I Have 10 Equipment Slots-Chapter 35 - 29: Looking for Gu Zheng?

"You’re using the wrong word. The right term is ’by popular acclaim’!"

"What’s the difference?"

"A huge difference! ’Winning the hearts of the people’ can only be used for officials. For anyone else, it’s easy to be accused of having ulterior motives—of plotting a rebellion!" Tao Liu said with a straight face.

"Is that true?" An Xiaoxue asked skeptically, turning to Wu Kun.

"Don’t listen to his nonsense." Wu Kun shot Tao Liu a disdainful look. "Do you know what this guy was before he joined the Demon Slayer Bureau? A mountain bandit!"

"Hey! Stop your slander!" Tao Liu retorted, annoyed. "What mountain bandit? I hadn’t even made it up the mountain yet, alright? If I’d actually joined them, do you think I would’ve passed the background check?"

"You just got lucky. The bandits’ den was wiped out right as you were heading up the mountain," Wu Kun replied calmly. "If you’d been a single step earlier, you would’ve been beheaded along with them."

"I..." Tao Liu was at a loss for words. He glanced at An Xiaoxue, who was giggling, and the others trying to suppress their laughter. "Anyway, you can’t just throw that phrase around. Gu, you agree, right?" he said, trying to defend himself.

"Right." Gu Zheng nodded and waved at the crowd.

Gu Zheng truly hadn’t expected so many people to come see him off.

It just went to show that the people had their own measure of a man.

The Demon Slayer Bureau team had already passed through the city gates, but the crowd still followed.

They followed them for several miles before finally stopping.

Just then, Yan Hongxue spoke in a clear voice, "I plan to submit a report classifying Qingshi County as a rear-support area. Once the Logistics Department comes to verify it, the Demon Suppression Guard will establish a garrison here, with rotations every six months."

"That’s great news," Wu Kun said, turning to Gu Zheng. "With a Demon Suppression Guard garrison, even if a few Demon Fiends wander this way, they’ll be eliminated quickly. Qingshi County will become safer than many other places."

’...That was my plan all along.’

Gu Zheng thought to himself, but he asked aloud, "The Demon Suppression Guard has the Riding Patrol and the Garrison. Are there other divisions?"

"There’s also Demon Extermination and Demon Hunters."

Tao Liu explained, "The Riding Patrol travels around, gathering intelligence on large-scale Demon Fiend movements. If they run into any causing trouble, they’ll deal with them on the spot. The Garrison is mainly for high-security regions that serve as rear-support areas, supplying provisions and fodder. They have to be protected at all costs."

"Demon Hunters target small groups of Demon Fiends or those in hiding, tracking their movements. The Demon Extermination teams are the ones who move in for the kill once we have accurate intel."

"The Riding Patrol, Garrison, Demon Extermination, and Demon Hunters all fall under the Field Department."

"The Demon Slayer Bureau has a total of five departments: the Field Department, Internal Affairs, the Logistics Department, the Training Camp, and Command Headquarters."

"Within the Demon Suppression Guard, the ranks start at Squad Leader and go up to Commander, Hundred Households, Thousand Households, and Demon-slaying Grand General, with the Commander at the very top."

"The Commander of our Demon Slayer Bureau is the number one expert in Fengzhou right now—a powerhouse in the Heroic Body Realm!"

As he said this, Tao Liu’s face filled with longing and admiration.

Wu Kun, An Xiaoxue, and Chen Zhizhen all wore similar expressions.

Gu Zheng was inwardly surprised but showed little on his face. He simply asked, "So above the Super Body Realm is the Heroic Body Realm?"

"That’s right."

Yan Hongxue nodded. "Lord Ji is the pillar holding up Fengzhou right now. He just stabilized the Domain passage in Silver Mansion and slew a third-tier Great Demon."

A third-tier Great Demon!

Gu Zheng’s heart went cold. That was a terrifying existence, one capable of destroying entire cities.

It was a good thing the Demon Slayer Bureau’s Commander was at the Heroic Body Realm and able to kill it.

’But how does someone cultivate to become a Heroic Body Realm expert?’

’Even with years of advance planning and the profound resources of the Noble Families, it should be logically impossible to mature that quickly.’

’An Xiaoxue, Wu Kun, Chen Zhizhen, and Yan Hongxue were all only at the Alien Body Realm.’

’Gu Zheng believed one could train people to the Alien Body Realm quickly.’

’But from the Super Body Realm onward, Gu Zheng found it hard to imagine how the imperial court could have nurtured so many experts so suddenly.’

’It wasn’t just a matter of individual aptitude; it also required a massive amount of resources.’

’The Celestial Change had happened a little over six months ago at most. Where could they have found enough Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures to fuel that kind of growth?’

...

...

「Qingshi County Town.」

「Gu Mansion.」

Gu Pan’Er, holding a delicate wooden box, walked into the small courtyard where Li Cunyi was staying.

KNOCK KNOCK.

She raised her hand and knocked gently on the door.

"Come in," Li Cunyi’s gentle voice called from inside.

CREAK!

Gu Pan’Er pushed the door open and stepped inside.

"Miss Pan’Er, what brings you here?" Li Cunyi, who had been leaning against the headboard reading, quickly set his book aside when he saw her and asked with curiosity.

"Ping’an asked me to bring you what’s in this box."

Gu Pan’Er smiled faintly. "He specifically told me to come only after he’d left. He said the item in the box can cure your ailment."

As she spoke, Gu Pan’Er opened the wooden box, revealing a crystalline, translucent fruit nestled inside.

"This..." Li Cunyi’s eyes widened. His gaze was locked on the fruit, unable to move, full of longing. He stared intently as his breathing grew ragged.

"This... I can’t accept this!"

Forcibly tearing his eyes away with sheer willpower, Li Cunyi waved his hand and said breathlessly, "I can’t take this. I don’t know where Ping’an got it, but this fruit is clearly precious. I can’t accept something so valuable. I already owe the Gu Family more than enough. I can’t possibly..."

"Ping’an said that as soon as the box is opened, the fruit’s energy starts to fade. If it’s not eaten within the hour, it will turn into an ordinary piece of fruit, losing all its healing properties," Gu Pan’Er interrupted. "I don’t know if he was telling the truth or not, but as you said yourself, Li, you already owe our Gu Family so much... so what’s a little more?"

"..."

Li Cunyi fell silent. After a long moment, he sighed. "You’re right."

He didn’t dare gamble on whether Gu Zheng’s words were true or not.

If this fruit, which was clearly extraordinary, was truly wasted because of his stubbornness, he would never be able to rest in peace.

Taking a deep breath, Li Cunyi sat up straight. He reached for the fruit in the box, brought it to his lips, and took a bite...

[Source Fruit: Detoxification]

This was one of the Source Fruits Gu Zheng had acquired later on.

It was the perfect thing to use on Li Cunyi.

...

...

「Qingshi County Magistrate’s Office.」

Tong Yuanshan was crunching on a cucumber as he attended to his official duties.

Suddenly, a tall figure strode in through the doorway.

"Hey, who are you?"

A government constable standing guard outside stepped forward to block the man’s path. "This is a Government Office. State your business."

"Who here has been to Great Dragon Mountain?"

The newcomer spoke in a hoarse voice. He had a square-jawed face, dark and weathered skin, and messy hair. He expressionlessly scanned everyone in the main hall, his gaze finally landing on Tong Yuanshan.

"Who cleared the Domain at Great Dragon Mountain?"

"I don’t know," the government constable answered instinctively. "Only Chief Gu has been to Great Dragon Mountain."

"...And you might be?" Tong Yuanshan shot the constable a glare, then stood up and set down his cucumber. "While it’s true our Chief Gu went to Great Dragon Mountain," he said gravely, "many more from the Noble Families went in as well. As for the Domain..."

"Where is Chief Gu?"

the man interrupted coldly. "Have him come out and see me."

"Huh? But Chief Gu has already left!"