Chapter 51

Inside the government office hall.

Under Shiqing Sheng's guidance, the two entered without precedence.

"Disciple of the Return to Origin Sword Sect, Cui Cheng (Zhao Yue), pays respects to Lord Shen!"

As soon as they saw Shen Changqing, Cui Cheng and Zhao Yue bowed in greeting.

"Please take a seat, both of you."

"Thank you, Lord!"

After expressing their gratitude, the two sat down at the lower seats.

As they sat down, Shen Changqing also carefully observed them.

Return to Origin Sword Sect.

He had not heard much about it, only from Situ Bei's mouth did he know it was a martial arts sect in Guangyuan Prefecture.

Although it did not have any Grandmaster-level experts, its influence was not insignificant.

Now, seeing the two of them,

Shen Changqing did not discern much.

After all, although he was a先天武者 (Xiantian martial artist), without a real confrontation, it was hard to perceive much.

But according to the information provided by the Heavenly Inspection Guard,

the Cui Cheng and Zhao Yue before him were both late-stage Pulse-Through martial artists.

At this moment,

a bailiff served tea.

Shen Changqing retracted his gaze and picked up the teacup: "I have never had much interaction with the Return to Origin Sword Sect. What brings you two to my office today?"

"I have just arrived in Lin'an City and heard of Lord Shen's heroic deeds in slaying demons, which filled me with admiration. This visit is to personally witness Lord Shen's demeanor."

Cui Cheng smiled slightly.

"Seeing Lord Shen today, I realize the rumors are true."

"Hmm."

Shen Changqing nodded: "Now that you have seen me, if there's nothing else, you can leave."

"This—"

Cui Cheng's smile stiffened.

He did not expect Shen Changqing to issue an expulsion order so abruptly.

Not following the usual script, it caught him off guard.

But Cui Cheng, having seen the world, did not show much surprise despite Shen Changqing's unexpected move.

"Lord Shen is straightforward, so I will not beat around the bush."

"Speak your mind, then." Shen Changqing sipped his tea and placed the cup back, his gaze returning to Cui Cheng.

Seeing this,

Cui Cheng's expression remained unchanged as he bowed and said: "I have heard that Lord Shen comes from the Demon Suppression Bureau. Surely, you have also heard about the imminent emergence of the demon essence blood?"

"I have heard of it."

Shen Changqing nodded.

He knew that Cui Cheng's purpose would not be simple.

Demon essence blood.

From the moment Cui Cheng spoke, Shen Changqing was almost certain of his intentions.

Cui Cheng said, "The demon essence blood is about to emerge, and various forces are here, with the same goal in mind. The demon essence blood has existed in the Lin'an area for hundreds of years. If the Demon Suppression Bureau truly wanted the essence blood, there were many opportunities to act.

However, the Demon Suppression Bureau has not made much of a move so far, suggesting they do not value the essence blood.

Of course, the Demon Suppression Bureau is a large and powerful organization, so it is normal for them to not value the demon essence blood. But for small sects like us, the essence blood is highly desired."

He paused.

Cui Cheng's gaze became intense: "But what is Lord Shen's opinion on the demon essence blood?"

"Are you worried that I will intervene and seize it?"

Shen Changqing asked indifferently.

Cui Cheng nodded frankly: "Yes!"

"If I do intervene, what will you do? If I don't, what will you do?" Shen Changqing spoke calmly, observing the other's reaction.

Cui Cheng bowed: "If Lord Shen intervenes, the Return to Origin Sword Sect is willing to pay a price to prevent your intervention. But if Lord Shen insists on intervening, the Return to Origin Sword Sect will withdraw.

However, there are other forces vying for the essence blood. Even if the Return to Origin Sword Sect withdraws, the others may not be willing to do so.

Similarly, if Lord Shen does not intervene, it would be a great thing. If possible, the Return to Origin Sword Sect is willing to offer some benefits in exchange for your assistance."

Cui Cheng spoke with sincerity.

There was no way around it.

The person before him was not just a county magistrate but also from the Demon Suppression Bureau.

The Return to Origin Sword Sect, though not small, was like an ant compared to the Demon Suppression Bureau.

Offending the Demon Suppression Bureau would not be a good thing.

Moreover,

from Cui Cheng's perspective, the Demon Suppression Bureau might not value the demon essence blood, given their many demon slayings and the ease of obtaining demon essence blood.

What others viewed as a treasure might be easily obtainable for the Demon Suppression Bureau.

Cui Cheng spoke bluntly.

Shen Changqing, seeing this, was also straightforward.

"The demon essence blood is not essential to me. As for your request for my assistance, to be honest, the Return to Origin Sword Sect may not be able to afford the price."

He had already reached the outer-gang realm.

The Return to Origin Sword Sect's strongest was also at the outer-gang realm.

A sect with its strongest at the outer-gang realm would have to empty its coffers to satisfy a near-outer-gang martial artist.

Moreover,

what did the Demon Suppression Bureau lack?

The small Return to Origin Sword Sect, to be honest, did not impress Shen Changqing.

Cui Cheng's face turned awkward at the blunt words. If someone else had belittled the Return to Origin Sword Sect, he might have been angry.

But coming from someone from the Demon Suppression Bureau, he could not refute it.

As for Zhao Yue,

she did not dare to speak lightly.

In her mind, she still recalled the scene of heads rolling yesterday and Shen Changqing's indifferent gaze towards life.

Not to mention belittling the Return to Origin Sword Sect,

Zhao Yue was now worried that if the talks broke down and Shen Changqing decided to kill them, what would she do?

Ignoring Cui Cheng's awkwardness, Shen Changqing continued.

"My task is to maintain order in Lin'an City. As long as you do not disrupt the city's peace, your competition for the demon essence blood is none of my concern.

Similarly, if there are demons causing trouble in the city, as citizens of the Great Qin, you should also lend a hand within your capabilities."

"Lord Shen is absolutely right."

Cui Cheng hurriedly agreed.

"That's good. If there's nothing else, you can leave. Don't worry about me competing for the demon essence blood, but when it comes to eliminating demons, I expect your assistance."

"Lord Shen is absolutely right."

Cui Cheng hurriedly agreed.

"That's good. If there's nothing else, you can leave. Don't worry about me competing for the demon essence blood, but when it comes to eliminating demons, I expect your assistance. Whether it's the Return to Origin Sword Sect, the Seven Stars Sect, or the Heavenly Saber Sect, remember that you are Qin people."

Shen Changqing finished speaking, picked up his teacup, and directly dismissed them.

Seeing this,

Cui Cheng could not say anything more and stood up to bow: "Lord Shen, we will take our leave!"

After saying this, the two left the office.

Watching their departing figures, Shen Changqing's lips curled into a smile.

The purpose of the two from the Return to Origin Sword Sect was to probe whether he had any intention of competing for the demon essence blood. This showed that he had gained considerable weight in the eyes of these forces.

The reasons for this were:

First, he was backed by the Demon Suppression Bureau, and second, it was related to the events that occurred in the office.

"In these chaotic times, with demons causing havoc, but still only cleaning up one's own doorstep, how can the chaos be resolved!"

Shen Changqing shook his head.

From the incident of the Eternal Life Alliance's demon attack on the office, it was clear that these martial arts sects would avoid demons whenever possible and would not approach them easily.

Demons were unpredictable, and a single misstep could lead to death.

Martial arts sects feared demons and did not want to be their enemies, and he would not criticize them for that.

After all, fear of death was a natural right.

However, to sit idly by and watch demons wreak havoc when one could help was inexcusable.

"Martial arts sects have been able to stand to this day, thanks to the support of the people. But if they receive the people's support and do not act for the people, they are no different from parasites. I hope you understand this."

Shen Changqing thought of some cases he had seen before.

In fact,

the Library, besides necessary items, also had many records of cases involving demons and martial arts sects.

One such case recorded that a martial arts sect, supported by the people, remained sealed on the mountain when demons attacked, allowing the slaughter of thousands of people in several cities.

Afterward,

a powerful expert from the Demon Suppression Bureau ascended the mountain and exterminated the entire sect of over a thousand people.

This incident caused a stir in the martial arts world.

However, it did not completely deter some martial arts sects from sitting idly by as demons wreaked havoc.

Some were punished by the Demon Suppression Bureau.

Others found suitable excuses to avoid severe punishment.

Regardless,

after seeing many such cases, Shen Changqing had little good will toward martial arts sects.

After Cui Cheng's visit, other forces and sects also came to visit over the next few days.

Without exception,

they all wanted to probe whether Shen Changqing or the Demon Suppression Bureau had any intention of competing for the demon essence blood.

After confirming that Shen Changqing and the Demon Suppression Bureau had no such intentions, they left contentedly.

Thus,

Lin'an City returned to its former tranquility.

Over the next few days, Shen Changqing, besides necessary social engagements, focused on cultivating Heavenly Martial Gang Qi.

Reaching the eleventh level of Heavenly Martial Gang Qi had already touched the outer-gang realm.

The more he cultivated,

the more he felt that the thin layer of gang qi inside his body was undergoing some wondrous changes, causing a slight itch throughout his body.

However,

breaking through to the outer-gang realm was not easy, relying solely on his talent.

Several days of cultivation,

Shen Changqing found that his control over Heavenly Martial Gang Qi had strengthened, but there were no other changes.

As for breaking through,

it was still far from certain.

The leap from the eleventh to the twelfth level was not easy.

"Xiantian is divided into inner-gang and outer-gang. Once one cultivates outer-gang, a martial artist's defense and attack will significantly increase, far surpassing the inner-gang realm. If I rely on myself, breaking through to the outer-gang realm might take a year or more.

Unless there are demons to provide nourishment, I might have a chance to accelerate my breakthrough."