Becoming a Saint From the Iron Armor Skill

Chapter 301: Chapter 166: Yama of Death

Tier Four Demon Beasts were even more destructive. Once one appeared, it would often bring disaster to thousands, or even tens of thousands, of people.

However, the Demon Suppression Department had not yet received any reports of Tier Four Demon Beast sightings.

Even so, the Demon Suppression Department made preparations in advance. Three Vice Directors at the Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm had been urgently dispatched to preside over the three most severely affected counties.

To ordinary people, Demon Beasts were a scourge, but to Martial Artists cultivating the Martial Dao, they were a source of various cultivation resources.

Many capable Purple-clothed Guards from the Demon Suppression Department had already formed teams and left to slay Demon Beasts.

Many disciples from the Four Great Clans of the Inner City, along with some powerful Jianghu Martial Artists, had also formed Demon Hunting Teams and left the city to hunt.

As a result, Linji City had been quite peaceful recently. Aside from the stir caused when Mr. Zheng fought the City Lord, Jiang Botao, half a month ago, no other major incidents had occurred.

Chen Cheng was eager to earn Merit from the Demon Suppression Department to exchange for Bone Tempering Pills and cultivate his Dragon Elephant Bone Forging Technique. Taking advantage of the drought to leave the city and slay demons seemed like a good option.

’But with my current Martial Arts Power, even if I use the Great Power Realm, I’m not certain I can slay a Tier Three Demon Beast.’

’Besides, from what I know about the Demon Suppression Department, five Tier Three Demon Beasts are nowhere near enough for all the Purple-clothed Guards to share.’

’Never mind the Vice Directors in the Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm; the Chief Level Purple-clothed Guards alone are strong enough to easily slay all five of them.’

’They’ll probably have to race to get a kill.’

’After all, both Jiang Lang and Wang Xiongba, two of the Chief Level Purple-clothed Guards, can slay a Tier Three Demon Beast by themselves.’

’They both have family retainers to help track the beasts, so they’re sure to find them before any other Purple-clothed Guards do.’

’I’m afraid those two will end up slaying most of the five beasts.’

’The other Chief Level Purple-clothed Guards will probably have to settle for hunting Tier One or Tier Two Demon Beasts, or just hope they get lucky and find a Tier Three before Jiang Lang and Wang Xiongba do.’

Taking everything into account, Chen Cheng decided there was no need to join the fray.

His most urgent priority was still to reach the Bone Forging Realm as quickly as possible.

After gathering intelligence at the Task Pavilion, Chen Cheng paid a visit to the Library Pavilion.

In the Demon Suppression Department’s Library Pavilion, one could read all sorts of Martial Arts Cultivation Technique Manuals passed down from the Great Dao Sect. A few of them even included a Second Generation Copy of the Fundamental Diagram.

A Second Generation Copy of the Fundamental Diagram was far more valuable than a Third Generation Copy.

They were copied from the First Generation Copy, which in turn had been copied by the Painting Saint himself.

Of course, reading these Cultivation Technique Manuals also required Demon Suppression Department Merit, and the more precious the manual, the more Merit was needed.

This was especially true for the few Secret Manuals containing a Second Generation Copy of the Fundamental Diagram. A single viewing cost five thousand Merit points—the equivalent of one Low Grade Bone Tempering Pill.

Chen Cheng had just joined the Demon Suppression Department, and his one and only mission had yet to be settled. With not a single point of Merit to his name, he was dirt poor and naturally unqualified to view any Cultivation Technique Manuals.

However, the Library Pavilion’s collection of Demon Beast Atlases and Demon Sect Records was far more detailed than those found elsewhere, and all Purple-clothed Guards could peruse them freely.

As usual, Chen Cheng took advantage of the free access to these books for a while before heading home.

Just as he reached the entrance of the Demon Suppression Department, he ran into three old acquaintances: Wang Xiongzhang, Shen Qingxuan, and another woman who was also part of their group of eight. For a moment, Chen Cheng couldn’t recall her name.

The trio had been chatting and laughing, and they seemed quite surprised to suddenly run into Chen Cheng.

Shen Qingxuan, in particular, froze. The look she gave him was incredibly complex.

’This Chen Cheng before me...’ she thought, ’he might still be just an Ordinary Purple-clothed Guard, but as Mr. Zheng’s Closed-door Disciple, his status, position, and influence are on a completely different level now.’

’I don’t have to worry about the family marrying me off to him anymore. I’ve already heard what the elders decided.’

’They’re going to choose one of the Shen Family’s "Peerless Twins," Shen Qingyao or Shen Qingshuang, and offer her to Chen Cheng as a concubine.’

’And it’s not just the Shen Family. Many of the young ladies from the direct lines of the other three Great Clans have also taken notice of him.’

Because her group of eight had interacted with Chen Cheng in the past, quite a few young ladies had approached Shen Qingxuan recently to ask about him.

Their questions were always the same: What did he look like? Was his martial talent really as high as the rumors claimed?

At first, Shen Qingxuan had been dismissive of these questions.

But as the questions kept coming, she couldn’t help but investigate Chen Cheng’s past for herself.

He came from a Humble Family, starting as a minor Prison Guard in the South City Prison, then becoming a Preparatory Constable at the Ruyi Square Sub-Department in the Outer City District, and then an official constable.

From there, he was promoted to Preparatory Chief Constable, then to Chief Constable of the Lishui Sub-Department—a role equivalent to a Half-step Chief Constable—and finally, to a Purple-clothed Guard in the Demon Suppression Department.

’And he accomplished all of this in less than two years.’

’And most crucially, nearly all of his promotions were earned through his own merit.’

This was completely different from what she had previously assumed.

After all, she had always assumed that Chen Cheng owed his current status and position entirely to the support of Shen Qingshuang, the Chief of the South City Guard.

The more she learned about Chen Cheng, the more she realized just how deeply prejudiced she had been against him.

Perhaps the prejudice in a person’s heart is like a great mountain, and all this time, that mountain had been blinding her.

Now, without that mountain in the way, she felt as if she were seeing a whole new world. The Chen Cheng before her eyes looked completely different.