Human Clan Defender
Chapter 86 Zhou Qin

Chapter 86: Chapter 86 Zhou Qin

Late at night.

Shen Changqing sat alone, not lying in bed to rest. At his realm, unless there was a significant expenditure of energy, not sleeping for a day or two was not a big problem.

Earlier, his conversation with Zhong Chi had given him some understanding of the situation in Jincheng. The most important issue was the problem with the Eternal Alliance.

It seems I really need to take another look at Wanhua Building when I get the chance, Shen Changqing mused.

He wasn’t particularly interested in the pleasures of the brothel. Initially, had he not sensed the Yin Evil Aura on Qing’er, he wouldn’t have set foot in that place at all.

However, when he entered Wanhua Building, he only detected the Yin Evil Aura on her and not on anyone else. About this, Shen Changqing wasn’t too surprised now. The Yin Evil Aura was subtle; apart from possessing an object of Yin Evil origin, making the aura not too intense, there must be other hidden techniques on her person. After all, he was very confident in his own senses. Even the faintest scent from an item of Yin Evil, as long as it wasn’t too far away, could be detected by him. If it were like during the day, where he could only sense it when up close, there definitely had to be some hidden methods at play.

Shen Changqing didn’t mention this matter to Zhong Chi. Ultimately, whether there were other hidden techniques or not wasn’t a big issue. The Heavenly Inspection Guard had long understood that Wanhua Building was unusual. They were extremely cautious in their investigation. Now, the only problem was how to uncover the Demon Evil lurking behind Wanhua Building.

Immediately after, Shen Changqing’s thoughts shifted to Xu Yi and the others he had encountered during the day.

They probably won’t act so quickly. Right now, they’re in a phase of gathering information. If they were to take action, I reckon it would be some time later. I just hope they don’t become too impatient.

He blew out the oil lamp. Shen Changqing went to the side of the bed, took off his shoes, sat cross-legged, and silently began to cultivate the Heavenly Martial Gang Qi.

「—」

"Miss, the night is deep. Shall we go back to rest?"

In the courtyard of a large residence, a pretty maid who appeared to be only fifteen or sixteen years old looked around at the pitch-dark surroundings, a trace of fear visible on her face.

In front of her stood a slightly older and quite charming woman. The woman wielded the Qingfrost Longsword, dressed in white martial attire, her entire being exuding a competence uncommon in ordinary women.

"If you’re scared, go back by yourself!" Zhou Qin’s voice was somewhat cold, her striking eyes filled with a lethal intent, constantly vigilant of her surroundings. "Since when has the Zhou Family fallen to the point of being scared by a Demon Evil into abandoning our ancestral home? Now, we are even seeking help everywhere, utterly losing face. Today, I want to see for myself what kind of Demon Evil dares to contend with my Zhou Family."

She was the young lady of the Zhou Family. Possessing a quite remarkable talent for martial arts, she had left home at an early age to join a Jianghu Sect. Usually, she would only return home during festivals and celebrations. This time, faced with a crisis of Demon Evil that had killed many, Old Master Zhou not only widely sought help from the martial artists of Jianghu but also sent word to this young lady of the Zhou Family.

Upon receiving the news, Zhou Qin immediately rode at full speed back to Jincheng. The moment she returned to Jincheng, she, along with others, charged straight into the abandoned ancestral home of the Zhou Family.

After being scolded, the maid dared not make a peep.

Zhou Qin said in a stern voice, "Pay attention to the movements around us, and inform me at once if anything is amiss."

"Yes—" the maid replied in a low voice.

Seeing this, Zhou Qin stopped speaking. Her longsword was never sheathed but instead held at an angle pointing to the ground as she moved slowly forward.

The Zhou Family was a well-known large clan in Jincheng, and their ancestral home was quite substantial. The rear garden before her, with its rockeries, flowing water, pavilions, and towers, cast many long, inverted shadows under the night sky.

According to what others have said, the bodies of every victim were found in this back garden. That means the Demon Evil is very likely to reside within this back garden, Zhou Qin recalled, drawing her True Qi from her Dantian and extending her senses to their maximum, constantly alert to her surroundings.

Any Demon Evil is not weaker than a martial artist of the Pulse Condensation Realm. However, she was considered an outstanding figure in her sect, having achieved True Qi Generation and ascended to the Pulse Condensation Realm over a year ago. To confront a Demon Evil of the same realm, Zhou Qin was unafraid.

"Miss, there’s a white shadow—" The maid behind her suddenly let out a shriek.

"Where?" Zhou Qin turned around just in time to see the maid’s pale face.

Hearing this, the maid, frightened, pointed shakingly to the left. "Just... just now, I... I think I saw a white... a white shadow flit by—"

Zhou Qin followed the direction the maid was pointing to, which led to a large artificial hill. Without hesitation, she leaped up and headed towards the hill. She arrived behind the artificial hill and scanned the surroundings with piercing eyes, but found nothing out of the ordinary.

Just then, a shrill scream pierced through the night.

Not good! Zhou Qin’s face changed, and she immediately left the rockery, returning to her original position.

The maid who had been standing there before was now nowhere to be seen. By the light of the moon, the dark red traces of blood could be clearly seen.

Dammit! Looking at the bloodstains on the ground, Zhou Qin’s complexion was as dark as water. She didn’t need to think to understand what the maid’s fate must have been.

She had broken into the ancestral home. The Demon Evil had not been found; instead, she had lost a person. It was impossible not to feel angry about it.

However, beyond the anger, Zhou Qin was also slightly startled. Strictly speaking, the rockery was not far from here, only about twenty to thirty feet away, but when the maid disappeared, she hadn’t sensed it in advance at all. This showed that the means of the Demon Evil were quite strange and unpredictable.

Just then, a gust of wind hit her from behind, bringing with it a bone-chilling coldness. The coldness made Zhou Qin feel as if the blood in her body were freezing.

True Qi erupted, and a daunting cold light burst from the longsword. She stepped back and then turned around to strike with her sword, colliding just in time with a green, withered hand.

BANG!!

The green, withered hand directly grasped the blade, and no matter how sharp the longsword was, it did nothing to it. At the moment the palm grasped the longsword, an intimidating coldness surged forth. The white blade of the sword quietly became coated with a layer of frost.

Seeing the frost spreading and about to reach the hilt, Zhou Qin was alarmed and had no choice but to let go and retreat.

Only then could she barely make out what, exactly, was in front of her: a skinny old crone with a pointed mouth and monkey cheeks, a face turned blue, and a pair of green eyes chilling to the bone.

The longsword, now in the grip of her opponent, was completely covered in frost and shattered into several pieces like ceramic the moment it hit the ground.

The longsword shattered. The Demon Evil’s figure vanished from the spot in an instant.

Zhou Qin couldn’t afford to be shocked, for a strong wind was already bearing down on her from behind. The same chilling sensation made her dare not engage the enemy directly again.

With a light tap of her toes, her body swept away like a wisp of cotton, flitting toward the distance.

Having put some distance between them, Zhou Qin was just about to breathe a sigh of relief when her vision suddenly changed and a horrifying face was already close to hers.

In that moment, Zhou Qin felt as if struck by lightning. Without a second thought, all her True Qi burst forth, and she launched a palm strike with all her might.

BOOM—

The strike, concentrated with True Qi, landed directly on the body of the Demon Evil. The Demon Evil slightly retreated, and at the same time, the green, withered hand launched out like lightning. Zhou Qin couldn’t react in time, and the attack was already upon her.

BANG!!

The powerful blow struck her, and a bone-chilling coldness swept through her, sending Zhou Qin flying. But just as she was about to hit the ground, Zhou Qin twisted her body forcefully, tapped her toes lightly, and had already left the Zhou Family ancestral home.

The entire process happened in the blink of an eye.

Having left the Zhou Family ancestral home, Zhou Qin didn’t dare to pause even for half a moment and directly headed for the place where the Zhou Family was currently residing.

「—」

The following day.

Shen Changqing got up early. Just after waking up, a servant brought him water to wash his face, but beneath the washbasin, he found a piece of paper pressed down. Needless to say, this was a message from the Heavenly Inspection Guard.

Unfolding the paper, Shen Changqing looked at its content, a slight surprise crossing his face.

I didn’t expect the Zhou Family to have some foresight; it’s no wonder they have thrived to this day.

The content on the paper was about Zhou Qin and the Jianghu Sect she had joined.

Yi Sword Sect!

A fairly well-known power in the Great Wilderness Prefecture. The strongest person in the Yi Sword Sect is a Grandmaster-level expert. Any sect that has a Grandmaster is considered a truly large sect.

A sect with a Grandmaster holds a high status, no matter where it is. The Zhou Family showed foresight by having their talented clanspeople join the Yi Sword Sect in advance; that was indeed planning for a rainy day, Shen Changqing thought with approval.

In such times, having money alone cannot secure one’s foothold in the world; strength is equally important. The Zhou Family has money. Now, with a member in the Yi Sword Sect, they also have strength. With both money and strength, such a family can prosper for a long time.

After reading about the Yi Sword Sect, Shen Changqing focused his attention on the details regarding Zhou Qin.

Zhou Qin, the eldest daughter of the Zhou Family Head, was sent to the Yi Sword Sect at the age of fourteen. She broke through to the Pulse Condensation Realm at seventeen and was hailed as the most outstandingly talented disciple of the Yi Sword Sect in a decade, considered very likely to break through to Innate in the future. She was now eighteen years old and suspected to be a martial artist in the mid-stage of the Pulse Condensation Realm. She had just returned to Jincheng yesterday. Last night, she entered the Zhou Family ancestral home, where she battled the Demon Evil, retreated in defeat, and sustained serious injuries.

Zhou Qin... Looking at the information, Shen Changqing’s eyes flickered.

Entering the Yi Sword Sect at fourteen and breaking through to Pulse Condensation at seventeen, she certainly qualifies as a genius.

It might seem like members of the Demon-Subduing Division, those who can be promoted to official Demon Hunters, often advance to the Pulse Condensation Realm in a year or even less. But in reality, every person who can enter the Demon-Subduing Division and become a novice Demon Hunter possesses great talent in the Martial Dao.