Chapter 640: A Family in Tow

He watched that woman leave.

Shen Yi casually tossed the iron token to Meng Xiuwen.

Self-awareness is a virtue. Although taking this token might bring him more convenience, the Slayer of Demons was a post that guarded an entire prefecture. Handing it to a newcomer who understood nothing — anyone with half a brain could imagine what a disaster that would be.

"Hey! Don't."

Meng Xiuwen flicked his sleeve and sent the iron token back. "You think this is children playing house? Don't be fooled by how young and casual that woman looked earlier — she's a titled general of Zhan Yao Si."

Mentioning the title, his voice carried an obvious note of sourness, but he didn't joke about it. "Don't worry. If she dares to let you stand in as Slayer of Demons, it's because she's got my temperament figured out — she knows I'll do my best to help."

"From now on, I'll be counting on Lord Shen to look after me."

Meng Xiuwen cupped his hands in a salute. He had clearly been acting out of spite with Ye Lan earlier; after she left, he didn't actually place much value on the Slayer of Demons post.

Leaving those words behind, he strolled leisurely back to his room.

"Lord Shen."

Ye Jing also gave Shen Yi a slight nod, then took out a storage pouch and handed it over.

"Mm?"

Shen Yi took the storage pouch and looked inside, finding a small, crystalline, translucent net lying quietly within.

"Boss Meng knew early on that this matter couldn't be brushed aside."

Ye Jing explained softly, "In his words… even a Daoist master would get punished — and he still wants me to hand things over?"

"This item belongs to Master Qingmei. It counts as a Nine-Tribulation treasure, capable of holding the waters of the Dahe. Now that you're the Slayer of Demons, keeping it as a protective item isn't a bad idea."

Hearing this, Shen Yi didn't stand on ceremony and tucked the storage pouch away. "Give my thanks to Boss Meng."

Zhan Yao Si frequently clashed with the Three Sects. One could glimpse just how formidable the techniques of these Three Sects were from how he had earlier used the Wanderer's methods to crush Master Yulong and the bear demon.

To duel with proper disciples of the great sects, going in without a few handy magic treasures would be a serious disadvantage.

But he also picked up some new information from Ye Jing.

"Nine-Tribulation treasures…"

It seemed that since leaving Hongze, everything he encountered had become tied to those elusive tribulations.

Could these magic treasures also undergo tribulation?

If so, Shen Yi's heart stirred slightly — the scope of his demon-and-monster lifespan ability seemed to have expanded once more.

"Within the Sanxian Sect, refining treasures counts as a Great Dao. Many immortals take it as a secondary practice, though neither Boss Meng nor I are particularly skilled at it."

Ye Jing now felt she had a certain understanding of this new colleague. In many matters, he possessed a startling wealth of experience, making it hard to imagine where a cultivator this young, already at such profound cultivation, had found the time to wander the world.

But when it came to some very basic things, Lord Shen seemed to have no knowledge of them at all.

Only at moments like these did his claim of coming from a remote backwater gain a shred of credibility.

"My elder sister… General General Yan Lan knows far more about these things. If Lord Shen is interested, you could discuss them with her."

"We'll see later."

Although Shen Yi didn't know the rules of the Divine Dynasty well, this woman had come in person to handle matters related to Master Qingmei — even if they weren't on the same level, they were at least not far apart.

When would she have time to bother with a mere seventh-rank cultivator like himself?

By comparison, it would be far more practical to collect a few more town-stones like those Spirit-Light Rat Demons.

He didn't know about the Sanxian Sect, but at least the Puti Sect didn't mind accepting demons and heretics into its ranks.

Just then, Shen Yi suddenly felt the iron token in his hand tremble. He raised his eyes toward the Miss before him. "Mm?"

"This is the Earth God notifying us."

Ye Jing furrowed her brow slightly. Unless it was truly necessary, Old Min rarely contacted their group of demon-slayers.

After all, most of what Zhan Yao Si did couldn't be known to the Immortal Court, and although the Earth God kept the Divine Dynasty close to his heart, he still drew his immortal salary from Heaven.

Creak.

Meng Xiuwen pushed the door open and stepped out, a similar look of surprise on his face.

Among the many Earth Gods, Min Zhiyan counted as one of the most experienced, which was why Jianyang Prefecture rarely saw any trouble.

Two troublesome incidents in a little over ten days — that was still quite rare.

"Lord Shen, shall we go take a look?"

It was clear that even though Meng Xiuwen was at odds with Ye Lan on the surface, he had genuinely taken her words to heart.

Once told he was dismissed, in conduct he would absolutely not overstep.

"I'll follow your lead."

Shen Yi gave a slight nod of his chin, turned, and left the inn.

"…"

Meng Xiuwen raised an eyebrow, then chuckled softly. His understanding of this young man deepened another few degrees.

Though the other had inexplicable principles and a pride others found hard to detect, he wasn't arrogant — and… he seemed, like himself, not to value these empty titles.

At least up to now, Meng Xiuwen had never caught a trace of excitement or thrill on Shen Yi's face — nothing like a young man who hadn't seen the world.

Thinking of this, the gloom in his heart finally eased a little.

Don't be fooled by Meng Xiuwen's outward indifference — in truth, he had given his all for Jianyang Prefecture, only to be rewarded with punishment. Anyone would feel bitter for quite a while.

……

Jianyang Prefecture, Earth God Temple.

Min Zhiyan stood alone at the door, unusually without his two old acolytes beside him.

He had finally waited for the three figures to arrive.

Out of habit, he started walking toward Meng Xiuwen, but the moment he stepped forward, he froze.

The matter of someone being dismissed from office — this Earth God was well aware of it. But the scene before him still left him somewhat dumbfounded: escorted by the two of them, the one standing at the very front was not the expected Ye Jing, but rather that young man he had personally sent over.

This arrangement of positions already silently said a great deal.

No… no.

He had sent Shen Yi over himself precisely so someone could keep him in check! And in just a few short days, the brat had clawed his way up to being the boss?!

When did Zhan Yao Si become such an absurd sight.

Then what was the point of him sending Shen Yi there? To hand this already restless outsider cultivator even greater power to stir up trouble?

"What on earth are you people thinking…"

Min Zhiyan glared at Meng Xiuwen through gritted teeth, sending a voice transmission.

"Tsk, nothing to do with me — that was General General Yan Lan's order."

At the mention of that name, Meng Xiuwen couldn't help but throw out another barbed remark, but after a sidelong glance at the black-robed youth beside him, he sighed: "Relax, this kid is more reliable than Ye Jing."

"And you don't really think a fellow with the surname Meng is the petty sort, do you?"

"I promised to keep an eye on him for you, and I keep my word."

"…"

Min Zhiyan froze on the spot; the words that followed all blurred together, his mind entirely fixed on Meng Xiuwen's second sentence.

More reliable than Ye Jing?

As the tutelary deity of Jianyang Prefecture, his understanding of Ye Jing ran extraordinarily deep — though the woman was not the equal of her elder sister, she was still a cultivator of formidable strength, one who handled matters without the slightest dawdling, a thoroughly competent demon-slayer.

One must remember that Shen Yi had only ever gone on a single assignment with the two of them, and even that had turned into such a mess that it required a titled general to come down and sort it out.

Yet he had earned such high praise from Meng Xiuwen.

This scene suddenly made the old tutelary deity think of Master Zhikong from before.

He cast a long look at the Shen Yi before him — a man who had only just arrived in Jianyang Prefecture, with no connections or backing — and wondered what ability he actually possessed, that in such a short span of time he had won the approval of these great figures.

"Lord Shen, the old man just received word."

He shook his head, glanced left and right, confirmed no one was lurking nearby, and only then stepped up to the three of them: "This matter actually isn't only tied to Jianyang Prefecture — in the lands between the three surrounding prefectures, there's a…"

"Bai Yun Grotto?"

Meng Xiuwen tilted his head up slightly, his voice taking on a more solemn note: "The one whose founding patriarch serves as an official up in the heavens?"

Apart from the Three Teachings, ordinary sects also had their own hierarchies.

The worst off were naturally those whose lineages had been severed; a step better were those that had once had ties to the Three Teachings or the Celestial Court, and could still reach those connections to this day.

As for the most formidable, they were none other than those whose "connections" were still alive.

Put bluntly — direct access to the ears of the heavens!

If you really dared to provoke them, just try — see if their founding patriarch wouldn't send a squad of celestial soldiers straight down to handle things.

"Correct."

Min Zhiyan nodded. Although Shen Yi was the demon-slayer official, when it came to matters like this, he still trusted Meng Xiuwen's judgment more: "This Bai Yun Grotto produces Jin Yu stone-sand, which it delivers to the Divine Dynasty every year. But just today word came in that, on account of merit in presenting tribute, the powers above specially bestowed a celestial mount as a reward."

A celestial mount personally bestowed by the Heavenly Court — though it was only a mount, nothing compared to cultivation arts or immortal pills.

But the thing represented the Heavenly Court's recognition.

A celestial official arriving in person, jade edict in hand — you couldn't imagine how grand the spectacle, and that scene alone was enough to awe every other Xian Sect in the vicinity.

Even if the sect declined in the future, as long as that celestial mount still lived, even a mortal who dared to mount it — who would dare refuse to bow?

"You mean they took the share meant for the Divine Dynasty, sent it up to the heavens to claim merit for their founding patriarch?" Meng Xiuwen clicked his tongue.

"Wrong."

Min Zhiyan looked over seriously: "The Divine Dynasty's share wasn't shorted."

"Then…"

Meng Xiuwen instinctively looked over, then immediately fell silent.

For a treasure of heaven and earth like this, the Divine Dynasty had long since ascertained the exact output — how could an extra share simply appear out of thin air, and such a large one at that, enough for that Bai Yun Grotto's founding patriarch to trade for a celestial mount for his own sect?

Many things could influence a treasure like this, but the simplest and most convenient was imperial qi.

"What I mean is, you are… you used to be the strongest among the demon-slayer officials. With a matter like this, go take a look — if there's truly a problem, even if you can't gainsay the Heavenly Court's dignity, at the very least remind them they should rein it in."

"After all, the celestial mount has already been obtained — don't let things go too far." Min Zhiyan sighed softly.

"Lord Shen, what do you say?"

Meng Xiuwen looked toward Shen Yi. Honestly, this sort of matter shouldn't be the business of Jianyang Prefecture's demon-slayers at all — it barely concerned Min Zhiyan either.

In the old days, one word from this old-timer, and he had nothing better to do, so he'd have gone without a second thought.

But now the one in charge was Shen Yi, so they had to see what the man thought.

"Let's go take a look."

Shen Yi didn't even hesitate, nodding directly.

He was currently in a state where one more debt hardly mattered.

Besides, the demon-vanquisher's lifespan was still ample for now — what mattered more was a way to spend that lifespan.

Borrowing the excuse of an assignment to wander about was never a bad idea.

"…"

Min Zhiyan's feelings suddenly turned a little complicated.

For some reason, with this kid involved, he always felt something was a bit off.

Clearly his cultivation wasn't all that high, yet he gave off the feeling that he might cause a major incident at any moment — he could only hope he was overthinking it.

"Handle things carefully — there is a celestial official present, don't let anyone detect the existence of Zhan Yao Si." He added a word of warning.

"Don't worry."

Shen Yi knew this old tutelary deity had some reservations about him, but he had no intention of explaining further.

He truly wasn't the sort who liked to cause trouble.

"That's good then."

Min Zhiyan felt a measure of relief, and with a wave of his hand, he summoned an immortal carriage. This horse was far taller and more handsome than the one Shen Yi had ridden when he arrived earlier, and the carriage compartment looked cleaner as well.

He watched the three of them leave.

He stood there in thought for a long while, then turned and walked toward the Earth Deity Temple.

Just then, the two old acolytes returned from outside with strange expressions on their faces.

Yet behind them trailed a great, bustling crowd of people.

The one at the head was none other than the newly appointed Rain-Praying Commissioner of Jianyang Prefecture, Crown Prince Ziyang.

As for those behind him, they were a thoroughly motley lot—old and young alike, dressed in every imaginable style.

Among them were young people of startling appearance, but also a plainly ugly old man who looked ordinary at first glance.

There was even a wooden figure that had swapped its body through some crude method.

"You… you treat this old man's place as…"

The Earth Deity suddenly felt a tightness in his chest and shortness of breath. With his experience, how could he not know what Ziyang was scheming in his heart?

Once someone from a small place has gained a foothold, the very first thing they do is drag the whole family along.

He could understand it, of course.

But… but who drags people along like this!

"Ahem."

Ziyang gave a dry cough twice, forced out a smile, and said: "Just arrange things however you see fit, we're not picky—joining the Ru Sect is fine, taking a post is fine too…"

The moment these words were spoken, the expressions of the crowd behind him turned somewhat strange.

Senior Zi Xian blinked. It seemed her brother's standing in this prosperous world outside was not as lofty as he had described in his letters.

Hadn't he said he'd already entered the Divine Court and become a high official?

"…"

Min Zhiyan took several deep breaths, and finally suppressed that tightness in his chest.

His face written all over with helplessness, he waved his hand: "Give me a few days to consider."

"Of course. I brought this group of old friends over mainly to get them registered."

Ziyang smiled at the two old acolytes.

"Th… that won't be necessary, will it?" The eyelids of the two acolytes twitched.

Among this group there were even cultivators at the Transformation of Spirit Realm. No proper sect would let disciples of such cultivation wander down the mountain to train.

A crowd like this had no ability to cause trouble.

They looked more like refugees fleeing disaster.

"By the way, where's my brother?"

A bit more embarrassment crept onto Ziyang's face as well. Such a shameful matter couldn't be left to him alone.

Look at a figure like Shen Zongzhu—couldn't he only accompany me in spreading rain first?

After all, this is Shenzhou; there is no such thing as success in a single stroke.

Hearing these words, everyone present turned their gaze over.

"Him?"

The moment he recalled that Shen Yi had become the Demon-Slaying Officer of Jianyang Prefecture, the look of helplessness on Min Zhiyan's face deepened a few shades more. Without a word, he waved his hand and entered the Earth Deity Temple.

He did not notice, however, the instant that gesture fell.

The group of "refugees" who had looked so strange a moment ago—at almost the same instant, all of their gazes turned sharp.

That air of having fought their way out through mountains of corpses and seas of blood made the two old acolytes' expressions shift slightly.

(End of this chapter)