Situ Bei's words clarified things for Shen Changqing.
Indeed, the Demon-Subduing Division was aware of the matter concerning the Demon's Essence Blood. After all, if Situ Bei, as a member of the Heavenly Inspection Guard, knew about the Demon's Essence Blood, there was no reason the Demon-Subduing Division itself would have no information.
Having confirmed his suspicions, Shen Changqing said, "Since the Demon-Subduing Division is aware of the Demon's Essence Blood, why haven't they taken any action? Are they just going to let the Demon's Essence Blood emerge?"
To tell the truth, he was also very puzzled. Why hadn't the Demon-Subduing Division strengthened the seal from the beginning, or better yet, taken the Demon's Essence Blood away directly, instead of just letting it remain here and watching the seal break?
But Situ Bei's following words resolved Shen Changqing's doubts.
"Lord Shen may not know, but the location of that Demon's Essence Blood is very secretive. It's only possible to find its location by paying a heavy price. According to our information, the grade of the Demon's Essence Blood there is not high, so it's not worth a great effort from the Demon-Subduing Division. Of course, when I say the blood's grade isn't high, that's relative to the Demon-Subduing Division. In the eyes of ordinary people, that Essence Blood is indeed a precious thing!" Situ Bei replied truthfully.
Shen Changqing nodded. "Can you determine, then, what grade the emerged Demon's Essence Blood is?"
"The fallen Demon Evil was initially mid-grade, but after several hundred years of weakening, it certainly won't retain its original strength. It's very likely that it has dropped a grade and is merely comparable to a low-grade Demon Evil," Situ Bei pondered for a moment and then spoke.
It was originally a mid-grade Demon Evil. After several hundred years, it weakened to the level of a low-grade Demon Evil. Such an explanation was logical and reasonable.
After speaking, Situ Bei cast a probing look at Shen Changqing. "Could it be that Lord Shen also intends to compete for the Essence Blood? If that's the case, the Heavenly Inspection Guard of Lin'an City will certainly offer full support!"
"The Demon's Essence Blood is of little use to me for the time being," Shen Changqing shook his head.
He understood what Situ Bei meant; the other party simply thought he intended to compete for the Demon's Essence Blood.
In fact, Demon's Essence Blood was indeed valuable. Although Demon Evils were feared, it didn't mean there was nothing of value to be found on them. Among these, the Demon's Essence Blood was one such treasure. Some people could use special methods to extract the energy contained in Demon's Essence Blood, ultimately utilizing it for their own purposes.
If I didn't have the panel, I might have considered competing for it. But now, with the panel, as long as I steadily kill some weaker Demon Evils, I can directly increase my own strength. Compared to contesting for Demon's Essence Blood, this is much better.
Furthermore, Shen Changqing speculated that there would certainly be other downsides to the Refinement of Demon's Essence Blood. But he wasn't too confident about what exactly those downsides were, as the records in the first level of the Scripture Pavilion were ultimately limited.
Once he returned to the Demon-Subduing Division, Shen Changqing had already planned to spend some time thoroughly brushing up on important knowledge of this world.
Suddenly, a young man walked in and whispered something in Situ Bei's ear. Because their voices were incredibly quiet, even when Shen Changqing listened attentively, he couldn't hear them clearly.
Very soon, the young man finished speaking, took a letter from his bosom, handed it to Situ Bei, and then respectfully withdrew.
After he had left, Situ Bei took two steps forward and respectfully handed the letter to Shen Changqing.
"Lord Shen, a letter for you has arrived from the Capital Demon Suppression Division!"
"Hmm?" Shen Changqing frowned involuntarily and took the letter.
Instinctively, a sense of foreboding arose in his heart. I'm only out on an assessment mission, which should be completed by now. Receiving a letter at this time certainly hints at trouble.
Taking a deep breath, Shen Changqing opened the letter in front of Situ Bei to read its contents.
Shen Changqing:
According to information, Demon's Essence Blood has emerged in the vicinity of Lin'an City. This news will undoubtedly attract the attention of many powerful individuals and Demon Evils.
To prevent the citizens of Lin'an City from being affected, I hope you can temporarily assume the role of Defender in Lin'an City, ensuring that no conflicts spill into the city.
Additionally, you need not worry too much. Although your strength is not great, with the Demon-Subduing Division's reputation, all parties will surely show some deference. As long as you do not do anything too outrageous, they will also show deference.
As long as Lin'an City's safety is assured, this will be considered a great merit on your record, and you will not need to undertake any more missions for the next year, allowing you to cultivate peacefully in the Demon-Subduing Division.
In just a few breaths, Shen Changqing had read through the letter. The name Jiang Zuo was signed at the end.
After finishing, his expression was somewhat peculiar.
Clearly, the Demon-Subduing Division has only just received word about the imminent emergence of the Demon's Essence Blood.
Jiang Zuo asking him to act as Defender in Lin'an City made Shen Changqing scoff internally.
Is the Demon-Subduing Division really so short-handed now that they're asking me, someone who's ostensibly just a Pulse Condensation Martial Artist, to defend an entire region? As for the rest of the letter, it's pure nonsense. What does it mean, 'with the Demon-Subduing Division's reputation... all parties will show deference'? True, the Division's reputation usually carries significant weight. But one must understand, the fight for the Demon's Essence Blood involves not just various factions, but also a greater threat: Demon Evils! While other forces might show deference to the Division, Demon Evils certainly wouldn't. If Demon Evils learned of my presence, they would likely seek to eliminate me at the earliest opportunity.
"This is really clutching at straws!" Shen Changqing sighed.
As expected, there are no simple tasks in the Demon-Subduing Division. Eliminating the Strange Monster in Guyue Village was a dangerous mission, and now defending Lin'an City is an assignment fraught with peril. But there's no alternative. Jiang Zuo's instructions are already clear. A Steward of the Demon Hunting Court from the Huang Department couldn't possibly have the authority to entrust the safety of an entire city to a probationary Demon Hunter like me. Therefore, this must be the intent of the higher-ups. From this simple letter, I can discern just how dire the state of the Demon-Subduing Division is.
Standing by, Situ Bei saw Shen Changqing's constantly changing expressions but did not dare to inquire lightly.
After a long while, Shen Changqing finally snapped out of his reverie.
Given the circumstances, refusal is out of the question. All I can do is take up the post of Defender in Lin'an City and suppress all Demons and Ghosts.
With this thought, he turned to Situ Bei. He took out the report he had written earlier, which he had originally planned to deliver personally to the Demon-Subduing Division, and handed it, along with the Pure Spirit Jade Pendant, to Situ Bei.
"Deliver this letter and the Pure Spirit Jade Pendant to the Capital Demon Suppression Division with utmost speed. Additionally, mobilize all the forces of the Heavenly Inspection Guard in Lin'an City. I need to obtain all information on the current factions in Lin'an City and any experts at Pulse Condensation or a higher stage, all within the shortest time possible."