Chapter 92

Night.

The Zhou family's residence was silent.

After the ancestral home was consumed by a great fire during the day, Old Master Zhou was furious, making some of the servants tremble in fear.

By the time night fell, no one dared to speak loudly.

Only some of the guards were constantly patrolling inside the Zhou residence.

"Have you heard that the ancestral home was destroyed, and the evil entity was also eliminated? Will the old master rebuild the ancestral home?"

A group of guards were patrolling in the garden. One of them, looking at the dark surroundings, chatted with his companions.

Upon hearing this,

someone immediately replied, "Rebuilding the ancestral home is definitely going to happen. I've heard that the feng shui of the Zhou family's ancestral home is very good. The Zhou family's prosperity is entirely due to the feng shui of the ancestral home. Otherwise, the old master wouldn't have been so angry about it being burned down."

"Hei, the people from the yamen were quite bold, burning down the ancestral home without a second thought."

"The order to set the fire wasn't given by the yamen. I've heard it was the people from the Demon Suppression Bureau. If it were just the yamen, with the old master's connections, there would have been some prior notice."

"I see."

The group discussed the matter.

As a prominent family, the Zhou family had some influence in Jin City.

The destruction of the ancestral home was a significant event. If it were the yamen that acted, they would have given prior notice. But if it were the Demon Suppression Bureau, that would be a different story.

Suddenly,

someone said, "Do you think the evil entity in the ancestral home was really eliminated?"

"Definitely. The yamen wouldn't lie about such a thing."

Another person shook his head.

The yamen's word was still highly credible.

As he spoke,

a guard, using the light from the torch, noticed something moving in the shadow of a nearby rock formation. He was immediately startled.

"Look, is there something there?"

Upon hearing this, the other guards were also startled.

When they looked in the direction the person was pointing, they immediately calmed down.

One guard laughed and scolded, "Old Lin, have you been to the Wanhu Lou too much? Your eyes are failing. There's nothing there, just a shadow."

"Exactly, Old Lin, you must be seeing things."

Hearing the others, Old Lin rubbed his eyes. When he looked at the rock formation again, there was indeed only a shadow, nothing else.

Relieved,

Old Lin sighed and said with a smile, "I must have been mistaken. When I get my pay tomorrow, I'll treat you all to drinks at the Wanhu Lou."

"Just drinks?"

"I can't afford anything else. My monthly pay is just enough to buy you all a drink. If you want more, it's not possible."

The group laughed and chatted, the atmosphere becoming much more relaxed.

As they passed the rock formation, Old Lin couldn't help but glance at it again.

Suddenly,

the motionless shadow on the ground suddenly extended a pale hand, pulling him into the darkness.

"Ahh!"

The torch fell to the ground, and Old Lin's figure disappeared.

Hearing the scream, the other guards turned pale and fled in panic.

The next day.

Shen Changqing ended his night of meditation. Just as he was about to call someone to bring water for washing, there was a knock on the door.

Opening the door,

Zhong Chi was standing outside.

Stepping aside, Zhong Chi entered, and Shen Changqing closed the door behind him.

"Something has happened!"

As soon as Zhong Chi entered, he said bluntly.

Something has happened!?

Shen Changqing's expression tightened, and he asked in a serious tone, "What happened?"

"Overnight, the Zhou family was completely wiped out. When they were discovered, the entire Zhou family had been drained of their blood, and the young miss, Zhou Qin, had disappeared."

Zhong Chi quickly recounted the events.

The Zhou family wiped out!

The young miss of the Zhou family missing!

These two pieces of news were completely unexpected by Shen Changqing.

Instantly,

he thought of something and asked Zhong Chi, "Is it related to the evil entity in the Zhou family's ancestral home being killed yesterday?"

"It's possible, but we can't be sure."

"What about Xu Yi and the others? What's their situation now?"

Shen Changqing thought of Xu Yi and the others who had taken action. If the Zhou family was wiped out, then Xu Yi and the others might have also encountered some unexpected events.

"That's the second piece of news I have to tell you."

Zhong Chi's expression was grim.

"Yesterday, they left Jin City to report back to the Demon Suppression Bureau. However, according to reports from the Tiancha Wei, all four of them have disappeared. I suspect they might have been killed by the evil entity."

Disappearance.

Doesn't necessarily mean death.

But at this critical moment, disappearance is almost equivalent to death.

"I'll go to the Zhou family to check the situation."

The Zhou family.

Now surrounded by a large number of yamen officials.

Outside the Zhou family's residence, many civilians were gathered, each with a different expression, but all of them had a hint of fear.

Clearly,

the news of the Zhou family being wiped out had a significant impact on them.

"This place has been sealed off. Without an order from the higher-ups, no one can enter."

Shen Changqing had just arrived at the Zhou family's residence when he was stopped by a yamen official at the gate.

Seeing this,

he directly took out the Demon Suppression Bureau's token.

"I am from the Demon Suppression Bureau!"

"Demon Suppression Bureau!"

The yamen official's face showed shock. He glanced at the token in Shen Changqing's hand, and his attitude changed completely.

"Please wait here, sir. I will go and inform the higher-ups immediately!"

After saying this, he signaled to another yamen official and hurriedly went inside the Zhou family's residence.

In less than a quarter of an hour,

a middle-aged man wearing a black hat and official robes hurriedly came out. Behind him were the yamen official who had reported and the head of the constables, Liu.

"I am Nie Xu, a subordinate official. May I ask which official from the Demon Suppression Bureau you are?"

As he spoke, he sized up Shen Changqing.

The other party was dressed simply, but he exuded a presence that could not be ignored.

Shen Changqing showed the token again: "I am Shen Changqing, a Yellow Rank Demon Exterminator from the Capital Demon Suppression Bureau. Greetings, Sir Nie!"

Seeing the token,

and hearing Shen Changqing's words, Nie Xu's pupils constricted, and his face was filled with a warm smile.

"So you are Sir Shen!"

Shen Changqing's name was unfamiliar to him, but the title "Yellow Rank Demon Exterminator" meant that the other party was a formal demon exterminator.

Any formal demon exterminator

was a rare and powerful figure in the martial world.

Now that the Zhou family had been wiped out, having a Yellow Rank Demon Exterminator arrive was undoubtedly a good thing.

However,

in his surprise, Nie Xu also had some doubts.

He wondered why Shen Changqing had come. If it was because of the Zhou family's massacre, it seemed implausible.

After all, this was the Dahuang Prefecture, far from the capital.

Even if the news spread quickly, the massacre of the Zhou family could not have reached the capital, let alone have a Demon Suppression Bureau official sent.

While Nie Xu was hesitating, Shen Changqing was also observing him.

Regarding the magistrate of Jin City,

he had obtained some relevant information from the Tiancha Wei, knowing that the official was a Jin City scholar who later returned to Jin City and was appointed as the magistrate, and had been in office for two to three years.

During his tenure,

although there were no significant achievements, he had maintained the stability of Jin City, acting in a conventional and proper manner, with no major faults.

"I heard about the massacre of the Zhou family, so I came as soon as possible. I didn't expect that Sir Nie had already taken action and sealed off the Zhou family's residence."

Shen Changqing smiled faintly and politely bowed to Nie Xu.

Seeing this,

Nie Xu's face showed a bitter smile: "Sir Shen, you may not know, but Jin City has been plagued by an evil entity recently. We finally managed to eliminate the evil entity in the Zhou family's ancestral home, hoping for a period of peace.

But within a day, the Zhou family was completely wiped out.

As the magistrate of Jin City, I have been deeply troubled by this matter."

As he spoke,

he paused, and the worry on his face lessened.

"But now that Sir Shen is here, I believe the massacre of the Zhou family will not be a major issue."

Shen Changqing's expression remained unchanged at Nie Xu's flattery.

His gaze swept over Nie Xu, then over Liu the constable and the other yamen officials, finally landing on the entrance of the Zhou family's residence.

"I would like to see the specific situation at the Zhou family's residence."

"No problem, Sir Shen, please come in."

Nie Xu did not hesitate and stepped aside.

Shen Changqing then walked in.

As he entered, Nie Xu looked at the yamen officials beside him: "Continue to guard strictly. Do not let anyone enter. Report any emergencies to me immediately."

"Understood, sir!"

The yamen officials acknowledged the order.

Nie Xu nodded and followed Shen Changqing with Liu the constable.

"Sir Nie."

"I am here, Sir Shen. What do you need?"

Nie Xu's attitude was very humble.

There was no choice.

With the Zhou family's massacre and the presence of an evil entity, the person in front of him was a formal demon exterminator, whose strength and status were far above his own as a minor magistrate of Jin City.

Even though the Demon Exterminators of the Demon Suppression Bureau had no official rank,

the name "Demon Suppression Bureau" alone represented a lot.

Shen Changqing asked, "When did you first discover the massacre of the Zhou family?"

"Today at dawn, a civilian who regularly delivered vegetables and meat to the Zhou family came to the door and knocked for a long time with no response. Worried that the meat would spoil, he climbed over the wall to check the situation.

Upon seeing the situation, he discovered the deaths in the Zhou family and immediately reported it to the yamen.

We received the news and came to investigate, only to find that the entire Zhou family had been wiped out, not just a few individuals."

Nie Xu's voice trembled slightly, and Shen Changqing could hear the anger in his voice.

"Everyone in the Zhou family is dead?"

"After investigation, the young miss, Zhou Qin, is missing, and the rest are all dead here."

Nie Xu replied truthfully.

Shen Changqing nodded. The information matched what he had received from