Chapter 73
【But why isn’t he holding the talisman?】
“Oh, I get it now.” Chen Huai'an slapped his forehead and said decisively, “The Lei Huo Talisman has to be held in hand to trigger it. Since that’s the case…” He took a deep breath and pressed the talisman directly onto the body of the big blue fish.
The big blue fish thrashed violently for a moment.
Nothing happened.
Chen Huai'an: “…”
Ba Ji: “…”
He didn’t understand. If the big shot wanted to kill the fish, why didn’t he infuse the talisman with spiritual energy? Didn’t he know that triggering the talisman required it?
This kind of talisman had its own characteristics.
It either activated automatically upon sensing demonic energy, murderous intent, ghostly aura, or malice, or the talisman maker had to actively infuse it with spiritual energy to trigger it.
Could it be that this big shot didn’t know that?
【No, that’s impossible! This is a trap!】
Ba Ji stared at Chen Huai'an’s back, as if he could see the sinister smile on Chen Huai'an’s face.
【He must be pretending to act this way to lure me into exposing myself. Once I reveal my identity, I’ll be killed! I don’t want to die…】
Ba Ji retreated step by step into a dark corner.
He was about to shut down.
When would this life of constant fear come to an end?
Only spiritual energy could offer him some comfort.
He had tried his best to learn the habits of a cat, but to fully play the role of a qualified cat, there were still too many things to pay attention to.
He could be exposed at any moment.
Like just now.
“Forget it, I’m just an ordinary guy, after all.” Chen Huai'an shook his head, found a basin for the big blue fish, filled it with water, and placed it on the windowsill.
The basin was a bit small; half of the fish’s tail still hung outside.
But given the circumstances, it would have to do.
At least it was still alive.
“Ba Ji, such a big fish, and you’re not interested at all?” He turned around, surprised to see the little black cat. Ever since it had recovered from its injuries, it had been acting all mysterious.
It was very much in line with the ancestral traits of a cow cat.
Ba Ji was taken aback by the question, scrambling up to the windowsill and licking the big blue fish’s tail, all the while glancing at Chen Huai'an’s expression.
Chen Huai'an: “…”
This cat was a bit eccentric.
He chuckled and shook his head, ignoring the big blue fish and Ba Ji.
Naturally, he didn’t notice the spiritual energy from the Jiu Zhuan Ling Lan gradually permeating the entire room, seeping into his skin, nourishing the cancer cells and also supporting his normal cells and bones; he didn’t see Ba Ji actively absorbing the spiritual energy, nor did he see the once half-dead blue fish gradually calming down near the flowerpot, no longer floating belly-up.
Changes were happening subtly.
Chen Huai'an simply opened the electronic girlfriend game.
He could teach Li Qingran how to practice swordsmanship now.
…
“Old Li, where’s that young man you mentioned?” Under the old poplar tree, a middle-aged man with a full beard was looking around anxiously.
“He said he was going to the market. By now, he’s probably bought his groceries and gone home,” replied Li.
The bearded man grew anxious upon hearing this. “Why didn’t you keep an eye on him?”
Li rolled his eyes. “You told me to stay put! How could I watch him? Do I have the ability to clone myself?!”
The bearded man opened his mouth, then sighed.
“Fine, let’s check the sword marks first.”
Old Li led the bearded man, and the two of them circled around the old poplar tree again and again.
After a while, they stopped under the tree, standing silently and staring at the trunk, as if digesting a vast amount of information.
After a moment, Old Li asked the bearded man, “What do you think?”
“It’s hard to say.” The bearded man’s expression was serious.
“Hard to say?”
“Yeah, I’m just a master level. What can I say?”
“You mean this kid’s sword power is already approaching the soldier level?”
The bearded man fell silent, and Old Li, seeing the bearded man’s troubled expression, also fell silent.
Commander level?
He didn’t dare to think about it.
Just being at the soldier level was already outrageous enough.
“Old Li, remember last year when Wang Laohu poached someone from our province? You still remember, right?” A glimmer of nostalgia flashed in the bearded man’s eyes as he leaned against the tree trunk and continued, “That kid was originally a video blogger, just messing around with ancient sword techniques for fun. Who would have thought that when the spiritual energy revival hit, he suddenly mastered those techniques overnight? When he went to the Demon Slayer Bureau for testing, he was directly rated as a master level A.
This year, I heard he’s already at the soldier level, handling dozens of difficult cases, and his popularity is skyrocketing… But even so, he can barely unleash his sword energy, and the power is nothing to write home about; it’s not even as good as when he swings the sword himself.”
“I know, that ingrate.” Old Li snorted, clenching his fist, anger flashing in his eyes.
He would remember this for the rest of his life.
Wu Haiting, he had even helped that kid gain insight into sword techniques, only for him to be lured away by the Demon Slayer Bureau from the neighboring province.
The C Province Demon Slayer Bureau had invested a lot of resources to train him, only to end up making someone else’s clothes.
As a result, the C Province Demon Slayer Bureau had been struggling for the past two years.
Not enough strong fighters, poor performance, low efficiency in handling cases, and sometimes they even had to request reinforcements from other Demon Slayer Bureaus.
Losing face was secondary.
The key was the casualties caused by the monsters, which were heartbreaking. If they had a strong fighter above the soldier level, they wouldn’t be in such a dire situation.
“So, Old Li, you must help us secure that young man for the Demon Slayer Bureau!” The bearded man grasped Old Li’s hand, his tone earnest. “A few good kids died last month, and now there are fewer than twenty demon slayers who can go on missions.”
“I can’t guarantee that.” Old Li wearily waved his hand, shaking his head with a sigh. “I understand your difficulties and urgency, but we can’t rush this. First of all, I don’t know where he lives. Secondly, I haven’t known him for long, so I don’t know his background or character.
If this kid really has mastered sword energy, none of us would be a match for him. Have you forgotten about that out-of-control guy from ’31? How much slaughter did he cause? They still haven’t caught him! It’s because we underestimated his humanity and desires while lacking the strength to bear the risk.”
The bearded man fell silent again.
Indeed.
Given their current level at the Demon Slayer Bureau, if something went wrong, they wouldn’t be able to control a reviver who had mastered sword energy.
Although bullets and shells still posed a threat to revivers.
But revivers at the master level and above could react to danger in advance, making it likely for them to dodge bullets.
A soldier level reviver, as long as they weren’t caught in a hail of bullets, could easily avoid being killed by firearms with just a bit of cover, and commander level revivers could even deflect bullets with cold weapons.
“I understand now.” The bearded man took a deep breath. “I was too eager for results. Old Li, how about this: you keep in touch with that young man, and it would be best to find a way to test his character. Once we’re sure he’s reliable, we can reveal some information about the Demon Slayer Bureau to gauge his interest.”
“Sounds good.” Old Li nodded.
He figured that since Chen Huai'an was interested in swordsmanship and ancient martial arts, he would likely come back here one morning, giving them another chance to meet. At that time, he could inquire about the young man’s address, making it easier to find him later.
…
After their discussion, the bearded man called a taxi back to the Demon Slayer Bureau.
As soon as he got in the car, his phone vibrated.
Glancing at the caller ID, he quickly answered.
【BOSS! Something’s happened!】
The voice on the other end was filled with panic.
【A civilian demon slayer reported that a suspected A-level monster has appeared in Tianfu City, and there are two of them!】
“Two A-level?! Got it, I’m on my way!” The bearded man’s expression changed, his fists clenched tightly.
He hung up the phone.
Looking out at the tall buildings.
Worry etched across his brow.
The streets were bustling with traffic, and people hurried to work, unaware that the world was gradually descending into chaos.
Neon lights flickered as demons roamed freely in the beautiful districts, while many places in Europe had become hunting grounds for vampires and werewolves.
Sometimes he found himself reminiscing about the days when he was just a corporate drone. Although he lived like an NPC, at least he didn’t have to worry about suddenly dropping dead.
But life is unpredictable.
Recently, monsters had been appearing more and more frequently.
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