"You’re going back too? This matter is not trivial; several families must send people to wipe out the Demon Nest. You’re needed here, and there’s also the breeding of your Rapid Insects..."
Qin Hu frowned slightly. Summoned by the Demon Suppression Bureau, he had no choice but to go. However, there was absolutely no need for Qin Yu to tag along; it was simply too dangerous.
"Rest assured, Father. The breeding grounds are already established, so it doesn’t matter whether I’m here or not," Qin Yu said, shaking his head. He knew exactly what his father meant. "I’ve already ordered them to scour the surroundings and hunt down Demon Fiends. If the Qin Family Manor is attacked, they will swiftly provide backup."
But precisely because of this, he had to go back even more.
His father had not yet recovered from his injuries. If he truly had to fight Demon Fiends to the death, it was inevitable his wounds would worsen. It was better for Qin Yu to make the trip himself. Although his cultivation was only at Refining Tendons, relying on the Insect Nest, his Body Technique, Sword Skill, and Archery Skill had all reached the Micro Realm. In terms of combat power, he was stronger than the vast majority of those in the Bone Forging Realm. Coupled with the Rapid Insects and Red-bellied Eagles, even if he encountered a Qi and Blood Realm Great Demon, he would still have the strength to put up a fight.
Moreover, he needed to properly handle the Rapid Insects within Cyan Peak County.
Seeing the resolute look in his son’s eyes, Qin Hu knew persuasion would be futile. He knew his son too well. His boy had grown up; he was no longer a child who needed his protection, but an expert capable of sheltering the family.
"Alright, then we’ll go together," Qin Hu nodded with a hint of gratification.
To them, the Demon Suppression Bureau served as reinforcements, but to those Enlightened Demon Fiends, it was no different from the arrival of a group of death gods. Most of the fiends would retreat to their lairs, making the possibility of another attack on the Qin Family Manor highly unlikely.
Without further delay, the two immediately mounted their sturdy horses. Accompanied by a dozen or so experts and several carriages loaded with bows and arrows, long sabers, and other weapons, they rushed toward Cyan Peak County.
As they galloped, ten Rapid Insects darted out from the mountain forests on both sides of the road to keep pace with them. Two eagle cries echoed through the sky. After circling rapidly above Qin Yu’s head, the birds flew ahead.
How could the Dominator of the Insect Swarm travel without the Insect Race by his side?
"Red-bellied Eagles?" Qin Hu looked up at the sky from horseback and asked in confusion.
Those two Red-bellied Eagles were too massive, almost reaching the level of Demon Fiends. Furthermore, their continuous circling was far from normal.
"Those are Red-bellied Eagles I’ve tamed, just like the Rapid Insects. With them around, the chances of us being ambushed are greatly reduced," Qin Yu explained. "I also left a few around the Qin Family Manor."
"I see! With these two Red-bellied Eagles, hunting Demon Fiends will be much more convenient." Qin Hu’s eyes lit up.
Behind him, the dozen Qin Family experts all beamed with joy.
Over the past day, since Qin Wu and the other guards returned to the village, the ferocious battle record of the Rapid Insects slaughtering Demon Fiends had already spread like wildfire. Now, with both Rapid Insects and Red-bellied Eagles accompanying them, their safety was highly guaranteed even if they had to fight Demon Fiends to the death. How could they not be happy?
Outside Cyan Peak County.
Over a dozen riders and carriages galloped wildly toward the city gates, forcing the surrounding commoners to hastily scramble out of the way.
"The Wang Family’s men just went in, and now the Qin Family is here too!"
"It’s a direct order from the Demon Suppression Bureau; how could they dare not come?"
"Haha, those carriages must be filled with weapons and armor, right? With the Demon Suppression Bureau stepping in, the Demon Nest will surely be eradicated!"
"Alas, pity the Chen Family. Over a thousand people, gone just like that. I had a cousin living in that village; his whole family of several people is gone. I just hope those man-eating Demon Fiends are slaughtered as soon as possible!"
The commoners around the city gates whispered amongst themselves. The Demon Fiend attacks had left everyone in a state of panic. Those with the means had fled to other places, but the vast majority had no choice but to stay behind. When the Demon Suppression Bureau entered the city, they made a massive public display to calm the populace and rallied the local experts, all of which the citizens had naturally witnessed.
Following behind his father, Qin Yu swept his gaze over the commoners whose eyes showed a rare glimmer of joy, and he couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
In a world plagued by Demon Fiends, human lives were as cheap as grass. If the Demon Suppression Bureau’s experts hadn’t arrived, his Qin Family would have had to evacuate as well! But where could these ordinary citizens evacuate to?
Arriving swiftly at the Qin Residence, the group dismounted.
"Mother!" Qin Yu quickly walked inside and greeted Ouyang Xue. She was dressed elegantly, but the exhaustion on her face was hard to conceal.
Obviously, even though she had sent Qin Yu to reinforce the Qin Family Manor, how could she not worry in her heart? With the Chen Family Village massacred and the city in a state of panic, she—as the matriarch of the Qin Family—had to feign calmness and preside over the overall situation while the men were away, no matter how anxious she felt inside. Fortunately, she later received intelligence that the Qin Family Manor was safe, which finally allowed her to relax a little.
"It’s good that you’re back!" Ouyang Xue nodded slightly.
The group walked further into the residence. After Qin Hu and Ouyang Xue briefly discussed the various matters and inquired about the Demon Suppression Bureau experts, Qin Hu turned to look at Qin Yu.
"Come with me. Let’s see what the situation really is," Qin Hu said.
The Demon Suppression Bureau had summoned all the local factions. The other families had already arrived; the Qin Family was the latest.
"Alright!" Qin Yu nodded. They had already agreed on this during the journey.
Without even taking the time to warm their seats, the two immediately got up and headed straight to the County Yamen. The experts from the Demon Suppression Bureau were stationed there and had issued the summons.
By the time they arrived at the Cyan Peak County’s Government Office, the sky was already growing dim. However, the courtyard was packed with constables, and the members of the other three major families had all arrived.
"Patriarch Qin sure puts on grand airs! It’s one thing to make us wait, but to make the lords from the Demon Suppression Bureau wait this long is quite something!" Before they even stepped fully inside, a sarcastic voice echoed from a distance.
"Our Qin Family Manor was attacked by Demon Fiends. After a bloody battle, we slaughtered twenty-four Demon Fiends, including eight Muscle Refining Realm Demon Fiends and a Bone Forging Realm Wolf King," Qin Hu sneered, looking toward a skinny, cold-eyed middle-aged man with hands like eagle claws. "I wonder if Patriarch Wang, having arrived so early, encountered any Demon Fiends himself?"
Cyan Peak County was only so large, yet it housed four major families. Frictions naturally arose as they competed for resources. This Wang Family also operated in forging weapons and mining ores, putting them in the most direct conflict with the Qin Family.
"What?"
As his words fell, an uproar broke out.
Wang Yong, the Wang Family Patriarch, turned ashen, his heart filled with shock and fear. Slaughtering twenty-four Demon Fiends? And a Bone Forging Realm Wolf King to boot? Facing such a horde, the Wang Family would have struggled just to protect themselves. Who would have thought the Qin Family’s strength was this astonishing!
Amidst the commotion, six figures dressed in dark robes with long sabers hanging from their waists stepped out. The middle-aged man leading them had a cold expression. A massive scar slashed across his forehead and down through his left eye, giving him a ferocious appearance. Almost tangible Evil Qi overflowed from his body.
"The Demon Suppression Bureau? A Qi and Blood Realm expert!" Qin Yu, following behind Qin Hu, was internally startled upon sensing that formidable aura. He then swept his gaze over the young dark-robed men behind the scarred man. Each one was brimming with vigor; their strength was at least at the Bone Forging Realm!
The Demon Suppression Bureau truly had countless experts.
"Slaughtering twenty-four Demon Fiends? The ’Celestial Wind’ Qin Family truly lives up to its reputation. Even a remote branch possesses such might," the scarred middle-aged man said, squeezing out a slight smile on his otherwise cold face as he looked at Qin Hu.
This sight made the onlookers feel a twinge of sourness in their hearts. Ever since Lord Zhang of the Demon Suppression Bureau had arrived in Cyan Peak County, he hadn’t given any of them the time of day.
In the Martial Arts World, martial prowess was supreme!
Even for his team, dealing with so many Demon Fiends would require some effort. Yet, the Qin Family was able to slaughter them with relative ease. Naturally, this earned his respect.
"Greetings, Lord Zhang," Qin Hu said respectfully.
The existence of the Rapid Insects had already spread throughout the Qin Family Manor. With so many people talking, keeping it under wraps would be far too difficult. Therefore, Qin Hu and Qin Yu had discussed this earlier and decided to publicly claim the Rapid Insects and Red-bellied Eagles as the Qin Family’s hidden foundation, preventing Qin Yu from being targeted by individuals with ulterior motives.
Breeding dozens of Rapid Insects in a single day was terrifying, but if it was the result of a family’s hidden accumulation spanning over a decade, or even decades, then it wouldn’t be surprising at all. Although the Qin Family in Cyan Peak County was weak, the Commandery City’s Zong Family was not!
"Good. Now that everyone is here, I’ll explain the situation," Lord Zhang announced. "While tracking Demon Fiends deep in the mountains, we discovered a Great Demon Nest. Inside, there is at least one Qi and Blood Realm Great Demon, and the total number of Demon Fiends, from Little Demons to Great Demons, exceeds a hundred. We’ve summoned all of you to pool our strength and destroy it in one fell swoop!"