Chapter 26: Trouble in the Bureau of Heaven Monitoring

“No, you’re unwilling...?”

When he saw Chen Qu shake his head, Hong Tianyun’s face immediately darkened.

Then, he cautiously forced out a smile, though no matter how one looked at it, this smile was clearly reluctant:

“That’s true, it’s all our fault. After all, Lord Ding Fan and Lord Xu Han sacrificed themselves because of our village...”

The moment Chen Qu saw Hong Tianyun’s bleak expression, he realized that he had misunderstood his meaning.

Chen Qu said:

“You’ve misunderstood. Ding Fan and Xu Han were demon-exorcists of the Bureau of Heaven Monitoring. Even they died at the hands of the snake demon. How could I blame you ordinary folk for being unable to do anything?”

Hong Tianyun was stunned, somewhat uncertain of what Chen Qu meant:

“May I ask, my lord, what exactly you mean...?”

Chen Qu scratched his thinning hair and said helplessly:

“It’s not that we of the Bureau of Heaven Monitoring are unwilling to help you, but rather that, for the moment, we truly don’t have the ability to help you.”

“Recently, the demons and monsters in Yongzhou have been emerging in swarms. Especially in neighboring Quanzhou, a great demon on the verge of transforming into a Flood Dragon has appeared.”

“In order to prevent that demon’s transformation into a Flood Dragon from causing floods and ruining the spring planting nearby, all of our Bureau’s personnel have already been dispatched.”

Chen Qu lifted the corner of his Taoist robe, revealing rings of bandages:

“Even I—though I may look idle now—I actually sustained internal injuries not long ago while capturing a demon, and I’m currently recuperating within the Bureau of Heaven Monitoring.”

“Add to that the fact that our branch office still needs people to guard it, and we really don’t have anyone to spare.”

“If Wei Hanyu returns, uninjured and willing to avenge his two disciples, then perhaps something could be done. But before he comes back, the others...”

Chen Qu shrugged, shaking his head helplessly.

Only then did Hong Tianyun notice that Chen Qu’s face had been pale all along, and his lips were parched.

Although Hong Tianyun was deeply anxious for the people of his village—uncertain whether they could sleep in peace under the shadow of the snake demon—still, since even Chen Qu from the Bureau of Heaven Monitoring had humbled himself to explain to an ordinary villager like him, to say more would be making a scene unreasonably.

So he could only tremble slightly at the lips and say:

“In that case, I must trouble my lord to keep watch for Lord Wei’s whereabouts. In the coming days, we will return again to the Bureau of Heaven Monitoring. If my lord happens to encounter Lord Wei returning from demon-hunting, please pass word to him.”

Chen Qu nodded and was about to turn to leave.

Just as he had said before, although the people of the Bureau of Heaven Monitoring regarded demon-hunting as their duty, that did not mean they would recklessly throw themselves at every demon they encountered.

According to Hong Tianyun’s description, this snake demon had clearly only just become a demon and had only just begun eating people.

Though it had slain Ding Fan and Xu Han, compared with the other great demons currently wreaking havoc, it was hardly worth mentioning.

Once this wave of great demons had subsided, even if Wei Hanyu did not act, the Bureau of Heaven Monitoring would certainly send others to make a trip to Hongjia Village.

“Lord Chen, please wait a moment.”

At that moment, Hong Wen called out to Chen Qu:

“My lord, since the Bureau of Heaven Monitoring is presently short-handed, may I ask what conditions one must meet if I wish to join the Bureau?”

......

Hiding in the mountains of Yongzhou, Gong Yang, who was using the earth vein to nurture corpses, arrived at Hongjia Village.

He did not immediately go to the Dragon Cave where he had originally been raising corpses, but instead planned to first gather information in Hongjia Village.

If the people of the Bureau of Heaven Monitoring had discovered that he was raising corpses on Hong Mountain, they would surely set up in Hongjia Village.

That way, he could adapt his plans accordingly.

Upon entering Hongjia Village, Gong Yang immediately sensed that the atmosphere of the entire village was off.

Not only were the roads nearly deserted, but even the chickens and ducks usually seen roaming about were nowhere to be found, as if they were all hiding from something.

Gong Yang’s brows relaxed slightly:

“If the Bureau of Heaven Monitoring had come, it wouldn’t look like this. It seems those blockheads haven’t yet discovered the tricks I’ve been up to.”

“It must be that some wild demon from the mountains happened to stumble upon that Dragon Cave and claimed it for itself.”

“Still, all the same, I’d better be cautious and make some inquiries.”

To dare betray the Bureau of Heaven Monitoring and still live comfortably, the most important thing was not overwhelming strength but being cautious in all things.

After all, the Bureau of Heaven Monitoring served as the demon-hunting office of the Great Qian Dynasty.

Its strength was by no means something a mere wild heretic could contend with.

From this aspect, he was actually no different from the demonic beasts on the mountain; it was only that if the Bureau of Heaven Monitoring discovered him, they would be more likely to hunt him down than hunt a demonic beast.

So Gong Yang knocked on the wooden door of a household.

Soon there was movement inside the house, but Gong Yang saw no one open the door.

While Gong Yang was puzzled, a frightened voice came from inside the door:

“Who is it?”

Gong Yang feigned profundity and said:

“I think you might need my help...”

The ambiguous reply nevertheless produced a good result.

Before Gong Yang finished speaking, the wooden door “cracked” open and revealed several people inside with expressions of delight:

“Is it a lord of the Bureau of Heaven Monitoring?”

That loud yell caused the doors of the neighboring houses to swing open at once:

“Wonderful, the Bureau of Heaven Monitoring’s reinforcements have arrived; that snake demon is as good as dead.”

“Lord, you must avenge Lord Ding Fan and Lord Xu Han!”

“The Bureau of Heaven Monitoring’s lord has come; the sun has risen for our Hongjia Village!”

Why did the situation sound wrong?

Gong Yang looked at the excited villagers gathered around him and frowned inwardly:

“From what these villagers said, it sounded as if the Bureau of Heaven Monitoring’s people had already been here, had fought that snake demon on the mountain, and had been killed?”

“Could it be that since the bear demon was executed decades ago, a new great demon capable of killing the Bureau’s demon-hunters had appeared on Hong Mountain?”

Gong Yang cleared his throat, pressed his hand down toward the villagers, and after a while the noisy crowd quieted.

Putting on a perfect smile, Gong Yang said to the villagers:

“Friends, I truly am a demon-hunter of the Bureau of Heaven Monitoring, but you may be mistaken in one thing: I was not invited here, nor did I come as reinforcements. I am a wandering demon-hunter of the Bureau.”

“I had been roaming near Hong Mountain, then sensed that a snake demon was causing havoc on the mountain, so I came down to ask any informed person about the situation—whether anyone knew its background—so that I could capture it.”

Then Gong Yang changed to a sorrowful expression:

“However, it seems that some of our Bureau colleagues have already fallen by its hand? My companions who gave their lives for the cause...”

Seeing Gong Yang mourn for Ding Fan and Xu Han, the villagers offered consolation one after another:

“Taoist, do not be too sorrowful. If Lord Ding Fan and Lord Xu Han have spirits in heaven, they would not wish you to grieve so for them.”

Yes, they certainly would not want him to grieve for them; after all, he was a traitor of the Bureau of Heaven Monitoring.

Gong Yang grumbled silently, then forced a smile:

“Yes, you are right. They all sacrificed themselves for the people; they died righteously, and I should follow their example.”

“To ensure their sacrifice was not in vain, even if I must give my own life, I will capture this snake demon stained with human blood.”

Seeing the villagers nodding in agreement, Gong Yang cursed inwardly at the dull-witted folk of this remote mountain region, then said:

“Does anyone here know any specific details? When I go to capture it, I must be prepared.”

“Otherwise, if I end up with the same fate as my two former colleagues, that would be very bad.”

Immediately, all the villagers looked toward two young men, Hong Xiu and Hong Sheng.

With Hong Wen and Hong Tianyun both gone to the Bureau of Heaven Monitoring, there was no doubt that these two knew the snake demon best.

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