Chapter 130: Heaven Helps Those Who Help Themselves (Please Subscribe)

Lake beach!

Slap slap slap!

The snake head was smashed, but Lin Chen didn't stop the attack, using the end of a pebble to smash the snake demon's corpse into several pieces before stopping.

After all, it was a demon; it couldn't be treated as an ordinary snake.

Looking at the small snake corpse on the ground, Lin Chen indeed found it hard to imagine that the other party could transform into human form.

In his imagination, demon beasts capable of transforming into human form must have huge figures, at least ten zhang long.

The length of this snake demon's corpse in front of him, if thrown to the villagers to soak in medicinal wine, would be looked down upon.

The concepts of the common people were still very simple.

Whether the age is long or not depends on whether the body size is large, especially for snakes.

"Revenge from the Lian family?"

Killing the snake demon, Lin Chen began to think.

Those who had a grudge against him and could collude with the demon race, according to the news revealed by Yan Qianbei of the Martial Garden, could only be the Lian family.

But what he perceived earlier was that this snake demon's concern for the Snake Shadow Bow was far above his own.

So it was the Lian family who sent this snake demon to assassinate him, but the snake demon discovered the Snake Shadow Bow and was attracted by it.

"This matter must be told to Lord Su."

Killing the snake demon, Lin Chen didn't plan to hide this matter. To find the mastermind behind the scenes, with his current strength, he couldn't do it; he had to borrow the power of the Poyang Poyang Wuzhengsuo.

Just as Lin Chen was about to take off his clothes to wrap up the snake demon's corpse, the next moment he suddenly said in a deep voice: "Who is it!"

Lin Chen's gaze looked toward the left side of the lake beach, fully alert.

In the darkness, a figure walked out.

"Kid, you killed this snake demon?"

The person who came was wearing armor, and Lin Chen nodded and said: "Yes, I don't know how to address you, my lord?"

The armor on the other party was somewhat similar to the armor on Platoon Leader Fang he saw at the time, but in texture, it was not as good as that Platoon Leader Fang.

Was this a person from the army?

"There is a snake demon running rampant in Poyanghu. This official is ordered to patrol here. Just now, hearing movement here, I rushed over immediately."

Lu Tongzhi said with a smile: "Since you can kill the snake demon, it is a great merit!"

As the words fell, Lin Chen felt several more footsteps, and several more figures appeared behind Lu Tongzhi, all wearing armor.

Their aura was steady; every one of them was an Organ Cultivation martial artist.

These four people saw the snake demon corpse at Lin Chen's feet, and there was a look of surprise in their eyes, an disbelief that Lin Chen could kill the snake demon.

"Little brother, although you killed the snake demon, you still have to go with us. There are some things that need you to understand in detail."

"Okay."

Lin Chen didn't doubt the identities of the few people. If these few were also from the Lian family, there was no need at all; they would just take action against him directly.

Several Organ Cultivation martial artists, plus this lord whose strength he couldn't see through, he had no chance of winning.

"Little brother, just leave this snake demon to us to handle."

Seeing Lin Chen lower his head to pick up the snake demon's corpse, Lu Tongzhi spoke quickly: "The snake demon race has a lot of poisonous gas. You have no experience in handling snake demons, so it's easy to get poisoned."

"Thank you for the reminder, my lord, but I'd better do it myself."

Casually tearing off a piece of cloth from his sleeve, Lin Chen wrapped the snake demon directly, then tied a knot and carried it in his hand.

He wouldn't hand over this snake demon corpse to the other party.

Yan Qianbei told him that after consuming demon beast flesh, it has a significant effect on the increase of a martial artist's Qi and blood. Although this snake demon corpse was small, its value was not low.

Experience from his previous life told him that those valuable things were generally sold by the gram.

In addition, he just noticed that the four people who came later had a flash of fiery color in their eyes after seeing the snake demon corpse on the ground.

Relying on the comprehension bonus of 【All Black】, he saw it clearly.

Lu Tongzhi saw Lin Chen's actions, and the corners of his mouth twitched. Did this young man know about the demon race before?

But according to Daliang law, martial arts families below the seventh rank are not allowed to disclose demon race matters to the younger generation of the clan. Logically speaking, this young man in front of him shouldn't know about demon race matters.

An ordinary martial arts youth, not knowing the existence of the demon race, encountering a snake demon for the first time, even if he defeated the snake demon, should be terrified. Even a bold person should have lingering fears.

This is the impact and shock brought by breaking past cognition!

But the young man in front of him, not to mention killing the snake demon, had no too much fear in his eyes.

There is only one possibility, the other party knows the snake demon?

But a village youth, observing his breathing and inhalation, not even reaching Organ Cultivation, where did he learn about demon race matters?

"How to address little brother?"

"My lord, this junior is Lin Chen."

Lin Chen?

Lu Tongzhi only felt that this name was somewhat familiar, as if he had heard it somewhere.

"Boss, last time Platoon Leader Fang said he met a good seedling in Poyang County, it seems his name was this."

The subordinate behind him reminded him in a low voice, and Lu Tongzhi suddenly realized. He said why this name was so familiar; it turned out Platoon Leader Fang had mentioned it.

Now, Lu Tongzhi was in a difficult position.

Originally, he thought about taking this snake demon corpse away. As for this young man, Raozhou Prefecture would just give a demon-slaying reward. Anyway, taking the snake demon corpse away, even if Raozhou Prefecture had opinions, it would be useless.

Once the snake demon corpse reached the military camp, it couldn't be returned.

But Platoon Leader Fang also said he appreciated this young man named Lin Chen, bluntly telling them that if there was a chance in the future, he would abduct this Lin Chen to the military camp.

If he used force to take the snake demon corpse now, making this Lin Chen have no good impression of the military camp, wouldn't that ruin Platoon Leader Fang's plan.

"Since you know Platoon Leader Fang, then this official will take you to see the Platoon Leader."

Lu Tongzhi gritted his teeth. The ownership of this snake demon corpse should be left to Platoon Leader Fang to decide.

"My lord, can this junior go home to greet my parents first? Leaving suddenly, I'm afraid the elders at home will be worried."

"Okay."

According to regulations, anyone who comes into contact with the demon race must be taken back to the military camp for isolation immediately. But Lin Chen knows Platoon Leader Fang, and also knows about the demon race from Platoon Leader Fang's mouth, and was not isolated, so naturally, he didn't need to follow this regulation.

What should be said and what should not be said, Lin Chen should know in his heart.

Lu Tongzhi and the others didn't enter the village but waited at the entrance of the village. Seeing Lin Chen's back entering the village, a soldier behind Lu Tongzhi couldn't help but say: "Boss, that is the corpse of a Ranked snake demon. With this snake demon corpse, it is enough for the brothers' strength to improve by a large margin."

The rules of the military camp: whoever kills the demon beast, the corpse belongs to them.

Although the snake demon was not killed by them, as long as they snatched it from Lin Chen's hands, it would be equivalent to theirs.

"You bastard, you're really living backward. Someone else killed the snake demon; are you embarrassed to snatch the corpse from a young man?"

Lu Tongzhi turned his head and glared at his subordinate. The subordinate was not afraid and retorted directly: "Just now, the boss also had this thought. If this young man wasn't named Lin Chen, would the boss not want this snake demon?"

"That's why I said you are stupid, living backward." Lu Tongzhi looked at his other three subordinates again, sighed, and said: "If this were an ordinary youth, we would take the snake demon corpse and take it. But can someone who can be appreciated by Platoon Leader Fang be an ordinary martial artist?"

"Thinking with your brain, you know that he must be a martial arts genius. You bully a martial arts genius, do you really think the Poyang Poyang Wuzhengsuo behind him will remain indifferent?"

"What's wrong with that? In the past, there haven't been no such things encountered. The superiors will naturally go to argue with the Prefecture Office and the Poyang Poyang Wuzhengsuo." The subordinate was still somewhat unconvinced.

"That's an ordinary martial artist. They won't come to the military camp. Even if they come to the military camp, it's hard to manage us. But Platoon Leader Fang clearly wants to pull this Lin Chen into the military camp. I'm afraid he will also let us hand over the snake demon corpse to give Lin Chen a good impression."

In the military, the rules are that whoever kills the demon beast, the corpse is theirs. Even superiors have no right to require subordinates to hand over demon beast corpses, at most exchanging them for military merit.

But the key problem is that this snake demon was not killed by them.

Platoon Leader Fang has the heart to sell Lin Chen a favor, and it would be shameful if the matter spread out. Lu Tongzhi has followed Platoon Leader Fang for several years, and he is very clear about how Platoon Leader Fang will decide.

A quarter of an hour later.

Lin Chen returned, left Linhu Village with Lu Tongzhi and the others, and just after they left Linhu Village, a figure walked out of the village, heading toward the town and the county city overnight.

Feeling the fiery eyes of these few people toward the snake demon corpse in his hand, Lin Chen kept a heart. After returning to the village, besides greeting his parents and saying he had urgent matters to return to the city, he also woke up Gu Fei, letting Gu Fei enter the city to find Lord Su at the Poyang Poyang Wuzhengsuo.

The city gate of Poyang County is closed at night, but there is a small gate with soldiers guarding it. As long as Gu Fei says he is looking for the Poyang Poyang Wuzhengsuo and then mentions his name, the city gate soldiers will definitely open the gate to let him pass.

Today the county magistrate bestowed calligraphy, the people in the county city might not every one know, but the soldiers guarding the city gate definitely know; the congratulatory team walked out of the city gate openly.

Two hours later.

On a mountain at the junction of Poyang County and Yongfeng County, Lin Chen was arranged to stand outside a courtyard waiting. Looking at the heavily guarded soldiers entering and exiting, he didn't expect that there was actually a military camp hidden in this mountain.

After a cup of tea, Lu Tongzhi walked out of the courtyard gate: "Go in, the lords are waiting for you."

The lords?

Lin Chen entered the courtyard with doubts. After seeing clearly the people standing in the courtyard, there was a look of surprise on his face.

In the courtyard, not only was there that Platoon Leader Fang he saw at the government office, Lord Su and Lord He were also there, and there were three other lords in official uniforms he didn't know.

Six lords were looking at him with smiles on their faces.

"This junior has met Lord Su, met the County Magistrate, met all the lords."

"How does it feel to fight the demon race for the first time?" Lord Su was the first to ask. "The demon race's methods are extremely strange."

Hearing Lin Chen's answer, Lord Su and the others smiled at each other. Lord He Ru continued to ask: "What do you think of this snake demon's strength?"

"This snake demon's strength is very strong. If this junior hadn't sneak-attacked first, I'm afraid I wouldn't be this snake demon's opponent."

"Very strong, sneak attack..." Fang Ze on the side said in a deep voice: "This snake demon's strength is equivalent to a Ranked martial artist."

Lin Chen's pupils contracted. A snake demon equivalent to a Ranked martial artist, could be killed by himself?

Impossible!

Platoon Leader Fang was joking with him; this was the first thought that emerged in Lin Chen's mind.

But thinking about it, Platoon Leader Fang didn't need to make such a joke with him. Thinking of the few soldiers appearing at Poyanghu so quickly, Lin Chen suddenly realized: "This snake demon was injured?"

"Not bad, reaction is fast. No wonder Lord Su and Lord He have always praised you. This official has seen it today."

A strange official-uniformed man Lin Chen didn't know stroked his beard: "This snake demon escaped from the Lian family, paid a great price to escape with its life, and its strength was less than one-tenth. But even so, it had strength comparable to an Organ Cultivation martial artist. You being able to defeat it is truly not easy."

"Extreme martial artist, and Iron Bone Art is Perfected, just happened to restrain the snake race's sneak attack methods. Can only say this snake demon met its nemesis when it met you."

The two strange official-uniformed men spoke, and Lin Chen just smiled awkwardly, not taking the conversation.

"Lin Chen, these two are Lord Su, the County Magistrate of Yongfeng County, and Lord Yang of the Poyang Poyang Wuzhengsuo." Lord Su Lingchuan saw Lin Chen's look of doubt and introduced the identities of the two people who spoke to Lin Chen: "As for this one, he is Judge Chu of Raozhou Prefecture, fully responsible for this snake demon capture mission."

Lin Chen saluted one by one. Hearing Lord Su mention the Lian family, he guessed correctly; it was really the Lian family who arranged for the snake demon to assassinate him.

"Lin Chen, since you killed the snake demon, according to our Daliang law, it is a great merit. Can you mention what reward you want?" Judge Chu looked at Lin Chen with a warm face, his eyes carrying encouragement.

If a leader lets you mention a reward, and you really mention it, that's stupid.

Lin Chen still understood this principle.

"My lord praises me too much. This junior just luckily killed the snake demon. If it weren't for the lords injuring this snake demon, how would this junior have this ability? How dare I claim credit... But... in fighting with that snake demon, this junior does have an idea."

"Just say it."

"The demon race's methods are strange. If this junior encounters other demon beasts in the future, not understanding the demon beasts' methods, it's easy to be sneak-attacked... This junior wants to understand some of the demon race's methods."

The Daliang imperial court has fought with the demon race for so many years, it must have summarized some of the demon beasts' attack methods, including their special features.

If he could understand the demon beasts' attack methods, he could be prepared in advance when encountering demon beasts in the future.

Information gap, sometimes can determine the outcome of a battle.

As for other rewards... with Lord Su here, could he be missing out?

The benefits that should be fought for, Lord Su would fight for him.

Lin Chen simply didn't mention the ownership of the snake demon corpse. As long as it could be fought for, Lord Su would definitely fight for him. If even Lord Su couldn't fight for it, his opening his mouth would be useless.

Judge Chu's eyes condensed, and the other people present also had looks of surprise on their faces, obviously feeling surprised by the reward request Lin Chen proposed.

On the contrary, Fang Ze looked at Lin Chen with undisguised appreciation.

As a Platoon Leader in the army, he dealt with the demon race the most among the people present. Lin Chen's request seemed useless, but it was precisely the most useful.

What a smart young man.

"Lin Chen, wanting to understand the demon race is not simple. Join my military camp, and this official will explain it to you personally."

Once Fang Ze said this, Su Lingchuan and He Ruyun couldn't sit still. This was digging for people right in front of them.

"Cough cough... Logically speaking, with your current strength, Lin Chen, understanding demon race information is still early. But since you proposed it, this official will apply to the Director. Our Daliang has a volume of the Hundred Demon Record, which records the characteristics of a hundred demon beasts within Daliang."

"Understanding on paper is ultimately not deep. My military camp has quite a few demon beast skeletons and corpses."

"The military camp has demon beast skeletons and corpses?" Facing Fang Ze's blatant digging behavior, Su Lingchuan couldn't bear it either, mocking: "If you say the Military Department has demon beast skeletons and corpses, this official believes it, but the military camp might not necessarily have them. This official heard that when a demon beast is killed, its corpse can't even be hidden in the military camp for one night before being divided up."

There are many demon beasts killed in the military camp, but there are also many people.

Fang Ze fell silent. He really couldn't refute Su Lingchuan's words, so he could only say coldly: "Then this official will send Lin Chen to the Military Department for a period of time."

"My Poyang Poyang Wuzhengsuo can also recommend students to go to the Martial Administration Department..."

The two lords were arguing with sharp words. Lin Chen didn't dare to interrupt, could only listen silently. Don't say, in the words of the two lords, some information was still revealed.

"In front of the younger generation, you two should stop arguing."

Finally, it was Judge Chu who came out to smooth things over. As a judge, he was responsible for the liaison and communication between the military camp and the Prefecture Office, so it was not good to favor either side.

Su Lingchuan was a disciple of the Poyang Poyang Wuzhengsuo Director, but Platoon Leader Fang's background was not bad either, standing behind him was the Commander of the Poyang Commander Guard.

The three major forces of the entire Raozhou Prefecture, the Prefecture Office, the Poyang Poyang Wuzhengsuo, and the Commander Guard in the army, were responsible for monitoring the demon beast situation in the entire Poyang water area.

The Poyanghu water area spanned eight hundred miles, and there were several mountain forests around it. In the previous dynasty, demon beasts were rampant, forming a huge demon race force. When the imperial court suppressed the Poyang water demons, it spent a lot of effort.

The Poyang water demons eventually died or fled, but the imperial court judged that there were still some fish that slipped through the net hiding, which was why the Poyang Commander Guard was established.

The three parties performed their own duties, and ordinary people couldn't come into contact with the Commander Guard, only knowing the Prefecture Office and the Poyang Poyang Wuzhengsuo.

On weekdays, naturally, the Prefecture Office was the most majestic, but once encountering demon and monster matters, the Commander Guard had the power to mobilize the power of the Prefecture Office and the Poyang Poyang Wuzhengsuo. Even the Director and the Prefect had to listen to the Commander's orders.

"Lin Chen, after the battle with that snake demon today, I think you are also tired. You should go down and rest first."

"Yes."

Lin Chen knew that these lords had important matters to discuss, and his level was not yet suitable to know.

After leaving the courtyard, a soldier led him to a camp tent.

A quarter of an hour later, Su Lingchuan and the others also came out of the courtyard. Su Lingchuan headed straight for the camp tent where Lin Chen was.

"Withdraw troops!"

Fang Ze came out of the courtyard, looked at his subordinates, and said lightly.

"Platoon Leader, is the matter over just like this? Why did that snake demon go to find Lin Chen? It's not clear yet. Should we continue to investigate?"

Lu Tongzhi was somewhat puzzled. After the snake demon escaped from the Lian family, logically speaking, it should either hide or flee Raozhou Prefecture. Why would it risk going to find Lin Chen?

As for saying Lin Chen offended the Lian family and the snake demon was taking revenge for the Lian family, that was even more groundless.

The demon race is cunning. The Lian family members are all gone; how could it take revenge for the Lian family?

Fang Ze looked at Lu Tongzhi lightly, and for the first time, there was a warning in his words: "No matter what you thought of, rot it in your stomach. Some things are not what you should be thinking about."

Why did the snake demon go to find Lin Chen?

Fang Ze and the others naturally thought about this question. The snake demon couldn't be taking revenge for the Lian family, so there was only one reason: there was something good on Lin Chen that attracted the snake demon.

But earlier, when Lin Chen was in the courtyard, no one asked. This was the tacit understanding of the six of them.

A man is innocent, but his treasure makes him guilty.

Even though Daliang is prosperous now, one has to guard against treasures moving people's hearts.

The few didn't ask directly, which was a tacit recognition of letting Su Lingchuan ask Lin Chen privately. If the thing on Lin Chen was of great importance, Su Lingchuan would naturally inform them.

If Su Lingchuan didn't mention it afterward, it meant that the thing on Lin Chen that attracted the snake demon had nothing to do with the demon race, and the matter would not be mentioned again. As for why the snake demon went to find Lin Chen, when reporting, it would only be written: The snake demon took revenge for the Lian family.

This was a kind of care and protection for Lin Chen by the six of them.

In the camp tent, Su Lingchuan looked serious, examining the Snake Shadow Bow that Lin Chen took out from his waist.

"It seems that this snake demon should have come for this bow, and it is even very likely that the collusion with the Lian family was also for this bow."

Seeing Lin Chen's look of doubt, Su Lingchuan briefly recounted the situation he investigated about the Lian family.

Lin Chen suddenly realized: "My lord's meaning is, that snake demon helped Lian Cheng increase his Qi and blood, the purpose was to let Lian Cheng go to the treasury to get this bow, but because this junior got there first, that's why the snake demon came to find this junior."

Regarding the snake demon targeting the Snake Shadow Bow, Lin Chen didn't hide it from Lord Su.

Still that sentence, there was no need.

He and Lord Su were now a community of interests, and the snake demon only found him and no one else. With the shrewdness of Lord Su and these people, they could also guess that there must be other reasons.

Hiding and tucking away would instead ruin his image in Lord Su's heart.

Toward Lord Su, he held a heart of gratitude of "deep kindness, no way to repay."

"This bow's bowstring refined from the snake's main tendon, what can attract that snake demon should be this bowstring, it is very likely not ordinary snake tendon."

Su Lingchuan pondered for a moment and made a judgment: "After this official goes back, I will investigate the origin of this Snake Shadow Bow. Since you said this bow is difficult to control, I think using this bow requires a special method of drawing the bow. This official will collect it for you."

"Thank you, my lord."

"No need to rush to thank me. This time you killed the snake demon, according to the rules, this snake demon corpse should belong to you. This time it is also letting you pick up a huge bargain."

Su Lingchuan showed a proud smile on his face for the first time: "A Ranked demon beast was injured, and just happened to be killed by you. Such a fortuitous encounter, others won't encounter once in a lifetime."

"My lord's meaning?"

"Eat snake meat, bathe in snake blood."

Lin Chen's heart thumped. According to what Lord Su said, that Lian Cheng only got the snake demon's essence blood, and his strength increased by fifty percent. If he ate all the snake demon's meat...

"This can also be considered a great fortuitous encounter for you before participating in the Martial Administration Hall's special training, and it can also help you gain a foothold in the special training."

Su Lingchuan couldn't help laughing as he spoke. He was originally worried that Lin Chen would participate in the Martial Administration Hall's special training and be compared with those genius students, but he didn't expect this snake demon to come to his door.

Of course, this was also inseparable from Lin Chen's own efforts. If it weren't for the Iron Bone Art being Perfected, if it were someone else, even if they encountered an injured snake demon, just surviving would be pretty good.

It truly lived up to that sentence: Heaven helps those who help themselves.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 131 =====