Chapter 60: Inspector
Chapter 60: Inspector
"Jiaolong!"
Seeing the Jiaolong's corpse in the jungle with its head shattered, the two were taken aback.
They still had a lot of valuable materials from the Black Jiaolong, including the Inner Core for increasing power, as well as Reverse Scales, Jiaolong Teeth, and Claws for forging weapons.
They had been delayed by harvesting these materials, but they hadn't expected to find another Jiaolong here!
The two immediately thought of the senior who had secretly helped them earlier. This Jiaolong was most likely killed by that senior.
Looking around the jungle, there were no signs of a fierce battle, indicating it had been a one-sided fight.
"Two Jiaolongs entering the area, why would they appear near the official road? If they were looking for food, they would go to remote villages..."
Li Fu frowned, then his pupils suddenly narrowed. He quickly dropped the scales and the Jiaolong Tooth, and rushed forward.
As he ran, he summoned his Divine Soul to survey the surroundings, following the hoof prints on the ground at high speed.
Wei Feng also reacted, his face changing. He didn't waste time harvesting materials and immediately used Body Flight, catching up to where Li Hao and the others had been earlier, at the teahouse.
The old man at the teahouse was already closing up shop.
It was already dark, and dark clouds were gathering in the distance, hinting at an impending rainstorm.
"Old man, did you see a few young riders pass by earlier?" Wei Feng asked urgently.
They had followed Li Hao and the others from a distance, but were intercepted by the Jiaolong during an ambush, leading to a fierce battle that widened the gap between them.
They had initially thought the Jiaolong was targeting them, wanting to eat their flesh, but now it seemed there was another Jiaolong, and it appeared elsewhere. This could only mean one thing: the two Jiaolongs weren't targeting them, but Li Hao and the others.
"Oh, them? They're already far away", the old man said, looking surprised at Wei Feng and smiling.
"Far away?" Wei Feng was stunned. They were safe?
Without waiting for further questions, he immediately pursued them, using his Divine Soul to investigate.
Soon, his Divine Soul detected five figures riding horses on the official road ahead. Upon confirming it was them, he let out a sigh of relief.
Thank goodness. It seems the senior acted in time, preventing the Black Jiaolong from attacking.
He felt a mix of relief and helplessness. Intuitively, he knew the two Jiaolongs weren't targeting the Young Miss, but the two Young Masters from the Divine General Manor.
After all, the Divine General Manor guarded the Border Pass and was deeply hated by the demon race. Sending two Jiaolongs to assassinate them seemed plausible.
This trip, the Young Miss being with the Divine General Manor, was a mixed blessing.
However, the senior who helped earlier was likely from the Divine General Manor, which gave him some reassurance.
Thinking of Li Fu, he turned back to the teahouse and saw Li Fu rushing over.
"They're safe, don't worry."
Wei Feng immediately reassured him.
Hearing this, Li Fu let out a long breath of relief. If anything happened to Li Hao, he would have failed in his duty and would be too ashamed to return to the Divine General Manor.
"Would you like some tea, gentlemen?" the old man asked, smiling, as he was halfway through closing up.
Neither of them was in the mood for tea. Li Fu said to Wei Feng, "Please go and keep an eye on them. I'll send a message back to the manor to have someone come and clean up the Jiaolong's body. As for the Inner Core, I'll send it to you after we're done with this mission."
"Sure", Wei Feng nodded. "We owe a lot to that senior for intervening. Otherwise, we would have been in trouble. The Jiaolong's materials should rightfully belong to the Divine General Manor. I'll go and look after the Young Miss now."
"Alright."
The two parted ways hurriedly, and the old man at the teahouse shook his head slightly.
"Why are they all so impatient and reckless?"
...
...
They traveled day and night.
Two days later.
Li Hao and his group arrived in Qizhou and rode for another half day to reach Cangyu City, where they were to carry out their demon extermination mission.
This city was of moderate size, one of hundreds in Qizhou. It had over a dozen towns and hundreds of villages, with a population of about four to five million.
Yu Wei, who had experience with missions, released a Bird Messenger before entering the city.
As they entered, the city lord's guards immediately came to greet them, showing particular warmth towards Li Hao and Li Yuanzhao.
Yu Wei and Du Qiuyue were secretly envious. They had never received such treatment on previous missions, only polite but distant welcomes.
Soon, the five of them were led to the local Demon Suppression Bureau.
Upon arriving at the Demon Suppression Bureau, they saw a familiar face.
"It's her!"
Du Qiuyue immediately recognized Song Yueyao, dressed in a Demon Suppression Uniform. She was surprised to see her here, assigned to the same mission.
Li Yuanzhao and the others also recognized her as the girl who had come to the Alpha Court looking for someone, known to be one of the top prodigies from the Black and White Hall.
At this moment, Song Yueyao was hurrying out of the Demon Suppression Bureau's main gate with another young man and two middle-aged individuals, seemingly heading out on a mission.
Upon seeing the new arrivals, including Li Hao, Song Yueyao merely glanced at them, nodded slightly, and quickly left.
The young man, however, looked surprised. When he noticed the Crimson Blood Horses being led by Li Hao and the others, his eyes flickered, and he smiled gently at them.
"Recently, there have been frequent demonic disturbances outside the city. You all need to be careful. If you need anything, feel free to come find me."
With that, he waved at them and quickly followed Song Yueyao and the other two, disappearing down the street.
"That was Senior Sister Song and Senior Brother Tian from the Black and White Hall. They actually came here, and Senior Sister Song is even wearing the uniform of a Demon Suppression Inspector!"
After Song Yueyao and the others left, Yu Wei whispered in surprise.
In most cities, a Demon Suppression Inspector is a position of significant authority, second only to the city lord.
Du Qiuyue sighed, "Senior Sister Song has the appearance of a Heavenly Being and is already at the Divine Wanderer Realm. It's natural for her to be in charge of a city and wear the Inspector's uniform."
"Inspector Song is very powerful. She just arrived yesterday, and she already slew a demonic creature that was hundreds of years old."
The middle-aged Demon Suppression Officer who had received the five of them said with a respectful look on his face.
He then led them into the Demon Suppression Bureau and had someone bring them their uniforms.
"Is Cangyu City that chaotic? You encountered a demonic creature right after arriving?" Du Qiuyue asked in surprise.
The Demon Suppression Officer, named Cui Fan, treated Li Hao and the others quite kindly and replied, "Recently, the demonic creatures have become more rampant. Cangyu City is located near the border of Qizhou, so we often see their shadows. Unlike the inner cities, it's not as peaceful here. But don't worry, as newcomers, you'll only need to patrol with Demon Suppression Officers. It's not dangerous."
Clearly, the Demon Suppression Bureau was very considerate of these talented individuals who had come to gain experience.
Moreover, two of them were Young Masters from the Divine General Manor, and the higher-ups had already instructed that they must not be put in any danger.
Hearing the Officer's attentive words, Yu Wei and Du Qiuyue felt a slight joy. With Li Hao and the others, they were likely to get full marks and earn ten credits easily.
"We came to slay demons, not to sightsee."
Li Yuanzhao's expression turned serious. Raised in a military family, he had always been disciplined. He frowned and said, "Just arrange everything as you normally would. If there are no demons to slay, what's the point of us being here?"
Ren Qianqian, who was about to speak, looked surprised at Li Yuanzhao, then glanced at Li Hao, her eyes showing a change in expression.
Recalling Li Hao's words at the tea stall and hearing Li Yuanzhao's statement, her perception of the Divine General Manor changed completely.
Yu Wei and Du Qiuyue were taken aback, exchanging glances and feeling a bit embarrassed and ashamed.
"Um..." Cui Fan hadn't expected his flattery to backfire. Indeed, these Young Masters from prestigious families were difficult to please.
Let you slay demons? Do you think I'm afraid you'll tire yourself out? I'm trying to protect my Mystic Uniform!
If anything happens to Li Hao and the others, who knows if the Divine General Manor will take it out on us? While they can't do much to the Demon Suppression Bureau, targeting some of the less influential officers would be like squashing ants.
"Truly deserving of being from the Divine General Manor! Your iron discipline is truly admirable!"
Though he grumbled internally, Cui Fan gave a thumbs up, looking genuinely impressed and admiring, as if Li Yuanzhao's words had truly moved him.
This made Li Yuanzhao's face light up with a smile and a sense of pride, feeling even more proud of his own dedication.
Li Hao, seeing the seasoned demeanor of the officer, knew that Li Yuanzhao's words had been in vain. It wasn't that the officer was being insincere; their status was simply too overwhelming.
For them, slaying demons was a way to earn merit, but for these officers, it was a means of livelihood, a duty, and a way of life.
Soon, five sets of uniforms were brought in. From the sleeve patterns and wooden badges, it was clear that they were assigned the rank of Demon Suppression Exorcist.
In the Demon Suppression Bureau, Force Mastery level individuals were Demon Suppression Exorcist Apprentices, Zhou Tian Realm individuals could serve as Demon Suppression Exorcists, and Soul Succession Realm individuals were Demon Suppression Officers.
Above that were the Inspectors, like the uniform Song Yueyao was wearing, a position of great prestige.
"Could you, Senior, provide us with a comprehensive report of the recent demonic activities in the area?" Li Hao asked Cui Fan.
(End of Chapter)
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