Chapter 125: A Careful Choice

Chapter 125: A Careful Choice

"Sigh, truly a case of failing to recognize a hidden expert."

"Sigh, truly a case of dragons flooding the temple."

Chen Huai’an and Elder Li Yunfeng sat inside the guardhouse, shaking hands with a sense of mutual regret and surprise.

"I remember Uncle Beard telling me about an exceptional Awakened who could use talismans… but I never thought it would be you."

"And I never expected you to be a high-ranking officer in the Demon Slayer Bureau! Nearly scared me to death!"

Li Yunfeng carefully observed Chen Huai’an.

The young man before him felt different from when they had last met.

Before, he was like a sheathed sword, his sharpness carefully hidden away.

But now, the blade had slid half an inch from its scabbard, its edge starting to reveal itself.

"Truly, heroes emerge from the young. You can use talismans, and now you wield swordsmanship as well. If Uncle Beard had known about this, your ranking in the Bureau would have definitely been raised."

But despite Li Yunfeng’s praises, Chen Huai’an didn’t look particularly pleased.

He was staring out the window, his brows furrowed.

Outside, there were three white stretchers lined up.

On them lay the bodies of tonight’s victims.

From beneath one of the white sheets, a few bloodstained blonde hairs peeked out.

It was the girl who had once smiled at him, flirted, and asked for his number.

Her friends—the other three college girls—stood at a distance, crying but not daring to come closer.

That horrific scene—watching their friend being devoured—was something they might never be able to forget.

"Am I considered strong in the Demon Slayer Bureau?"

Chen Huai’an withdrew his gaze.

"You are. Very strong. And very rare."

Li Yunfeng nodded.

He wanted Chen Huai’an to officially join the Demon Slayer Bureau.

Right now, Chen Huai’an was only taking bounty jobs for money.

But the most critical and classified missions weren’t publicly listed.

More importantly, the Bureau was currently trapped in political games, being used by aristocratic families and government officials to maintain a fragile balance.

They desperately needed a true powerhouse to break this deadlock—

Because the Bureau wasn’t meant to be a pawn in the political world.

It was meant to be the ultimate protector, eradicating demons and evil spirits without compromise.

"Even if I’m as strong as you say, I still failed to save that girl’s life."

Chen Huai’an clenched his fists.

His lips curled into a bitter smile.

"Do you regret it?"

"Of course I do."

"Then that’s good."

Li Yunfeng’s wrinkled eyes softened, a complex emotion flashing through them.

"If you can still feel regret, then this world still has something worth protecting."

"You want me to join the Bureau."

Chen Huai’an saw right through him.

"Heh, I do have that thought."

Li Yunfeng sighed with a wry smile, tapping his own chest.

"Unlike you, I barely feel that regret anymore.

I’ve seen too many cases like this. I’ve long since grown numb."

Chen Huai’an fell silent for a moment.

"Then why do you stay in the Bureau?"

Li Yunfeng’s gaze lowered slightly.

"My family was killed."

He let out a slow breath.

"Eaten by demons.

I have nowhere else to go."

"What about your son, the one who started his own business?"

"Yeah… he’s starting a business in the afterlife."

"…Hey! You old fraud!"

"Hahaha."

—

Lin Lingling had two fractured ribs and needed medical attention.

She had assumed it happened while she was unconscious, thinking the evil spirit had crushed her.

Chen Huai’an decided to never tell her the truth.

"The mission bounty has been transferred to you."

Li Yunfeng sat inside his car, then suddenly remembered something.

He rolled down the window.

"Oh, right. The two Awakened Healers I arranged for your cancer treatment will arrive tomorrow morning at 9 AM.

Meet me at Panjia Courtyard Market."

Then, without further urging him to join the Bureau, he left.

Chen Huai’an stood under the streetlights, exhaling a long breath.

"So much happened tonight…"

He felt a brief moment of uncertainty.

Lin Lingling was still a rookie.

If she had faced those two creatures alone, she would have stood no chance.

Forget the Black Coffin Messenger—Lin Lingling wouldn’t have even been able to handle the corpse puppet on her own.

If he hadn’t been here tonight, she’d probably have ended up like that college student.

But neither the corpse puppet nor the Black Coffin Messenger seemed like big players.

From what they had said, it was clear that they belonged to a larger organization.

And whatever they were planning, it was still unknown.

If that plan fully unfolded, would the Tianfu Demon Slayer Bureau even be able to handle it?

"Hey, Chen Huai’an, are you falling back into your bad habit of worrying about other people? Does being kind ever pay off? Trying to be a hero?"

He tapped his forehead a few times, sneering at himself.

"And who do you think you are, anyway? You’re just a Qi Refinement Stage 1 rookie.

Killed a couple of small fries and now you’re getting cocky?

For all you know, their boss is some ancient monster who could squash you with a single finger."

The summer night breeze was warm, carrying the crisp scent of the city.

Chen Huai’an let the wind clear his mind for a moment.

Once he felt sober enough, he hailed a cab and went home.

—

[The boss is back!]

At the sound of the door unlocking, Baji, who had been meditating on the windowsill, and Xiao Qing, who had been balancing upright on the water surface, quickly switched to normal pet positions.

[The boss already knows you’re a demon. What’s the point of pretending? Stay upright.]

Hearing this, Xiao Qing drooped miserably but remained standing on the water.

Chen Huai’an didn’t even glance at his two weird pets.

The first thing he did was plug in his phone and open My Virtual Girlfriend.

He had already thought things through.

Yes, he had some abilities.

But he was also dying of cancer.

If he couldn’t even save himself, why the hell should he care about other people?

Focus on what’s within reach.

Make sure his own happiness was secured first.

Like right now.

[Your viewing has been blocked by a formation!]

Chen Huai’an tried to check on Li Qingran, but she was nowhere on Luoxia Peak.

There was only one place she could be—inside that giant cauldron.

But when he attempted to monitor her, the system popped up a notification.

[Illusion Formation set up by Elder Liu Yuanqing.]

[Isolation Formation set up by Elder Liu Yuanqing.]

[Pill Fire Formation set up by Pavilion Master Su Qinian.]

And that was just the top three.

There were also Spirit Gathering Formations, Black Armor Formations, Soundproofing Formations, Frost Sealing Formations, and dozens more.

The entire screen was flooded with formation names.

Chen Huai’an slowly typed a question mark in his mind.

What the hell was Sword Pavilion’s alchemy department doing?

Stuffing his precious Qingran into this many formations and not letting him see?

[Would you like to pay ¥1888 to bypass all formations?]

With his newfound fortune, Immortal Chen let out a disdainful chuckle.

"1888 yuan? That’s pocket change."

Charge!

A payment confirmation screen popped up.

[Please select your method of breaking the formations.]

Use profound formation knowledge and break them with a single punch.

Use profound formation knowledge and summon your flying sword to slash through.

Grab the formation with one hand and refine it instantly.

(Warning: Li Qingran may be in an undressed state. Please choose carefully!)