"Some son of a bitch secretly reported to the new Demon Slayer Bureau, saying that you, Zheng, seized power for your own gain, killed Pang Qian Ding, and brought disaster upon the people."
Tao Qi cursed, his face full of indignation. "A bunch of ungrateful traitors! They should take a good look—if it weren't for you, Zheng, how many people would have died inside and outside the city? These animals will get what's coming to them sooner or later!"
"It's nothing," Gu Zheng said calmly as they walked. "What's this about the Demon Slayer Bureau you just mentioned?"
"They say it's a new Government Office established by the imperial court, specifically responsible for slaying Demon Fiends. They have immense power."
Tao Qi replied as he walked alongside him, "More than a hundred of them showed up, all clad in pitch-black Iron Armor and reeking of bloodlust. The five at the head of the group have an even more imposing aura, almost on par with what you had before, Zheng. The moment they arrived, they took over the Government Office. The County Magistrate and the County Captain are now just people they order around."
"Zheng, maybe you should run. I have a bad feeling about them. They're not here on friendly terms and will probably move against you."
The young man's face was etched with worry.
"Run away?"
Gu Zheng stopped and patted the young man's shoulder. "Run away?" he said softly. "That would be falling right into the informant's insidious trap. A Government Office dedicated to slaying Demon Fiends? Heh. Interesting."
With that, he strode forward toward the County Magistrate's Office.
"This..." Seeing this, Tao Qi was both anxious and bewildered, unsure of what to do. He could only hurry to keep up.
A short time later, the two of them entered through the main gates of the County Magistrate's Office, one after the other.
RATTLE!
The moment he stepped through the doors, two rows of tall men in pitch-black Iron Armor, one on each side, turned their heads in unison to stare at Gu Zheng.
A palpable, murderous aura instantly washed over them.
Tao Qi's legs gave out, and he nearly collapsed to his knees.
Unfazed, Gu Zheng strode down the middle and into the main hall.
"Well now, he's here."
Tao Liu leaned against a pillar and glanced lazily at Gu Zheng. "Chief Gu cuts quite an impressive figure... Hmm? What a pure Divine Wondrous fluctuation."
As he spoke, Tao Liu unconsciously straightened up.
"It is indeed pure. Not a trace of any other type of energy signature," Wu Kun added with a frown, his voice deep.
"That explains it. He cleared out the Demon Fiends from the city and its surroundings with genuine skill," An Xiaoxue said, crossing her arms and giving Chen Zhizhen a playful wink.
Chen Zhizhen's expression was grim. With both hands resting on the hilt of a broadsword propped before his chest, he stared directly at Gu Zheng and demanded, "Gu Zheng, was it you who killed the City Defense Garrison Captain, Pang Qian Ding?"
"That... it was an accident, a complete accident," Tong Yuanshan hurriedly answered from a corner. "Gu Zheng didn't kill Pang Qian Ding on purpose..."
Zhang Hucheng remained silent, his head bowed as he stared at the floor.
"Magistrate Tong, I must ask you to remain silent."
Chen Zhizhen shot a glance at Tong Yuanshan. Under the force of his invisible aura, Magistrate Tong's face went white. His body trembled, his chest tightened, and he was forced to swallow the words on the tip of his tongue.
"Is this how the Demon Slayer Bureau treats people? By bullying them?"
Gu Zheng spoke quietly. "I killed Pang Qian Ding. He was colluding with Demon Fiends. Didn't he deserve to die?"
Huh?
Tong Yuanshan, Zhang Hucheng, Tao Liu, An Xiaoxue, and Wu Kun were all stunned.
Tao Qi, waiting outside, was equally astonished.
Chen Zhizhen's expression, however, darkened.
"Colluding with Demon Fiends?"
Wu Kun recovered, an amused look on his face. "You claim Pang Qian Ding was colluding with Demon Fiends? Where's your proof? Without proof..."
"Of course I have proof."
Gu Zheng shot him a look. "The evidence is at his home. If you'd like to see it, I can take you there."
Pang Qian Ding was the City Defense Garrison Captain; of course, there would be repercussions for killing him.
Since Gu Zheng had dared to make a move, he had to deal with the aftermath.
Framing him for colluding with Demon Fiends was the perfect way to cover his tracks.
Han Ming and his men were experts at this sort of thing.
Especially with Pang Qian Ding dead, he couldn't even argue his case.
And in the worst-case scenario, if these people truly tried to make a move, Gu Zheng was confident he could fight his way out.
If worst came to worst, he could always seek refuge with Nangong Yaoyue.
The power of a Noble Family was more than enough to defy the imperial court.
...
"Well, I'll be..."
Tao Liu clicked his tongue but didn't say anything more.
An Xiaoxue's gaze shifted to the back of the hall, toward a figure who had been looking down at a document the entire time.
Wu Kun fell silent as well, turning to look at the same figure.
Chen Zhizhen opened his mouth as if to speak, but in the end, he too fell silent.
"Enough."
The figure studying the document raised her head at that moment. Her bright eyes locked onto Gu Zheng from across the room, and her crisp, clear voice echoed through the main hall.
"Gu Zheng. Courtesy name, Ping'an. A native of Qingshi County from a prominent household, the eldest son of the Gu Family. Intelligent from a young age, you possess exceptional talent for the Martial Dao. After ten years of training, you became a first-rate expert in the Martial World."
"After the Celestial Change, beginning with the discovery of the Demon Rats, your power advanced by leaps and bounds. You reached the level of a Grandmaster, broke through your limits, and your Alien Body first began to reveal its might."
"After the Domain erupted, you spent a day and a night in Great Dragon Mountain. Upon your return, you eliminated the Demon Fiends both inside and outside the city."
"As of recently, the Demon Fiends in Qingshi County have been almost entirely eradicated. Is what I've said so far correct?"
"Correct," Gu Zheng said, looking directly at the young woman seated in the chair. She wore dark red Iron Armor, and her features were bold and striking, with a valiant air about her.
Upon entering the room, Gu Zheng had already noticed that the armor worn by the four who had spoken—and by the young woman behind the desk—was different from that of the men outside.
The two rows of Armored Warriors outside wore uniform, pitch-black Iron Armor, with only a large character for "Slay" emblazoned on the chest.
In contrast, the five people inside wore dark red Iron Armor and had black cloaks draped over their backs.
Engraved on the armor plates of their chests and shoulders were a varying number of copper-colored stars, from one to five.
The young woman behind the desk had the most stars on her Iron Armor, so many they resembled a constellation.
The Divine Wondrous fluctuation radiating from her was also the most intense.
In Gu Zheng's estimation, she was even slightly stronger than he was.
'Her Alien Body... it can shake mountains, too? No, it's even stronger!'
Clearly, these five held a higher rank in the Demon Slayer Bureau than the Armored Warriors outside.
And of these five, the young woman was clearly the leader.
...
"My name is Yan Hongxue."
Behind the desk, Yan Hongxue set down the document. Her bright eyes were fixed on Gu Zheng as she said softly, "We are a Riding Patrol from the Demon Slayer Bureau. We were on patrol in Nanyun Prefecture when we received a request for aid and rushed to Qingshi County to exterminate Demon Fiends. We arrived late—you've already cleaned them all up. But, since we've come all this way..."
"They're probably not one hundred percent cleared out yet."
Gu Zheng calmly interrupted. "There are likely still quite a few Demon Fiends hiding deep in the mountains and forests."
"Even so, your merits are enough to be exchanged for a good number of Treasure Pills, True Skills, and even Spiritual Soldiers."
Yan Hongxue stated calmly, "On one condition: you must join the Demon Slayer Bureau!"
Huh?
Tong Yuanshan and Zhang Hucheng, who had been listening with bated breath, were stunned to hear this.
In the next instant, a look of delight spread across Tong Yuanshan's face. He secretly gestured and winked at Gu Zheng.
Zhang Hucheng, meanwhile, stood with his mouth agape, his face a mask of utter shock.
In contrast, Wu Kun, Tao Liu, An Xiaoxue, and Chen Zhizhen showed little reaction, as if they had anticipated this all along.
"...Join the Demon Slayer Bureau?"
Gu Zheng was briefly surprised but quickly composed himself. Instead of giving an immediate answer, he asked a question of his own. "If I may ask, when was the Demon Slayer Bureau established?"
'The question isn't particularly important, but I just have to know!'