Chapter 60: Inspector General

“Jiao Dragon!”

Seeing the corpse of a Jiao Dragon deep within the jungle—its head shattered beyond recognition—the two men were stunned.

They still carried several valuable materials harvested from the black Jiao Dragon they had just slain: inner dantian to boost cultivation, reverse scales, dragon fangs, and claws—perfect for forging weapons. The delay in collecting these treasures had cost them precious time, yet here, in this very place, another one had been found?

Their minds immediately turned to the mysterious elder who had secretly aided them earlier. This Jiao Dragon—its body cleanly dispatched—was almost certainly the work of that unseen protector.

The surrounding jungle showed no signs of violent destruction. No trees were uprooted or flattened. The battle had been swift, decisive—utterly dominant.

“Two-Headed Jiao Dragon entering the realm… why would it appear near the main road? If it were hunting for food, it would’ve gone to remote villages…” Li Fu frowned, then his pupils snapped wide. Without hesitation, he dropped the entire set of scales and the towering dragon fang he’d been carrying, and lunged forward.

As he ran, his Spirit Soul erupted from his crown, spiraling into the sky, scanning the earth below. It traced the faint hoofprints left behind on the dirt road, chasing them with lightning speed.

Wei Feng snapped to attention, his face paling. He abandoned all thought of gathering more materials and, in a single blink, shot forward in pursuit. He arrived at the tea stall where Li Hao and the others had last been—just as the old tea vendor was folding up his stand.

Night had fallen. Dark clouds gathered on the horizon, foretelling a storm.

“Old man,” Wei Feng called urgently, “did a group of young riders on horseback pass through here earlier?”

They had been tailing Li Hao’s group from a distance, but a sudden ambush by the black Jiao Dragon had forced a fierce battle, tearing them apart. At first, Wei Feng had assumed the beast had targeted him—hungry for his blood. But now this second creature, found so far from the original scene, suggested otherwise.

It wasn’t them the Two-Headed Jiao Dragon had come for. It was Li Hao’s group.

“Oh, them?” The old man looked up, surprised but amused. “They’ve already moved on.”

“Moved on?” Wei Feng froze. They weren’t in danger?

He didn’t wait for answers. Ignoring the old man completely, he surged forward, his Spirit Soul scanning ahead.

Moments later, it caught sight of five figures galloping down the road ahead. As he confirmed their identities, a great weight lifted from his heart. He exhaled deeply, his qi steadying.

Thank the heavens. The elder must have intervened in time. The black Jiao Dragon hadn’t had a chance to strike.

Relief washed over him, but beneath it stirred a quiet unease. He sensed—deep in his bones—that the Two-Headed Jiao Dragon hadn’t come for the lady. It was meant for the two young masters of the Divine General’s Residence.

After all, the Residence guarded the frontier, a constant thorn in the side of the Spirit Beast clans. Sending a Two-Headed Jiao Dragon to assassinate them in secret made grim sense.

Now, the lady was traveling with them—was this a blessing or a curse?

Yet, the one who had intervened earlier—most likely a member of the Residence itself—had given him some comfort.

Thinking of Li Fu still lagging behind, Wei Feng turned back to the tea stall, where Li Fu was already sprinting toward him.

“They’re safe,” Wei Feng said immediately, offering reassurance.

Li Fu exhaled, his shoulders relaxing. If anything happened to Li Hao, he would have no face to return to the Divine General’s Residence.

“Would you like a cup of tea?” the old man asked, already half-finished packing up.

The two had no interest. Li Fu turned to Wei Feng: “Please stay with them. I’ll send a message back home right away—have the estate send someone to retrieve the serpent corpse. As for the inner dantian, I’ll deliver it when this mission is over.”

“Fair enough,” Wei Feng replied. “But I must thank that elder. Without him, we’d both be dead. The materials should belong to your Residence. No more words—I’ll go watch over the lady.”

“Understood.”

They parted in haste. The old man watched them go, shaking his head slightly.

“Such impatient types. Always rushing, never a moment of calm.”

…

…

Racing through the night under a star-strewn sky.

Two days later.

Li Hao and the others finally reached Qizhou territory. After another half-day of riding, they arrived at Cangyu City—their destination for the Demon-Slaying Mission.

The city wasn’t large. Among Qizhou’s hundreds of cities, it ranked only as mid-sized. Surrounded by a dozen towns and hundreds of villages, its population hovered around four to five million.

Yu Wei, experienced in such missions, had already sent a flying bird ahead to notify the local authorities.

As they entered the city, a contingent of city guards rushed forward to greet them—warm, respectful, especially toward Li Hao and Li Yuanzhao.

Yu Wei and Du Qiuyue exchanged glances, silently envious. In past missions, they’d been treated with cold formality—no more than polite nods.

Not long after, the five were escorted to the local Demon-Subduing Bureau.

As they stepped inside, they instantly recognized someone familiar.

“It’s her!” Du Qiuyue gasped, eyes widening.

There stood Song Yueyao, clad in the official uniform of a Pacify Demons officer, looking just as sharp and composed as before. She was here on the same mission—and assigned to their unit.

Li Yuanzhao and the others recognized her too—the girl who had come to Class A Academy seeking someone. Rumor had it she was one of the top prodigies from the Black and White Hall.

At that moment, Song Yueyao was hurrying out with a young man and two middle-aged officials, clearly on their way to another assignment.

She glanced at the newcomers—Li Hao and the rest—gave a brief, polite nod, then walked on without pause.

But the young man behind her paused. Surprise flickered across his face. Then, when he noticed the crimson-blooded horse tethered behind them, his expression softened. He smiled gently.

“With Spirit Beasts growing more frequent outside the city walls, you’d better be careful, junior masters,” he said. “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to come find me.”

He waved, then hurried after Song Yueyao and the others, vanishing into the bustling street.

“That’s Senior Sister Song and Senior Brother Tian,” Yu Wei whispered, stunned. “They’re actually here! And—look at her uniform—she’s a Pacify Demons Inspector General!”

In most cities, a Pacify Demons Inspector General held near-absolute power—second only to the city’s governor.

Du Qiuyue sighed in admiration. “Song Senior Sister is truly a celestial being. Now at the Divine Travel Realm, she’s more than capable of holding a city together. Wearing that uniform? Perfectly fitting.”

“She’s ruthless,” the middle-aged officer who had escorted them added, eyes gleaming with respect. “She arrived just yesterday—and already cut down a Spirit Beast over a hundred years old.”

The man—Cui Ordinary Stage—led them deeper into the Bureau, then summoned someone to deliver their official uniforms.

“Is Cangyu City really that chaotic?” Du Qiuyue asked, surprised. “We just arrived, and already we’re facing Spirit Beasts?”

Cui, courteous and warm toward Li Hao and the others, replied: “Spirit Beasts have been growing bolder lately. Cangyu lies near the frontier of Qizhou—borderlands where such creatures are common. Unlike the inner cities, we’re never truly safe. But don’t worry. You’re new here, so you’ll just be accompanying us on patrols. No real danger.”

Clearly, the Demon-Subduing Bureau treated visiting prodigies with exceptional care.

Especially since two of them were Young Masters from the Divine General’s Residence. The higher-ups had already issued strict orders: no risk. No harm.

Hearing this, Yu Wei and Du Qiuyue felt a flicker of joy. With Li Hao’s name behind them, they’d likely earn top marks—and ten full credits with ease.

But Li Yuanzhao’s expression darkened.

“We’re here to slay demons, not sightsee,” he said sternly. Born into a military family, discipline was drilled into him from childhood. “Do things the usual way. If there’s no demon to kill, then what’s the point of us being here?”

Ren Qianqian, about to speak, paused. She glanced at Li Yuanzhao, then at Li Hao. Something in her eyes shifted.

Recalling the words Li Hao had spoken at the tea stall, and now hearing Li Yuanzhao’s resolve, her perception of the Divine General’s Residence began to change—deeply.

Yu Wei and Du Qiuyue stared at each other, silently embarrassed. They couldn’t help but feel a pang of shame.

“Hmm…” Cui Ordinary Stage blinked. He hadn’t expected to be so bluntly rebuffed. These noble heirs really were hard to please.

Let them go slay demons? He thought bitterly. Do you think I’m doing this to spare your backs? I’m trying to keep my own robes clean! If anything happens to them, the Residence might not punish me directly—but they’ll crush anyone here without protection. Like stepping on ants.

Still, he forced a wide grin, raising his thumb in admiration. “A true warrior’s spirit! I, Cui Ordinary Stage, respect you deeply!”

The young man’s face lit up with pride. He felt a swell of satisfaction—proud of his integrity, proud of his principles.

Li Hao watched the man’s practiced performance, knowing Yuanzhao’s words had fallen on deaf ears. It wasn’t the man’s fault—his status was simply too overwhelming.

To them, slaying demons was a path to official titles. To these people, it was survival. A duty. A way of life.

Soon, five sets of official uniforms arrived. Judging by the sleeve patterns and wooden badges, all were assigned the rank of Pacify Demons Envoy.

In the Demon-Subduing Bureau:

- Strength Integration Realm → Pacify Demons Envoy

- Circulation Realm → Pacify Demons Envoy

- Continuation of Soul Realm → Pacify Demons Master

- And above all, the Inspector General—the rank Song Yueyao wore, a position of immense prestige.

Li Hao turned to Cui Ordinary Stage.

“Respected elder, could you please provide us with a complete report on recent Spirit Beast activity across the entire region?”

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end