Attaining Immortality, Starting From Slaying Demons

Chapter 127 Impending Catastrophe in Qingzhou_1

Tingyang County, Demon Suppressing General's Mansion.

Soon, someone carried away Liu Bin's corpse, and the officers of Heishui Pool were escorted out of the separate courtyard.

Only three figures remained in the courtyard.

You Longtao looked at Xiao Qiangwei's wrist, his voice tinged with concern, "Aunt Xiao, were you injured by the Demon King of Han Stone Pool?"

When he was still serving as a Colonel at the Demon-suppression Bureau, his foster mother had no one to take care of her. By coincidence, Xiao Qiangwei was recovering from an injury and ended up living with his foster mother for a while. Somehow, they became sworn sisters, and he unexpectedly gained another elder.

Now that his foster mother had passed away many years ago, only by seeing Aunt Xiao could he vividly recall the grace of being raised.

Therefore, You Longtao had always sincerely treated her as an elder, never showing the slightest disrespect.

"I was somewhat careless," Xiao Qiangwei said nonchalantly, shaking her head. It was common for demon hunters to get injured.

You Longtao, looking slightly tired, rubbed the tip of his brow, "You should rest and recover here in the mansion for now. Once I finish my current affairs, I'll go to Heishui Pool and teach it a lesson."

To his surprise, Xiao Qiangwei suddenly averted her gaze, "No need, it... it's already dead."

The always composed elder seemed unexpectedly out of sorts twice today.

You Longtao was briefly taken aback and subconsciously turned his gaze to the young man beside him.

Only the wise could sit in such a position.

An unusual light emerged in his eyes, "Could it be Brother Shen..."

"Who else could it be?"

Before Shen Yi could respond, he saw Xiao Qiangwei's lips curve into a smile, filled with pride, as she vividly described the figure dressed in black, fists raining down like a sudden storm, a solitary figure stepping on air above the heavens, bravely fighting alone against the four-thousand-year-old toad ruler.

Listening to her, Shen Yi frowned. The woman had even skipped the part where she herself took action, making the tale more and more exaggerated.

"At the time, I thought he was done for."

After finishing her story in one breath, Xiao Qiangwei's face still showed traces of fright, "When I went to pick up his knife for him, I was completely stunned."

"..."

Watching Aunt Xiao's expression, You Longtao quietly swept his gaze back and forth between the two, a subtle smile beginning to appear.

Over the years, demon hunters had seen all sorts of trials and tribulations.

The fact that it had left such a lasting impression on her meant it must have been a truly astonishing scene.

Even if there was some emotional exaggeration, the act of slaying the toad ruler at the doorstep of Heishui Pool was surprising enough for You Longtao.

Having been away from Qingzhou for too long, he had no idea when a remarkable figure capable of such feats had appeared among the demon hunters.

You Longtao shook his head, his voice carrying a hint of reverence, "On behalf of the Demon-suppression Bureau, I thank Brother Shen for once again ridding Qingzhou of a great danger."

Hearing this, Xiao Qiangwei came back to her senses. She intended to say there was no need to represent the Demon-suppression Bureau...

Shen Yi gave a slight bow, "Catching demons is within my duties; the General is too kind."

The merits from the Demon-suppression Bureau required years of service before they could be exchanged for rewards – not worth it. It was better to have the credit registered under demon hunters.

"There's no need for modesty," You Longtao seemed to disagree with his view, speaking earnestly, "With chaos looming over Qingzhou, the presence of a master like Brother Shen increases the chances Qingzhou has of surviving the impending demon calamity."

At these words, Shen Yi looked on with some puzzled concern.

Previously, according to what Jiang Chengyun had said, although Qingzhou had slightly fewer masters, there were more than enough to defend the Twelve Prefectures.

Yet why did Shen Yi detect a hint of impending collapse in the words of the Demon-suppression Great General?

Xiao Qiangwei's expression was grave, "Is chaos truly about to erupt?"

In the quiet years of Qingzhou, there had been only one cause of turmoil, and that was the breakthrough of the lesser Demon King.

Only it had the power to stir the demons lurking around Qingzhou into action once again.

You Longtao slowly stood up, fatigue deepening between his brows, "I received a reply from my master, the Imperial Court has once again diplomatically rejected Qingzhou's plea for help. Those Grandmasters of the Primordial Realm all have more important matters to attend to. Even if Qingzhou were to be overrun by demons, they wouldn't consider helping to reclaim it until they've finished with their current tasks."

A scholarly determination crept onto his refined face, "We'll have to rely on ourselves."

Seeming to relax a bit in the company of someone close to him, he walked back to the table, "Alone, I can restrain three Great Demons of the Embrace Pill Realm, but I truly am at my limit... Never mind that, let's talk about something cheerful."

You Longtao picked up the teapot to pour tea for them both, laughing as he said, "Little junior sister failed at martial temple solidifying pill, our master said he saw her secretly wiping away tears."

"..."

Xiao Qiangwei failed to see how that was something to be happy about.

Shen Yi withdrew his gaze. From the moment the other mentioned "master" and "martial temple solidifying pill," he had a good idea of who they were.

This person before him was the disciple of the General who ranked second in Qingzhou, as mentioned by Hong Lei in the past.

As for that little junior sister, it was highly likely to be Lin Baiwei.

"I gave up a chance for martial temple refinement for her, and it will be about three more months of waiting. I hope she doesn't return looking aggrieved," You Longtao filled his own cup of tea in the end.

"What about yourself?" Xiao Qiangwei frowned. He, too, as a martial practitioner capable of Nurturing Yin Spirit in the Embrace Pill Realm, needed the martial temple to replenish himself.

"Qingzhou can only have one Martial Immortal. No matter how much more I take, that's the limit. Besides, I have no time to enter the capital."

You Longtao casually sat down, moistening his throat with tea, "There are only two junior sisters. If I can't help the elder one, I must at least help the younger. The merits I've accumulated over these years are enough to give each of those three youngsters a chance. As for the youngest, Junior Brother Fang, I haven't had the chance to meet him yet. I don't know how he's doing or if he's been bullied by Bai Ziming."

The middle-aged man was clearly smiling, yet there was a hint of melancholy in his smile.

"No one in Qingzhou, including your master, can help your junior sister; there's no need for you to blame yourself... At least you're a general; can't you change for some better tea leaves?"

Xiao Qiangwei, with unsettled emotions, skimmed away the tea leaves and pushed the teacup toward Shen Yi.

"..." Shen Yi was starting to regret helping her transport a detainee here. The woman, who seemed perfectly normal before, had suddenly taken on such a foolish appearance. Given that she was the elder of General You, wasn't it strange for her to be pouring him tea?

"Let's discuss the important matters," You Longtao smiled at Shen Yi. "I was originally planning to ask Aunt Xiao to handle this, but she is injured at the moment. I was wondering if Brother Shen is available to do me a small favor. Of course, I know the rules."

After speaking, he nodded towards the woman, "The Embrace Pill Realm will do for now. I'll return the favor next time."

"General You, can you not be so stingy?" Xiao Qiangwei rolled her eyes, extracting a strand of blood from the tip of her heart from within her silver bell.

You Longtao continued, "Someone has taken the Sky-shattering Sun-Destroying Bow I kept in my mansion. It's the Precious Tool my master left for me to garrison Tingyang County. Since I'm rarely in the city, I feared an incident in Tingyang City and didn't carry it on me."

As soon as he spoke these words, Xiao Qiangwei froze, and what followed surprised her even more.

"A few days ago, an arrow fired from this bow shattered the ancestral shrine of Baiyun Temple. In the ensuing chaos, someone stole the true essence of the temple's sword techniques. They sent someone to ask if it was an order from me," said the middle-aged man with a hint of helplessness.

"You want him to chase down Yan Xingkong, who has the Sun-Destroying Bow?" Xiao Qiangwei stood up.

"No," You Longtao shook his head, noting Aunt Xiao's reaction, then said indifferently, "I just want Brother Shen to visit Baiyun Temple for me. Bring along two hundred taels of silver as compensation for the ancestral shrine. Tell them that the Demon-suppression Bureau has no intentions against Baiyun Temple, nothing more." Experience new tales on My Virtual Library Empire

"As for the Sky-shattering Sun-Destroying Bow, Aunt Xiao will need to take action personally... But since Aunt Xiao is injured, if Brother Shen would be willing to accompany and retrieve the bow for me, then I'll leave it with you for self-defense. When I am able to return to Qingzhou, and you happen to be there too, you can return it to me then," You Longtao concluded.