Human Clan Defender
Chapter 60 - The Dilemma of the Demon-Subduing Division

Chapter 60: 60 Chapter The Dilemma of the Demon-Subduing Division

Sitting erect in the inner hall, Shen Changqing gazed at the dark night outside, his expression somewhat calm. It was not until this moment that he truly felt the difficulties of the Demon-Subduing Division.

There were many Demon Evils, but the number of powerhouses available to the Demon-Subduing Division was limited. Training an ordinary person to become a Demon Hunter who could stand alone would take an incalculable amount of time. Even if some experts were trained, they were still no match for the sheer number of Demon Evils. What was more crucial was that the Demon-Subduing Division was precisely lacking time right now.

Therefore, the approach adopted by the Demon-Subduing Division was a brutal culling process, forcing intense competition where only the strongest survived. They collected talented individuals from all over the world, placed them in the Demon-Subduing Division, provided them with Martial Arts and other resources, and then dispatched them all after a year. Anyone who successfully advanced was considered a good outcome. Although this method would sacrifice many people, it was the most efficient and also the most time-saving.

There are ultimately too few people who can deal with Demon Evils! Shen Changqing sighed inwardly.

One could tell just from Lin’an City. With the current havoc wrought by Demon Evils, and him alone guarding this place, it was inevitable that he felt somewhat overwhelmed. If a small city like this was already so severely afflicted by Demon Evils, one could well imagine how rampant they were across Great Qin.

Forget it. How the rules of the Demon-Subduing Division are established is not something I, a mere Demon Hunter, can influence. For now, it’s best to stabilize the situation in Lin’an City!

Shen Changqing shook his head to himself and expelled the distracting thoughts from his mind.

He couldn’t be certain exactly how many Demon Evils had infiltrated Lin’an City. But one thing he could be sure of was that he absolutely could not be led by the nose by those Demon Evils. Now that all the Government Officials had been dispatched, the specific outcome could only be left to fate. Shen Changqing knew very well that he absolutely could not act rashly now.

Being stationed at the Yamen meant he was at the very heart of Lin’an City; therefore, any disturbance could be promptly and appropriately dealt with.

There has been no news from the Heavenly Inspection Guard. I’m afraid it’s not looking optimistic...

「 」

In the dark streets, several Government Officials held torches, patrolling the main road. Due to the curfew, there were virtually no idlers on the streets at this time. Not only that, but troubled by Demon Evils, even the Watchmen had no work to do. The surrounding streets were so silent one could only hear footsteps and nothing else.

"What do you guys think? How many Demon Evils are there in the city now?" Zhou Yang tightened his grip on the torch, his gaze vigilant as he scanned the oppressively dark houses. A sense of foreboding gnawed at him, never quite leaving his heart.

Upon hearing this, a few of the nearby Government Officials replied.

"Who knows? First, Zhao Fang colluded with Demon Evils, then the Zhang Family was annihilated by Demon Evils, followed by the Earth Dragon’s Turnover, and now Lin’an City is plagued by Demon Evils. Why are we so unlucky!" one Government Official lamented, his face sorrowful.

The expressions of the other few Government Officials were also grim.

Demon Evils caused trouble. Other citizens could still avoid it somewhat, but they, as Government Officials, had no way out. As Shen Changqing had said, they were living on Imperial provisions, with salaries coming from the taxpayers’ money. At this critical juncture, there was absolutely no room for retreat. Otherwise, if the Imperial Court investigated, it would be a dead end for them.

Zhou Yang clutched the torch in one hand and gripped a vial of chicken blood in the other.

"Lord Shen said that rooster’s blood can deal with Demon Evils. I just hope there won’t be an occasion to use it!"

"But does rooster’s blood really work?" someone asked, looking at the vial of chicken blood in his hand, still harboring some doubts.

"Who knows," Zhou Yang said, shaking his head.

"Right now, we can only pray it does. Otherwise, you and I are in for trouble!"

Having said that, Zhou Yang paused and turned to look at the people behind him.

Suddenly, his expression changed slightly.

"Where did Old Wang go?"

As he spoke, several Government Officials couldn’t help but turn and look back. Realizing someone was indeed missing, they exchanged uneasy glances.

"Wasn’t Old Wang always following behind?"

"I have no idea. I just saw him a moment ago. Maybe he went somewhere to relieve himself..."

Seeing their reactions, Zhou Yang’s face slowly darkened.

"We must go back immediately and report to the Lord!"

After years of service, he sensed something was terribly wrong. Old Wang wasn’t a novice at the Yamen; he wouldn’t just disappear silently from the group. Moreover, under the current circumstances, it was highly unlikely he would have left the group to do something else. Therefore, the only remaining possibility was rather dire.

Seeing Zhou Yang’s grim face, the expressions of the remaining Government Officials also instantly turned ugly.

"Head Zhou, are you saying Old Wang—he—"

"Say no more! We must go back right now. Everyone, be vigilant of your surroundings. If anything goes wrong, immediately use the chicken blood in the vials to defend yourselves!"

Zhou Yang cut them off.

There was no room for doubt; Old Wang had vanished, which surely meant a Demon Evil had struck. If his luck was good, he might make it out alive. But if his luck was poor, then there was nothing to be done. Demon Evils were simply not something they could handle. Now that they had detected the presence of a Demon Evil, the most prudent course of action was to return and report to the Lord, allowing him to deal with and slay the Demon Evil.

Instantly, they dared not tarry any longer and hurried towards the Yamen.

Before long, Zhou Yang suddenly felt an eerie silence envelop him. When he looked back, the people who had been following him had vanished without a trace.

In an instant, his back was soaked with cold sweat. Zhou Yang realized his current situation meant either the others had been trapped by the Demon Evil, or he himself was trapped. Obviously, the latter was more likely.

He looked at the street before him. He had patrolled it countless times and should have been thoroughly familiar with it. Yet, at this moment, the familiar street exuded an unprecedented sense of strangeness. Darkness shrouded the street ahead, its end completely obscured from view.

What should I do!

Zhou Yang swallowed hard. Staring at the scene before him, his legs felt as if they were filled with lead, unable to move.

According to Lord Shen, the greatest trick of a Demon Evil is to confuse its victims with an Illusory Realm. This means I might be trapped in some kind of Illusory Realm now...

Thinking of the Illusory Realm, Zhou Yang’s heart didn’t calm down; on the contrary, he became even more tense. The environment he was in, even knowing it was an illusion, offered him no chance to relax. Not to mention, if there was an Illusory Realm, then a Demon Evil was surely present.

WHOOSH!

A cold wind suddenly gusted from behind, as if someone was breathing on his neck. The chilling sensation made Zhou Yang’s skin crawl. His body stiff, he stood motionless. His other hand, trembling, opened the bottle containing chicken blood.

As he turned around, he saw a decaying face with no eyeballs.

BANG—

The chicken blood, bottle and all, was hurled at the thing before him. The crimson liquid splashed onto the rotting face, scalding it like boiling water and eliciting a piercing scream.

At the same time, Zhou Yang bolted, running frantically towards the Yamen. At that moment, only the image of the decaying face echoed in his mind. All his internal fear had been fully unleashed. Even Zhou Yang himself didn’t realize that his movements today were much faster than they had ever been before.

「 」

"Lord Shen, it’s terrible! Something’s happened!" Zhou Yang yelled, stumbling and crawling into the Yamen.

Shen Changqing, who was sitting in the inner hall, came at once upon hearing the commotion.

"Calm down!"

The loud shout scattered much of Zhou Yang’s fear.

Shen Changqing’s face was stern as he said, "What happened? Tell me everything, from beginning to end."

Seeing that familiar face, Zhou Yang immediately calmed down. He swallowed a few times and said, "Lord, we were attacked by a Demon Evil! I don’t know what happened to the others. I only managed to escape by using the bottle of chicken blood."

A Demon Evil attack!

"Where? Take this official there!"

"This humble servant... this humble servant obeys!" Zhou Yang dared not refuse and immediately led the way.

Before long, the two arrived back at the street in question.

"Lord, we were patrolling this very street, but after a short while, Old Wang and the others all disappeared..."

Looking at the familiar street before him, Zhou Yang recalled his recent terrifying encounter. If Shen Changqing hadn’t been by his side, he would never have dared to return.

Upon hearing this, Shen Changqing didn’t respond but stood still. Heavenly Centipede True Qi rose from his Dantian, and his senses were extended to their maximum.

After a moment, he took a step forward and thrust a palm, wrapped in Heavenly Centipede True Qi, into the empty air. The fierce Heavenly Centipede True Qi surged like raging flames, causing the surrounding temperature to rise sharply.

Immediately after, in Zhou Yang’s astonished gaze, everything before him seemed to disintegrate, turning to ash bit by bit.

When the street vanished, another street came into view. The difference, however, was that the several Government Officials who had disappeared were now sprawled haphazardly on the ground.

Before Zhou Yang could react, Shen Changqing suddenly drew his long blade, slashing at an empty spot. From the empty space, a wretched scream was heard. A mutilated body, sliced in two by the long blade, eventually dispersed like smoke.

Sheathing his long blade, Shen Changqing scoffed, "A mere Ghostly Level Fiend dares to set up an Illusory Realm Barrier within the city, right under the nose of this official? Truly seeking death!"

He had reaped some Slaughter Value. Although it wasn’t much, it brought him a measure of satisfaction.

Clearly, this Demon Evil had appeared here long ago and had set up an Illusory Realm Barrier. Anyone who entered the street would unknowingly be trapped within the Illusory Realm.

Having dealt with this, Shen Changqing approached the fallen Government Officials. Each of their faces was somewhat pale, but their chests still rose and fell, proving they were alive.

Without hesitation, he slapped each of them, waking the Government Officials from their deep slumber.

As the men regained consciousness and saw Shen Changqing’s face, they quickly came to their senses.

"Lord Shen!"

"The Demon Evil here has been slain by this official. Return with me for now; we can discuss this further later!"