Lin Yuan? Ji Ming suddenly stopped his steps, looking bewildered.
Subconsciously, he looked towards Ji Ling beside him and found her wearing a “just as expected” expression, with a strange smile lingering at the corner of her mouth.
Feeling a sudden heaviness in his heart, Ji Ming pretended to be surprised and said, “Lin Yuan? How coincidental, my sister encountered danger in Black Mountain, and it was actually a person named ‘Lin Yuan’ who saved her. I wonder if it’s the same person.”
“Oh? I’m not quite aware of that.” The middle-aged man naturally wouldn’t pay attention to such trivial matters, and he chuckled, “But in a small place like Black Mountain City, there probably wouldn’t be two people with the same name and similar cultivation level as Lin Yuan, so it should be the same person.”
As they walked, he continued, “This kid is not simple, young in age but already at the True Gang Realm cultivation level, and the key is his extraordinary combat power. Singlehandedly, he killed the Lingsheng Sect Master right after descending the deity!”
“What?”
Ji Ming couldn’t help but exclaim. Coming from a prestigious family, he naturally understood what descending the deity meant.
For a True Gang Realm Warrior, as long as the deity descent ceremony was activated, their strength would instantly soar, approaching the Jade Liquid Realm infinitely!
But Lin Yuan could slay him one-on-one!? Thinking back to what he had just said, Ji Ming felt a slight flush on his face.
“No, Ling’er didn’t even tell me about this!” Realizing this, he turned to look at Ji Ling beside him, only to see her looking indifferent, as if she knew nothing, which made the corner of his mouth twitch, feeling annoyed.
It is said that women are outgoing, and it seems to be true!
“Actually, our Demon Suppression Bureau was initially kept in the dark about it,” the middle-aged man chuckled and said: “Later, Liangcai and others became suspicious, specifically came over, and in the end, it just ended without a conclusion. The real confirmation of his actions came later from information obtained from the Whale Gang.”
At his words, Ji Ming was surprised: “Whale Gang?”
“Exactly.”
The middle-aged man nodded slowly. There was a hint of regret in his eyes: “Lin Yuan joined the Whale Gang, and a few days ago, he went on a mission to slay the True Gang Realm Willow Demon, then was reported to the headquarters by the local branch hall, applying for a second-tier contribution for him.”
“It’s a pity that a talent like this didn’t join our Demon Suppression Bureau, otherwise, one day, he would’ve been another talented leader!”
At this level, with a wide network, it was not surprising to be aware of such things.
“It is indeed a pity.” Ji Ming also nodded.
Having such talent, if he had joined the Demon Suppression Bureau, his future should have been even more promising, but he ended up in the Whale Gang.
Yes, the Whale Gang is indeed strong. But can it be compared to the Demon Suppression Bureau?
Within the Great Li Dynasty, all major sects and factions were to be supervised by the Demon Suppression Bureau, which had been the tone set since the establishment of the Great Li Dynasty!
Soon, Ji Ming looked puzzled again:
“Sir, if Lin Yuan has already joined the Whale Gang, what is the purpose of your visit? The Demon Suppression Bureau has always not accepted members from sects… um, are you, sir, trying to get him to leave the Whale Gang and join our Demon Suppression Bureau?”
Upon second thought, there was indeed such a possibility. After all, the Whale Gang was different from the usual sects, usually with a master and disciple form, but mostly apprenticeship in joining.
And Lin Yuan had just joined the Whale Gang, naturally not likely to have any sense of belonging.
With such a big shot personally coming to recruit, others wouldn’t know, but if it were Ji Ming instead of him, he would definitely agree without hesitation!
“Of course not.” The middle-aged man shook his head with a smile, “I don’t want to fight with that old guy from the Whale Gang for such a thing again, I came here with other intentions.”
Other intentions? Ji Ming furrowed his brows at first, then his pupils suddenly dilated the next moment.
Could it be…
Boom!!
Rolling thunder, dazzling lightning tearing the sky. Heavy rain pouring down.
The rainwater poured from the eaves to the ground with a clatter, forming a small puddle in the courtyard in no time.
Although the drainage in Black Mountain City was well done, each sudden downpour would still lead to temporary flooding.
Lin Yuan sat in the hall quietly watching the rain, suddenly frowned, looked through the heavy rain curtain towards the courtyard door, his gaze for the first time becoming somewhat serious, and he said in a deep voice, “Xiao Yu, go make a pot of tea, we have guests coming.”
“Is it Sister Ji?” Lin Xianyu, who was practicing nearby, opened her eyes at the words, curious, and asked, “Yes, but there are other people as well. Later, you and Ji Ling can sit together. Do not say anything else, and do not ask anything.”
Lin Yuan narrowed his eyes. His perception was extremely sensitive now.
Despite the torrential rain obscuring most scents, he could still clearly sense that a terrifyingly powerful aura was slowly approaching their home!
And this aura, he vaguely felt a familiar sense from it. It seemed like he had felt it somewhere before.
He exhaled lightly, slowly concealing his aura. Due to the breakthrough, he could perfectly hide himself, only revealing the cultivation of the initial stage of the True Gang Realm.
Even the two drops of “gang liquid” condensed in his dantian were slowly dispersed by him, spreading into the invisible vortex around him, leaving no clue for anyone, though there was no malice from the approaching person.
But if the other party knew that Lin Yuan had the cultivation of the Jade Liquid Realm, things would be different.
A sixteen-year-old Jade Liquid Realm cultivator was too shocking, and anyone could tell that there was something wrong. This was beyond what a genius or prodigy could explain!
The aura was getting closer and closer. And not far from it, there were small and weak auras dispersing around it.
He sensed it. “The people from the Demon Suppression Bureau?”
Lin Yuan instantly made a judgment. He suddenly remembered why this aura felt somewhat familiar. In his first simulated experience of life, he had once followed Leader Yan to carry out a caution mission and had remotely felt two terrifying auras coming from a distance.
The earth-shattering collisions sounded like thunder rolling through the sky, extremely terrifying.
According to Leader Yan, that was the General fighting a Demon King. The final result was unknown.
And the aura that was now approaching was obviously one of those at that time.
It was impossible for the unknown Demon King to come looking for him, so it could only be the General who had guarded a state for five hundred years in Jizhou, the one who was rarely seen, the General of Jizhou!
Such a figure would not specifically come to see him. Most likely, they had other matters to attend to, passing by this place and taking the opportunity to stop by.
Just take a look, that’s it.
Lin Yuan sighed lightly. Actually, Lin Yuan had long expected that the Demon Suppression Bureau might come looking for him. Having Zhang Tie come over earlier was a kind of probe.
He just hadn’t expected them to come directly like this!
Lin Yuan stood up, walked out of the main room, stepped into the courtyard, and opened the main door.
Standing outside the door was an ordinary-looking middle-aged man, who smiled at the tall youth next to him, “See, I told you there was no need to knock, right?”
“The sir is truly omniscient!” The tall youth flattered instantly.
At the same time, without leaving any traces, the man sized up Lin Yuan. When he saw the slight hint of innocence on his face, even though he had been mentally prepared, he couldn’t help but exclaim.
Geniuses abounded every year, especially this year. A sixteen-year-old True Gang realm practitioner might not be too uncommon, and there were indeed some disciples from certain major sects or ancient families who had such talents, although they were very few.
But someone who could slay a True Gang warrior at a deity summoning ritual was truly rare.
His combat power was simply off the charts!
*Ahem*
Knowing that this was the time to speak up, Ji Ming, who was about to step forward to identify himself, suddenly heard Lin Yuan say, “I don’t know the sir, but the junior Lin Yuan has lost sight of etiquette. Please forgive me for being unwelcoming to the sir. It’s pouring outside, so please come in for a chat.”
“Do you know me?” the middle-aged man asked with a smile.
“I don’t know, but the junior has seen the lieutenant of the Demon Suppression Bureau, plus the strong aura emanating from the sir, it’s not difficult to deduce,” Lin Yuan spoke calmly, without humility.
“Correct.”
The commander of Jizhou nodded his head with a smile after glancing at him, whether he was praising Lin Yuan for his accurate judgment or admiring his character was unclear.
With that, he slowly walked into the house. He clearly didn’t have gang qi protecting him, but the rain water fell around him as if it avoided touching him, as if afraid of contact.
“Please come in.” Lin Yuan glanced at Ji Ming, whose appearance bore some resemblance to Ji Ling, thus confirming that he was the second brother as mentioned.
“Let’s go, what are you dawdling for?” Ji Ling walked in very familiarly, even teasing the somewhat flustered Ji Ming.
“Alright, let’s go in.” Ji Ming snapped out of his daze and quickly followed inside. If even the senior commander went in, it would be unreasonable for him to just stand outside.
Soon, the commander of Jizhou was seated indoors. Ji Ming hesitated for a moment and didn’t dare to sit down. The influence of the Ji family was not weak, but in the presence of this senior commander, he was considered the lowest of the low.
Usually, some families could be called ancient if they lasted for hundred of years. This man…just by guarding Jizhou, he had been there for five hundred years!
Ji Ling was also uncomfortable there, but fortunately, Lin Xianyu was by his side, which made it less awkward.
Only Lin Yuan remained calm and composed, sitting opposite the commander without any fuss. “Do you know why I’ve come?”
Seeing this, the commander of Jizhou found it quite interesting. Normally, he had a great deal of authority, and even the generals felt constrained in his presence.
Lin Yuan was quite a unique individual. He showed respect without fear, exuding a strange confidence that seemed to indicate that, in no time at all, he would truly have the strength to sit side by side with him.
Lin Yuan is indeed a peculiar one. He respects but does not fear him, exuding a strange self-confidence, as if the other party is very convinced that it won’t take too long before he truly possesses the strength to sit side by side with him.
However, it is normal for geniuses to be proud. There’s a saying, isn’t there?
A person’s not conceited, only a youth. Seeing Lin Yuan at this moment, the General of Jizhou couldn’t help but recall his younger self, equally unruly, equally arrogant.
Oh, how nostalgic it is… ”
I don’t know, please enlighten me, senior.” Lin Yuan shook his head.
“Playing dumb!” The General of Jizhou laughed and scolded, “As the Demon Suppression Bureau General of Jizhou, coming to see you specially, how could you not know why?”
“I really don’t know.” Lin Yuan kept a straight face and spoke nonsense with his eyes wide open.
“Good boy, fine!” The General of Jizhou was exasperated, pointing at him with his finger, “I’ll make it clear for you. With your excellent talents, why join the Whale Gang? With your intelligence, you should know that the Demon Suppression Bureau is a better fit for you, why make this choice?”
“You need not overthink, I simply want to know the reason, not interrogate.”
At these words, Lin Yuan fell into slight silence.
Could he really say that he was framed while simulating life and was condemned by the Demon Suppression Bureau without a thorough investigation, followed by a massacre of his entire family?
He estimated that he would be arrested on the spot for research if he spoke up. Seeing him remain silent, General of Jizhou raised an eyebrow, emitting a subtle yet imposing aura, his voice low: “You seem to have some dissatisfaction with the Demon Suppression Bureau. Can you tell me why? Rest assured, in Jizhou, my words still carry some weight.”
“Senior is overthinking it.” Lin Yuan finally spoke, with a smile on his face, “The Demon Suppression Bureau is fine, I simply prefer a bit more freedom.”
It was the first time he learned the name of General of Jizhou, Qin Wushang. “Prefer freedom?”
Qin Wushang gave him a deep look and no longer pursued the matter, changing the subject, “Like freedom is also good, but I believe no one will have a problem with martial arts and cultivation resources. The Demon Suppression Bureau is known as the most extensive repository of books in the entire Great Li Dynasty, aren’t you interested in that?”
“Well, I am interested, but the contributions to the Whale Gang probably can’t be used at the Demon Suppression Bureau,” Lin Yuan frowned.
Both in and outside his words, he was indicating that he would not leave the Whale Gang and join the Demon Suppression Bureau.
Qin Wushang narrowed his eyes, lightly tapping the back of the chair with his knuckles, paying no mind to Lin Yuan’s nonsense, “Have you heard of the ‘Demon Hunter’?”
Lin Yuan’s gaze suddenly sharpened. Before he could respond, Qin Wushang continued on his own, “In each state of the Demon Suppression Bureau, there is a position of ‘Demon Hunter’. This is a very interesting role, with the freedom to act without being bound by the rules of the Demon Suppression Bureau, yet can enjoy the vast resources of the Demon Suppression Bureau.”
“‘Demon Hunters do not have mandatory tasks, whether to accept them or not depends on personal preferences.”
“Due to its uniqueness, the total bureau has fixed limits on the number of Demon Hunters in each state, with a maximum of nine.”
“Up to now, I have six Demon Hunters in Jizhou, the most recent of whom joined a hundred years ago, and the earliest one even longer ago than my tenure, whether dead or alive is already unknown!”
Pausing here, Qin Wushang looked at Lin Yuan with a smile, “What do you think? Feeling tempted?”
Here, Qin Wushang paused and looked at Lin Yuan with a smile, “So, are you really tempted?”
Beside him, Ji Ming opened his mouth, wanting to say something but feeling a bit tongue-tied.
Although there were speculations on the way here, getting the confirmation still left him feeling incredulous.
Because the Demon Hunters were indeed very special, each with a secretive identity that others were completely unaware of. He didn’t expect to witness the birth of a “Demon Hunter” today.
“Why?”
Lin Yuan furrowed his brows for a moment before slowly asking the three words. He certainly knew about Demon Hunters, but only from some hidden books within the Demon Suppression Bureau, and he was very familiar with the unique nature of this position.
Yeah, why? Ji Ming couldn’t figure it out either!
Lin Yuan could be considered a martial arts genius, but he hadn’t truly grown up yet. Even in the vast world, there were people who could match him, let alone in the capital.
Why was he valued so much by the General of Jizhou? Before this, he had never even seen Lin Yuan!
“Simply because I favor you? Why not?”
Qin Wushang sat comfortably on the chair, with a casual expression on his face, making it hard to discern his thoughts.
“If you really want a reason, let’s just say I had a sudden impulse. Anyway, don’t think too much about it. Just tell me if you agree or not. If you don’t, consider me never being here!”
“Agree! Why wouldn’t I?” Lin Yuan fell silent for a moment, a smile slowly spreading on his face, “It’s a piece of cake falling from the sky. Who could refuse such good fortune?”
“That’s right!” Qin Wushang laughed heartily, “On the path of martial arts, there are not so many worries. If there are benefits, just take them. As for the future, that’s a matter for later. Looking back and forth won’t make much of a difference!”
With that, he took out an ancient token and handed it to Lin Yuan. “This is the emblem of the Demon Hunter. This is the only one, so don’t lose it!”
Lin Yuan took the token and saw the front engraved with a “Town” character, while the back had a “King” character.
The intricate carvings seemed to hold a mysterious aura, and the material of the token was particularly unique, not metal or wood, leaving him curious about what it was made of.
“All right!” Qin Wushang stood up, “The purpose of this trip has been achieved, I have other things to attend to, so I won’t stay any longer.”
As his voice faded, his figure disappeared into thin air. Yet, the sound of his voice still echoed in Lin Yuan’s ears, “Is that girl your sister? She must have practiced the martial arts of the Daluo Sect, but her concealment skills are not advanced enough. If she encounters someone with my level of strength, they could spot her with just a glance!”
“The Demon Suppression Bureau has a martial art called the ‘Mystical Water Technique’. Though it’s not high in grade, it aligns with your attributes and can be used for concealment!”
Lin Yuan looked slightly stunned and silently thanked him in his heart. Even though he didn’t understand why the General of Jizhou held him in such high regard, he knew he would remember this favor.
At the same time, Qin Wushang had already appeared on the street, where it was pouring rain. He looked up and saw an ordinary bookshop in front of him.
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