Attaining Immortality, Starting From Slaying Demons

Returning to Tingyang County, they sought help from the local Demon-suppression Bureau and acquired over twenty horse carriages.

All were exceptional Demon Horses with astonishing stamina.

In just three days, they brought everyone to Tingyang City.

As the capital of a county, the city's scale was not much smaller than that of Qingzhou City, a sight of prosperity to behold.

Among the various structures, the most eye-catching was not the Prefectural Governor's office but the imposing and majestic Demon Suppressing General's Mansion.

A line of carriages approached.

The two Demon Suppressing Division Guard Colonels at the gate scanned coldly before their gazes softened slightly upon recognizing their own carriages.

Xiao Qiangwei stepped out of the carriage and stood firm.

Upon realizing it was her, the two Colonels' faces grew warmer, and they even took steps to greet her, "You've actually found time to visit, the General has missed you for a long time."

Unlike the smiling faces of the two men, Xiao Qiangwei's brows slowly furrowed, "Why are you in Tingyang City, guarding the gate? Has something happened in the city?"

Not every Demon-suppression Great General had a reputation like Jiang Qiulan – to merely sit in the Prefectural City and yet deter demons from all directions.

General You usually garrisoned outside, and if not necessary, he seldom returned to the city to rest.

"Hiss."

The two Colonels looked at each other with a headache, seemingly ashamed, and lowered their voices, "There's been a theft at home."

The moment these words came out, it was hard not to twitch in embarrassment.

The prestigious Demon Suppressing General's Mansion, not afflicted by any Demon Lord, had been burglarized by petty thieves.

Xiao Qiangwei was stunned for a moment, then seemed to realize something: "Yan Xingkong?"

"That damn thief!" the Colonel gritted his teeth, wishing he could feast on the culprit's flesh, "He doesn't go after the good wines of the king but causes trouble in Tingyang County, his legs will eventually be chopped off."

Clearly, these words were just to vent frustration.

The other party, being the most notorious thief king from Flat Sand Valley among the top forces, did as he pleased not just in Tingyang County but also in Qingzhou City.

Yan Xingkong... cover eighty thousand li, the thief never leaves empty-handed.

"Enough, why the panic, he knows his limits," said Xiao Qiangwei, wave her hand dismissively. This thief king had managed to live safely till now not just because of his contempt for Qingzhou's authority, but also because he never let things escalate.

He always had something to borrow and something to return... of course, what he returned was another matter.

One thing was certain, he never touched what he shouldn't.

The two Colonels heaved a sigh but did not continue the topic. General You had returned for an investigation and didn't find the matter very serious, but for his subordinates, it undoubtedly felt like being slapped in the face while lying on the ground.

They moved on from this subject.

Looking curiously at the carriage, they saw Xiao Qiangwei politely whispering to someone inside the vehicle, prompting a faint surprise to flash through the Colonels' minds.

With Xiao Qiangwei's stature, especially on her home turf, there was no need for such restraint with others. Enjoy exclusive adventures from My Virtual Library Empire

Then, a young man in black descended from the carriage.

Only when the Colonels saw the silver bell on the young man's waist did their bewilderment ease somewhat.

Such a young Silver Bell Demon Catcher did indeed warrant that kind of politeness.

"Didn't you use to tuck it in your belt?"

Xiao Qiangwei gave Shen Yi a puzzled look, then paused in her actions.

What a guy. During the Black Stone Pool incident it was a family affair of the Demon-suppression Bureau, and now at the General's Mansion it became the merit of a demon catcher.

Nobody else was ever going to get a word in.

Conversely to the ease of this group, the many Colonels on the carriage were all pale, thinking that since General You was not in Tingyang City, they had thought they could delay further. Ironically, they had just happened to run into his blade.

Until Liu Bin fell from the carriage with a thud.

The two gate-guarding Colonels stared at him in confusion, taking a long time to recognize him before exclaiming, "Old Brother Liu?!"

How had the once commanding and awe-inspiring old general come to such a pitiable state?

"You two might want to save the brotherly calls for later," said Xiao Qiangwei, her expression turning more serious, "Go inform General You that the Demon Catcher has important matters to report."

The Deputy General was momentarily taken aback, then laughed, "Who ever needs to report back when returning home..."

But upon noticing the woman's expression, he quickly responded, "I'll go right now."

Seeing this, Xiao Qiangwei also turned around, wanting to remind Shen Yi to restrain his personality a bit, even if just for show, and to mask his aloof demeanor. You Longtao was actually a very approachable Great General. Forming a good relationship with him in advance could be beneficial for the young man's future.

Yet just at that moment, she noticed that the young man's hand was calmly resting on the hilt of his blade at his waist and inadvertently thought back to the recently perfected turtle-breathing technique.

Xiao Qiangwei's lips curled into a resigned "tch."

Forget it, she should speak less. It seemed that the other party had no intention of using this opportunity to build a relationship with his superior.

"..."

Shen Yi was still unaccustomed to being completely defenseless when standing beside a target he could not best by force, as was the case with both A'Qian in the past and now You Longtao.

Even knowing they were on the same side, he still felt slightly uneasy.

This problem was actually easy to solve; if he were stronger than the other party, the issue would naturally resolve itself.

Soon enough, several Colonels hurried over, extending a hand to greet them, "Please, this way."

Under their guidance,

The group swiftly entered the residence and arrived at a separate courtyard.

A middle-aged man with a straight silhouette stood to greet them, clad in a green robe. His rough-featured face was tinged with a touch of scholarly grace. His brows and eyes were not sharp, and his voice was clear yet gentle.

He bowed earnestly, "Thank you both, demon catchers."

Xiao Qiangwei extended her hand in return, "General You."

A few breaths later, she did not hear a sound from beside her.

She looked over in confusion, only to see Shen Yi with a calm expression. Then glancing at General You, she realized he too was calmly looking at the young man's waist, not at the silver bell on the right, but at the hand resting on the saber scabbard on the left.

Upon noticing this, Xiao Qiangwei quickly explained, "It's just Shen Yi's personality, it's not directed at the General."

You Longtao snapped out of it and said with a casual smile, "Madame Xiao misunderstands, but from what you said, it seems like you're quite familiar with this young man."

Xiao Qiangwei subconsciously pursed her lips, immediately realizing her lapse and lifting her delicate brows, she composed herself, "So you've become bold enough to tease me, have you?"

She rarely saw him make such jokes while working, but now that he had brought it up, there was no point in maintaining her dignity. Her relationship with You Longtao was known to most of the Demon-suppression Bureau.

With a casual remark from the Demon-suppression Great General, the atmosphere instantly shifted from an official setting to that of a family home.

"Brother Shen, no need to be so formal, please sit."

You Longtao wore a smile, and as a powerful figure in the Embrace Pill Realm, he seemed genuinely unpretentious.

Shen Yi bowed neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Shen Yi pays respects to General You."

He was certain that the moment he walked in, the other party had been staring at the Mo Dao, not because of any particular movement.

Although he did not know why, since the other party had already shifted away from the topic, Shen Yi also acted as if nothing had happened. The blade was a gift from the Ape Demon in Baiyun County, not stolen.

After a few more pleasantries,

Xiao Qiangwei brought up the main issue, explaining the reasons behind Liu Bin's three absences from his duties.

You Longtao listened intently, contemplated briefly, then looked up at the elderly man being detained in the distance and spoke mildly, "Old Liu has done quite a bit for Qingzhou. If he has no merits, he still has suffered hardships. I will grant you a dignified resolution."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bin silently gazed at his scholarly face; his eyes, already cloudy, gradually lost focus. His mouth, void of a tongue, opened and closed slightly, but no sound emerged.

A moment later, as if resigned, he bowed his head.

Observing his expression, You Longtao slightly closed his eyes, and with a breath, it seemed a gentle breeze blew through the courtyard.

Liu Bin's body abruptly collapsed onto the ground, lifeless.

At that same moment, the hundreds of Colonels and Deputy Generals from Black Stone Pond all knelt on the ground with beads of sweat on their foreheads, none daring to speak in their defense. The entire courtyard was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.

You Longtao opened his eyes, his gaze sweeping over them. After pondering for a while, he seemed to be extremely cautious with every decision he made.

A moment later, he nodded, "Remove your Waist-badge Cloud-patterned Robes and suspend your salaries. Find yourselves an honest job within the city to guard this place on behalf of the Demon-suppression Bureau for ten years. If you perform your duties without fault, you are free to stay or leave. If you achieve merit, and wish to, you may also return to the Demon-suppression Bureau, starting from an ordinary Colonel."

"If you still don't mend your ways and commit errors..."

For an instant, the middle-aged man fell silent. The numerous Colonels promptly drew their blades and held them against their necks, their voices trembled as they shouted, "We would sooner take our own lives here! We would not hesitate for an instant!"

Hearing this, You Longtao shook his head slightly, "That won't be necessary. I may not be good at many things, but killing is something I do efficiently, so no need for you all to trouble yourselves."