Chapter 638: Long Time No See

Chapter 638: Long Time No See

"Phew," Qinghua Lady whispered, relieved. It had been a while since she had seen her master, and she almost couldn't hold back.

She had almost forgotten when she was last able to be of help.

The pressure of working under her master was immense... She could be replaced by a new "colleague" at any moment.

Thinking of this, Qinghua clenched her fist, giving herself a boost of courage.

As she stepped out of the Dharmic Array, the ten-some-zhu tall Golden Bodhimanda quickly regained its indifferent expression.

The Celestial Official's reappearance once again stirred up a commotion among the surrounding creatures.

Usually, if a Supreme Immortal agreed to stay, they would linger for a while. Was there some taboo that had been committed in White Cloud Cave? Or perhaps this Celestial Official had no intention of befriending these juniors and was merely giving face to the White Cloud Patriarch?

Everyone had different thoughts as they watched the Golden Bodhimanda glide back into the cloud curtain, and soon, they began to discuss in whispers.

Countless gazes turned towards the Dharmic Array of White Cloud Cave, waiting for a long time, but still, it remained as quiet as a dead zone, leaving them puzzled.

However, when it came to matters concerning the Celestial Court's Holy Deity, no one dared to ask more, nor did anyone dare to interfere.

"My Lady, shall we return now?"

The accompanying Celestial Officials were also curious, but they didn't dare to ask. It was said that the newly appointed Stablemaster had once been an ascetic cultivator, a Gongde Immortal, and had a rather cold and stern personality, not even giving face to General Xuanwei of Qingluan.

To be honest, it was already surprising that he was able to sit in White Cloud Cave for a while.

"Hmm."

Qinghua nodded slightly, leading a group of Celestial Officials as they flew towards the Celestial Court.

With the White Rhino Seal temporarily blocking off this treasure land, it should be enough for her master to deal with the trouble here.

Compared to the complicated thoughts of outsiders, the Demon Slaying Bureau members who had witnessed this slaughter firsthand were just as clueless.

The Demon Slayers from the other two prefectures had experienced countless battles, handling numerous large and small miscellaneous tasks, including some related to the Three Teachings.

But today's scene was something they had never seen before.

A "Demon Slayer Official" who had no sense of presence from start to finish, even when deliberately ignored by Mei Ji Yao, showed no sign of dissatisfaction.

Precisely because of this, it made others think that he was just a stand-in sent by General Yan Lan to go through the motions.

After all, the most taboo thing for a new official was to vie for power with the previous one, and if they didn't obey orders, how could they possibly allow the other two prefectures to continue treating Meng Xiuwen as a Demon Slayer Official?

But when he actually started to work...

This young man had completely changed his attitude, and it could be said that he was acting on his own without consulting anyone.

If it were any other day, the others would have definitely reported him to the higher-ups, while also wanting to stay as far away from him as possible to avoid getting dragged into trouble.

To act so fearlessly in front of the Celestial Court was even more impressive than the Celestial Officials.

But now...

When the true Celestial Official acted as if nothing had happened, and even helped to calm the disturbance, the whole situation changed.

"Hmm."

Mei Ji Yao, having served as a Demon Slayer Official for so many years and still alive, was naturally not a fool.

She silently stared at the dark-robed youth hovering in the distance.

He possessed the skills of a Bodhimanda Sect ascetic, a genuine Immortal Treasure Mountain, and the tolerance of the Celestial Court's Holy Deity... No, it couldn't even be called tolerance, for she seemed to detect a hint of reverence carefully concealed in that Celestial Official's demeanor.

With such a complex background, he was still a Demon Slayer Official!

The Demon Slaying Bureau nominally suppressed demons, but its actual duty was to slightly restrain the Three Teachings' disciples on behalf of the Divine Kingdom.

Damn! This person had taken over all three teachings!

"Who exactly is this person? How did you recruit him?" Mei Ji Yao's heart was pounding even more than when she had faced the Celestial Official earlier.

What was Jianyang Prefecture thinking, not even bothering to investigate thoroughly?

To blatantly bring in a cultivator who obviously had connections with the Celestial Court's Holy Deity into the Demon Slaying Bureau was no different from inviting an official into a den of thieves!

"It was recommended by the Earth God," Meng Xiuwen said, his expression somewhat awkward. Due to his trust in Min Zhiyan, he had indeed been a bit careless.

The current situation was clear; this person was definitely not the ordinary loose cultivator the Earth God had claimed.

The Way of the Ascetic, Immortal Treasures, could all be obtained by chance, but what about the strange attitude of the Celestial Official? Was he also picked up? From a small place? By a small place, she meant the residence of a Celestial Court giant, right? To have a Seventh Rank Celestial Official help clean up the scene, Shen Yi's background must be at least Fifth Rank or above.

What kind of existence was that? An influential figure who didn't even need to bow when meeting the Human Emperor!

"If something really happens, you... you just wait to have your head chopped off. One hundred times wouldn't be enough to atone for your sin." Mei Ji Yao's breathing became rapid as she spoke, clearly aware of the real reason why the Demon Slaying Bureau couldn't be discovered by the Celestial Court.

"..."

Meng Xiuwen's eyelids twitched violently. As the strongest among the Demon Slayer Officials in terms of cultivation, he had agreed to Min Zhiyan's request to watch over Shen Yi because of his confidence in his own strength.

But now, he felt that the situation was getting out of control.

Thinking of this, he took a deep breath, and his fingers trembled slightly as they emerged from his sleeves, gathering a trace of pure energy that was astonishing to behold.

In just an instant, it was clear that the disciple of Qingmei Patriarch, who had reached the sixth stage, did not die unjustly back at Jade Dragon Sect.

The black-bearded man frowned, hesitated for a moment, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he averted his gaze.

The matter at hand was too big for them to bear the responsibility.

Regardless, it was always wise to take control first.

But just at that moment, a slender green palm suddenly grabbed Meng Xiuwen's arm. Although it couldn't stop anything, its intention was clear.

"Hmm?"

Meng Xiuwen glanced sideways, and the person who made the move was Ye Jing, the girl he had always thought was a bit too dull.

"Think about it, why is Lord Shen doing this?" Ye Jing didn't understand the concerns of her seniors, but it was precisely because of her lack of understanding that she could see the essence of the matter.

Her expression didn't change much, but her beautiful eyes flashed with seriousness, and her voice, though soft, caused the others to freeze in their tracks.

"Oh."

The black-bearded man sighed, and his gaze returned.

His previous hesitation was also because he hadn't figured out the answer to this question.

Why would a Seventh Rank Celestial Official treat a young man with such an attitude? If there was no grudge between them, what was Shen Yi's reason for taking action?

Was it because he coveted the Golden Jade Ancient Tree?

A cultivator with such profound abilities had finally infiltrated the Demon Slayer Bureau and got a chance to show off. Why would he expose himself in front of them just because of this broken tree?

This reason would make anyone laugh.

Actually, the black-bearded man had an inkling of the answer, but he didn't dare to believe it, and because of his instinctual disbelief, he felt a twinge of shame.

The reason might be as simple as it gets.

The Demon Slayer Bureau was established to restrain the Three Teachings and prevent chaos in Shenzhou. Shen Yi, as the newly appointed Demon Slayer, was not acting with any fancy reasons; he was merely fulfilling his duties.

What this young man did—

Thinking of this, the black-bearded man's gaze fell on the towering Golden Jade Ancient Tree, which spanned the collapsed cliff. Inside the shattered lustrous gate, the Tree Palace swayed gently, and the mummies within it trembled like wind chimes.

"To eat the imperial salary and not do one's duty?"

Mei Jiyao followed the black-bearded man's gaze, and her lips twitched.

Even if the Demon Slayer Bureau didn't grant enough authority, if Shen Yi used his connections to get this done, then what?

"He hasn't even received the Divine Kingdom's salary yet."

Meng Xiuwen rolled his eyes. The pure spiritual light in his raised palm had already dispersed, and he slapped himself in the face. "Tsk! I'll go back and settle the score with that old thing!"

"..."

Ye Jing retracted her hand and looked down again.

The slender figure below caught her attention, and her eyes revealed a hint of strangeness.

Of course, besides her, the remaining Demon Slayers also looked at Shen Yi with changed expressions.

With his capabilities, he also possessed courage and responsibility. Previously, he had specifically waited for the other colleagues to evacuate before taking action, and it was only because they chose to stay that he had to clear his name. This move to distance himself was too obvious.

His strength might be a little short of a true Demon Slayer, but considering his youth, catching up would only require him to absorb a few more strands of Imperial Energy.

Just looking at this, given time, he would surely have the opportunity to receive his own title.

The only drawback was his questionable identity, which was left for Jianyang Prefecture and General Yan Lan to deal with.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone.

Shen Yi landed at the bottom of the cliff, with a clear target in mind, and walked straight towards it until he reached the foot of the towering Golden Jade Ancient Tree.

His body glowed with golden light again, and as his palms touched the tree trunk, the entire ancient tree was forcibly shaken, and he pulled it out of the cliff!

Such a violent move left the Demon Slayers stunned.

Only a cultivator from the Bodhimanda Sect would use this method to 'tame' a magical treasure.

"Hiss."

The black-bearded man wanted to slap himself. Shen Yi's current actions directly overturned all his previous thoughts.

No, you really took a liking to it? Forget about plucking the Dao Fruit, even for a Sixth Stage cultivator, this Golden Jade Ancient Tree was merely a decent item.

The giant behind him, was he used to starving his own children?

"Huff."

Shen Yi forcibly shrunk the Golden Jade Ancient Tree and stuffed it into his storage ring, then headed straight for the Sect's Secret Law Repository.

"Lord Shen, I, we... can't do things this way..."

Ye Jing hesitated and quickly moved to block his path, weakly spreading her arms.

The Golden Jade Ancient Tree could still be considered loot, just like the Immortal Net from last time. But if they were to barge into the White Cloud Cave and start ransacking, it would start to feel off.

The Demon Slaying Bureau isn't a band of bandits.

They are paid by the Imperial Treasury.

"It’s not that we can’t do it this way," Mei Ji Yao reacted more quickly, smiling bitterly as she landed. Shen Yi’s two consecutive actions had slightly alleviated her wariness. She lowered her voice to explain, "It’s unnecessary. Someone will come to clean up later. If you need anything, just ask. No one will say a word..."

"Besides, a force like the White Cloud Cave really doesn’t have anything that could be useful to a cultivator of your realm."

Forget Demon Slayers; even ordinary Demon Slayers, who might seem to lack the demeanor of a high-level practitioner, are so rare that a large prefecture can only select two. Their scarcity far surpasses that of the sect masters of major sects.

How could the Divine Kingdom possibly treat such carefully selected elites poorly?

"What should we do next?"

Shen Yi also snapped back to his senses, mainly out of habit. He nearly forgot that he had already broken through to the True Immortal realm, with cultivation comparable to Seventh Stage Perfection.

"It still feels a bit strange to hear," Mei Ji Yao’s smile grew a bit more peculiar. The person who had been so ruthless and decisive earlier suddenly asking for her opinion made her feel rather honored.

She bowed neatly and apologized for her previous actions: "Don’t worry, someone will come to handle it. You’ll definitely recognize them."

She couldn’t help but feel a bit sympathetic for General Yan Lan.

"…."

Outside the White Cloud Cave, although many cultivators had already dispersed, there were still crowds of people.

Amidst such a bustling scene, a plain, unremarkable carriage naturally drew little attention. It quietly left the area.

…

Jianyang Prefecture, Earth God Temple.

A loud thump echoed as a table was slammed.

Meng Xiuwen’s hands were planted on the table, his teeth clenched as he glared at the old man in front of him: "I’ll ask you again, what is he?"

Min Zhiyan was taken aback. While he knew the boy’s unruly nature, such intense anger was quite rare.

"A loose immortal from a small place. What’s the problem?"

"Loose my ass, you’ve really messed me up!"

Meng Xiuwen paced around the Earth God Temple, scratching his head vigorously, almost going mad.

He had never been so conflicted in his life.

Honestly, in terms of temperament, he really admired Shen Yi. Just by his reaction upon witnessing the innocent people brutally killed in the White Cloud Cave, if they had met under normal circumstances, even with a significant realm gap, he would have been very willing to be friends with such a person.

But the issue was the special nature of the Demon Slaying Bureau.

Meng Xiuwen would have to be a complete fool not to believe a word of Shen Yi’s self-proclaimed identity.

An unknown person, no matter how good in other aspects, cannot be admitted to the Demon Slaying Bureau!

"…"

Min Zhiyan watched silently, a storm brewing in his heart. Clearly, something had gone wrong during the White Cloud Cave mission, and it was likely related to the young man he had sent over.

He was about to explain when he suddenly looked up.

A moment later, the Earth God stood up: "We’ll see for ourselves."

"See what?"

Meng Xiuwen paused, following Min Zhiyan out of the temple.

Outside the forest, a group of people, led by a dragon demon, was marching over in a grand procession.

"Brother, will it really work?"

Zixian already felt a bit ashamed. The Earth God clearly hadn’t decided how to arrange their affiliation, yet her brother insisted on bringing people over to bother him every day.

"Tsk! When you’re out in the world, don’t take your pride so seriously."

Ziyang forced a smile, quietly comforting her with a few words, but he sighed deeply in his heart.

If it weren’t to save their father, who would willingly give up being the esteemed Dong Hong Crown Prince to come out here and kowtow to others?

He firmly believed that most of the people behind him were exceptional, they just lacked an opportunity.

With this thought, Ziyang tried to adjust his expression. Just as he turned back, he noticed that everyone’s steps had slowed.

Their faces showed a moment of shock, which quickly turned into a mix of joy, longing, and reverence.

They all stared intently at the temple gate.

There, a square table stood, and a Dark Robe Youth lazily held a teacup, with two old Immortal Boys responsible for serving tea and water standing beside him.

The two Immortal Boys, they had seen before. While not unapproachable, they were certainly not friendly.

But at this moment, their faces were filled with smiles.

The Dark Robe Youth glanced over, his eyes slowly scanning the familiar faces.

When he finished looking at the last person,

He put down his teacup, stood up, and a warm smile curved his lips:

"It’s been a long time."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end