Human Clan Defender-Chapter 31 The Five Powers

"Lord Shen!"

Within the inner hall of Yongfu Pawnshop, Situ Bei respectfully clasped his hands in salute. Only after Shen Changqing had taken a seat did Situ Bei sit down at his original spot. As soon as the two of them sat down, a servant promptly served tea and then quickly withdrew.

Shen Changqing did not touch the teacup beside him but instead looked at Situ Bei. "Has the Heavenly Inspection Guard obtained the information I wanted?"

"There is a lead. I asked Lord Shen to come today precisely for this matter!" Situ Bei nodded. "According to the information from the Heavenly Inspection Guard, there are currently five factions in Lin’an City: Qiyao Sect, Burning Heaven Villa, Wave-Slaying Sect, Guiyuan Sword Sect, and Saber Blade Sect!"

Qiyao Sect? Saber Blade Sect? Shen Changqing’s expression was puzzled; he had not heard anything about the five factions Situ Bei mentioned. "What are the backgrounds of these five factions?"

"They are all local forces of Guangyuan Prefecture. Among them, Qiyao Sect and Saber Blade Sect are the strongest, each boasting a living Grandmaster. As for the remaining three factions, they are somewhat weaker and currently do not have any Grandmasters alive," Situ Bei replied without hesitation. As a member of the Heavenly Inspection Guard stationed in Lin’an City, he was well-informed about Guangyuan Prefecture’s affairs.

Upon hearing this, Shen Changqing gained some understanding. It wasn’t surprising for two factions to have Grandmasters. Above Innate was Grandmaster. That Realm was not one he knew much about, but one thing he could be certain of was that Grandmasters in the Demon-Subduing Division were, at the very least, Earth Rank Demon Hunters, far beyond his current capabilities. However, without having truly crossed hands with a Grandmaster, Shen Changqing could not be sure how large the gap between Innate and Grandmaster really was.

After a moment of thought, he asked again, "How many Grandmasters do Qiyao Sect and Saber Blade Sect have in total?"

"Saber Blade Sect is rumored to have two Grandmasters, while Qiyao Sect has one," Situ Bei answered.

"Three Grandmasters across two factions!" Shen Changqing nodded.

Grandmasters were not so easy to come by. He knew the Capital Demon Suppression Division had only a few Earth Rank Demon Hunters. Including those at various local Demon-Subduing Divisions, the total number of Grandmasters might seem significant, yet this did nothing to negate the difficulty of making breakthroughs to the Grandmaster Realm. Two factions. Having Grandmasters in their ranks, their formidable strength is undeniable, he mused.

Afterward, Shen Changqing continued to inquire, "What about the other matters?"

"According to the information gathered so far, no experts at the Innate Realm or above have appeared among the five factions. Qiyao Sect brought two who are suspected to be in the late stages of Pulse Condensation, and the situation with Saber Blade Sect and the remaining three factions is quite similar. Besides that, some unaffiliated martial artists also received news and came. Among these people, there are two in the late stages of Pulse Condensation, one in the mid-stage, and five in the early stages. However, without testing their strength, these numbers may not be entirely accurate."

Situ Bei conveyed all the information he had gathered.

Five factions, ten individuals in the late stages of Pulse Condensation. Plus the two independents, that means there are now a total of twelve late-stage Pulse Condensation Martial Artists in Lin’an City. And there are six other Pulse Condensation Martial Artists. Altogether, eighteen people. With Situ Bei’s response, Shen Changqing understood a lot more.

The fact that no Innate Martial Artists have appeared is good news for now, Shen Changqing thought. With a dozen or so Pulse Condensation Martial Artists—none from the same faction—I should be able to suppress any trouble that arises. Moreover, with the Demon-Subduing Division’s reputation, they wouldn’t dare to act rashly unless absolutely necessary. However, if the Demon’s Essence Blood were to emerge, it could very well attract Innate experts, even Grandmasters. That would pose a serious problem.

Sitting in his seat, Shen Changqing’s thoughts raced. His greatest confidence in defending Lin’an City stemmed from his own strength: Pure Yang Technique, eleventh layer. Innate Martial Artist!

In the Jianghu, though not as revered as a Grandmaster, I’m still more powerful than many martial artists. As long as no Innate opponents appear, I’m certain I can suppress these people. Even if an Innate expert does take action, I’m not afraid. If it were a Grandmaster... then I would need to carefully weigh my options. freeweɓnovel-cøm

With that thought put to rest, Shen Changqing asked, "What about the Demon Evil? With the Demon’s Essence Blood emerging, they surely won’t let this opportunity slip by. Have we obtained any relevant information?"

The issue he was most concerned about was still the Demon Evil. No matter how the five factions behaved, they were still Human Clan forces. In the territory of Great Qin, the Demon-Subduing Division was supreme. No matter how rampant the other parties were, they would not dare to overstep. The Demon Evil were different. The Demon-Subduing Division’s mission was to slay Demon Evil, and the two sides had long been in irreconcilable conflict. Given the chance, the Demon Evil would definitely target him. Shen Changqing felt it was necessary to take precautions.

"It has been difficult to obtain much information about the Demon Evil," Situ Bei said with a troubled expression, shaking his head. "The movements of Demon Evil are always elusive, and even the Heavenly Inspection Guard has a hard time tracking their whereabouts. Unless Demon Evil cause harm in a certain area, revealing their location, only then can the Heavenly Inspection Guard get information."

Gathering intelligence on the movements of Demon Evil has always been a big challenge, Shen Changqing thought. Although slightly disappointed, he did not show any discontent. "I’ve slain a Ghostly Level Fiend and a Demonfolk in Guyue Village. The Demon Evil will not let this rest. I don’t ask for much, only that the Heavenly Inspection Guard thoroughly scouts the area within a fifty-mile radius of Lin’an City. If anything unusual or out of the ordinary occurs, report to me immediately."

Having decided to defend Lin’an City, I must improve my strength. Without Slaughter Value, and with the Thirteen Taibao Horizontal Training Technique and the Pure Yang Technique having already broken their limits, relying on self-cultivation alone is no longer viable. The best method is to find some weaker Demon Evil, obtain a batch of Slaughter Value from them. That way, I can rapidly increase my strength in the shortest amount of time.

Upon receiving the instruction, Situ Bei nodded. "Rest assured, Lord Shen, the Heavenly Inspection Guard will certainly comply."

The Heavenly Inspection Guard was established to serve Demon Hunters and Defender Envoys, so following Shen Changqing’s orders was not an issue. Even though he’s currently just an Apprentice Demon Hunter, once he returns to the Demon-Subduing Division, he’s bound to become a Yellow Rank Demon Hunter. How could I, a Heavenly Inspection Guard member stationed in a small city, disrespect a Yellow Rank Demon Hunter? Situ Bei thought.

"Additionally, there’s another matter for which I need the Heavenly Inspection Guard’s help," Shen Changqing added.

"Please speak, Lord Shen!"

"From what I understand, the person who bewitched Zhao Fang is from the Eternal Alliance. Do you know anything about the Eternal Alliance?" Shen Changqing thought of the Eternal Alliance Token he had obtained.

Upon hearing this, Situ Bei was startled for a moment, then bowed and said, "The Eternal Alliance is an organization that emerged two to three hundred years ago. After the Demon Evil’s attempt to conquer the Human Clan failed, they changed their strategy to erode the Human Clan from within. Therefore, the Demon Evil created the Eternal Alliance, hoping to sow division within the Human Clan."

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