Humble Before Your Superiors

Yan Tieyi withdrew his hand from the hilt of his sword and bowed to Han Dingshan.

"Deputy General Shen Jingxian ordered me to come on official business to inspect the situation in Longwind Commandery."

"Business trip?"

Han Dingshan snorted coldly, "I am merely in seclusion to heal my injuries, and I have no obligation to explain my arrangements to a Deputy General."

Yan Tieyi did not respond.

His gaze fell on Han Dingshan, carefully examining the Deputy General.

A few more strands of white hair appeared at his temples, and the wrinkles on his face were deeper than before. His official robes were somewhat wrinkled, as if they hadn't been changed in a long time.

What was most striking was his complexion.

Gray, pale, with an unhealthy gloom.

Having reached this level of cultivation, one is no longer susceptible to illness; it's more likely that the hidden injuries sustained from battles with Demon have not yet healed.

Yang Xiao was also looking at Han Dingshan.

His senses were sharper than Yan Tieyi's, and he had already noticed something unusual.

Han Dingshan's breathing was very light, as if he was afraid of getting involved in something. With each inhale, a wisp of very faint black energy surged from his chest and abdomen.

The black aura was extremely faint; if Yang Xiao hadn't possessed a powerful physique and keen senses, he wouldn't have been able to detect it at all.

What concerned him even more was Han Dingshan's right side.

Beneath the cover of his official robes, a sinister aura was constantly corroding his flesh and blood.

The aura was very subtle, much like the Spear Baleful Intent and Demon Poison he used to frequently employ.

Han Dingshan seemed to notice Yang Xiao's gaze.

He turned to look at the young man, a scrutinizing glint in his eyes.

"Who are you?"

"Yang Xiao, Deputy General of the Qingzhou Demon Suppression Division." Yang Xiao bowed respectfully, his tone calm.

He raised his head and looked directly into Han Dingshan's eyes. "Deputy General Han, I want to know how you, in your terminally ill state, managed to garrison Longwind Commandery?"

Han Dingshan's expression changed.

His brows furrowed, and his gaze sharpened.

"What do you mean?"

Yang Xiao did not avoid his gaze, but simply said:

"The injuries sustained by Deputy General Han are probably more complex than they appear."

"I want to know, what exactly happened that Longwind Commandery has stopped reporting in recent months?"

Upon hearing this, Han Dingshan's face suddenly darkened.

His cloudy eyes churned with rage, like an old beast whose scales had been touched.

"You dare to be so bold?"

His voice was low and deep, carrying a hint of suppressed anger.

"A mere junior in the Aperture-Opening Realm dares to spout such nonsense in front of me?"

He took a step forward, his Spiritual Power surging around him, and an overwhelming pressure from the Core-Condensation Realm pressed down on Yang Xiao.

"It seems I need to discipline you and teach you the meaning of humility."

As soon as he finished speaking, Han Dingshan thrust out his Fine Steel Spear!

The spearhead, carrying a sharp gust of wind, aimed straight for Yang Xiao's shoulder!

Although it wasn't aimed at vital points, it still served as a lesson in mind.

The shot came with incredible speed, the tip of the spear leaving a trail of afterimages in the air, carrying the aura of a seasoned warrior.

Yan Tieyi's expression changed, and he was about to intervene.

But Yang Xiao had already made his move.

He raised his Army-Breaking Spear, holding it horizontally in front of him to meet Han Dingshan's thrust.

"Clang--"

The moment the guns clashed, a crisp metallic clang resounded across the gates of the encampment.

Han Dingshan's arm trembled violently. He felt a terrifying force coming from the gun, which made his hand go numb and he almost lost his grip on the weapon.

This force...

Han Dingshan's pupils suddenly contracted.

His gaze fell on the spear in Yang Xiao's hand, and his expression suddenly changed.

He recognized the gun.

He was also Deputy General in the Demon-Slaying Battalion back then, and was a contemporary of Pei Xuance.

At that time, Pei Xuance had already reached the peak of the Aperture-Penetration Realm, sweeping away all opponents of the same level, and was an existence that all the Deputy General could only look up to from afar.

And this spear was Pei Xuance's personal weapon.

"How did this gun end up in your hands?"

Han Dingshan stared at Yang Xiao in shock, his voice trembling slightly, as he recalled the oppressive feeling of being ruled by Pei Xuance back then.

Yang Xiao did not answer.

His spear suddenly jerked, and a skillful force traveled along the shaft, directly knocking the Fine Steel Spear from Han Dingshan's hand.

Clang—

The spear flew out of his hand and embedded itself in the distant Bluestone ground, its butt still trembling.

Before Han Dingshan could react, Yang Xiao had already kicked him in the chest.

Bang--

The kick was powerful and heavy, sending Han Dingshan staggering back several feet before he crashed into a pile of debris in the camp with a dull thud.

Yan Tieyi stood to the side, completely stunned.

He was initially worried that Yang Xiao was no match for Han Dingshan, but regardless of rank or status, he was preparing to lend a helping hand.

As a result, Yang Xiao knocked the weapon away with his spear and kicked the Deputy General to the ground.

Your Aperture-Opening Realm seems a little different from mine?

Han Dingshan clutched his chest, got up from the ground, and looked extremely pale.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end, he said nothing.

Yang Xiao had already walked up to him, reached out and ripped open Han Dingshan's robe, revealing Han Dingshan's chest and abdomen.

Everyone present gasped.

Han Dingshan's chest and abdomen were covered with black poisonous spots.

The injury had clearly been left untreated for a long time; the poisonous spots, like living things, slowly crawled under the skin, covering most of the body and emanating a chilling aura.

Even more shocking was that several dark red lines of blood spread from the wound all the way to the chest.

Those blood lines resembled some kind of eerie pattern, leaving deep marks on the skin.

Yan Tieyi looked at the poison spots and blood streaks, and the shock on his face gradually turned into anger.

"No wonder there's been no news of performance reviews from Longwind Commandery."

He gritted his teeth, his voice icy.

"Are you afraid that the Demon Suppression Division will discover your injuries and remove you from your position Deputy General?"

"But you've been stationed here for so many years and have accumulated quite a few Merit. Why don't you exchange them for precious medicine to heal your injuries first?"

Han Dingshan lowered his head and remained silent.

His hands were clenched into fists, his knuckles turning white.

After a moment of silence, he suddenly raised his head and roared like an old lion, "I don't need healing!"

His voice was hoarse, with a hint of madness.

"I want to enter this Treasure Ground to absorb its energy! I want to break through to the Pill-Pattern Realm!"

"I want to be worthy of this position, not be dismissed and forced to eke out a living!"

Yan Tieyi's expression grew even more unpleasant.

"So you're just dragging your injuries along, not getting proper treatment, and instead looking for some kind of breakthrough opportunity?"

His voice was filled with disbelief.

Do you know what you're doing?

"With the gateway to Qingzhou weakened, how can we resist the invasion of Demon?"

"There's no such thing as being undefended!" Han Dingshan argued through gritted teeth. "I have an agreement with the Nine-Poison Scorpion Lord of the Black Miasma Ravine. It will only cultivate in the Black Miasma Ravine and won't cause too much trouble."

"Nine-Poison Scorpion Lord?"

Yan Tieyi was so angry that his face turned ashen after hearing this.

"Old man, I think you're getting senile."

"Did you know that when the Seven Demons of She Mountain wreaked havoc in Azure Mist City a few days ago, there were also demon Demon King from outside the Pill-Pattern Realm who participated?"

"That Demon King is called the Rock Rhino Demon King. He doesn't belong to the Demon of Qingzhou. I now suspect that he infiltrated from your place."