Storage Flag

"Failed..."

Song Hun looked utterly dejected. Although he had successfully removed the Demon Mark, the flag's own abilities had been greatly weakened.

Originally, the flag could store Demon souls and release them against enemies when needed, but now its soul-storing function was gone.

Now it could only store inanimate objects. The little flag contained roughly the space of an ordinary thatched hut, and it could no longer store souls.

However, Lin Jun was quite satisfied with this. He had never planned to collect Demon souls in the first place. As long as their souls remained, the Demons were not truly dead, and he would gain no experience.

"Thank you. This is very useful to me."

Song Hun's face was full of guilt.

"What are you thanking me for? I ruined a treasure. Sigh."

Lin Jun did not try to comfort Song Hun. After giving Lu Ling a few instructions, he headed straight for Azure Forest City.

Meanwhile, at the Demon Affairs Prefecture, Duan Yan and Chen Feng sat at a table, with an unfamiliar man seated before them.

"You received my message? You got here so quickly?"

"A message? What message?"

The man looked thoroughly confused.

"Lady Yang Wan sent me. She was afraid something might happen to Lin Jun along the way. You know what kind of person that brat is. Sigh, Lady Yang is so capable—how did she end up with such an unreasonable father?"

"Wouldn't it have been better if he had just given that bastard a sum of money and let him live as a wealthy man? He insisted on bringing him into the Demon Exorcism Bureau to muddle through some minor post. Well, look what happened now—he got himself locked up too."

The man was filled with helplessness. At the mention of Yang Yan, his teeth itched with hatred.

If not for that bastard Lin Jun, Lady Yang would have long since risen to a higher position, with limitless prospects ahead of her.

Now Lin Jun and Yang Yan had trapped her so tightly that she even had to clean up after the two of them.

"What injustice."

The man sighed and looked toward Chen Feng, who had remained silent all this time. He could not understand why Chen Feng's expression was so strange.

Was there something on his face?

"This must be little brother Chen Feng. Long time no see. You're an Origin Transformation martial artist now—congratulations."

Chen Feng could not remember who this man was, so he could only ask:

"May I ask your esteemed name, Senior?"

"What esteemed name? Just call me Li Gui. We don't go in for that jianghu nonsense."

Chen Feng had been away from the Demon Exorcism Bureau for too long, and he was indeed rusty on some of its customs.

"By the way, where's that bastard? Don't tell me he went out to wine and women again?"

Li Gui knew Lin Jun's temperament very well. Back in Brocade City, Lin Jun had nearly died on a woman's belly—it was Li Gui who had carried him back.

Chen Feng silently glanced at Duan Yan, who said nothing and seemed to be holding back laughter, then looked at Li Gui, who appeared ready to swallow Lin Jun whole, and honestly replied:

"As for Lord Lin, he probably went somewhere to exterminate Demons."

Basically, whenever Chen Feng could not find Lin Jun, Lin Jun would return with quite a few Demon corpses. He had already grown accustomed to Lin Jun's habitual disappearances.

Lin Jun had vanished early this morning. Most likely, some place was suffering another Demon calamity.

Hearing this, Li Gui stood frozen for a long while. He seemed about to explode in anger, but seeing Chen Feng's innocent gaze, he slammed his palm onto the stone table.

"Fine, fine, fine. So he's learned to be clever, has he? He actually knows how to buy off the people around him. If this is what he learned over three years, then at least he's made a little progress. Hmph."

Green Forest County was famously peaceful. Year after year, no Demons were seen, and the people lived and worked in peace and contentment.

Exterminating Demons? He had probably run off to exterminate Demons on some woman's belly again.

"I'll wait right here. I want to see what kind of Demon Lin Jun manages to exterminate!"

Even if Lin Jun was Lady Yang's relative, Li Gui would still teach that bastard a proper lesson.

What the hell was this.

"Why are you staring at me?"

Li Gui could not understand why Duan Yan kept looking at him and smiling. He was completely at a loss.

"Nothing. I just thought of something happy."

After saying that, she slowly turned away.

Teach Lin Jun a lesson? With Lin Jun's skill in handling two tiger Demons with ease, it was hard to say who would be teaching whom.

Peaceful, contented Green Forest County? Tsk. Its danger level was probably high enough that even the Tiger-Pattern Bureau would have to call for reinforcements.

But she had no intention of explaining it to Li Gui. Who would believe her anyway?

"What are you laughing at now?"

Li Gui looked at Chen Feng, who could no longer suppress his smile, and grew even more confused.

"Senior Li, I also thought of something happy. Pfft..."

Li Gui: "..."

Were they happy about the same thing?

Li Gui decided to ignore the two of them acting strangely and sat directly facing the main gate.

He planted his saber into the ground and stared at the gates of the Demon Affairs Prefecture. Without anger, he exuded authority, like an unmoving Wisdom King.

At noon, the gates of the Demon Affairs Prefecture slowly opened. Lin Jun walked in, a fox pelt in one hand and a roast duck in the other.

"Roast duck for lunch. Shopkeeper Song gave it to me. He said it was roasted with windwood, and the flavor isn't bad... Who is this?"

Only then did Lin Jun notice the unfamiliar man before him.

He was in his thirties, with a scar across his face that seemed to be the mark of some animal's claws. He wore a green robe and carried an official saber.

He was exceptionally burly, and his sharp gaze made others afraid to meet his eyes.

"Long time no see, Lord Lin."

Li Gui put particular emphasis on the word "Lord."

"Long time no see. Want some?"

Lin Jun raised the roast duck, leaving Li Gui completely bewildered by this move.

The originally solemn atmosphere was dissolved just like that.

"You... sigh. By Lady Yang's order, I've come to escort you back to Brocade City."

"There are only a few days left until the three years are up. Then you can be officially registered. Don't make any trouble at a time like this, understand?"

Li Gui felt that something about Lin Jun was different, but he could not put his finger on it.

"Thank you for the reminder, Senior. Chen Feng, go to Shopkeeper Song's place and bring back a jar of wine. While you're at it, bring my signature dish too. I'll have a drink with this gentleman."

Chen Feng accepted the order and, with practiced ease, vaulted over the courtyard wall.

"Sit."

Lin Jun's unusually polite behavior made Li Gui feel uncomfortable all over, but he could not exactly say anything.

Once he sat down, the atmosphere immediately became awkward.

The two were not familiar with one another, and neither knew how to begin.

Fortunately, Chen Feng arrived in time and placed a jar of Falling Moon Brew and a pot of stewed meat on the table.

"Eat."

Lin Jun's words were brief and to the point. Li Gui tried several times to speak, only to be blocked each time by Lin Jun's rule of not speaking while eating.

Helpless, he could only pick up his chopsticks, pour himself a cup of wine, and begin eating the meat.

It just so happened that he had not eaten anything during his journey here.

Li Gui picked up a piece of meat with his chopsticks and put it into his mouth. The savory flavor made his eyes widen.

What kind of meat was this? How could it be so delicious?

"If it tastes good, eat more. Don't be polite."

Lin Jun poured Li Gui a cup of wine, his face full of smiles.

Li Gui's evaluation of Lin Jun rose considerably.

It seemed Lin Jun had made some progress during these years in Green Forest County. At the very least, he no longer looked like that wastrel, and his manners were quite proper.

Even if he lacked strength, he could still work logistics in the Demon Exorcism Bureau, just like his uncle.

Thinking of this, Li Gui felt that he could offer Lin Jun a few pointers.

After all, he was Lady Yang's cousin. Since the man showed signs of improving, Li Gui ought not be stingy with his guidance.

"Brother Lin, during your days in Green Forest County, have you let your martial arts fall behind?"

Li Gui picked up another piece of meat and put it into his mouth, savoring the delicacy carefully.

He just did not know what kind of meat it was. Delicious though it was, there was always a faint gamey smell.

A slight flaw in an otherwise beautiful thing.

Still, this place was not Brocade City. For a cook here to achieve this much was already excellent.

"Mm, not bad."

Naturally, Li Gui knew Lin Jun was merely too proud to admit it, but he did not expose him.

"I recently learned a new martial art, but no one is willing to spar with me, so I have no way of finding my own flaws. Brother Lin, would you be willing to do me this favor?"

This was the most tactful way he could think of putting it. It would not damage Lin Jun's self-esteem.

"Pfft..."

Chen Feng suddenly laughed aloud from the side.

"Sorry, I thought of something happy again."

Li Gui glared at Chen Feng. He did not pay attention to Chen Feng's strange behavior, instead fixing his eyes on Lin Jun.

"Of course. Please."

Lin Jun set down his wine cup and made a gesture of invitation.