
Instead, Xue Cheng laughed, his voice carrying a trace of mockery. "Lady Shen certainly carries great official authority!"
"Unfortunately, you will be disappointed this time."
"The man beside me is Lord Wei Cang of the Celestial Spirit Control Office, a spirit officer of the Spirit Control Office, specifically charged with handling demon affairs in the counties under Linhai Prefecture."
"If there truly is a demon in this cave, Lord Wei of the Celestial Spirit Control Office will naturally investigate and handle it. Demon affairs within Great Harvest are not something only your Demon Suppression Office can manage."
Xue Cheng looked toward the black-robed man nearby.
At the words Celestial Spirit Control Office, Shen Qingzhu's gaze immediately sharpened.
"Celestial Spirit Control Office... Why are there so many city folk?"
Lu Yuan pricked up his ears. Upon hearing this information, he immediately muttered to himself.
He had heard of the Celestial Spirit Control Office as well.
It was one of the imperial court's intelligence agencies. On the surface, it managed the spiritual energy of mountains and rivers throughout the land, offered sacrifices to mountain and river gods, pacified mountain and wilderness spirits, took in good demons who submitted, presided over imperial disaster-warding and blessing rituals, and was also responsible for recommending alchemists and people with extraordinary abilities to enter court service.
The Demon Suppression Office slew demons; the Celestial Spirit Control Office recruited them.
The struggle between the two could be said to have lasted for centuries.
"Lady Shen, your Demon Suppression Office only knows how to shout about killing and slaughtering. Yet you fail to understand that all things beneath heaven and earth possess spirit. Some demons devote themselves wholeheartedly to the Dao, submit to the imperial court, and are good demons."
"Our Azure Rock Sword Manor has already invited people from the Celestial Spirit Control Office. Whether it is good or evil will naturally receive a fair judgment, so there is no need to trouble yourselves."
He Changqing clasped his hands together at the side, revealing a cold smile.
"Whether a demon is good or evil is decided entirely by one mouth of the Celestial Spirit Control Office."
"But before the common people around Pingyang County die in demons' jaws—"
"Will those demons ask whether they are good or bad?"
It was not that Shen Qingzhu did not believe good demons existed.
But in recent months, how many cases had there been in the counties under Linhai Prefecture, including Pingyang County, of demons running rampant, villages being massacred, and common people dying tragic deaths?
Over the years, the Celestial Spirit Control Office had done no small number of things in the name of subduing good demons while in truth sheltering and indulging them.
Many demons that wreaked havoc across entire regions might very well have had the involvement of the Celestial Spirit Control Office behind them.
The Celestial Spirit Control Office's credibility in her eyes—
Had long since fallen to freezing point.
"The Celestial Spirit Control Office will handle matters here itself. There is no need for the Demon Suppression Office to trouble itself."
Wei Cang, the black-robed man, spoke in an ethereal, calm voice.
"Why waste words with her? The important matter comes first."
Just as both sides were locked in a stalemate—
A piercing whistle suddenly tore through the air from the distant forest.
Lu Yuan only saw a blur before a black shadow shot out from the depths of the woods like a ghost. It was so fast that even he could only catch an afterimage.
"So fast."
Lu Yuan was horrified. That speed required cultivation at least above the Third-Rank.
The black shadow landed at the cave entrance. It was another black-robed man.
This man was older than Wei Cang, his face gaunt and withered. Yet his eyes shone startlingly bright, and though his aura was restrained, it made hearts palpitate.
He swept a glance over Shen Qingzhu and the others from the Demon Suppression Office, his eyes devoid of the slightest emotion.
The gaunt black-robed man ignored her no longer, turning to Xue Cheng's side and bending down to whisper a few words in his ear.
Xue Cheng nodded slightly, a nearly imperceptible smile curling his lips.
Then the gaunt black-robed man strode into the cave, with Wei Cang following behind him.
The sight made Shen Qingzhu's jade-like face turn pale with anger.
Since when had the Demon Suppression Office been so utterly disregarded?
The people of Azure Rock Sword Manor blocked her, yet did not block those from the Celestial Spirit Control Office. This was plainly a slap in the Demon Suppression Office's face.
"Lady Shen, you were told to leave, but you refused."
"Why make things difficult for yourself?"
Xue Cheng stared at Shen Qingzhu and shook his head.
"What do you mean by that?"
Shen Qingzhu's expression turned cold, and a dangerous aura spread outward.
Sun Yun and Han Lie looked as though they faced a great enemy.
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