Human Clan Defender
Chapter 56: Earth Dragon’s Turnover (Extra for 2300 Subscriptions)

Chapter 56: Chapter 56: Earth Dragon’s Turnover (Extra for 2300 Subscriptions)

Corpse Puppet!

Zhao Yue’s face showed confusion.

Cui Cheng patiently explained, "Corpse Puppets are the tools of Demon Evils. They kill people and then refine them into puppets. Those turned into Corpse Puppets can retain their memories from when they were alive, but they must obey their creator. To the untrained eye, it is very hard to distinguish Corpse Puppets from the living. Because Corpse Puppets are no longer living, they need to periodically consume fresh blood to prevent their flesh from decaying."

The Guiyuan Sword Sect, as one of the major sects in Guangyuan Prefecture, naturally possessed records concerning Corpse Puppets.

After finishing his explanation, Cui Cheng looked at Shen Changqing, understanding the latter’s intention. "Lord Shen is worried that if news of the Corpse Puppets gets out, it will cause panic among the people!"

"Exactly!" Shen Changqing nodded. "Corpse Puppets are too bizarre; common people simply can’t tell them apart. If they knew that the members of the Zhang Family have already turned into Corpse Puppets, public morale in Lin’an City would definitely be in great disarray. This official also hopes that you two will keep this to yourselves. As for your struggle over the Demon’s Essence Blood, that is your affair. Whether Lin’an City falls into chaos, however, is this official’s affair. If anyone dares to stir up trouble in Lin’an City, then do not blame this official for being impolite."

Shen Changqing made no effort to conceal the threat in his words. Currently, in Lin’an City, I don’t need to act with too much caution. With thirteen levels of Heavenly Martial Gang Qi, as long as no Grandmaster intervenes, even if I can’t sweep through the Innate Realm, I will definitely not be a weakling among them.

Cui Cheng’s expression grew solemn, and he hurriedly responded, "Lord Shen, rest assured, we will definitely not reveal anything about the Corpse Puppets. The Guiyuan Sword Sect has been established in Great Qin for hundreds of years, and our duty includes maintaining regional stability."

"That would be best." Shen Changqing picked up the teacup beside him.

Seeing this, Cui Cheng, pulling Zhao Yue with him, stood up. "We will not disturb Lord Shen any longer. Farewell!"

"Take care, both of you." Shen Changqing nodded, then looked towards the door. "Someone, see the guests out!"

As he finished speaking, a Government Official walked in from outside and said to the two, "This way, please!"

"Farewell!"

「 」

First, the Zhao Family was exterminated, then the Zhang Family’s property was confiscated. In a short period, the well-known local powers in Lin’an City were almost entirely purged. The few slightly larger families that remained all kept a low profile, daring not to make any superfluous movements. Peace was suddenly restored to Lin’an City.

During this time, Shen Changqing also lived a secluded lifestyle and seldom showed himself publicly. He only dealt with the daily affairs of the Yamen and had nothing else to do. The blade provided by the Demon-Subduing Division was damaged, and he had wanted to find an opportunity to replace it. However, Lin’an City was only a small place. There were blacksmith shops, but the weapons they produced were inferior to his current, partially damaged long knife. So, Shen Changqing could only make do for the time being.

Considering the time, the Demon’s Essence Blood should be about to emerge, right?

Standing at the entrance to the inner hall, he gazed into the distance. The clear sky had, at some point, darkened slightly. It felt as if a huge stone were pressing down on one’s chest, creating an oppressive sense of suffocation.

Out of nowhere, some words he had heard in his previous life floated into Shen Changqing’s mind: "Storm clouds brew, heralding the coming rain; dark clouds press upon the city, threatening to crush it!" Although there were no dark clouds literally pressing down upon the city at that moment, the atmosphere felt similar. I have a premonition that the Demon’s Essence Blood could very well emerge today.

As he was pondering, Shen Changqing suddenly felt the ground shaking, as if an Earth Dragon was turning over. Items on the tables in the inner hall fell due to the tremors, shattering on the floor.

Then, a cacophony of noise erupted from outside.

"It’s bad, the Earth Dragon’s Turnover!"

"Quick, find shelter—"

The commotion among the populace was so loud it could be heard directly inside the Yamen’s inner hall.

Soon, Shi Qingsheng rushed over, his face filled with panic. "My lord, the Earth Dragon’s Turnover has occurred! It might not be safe to stay in the Yamen’s inner hall. We should quickly find a safe place to hide!"

"Do not panic." Shen Changqing’s expression darkened slightly, his feet seeming to take root in the ground. Regardless of how intensely the ground shook, his figure did not sway in the slightest.

Seeing their lord’s composed demeanor, Shi Qingsheng’s panic subsided considerably. Forcing himself to calm down, he said cautiously, "My lord, the Earth Dragon’s Turnover has caused quite a bit of panic. What should we do now?"

"Gather the people and direct them to open areas for shelter, but do not allow anyone to leave the city on their own," Shen Changqing commanded calmly. "Also, have all Government Officials spread out to maintain order within the city. Anyone who takes advantage of this situation to cause trouble should be thrown into the great prison. If anyone resists, kill them on the spot!"

Upon hearing this, Shi Qingsheng immediately went to follow the instructions.

Shen Changqing remained standing in place, his brows tightly furrowed. If an Earth Dragon’s Turnover is of an ordinary level, it wouldn’t have much impact. But a strong tremor could spell disaster for the people. Regardless, in the eyes of a Martial Artist at the Innate Outer Gang Realm, an Earth Dragon’s Turnover is no threat at all. Based on the current tremors, this Earth Dragon’s Turnover isn’t very intense. With Shi Qingsheng and those Government Officials maintaining order, I am somewhat reassured. The key issue is that my mind isn’t on the Earth Dragon’s Turnover at all right now. Natural occurrences of Earth Dragon’s Turnovers are ultimately rare. For one to happen now, so close to the emergence of the Demon’s Essence Blood, it might very well be related to the Demon’s Essence Blood—

Shen Changqing felt grave about this speculation. If the mere emergence of a Demon’s Essence Blood could trigger an Earth Dragon’s Turnover, then I’ll have to reassess the power of the Demon’s Essence Blood. To tell the truth, I don’t know much about Demon Evils. Demon Evil is a general term for Demon Evils and Strange Monsters, but Demon Hunters are only qualified to deal with Strange Monsters, not Demon Evils. Within the Demon-Subduing Prison, the sealed remnants of Demon Evils and Demon Evils themselves were not captured by Demon Hunters. As for the records on the first floor of the Scripture Pavilion, there isn’t much about Demon Evils, only a bit more about Strange Monsters.

As Shen Changqing was mulling over these thoughts, the ground suddenly shook violently again. The tremor didn’t last long before it subsided.

In the next breath, a thunderous roar came from afar. It was a terrifying roar, as if a Fierce Beast, slumbering since ancient times, had completely awakened.

In that instant, Shen Changqing felt the hairs on his body stand on end. Just that simple roar made him feel an immense threat.

The Demon’s Essence Blood—it has emerged! Without any reason, such a thought popped into Shen Changqing’s mind.

Immediately, he couldn’t stay still any longer and went straight out of the Yamen.

At the same time, the citizens of Lin’an City panicked. That roar seemed to awaken their innermost fears, and the Government Officials maintaining order were hardly any better.

"Run now! It’ll be too late if you don’t!"

"Everyone, stay where you are! Don’t move! Anyone who dares to run around will be thrown into the great prison!" Zhang Yue, suppressing his inner panic, bellowed loudly while drawing the long knife from his waist.

The bright blade instilled fear in some of the citizens, and the originally chaotic scene suddenly became more stable.

At that moment, a wizened old man said with trembling fingers, "A Demon Evil! A Demon Evil is emerging! I once heard a rumor that a sleeping Demon Evil was in the vicinity of Lin’an City. Now, with the Earth Dragon’s Turnover and that roar, it must be a Demon Evil emerging! Run! If a Demon Evil truly emerges, we will all die!"

The words "A Demon Evil emerging!" sent the barely calmed citizens into a panic once more.

As the crowd grew restless, Shen Changqing strode over, his Heavenly Centipede True Qi brewing, and he roared with thunderous might, "Silence!"

His single word drowned out all other sounds. Some citizens even felt as though their heads had been struck by a heavy hammer, nearly losing their balance.

Shen Changqing said sternly, "The claims of a Demon Evil emerging are not credible. It’s just a simple Earth Dragon’s Turnover, so you don’t need to worry too much. Besides, even if a Demon Evil were to emerge, so what? I am from the Demon-Subduing Division, and my duty is to slay Demon Evils. Even if a Demon Evil causes havoc, it would still have to ask whether the knife in my hand agrees!"

His words calmed many of the citizens. Shen Changqing hadn’t been an official for long, but everything he did had left a deep impression, creating a powerful image. Especially the name of the Demon-Subduing Division, which added significantly to his persuasiveness.

Seeing the scene calm down, Shen Changqing softened his tone. "You can all rest assured. With me here, nothing will go wrong in Lin’an City. Once the Earth Dragon’s Turnover is over, everyone should return home. Don’t come out easily, no matter what sounds you hear. Leave the rest of the matters for me to handle."

After saying this, he looked over at Zhang Yue. "You will lead everyone to maintain order in the city. From this moment forward, anyone spreading rumors to incite panic among the populace will, if the offense is serious, be killed on the spot. If it’s minor, they will all be thrown into the great prison. There can be no slackening."

"Rest assured, my lord. This subordinate will definitely ensure the stability of order in the city," Zhang Yue replied, cupping his fist.

"Good!" Shen Changqing nodded, then left the area.

He could clearly sense that the earth-shaking roar had come from the direction east of the city. And according to the intelligence from the Heavenly Inspection Guard, the area around the Mass Burial Mound east of the city might be where the Demon’s Essence Blood was sealed, which is completely consistent with the current phenomena.

Whether as the County Magistrate of Lin’an City or a Demon Hunter of the Demon-Subduing Division, Shen Changqing had no reason to stand idly by. Even though he wasn’t contending for the Demon’s Essence Blood, it was still necessary to go and check out the situation at the site of the incident.

As Shen Changqing left the city, he also saw many Jianghu practitioners rushing towards the Mass Burial Mound.

Along the way, he saw some familiar faces.

"Lord Shen!"

Two somewhat familiar faces entered Shen Changqing’s line of sight. In an instant, he recognized them. They were members of the Qiyao Sect: one named Ming Zhengyang, the other Huang Xuan.

"Quite a coincidence, seeing you two here," Shen Changqing said.

"With the current disturbance outside the city, it’s likely the Demon’s Essence Blood has emerged. Is Lord Shen also interested?" Ming Zhengyang smiled faintly, though his heart felt somewhat heavy. This man said he wasn’t vying for the Demon’s Essence Blood; why has he come to join in the commotion now?

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