Chapter 635: Family and Responsibilities
Chapter 635: Family and Responsibilities
As the woman departed, Shen Yi casually tossed the iron token to Meng Xiuwen.
It was important to be self-aware. Although obtaining this token might bring him more convenience, the Demon Slayer Bureau was a position that guarded an entire prefecture. Giving it to someone new and inexperienced would undoubtedly lead to significant issues, as one could easily deduce.
"Hey, stop!"
Meng Xiuwen waved his sleeve, returning the token, "Don't treat this as child's play. Don't be fooled by that woman's youth and casual demeanor; she's a general with an official title from the Demon Slaying Bureau."
Mentioning the official title, a hint of sourness crept into his voice, but he wasn't joking about such matters, "Rest assured, she dared to temporarily appoint you as the Demon Slayer because she knows my personality and is certain I'll do my best to help."
"I'll leave it to Lord Shen to take care of from now on."
Meng Xiuwen cupped his hands in agreement. It seemed he had been bickering with Ye Lan, but after she left, he didn't actually value the position of Demon Slayer much.
After saying this, he leisurely strolled back to his room.
"Lord Shen," Ye Jing nodded slightly towards Shen Yi and then took out a storage bag, passing it to him.
"Hmm?"
Shen Yi took the storage bag and found a small, crystal-clear net lying quietly inside.
"Meng Head knew he couldn't get away with this incident," Ye Jing explained softly, "In his words, even the Dao Master would be punished, so why should I hand over something?"
"This object belonged to Qingmei Patriarch and is considered a Nine Tribulation treasure. It can hold the water of a great river. Now that you're the Demon Slayer, keeping it as a self-defense item isn't a bad idea."
Upon hearing this, Shen Yi didn't hesitate and casually put away the storage bag, "Please thank Meng Head for me."
The Demon Slayer Bureau often clashed with the Three Teachings, and from his earlier display of overpowering Jade Dragon Patriarch and the Demon Bear, one could glimpse the formidable nature of the Three Teachings techniques.
To compete with the disciples of those orthodox teachings, one would suffer a significant disadvantage without a few handy magical artifacts.
However, he had also heard something new from Ye Jing.
"A Nine Tribulation treasure..."
It seemed that after leaving Hongze, everything he encountered was somehow related to the abstract concept of tribulations.
Could these treasures also undergo tribulations? If so, Shen Yi's heart stirred slightly, and the scope of his demon-slaying abilities seemed to have expanded further.
"In the Triad Immortal Sect, treasure refinement is considered a Great Dao. Many Immortals would cultivate this path as a supplementary skill, but neither Meng Head nor I are very skilled in it."
Ye Jing now had a certain understanding of this new colleague. In many matters, he possessed astonishingly versatile experience, making it hard to imagine how such a young cultivator could have had the leisure to travel the world while also achieving profound cultivation.
However, when it came to some basic matters, Lord Shen seemed to have no knowledge at all.
Only in such moments did his claim of coming from a remote place seem slightly more credible.
"My sister, General Yan Lan, knows more about these things. Lord Shen, if you're interested, you can discuss it with her."
"We'll talk about it later."
Although Shen Yi didn't fully understand the rules of the Divine Kingdom, this woman had come personally to handle matters related to Qingmei Patriarch. Even if they weren't of the same level, they were at least not far apart.
It was unlikely that she would have time to pay attention to a mere Seventh Rank official like him.
In comparison, it was more reliable to collect a few more Stone-Controlling Spirit Rats.
He didn't know about the Triad Immortal Sect, but at least the Bodhimanda Sect didn't mind accepting these demons.
Just then, Shen Yi suddenly felt the iron token in his hand tremble, and he looked up at the girl in front of him, "Hmm?"
"This is the Earth God informing us."
Ye Jing slightly furrowed her brows. Unless necessary, Elder Min rarely contacted this group of demon slayers.
After all, most of the Demon Slayer Bureau's work couldn't be revealed to the Immortal Court, and although the Earth God cared about the Divine Kingdom, he ultimately still enjoyed the heavenly immortal blessings.
Creak.
Meng Xiuwen pushed open the door, his face also showing surprise.
Among the many Earth Gods, Elder Min was one of the most experienced, which was why Jianyang Prefecture rarely encountered any trouble.
In just over ten days, they had already encountered two troublesome incidents, which was quite rare.
"Lord Shen, shall we go take a look?"
It was clear that even though Meng Xiuwen verbally disagreed with Ye Lan, he truly took her words to heart.
After saying he would resign, he didn't overstep his bounds.
"I'll listen to you."
Shen Yi nodded slightly and turned to leave the inn.
"..."
Meng Xiuwen raised his eyebrows and then chuckled softly, gaining a deeper understanding of this young man.
The other party, though having some inexplicable principles and a pride that others found hard to detect, was not arrogant. Moreover, it seemed that he, like himself, did not place much importance on these hollow titles.
At least so far, Meng Xiuwen had not seen any signs of excitement or agitation on Shen Yi's face, not at all like a young man who had never seen the world.
Thinking of this, the frustration in his heart finally lessened a bit.
Though Meng Xiuwen appeared not to care, in reality, he had dedicated himself to serving Jianyang Prefecture, only to receive punishment. Anyone in his position would have felt upset for a while.
...
Jianyang Prefecture, Earth God Temple.
Min Zhiyan rarely stood alone at the entrance, without the company of the two old apprentices.
Finally, three figures approached.
He habitually moved toward Meng Xiuwen, but halfway through, he paused in surprise.
The Earth God was aware that someone had been demoted, but the scene before him still left him somewhat bewildered. Standing at the front, accompanied by two others, was not the expected Ye Jing, but rather the young man he had personally sent over.
This positioning spoke volumes without a word.
No... No.
He had sent Shen Yi over to have someone keep an eye on him! In just a few days, the boy had become the leader?!
When had the Demon Slaying Bureau become such a chaotic place?
What was the point of sending Shen Yi over? To give this unruly outsider even more power to stir up trouble?
"What are you thinking..."
Min Zhiyan glared at Meng Xiuwen through gritted teeth, transmitting his voice.
"Tsk, it has nothing to do with me. This is General Yan Lan's order."
Mentioning this name, Meng Xiuwen couldn't help but add sarcastically, but glancing at the young man in black beside him, he sighed, "Don't worry, this kid is more reliable than Ye Jing."
"Besides, do you really think someone with my surname would be petty?"
"I promised to keep an eye on him, and I've kept my word."
"..."
Min Zhiyan stood there, the words that followed sounding somewhat muffled. His mind was entirely focused on Meng Xiuwen's second statement.
More reliable than Ye Jing?
As the Earth God of Jianyang Prefecture, he knew Ye Jing very well. Although she was not as capable as her sister, she was a powerful cultivator who never dragged her feet in her duties and was a competent Demon Slayer.
Considering Shen Yi had only worked on one mission with the two of them, and it had ended up causing such a commotion that a Sealed General had to intervene, to receive such high praise from Meng Xiuwen was quite surprising.
This scene suddenly reminded the Earth God of the earlier Master Zhikong.
He looked deeply at Shen Yi, who had just arrived in Jianyang Prefecture and had no connections or influence. What kind of ability did he possess to gain the recognition of such important figures in such a short time?
"Lord Shen, the old man just received news."
He shook his head, looked around to ensure no one was hiding nearby, and then approached the three of them, "This matter is not just about Jianyang Prefecture. In the middle of the three surrounding prefectures, there is a..."
"White Cloud Cave?"
Meng Xiuwen slightly raised his head, his voice more serious, "The one where the Patriarch serves as an official in Heaven?"
Apart from the Three Teachings, there were differences even among ordinary sects.
The worst were those with broken lineages, while slightly better ones had connections to the Three Teachings or the Immortal Court and could still claim these connections.
The most powerful, however, were those whose "connections" were still alive.
To put it bluntly, they had a direct line to Heaven!
If someone dared to provoke them, they would believe that their Patriarch could send a team of Immortal soldiers to suppress the situation.
"Exactly."
Min Zhiyan nodded. Although Shen Yi was the Demon Slayer, in matters like this, he trusted Meng Xiuwen's judgment more, "The White Cloud Cave produces Golden Jade Sand, which is supplied to the Divine Kingdom every year. But today, we received word that due to their successful tribute, they have been specially granted an Immortal Ride as a reward."
A personal grant from the Heavenly Court, though just a mount, might not be as valuable as cultivation techniques or Immortal Pills.
But this thing represented a lot. An Immortal Official arriving with an Imperial Edict in hand would be a grand sight, and just this scene would be enough to intimidate the surrounding Immortal Sects.
Even if the sect were to decline in the future, as long as this Immortal Ride was still alive, who would dare not bow when a mortal rode it?
"Your point is, they sent their tribute to Heaven to curry favor with their Patriarch?" Meng Xiuwen smacked his lips.
"Wrong."
Min Zhiyan looked at him seriously, "The tribute to the Divine Kingdom has not decreased."
"Then..."
Meng Xiuwen instinctively looked over, but immediately fell silent.
Such treasures from the heavens had their exact yields long ago determined by the Divine Kingdom. How could there suddenly be an extra share, and one significant enough to make the old Patriarch of White Cloud Cave secure an Immortal Ride for his sect?
There are many things that can influence such treasures, but the simplest and most convenient is Imperial Aura.
“What I mean is, you were... once the strongest among the Demon Slayers. This kind of matter, it’s worth looking into. If there really is a problem, even though we can't undermine the Immortal Court’s authority, we should at least remind them to know their limits.”
“After all, the Immortal Ride has already been changed. Don’t let things get too out of hand.” Min Zhiyan sighed softly.
“Lord Shen, what do you say?”
Meng Xiuwen looked at Shen Yi. To be honest, this kind of thing shouldn’t be the concern of Jianyang Prefecture’s Demon Slayer, nor did it have much to do with Min Zhiyan.
In the past, a word from this old man, and he, with nothing better to do, would have gone without hesitation.
But now, the one in charge was Shen Yi, so he had to see what the other party thought.
“Let’s go take a look.”
Shen Yi didn’t even hesitate, nodding his head directly.
He was currently in a state of not worrying about his many debts.
Moreover, his Demonic Lifespan was temporarily sufficient, and more importantly, the methods to consume this Lifespan.
Using the pretext of handling official business as an excuse to wander around was always a good idea.
“...”
Min Zhiyan’s mood suddenly became a bit complicated.
For some reason, with this young man involved, he always felt a bit strange.
Despite his cultivation not being very high, how could he give off the impression that he was about to cause a big mess, hoping it was just his overthinking.
“Be careful. After all, there are Celestial Officials present; don’t let people notice the existence of the Demon Slaying Bureau.” He added a reminder.
“Rest assured.”
Shen Yi knew this Earth God was a bit wary of him, but he had no intention of explaining further.
He really wasn’t a person who enjoyed stirring up trouble.
“That’s good.”
Min Zhiyan felt a little more relieved, waving his hand to summon an Immortal Ride. This horse was much taller and more beautiful than the one Shen Yi had ridden earlier, and the carriage looked cleaner.
He watched the three of them leave.
He pondered at the spot for a long time before finally turning to walk back to the Earth God Temple.
At this moment, two old servants returned with peculiar expressions, followed by a large crowd.
At the head of the group was the newly appointed Rain Prayer Officer, Ziyang Prince.
Behind him, the crowd was a mix of people, old and young, with varied attire.
Among them were some strikingly handsome youngsters, as well as some plainly unremarkable elderly.
There was even a wooden figure that had changed its body through rudimentary means.
“You... you treat this place as...”
This Earth God suddenly felt a bit short of breath. With his experience, how could he not know what Ziyang was thinking?
People from such small places, after establishing themselves, their first action was to bring their families along.
He wasn’t unable to understand that.
But... But to bring them along in this manner!
“Cough, cough.”
Ziyang coughed a few times, forcing a smile, “Just arrange them however you see fit. We’re not picky. Joining the sect or serving as officers...”
Upon hearing this, the expressions of the people behind him became a bit peculiar.
Zixian blinked, her brother’s position outside seemed not as exalted as he had described in his letters.
Wasn’t he said he had already joined the Divine Kingdom and become a high official?
“...”
Min Zhiyan took a few deep breaths, finally suppressing the feeling of chest tightness.
His face was full of helplessness as he waved his hand, “Give me a few days to consider.”
“That’s natural. I brought these old friends mainly to be registered.”
Ziyang smiled at the two old servants.
“Th-This isn’t necessary, is it?” The two servants' eyelids twitched.
Among this group, there were even Soul Transformation Realm cultivators. Any proper sect would never allow such young disciples of this cultivation to leave the mountain for cultivation.
Such a group, how could they possibly cause trouble?
They looked more like refugees.
“Oh right, where’s my brother?”
Ziyang’s face showed a bit of awkwardness. Such a shameful matter, he couldn’t possibly face it alone.
Looking at Sect Master Shen, a person of such stature, he had no choice but to accompany him in spreading rain first.
After all, this was the land of Shenzhou, nothing could be achieved overnight.
Hearing this, everyone present directed their gazes.
“Him?”
Thinking of Shen Yi becoming Jianyang Prefecture’s Demon Slayer, the helplessness on Min Zhiyan’s face deepened. He said nothing, waved his hand, and entered the Earth God Temple.
He didn’t notice that the moment this gesture fell, the previously strange-looking “refugees” all had their eyes turn sharp almost simultaneously.
The smell of having slaughtered through mountains of corpses and seas of blood made the two old servants’ faces change slightly.
(End of Chapter)
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