Chapter 291 - 183: Demon Investigator

Chapter 291: Chapter 183: Demon Investigator

Just as Su Mu finished speaking, the sound of frantic footsteps echoed. A few Taiping Captains, leading twenty to thirty Taiping Lieutenants, burst out of the village.

The lead Taiping Captain stared at the corpse of the Tier Three Demon on the ground, stunned for a moment, before letting out a long sigh of relief.

They had also been investigating the Tier Three Demon’s tracks in the area. They’d sensed the burst of demonic energy and rushed over to investigate.

To their surprise, the Tier Three Demon had been taken down in just a matter of moments.

"Junior Brother Su, it’s been a while. You’ve gotten stronger again."

The lead Taiping Captain said with a laugh.

"Senior Brother Xu? You’re out?"

Su Mu asked in surprise.

Xu Chongyuan’s smile stiffened. "Come on, Junior Brother Su, you don’t have to rub salt in the wound. What do you mean, ’out’?

I was just looking for an excuse to slack off. Otherwise, you think the Inspection Bureau could actually hold me?

Let me tell you, I’m not just bragging. That Fifth-Grade Inspection Envoy, that guy Wu Qiuyuan? I beat him up several times a day. He’s still got the black eyes to prove it."

"Impressive, Senior Brother Xu."

Su Mu said.

"I’ll take you out for drinks later. I hear you’re tight with the Xiang Family? We’ll go to her place, listen to some tunes, and I’ll tell you all the glorious details of how I thrashed Wu Qiuyuan."

Xu Chongyuan said, slinging an arm around Su Mu’s shoulder as if they were old friends.

Su Mu felt a flicker of temptation. ’He really hadn’t experienced a brothel in this world yet.’

Just as he was about to speak, a plaintive voice cut in.

"Master Xu, I’m going to tell Lord Zhao you’re being a bad influence on Senior Brother Su..."

Xu Chongyuan turned to look and slapped his forehead.

"Well if it isn’t Lieutenant Luo. What a coincidence."

He laughed awkwardly, having forgotten she was still there.

He winked at Su Mu, signaling that they’d make plans later.

He cleared his throat, his expression turning serious. "There’s something strange about this Tier Three Demon!"

"Strange?" Su Mu asked. "What’s strange about it?"

"The demons we usually encounter are savage and bloodthirsty. They come out of Daxing Mountain to feast on flesh, but this one is different."

Xu Chongyuan dropped his playful demeanor and said grimly, "It had already made its way into the village, but it didn’t kill anyone. That’s very strange."

For demons, human flesh and blood is an exquisite delicacy, a temptation they find almost impossible to resist.

With the power of a Tier Three Demon, it could have easily wiped out the entire village.

But this Tier Three Demon had clearly broken through the Taiping Bureau’s defense line, and it had even been hiding in this village for several days.

For all those days, it didn’t slaughter the villagers. For a demon, this is almost unimaginable.

Now that Xu Chongyuan had pointed it out, Su Mu understood.

’Come to think of it,’ he mused, ’if my White Tiger Body hadn’t reacted when I got close, I never would have realized this lazy fat cat was a Tier Three Demon.’

"Senior Brother Xu, are you saying this Tier Three Demon might have had an ulterior motive?"

Su Mu asked thoughtfully.

For a Tier Three Demon to restrain its desires like this could only mean it was plotting something big.

"Smart!"

Xu Chongyuan snapped his fingers. "See? This is why I like talking to you, Junior Brother Su. With some of the other guys, I could explain it for hours and they still wouldn’t get it."

With that, Xu Chongyuan crouched before the Tier Three Demon’s corpse and began patting it down.

An experienced Taiping Captain like Xu Chongyuan might joke around, but each one has their own unique expertise.

And Xu Chongyuan’s specialty was crime scene analysis.

After searching the Tier Three Demon’s body for a while, he actually pulled a piece of animal hide from the corpse.

The hide was covered in winding lines drawn with charcoal.

"This is... a route map!"

After studying it for a moment, Xu Chongyuan’s expression suddenly changed, and he spoke in a grave voice.

"A route map?"

Su Mu leaned in for a look, but all he saw was a messy jumble of lines, like a child’s scribble.

He had no idea how Xu Chongyuan could decipher a route from it, but he was impressed all the same.

"This confirms it."

Xu Chongyuan said grimly, "This Tier Three Demon must have come from the Demon Court. It’s a Demon Investigator!"

"What the hell is a Demon Investigator?"

Su Mu asked in confusion.

"A Demon Investigator is a scout sent by the Demon Court."

Xu Chongyuan explained, "A while ago, I heard from some brothers over in Liang Province that the Demon Court has been training a batch of Demon Investigators to infiltrate Da Xuan and probe our weaknesses. I can’t believe they’ve already made it to our Jingzhou!"

Liang Province borders the Barbaric Continent directly, so finding a Demon Investigator there isn’t surprising.

But Jingzhou and the Barbaric Continent are separated by the eight-hundred-li Daxing Mountain. A demon can’t reach Jingzhou directly without crossing that entire range.

The eight-hundred-li Daxing Mountain is not only extremely dangerous for humans; it’s no walk in the park for demons either.

The harsh environment and all sorts of unpredictable dangers make it difficult for ordinary demons to cross the eight-hundred-li Daxing Mountain.

The wild demons in Daxing Mountain won’t show any deference to the Demon Court. If a demon from the Court dares to enter their territory, they’ll be killed without a second thought.

That’s why it’s so difficult for the Demon Court’s Demon Investigators to cross Daxing Mountain and reach Jingzhou.

"So, this is the route it took from Daxing Mountain? With this route map, the Demon Court’s demonic beasts can travel from Daxing Mountain directly to Jingzhou?"

Su Mu said, his expression grave.

"It’s highly likely!"

Xu Chongyuan’s expression was also solemn. "If the Demon Court has really found a route, then we’re in big trouble.

It would be like the Demon Court’s army bypassing our border defenses and marching straight into Jingzhou.

Right now, we need to determine if this route was discovered by this Tier Three Demon, and whether or not it has already sent the route back to the Demon Court."

"Master Xu, are you sure this is really a route map?"

Luo Anning asked, staring blankly at the lines on the hide.

Just like Su Mu, she couldn’t see a route map in it at all.

"You can always trust my eyes. They’re the best at spotting things."

Xu Chongyuan pointed to his own eyes. "I’d bet my life on it, this is absolutely a route map. Demons don’t have a written language, so a map they draw isn’t going to look like one of ours.

Although, I’ve heard the demons from the Demon Court have started learning our writing. They’re getting more and more terrifying."

"This is a grave matter. Junior Brother Su, you and the others come back to the city with me. We must report this to the Governor."

Xu Chongyuan said.

Su Mu nodded. They were planning on heading back to the city anyway.

Xu Chongyuan ordered the Taiping Lieutenants he had brought to carry the Tier Three Demon’s corpse, then with a great wave of his hand, led the way back to the city.

Walking side-by-side at the very front, Xu Chongyuan bumped Su Mu with his shoulder and said with a sleazy grin, "Junior Brother Su, you’re a lucky man. My eyes tell me that Junior Sister Luo... is seriously stacked..."

It took Su Mu a moment to realize what Xu Chongyuan meant. He was instantly at a loss for words.

’Truly worthy of Captain Xu, the man locked up for months by the Inspection Bureau for visiting brothels. His mind works in mysterious ways.’

While complaining internally, Su Mu couldn’t resist glancing back at Luo Anning. It seemed Miss Luo really had... filled out some more. And ever since she comprehended the Kan Water Realm, she had become more and more radiant.

Luo Anning didn’t notice Su Mu’s gaze. Walking along with the group, she no longer needed to be on alert for demons, so she seized every moment to comprehend the Xiaoxiang Rebirth Technique.

’If her talent isn’t enough, she’ll make up for it with hard work. She absolutely cannot let Senior Brother Su leave her in the dust.’

A serious Miss Luo radiated a charm all her own.

’This Xiaoxiang Rebirth Technique... the more I study it, the more profound it seems. This is definitely a top-tier Rebirth Technique!’

’Senior Brother Su gave me such an amazing Rebirth Technique. How can I possibly repay him?’

She secretly glanced at Su Mu’s back and thought, ’The Luo Family still has a Gathering Spirit Stone, which helps with cultivation in the True Essence Realm. Senior Brother Su should be close to breaking through, so I could give it to him... But one Gathering Spirit Stone is nothing compared to the Xiaoxiang Rebirth Technique. What else could he possibly need?

That’s it! When Master Xu offered to take him to a brothel, he seemed tempted.

Yes, that’s what I’ll do. In addition to the Gathering Spirit Stone, I’ll also...’

Having made up her mind, Miss Luo reined in her thoughts and continued to comprehend the Xiaoxiang Rebirth Technique.