Chapter 186: Fishing for a Dragon on Yangchun River

Outside Qingzhou, Linjiang Prefecture.

The Town-Demon General's Manor.

Chen Qiankun looked at the letter in his hand, sent from Outside Qingzhou city, written in Jiang Qiulan's hand. According to what was written above, that Town-Demon General of his should have already arrived in Linjiang Prefecture for several days now.

So, where is the person……

Liu Yuquan stood awkwardly at the side, watching the old man's grizzled hair as he took out the letter to have a look every now and then, then sighed as was his custom.

He offered in comfort: "Perhaps something held him up on the road."

Chen Qiankun put away the letter: "Young people are busy, that's normal. This old man actually doesn't mind."

Logically speaking, the other party had gone to Jingcheng for the Martial Temple's tempering, and should now be at the perfect stage of the Condensing Elixir realm, precisely at the phase of Embracing Elixir to nurture the spirit. How could he not be anxious?

The old man truly felt that using this whole prefecture's incense and willing faith on himself was a bit of a waste.

A full eight hundred-plus years old, and still unable to break through the spirit embryo's third barrier, to transform it into a true Yin Spirit.

If it were Shen Yi instead, he would surely be able to put this incense and willing faith to better use.

Now he was just waiting for the other party to come, get a little familiar with the situation in Linjiang Prefecture, and then this wretched old man of his could step down.

"General Chen, General Shen has arrived."

Two Captains strode over quickly, cupped their fists, and reported.

Hearing this, Liu Yuquan finally breathed a sigh of relief, then watched as Old Man Chen Qiankun—who had just been saying he didn't mind—rose swiftly and strode out of the main hall with great steps.

Sigh, the General truly felt somewhat unequal to the task.

Otherwise he wouldn't be so anxious.

He only hoped that once General Shen arrived, he could let this old man rest properly.

In the front courtyard.

Chen Qiankun looked at the handsome young man before him clad head to toe in a suit of bone-chilling profound armor, and for some reason felt more and more satisfied the longer he looked.

And unlike before.

Perhaps because they had met two or three times, the other party was no longer so distant, and there was even a hint of anticipation in his eyes.

Though he didn't know what the young man was anticipating, Chen Qiankun was no petty person. As long as Linjiang Prefecture could produce it, he would never be stingy—after all, it would all belong to the other party in the future.

"Shen Yi greets the old General." Shen Yi cupped his hands in salute.

"Don't keep putting on that subordinate's manner. You are now also a General of this place." Chen Qiankun shook his head. He had to say, though they were a bit distant, the other party's attitude toward this old man of his had never changed—from personal attendant and Deputy General all the way to Town-Demon General.

"Please, come in."

He turned and led the other party to a seat, sighing slightly: "You're the sort who never visits the Three Treasures Hall without a reason. This is probably the first time you've taken the time to come specifically to see this old man."

Liu Yuquan stood at the side, secretly laughing to himself.

Let alone the first time visiting General Chen, General Shen hadn't visited Linjiang Prefecture itself more than a handful of times.

Shen Yi deliberated for a moment, then still said softly: "Actually, this time I do have business."

"……"

Chen Qiankun's movements stalled slightly, and he sighed: "This old man truly has never seen anyone busier than you in Outside Qingzhou. Speak quickly—what matter does General Shen have that this wretched old man can be of use for."

"The Jiang Jiao dragon of Yangchun River."

Shen Yi went straight ahead and recounted in detail the intelligence he had received from the Green-Faced Lion.

And as his words continued.

The expressions of both Chen Qiankun and Liu Yuquan instantly turned ugly.

"The Howling Moon Demon King wants to help that old Jiang Jiao break through?"

The old man's voice suddenly grew much more serious. He had only just barely crossed into the second barrier of the Embracing Elixir realm, and could just barely handle that old Jiang Jiao. If the other party broke through again, then among all the Generals of Outside Qingzhou, probably only You Longtao and Jiang Qiulan could deal with it.

Yet General You was already so busy he could barely spare himself, and Jiang Qiulan was not adept at fighting demons in the rivers.

Chen Qiankun's mind instinctively wanted to send word to the Regional Commander.

But worthy of being a veteran of many years, he reacted in an instant: "Could it be that the Demon King has some scheme, wanting to borrow this old man's hand to pin the Regional Commander down at Yangchun River?"

A Wu Xian's Yin Spirit was indeed formidable, but how could these surging rivers be so simple to deal with?

If the old Jiang Jiao didn't come out for a single day, the Regional Commander's Yin Spirit would have to stand guard by the river for a day?

"You……"

Liu Yuquan opened his mouth helplessly. General Shen had already made the matter so clear: a demon had died—a Bai Lu—and so a life must be repaid in Outside Qingzhou. Among them, Old Man Chen was aged and frail, his strength not particularly outstanding, so naturally he was the easiest target.

They want your life, and you're still worrying about other things.

He couldn't help but advise: "General Shen's meaning is for you to temporarily avoid the edge of the blade."

"……"

Shen Yi looked on in silence—when had he ever meant that?

Chen Qiankun noticed the change in his expression: "Speak freely, don't mind it."

Hearing this, Shen Yi no longer stood on ceremony, rose, and said: "I ask the old man to take command by the river. If possible, try to be as conspicuous as possible."

With these words, the remaining two fell silent at the same time.

Worthy of being a demon-catcher by origin—such methods of doing things were truly familiar to the eye.

"Understood. You want to confirm the Jiang Jiao's location, to prevent it from failing to find this old man and bursting out from somewhere else to wreak havoc on the region."

Chen Qiankun struggled to organize tactful wording.

He truly did not want to describe himself as bait for luring out a dragon.

"But even if we use General Chen to lure the old Jiang Jiao out, how is it to be dealt with?" Liu Yuquan asked instinctively. Before the words had even faded, he noticed the old General shoot him a cold glance.

He fell dumb, not knowing what he had said wrong this time.

Chen Qiankun adjusted his breathing. He finally understood what the anticipation in the young man's eyes had been wanting……He wanted this old thing's life.

But he too very much wanted to know the answer. The old man looked at the young man with curiosity.

Shen Yi said calmly, "Leave the rest to me."

"Hiss!"

Liu Yuquan scratched his hair hard; this familiar feeling instantly took him back to a month ago, when he had gone to Bai Yun County to slay the fox demon.

The other party had worn the exact same expression, spoken in the exact same tone, and then calmly stripped that fox of everything.

But the problem was that what they faced now was no longer a fox demon at the peak of Core Formation, but an old flood dragon of the Embracing Elixir Realm — and on top of that, right in front of Yangchun River, where it had lived for several thousand years…

"I understand."

Chen Qiankun nodded, then said seriously, "You really are after my life after all."

Before Shen Yi could speak, the old man gave a free and easy laugh: "As far as I know, General Shen has never disappointed anyone."

And indeed, there was no better way now.

He stood up as well. "The only problem is, I really don't know what counts as making a big show of it. Give me a bit more time to prepare."

Shen Yi gave a slight nod. "Then I won't disturb the old general any further."

He wasn't skilled at this sort of thing either, and couldn't offer the other party any advice.

Still, the old man's agreeing so readily did come as a bit of a surprise to Shen Yi — he hadn't expected that he was actually quite worthy of trust in the old general's heart.

He strode quickly out of the hall.

After about a dozen steps, he suddenly heard a faint sound from behind him.

"Send word to Jiang Qiulan — tell her to come save me, quick."

Shen Yi: "…"

(End of chapter)