Chapter 268 Heaven-Burning Pressure

Duan Shenxing also spoke slowly from the side.

"I am of the same mind. This matter is complicated and confusing; we cannot act rashly, yet we cannot sit idly by. That is why I called Qi Huan over to hand the clues to him, so he can plan accordingly."

Qi Huan nodded.

"I will arrange for my subordinates to investigate tomorrow to see if they can find any trace of this elderly man or determine his origins. However, this person is elusive and his movements are unpredictable; I'm afraid it will be difficult to yield results in the short term."

As he spoke, he looked at Chen Mu again, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

"Chen Mu, you are meticulous and steady in your work. If you are willing, you can keep an eye on this matter for me. After all, your Demon Hunting Division goes out on field duty; you might just run into him one day."

Chen Mu nodded.

"If there are any clues, I will naturally inform Chief Qi."

While they were talking, Lu Dachuan had finished changing his bandages and limped out from the backyard. Seeing that it was getting late, Qi Huan rose to take his leave. Chen Mu and Lu Dachuan followed suit. Duan Shenxing did not urge them to stay, only reminding Lu Dachuan to take his medicine on time before seeing them out the door.

Walking out of the Demon Suppression Division, Qi Huan did not stop his pace. Chen Mu followed beside him, while Lu Dachuan slowed his steps.

"Banner Master Qi, Brother Chen, I'm going to go check on Ji Xiang. That girl's injuries weren't light, and I don't know how her recovery is going, so I won't be heading back with you."

Lu Dachuan cupped his fists toward the two of them and then nodded to Qi Huan. When his gaze swept over Qi Huan's face, it carried a hint of tactfulness.

Having been in the division for so many years, he had some discernment. Qi Huan was a Banner Master of the Demon Search Division and was so familiar with Chen Mu; they surely had something to discuss, and his presence would only be a hindrance.

Qi Huan nodded, and Lu Dachuan leaned on his wooden staff, limping off in another direction. Chen Mu glanced at him but said nothing.

Once Lu Dachuan was far off, Qi Huan turned his head to look at Chen Mu, his face showing some emotion.

"That kid certainly knows how to read the room."

Chen Mu shook his head slightly.

"Brother Lu is rough on the outside but fine on the inside; he just talks too much."

Qi Huan smiled and did not continue the topic, walking forward with his hands behind his back. Chen Mu followed at his side as the two walked slowly along the bluestone path of the Demon Suppression Division.

The sun was already dipping to the west, its afterglow dyeing the Demon Suppression Division in warm yellow. Occasionally, Demon Hunting Soldiers hurried past in the distance; upon seeing Qi Huan, they all cupped their fists in greeting. Qi Huan merely nodded slightly, his pace never faltering.

After walking for a while, Qi Huan suddenly spoke, his voice lowered more than before.

"Chen Mu, do you know how things are going on Thousand-Household Liao's side?"

Chen Mu shook his head.

"I only heard Banner Master Cheng mention it once, saying that the situation in the Southern Wilderness is much more complicated than expected. Thousand-Household Liao will return soon, but I don't know the specifics."

Qi Huan sighed, his gaze looking into the distance, his expression growing more somber.

"During my inspection tour, I passed the edge of the Southern Wilderness and heard some rumors. The campaign on Thousand-Household Liao's side is not going smoothly."

"What Thousand-Household Liao took with him this time were the elites of Team A and Team B of the Demon Hunting Division, along with accompanying scouts from the Demon Search Division and auxiliary troops from various departments, totaling no less than two hundred people. These were the foundations accumulated by the Prefecture Demon Suppression Division over many years."

He paused, lowering his voice even further.

"Those who returned alive number fewer than fifty."

Chen Mu's footsteps faltered.

Two hundred elites, with fewer than fifty returning alive—that meant eighty percent were lost. Anywhere else, this would be considered a crushing defeat among crushing defeats.

Seeing him stop, Qi Huan also halted and turned to look at him.

"That Fentian Demon King has been entrenched in the Southern Wilderness for decades. Thousand-Household Liao has tried to suppress him no less than five times, returning without success each time, but there has never been a loss to this extent."

"This time they went deep into the heart of the Southern Wilderness, originally intending to take advantage of the interval when Fentian was in secluded cultivation to wipe out his lair in one fell swoop. But no one expected that Fentian wasn't in seclusion at all; that news was false—it was bait."

A flash of coldness appeared in Qi Huan's eyes.

"By the time they reached the vicinity of Fentian's lair, they discovered that an inescapable net had long been laid there. The demon soldiers and generals under Fentian's command swarmed out, surrounding them tightly."

"That battle lasted from day until night, from the mountains to the valley floor. Thousand-Household Liao fought desperately to break through, finally leading the remnants on a path of blood. But just the demon soldiers and generals under his command were enough to leave us overwhelmed. Fentian himself... didn't even make a move."

Chen Mu's eyes narrowed slightly.

Fentian himself didn't move, yet relying only on his subordinate demon soldiers and generals, he caused the Demon Suppression Division's two hundred elites to lose nearly eighty percent.

To what level has this Fentian Demon King's strength actually reached?

Qi Huan looked at him, seemingly seeing through his thoughts, and shook his head with a bitter smile.

"Don't ask me how strong Fentian is; I don't know either. I only know that after Thousand-Household Liao returned to the main camp, he locked himself in his tent for three whole days, seeing no one. When he came out three days later, he had lost a significant amount of weight, and half his hair had turned white."

"He personally wrote a report and sent it to the capital via carrier pigeon, while also reporting to the Governors Mansion."

Qi Huan paused, a look of gravity in his eyes.

"This crushing defeat cannot be hidden. Once the news spreads, the Prefecture will inevitably be shaken, and the Inspector General will likely be unable to sit still."

Chen Mu pondered for a moment.

"So, the case of the white-haired elder that Medical Officer Duan mentioned just now is related to this?"

Qi Huan shook his head.

"That's not certain yet. It's just that at this juncture, any sign of trouble must be given double the attention. Fentian's side killed so many of our people; there's no telling when they might make a comeback. When that time comes, whether Jingzhou Prefecture can hold out is another matter."

As he spoke, he suddenly changed the subject.

"But then again, although Thousand-Household Liao suffered a crushing defeat this time, there is one piece of good news."

Chen Mu looked up at him. Qi Huan lowered his voice, but a hint of a smile appeared at the corners of his mouth.

"After the Inspector General heard the news, amidst his fury, he also realized that the threat from the Southern Wilderness is far greater than expected. Consequently, he immediately ordered all the Four Army Colonels under his command to return to the Prefecture next month to report on their duties."

"Four Army Colonels?"

Chen Mu frowned slightly. He had only been in the Prefecture for a short time and his knowledge of these Four Army Colonels was limited; he had only vaguely heard that they were elites directly under the Inspector General, usually stationed at various key points around the Prefecture and rarely returning to the city.

Qi Huan nodded.

"Yes, the East, South, West, and North Armies. Each army is led by a Colonel, with at least five hundred and as many as a thousand men under their command. They are all genuine elites, standing a head taller than our people in the Demon Suppression Division. These Four Armies are the Inspector General's trump card and are not easily moved. To be able to recall them all this time shows that the Inspector General is truly anxious."

Chen Mu was lost in thought and did not speak.

Qi Huan glanced at him and suddenly leaned in closer, saying mysteriously.

"News has already leaked from the Governors Mansion. After Thousand-Household Liao returns, he will head back to the capital with the Four Army Colonels, and they won't be going back empty-handed."

Chen Mu's eyes narrowed. "Oh?"

Qi Huan nodded.

"According to the rules, once every three years, each division of the Demon Suppression Division has slots to enter the capital and bathe in the Marrow Cleansing Pool."