Human Clan Defender
Chapter 92 Nie Xu

Chapter 92: Chapter 92 Nie Xu

In the main hall.

Many Government Officials were gathered there, with numerous corpses laid out in the middle.

"My lord!"

"Lord Shen has arrived!"

Seeing Nie Xu approaching, the Government Officials cleared a path for him.

Looking at those corpses, Nie Xu instinctively covered his nose, even though the people had just died and there wasn’t supposed to be any smell of decay.

"Lord Shen, these are the corpses of the Zhou Family members. To prevent any unexpected occurrences, I’ve had all the bodies moved together," said Nie Xu.

If this were a common murder case, one definitely wouldn’t move the bodies haphazardly, as that would disrupt the crime scene. But when Demon Evil acted, there was no such thing as a crime scene to speak of. With all the bodies together, if any of them were to reanimate, they could be dealt with immediately.

Shen Changqing nodded.

His gaze swept the hall, immediately drawn to the mummified corpse seated in the chair at the head of the room. All the other corpses were laid haphazardly on the ground; only this one had died in a seated posture.

Sensing Shen Changqing’s gaze, Nie Xu explained in a timely manner, "That is Old Master Zhou’s corpse. When he was found, he was sitting there, dead."

Without a doubt, until the moment of his death, Old Master Zhou had no idea what had happened. This was evident just from his undisturbed seated posture.

"It seems the Demon Evil that acted is no ordinary being—"

Shen Changqing frowned.

Draining Essence Blood is indeed a method of Demon Evil, but to do so in such a way that the victim remains completely unaware is something else entirely. It became clear that the Demon Evil responsible was definitely not just at the Ghostly Level. It could be at the Resentment Level—perhaps even something higher. Fiend Level!?

The thought had barely crossed Shen Changqing’s mind when he forcibly suppressed it.

If a Fiend Level Strange Monster were involved, not only the Zhou Family would die, but the entirety of Jincheng could potentially turn into a Guiyu. Therefore, he was more inclined to believe it was the work of a powerful Resentment Level Monster. The only question now was whether it was the Eternal Alliance behind Wanhua Building or the powerful entity behind the Demon Evil from the Zhou Family’s ancestral home. Comparatively, Shen Changqing was more inclined towards the latter. After all, the Demon Evil from the Zhou Family’s ancestral home had been exterminated just yesterday, and today the entire Zhou Family was wiped out. It would be impossible to say there was no connection.

Shifting his gaze from Old Master Zhou, Shen Changqing looked at the other corpses on the ground. Some wore expressions of terror, as if they had seen something horrifying before death. Others appeared calm and peaceful, as if they had died unknowingly in their sleep.

Taking a few steps closer, Shen Changqing touched the corpses with his palm, sensing a faint Yin Evil Aura lingering on them. Then, he examined several more bodies.

Finally, after removing his hand from Old Master Zhou’s body, Shen Changqing turned to Nie Xu. "Lord Nie, have all the Zhou Family’s corpses cremated to prevent future complications. Also, send someone to find Zhou Qin’s whereabouts. The Demon Evil wouldn’t have taken her away without a purpose."

"No problem."

Nie Xu nodded and then instructed someone beside him, "Arrest Officer Liu, follow Lord Shen’s orders."

"As you command, my lord!"

Arrest Officer Liu saluted and then ordered the Government Officials to carry the bodies out.

Soon, all the bodies had been moved to an open space.

Only Shen Changqing and Nie Xu remained in the hall.

Suddenly, Nie Xu asked in a grave tone, "Lord Shen, did you discover something else just now?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Changqing’s face first showed surprise, then he nodded.

"Lord Nie has a keen eye. Indeed, I did find an issue with the corpses. The strength of the Yin Evil Aura on them varies, indicating that more than one Demon Evil acted last night."

"More than one Demon Evil—"

Nie Xu took a deep breath, his expression turning grave.

"If it was more than one Demon Evil, then the trouble is indeed significant."

There was already one Demon Evil in the Zhou Family’s ancestral home, and now at least one more had acted. This meant that, up to now, Jincheng was besieged by at least three Demon Evils. Even though the first Demon Evil had been exterminated, the annihilation of the Zhou Family would surely cause a significant disturbance. If word got out, it would be a challenge for him to hold onto his position as County Magistrate.

"Lord Shen, can you be certain of the number of Demon Evils that slaughtered the Zhou Family?"

"There should be around three."

"Three!"

Nie Xu gasped again, even more than he had anticipated.

Thinking about this, he couldn’t help but say, "With three Demon Evils causing havoc, they might not have left Jincheng yet. The city is likely to experience chaos. I believe we should call in the garrison stationed outside the city to help maintain order. Moreover, there are many powerful individuals in the military who should have some capability against these Demon Evils."

Jincheng was not like Lin’an City. Lin’an City was considered to be in the heartland of Great Qin, and because its geographical location wasn’t very important, there was no significant military presence. However, Jincheng, as a major city in the Great Wilderness Prefecture—which lay close to the border where the Barbarian Clan often invaded and plundered cities—had heavy military forces stationed throughout the prefecture, ready to respond to emergencies at any time.

Indeed, a large military force was stationed outside Jincheng at all times. Except for routine supply runs, the army hardly ever entered the city, preferring to remain outside to train.

Shen Changqing had already learned quite a bit about these matters before coming to Jincheng.

"The army stationed outside Jincheng... that would be the Black Tiger Army, right?"

"Indeed. Has Lord Shen also heard of the Black Tiger Army’s reputation?"

Nie Xu nodded.

Shen Changqing smiled and said, "As one of Great Qin’s top armies, how could I not have heard of them? I just don’t know exactly how many men from the Black Tiger Army are stationed outside the city now, or how many powerful experts they have."

"The Black Tiger Army stationed outside the city numbers over twelve thousand men. As for powerful experts, I don’t know much. However, I do know for certain that the commander of the Black Tiger Army is an Innate Realm expert," replied Nie Xu after a moment of contemplation.

The Innate Realm!

Shen Changqing’s expression flickered slightly.

It wasn’t strange for the commander of twelve thousand men to be at the Innate Realm. The army was a place where strength was paramount; without sufficient strength, it was difficult to secure a commanding position. But he was curious whether the commander of the Black Tiger Army outside the city was at the Innate Inner Gang Realm or the Innate Outer Gang Realm.

"Since Lord Nie has a plan, then let’s proceed that way. I will stay in Jincheng. If there’s any intelligence, Lord Nie, you can inform me promptly."

"May I know where Lord Shen is currently residing?"

"Tianyi Tower."

"So, it’s Tianyi Tower," Nie Xu said with understanding.

To him, Tianyi Tower was a well-known place in Jincheng, and it was reasonable for someone of Shen Changqing’s status to stay there.

Afterwards, Shen Changqing glanced around the main hall and then said, "I would like to look around the Zhou Family property to see if I can find any clues. Lord Nie, you wouldn’t have an issue with that, right?"

"Lord Shen jests. Feel free to inspect the Zhou property. If any issue arises, you can come directly to me," Nie Xu replied.

"Very well."

Shen Changqing, hands clasped behind his back, strode out of the main hall.

Although much could be deduced from the Zhou Family’s corpses, he still wanted to explore the Zhou residence to see if he could find anything more. If he could encounter a Demon Evil that hadn’t left, that would be ideal. Of course, the chances of that were slim.

「」

After spending a full two hours, Shen Changqing had explored every nook and cranny of the Zhou residence. While traces of Yin Evil Aura lingered, they were weakening by the moment, indicating the Demon Evil had long since departed. Meanwhile, the Yamen personnel had piled up all the Zhou Family’s corpses and set them ablaze.

By the time Shen Changqing departed, the Zhou Family’s corpses were almost completely burned to ashes.

After the Zhou Family’s main gate was shut and sealed, this matter was considered concluded for now.

"Disperse! Everyone disperse!" Arrest Officer Liu, his saber at his hip, shouted to the commoners gathered outside the Zhou residence.

At his command, the commoners consciously dispersed.

"Lord Shen, we will take our leave now," Nie Xu said to Shen Changqing with a slight bow, then led his men away.

Watching the Yamen personnel depart, Shen Changqing glanced at the sky and then headed towards Wanhua Building.

Initially, he had not intended to go to Wanhua Building. But with the Zhou Family annihilated by a powerful Demon Evil, regardless of whether that Demon Evil originated from Wanhua Building, Shen Changqing felt he had to investigate.

The Zhou Family estate was some distance from Wanhua Building.

It took him roughly half an hour to reach his destination.

In front of Wanhua Building.

Women still stood outside, soliciting customers.

When Shen Changqing approached, a sharp-eyed woman immediately came forward, took his arm, and smiled charmingly.

"Young Master, how should I address you? Is this your first visit to our Wanhua Building?"

"My surname is Shen. You could say this is my first visit," replied Shen Changqing, glancing at the woman. Like Qing’er, she emanated a faint Yin Evil Aura.

"And how should I address you, miss?"

"Young Master Shen can just call me Yanyan," Yanyan said, covering her mouth with a giggle, then led Shen Changqing inside.

"Since this is Young Master Shen’s first visit to Wanhua Building, you must enjoy yourself thoroughly! You should know, our Wanhua Building is the most famous place in Jincheng. So many dignitaries and nobles come here and find themselves reluctant to leave. If I’m not mistaken, Young Master Shen, you’re from the Central Plains, right?"

"That’s correct," Shen Changqing admitted frankly.

The Central Plains was actually a general term, a collective name for the heartland of Great Qin, not referring to a single city or prefecture.

As they conversed, they had already entered Wanhua Building.

Compared to the previous two days, Wanhua Building was now packed with people. The main hall was full, with many scantily clad women accompanying the patrons.

Yanyan glanced around the hall, then turned her head to Shen Changqing.

"Young Master Shen, the main hall is full. How about we go to a private room instead?"

"I’ll leave it to Miss Yanyan’s arrangements."