Chapter 204 The Demon King Appears

Countless thoughts flashed through Chen Mu's mind, but he did not stop walking. His expression remained normal, and he did not deliberately glance in the direction where Jiang Xiong had vanished.

Search? That was unnecessary.

A figure of Jiang Xiong's stature had his own ways of doing things. If he wanted to see him, he would naturally come looking; if he did not, seeking him out would be futile and might even disrupt his plans, causing unnecessary trouble.

Moreover, Chen Mu was well aware that his favorable connection—or rather, his transaction—with the Jiang Family had temporarily come to an end after the delivery of the city gods divine treasury.

Jiang Xiong had reminded him back then that the Prefecture ran deep, and his willingness to recommend him was already an extra investment. Now that he had joined the Prefecture Demon Suppression Division, the path ahead had to be walked by himself.

Shen Suning, by his side, was quick to react; she sensed Chen Mu's momentary hesitation in an instant.

"Did you see an acquaintance?"

Chen Mu withdrew his gaze, his demeanor flawless.

"I misread it."

Shen Suning glanced at him without pressing further, well aware that everyone had secrets, especially in a place like the Demon Suppression Division.

The two strolled a bit longer. Chen Mu bought a whetstone of good quality, and Shen Suning restocked some medicinal herbs. By midday, they were carrying their purchases and heading back to the Demon Suppression Division.

Passing the inconspicuous alley from earlier, Chen Mu caught a glimpse of two wardens in black robes using wooden forks to hoist the cat demon's corpse onto a cart, dragging it away while grumbling.

The world remained bustling, as if that brief confrontation had never occurred.

When they returned to the Demon Hunting Division barracks, Lu Dachuan and the others had already returned, boasting about their performance in the sparring match against another team at the training grounds today.

Ling Xiaoning was still struggling with the "Wind Chasing Steps," drenched in sweat, while Feng Qing continued to polish his bow.

Seeing Chen Mu and Shen Suning return together, carrying items, Lu Dachuan winked and laughed lecherously.

"Hey, Brother Chen, Sister Shen, have you two gone off to set up house together?"

Shen Suning glared at him in annoyance.

"Nothing good ever comes out of your mouth! Chen Mu is new here, so I was just showing him the way and buying some necessities."

Saying this, she set the items down and turned to leave.

Lu Dachuan was not offended; he laughed heartily, leaned in close to Chen Mu, and lowered his voice.

"Brother Chen, not bad at all. Sister Shen has very high standards; so many brothers in the team have tried to curry favor with her to no avail, and yet you, just after arriving..."

Chen Mu didn't even lift his eyelids as he interrupted him.

"You're overthinking it."

His voice carried no emotion. Seeing his indifferent expression, Lu Dachuan knew his joke had fallen flat, so he sheepishly rubbed his nose and changed the subject.

"Hey, Brother Chen, don't blame me for running my mouth, but there's a major event I need to tell you about."

Chen Mu lifted his eyes to look at him upon hearing this.

"This morning, Chief-Lieutenant Huo was called to the main hall by Flag-bearer Cheng to discuss matters. I happened to be nearby and overheard a few things."

Lu Dachuan put away his playful grin, his eyes uncharacteristically grave.

"It seems the Demon Search Division has tracked down the exact trail of that thing."

"That thing?"

Ling Xiaoning stopped practicing the Wind Chasing Steps and curiously leaned in.

Lu Dachuan did not answer immediately, instead glancing at Feng Qing first. Feng Qing was still bowing his head, polishing his bow, but his movements had noticeably slowed down.

"Yes, that's right! Thousand-Household Liao has already taken Qin Zheng and his group and headed south."

Chen Mu finally looked up.

"I heard they found the Burning Heaven Demon King, who has been entrenched there for decades, along with tens of thousands of demon soldiers under its command. It is said to have already devoured three county towns."

Feng Qing's motion of polishing his bow stopped completely, and he said indifferently.

"It's just throwing their lives away."

Lu Dachuan shook his head repeatedly.

"How can you say that? Look at Thousand-Household Liao's cultivation; it is said he is just one step away from the Divine Ability Realm. Qin Zheng and the others are also top-tier experts from their respective teams, with several in the Heart-Awakening Realm. Besides, our Prefecture Demon Suppression Division hasn't been idling all these years; we still have some trump cards up our sleeves."

Ling Xiaoning's eyes lit up as he listened.

"Burning Heaven Demon King? The name alone sounds powerful. If one could go along, wouldn't the merit be huge?"

Before he could finish, Lu Dachuan slapped him on the back of the head.

"Huge? Xiao Ning, do you know how many troops have been sent there over the years? Which time didn't suffer over fifty percent casualties? Even among the small fraction that returned, at least half were missing arms or legs!"

"That Demon King has been entrenched in the Southern Wilderness for decades, and even the imperial army couldn't do anything about it. Do you really think our Demon Suppression Division can easily take it down?"

Feng Qing finally put down his bow, stood up, and his voice was terrifyingly calm.

"Three years ago, the former captain of Team A, at the Late Stage of the Heart-Awakening Realm, took six skilled experts to the Southern Wilderness to scout the path. In the end, not a single one returned, and their bones couldn't even be found."

The barracks fell silent. Ling Xiaoning's face turned pale, and he stammered.

"Are the people in the Demon Hunting Division crazy? To actually provoke such a monster..."

"It's not crazy; it's that they have to."

Lu Dachuan sighed, a complex expression on his face.

"In recent years, demon infestations across various regions have become increasingly rampant. Several Prefectures in the north are struggling to contain them. I heard the imperial court is putting immense pressure on Thousand-Household Liao. If we can eliminate this major threat, or even just deal it a heavy blow, it would be of great help in stabilizing the entire Jingzhou Prefecture and the surrounding situation."

Feng Qing stepped forward, lifting his eyes to look directly at Chen Mu, his gaze sharp.

"So this time, it is not an ordinary mission; it is an all-out assault. Thousand-Household Liao has personally selected the generals. Most of the Banner Masters and the top-ranked General Squad Leaders from various divisions have been summoned to the main hall. Qin Zheng's Team A and Zhu Hongyu's group from Team B have been assembled and waiting for orders since early this morning."

Chen Mu's heart skipped a beat—not out of fear, but with a nearly burning throb of excitement.

The Burning Heaven Demon King—if a demon of such a level could be slain, how much Lifespan could be plundered? Five thousand years? Eight thousand years? Or perhaps even over ten thousand?

The deduction of the second level of the Hunyuan Wuji Calamity Body was nearly sixty percent complete, and it had already consumed four thousand five hundred years of his Lifespan. To reach Perfection and even attempt a Breakthrough to the third level, he would need a massive amount of Lifespan. Ordinary demons and ordinary missions, no matter how high the efficiency, would be difficult to gather enough in a short time.

But a Demon King was a completely different concept.

"Are we going too?"

Ling Xiaoning's voice was already trembling.

Lu Dachuan shook his head, though his expression remained heavy.

"For a decisive battle of this level, our Team C is not qualified. Squad Leader Bai's injuries have not yet healed, and Zhao Si is still bedridden. The team's Origin Qi has been severely damaged. Chief-Lieutenant Huo's intention is for us to rest for the time being and be responsible for coordinating the defense around the Prefecture city, guarding against any demons that might take the opportunity to cause trouble."

He paused, then looked at Chen Mu again, his tone exceptionally serious.

"Brother Chen, I know you have great ability and high aspirations, but I must remind you: do not entertain any improper thoughts. That kind of place is not something we can touch."

Chen Mu remained silent, his fingers unconsciously stroking the hilt of the blade in his sleeve.

The atmosphere in the barracks was so oppressive it was suffocating. Ling Xiaoning kept his head down, not knowing what he was thinking.

Chen Mu nodded, knowing Lu Dachuan was right. Every time, the casualties were heavy, and even experts at the Late Stage of the Heart-Awakening Realm left no bones behind. With his current strength, if he went, he probably wouldn't even count as cannon fodder.

Strength, he still needed even greater strength...