CHAPTER 220: CHAPTER 18 SOME ACQUAINTANCE

Demon Evil runs rampant.

This is a good opportunity to slay Demon Evils. Besides, this is within the Capital City’s domain. If any truly powerful Demon Evil appears, the Capital City can provide immediate assistance.

Having made his decision, Shen Changqing immediately headed for the Demon Slaying Hall.

If missions are available, going to the Demon Slaying Hall to accept some would be ideal. After all, missions come with Merit Point rewards. Compared to slaying Demon Evils individually to exchange for Merit Points, missions offer more than double the rewards.

「Earth Rank Sub-hall.」

After showing his mission Token, Shen Changqing went straight to the point.

"Are there any missions near the Capital City now?"

"Missions near the Capital City?"

Upon hearing this, the man pondered for a moment, then retrieved a notebook recording the missions and handed it to Shen Changqing.

"All available missions are listed here. You can take a look."

"Alright."

Shen Changqing nodded, took the notebook, and carefully flipped through it.

The missions listed were generally the most recent ones. Of course, it wasn’t possible for the Demon-Subduing Division to update tasks perfectly synchronously, but there were rarely any significant discrepancies.

As Shen Changqing reviewed the missions, the man continued, "There have been quite a few Demon Evils near the Capital City recently. However, a few days ago, a Great Confucian from Qingyun Academy took action and eradicated many Fiend Level Strange Monsters. As of now, there are hardly any Fiend Level Strange Monsters left near the Capital City. As for Demon Evils below Fiend Level, those fall under the purview of Yellow Rank and Profound Rank Demon Hunters, not the Earth Rank category."

Hearing this, Shen Changqing was speechless. He hadn’t thought much about Chen Shu’s recent extermination of Demon Evils. Only now did he realize the man was essentially stealing his livelihood! If that person killed all the Demon Evils, where would he go to slay them?

As an Earth Rank Demon Hunter, Shen Changqing knew he couldn’t accept missions below Earth Rank. After all, the Demon-Subduing Division had many Yellow and Profound Rank Demon Hunters. Those Demon Evils were reserved for Demon Hunters of these two ranks. The purpose was simple: training. To cultivate strong Demon Hunters, there had to be enough Demon Evils for them to gain experience. Otherwise, possessing a high Realm without any experience fighting Demon Evils was useless. Thus, Demon Hunters of a certain rank dealt with Demon Evils of the corresponding rank. Of course, if one wasn’t aiming to accept missions, they were free to kill as many or as few as they wished.

After a careful review, Shen Changqing finally abandoned the idea of accepting a mission from the Demon Slaying Hall. He returned the notebook and left.

「Council Hall.」

Except for attending necessary court assemblies, Dongfang Zhao spent most of his time stationed here, overseeing the region.

"Why does Shen Chumo have the time to come here today?" looking at Shen Changqing below, the Defender Envoy spoke calmly.

Hearing this, Shen Changqing bowed respectfully. "Greetings, Defender Dongfang. I’ve come this time hoping to obtain some information about Demon Evils within the Capital City’s vicinity. Recently, Demon Evils have been running rampant, and many commoners have died tragically at their hands. As one of the Qin People, I cannot stand idly by. My heart will not be at peace until these Demon Evils are slain."

"I am heartened that Shen Chumo has such resolve." Dongfang Zhao showed an approving expression, then pondered for a moment. "The Demon Evils within the Capital City have mostly been slain. For now, there aren’t many remaining for you to handle. However, outside the Capital City, many Demon Evils are still wreaking havoc. This is especially true in the Great Wilderness Prefecture, where the combined efforts of the Defender Envoys from the three major Demon-Subduing Division posts barely manage to suppress the Demon Evil scourge. If you’re willing, you could go to the Great Wilderness Prefecture to lend your support."

As a Great Confucian, Chen Shu’s killing intent was considerable. In just one day, the lingering Fiend Level Strange Monsters were almost entirely eradicated. Any that slipped through the net were dealt with by the Demon-Subduing Division. Indeed, the Demon Evil uprising didn’t last long before it was completely suppressed. The Capital City, unlike other places, absolutely could not allow Demon Evils to rampage; full suppression was inevitable.

The Great Wilderness Prefecture! Shen Changqing was startled. He hadn’t intended to leave the Capital City for now. However, if there truly were no Demon Evils left for him in the Capital City, then going to the Great Wilderness Prefecture was a viable option.

"That might work."

"Mm, the Great Wilderness Prefecture is currently in an all-out war with the Barbarian Clan. If you go, you can provide valuable assistance," Dongfang Zhao said, nodding. Under normal circumstances, he would have already dispatched Shen Changqing to the Great Wilderness Prefecture. It was only because Shen Changqing had entered the Hidden Heart Pavilion that he hadn’t issued the order lightly. People from the Hidden Heart Pavilion were different from ordinary Demon Hunters. Unless it was a truly critical situation, the Demon-Subduing Division wouldn’t impose significant restrictions on them.

Just then, a person hurried in from outside. "Wei Lan pays her respects to Defender Dongfang!"

Wei Lan! Hearing the name, Shen Changqing turned to look at the newcomer, a slight change in his gaze.

The woman before him had skin like creamy jade and exquisite, beautiful features. She should have been a lady from a prominent family, but her fitted attire and shoulder-length hair gave her an air of valiant grace, dispelling any hint of frailty. In the Demon-Subduing Division, most members were men; female Demon Hunters were relatively scarce, and one as beautiful as her was rarer still. However, while Shen Changqing appreciated her appearance, he merely admired it inwardly and had no other thoughts.

"You’ve arrived at a good time. Let me introduce you. This is Shen Changqing, an Earth Rank Demon Hunter from the Martial Hall. And this is Wei Lan, the Steward of the Heavenly Demon Exorcism Department," Dongfang Zhao said, introducing them.

"Greetings, Steward Wei," Shen Changqing said, saluting with cupped fists.

The Steward of the Heavenly Demon Exorcism Department was not comparable to stewards of ordinary Demon Hunting Courts. Although it was said that there was no strict hierarchy among the four great Demon Hunting Courts—Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow—in reality, the Huang Department was the weakest. Consequently, its steward was also the weakest. Apart from the Huang Department, the stewards of the other three major Demon Hunting Courts were all Earth Rank Demon Hunters. These weren’t secrets within the Demon-Subduing Division, and he was well aware of them. For Wei Lan to be the Steward of the Heavenly Demon Exorcism Department, her strength was evident.

"Greetings, Shen Chumo," Wei Lan replied with a nod, a flicker of curiosity in her eyes as she looked at Shen Changqing. But soon, as if recalling something important, her expression turned solemn. "Defender Dongfang, I have come with an urgent matter to report!"

"What is it?"

"According to reports, a major battle took place at Minor Hillock Mountain three days ago. Both Earth Rank Demon Hunters stationed there perished, and not a single one of the defending soldiers survived. An investigation of the scene revealed a strong residue of Yin Evil Aura. I suspect that Demon Evils launched a surprise attack on Minor Hillock Mountain."

Minor Hillock Mountain? Shen Changqing looked bewildered; it was the first time he had heard this name.

Dongfang Zhao’s expression, however, changed drastically. "Minor Hillock Mountain!" He knew very well what lay within Minor Hillock Mountain. When it came to a Natural Disaster, even a Defender Envoy would be extremely wary.

Instantly, Dongfang Zhao considered many possibilities. Could their attack on the Capital City have been a diversion, allowing them to strike Minor Hillock Mountain? What was their goal? Could they be trying to win over that Natural Disaster? No, that’s not right— He dismissed the thought as soon as it arose. Minor Hillock Mountain is too far from the Capital City. The Demon Evil causing chaos in the Capital City has little connection to Minor Hillock Mountain. However, the Demon Evils’ purpose in attacking Minor Hillock Mountain must then truly be to win over that Natural Disaster!

"It seems the Demon Evils intend to win over that Natural Disaster!" Dongfang Zhao said, his expression grave.

Hearing this, Shen Changqing immediately recalled something. "The Natural Disaster Defender Dongfang mentioned, is it the one from Guangyuan Prefecture?"

"Indeed," Dongfang Zhao nodded.

"It’s the same Natural Disaster you encountered. Its location is called Minor Hillock Mountain. To prevent the Natural Disaster from growing stronger, the Demon-Subduing Division has always stationed personnel there to stop anyone from entering. Natural Disasters are also considered part of the Demon Evil Clan; the more living beings they devour, the more dramatically their power will surge. I just didn’t expect the Demon Evil Clan to go to such lengths to win over a Natural Disaster. This is troublesome!"

"Win over?" Shen Changqing asked.

"While Natural Disasters are considered part of the Demon Evil Clan, they differ from other Demon Evils. Some Natural Disasters are neutral and won’t necessarily ally with the Demon Evils. So, it’s highly probable that the Demon Evils’ actions are aimed at winning over the Natural Disaster in Minor Hillock Mountain to bolster their own strength," Dongfang Zhao explained in response to Shen Changqing’s confusion.

After speaking, he paused, his expression growing solemn. "Now that the defenders of Minor Hillock Mountain are dead, it’s uncertain whether the Natural Disaster within has already sided with the Demon Evils."

Dongfang Zhao could almost foresee the immense trouble it would cause if the Natural Disaster in Minor Hillock Mountain successfully sided with the Demon Evil Clan. A single Natural Disaster, especially one in the heartland of the Central Plains, would be an absolute catastrophe if allowed to grow. And there were countless ways to facilitate a Natural Disaster’s growth. The simplest was to nourish it with Living Beings Flesh. If the Natural Disaster collaborated with the Demon Evil Clan, the Demon Evils could simply provide vast quantities of Living Beings Flesh to fuel its development. At that point, the threat posed by that Natural Disaster would be even more terrifying than a Great Demon. A Great Demon, though powerful, could at least be killed. But a Natural Disaster was not only mighty but also unkillable—that was the greatest problem.

Ever since Zhou Yuanzheng had gone to Minor Hillock Mountain alone and failed in his attempt to slay the Natural Disaster, Dongfang Zhao had temporarily abandoned the idea of killing it. Perhaps other methods to obliterate a Natural Disaster truly existed, but since the Demon-Subduing Division hadn’t mastered any, they were effectively unable to deal with it.

The room fell silent. Dongfang Zhao frowned deeply, lost in thought, while Wei Lan, having given her report, also remained quiet. Shen Changqing stood there, unsure whether to leave or speak.

After a moment, Dongfang Zhao emerged from his deep thoughts, his gaze falling on Shen Changqing below. "Shen Chumo, if I recall correctly, you have some rapport with that Natural Disaster, don’t you?"