They sat face to face.
Zhong Chi said, "I reported the news to the Demon-Subduing Division because I hoped that a Demon Hunter would come to assist the Heavenly Inspection Guard in investigating the Wanhua Building’s case. After all, Lord Shen knows that the Heavenly Inspection Guard primarily deals with intelligence. In terms of strength, we cannot compare with a Demon Hunter. If the Wanhua Building is truly an Eternal Alliance Stronghold, then investigating further will undoubtedly lead to major conflicts. When that time comes, the Heavenly Inspection Guard’s lack of strength will inevitably lead to losses. However, if this causes Tianyi Tower to be exposed, it would be a loss far outweighing the gain. What I did not expect was that Lord Shen would be the one to take the task. Although Lord Shen is a Yellow Rank Demon Hunter, his true strength is second to none, even among Profound Rank Demon Hunters. With your assistance, this matter is bound to be foolproof."
Shen Changqing did not express any definite stance. He could understand what Zhong Chi had said.
Frankly speaking, the Heavenly Inspection Guard is merely an intelligence agency that clandestinely collects information from all over Great Qin and then reports it to the Demon-Subduing Division for appropriate action. Because of this, it is predestined that the Heavenly Inspection Guard’s strength will not be very strong. After all, the main task of the Heavenly Inspection Guard is merely to collect intelligence, and strength is secondary.
Intelligence work also requires a certain talent. Some people have the talent for intelligence work but are utterly hopeless when it comes to martial training.
If there truly is an Eternal Alliance presence behind the Wanhua Building, then a head-on conflict between the Wanhua Building and the Heavenly Inspection Guard could result in heavy losses. Therefore, the Heavenly Inspection Guard could only appeal to the Demon-Subduing Division for assistance.
However, until it is confirmed whether the Wanhua Building is indeed an Eternal Alliance Stronghold, the Demon-Subduing Division will not commit too many resources. Every Demon Hunter has their value. Especially now, with Demon Evil becoming increasingly rampant, most of the Demon-Subduing Division’s forces are suppressing Demon Evil across the land. The task in Jincheng thus fell to the Yellow Rank Demon Hunters. Only once the fact of the Eternal Alliance Stronghold is confirmed will the Demon-Subduing Division dispatch enough forces to eradicate the stronghold completely.
"This time, besides investigating the Eternal Alliance Stronghold, I also saw that there were other tasks in Jincheng. What are the specific circumstances of the Demon Hunter missions given to Xu Yi and the others?" Shen Changqing shifted the topic from the Wanhua Building to Xu Yi and the others.
Hearing this, Zhong Chi said, "The missions for those Demon Hunters come from the Zhou Family, which is also a prestigious major clan in Jincheng with a good reputation among the common people. But internally, it’s pretty much what you’d expect."
Saying this, Zhong Chi shook his head and chuckled.
"Starting half a month ago, someone from the Zhou Family would inexplicably go missing each night. By the time they were discovered, they were already mummified corpses. According to our judgment, Demon Evil had drained their Essence Blood. From the effects caused by the Demon Evil and our assessment, we can almost determine that the Demon Evil causing havoc has at most mid-Ghostly Level strength. But for ordinary people, even a Demon Evil that has just entered the Ghostly Level is a fatal threat. Because of this, the Zhou Family employed some Jianghu experts to eliminate that Demon Evil. Regrettably, these so-called experts all lost their lives to the Demon Evil upon confrontation."
"The Zhou Family temporarily moved out of their ancestral home and settled down elsewhere. Luckily, the Zhou Family owns considerable property in Jincheng, so relocating wasn’t a major issue."
From Zhong Chi’s words, Shen Changqing understood the specifics of the Zhou Family’s Demon Evil incident. Unlike Guyue Village, where the entire village perished, according to the description, not many people from the Zhou Family had died so far, and the Demon Evil wreaking havoc was not very strong. After all, if it were that strong, the Zhou Family would have had no chance to evacuate.
After some thought, Shen Changqing said, "Could the Demon Evil of the Zhou Family be related to the Wanhua Building?"
"We are investigating, and currently, we haven’t found much. However, the Zhou Family places great importance on their reputation and looks down on women of pleasure. They strictly prohibit members of the Zhou Family from going to the Wanhua Building." Zhong Chi shook his head.
With Demon Evil afflicting the Zhou Family and the matter of the Wanhua Building, he would certainly not miss the chance to investigate. Unfortunately, so far, no clues have been uncovered. Since the Zhou Family moved out, that Demon Evil has also quieted down, as if completely abandoned at their ancestral home.
Shen Changqing said, "If there is indeed an Eternal Alliance Stronghold in Jincheng, then for them to let Demon Evil wreak havoc on the Zhou Family and attract the Demon-Subduing Division’s attention seems rather odd."
In his heart, he leaned more towards the Zhou Family’s Demon Evil having no relation to the Eternal Alliance. When it comes down to it, the Eternal Alliance is just a power created by Demon Evil. The ability of this force to control Demon Evil is largely due to the authority granted by the powerful Demon Evil behind it. This means not all Demon Evil is under the control of the Eternal Alliance. If other Demon Evil happen to be present, it’s not out of the question.
"What is the Heavenly Inspection Guard planning to do about the Wanhua Building now?"
"Originally, we still needed to confirm whether Wanhua Building was involved with the Eternal Alliance or Demon Evil. Since Lord Shen has sensed the presence of Demon Evil at Wanhua Building, we don’t have to have too many doubts. Right now, all we need is to precisely locate the source of the Yin Evil Aura within Wanhua Building, then we can take direct action. Once we eliminate all Demon Evil presences within Wanhua Building, the hidden Eternal Alliance behind them will naturally be exposed," Zhong Chi said solemnly.
In any matter, evidence must be valued; this is the foundation of Great Qin’s establishment. Even the Demon-Subduing Division will not act beyond its rules. Just like the current situation. Wanhua Building may be related to the Eternal Alliance, and the disappearances in Jincheng could be largely tied to it. However, without evidence, the Demon-Subduing Division cannot act rashly.
Without rules, there can be no square or circle. If the Demon-Subduing Division does not follow the rules, then the laws established by Great Qin would become a joke; that would undoubtedly result in greater chaos.
This principle, Zhong Chi understands, Shen Changqing understands, and indeed, anyone can understand it.
"What can I do?" He looked at Zhong Chi.
His primary mission was to assist the Heavenly Inspection Guard in confirming whether an Eternal Alliance Stronghold truly existed. Therefore, the Heavenly Inspection Guard was to take the lead, with him providing secondary support.
Zhong Chi smiled and said, "If an ordinary Demon Hunter had come, the Heavenly Inspection Guard would still need to act cautiously. But now that Lord Shen is here, we don’t need to be so constrained. Lord Shen went to Wanhua Building today, so perhaps you have sensed the specific source of the Yin Evil Aura?"
"I had no intention of entering Wanhua Building originally, but I sensed the Yin Evil Aura on a woman of pleasure and followed her in." Shen Changqing pondered for a moment. "Ordinary people wouldn’t have a Yin Evil Aura unless they were carrying something related to Demon Evil, or they were Demon Evil themselves. But I am certain that woman is definitely not Demon Evil, nor is she possessed by it."
Having slain many Demon Evils, Shen Changqing was confident in his judgment regarding Demon Evil. Besides that, after returning to the Demon-Subduing Division, he had also spent a few days in the Scripture Pavilion, reacquainting himself with information on Demon Evil. Thus, he judged that Qing’er, whom he encountered during the day, was definitely not Demon Evil.
Upon hearing this, Zhong Chi couldn’t help but ask, "Is it possible that she’s a Corpse Puppet?"
"She is not a Corpse Puppet!" Shen Changqing denied firmly. He had seen Corpse Puppets before; even if they were well hidden, some signs could still be seen on the surface.
"If she’s not a Corpse Puppet and not possessed by Demon Evil, then she must indeed be carrying an item tainted by Yin Evil, as you said, Lord Shen," Zhong Chi concluded, his expression grave.
Yin Evil items, as the name implies, are things stained with yin energy. Generally, Yin Evil items are created through only one source: anything from the hands of Demon Evil will be tainted with a Yin Evil Aura.
After a while, Zhong Chi continued, "Since Wanhua Building has a Yin Evil Aura, it must be related to Demon Evil. If Lord Shen hadn’t uncovered this, we might have spent much more time locating the problem. After all, the aura on Yin Evil items is too concealed. Only a strong individual like Lord Shen could fully sense it."
"Now that it’s confirmed Wanhua Building is related to Demon Evil, the Heavenly Inspection Guard’s subsequent actions will be much simpler. I will first send someone into Wanhua Building to see if they can find any traces or clues. Lord Shen, please remain here for the time being. If the Heavenly Inspection Guard indeed makes no progress, then we will ask Lord Shen to take action." Zhong Chi cupped his hands as he spoke.
The Heavenly Inspection Guard has its own pride. If they rely on others for everything, then what use would the Heavenly Inspection Guard be? Seeking help from the Demon-Subduing Division this time was just a precaution. Investigating intelligence did not require assistance from others, but if they encountered strong resistance during the investigation, then they would need help.
Shen Changqing did not disagree with Zhong Chi’s words. If the Heavenly Inspection Guard wanted to save face, let them do so. It would be best if they could handle the matter of Wanhua Building without him having to lift a finger. In doing so, he would earn Merit Points effortlessly.
"Since Lord Zhong has made a decision, let everything proceed accordingly. Furthermore, I hope the Heavenly Inspection Guard can promptly deliver information on the whereabouts and all movements of those Demon Hunters within the city to me. If they leave the city, I must be informed immediately."
To get the mission rewards, he could not let those individuals seek their own death. After all, according to the Demon-Subduing Division’s intent, he only needed to assist when necessary; Xu Yi and the others were to handle the rest themselves. However, as a mentor, Shen Changqing felt it was essential to constantly track their whereabouts.
Zhong Chi nodded, "No problem. Any movements will be reported to Lord Shen immediately."
Having said that, he stood up.
"The night is deep, and I won’t disturb Lord Shen’s rest any longer. I take my leave!"
"Farewell, Lord Zhong!"