91: Inspector

At night.

Jiang Xun lay flat on the bed, staring up at the roof beams.

His left hand was held tightly by a small hand.

Long Ninger curled up on her side next to him, her entire arm wrapped around his, holding on tight.

Her tail also rested on Jiang Xun's belly, heavy and carrying her warmth.

Jiang Xun didn't move.

He actually longed for someone to rely on him.

And Long Ninger perfectly satisfied this psychological need.

He didn't need to fear Long Ninger, and Long Ninger would never hurt Jiang Xun.

Feeling this weight, a thought suddenly floated into his mind:

Before becoming a husband, he had already become a father.

Life truly is unpredictable.

Although the Little Dragon Girl rarely called him "Daddy," mostly calling him "Jiang Xun, Jiang Xun," she would occasionally call him "Daddy" in front of outsiders.

But that was also to tell others that Jiang Xun had a wife and wasn't single.

Jiang Xun still hoped Long Ninger would call him "Daddy" more often.

He liked the title.

But Long Ninger always curled her lip.

Jiang Xun turned his face, looking at her by the moonlight filtering through the window paper.

Long Ninger was sound asleep, her small mouth slightly open, her breathing even.

The two small white jade horns on her head glowed faintly in the dark, and her tail would occasionally twitch slightly, as if she were dreaming.

Jiang Xun withdrew his gaze and looked back at the roof beams.

There were only thirteen Mid-Grade Spirit Stones left in the Storage Ring, piled lonely in a corner.

Long Ninger's next meal was still uncertain.

What should he do?

The monthly salary from the Demon Suppression Division hadn't been paid yet, and even if it were, it wouldn't be enough to even half-fill Long Ninger.

Based on the number of Spirit Stones she consumed, to truly fill her up, she would need at least fifty Mid-Grade Spirit Stones per meal.

And this was only while she was still in her childhood.

As she grew older, the amount of Spirit Stones she'd need to consume would likely increase.

Jiang Xun was thinking.

If only there were a spirit spring like the Jade Void Grotto-Heaven, rich in Spiritual Qi, where Long Ninger could fill her belly just by bathing.

Jiang Xun stroked Long Ninger's warm, smooth tail.

He was calculating in his mind.

Fortunately, there were rewards from the System and many collected spiritual materials that could be sold.

Adding it all up, it should be enough for Long Ninger to eat a few meals.

Tomorrow, he would ask Wei Tuo if there were any trading places for Cultivators nearby.

Jiang Xun closed his eyes.

The next morning, Jiang Xun dropped Long Ninger off at the entrance of the Su Residence.

Long Ninger tugged on his sleeve and wouldn't let go. She bit her lip and looked at him for a long time before whispering, "Come pick me up early."

"Mhm." Jiang Xun patted her head. "Study your characters well."

A maid from the Su Residence was waiting inside the gate and stepped forward to take Long Ninger's hand.

Long Ninger looked back every few steps until she turned past the corridor and was out of sight.

Jiang Xun stood for a while before turning toward the Demon Suppression Division... The steps of the Demon Suppression Division office had become much cleaner today.

When Jiang Xun pushed the door open and entered, only Zhao Xu was sitting in a chair in the front hall, yawning.

Seeing Jiang Xun enter, Zhao Xu didn't even lift his eyelids, letting out a lazy "Mhm" as a greeting.

A Mixed Spiritual Root wasn't worth being enthusiastic about.

But the next second, as if sensing something, he suddenly sat bolt upright, his eyes scanning Jiang Xun.

A seventh-stage aura—though restrained, that kind of spiritual power fluctuation couldn't be faked.

A smile immediately spread across Zhao Xu's face.

"Good morning, Brother Jiang!"

He stood up to greet him, as affectionate as if he were seeing an old friend of many years. "We'll be colleagues from now on, let's look out for each other!"

Jiang Xun cupped his hands. "Good morning, Brother Zhao. Why don't I see Lord Wei?"

"He went to pick someone up." Zhao Xu waved his hand. "Said someone came from the Prefecture, so Lord Wei went to meet them early this morning."

Jiang Xun nodded and didn't ask further.

"Then what are we doing today?"

"Doing what?"

Zhao Xu sneered, sat back in his chair, and crossed his legs.

"Brother Jiang, a Demon Suppression Division in a small place like ours usually has no cases at all. If it weren't for the Demonic Cultivators on the loose lately, I wouldn't even show up a few times a month."

He leaned in closer and said:

"Ten Mid-Grade Spirit Stones a month, for free! How great is that? If you ask me, you should just marry a few wives and concubines here in Qinghe County, drink wine and listen to music every day, and live as happily as an immortal."

"Anyway, with Aptitude like ours, even Foundation Establishment is difficult, so we might as well enjoy ourselves more."

Jiang Xun looked at him. "If it's so idle, why would Lord Wei recruit me to eat free meals?"

Wei Tuo said they were short-staffed, but in reality, they didn't need anyone at all.

Why recruit more people?

Even if a Demonic Cultivator had appeared recently, it didn't seem like it would be their turn to step forward.

"The Imperial Court can afford it!"

Zhao Xu laughed. "All the Spirit Stone mines in the Central Region are in the hands of the Imperial Court. Just a little leaking through their fingers is enough for us to live on for several lifetimes."

"The Imperial Court is that wealthy?"

Jiang Xun was inwardly startled. Controlling the Spirit Stone resources of an entire region was truly impressive.

Spirit Stones were the lifeblood of Cultivators.

Seizing Spirit Stones was equivalent to going head-to-head with all the cultivation forces in the Central Region!

This required not only means but also strength.

He couldn't imagine how ruthless Li Shutang must be?

To be able to snatch Spirit Stones from the hands of the hundred immortal families and Sects?

"You bet."

Zhao Xu leaned back, his tone carrying a certain sense of pride by association.

"If it weren't for our Central Region producing an Empress in the Ascension Realm, how could we have such peaceful lives now?"

"You should know that in the past..."

Before he could finish, the door was pushed open.

Wei Tuo walked in with a fawning smile, followed by a young man.

The man was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, wearing a black official uniform. The fabric was much more sophisticated than the Demon Suppression Division uniforms, with silver thread cloud patterns embroidered on the cuffs.

He had his hands behind his back, his chin slightly raised, and his eyes swept across the hall.

"Lord Yang, this way please." Wei Tuo stepped aside to lead the way, his attitude respectful.

Zhao Xu jumped up, standing as straight as a board.

Wei Tuo pointed at the two and introduced them:

"Lord Yang, these two are the Demon Suppression Envoys of my Qinghe County, Zhao Xu and Jiang Xun."

He then turned to the two of them, his tone serious. "This is Lord Yang Qian, the inspector from the Prefecture. Come and pay your respects."

Zhao Xu immediately stepped forward and bowed. "Greetings, Lord inspector!"

Jiang Xun did the same. "Greetings, Lord inspector."

Yang Qian nodded, his gaze circling the two of them, his brow furrowing slightly.

"Wei Tuo, I remember in the dossiers you submitted, there were thirteen registered Demon Suppression Envoys in Qinghe County. Why are there only three of you left?"

Beside him, Zhao Xu stiffened, feeling a chill down his back.

Wei Tuo's eyes suddenly turned red, and his voice became heavy:

"My Lord may not know, but there were indeed thirteen brothers originally.

But last month, a Tiger Demon calling itself the Mountain Lord appeared in Qinghe County. It was extremely fierce. We went into the mountains to surround and suppress it, and lost nine brothers."

"Nine..."

Wei Tuo, a big, burly man, was actually struggling to hold back tears at this moment, his whole body trembling slightly.

"Nine brothers. Some of them had followed me for decades, and they're just gone."

He spoke with great sorrow.

"There's also one brother who was seriously injured and is now recuperating at home, unable to get out of bed."

Yang Qian let out an "Oh," his expression unchanged. "What about the Tiger Demon?"

"It has been slain!"

Wei Tuo straightened his back, his voice resonant. "Though we lost nine brothers, please rest assured, My Lord, that Tiger Demon did not harm a single citizen!"

As his voice fell, Wei Tuo's fists clenched, as if he were suppressing great pain.

Zhao Xu stepped forward at the right time, patted Wei Tuo's shoulder, and sighed:

"Lord Wei, don't be too sad. I believe those brothers' spirits in heaven, seeing that we have avenged them, will surely... surely be at peace."

A tragic and heroic atmosphere filled the hall.

Jiang Xun stood to the side, silent.

He remembered very clearly.

Three days ago, Wei Tuo had mentioned that the injured brother was named Old Zhou, who had chased a Ghost Slave into the mountains and only broke his leg.

How did he become seriously injured?

And Wei Tuo had also said that there had only ever been three Demon Suppression Envoys in Qinghe County. When did it become thirteen?

Yang Qian wasn't very interested in this matter.

He didn't bother to ask further.

His gaze suddenly landed on Jiang Xun.

"Why aren't you wearing your uniform?"

Jiang Xun was startled.

He only then noticed that Wei Tuo, Zhao Xu, and even Yang Qian himself were all wearing official uniforms.

Only he was in a green cloth robe, looking like a civilian who had wandered into a government office.

His mind raced.

Jiang Xun bowed. "Reporting to My Lord, I heard that a Demonic Cultivator has recently fled to Qinghe County, so I thought of changing into plain clothes to stake out the city gate and see if there were any suspicious people entering the city."

"Nonsense!"

Wei Tuo suddenly reprimanded him sternly, pointing a finger at Jiang Xun:

"I know you care about the people, but you cannot break the rules! Not even wearing your uniform, what kind of behavior is this?"

Wei Tuo had an expression that seemed to say, "What am I going to do with you?"

He turned to Yang Qian and cupped his fists.

"Forgive him, My Lord. Jiang Xun also wanted to catch the Demonic Cultivator sooner. He broke the rules, but his heart is in the right place."

He turned back to Jiang Xun, his tone severe:

"Even if you stake out that Demonic Cultivator, so what? They're a Golden Core! You're just at the Qi Refining stage, what can you do?

Our duty as Demon Suppression Envoys is to protect the peace of the region. Now the people in the city are panicking. If you stand at the city gate in your uniform, the people will feel more at ease!"