Water Tribe Enters the Territory

[Ao Yuan (Mysterious Aperture Great Perfection): 760/1100.]

This was a member of the Water Tribe that had already touched upon the threshold of the Divine Intent Realm.

Luo Chen tightened his grip on the Golden Scale, but his gaze remained calm.

"This demon left the White Dragon River without permission and slaughtered more than a hundred of Dagan's citizens!"

"By devouring humans, it has fallen onto the path of Demonic Beasts! Our Demon Suppression Bureau must kill it!"

As his words fell,

Luo Chen's aura refused to yield a single step.

He did not wish to provoke the White Dragon River, but if they massacred civilians within the territory under his watch, he would not give way either.

"Interesting."

Ao Yuan smiled and suddenly withdrew his aura.

He clasped his hands toward Luo Chen and said with a smile,

"So it seems that our Dragon Palace failed in its supervision. If it was killed, then so be it!"

His tone was utterly unconcerned, completely lacking the overbearing arrogance from before.

Luo Chen could not fathom the other party's intentions and merely watched in silence.

Ao Yuan did not waste words. He looked toward the White Dragon River tributary behind him.

"A traitor from our Dragon Palace fled into this tributary. I have come under orders to pursue it, and I hope the Demon Suppression Bureau can make an exception."

Ao Yuan wore a genial smile, but inwardly, he grew more and more astonished.

Were humans truly so favored by the heavens?

This man was so young, yet he actually made me sense danger.

But when he thought of the mission for this journey,

Ao Yuan did not wish to clash with the Demon Suppression Bureau and chose to take a step back.

The Demon Suppression Bureau possessed deep foundations. Even though their Dragon Palace had great wealth and power, it could not be easily provoked.

Luo Chen's expression did not change as he said,

"For the White Dragon River Water Tribe to enter Qingyuan City's territory, I cannot make that decision. It requires the Chief Director's approval."

"Precisely, precisely. I hope you will return and report it."

"We will certainly not harm any civilians along the way."

Ao Yuan believed he had already lowered himself considerably.

Luo Chen looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

"Sir, your Dragon Palace people slaughtered Dagan's citizens. This matter cannot simply be left at that."

"I will certainly report it to the Chief Director. How the Chief Director chooses to handle it then will have nothing to do with me."

Ao Yuan fell silent for a moment at those words.

Gritting his teeth, he took a bright pearl from his robes and said with some pain,

"This is the Demon Core of a Greater Demon at Mysterious Aperture Great Perfection. I hope, brother, that you can put in a good word for us."

Luo Chen chuckled and, without ceremony, reached out to catch the luminous pearl tossed his way.

When he focused his eyes on it, he immediately sensed the vast and pure essence of heaven and earth within.

Good stuff.

With an indifferent expression, he put it into the Spatial Secret Treasure.

Cough, cough.

He gave two light coughs.

"Please remain where you are, everyone. I will return at once to report this to the Demon Suppression Bureau."

Having accepted their benefit, Luo Chen also revealed a kindly smile.

"Please be quick, brother. This traitor is exceedingly cunning; there can be no delay."

"If that traitor massacres civilians by then, our Dragon Palace will not take responsibility."

Ao Yuan clasped his hands, speaking with utter sincerity.

As for how truthful those words were,

that was impossible to say.

"What crime did the traitor you are pursuing commit?"

Luo Chen asked curiously.

"Heh, this is a family disgrace of our Dragon Palace, so I will not say much."

Ao Yuan tugged at the corner of his mouth and replied blandly.

Luo Chen smiled, turned, and left, his expression gradually growing solemn.

No one knew what he was thinking.

As they watched Luo Chen's retreating back, the Water Tribe behind him fell silent.

They were used to running wild and unrestrained in the White Dragon River. How could they endure such humiliation?

Immediately, one member of the Water Tribe behind Ao Yuan stepped forward with a silver fork in hand and said in a low voice,

"Leader, shall I go butcher him?"

"I myself am not certain I can kill him, and you want to go?"

Ao Yuan's gaze turned sharp, his tone dark.

If he had not sensed a threat from Luo Chen, how could he possibly have yielded so greatly?

And because of that, he had even paid the price of an incomparably precious Greater Demon inner core.

Whenever he thought of the inner core now in Luo Chen's hands,

Ao Yuan's heart ached faintly.

The fawning Water Tribe member beside him felt his scalp go numb under that gaze and immediately lowered his head, not daring to say another word.

"You, return first and report this to the Ancestor."

"Yes, Leader!"

Ao Yuan stood with his hands behind his back, silently watching in Qingyuan City's direction.

At last, he led all the Water Tribe away.

"Boss, are you alright?"

"Boss, what was that just now?"

When Luo Chen returned to the village and saw that all the villagers had been evacuated, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He nodded at the subordinates approaching him.

"The White Dragon River Water Tribe has come calling. I will report this to headquarters. First, calm the civilians."

He did not say much more.

Seeing that he was unwilling to elaborate, the Demon Suppression Envoys did not press him further.

They began soothing the civilians. Once all the villagers had returned to the village,

Luo Chen said softly to everyone,

"Fathers and elders, the Demonic Beast has already been slain. You may all rest assured."

He declined the villagers' enthusiastic invitations.

Luo Chen turned back to glance at the rushing river, his heart heavy.

The lives and deaths of common people were beyond their control, left only to the will of heaven.

If that Water Tribe failed to follow the rules, the first to suffer would be the villages and civilians along the river.

But he was merely a humble Demon Suppression Captain and could not change anything.

I hope you do not do anything foolish.

Otherwise, one day, I will surely level the Dragon Palace of the White Dragon River!

Luo Chen had the confidence and the foundation to say so.

Returning to the nearby hill, Luo Chen sat cross-legged atop a blue stone and took out the Messenger from the Spatial Secret Treasure.

He briefly wrote down what had just happened.

He emphasized that the White Dragon River Water Tribe was seeking permission to enter Qingyuan City's waterways in pursuit of a traitor.

He placed the note into the compartment on the back of the mechanical Messenger and gently activated it.

As they watched the Messenger depart, everyone began setting up camp.

Luo Chen stood with his hands behind his back, quietly watching the river below.

Within the river, that group of Water Tribe members had not gone far and remained entrenched beneath the water.

They were all waiting for a reply.

Luo Chen was uneasy. He feared that after he left, this group of Water Tribe members would have no more scruples and begin causing trouble, so he chose to remain and stand guard.

This wait lasted an entire day.

Qingyuan City.

A small pavilion deep within the Demon Suppression Bureau.

Shangguan Changyue sat upright before her desk. Spread across it was the intelligence Luo Chen had sent back.

"The White Dragon River!"

She turned slightly and looked toward the peerless beauty reclining on a lounge chair to one side.

Leng Ruoxue lay beneath the sunlight, the lounge chair gently swaying. She looked utterly at ease.

After hearing Shangguan Changyue's report, Leng Ruoxue nodded lightly.

"Some time ago, I did hear that the White Dragon River Dragon Palace had lost a treasure."

"It seems the demon that stole the Dragon Palace's secret treasure fled into the nearby waterways."

Shangguan Changyue frowned slightly.

Seeing her expression, Leng Ruoxue said with a light laugh,

"There is no need to dwell on it. That one from the Dragon Palace would not dare act recklessly."

As the two spoke,

outside the window,

a streak of light arrived in the blink of an eye and landed on the desk before them.

Sensing the water-element fluctuations upon it, the two exchanged a glance.

Leng Ruoxue reached out and picked it up. It was a jade slip suffused with a glasslike luster.

After casually opening it and reading for a moment, she handed it to Shangguan Changyue.

She continued,

"It seems this lost treasure is very important to the Dragon Palace."

"That old loach has even come personally to explain the situation."

Shangguan Changyue set down the jade slip, spread out a sheet of paper, and sent a message to Luo Chen.