Human Clan Defender
Chapter 91: Annihilation of a Clan

Chapter 91: Chapter 91: Annihilation of a Clan

Nighttime.

The Zhou Residence was dead silent.

After the ancestral home had been devoured by a great fire during the day, Old Master Zhou flew into a rage, leaving some of the servants as quiet as cicadas in winter.

Come nightfall, no one dared to speak loudly.

Only some Protectors were continuously patrolling inside the Zhou Residence.

"I heard that since the ancestral home was destroyed and that Demon Evil was exterminated, will the old man rebuild the ancestral home?"

A group of guards was patrolling the garden when one, observing the pitch-dark surroundings, chatted with his colleague.

Upon hearing this, someone immediately responded, "Rebuilding the ancestral home is definite. It’s said that the Zhou ancestral home has excellent Feng Shui. The Zhou Family owes its fortune to the Feng Shui of the ancestral home; otherwise, the old man wouldn’t have been so enraged by its burning down."

"Heh, the Yamen people are bold enough to burn down the ancestral home without a second word."

"It wasn’t the Yamen people who ordered the fire. I heard it was the Demon-Subduing Division. If it were just the Yamen, with the old man’s connections, how could there have been no message in advance?"

"I see—"

The guards discussed among themselves.

As a powerful clan, the Zhou Family held some power in Jincheng. The matter of the ancestral home was no small issue. If it had been the doing of the Yamen, they surely would have given prior notice, but the Demon-Subduing Division was an entirely different matter.

Suddenly, someone said, "Do you think that Demon Evil in the ancestral home was truly vanquished?"

"That’s a certainty. The Yamen personally declared it. How could it be fake?"

Another person shook his head. The Yamen’s words were highly credible.

The words had barely left his lips when one of the Protectors, aided by the light of a torch, looked towards a nearby rockery’s shadow and seemed to glimpse something wriggling, his heart immediately skipping a beat.

"Look, is there something over there?"

Upon hearing this, the other Protectors were also startled. But when they looked in the direction the man was pointing, the anxiety they felt was quickly dispelled.

One guard scoffed, "Old Lin, have you been to the Wanhua Building too often? Now you’re seeing things; there’s nothing there. It’s just a shadow."

"Exactly, Old Lin, you must be seeing things."

Hearing what the others said, Old Lin rubbed his eyes. When he looked towards the rockery again, indeed, there was only the rockery’s shadow, nothing else.

Relieved, Old Lin breathed a sigh of relief and chuckled, "It was my mistake. After we get paid tomorrow, I’ll treat you all to a round of drinks at the Wanhua Building."

"Just drinks?"

"I can’t afford anything else. A month’s salary is only enough to treat you all to a round of drinks. If you want more, that’s out of the question."

The men laughed and chatted, the atmosphere much lighter.

However, as they passed by the rockery, Old Lin couldn’t help but take a couple of extra glances.

All of a sudden, a ghastly pale hand emerged from the stationary shadow on the ground and dragged him into the darkness.

"AAAH—"

The torch fell to the ground, and Old Lin’s figure disappeared.

Hearing that scream, the Protectors’ faces turned deathly white, and without a second thought, they fled in panic.

—

「The next day.」

Shen Changqing finished his night of meditation and was about to call for someone to fetch water for him to freshen up when his room door was knocked on.

Opening the door, there stood Zhong Chi outside.

Stepping aside, Zhong Chi walked in, and Shen Changqing closed the door behind him.

"There’s been trouble!" No sooner had Zhong Chi entered the room than he got straight to the point.

Trouble!?

Shen Changqing’s expression tensed as he asked in a deep voice, "What trouble?"

"Overnight, the entire Zhou Family was wiped out. By the time they were discovered, everyone in the vast Zhou Residence had been drained of their Essence Blood and died. Furthermore, Miss Zhou Qin of the Zhou Family has disappeared without a trace," Zhong Chi said all this at a rapid pace.

The Zhou Family wiped out! The young mistress of the Zhou Family gone missing!

Both pieces of news completely took Shen Changqing by surprise.

In an instant, he thought of something and asked Zhong Chi, "Is it related to the extermination of the Demon Evil in the Zhou ancestral home yesterday?"

"It’s possible, but not confirmed."

"What about Xu Yi and the others? What’s their situation now?"

Shen Changqing thought of Xu Yi and those who had acted. If the Zhou Family had been wiped out, it was possible that Xu Yi and his group might have encountered some mishap as well.

"That is the second piece of news I need to tell you," Zhong Chi looked troubled. "They had already left Jincheng yesterday to report to the Capital Demon Suppression Division. However, according to the Heavenly Inspection Guard, all four have disappeared. I suspect they might have also fallen victim to Demon Evil."

Missing. It didn’t necessarily mean death, but disappearing at this critical juncture was almost tantamount to it.

"I’m going to the Zhou Residence to see what’s happening."

—

「Zhou Residence.」

It was now surrounded by a massive number of Government Officials.

Outside the Zhou Residence, however, many civilians had stopped to watch, the expressions on each face different from the next. Yet without exception, there was a trace of barely perceptible fear on everyone’s face.

Clearly, the Zhou Family being wiped out was also no small shock to them.

"This place has been sealed off. Without a direct order from a superior, no one can enter." No sooner had Shen Changqing arrived at the Zhou Residence than he was stopped by a government official guarding the entrance.

Seeing this, he immediately took out the token of the Demon-Subduing Division.

"I am from the Demon-Subduing Division!"

"The Demon-Subduing Division!"

The government official’s face showed horror. After glancing at the token in Shen Changqing’s hand, his attitude underwent a one hundred and eighty-degree change.

"Please wait here, my lord. I will immediately go to report!" After speaking, he signaled to another government official with his eyes, then hurriedly rushed into the Zhou Residence.

Less than the time it takes an incense stick to burn, a middle-aged man wearing a black gauze hat and official robes hurried out, followed by the reporting government official and that Constable Liu.

"I am Nie Xu. May I ask which representative of the Demon-Subduing Division is visiting?" As he spoke, he sized up Shen Changqing. The man was dressed unremarkably, but he possessed a demeanor one could not ignore.

Shen Changqing presented the token again, "I am Shen Changqing, a Yellow Rank Demon Hunter from the Capital Demon Suppression Division. I have the honor of meeting Lord Nie!"

Seeing the token and hearing Shen Changqing’s words, Nie Xu’s pupils shrank instantly, and his face was filled with an enthusiastic smile.

"So it’s Lord Shen!"

Nie Xu had not heard Shen Changqing’s name before, but the words ’Yellow Rank Demon Hunter’ signified that the man was indeed an official Demon Hunter. Any official Demon Hunter was a rare powerhouse in Jianghu.

Now that the Zhou Family had been annihilated, having a Yellow Rank Demon Hunter arrive was undoubtedly good news.

However— Amid his surprise, Nie Xu also harbored some doubts. It was concerning why Shen Changqing had come in the first place. If it was because of the Zhou Family’s annihilation, that would be quite astonishing. After all, this was Great Wilderness Prefecture, far away from the Capital City. Even if the news spread rapidly, it was currently inconceivable that word of the Zhou Family’s demise could have left the Great Wilderness Prefecture, let alone for someone from the Demon-Subduing Division to appear.

As Nie Xu hesitated, Shen Changqing also appraised the man before him. Regarding the County Magistrate of Jincheng, he had also obtained some relevant information from the Heavenly Inspection Guard. He understood that the man was a Jincheng scholar who later returned to Jincheng and was appointed County Magistrate, having been in office for two to three years now. During Nie Xu’s tenure, although it couldn’t be said that he made significant achievements, he did ensure the stability of Jincheng, and his actions could be considered standard, with no major faults to be found.

"Having heard of the annihilation of the Zhou Family, I made haste to come here. I did not expect Lord Nie to be one step ahead, promptly sealing off the Zhou Residence." Shen Changqing’s face revealed a thin smile as he courteously clasped his hands toward Nie Xu.

Seeing this, Nie Xu showed a bitter smile, "Lord Shen is unaware. Jincheng has been plagued by Demon Evils for some time now. We had just hoped for some peace following the eradication of the Demon Evil in the Zhou’s ancestral home.

"Unexpectedly, in less than a day, the entire Zhou Family was exterminated.

"As the magistrate of Jincheng, this matter has been a terrible headache for me."

At this point, he paused, the troubled look on his face receding somewhat.

"However, now that Lord Shen is here, I believe the extermination of the Zhou Family will not be a serious issue."

Shen Changqing’s expression did not change in the face of Nie Xu’s flattery. His gaze moved from Nie Xu, then swept over Constable Liu and the other government officials one by one, finally resting on the interior of the Zhou Residence.

"I wish to see the specific situation of the Zhou Family."

"No problem, Lord Shen, please come in." Nie Xu did not hesitate and promptly stepped aside.

Shen Changqing then stepped into the residence.

Once he had entered, Nie Xu turned to the government official beside him, "Continue to guard strictly. No one must be allowed in. Report to me immediately if there are any emergencies."

"Understood!"

The government officials acknowledged the command. Nie Xu then led Constable Liu to catch up with Shen Changqing.

"Lord Nie."

"I am here. What orders does Lord Shen have?" Nie Xu adopted a very deferential stance.

There was no helping it. With the Zhou Family wiped out and Demon Evil almost certainly the cause, the man in front was an official Demon Hunter; whether in strength or in status, he far surpassed a mere County Magistrate of Jincheng. Even though Demon Hunters from the Demon-Subduing Division held no official rank, just the words ’Demon-Subduing Division’ already represented a great deal.

Shen Changqing said, "Lord Nie, when did you discover the Zhou Family had been exterminated?"

"Early this morning, a villager who usually delivers vegetables and meat to the Zhou Family came to their door. He knocked for a long time without response. Fearing the meat would spoil if left too long, he took it upon himself to climb over the wall into the Zhou Residence to investigate.

"Upon doing so, he discovered the dead bodies in the Zhou Family and immediately went to the Yamen to report it.

"Upon receiving the news, my men and I came to investigate. It was only then we discovered that it wasn’t just one or two people dead; the entire family had been exterminated." Nie Xu’s voice trembled slightly, and Shen Changqing could sense the anger within it.

"Is everyone from the Zhou Family dead?"

"After an investigation, it was found that the eldest daughter of the Zhou Family, Zhou Qin, is missing. Everyone else was killed here," Nie Xu replied truthfully.

Shen Changqing nodded; the man’s words matched the information provided by the Heavenly Inspection Guard.

Before long, the three of them arrived at the place where the bodies were kept.