Chapter 182: Direct Assault

Chapter 182: Direct Assault

"You better not insult archaeology! Do you think we just dig randomly? We go through rigorous planning, just like construction sites! This isn’t some amateur ‘digging up dirt’ operation!"

"...Who are you again?"

Chen Huai’an finally noticed the young man sitting on the sofa beside the Demon Slayer.

"I’m a graduate student in archaeology from Z University!"

"Then why weren’t you among the missing?"

The young man’s face flushed red. He opened his mouth but couldn’t answer.

One of the remaining Demon Slayers in Jinde Town, Elite-Rank Slayer Huang Gubei, quickly explained, "The day of the incident, this kid left town to meet his girlfriend. That’s how he avoided getting caught up in it."

Chen Huai’an chuckled. "Then you better thank your girlfriend properly."

He wasn’t actually angry—this was typical bureaucratic nonsense.

"But no matter what you say, the fact remains—you dug up the buried bone porcelain."

"It doesn’t matter how much preparation you did or what tools you used. At the end of the day, did you dig or not?"

The young archaeologist’s lips twitched in resistance. "W-Well, you can’t just call it ‘digging’..."

"Enough. Keep whining, and I’ll bury you myself."

Chen Huai’an’s face darkened, and the atmosphere in the conference room grew heavy.

The young man instantly shut up.

He was just an ordinary human—what was the point of arguing with a room full of superhumans?

Even if he explained, they wouldn’t understand.

Fine. Call it digging. Whatever.

Huang Gubei sighed. "That’s the situation. If we don’t act soon, I fear more residents will disappear."

"Two General-Rank Demon Slayers have already vanished without a trace... We had no choice but to request reinforcements."

"So how many reinforcements arrived?" Chen Huai’an asked.

"As far as Generals go... Only Miss Lin."

Huang Gubei hesitated, glancing cautiously at Chen Huai’an.

"I heard you’re the newly appointed Governor of C Province’s Demon Slayer Bureau... But have you actually reached General Rank?"

At his words, Xiang Xiaoyuan turned to count the leaves outside the window.

Zhao Ying suddenly found her shoes very interesting.

Because officially, Chen Huai’an was only classified as Elite-Rank, Grade A.

They had submitted his promotion request, along with his Governor appointment, but—

Headquarters refused to approve it.

Chen Huai’an didn’t even blink.

"I am, of course, a General."

He pointed at Lin Chen.

"Miss Lin can vouch for me."

Lin Chen froze for a second.

"...What do you mean, I can vouch for you? Are you really a Ge—"

Crackle—!

She was cut off by the sound of electricity arcing through the air.

In an instant, everyone’s hair stood on end from static.

Lin Chen stared at the man across from her.

He was smiling pleasantly, holding a writhing thunder serpent in his palm, its sparks leaping half a meter high.

"Miss Lin, I never got the chance to throw my palm strike earlier. How about... I do it now?"

"You... You...!"

Lin Chen’s fist clenched, her teeth grinding audibly.

But feeling the pressure radiating from him, she chickened out.

Not just chickened out—she was deeply unsettled.

Back at C Province’s Demon Slayer Bureau, when Chen Huai’an offered to spar with her, he had nowhere near this level of aura.

Which meant—

He had only intended to use 50% of his strength back then!

And now, if he went all out...

Wouldn’t he just obliterate her with a single slap?!

Forcing a stiff smile, Lin Chen turned to Huang Gubei.

"Ah... Y-Yes! That’s right! Governor Chen is definitely a General. A very, very strong General! Headquarters just... hasn’t processed his paperwork yet!"

If she couldn’t defeat him, she might as well boost his reputation.

The higher he climbed...

The harder he’d fall.

Lin Chen smiled seductively, but her eyes gleamed with malice.

"Did I say that right, Grand Governor Chen?"

Chen Huai’an nodded solemnly.

"Perfectly accurate."

Then he added, completely straight-faced:

"Your uncle and cousin are both useless trash."

Lin Chen: "???"

Xiang Xiaoyuan / Zhao Ying: "…"

Huang Gubei, oblivious to the tension, felt immensely relieved.

With such a confident General, the Jinde Town incident was as good as solved.

Even if only one General from C Province had come—

A General this powerful was worth five normal ones.

"Now, let’s talk about compensation."

Chen Huai’an sat up straight, clearing his throat.

"Since two General-Rank Slayers are already dead, this means the incident is at least a General-level threat."

"As the reinforcement team, I demand full ownership of all rewards, including bounty money and material resources."

"Of course!" Huang Gubei readily agreed.

"General-level missions provide enough merit points to exchange for top-tier resources from Headquarters! You could even earn an entry pass to challenge the Kunlun Immortal Palace Staircase!"

Kunlun Immortal Palace Staircase?

What the hell is that?

Chen Huai’an rolled his eyes and tapped the coffee table twice.

"I only want money."

"Money?!"

"That’s right."

Huang Gubei was stunned.

The top-tier cultivation resources at Headquarters were coveted by Slayers worldwide—even foreign Revived Ones schemed to get their hands on them.

But this guy?

He only wanted cash.

Staring into Chen Huai’an’s unyielding, greedy eyes, Huang Gubei hesitated for a moment—

Then nodded.

"As long as you resolve this anomaly, I’ll pay whatever amount within our means."

At 5:00 PM, as the setting sun struggled behind the clouds...

Chen Huai’an’s team arrived at the bone porcelain ruins.

"Captain Zhao, what’s the standard Demon Slayer Bureau procedure for handling an anomaly?"

Chen Huai’an stared intently at the abandoned kiln caves carved into the hillside.

Zhao Ying began counting on her fingers:

"First, gather data on the victims, analyze their cause of death, extract anomaly traces, reverse-engineer the anomaly’s nature, assess its true risk level, assign appropriately ranked Slayers, then discuss the best elimination strategy before engaging—"

"Too much hassle."

Chen Huai’an waved dismissively.

"By the time we finish planning, the evil spirit will be sitting in my lap."

"But this process exists to increase Slayer survival rates!" Zhao Ying frowned.

"The anomaly is centered around these kiln ruins. Whether the spirit is inside or not, this place is its origin—it will return here eventually."

Lin Chen rolled her eyes.

"Obviously! But its lair is dangerous—don’t tell me you..."

"So we’re going to storm it directly."

Chen Huai’an cut her off with a casual wave of his hand.

"Storm it?! No investigation? No preparation?!"

Lin Chen’s eyes widened.

"Are you insane?! Are you suicidal?!"

Chen Huai’an didn’t respond.

He simply walked forward.

The evening twilight carved razor-sharp shadows into the dusty ruins.

The kiln caves curled within the ravines, resembling ribs soaked in festering blood.

The wind howled through the arched doorways, carrying the sound of metal scraping against clay.

He felt it.

The presence of something watching.

"Evil spirit..."

"I’m here."

His footsteps faded into the dark.

His low laughter drifted in the wind.

…

…