In ordinary times, Lord Wang pays no attention to the various activities of Ma Baihu and others outside, turning a blind eye to their questionable dealings. Once he gets serious, dealing with supernatural beings becomes convenient. Hey, even the road to the underworld is considered easy.

Chen Xuanze is also not to be underestimated, wearing a seemingly careful and honest expression as he leads the way ahead.

The commander of the Demon Suppression Office is an unknown figure to Ma Baihu; he has never seen him before. Normally, Lord Wang oversees all matters of the Demon Suppression Office, and Ma Baihu has only seen him once before today. Today marks the second time.

Lord Wang, standing at over 1.7 meters tall, clad in a red robe, with slender eyes and a pale, ageless face, exudes a chilling aura. If someone were to claim that Lord Wang is the eunuch Wei Gonggong of the Black Guard, aged nine thousand, many would believe it.

There are only a few people present: Lord Wang, Ma Baihu, Chen Xuanze, and a surnamed Li investigator from the Demon Suppression Office. The four quickly arrive by the Yanzhi River.

Ma Baihu breathes a sigh of relief when he sees that the fox demon Xiao Cui did not tamper with the corpse and has disappeared, and there is no demonic aura emanating from the Apricot Spring Tower.

Investigator Li approaches to inspect the body, with Chen Xuanze assisting. Lord Wang, who remains in place, glances at the Apricot Spring Tower and then turns his gaze to Ma Baihu without saying a word.

Ma Baihu stands there trembling; the scorching July sun fails to dispel the chill in his heart. Before long, Investigator Li finishes examining the body and walks over with Chen Xuanze.

The dead person's face is covered in gloom, and Investigator Li, speaking rapidly, says to Lord Wang, "My Lord, the cause of death is due to a demon. The cause of death has been falsified, with four ribs broken and a wound on the back of the head from a heavy object, all post-mortem fabrications. The real cause of death is the infusion of demonic energy. The time of death does not exceed twelve hours."

Chen Xuanze is stunned; this investigator is impressive! He was there the whole time, observing that Investigator Li neither dissected the body nor used a knife. He simply touched around and deduced all this, even discreetly pocketing three fifty-liang silver notes along the way, giving Chen Xuanze an incomprehensible look.

Lord Wang's pale face becomes even more overcast, confirming the investigator's words are not false. Nodding, Lord Wang turns and heads towards the Demon Suppression Office. Chen Xuanze and Ma Baihu quickly follow, leaving Investigator Li behind to wait for the Demon Suppression Office to send someone to take the body back.

Once inside the Demon Suppression Office, Lord Wang speaks, "This matter is to be kept confidential, and those with knowledge are to be placed under a seal of silence." After a pause, he looks at Ma Baihu and adds, "Ma Zhengyang, half a year's salary deduction."

Ma Baihu understands; Lord Wang is letting him off lightly with a minor punishment. The subsequent events will reveal whether the fox demon Xiao Cui is implicated in this matter.

There is a rule in the Demon Suppression Office of Daliang: Demons and monsters can reside within the inner city of the capital but cannot act. Those who act will be killed. This is why the fox demon dared to stroll openly in the inner city of the capital and the reason Ma Baihu and Liu Baihu could frequent the brothels. Since the establishment of the Demon Suppression Office, this rule has been in effect.

The execution of all orders requires a powerful force as a backing.

When the Demon Suppression Office was established, this order was not taken seriously by demons, and even cultivators with cultivation dared to mock the Demon Suppression Guards. However, after various corpses appeared continuously for three months at the Chaotic Grave Mound thirty miles north of Kyoto, this rule has been effectively enforced.

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Chen Xuanze knows that Lord Wang is furious about today's incident. It's not his concern, but if he's lucky, he might seize the opportunity to deal with a demon and earn rewards. If he's unlucky, he might not even get a chance to get involved.

Before leaving, Lord Wang gave Chen Xuanze a strange look and said, "Out of this batch, only you survived?" This sentence frightens Chen Xuanze enough, wondering if Lord Wang is trying to drive him away, perhaps thinking he's an ill-fated star.

Although alarmed internally, he bends over to bow respectfully, with a slightly regretful tone, "Reporting to my lord, indeed. Out of the one hundred and three people, only this humble one remains."

A rare smile appears on Lord Wang's cold face. "Work diligently. When I first arrived, there was only me left."

Chen Xuanze is astonished internally but speaks out a well-prepared line, "Thank you, my lord, for your appreciation. I will dedicate myself to life and death. I will not shy away from demons and monsters. I will bow and give my all until death!"

Lord Wang is surprised by this unexpected eloquence. "Have you read books?" he asks.

Chen Xuanze nods, and Lord Wang stops in his tracks, thinking for a moment before saying, "Ma Zhengyang, keep this young man for now."

Then, Lord Wang takes out a miniature crossbow and tosses it to Chen Xuanze, along with three bolts, before striding away. Observing his confident walk, it seems his mood is quite good, as the gloom brought by the Black Guard's bodies is now completely gone.

Chen Xuanze expresses gratitude, admiration, respect, and approval as he thanks the departing Lord Wang, "Thank you, my lord, for your generous gift!"

Watching Chen Xuanze standing there with a silly smile, Ma Zhengyang is envious to death. He wonders why he didn't notice this guy's sweet talk earlier. He really knows how to flatter.

"What the lord gave you, keep it well," Ma Zhengyang says gruffly, looking at the ordinary crossbow. Chen Xuanze casually hangs it on his waist.

Then, he carefully examines the three bolts in his hand, "Soul Splitting Arrows, with excellent penetration, capable of shattering souls." Ma Baihu's eyes turn red with envy, not daring to ask for them, not even daring to buy them. He's not foolish; he understands that Lord Wang chose Chen Xuanze. He wonders why Lord Wang didn't choose him. Maybe because Chen Xuanze is good at flattery? He can learn that too!

Little does he know, the phrase Chen Xuanze spoke had been prepared for a long time, waiting for the right opportunity to say it in front of the right person. Lord Wang is the right person, and he has titles and achievements. At the age of twenty, after losing his family to demons, he resolutely joined the Demon Suppression Office and, in sixteen years, rose to the position of Supervisor with his strength.

Lord Wang is surprisingly in the same situation, the only surviving individual from a group. Chen Xuanze's words hit a chord with Lord Wang. How could Lord Wang not be pleased? Opportunities are for those who are prepared.

Lord Wang must be feeling a bit sorry for him, and in the heat of the moment, he gave more rewards than necessary.

Despite his honest appearance, Chen Xuanze's insight and value are seriously mismatched. He hands a bolt to Ma Zhengyang, saying, "My lord, please take a look and tell me about it."

Ma Baihu doesn't hold back either, carefully examining it and explaining, "Soul Splitting Arrow, certain death for fifth-grade or lower beings. With luck, it can harm a fourth-grade soul. Keep it well and remember to retrieve it after use."

After saying that, he reluctantly hands it to Chen Xuanze, who eagerly tucks it away. Seeing Chen Xuanze storing the bolts, Ma Baihu instructs, "You can go back now. Remember not to spread this matter."

After speaking, he heads towards his small office for his daily work.