Chapter 101: A Thousand Cannons Fired in Unison

At the spot between the eyebrows, invisible to ordinary people, a silver crack appeared as eyes opened, gazing toward the madam of the Red Mansion.

“The fourth has been found.”

Every formidable individual is a potential enemy.

The fact that they used spiritual awareness to monitor the Demon Suppression Tower—and it wasn’t the act of just one person—indicated they were organized, disciplined, and operating as a team.

“I’ve already made contact with Jia Renyi from the tavern. To approach the brothel’s madam next would surely give us away.”

Baili Feihong furrowed his brows slightly, feigning displeasure, then briskly left the place.

Stopping at a tavern, he had a hearty meal before continuing to patrol his territory.

In the end, he failed to find the fifth person.

That individual must possess a powerful secret treasure; Baili Feihong’s divine eye could not detect his aura.

“These people’s identities are not simple.”

“For now, we cannot act against them.”

“The forces openly displayed pose no threat to me yet.”

“The real concern is the mysterious fifth person disappearing and going into hiding.”

Returning once more to the Demon Suppression Tower, it was already dusk.

“Sir, the Feiyuan Guild has delivered the compensation money. I have instructed that it be stored in the treasury,” Hu Zuosuo said cheerfully.

“The Demon Suppression Tower has been under the jurisdiction of the Southward Naval Command for some time. They’re familiar with the treasury now. If one day I am not on Feiyuan Island, might the Southward Naval Command send someone to seize this fortune?” Baili Feihong chuckled lightly.

Money moves the heart.

“You are right, sir. This time, the Feiyuan Guild has taken a massive hit. But if we don’t keep it in the treasury, there’s nowhere else to store it,” Hu Zuosuo said with difficulty.

Before seeing the four million gold coins, he had no concept of such wealth.

When the Feiyuan Guild transported a mountain-like pile of gold coins to the Demon Suppression Bureau, even these eight old fellows were stunned by the sheer fortune before them.

Baili Feihong pondered for a moment and agreed with Hu Zuosuo.

Four million gold coins, converted to weight in gold, equated to roughly a hundred tons of gold.

Indeed, it was an enormous sum.

The Feiyuan Guild’s willingness to pay this amount to settle the dispute with the previous guild leader and the Demon Suppression Bureau demonstrated their terrifying financial power.

“Good heavens, the Feiyuan Guild really is as wealthy as a nation.”

“However, whether we can keep this fortune depends on the meeting with Commander Yan. Only after that can we ensure the wealth truly belongs to the Demon Suppression Bureau.”

If Baili Feihong couldn’t withstand the pressure from the Southward Naval Command or fend off Commander Yan’s assault, this wealth might slip from the Feiyuan Guild right into Commander Yan’s personal coffers.

The other shareholders of the Feiyuan Guild would likely turn a blind eye as if they had hired Commander Yan to solve the trouble the Demon Suppression Bureau was causing the guild.

“Did the Feiyuan Guild make a big show when transporting the gold?” Baili Feihong suddenly realized another issue.

“Yes, the Feiyuan Guild deployed their elite forces and even invited a unit from the Southward Naval Command to escort the transport, moving from the Great Yuan Bank through bustling streets to the Demon Suppression Tower,” Hu Zuosuo explained.

Hu Zuosuo was no fool; the foolish ones in the Demon Suppression Bureau were long gone.

He immediately understood the Feiyuan Guild’s intention.

“Apparently, the ill deeds of the Demon Suppression Commander—me—have already spread throughout Southward City. Destroying the Feiyuan Guild’s building, a landmark on Feiyuan Island, and now the guild transporting so much gold to the Demon Suppression Bureau is bound to stir resentment among the common folk.”

Jealousy breeds division.

Surely many confident in their own strength have begun plotting how to rob this treasure from the Demon Suppression Bureau.

This is Feiyuan Island.

If they steal this money, all they need is to sail away from Feiyuan Island to another country.

They could then enjoy a lifetime of wealth and glory.

What’s more, the Southward Naval Command and the Demon Suppression Bureau are sworn enemies; once at sea, the Southward Naval Command would never come to the Bureau’s defense.

Looking toward the Demon Suppression Tower, hastily surrounded by bandits, facing the sea.

Though there were steep cliffs, for anyone with cultivation, these were no obstacle.

“Tomorrow, I will most likely meet with Commander Yan.”

The timing.

It’s tomorrow.

A killing intent lurks in every shadow.

“Let the storm rage even fiercer.”

Baili Feihong turned and returned to his office.

Hu Zuosuo was in chaos.

But he had no solution.

Baili Feihong had tasked him with finding someone.

He could only obediently go.

The next morning, the sky was overcast, a storm approaching.

A luxurious carriage stood steadily before the Demon Suppression Tower.

Zhong Ziling stood in the pouring rain, waiting for Baili Feihong to finish his meal.

Baili Feihong ate leisurely, enjoying a sumptuous breakfast.

The chef’s skills were quite good.

Hu Zuosuo finally understood something.

“Good skills—you can stay.”

“Thank you, sir,” the chef Liu Yifan said joyfully.

Work at the Demon Suppression Bureau was tough, especially in such turbulent times.

But the Bureau paid so well it rivaled the city’s top chefs’ salaries.

Liu Yifan naturally wouldn’t refuse.

“If there’s nothing else, pack up and go home. You start officially tomorrow. From then on, you answer to Hu Zuosuo.”

“Please enjoy your meal, sir.”

Liu Yifan left the Demon Suppression Tower happily, the wind and rain drenching him but unable to dampen his enthusiasm.

Zhong Ziling glanced at him.

The Demon Suppression Bureau had few personnel.

It probably would not exceed this number in the future.

A faint smile touched Zhong Ziling’s lips.

Others might not know Commander Yan’s true strength, but she understood well.

The Yuan Embryo realm has many ranks.

As the Commander of the Southward Naval Command, Yan Fei was so powerful that all his foes he struck down were dead.

Such a pity for this Commander whose talent was so great.

Rumor even said he was the Demon Suppression Bureau’s Demon Seed.

The Demon Suppression Six Paths Sutra was powerful, but the gap between Baili Feihong and Commander Yan was enormous.

Even mastering the first Blood Refining Divine Skill of the Six Paths Sutra might not be enough to match Commander Yan.

After all, Yan Fei had prepared for many years to enter the Divine Skill realm.

Even if he hadn’t fully mastered a Divine Skill, his martial arts expertise and the ability to manipulate the Yuan Embryo to influence the cosmic tides were enough to suppress the Demon Suppression Commander.

The Southward Naval Command had spared Baili Feihong’s life until now partly as a warning to the many forces on Feiyuan Island.

The day Baili Feihong was suppressed would be the day peace returned.

An overseer? What could a weak overseer achieve?

Even the Demon Suppression Bureau alone had yet to make the Southward Naval Command retreat.

Baili Feihong set down the chopsticks.

The eight Demon Suppression Commanders arrived at the Tower in the rain.

Though old and frail, their aura did not weaken.

“Huh?”

Zhong Ziling’s pupils contracted.

What was the Patrol Department doing?

Patrol officers wielding firearms marched in formation into the Demon Suppression Tower.

At their head was Inspector Yang of the Feiyuan Island Patrol Department.

Zhong Ziling knew him; he had great prestige in the department and was skilled at investigations.

“Greetings, General Zhong.”

Inspector Yang’s face was full of helplessness.

He had been sent by the Director.

The Director’s orders were clear: pirates were about to attack the Demon Suppression Bureau; send men to guard the tower.

However, the Director secretly instructed that if things went badly, they should retreat with their comrades.

“Inspector Yang, what is the purpose of your presence at the Demon Suppression Bureau?” Zhong Ziling’s face flickered with displeasure.

The Patrol Department had some tough bones.

Yet, Feiyuan Island needed those tough men to maintain law and order in the three cities.

The Southward Naval Command did not belong to the government administration.

Overstepping too far would lead to accusations.

But the Southward Naval Command’s word on Feiyuan Island was like an imperial edict.

That was a fact.

“Commander, we received intelligence that someone intends to rob the Demon Suppression Tower’s treasury. The Director ordered us to guard the tower,” Inspector Yang said.

Zhong Ziling snorted coldly, “Since when did the Demon Suppression Bureau need the Patrol Department’s protection?”

Inside the dining hall, Baili Feihong put down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth with a napkin, tucked his knife at his waist, tidied his appearance carefully, then reluctantly stepped out of the Bureau.

Hu Zuosuo was already holding an umbrella, waiting.

“Greetings, Demon Suppression Commander,” Inspector Yang said respectfully.

The Commander was a ruthless man.

He dared not offend him.

He had heard that the Yunlai Tavern had offended the Commander badly, only releasing him after sending ten thousand gold tickets.

Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but despise the Commander.

Greedy—too greedy.

The Feiyuan Guild had extorted four million gold coins.

Such a fortune Inspector Yang had never seen in his life.

Now, pirates infiltrating Feiyuan Island all had their eyes on the Demon Suppression Bureau.

They just waited for today to strike.

“Inspector Yang, thank you for your hard work today. The days ahead will be even harder,” Baili Feihong said, leaving the words to linger in the rain.

Relying on the Patrol Department?

The Patrol Department’s good days were over.

Inspector Yang’s second thought was that the Demon Suppression Bureau would certainly dominate the Patrol Department in future.

The Patrol Department would become subordinate to the Demon Suppression Bureau.

He had heard that in the Great Yuan Empire, the Patrol Department was only assigned to clean for the Demon Suppression Bureau.

He suddenly wanted to lead his team away.

His mood soured.

Though displeased, the Commander’s methods were ruthless; he dared not offend him.

Zhong Ziling drove the carriage out of the Demon Suppression Bureau’s territory.

The naval cavalry had been waiting a long time and quickly surrounded the carriage in the center, escorting it through winding mountain roads toward the Naval Command Headquarters.

The true center of Southward City lay at Dulong Mountain.

The mountain’s peak had been leveled with explosives; atop it stood the Southward Naval Command Headquarters.

The terrain of Feiyuan Island resembled a sprawling dragon lying down, with its head at Dulong Mountain.

The Naval Command Headquarters established atop Dulong Mountain symbolized subduing the mighty dragon.

At the mountain’s foot were numerous naval training camps.

Near the base of Dulong Mountain was a military harbor stretching for miles, with warships docked, a spectacular scene.

The warships’ massive cannons, with fierce barrels, aimed at scattered, dilapidated iron wheels miles across the sea’s horizon.

As the carriage entered the winding mountain road, the cannons roared to life, spouting streams of crimson fire.

The speed of the shells surpassed Baili Feihong’s prior knowledge of artillery.

Blazing fireballs erupted skyward, stirring waves weighing hundreds of tons, creating rings of ripples on the vast sea.

A salvo of cannons fired.

Not a single shell struck the iron wheels, but the shockwaves and giant waves flipped them over.

A live-fire demonstration?

A display of the Southward Naval Command’s might.

Yet Baili Feihong had to admit, the warships’ combat power exceeded his understanding.

With this firepower, an aircraft carrier bombarded once might not hold.

They had improved their gunpowder, even adding special substances to unleash more potent power.

This gunpowder differed from that used in firearms.

If muskets used this powder and had their barrels improved, their power would rival some armor-piercing sniper rifles.

“Commander, please forgive us. The Southward Naval Command is testing new artillery. The powder is called ‘Wrath of the Fire God,’ developed by the military’s Alchemist Hall,” Zhong Ziling’s voice came from outside the carriage.

“With this weapon, future naval battles will be unstoppable,” Baili Feihong said calmly.

“It was necessary. The Fara Empire recruited a batch of alchemists to research and improve weapons. If we don’t keep up, we are destined to become live targets for other navies or even pirates,” Zhong Ziling said excitedly, though he sounded a bit resigned.

Alchemists?

How many cultivation paths were truly in this world?

Baili Feihong stared blankly, gazing through the carriage window as rain swept inside.

Choosing a rainy day to test gunpowder—was it to tell him that the weakness of gunpowder failing in damp conditions had been overcome?

The military’s Alchemist Hall, the Demon Suppression Bureau’s Masterful Craftsmanship Hall, and the Spirit Watch Department’s Sorcerer Hall were all influenced by the Sorcerer Hall of the Divine Surveillance Department.

These three halls were core secret organizations of three great powers.

Mysterious and unfathomable.

Outsiders found it hard to access them.

Even their activities were unknown to outsiders.

The carriage stopped.

The wind atop the mountain was strong, yet a concentrated, unquenchable killing intent lingered.

So intense, Baili Feihong had rarely seen its equal in his life.

But he was mentally prepared for this banquet of death.

Elite cavalry, warship salvos, and the present landscape of blade mountains and fire seas all demonstrated the inviolable majesty of the Naval Commander.

Intruders would meet a grim fate.

This was just a prelude.

The real main course was Commander Yan himself.

Ultimately, this world was one where human effort could change heaven and earth.

Baili Feihong dismounted, standing before the Commander’s headquarters.

Raindrops fell on him but were instantly vaporized by his blood qi.

He did not enter but stood at the gate.

Before the grand building, no one came out to greet the Demon Suppression Commander.

Zhong Ziling’s expression grew cold.

“The Commander is busy with official matters. Please wait a moment, Commander; once I notify him, we will invite you in,” she said.

Baili Feihong remained silent.

Turning back now would diminish his stature.

Waiting longer might make others think he had come to pay respects to the Southward Naval Commander.

Pay respects?

“Of course. The Commander is busy. I, a mere Demon Suppression Commander, naturally must wait for Commander Yan’s summons before entering this Southward Palace to pay respects,” Baili Feihong said with a slight sneer.

Zhong Ziling frowned deeply, her tone sharpened, “Demon Suppression Commander Baili, you must not speak recklessly.”

“Is it not so? Perhaps I brought the Emperor himself to pay respects?” His voice was loud, undiminished by the rain.

“Put away your rhetoric. Don’t think you can slander Commander Yan with nonsense,” Zhong Ziling’s brow glowed with murderous intent.

Her aura surged fiercely, terrifying energy causing the rain to freeze midair, suspended above the ground.

“Ziling, do not be rude. It is I, the Commander, who has neglected the Demon Suppression Commander and shown disrespect here,” said a group of armored generals emerging from the headquarters, their faces solemn, and killing intent brimming.

If the Demon Suppression Commander’s words spread, it would surely incite suspicion in the imperial court.

The Southward Naval Command’s defeat had already caused them to lose face before the court.

If ministers in the court exploited this to attack Commander Yan, he would find it difficult to retain control of the Southward Naval Command.

All top generals of the Southward Naval Command would face grave danger.