Chapter 110: Preparations Before Heading to Yong

A plain, unremarkable carriage rolled out of Qingzhou City.

Inside the carriage, two men sat facing each other.

Jiang Chengyun stared at the handsome young man and slowly drew out a tangled mass of energy from a silver bell: “Hold onto it.”

Shen Yi took it in hand and examined it: “What is this?”

“One hundred and twenty-three traces of energy from Condensation Core demon lords, plus seventeen from Embracing Core demon lords—this is the collective result of all the demon hunters who came to Qingzhou. Each person gets a share.”

“Most of the demons near Qingzhou are contained here.”

Jiang Chengyun exhaled a thick breath, silently staring at the mass of energy. Countless demon hunters had died for this—among them, many of his own friends and relatives.

Only with this in hand could they sense at once whether any demon had stepped into the Twelve Prefectures.

“This one is my gift to you.”

Jiang Chengyun pulled out another thread of faint, nearly imperceptible purple energy: “The Howling Moon Demon King. If you sense even the slightest anomaly, run immediately. Whether you live or die depends on luck.”

“Demon King?” Shen Yi lifted his gaze.

“Martial cultivators at the fourth realm are called Hunyuan, or Martial Immortals. Demon creatures at the fourth realm can be called Kings… Let me put it this way: if it gets within three feet of the Regional Commander, there will be no surprise—the Regional Commander will die on the spot.”

“Only within Qingzhou does a Martial Immortal have any chance against it.”

At the mention of the Howling Moon Demon King, a flicker of fear passed through Jiang Chengyun’s eyes.

“With so many demons, what about Qingzhou’s own experts?”

Shen Yi tucked the purple thread and the energy mass into the silver bell—all of it had been stored for years, divided into many portions, nowhere near as tightly linked as the power from swallowing a jiao dan, but better than nothing.

“Twelve Great Generals, three Silver Bell demon hunters—all are Embracing Core experts.”

“There are probably two or three more hidden among the Four Surnames and Six Sects—like the Ancestral Sword of Qingfeng Mountain, which happens to be suppressed by Yin Spirits, yet still holds its own against Embracing Core demon lords.”

“Beyond that, there are older Silver Bell demon hunters or personal attendants of the Great Generals—roughly forty to fifty Condensation Core experts in total.”

As Jiang Chengyun spoke, Shen Yi suddenly realized Qingzhou was far from the stable place he’d imagined.

Was the gap in strength between the two sides too wide?

Even if you say “dozens,” this is a province with tens of millions of people—on average, fewer than five Condensation Core experts guard each prefecture.

And yet they still enforce control over Condensation Core cultivation so strictly…

Jiang Chengyun noticed the change in Shen Yi’s expression and smiled slightly: “Demons are divided by race—they’re not as close-knit as you think. Provoking conflict among them is one of the few pleasures demon hunters have. If you count the elite of the clans, the balance is roughly even—except these people all have their own agendas, and the Demon Suppression Office must spare some strength just to watch them.”

“That’s precisely why every first-tier power has methods like the Ancestral Sword.”

“They bind their disciples through blood oaths tied to sword pools. The Demon Suppression Office only needs to monitor their leaders—and by extension, they control all the experts under them.”

Jiang Chengyun’s words were a subtle warning to Shen Yi: in Qingzhou, no one can ascend to Condensation Core without being monitored.

“I have high hopes for you.”

Mid-sentence, the middle-aged man’s plain face suddenly turned serious: “The Regional Commander will return soon. Whether it’s his personal guards, subordinate generals, or the Silver Bells, all of them will take notice of you. But all these things are gifts from others—you know better than I do how the dragon died, and how the silver bell came to you.”

Overall, your achievements are impressive, but they still carry a lot of water compared to the status they’ve granted you.

“When he returns, make him believe you deserve these titles.”

Jiang Chengyun sat upright. Even though he regarded the young man as an equal in his mind, he still unconsciously slipped into a lecturing tone, due to the youth’s age and current strength: “Earn it yourself. Don’t rely on the favors of those old masters. Claim what belongs to you.”

At this, Shen Yi raised an eyebrow.

He noticed the man’s attitude had changed significantly.

It felt odd—like he’d been folded into some kind of plan.

“Of course, that includes me too.”

Jiang Chengyun held out his palm and gently shook it: “I’m bringing you to Yong’an City only to familiarize you with the procedures. As for sharing credit with you… don’t even entertain that thought. I hope you understand.”

“But if you accomplish something on your own—if you’re willing to risk your life—I won’t stop you.”

Demon hunters aren’t part of the Demon Suppression Office. There’s no such thing as collective credit. Once you leave the city, you’re both allies and rivals.

Jiang Chengyun expected Shen Yi to show some disappointment.

But he saw no sign of it on the young man’s pale, calm face.

“I have no objections. Let’s get back to the matter at hand.”

Shen Yi closed his eyes and pretended to nap, keeping himself always fully alert.

The man didn’t summon him through the bell just to go sightseeing.

As for credit… we’ll see how things go. Even if I can’t get directly involved, helping to finish off the wounded won’t hurt.

“You really did harbor that thought.”

Hearing Shen Yi’s reply, Jiang Chengyun couldn’t help but chuckle. Had he been too eager in his tone earlier?

The youth was indeed outstanding among his peers, but Jiang Chengyun himself was a Condensation Core martial cultivator. Yet this young man still wanted a share of the spoils from a demon incident that could make even him act.

He set aside his thoughts and continued seriously: “The demon hunters received word—the Mountain Lord has begun his offspring’s trial again.”

“As the saying goes: a tiger’s three cubs will always include one ‘Biao.’”

“These beasts, divided by the border of Dacheng City, are hunting to select the one among them who will become the Biao King.”

“Last time, we were caught off guard—they feasted and left unharmed. It took demon hunters considerable effort to get word of this second occurrence. Unlike last time, they’re likely setting their sights on Yong’an City.”

At this, Jiang Chengyun’s eyes blazed with killing intent: “Yong’an City has a Condensation Core expert stationed there.”

This could mean only one thing: after consuming enough human “elixirs” and enduring years of training, these tiger cubs had significantly improved both their appetites and their strength.

They even dared to target a Condensation Core martial cultivator.

Shen Yi felt the carriage’s jolts and murmured: “If this is the Mountain Lord’s trial for his offspring, how did you get this information?”

“I don’t know.”

Jiang Chengyun closed his eyes too, but his voice grew heated: “Even if the information is false, it’s worth going. You’re new to demon hunting—you don’t realize how rare it is for a demon to dare enter the Twelve Prefectures of Qingzhou.”

Qingzhou’s demon lords either possess astonishing concealment, exceptional survival techniques, or are protected by natural barriers like the Yangchun River.

A demon that blunders in like this, and whose arrival is intercepted in advance—this is one we cannot let slip away.

“… ”

Shen Yi fell silent, lips pressed tight.

The man had misunderstood him.

He wasn’t questioning the truth of the information—only its source.

(End of Chapter)