Chu He: Strip Them of Every Treasure

"We pay our respects, sir!"

In a clearing within the Demon Suppression Bureau, ten squad leaders bowed to Chu He, including Di Yiqi from a few days earlier.

To be precise:

At present, no fewer than twenty squad leaders in the Yunzhou Demon Suppression Bureau were loyal to Chu He, and some were already about to break through to Second Rank.

"Mm!"

Chu He nodded and said:

"Get yourselves ready. We leave in an hour."

"Yes, sir."

The ten squad leaders bowed in acknowledgment.

Among them, Di Yiqi (Zhao Yuan) had been appointed by Chu He as the squad leader of Lu Feng and the other four, and they were introducing themselves.

An hour later!

Chu He led fifty Demon Suppression Guards out of the city on spirit horses, swaggering toward Nine Nether Town. Everywhere they passed, people scattered.

In fact!

To get out of their way, merchants on the official road even pulled their wagons off the road and waited for Chu He and his men to pass first.

"Fuck, these Demon Suppression Guards are way too fucking arrogant. The official road is only six meters wide, and they're galloping across five of them. Are they trying to fly into the heavens?"

"Keep your voice down. Demon Suppression Guards don't just kill demons; they kill people without blinking, too. The one leading them is a company commander, a Second Rank expert."

"Ah, we're just businessmen. Harmony brings prosperity. There's nothing wrong with making way for them. Without anyone slaying demons, our lives wouldn't be easy either, would they?" a caravan's chief escort said.

The others nodded in agreement.

They were only grumbling a little. After all, they were businessmen and had little against the Demon Suppression Guards.

The ones who truly disliked the Demon Suppression Guards were the sects and great clans!

Within the mounted procession!

Chu He asked briskly, "Tell me about Nine Nether Town."

Zhao Yuan immediately replied, "Sir, Nine Nether Town is a major town in Dongshan Commandery, as well as the seat of the Heavenly Origin Sect. Its sect master is a Fifth Rank expert whose name resounds throughout Yun Province."

"Every three years, it holds a Heavenly Pride Grand Competition. Generally, all the sects and schools of Yun Province attend. The Demon Suppression Bureau also sends a battalion every time. First, to prevent trouble; second, to display our strength and let the sect disciples know that the Demon Suppression Bureau is the boss of Yun Province."

Hearing Zhao Yuan's answer, Chu He nodded.

It seemed this joint operation was related to the Heavenly Pride Grand Competition held by the Heavenly Origin Sect, and the matter was no small one.

Otherwise:

They would not have deployed six battalions at once. Leaving aside the Heavenly Origin Sect's master, such a force could easily wipe out the sect.

Just as they were about to pass through a stretch of woods!

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The clash of metal rang out ahead.

They saw:

Five people in white robes running swiftly toward them with weapons in hand-two men and three women, two of them wounded. Dozens pursued them from behind, their cultivation varying in strength.

The strongest were at Peak First Grade, while the weakest had yet to enter a grade. Their clothing was a motley assortment, too, making them look very much like a band of mountain bandits.

"The court's running dogs!"

At that moment!

The five also spotted Chu He and his men. The eyes of one innocent-looking young woman lit up, and she immediately called:

"Sirs from the Demon Suppression Bureau up ahead, we are disciples of the Green Mountain Sect! A band of mountain bandits is pursuing us. Please lend us a hand!"

As she spoke.

The five hurried over to Chu He and his men.

"Holy shit!"

The bandits also spotted Chu He and his men. Their expressions changed drastically, and they turned to flee the way they had come.

"Leave none alive!"

Chu He's icy voice rang out.

"Yes, sir!" Zhao Yuan charged ahead with a bellow. "The company commander's order: leave none alive! Kill without mercy!"

The mounted bandits were nothing but a disorderly mob to begin with. Although some had graded cultivation, their fighting ability was mediocre. How could they possibly be a match for the Demon Suppression Guards? The moment they clashed, they began frantically begging for mercy:

"Don't kill me! I'm just an ordinary mounted bandit! I've never done anything bad! I've only taken thirty-odd extra concubines, and there are still five I haven't used!"

"Sirs, spare us... Those sect disciples sneaked into our stronghold and stole our money! That's why we chased them!"

"Ah... I can't die! I'm still a virgin... I can't accept this... If I'd known, I'd have done five dragons embracing the pillar last night!"

A young man shouted in grief and fury.

However!

Their pleas achieved nothing. The Demon Suppression Guards showed no mercy whatsoever. In just a few breaths, they slaughtered every bandit. That young bandit in particular died with his eyes wide open, one hand still reaching unwillingly toward a certain part of his body...

"Sir, they've all been slain!"

Zhao Yuan and the others ran back to Chu He to report.

"Thank you for helping us, sir." The girl who had called for help bowed gratefully to Chu He. "I have nothing with which to repay you. This is a handkerchief I embroidered. Please accept it."

As she spoke:

She took out an embroidered handkerchief and offered it to Chu He on his spirit horse, bashfulness showing on her face. Clearly, Chu He's heroic rescue of a beauty had stirred her heart a little.

This was only natural:

They were all disciples of a small sect and had seen little of the wider world. The young girl had little experience of life, so she naturally had no resistance to a man with Chu He's looks, status, and cold bearing.

The other sect disciples wore differing expressions. The two other women showed little reaction, but a man in gray robes burned with anger. Cowed by the imposing presence of Chu He and his men, however, he dared not say much.

At that moment!

Chu He's gaze fell on the young girl's neck!

"Ah!"

The young girl immediately covered her chest and turned away, her face flushing red with bashfulness.

"Sir, please restrain your... ah..."

The gray-robed man's face was full of anger, but before he could finish, he felt a tremendous force strike his chest and was sent flying backward.

Bang!

Bang!

Only after smashing through two large trees in succession did he come to a stop!

Pfft...

A mouthful of blood sprayed from his mouth:

"Wh... why..."

Just then!

Chu He had kicked him flying without any warning!

"Why!" His expression icy, Chu He drew the handkerchief from the innocent-looking girl's hand, wiped the blood from his foot, and said, "Who gave you permission to speak to this company commander like that? Search them and strip them of every treasure."

"Yes, sir!"

Zhao Yuan and the others immediately obeyed.

Under the shocked gazes of the five sect disciples, they stripped every treasure from their bodies, leaving nothing behind, including the glowing jade pendant at the girl's neck.

After all:

This was an essential skill for Demon Suppression Guards: raiding homes and exterminating clans!

"Sir, what you're doing is wrong. We're all residents of Great Qian. As a Demon Suppression Guard, how can you rob us?"

The innocent-looking girl spoke apprehensively.

Residents of Great Qian!

Chu He shook his head and sneered. "So you sect disciples still know of the court? The sects and great clans of Yun Province haven't paid taxes in three years. Consider these the interest."

"You..."

The innocent-looking girl was about to say something else when Chu He's voice, cold as a fiend's, reached her ears again:

"Out in the wilderness, it's perfectly normal for a few sect disciples to be killed by mountain bandits. The Demon Suppression Guards arrived in time and slew the bandits-that's even a great merit. Tell me: isn't that right?"

"Move out..."

Chu He gave an evil smile and rode away on his spirit horse.

Behind him!

Dozens of Demon Suppression Guards swiftly followed, leaving only the five sect disciples standing there in horror!

Slap!

The bloodstained handkerchief blew into the innocent-looking girl's face, making her eyes redden as aggrieved tears spilled down.

She felt as though she had just suffered heartbreak! (┯_┯)