The morning mist over Nanhe County had yet to fully clear.
The breakfast stalls along the street had just set up their steamers.
Su Yu stepped onto the flagstone road, his cloth garments plastered with dark red scabs of blood.
As he walked, dried clots of blood flaked off and fell.
A roadside vendor's hand jerked, spilling scalding soy milk onto his foot.
The vendor clenched his back teeth, swallowed his cry of pain, and shrank into the white steam rising from his steamers.
The crowded street parted on its own, leaving an empty strip as Su Yu headed straight toward the west of the city.
The Demon Suppression Bureau.
As long as he had last night's mission entered into the records, his mortal realm fourth layer cultivation would be officially accounted for.
This official skin could not stop arrows from the shadows, but it could make drawing his saber and killing someone legal.
The Demon Suppression Bureau's training ground.
Dozens of trainee demon suppression guards were drilling.
"Has Zhao Lei's squad still not returned?"
"Wasn't it supposed to be a simple patrol? Surely they should've made it back by now?"
Several people discussed it in low voices.
"Zhao Lei?"
"He's dead."
Just then, a hoarse voice reached the training ground.
The sounds of drilling stopped abruptly.
Dozens of pairs of eyes fixed in unison on the blood-drenched figure at the gate.
One of the squad leaders widened his eyes.
"Su Yu? How did you make it back looking like that? Where are Zhao Lei and the others?"
Su Yu walked into the training ground.
Every step left a dark red footprint on the yellow earth.
"We encountered a mortal realm fifth layer demon."
Su Yu stopped before the desk.
"The entire squad died in battle. I'm the only one left."
He stated the facts, his tone colder and harder than iron.
"The entire squad died? And you're the only one left?"
Suddenly, a cold shout came from the edge of the training ground.
The crowd parted, and a burly man in black brocade robes strode out.
Wang Tai, a squad leader in the Demon Suppression Bureau, was on good terms with Zhao Lei, but secretly served as a spy the Liu Family had planted in the bureau.
He looked Su Yu up and down.
"Zhao Lei was at the mortal realm fourth layer, and he had two capable men at the mortal realm third layer."
"They all died facing a demon, yet a mortal realm first layer piece of trash like you survived?"
Wang Tai walked up to Su Yu.
"I say you deserted in the face of the enemy and got your comrades killed!"
The accusation was pinned on him.
The trainee demon suppression guards around them began whispering.
Su Yu stared coldly at Wang Tai. Though he said nothing, his eyes said it all.
Wang Tai rested his hand on his saber's hilt, his gaze suddenly darkening.
"Under Great Qin Law, anyone who deserts in the face of the enemy is to be executed immediately."
"Seize him and send him to the punishment hall!"
Two trusted subordinates immediately stepped forward, dragging barbed chains of refined iron.
Hooks forged from refined steel flew straight toward Su Yu's shoulder blades.
They meant to cripple him on the spot.
Su Yu raised his hand.
Spreading his fingers, he seized the leading end of the hurtling chain.
With a sudden exertion of strength, he sent both attackers flying before they could even scream.
They crashed heavily into the weapon rack behind them, smashing it down.
Sabers, spears, swords, and halberds scattered across the ground. The two men clutched their chests and vomited sour fluid, unable to get up.
The corners of Wang Tai's eyes twitched violently.
A mortal realm first layer cultivator sent mortal realm third layer guards flying in one move?
"You're courting death!"
Wang Tai's mortal realm fifth layer blood and Qi erupted.
Shing!
His saber left its sheath.
He kicked hard off the ground, whipping up a fierce gust as his saber cleaved straight toward Su Yu's neck with a shrill whistle.
Su Yu did not even look at the blade coming toward him.
His toe snapped into the hilt of a standard-issue saber lying on the ground.
The saber sprang up, and Su Yu caught it.
Perfected Gale Saber Technique, unleashed!
Su Yu's wrist turned at blinding speed, the ordinary refined-steel saber leaving a sweep of afterimages in his hand.
He neither dodged nor yielded.
He met it head-on.
His saber struck from an exceptionally tricky angle, moving later yet arriving first, its edge cutting precisely into the point of leverage on the side of Wang Tai's blade.
Clang-!
An ear-piercing screech of grinding metal exploded.
Terrifying finesse, capable of shifting a thousand pounds with four ounces, surged along the blade.
Wang Tai felt searing pain in the web of his hand, and half his right arm instantly went numb.
Unable to hold his saber, he lost it. It flew off at an angle and buried itself in a distant wooden post, its end trembling wildly.
The next instant.
A cold blade was already pressed against Wang Tai's throat.
It cut through his skin, drawing a glaring red line.
Every hair on Wang Tai's body stood on end. He froze in place, not daring to move.
The Gale Saber Technique?
At the perfected level, no less?!
How could a trainee demon suppression guard possess the perfected Gale Saber Technique!
Su Yu held the saber in one hand, watching Wang Tai sweat profusely.
"I came to report deaths, not confess to a crime."
The blade pressed down a fraction. Wang Tai's Adam's apple bobbed violently, but he could not make a sound.
"Stop."
A furious shout came from the inner hall.
A powerfully built man clad in silver armor stepped onto the training ground.
Lin Xiao, a captain of the Demon Suppression Bureau.
Lin Xiao stared at the saber Su Yu held against Wang Tai's neck.
"Do you intend to kill an official in public inside the Demon Suppression Bureau?"
Su Yu withdrew his saber.
The instant its edge left Wang Tai's throat, he followed through and slammed the flat of the blade against the side of Wang Tai's face.
Smack!
Wang Tai flew two meters sideways. Half his face instantly swelled purple-black, and he spat out several bloody molars.
Su Yu casually tossed the saber onto the ground.
"Excessive self-defense."
He pulled an object wrapped in layers of cloth strips from inside his robes and flung it onto the desk.
Thud.
The cloth strips fell open.
A thick, sharp fang was revealed, with purple-black gum tissue still attached.
It gave off a nauseating stench of blood.
"A canine tooth from a mortal realm fifth layer corpse-eating dog demon leader!"
Lin Xiao stopped, his gaze moving back and forth between the fang and Su Yu.
Mortal realm fourth layer.
A perfected saber technique.
Killed a fifth layer demon.
Lin Xiao quickly weighed the pros and cons.
Great Qin's Demon Suppression Bureau cared nothing for a person's background, only heads and strength.
"As per the rules, Zhao Lei's squad will receive double death benefits."
Lin Xiao removed the command token from his waist and tossed it to Su Yu.
"You'll fill Zhao Lei's vacancy. You're promoted to squad leader."
Su Yu caught the token.
"Thank you, sir."
He turned and left.
As he passed Wang Tai, who lay on the ground gasping, Su Yu did not stop. He merely lowered his head and glanced at him.
"Tell the master behind you."
"Next time he wants my life, send someone capable."
He walked straight through the training ground, leaving deathly silence behind.
The Liu residence, in the east of the city.
The study.
Liu Qingyun read the secret letter in his hands.
An old servant dressed in black stood beside the desk with lowered eyes and a deferential manner.
"Young master, that is what happened."
"Zhao Lei is dead, while Su Yu survived and was even promoted to squad leader. Our spy said his blood and Qi fluctuated at the mortal realm fourth layer."
Liu Qingyun held the secret letter over the flickering candle flame and set it alight.
The paper quickly turned to ash and fell into the brass basin.
"The bait we cast out actually turned around and bit through the net."
Liu Qingyun brushed the black ash from his fingertips.
"He's now officially accounted for at the Demon Suppression Bureau. Continuing to deal with Su Yu has become troublesome!"
The old servant spoke quietly.
"Notify Liu Ying. Have her find a way to get Su Yu onto an escort mission!"
At those words, the old servant looked startled, then quietly acknowledged the order and hurried away.
With the Liu Family's strength, once he left the city, killing a newly promoted squad leader could not have been simpler.
Liu Qingyun lifted his teacup and brushed aside the floating froth.
"Su Yu, just wait. I'll reunite you and your father very soon!"