As night fell, the bonfire burned brightly, illuminating the faces of a few people.
The remaining officers took turns guarding key points, their eyes sharp, not missing even the slightest movement.
"Will there be a fight?" Wang Meng rubbed his hands nervously.
"Probably not, right? The Qingfeng Mountain Sect Leader must be out of his mind to turn against General Chen over a disciple?"
"It's the disciple most likely to succeed as the next sect leader," Liu Daqian corrected.
"Half of Qingfeng Mountain's century-long reputation for chivalry was earned through his killings. He's a genuine swordsman."
"Such a person, could he really be a demonic dragon in disguise?" Wang Meng clicked his tongue, then suddenly whispered, "If he really is a demonic dragon, wouldn't that mean he's reformed?"
"Tsk!" Liu Daqian kicked him.
General Chen was here to slay demons, and this guy was praising the demon.
Was he trying to rebel?
"But he has many wives and concubines, and they often get kidnapped. Given his reputation, could it be that he offended the demonic dragon of Yangchun River, who then took his concubine while he was away, just to spite him?" another officer chimed in.
"Regardless, just hand him over, and once we take him back to the Demon-Suppression Bureau for questioning, everything will be clear," Liu Daqian said, glaring at his colleagues.
"If they refuse, once General Chen loses his patience, Qingfeng Mountain will be renamed Blood Peak Mountain."
"I was scared before coming here, but now it seems like we've hit the jackpot," Wang Meng chuckled.
"From what Deputy General Hong said, the old sect leader is just hesitating for a couple more days. We're lucky to have two Jade Liquid Realm experts with us. Nothing major will happen!"
Hearing this, everyone turned their gaze toward the young man standing nearby with his hands at his sides.
Shen Yi listened to the conversation, his deep eyes quietly observing the dense forest.
Would there really be no fight?
Then why was she so nervous?
If they handed over the swordsman, the Demon-Suppression Bureau would withdraw from the mountain.
Qingfeng Mountain would remain the top sword sect in Qingzhou.
What was there to fear?
Time passed quickly.
The officers got up to change shifts.
Those who returned ate a little to fill their stomachs before retreating to their tents to rest.
Dai Bing returned from the dense forest, carrying her sword.
She seemed to have no appetite.
She sat by the bonfire, her peripheral vision catching Shen Yi's figure leaning against a tree, his arms crossed.
Suddenly, she spoke, "You refuse to close your eyes all night. Did Hong Lei tell you to keep an eye on me?"
Shen Yi neither confirmed nor denied it as he took a step forward.
Dai Bing's lips curled into a self-mocking smile.
"Afraid of letting even one go? Are you so eager to attack a group of innocent people? No, not just innocent—they're swordsmen who slay demons and uphold justice."
As the young man walked further away, she suddenly grew agitated, clutching the three cloud patterns on her sleeve.
"I've served the Demon-Suppression Bureau for twenty years, and yet I can't earn your trust? Why can't you believe me just once?"
Shen Yi glanced at her sideways.
"I believe you."
"..."
Dai Bing's breathing grew erratic, her mind momentarily blank, before she heard the second half of his sentence.
"Then I'd be a fool."
Shen Yi turned and stepped into the damp forest.
This woman was practically wearing her thoughts on her face.
Even if it weren't him, even Chen Ji could see through her.
Shen Yi wasn't in the habit of making judgments about something before knowing the full truth.
The only thing he knew for sure was this:
After hearing so many rumors, the swordsman still hadn't given a reasonable explanation for how his concubine had crawled into the government office, given birth to a demonic dragon, and then been devoured, leaving not even a trace of her bones.
Not even a regular officer could come up with a plausible excuse, yet the swordsman refused to explain.
He just stayed on the mountain, hiding behind Qingfeng Mountain's protection, continuing to stand off against the Demon-Suppression Bureau.
Was he really so unwilling to admit any wrongdoing, even if it meant death?
Oh, and there was one more thing Shen Yi knew.
He pursed his lips, silently placing a hand over his chest.
That familiar aura, faint yet unbroken—whether the swordsman was a demonic dragon or not, there was definitely a demonic dragon on Qingfeng Mountain.
He could actually sense it.
The question was whether this sensing was one-sided or if the other party could sense him too.
Just this discovery alone made the trip worthwhile.
...
The sun and moon alternated, and three days passed in the blink of an eye.
The officers caught rabbits and pheasants in the forest, but not a single Qingfeng disciple.
Hundreds, if not thousands, of disciples remained completely inactive.
The elder on the high cliff, known as the Furious Sword Elder, stood like a withered tree, not even a strand of his sparse silver hair moving.
It seemed his only purpose in showing himself was to guard the Sword Gorge, ensuring the Demon-Suppression Bureau didn't tarnish their reputation.
Wang Meng grilled chicken on a stone slab.
He first handed a piece to Shen Yi, then offered another to Dai Bing.
The two Jade Liquid Realm experts were their lifelines.
They needed to eat well to stay strong.
"..."
Shen Yi chewed the bland, slightly gamey meat, suddenly thinking of Lin Baiwei.
No wonder she could find joy in tasting anything.
If he had to eat like this for half a year, he might even learn her cooking skills.
Beside him, Dai Bing swallowed the chicken expressionlessly, one hand resting on her sword hilt.
It seemed she wanted to stuff anything that could replenish her energy into her stomach.
This familiar scene made Shen Yi glance at the patterns on her sleeve.
Everything else aside, twenty years of hard work was truly a pity.
As the oil on the stone slab gradually cooled and the bonfire dimmed, the officers got up as usual to patrol the forest.
But then they heard Shen Yi's voice.
"I'll take the patrol tonight. All of you, go rest."
Hearing this, Wang Meng and the others were stunned, then chuckled awkwardly.
"Sir Shen, you're too kind. In all our years of service, we've never seen anything like this."
After a few days of interaction, they knew Shen Yi never spoke empty words.
After thanking him in unison, they all retreated to their tents.
Dai Bing's grip on her sword tightened.
She looked at the young man slowly rising nearby, his fair face flickering in the dim firelight.
Though she didn't understand how he had seen through her despite her best efforts to hide it, she suddenly felt a pang of softness.
"You should rest too. Let me take the patrol tonight."
The young man was handsome, talented, and incredibly smart.
So young, and aside from his annoying habit of talking back, there was almost nothing wrong with him.
It would be a shame for him to die at the foot of Qingfeng Mountain for no reason.
After he had outright said he didn't trust her, her words now were almost an explicit hint.
Under Dai Bing's gaze, Shen Yi patted his sleeves and said softly, "Hurry up. I'm on a tight schedule."
If even the Demon-Suppression Bureau couldn't intimidate this woman, he didn't feel like wasting any more words.
"..."
As soon as he finished speaking, the young woman slowly closed her eyes.
Indeed... he was still so annoying.
She drew her sword.
But the sharp sound of a sword came from the opposite side of the forest.
A dazzling golden light condensed into a single point, then transformed into a soaring dragon, its momentum overwhelming!
A man in the uniform of a Demon-Suppression Bureau officer stood with sharp eyes and an indifferent expression, holding a three-foot-long green sword.
The powerful aura of the Jade Liquid Realm was unleashed without restraint.
Trees as thick as a person's embrace in the forest were snapped and toppled by the mere aftershocks of the sword's energy!
This one strike carried a century of skill!
Facing the surging sword energy, Shen Yi's hair fluttered slightly, his figure straight, his black robes rustling.
Only his dark eyes gradually filled with a golden light.
...
(Next update at 11 PM tomorrow.
Five chapters.
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(End of Chapter)