Chapter 71: One Day Trip Through the Hills

"What black shadow monster?" Su Jian's previously relaxed and lazy expression instantly turned serious.

He brought Su Jin out to practice extracting wood essence, not to get himself killed.

If it's truly dangerous, he should take Su Jin back.

What if something happens and Su Jin gets hurt? Uncle Tang would kill him!

"No one knows for sure—no one has yet confirmed whether that black shadow monster even exists, or whether the recent series of tragedies were truly caused by some real monster."

But three days ago, this case was already transferred to the Xiancheng Patrol Office.

I heard yesterday, the Xiancheng Patrol Office already sent people out to investigate. You know how powerful those people are. If that black shadow monster truly exists, they'll catch it for sure.

Everyone is now watching and guessing when the monster will be caught.

Everyone guesses it won't take more than seven days," said Su Jian's friend, the black, fat Su Hanlin, smiling.

The Xiancheng Patrol Office's personnel are all elite disciples of the sect.

Not only are they incredibly swift in action, but their combat and investigative abilities are also extremely formidable.

They've solved every major case inside Xiancheng.

They're practically the guardian gods of Xiancheng's residents!

"I heard the person leading this investigation for the Patrol Office is also from our Su family—and his name is one everyone knows well, especially Su Jian, who should be even more familiar with it," said another pale, slender young man, smiling.

"What name should I be more familiar with?" Su Jian looked at them in disbelief.

He thought to himself: I don't remember knowing any big shots in the Patrol Office.

Hearing that the Patrol Office was finally stepping in to deal with the black shadow monster, Su Jian's tense heart immediately eased.

No wonder so many people still dared to go outside the city to extract wood essence—someone was finally stepping in to cover their backs.

"Ha! Su Jian, do you remember Su Huchen? The big Da Hu Zi you picked up from outside the city back then?" asked the black, fat Su Hanlin, grinning.

"Of course I remember—I accidentally found Su Huchen badly wounded! Out of kinship, I carried him back, and later he repaid that life-saving favor by helping me with several major favors."

"Without him, I never would've easily joined the sect as a lowly laborer disciple," Su Jian sighed. "We used to get along well, helping each other back and forth. But after he entered the sect, he completely cut off contact with me." Su Jian spoke with regret.

He joined the sect as an outer disciple—how could he be the same as my lowly laborer?

Besides, Su Huchen entered the sect before me. My entry was thanks to the favor he left behind.

When they learned of my background—that I was an old friend of Su Huchen—they let me in out of respect for Su Huchen's name.

Otherwise, I might've had to take the exam for years longer!

Don't think becoming a sect laborer disciple is as easy as buying cabbage at market!

My promotion from laborer disciple to outer disciple was a gauntlet of endless trials!

"The person leading this Patrol Office investigation is named Su Huchen. I heard he originally came from our Xiancheng. He was severely wounded outside, his foundation damaged, and returned to heal—so he was reassigned to our Xiancheng Patrol Office," said Su Hanlin.

"Severely wounded and still sent back to work for the sect? Wow, our sect really knows how to use people—literally working them to death," Su Jian said, dumbfounded.

"I heard Su Huchen is incredibly strong—even wounded, barely alive, while healing, he still handles cases in Xiancheng, hunts down demon spies, and deals with monsters outside the city with ease," said the pale, slender young man Su Yu.

Someone truly crippled and bedridden wouldn't be reassigned to the Patrol Office, would they?

"That's too impressive," Su Jian couldn't help exclaiming.

"Isn't it?" said the black, fat Su Hanlin, grimacing. "If it really is that old Da Hu Zi, he's only in his twenties, right?"

"No—he's my age. Thirty-five," Su Jian couldn't help saying.

The childhood companion long buried in his memory had become so powerful—Su Jian felt a strange, fleeting sense of time slipping away like water.

"But it might not be your old friend Da Hu Zi," said the pale, slender young man Su Yu.

He didn't want Su Jian to be disappointed.

But what if it wasn't the same person after all?

"Doesn't matter—if it really is Da Hu Zi, I'm happy for him. He's gotten even stronger. If not, we'll just reminisce about our childhood friend," Su Jian laughed heartily.

Hearing her brother's laughter, Su Jin tucked the blood-red Luo back deeper into her sleeve.

This morning, when Su Jin announced she was leaving the city, the blood-red Luo immediately insisted on coming along.

Fine, come if you want.

Su Jin assumed the blood-red Luo just wanted an outing—

After all, she, like herself, had never been outside the city.

But the blood-red Luo's existence must not be revealed to her brother's friends.

So Su Jin had concealed it all along—even her brother didn't know she'd brought the blood-red Luo out.

The blood-red Luo was shoved back into the sleeve, and now it grew quiet.

But as the ground-hugging carriage, flying half a foot above the earth, moved farther from the majestic Xiancheng, the surrounding hills grew densely packed with trees.

The blood-red Luo stirred again.

Something outside seemed to be drawing it.

If Su Jin hadn't constantly forbidden it from leaving, the little thing would've already jumped out and fled.

Su Jin had witnessed how her second sibling, Su Shen, vanished during last year's Lantern Festival—disappeared without a trace, nearly driving her father Su Yan insane.

If she hadn't recognized her sister's aura so well, she'd have dragged her trembling father left and right until they found the second sibling, who'd been mooching off some little boy's food. Her father would've cried all night.

When they finally found Su Shen, the second sibling had eaten so much from the little boy that she didn't want to go home—she grabbed the boy's robe and tried to follow him home. Only when her mother caught up and smacked her bottom did they finally drag her back.

Su Jin always thought her father Su Yan had too much emotion—he didn't seem like a cultivator at all.

So yesterday, she'd made her decision: the blood-red Luo could come out to play, but she must never be allowed to wander far—even at the forest field, she must be told to stay only within a hundred zhang around Su Jin, and follow her wherever she went!

The blood-red Luo didn't know its ancestor had no intention of letting it roam free.

It still looked forward to its wonderful hillside day trip!