Chapter Seventy-Two: Subdued with a Single Palm

Becoming a Guardian is far from as simple as being appointed as a Demon Suppressor. It requires an official decree from the Chief Commander to assume the post. The Deputy Guardian of East Shore City is a position, not an internal rank within the Demon Suppression Bureau. When it comes to recommendation rights, at crucial moments, one must seek the right person. The provincial government holds the right to recommend, as do the local Guardians. Without a recommendation, one can never hope to enter the true ruling class in this lifetime—unless Bai Li Feihong’s strength becomes so formidable that the court, eager to win him over, grants him sufficient status. Yet, Bai Li Feihong has clearly not reached that stage.

He returned to his desk, which was already layered with dust. Aside from a few borrowed books from the Demon Suppression Bureau’s library, not yet returned, there were no other items. His return did not elicit any welcome from his colleagues; in fact, Bai Li Feihong saw anger and resentment in their eyes. The opium case was far-reaching. It was Bai Li Feihong who handed in the roster and stirred this hornet’s nest. Had it not been for the provincial Demon Suppression Bureau's intervention, killing the powerful members of several major city families, their survival would have been uncertain. Yet the young man before them, favored by the Guardian, was sent out on a high-level mission—assigned merely to observe the traces of the whale demon. He was gone for three months. How could the other members of the Bureau not be furious?

This new Demon Suppressor, Bai Li Feihong, surely knew those listed in the opium case roster were not easy to deal with, so he handed it in and used the mission as an excuse to leave East Shore City, escaping the disaster. Exclusion. On his first day back in the Demon Suppression Tower, Bai Li Feihong sensed his colleagues’ rejection. However, he was unfamiliar with the others, and his rise had been too swift. He had no foundation within the Bureau. As a newcomer suddenly favored, it was inevitable he would be envied.

He quietly observed the office and already had a clear understanding of the current situation in the Demon Suppression Tower. It seemed the arrival of the four Guardians from the provincial government had once again divided the internal unity that Master Gongyang had painstakingly forged. The hearts of men are subtle. They see only themselves, only the present. How could they know that, no matter how the provincial Demon Suppression Bureau intervened—even if Commander Gongyu acted—it would not alter Gongyang Yan’s absolute authority in East Shore City?

When Bai Li Feihong heard the secret revealed by Gongyang Yan, he already realized that this prophecy was a deadly threat to the royal family. It must not spread. Thus, only a select few knew of the prophecy—those who were the Emperor’s most trusted confidants. Why choose Gongyang Yan? Rumor had it a prince wished Gongyang Yan to become a princess consort.

A bargain. Only by grasping what Gongyang Yan required could she be made to commit wholeheartedly to this task. Bai Li Feihong did not know the specifics of her deal with the Emperor, but he understood that successfully breaking the prophecy would be a monumental achievement. He knew his own limits; making him emperor would doom countless subjects. The Great Yuan Empire stood at a critical juncture. The age of industry was dawning, foreign nations rising, threatening the Empire’s preeminence. As one of the world’s dominant powers, if the Great Yuan Empire fell into weakness, would the pack of wolves descend upon the tiger?

"I do not wish to experience another opium war! I care not what becomes of the Great Yuan Empire in the future, but this must never be allowed to happen." Bai Li Feihong steeled his resolve. Living in this world, one must understand why one lives, and what deeds make life meaningful.

After pondering for a long time, Bai Li Feihong stood up and headed for the office of the Guardian on the top floor.

"Bai Li Feihong?" A loud voice rang out from behind. A spirited young man, clad in a white six-clawed python robe, appeared. From his attire, it was clear he was one of the four Guardians sent from the provincial government. Was this the power of a Heaven-ranked Guardian? Bai Li Feihong glanced back. To kill him would require some effort.

"There are many doubts in the opium case. You are required to cooperate with my investigation." The tone conveyed the authority of an interrogator, leaving Bai Li Feihong no room to refuse.

"The opium case? Master Gongyang has already handed it over to Zheng Yishan." Bai Li Feihong turned, his steps firm as he walked toward the stairs.

"Quite bold, to show disrespect to a Guardian. Do you believe I won’t charge you with contempt?"

"Respect comes with strength. Without strength, such words are mere bravado. Furthermore, this is East Shore City—there is but one Guardian here, and that is Master Gongyang. As for who you are, forgive me, I do not recognize you." Bai Li Feihong walked with his hands behind his back, stride wide, his aura imposing.

A brief exchange, yet it rendered the entire Demon Suppression Tower silent. All were martial practitioners, their senses keen. The voices were unrestrained and loud; it was impossible not to overhear.

"Insolence!" At this moment, Yan Ruyu’s heart tightened. Zheng Yishan’s face showed a hint of amusement.

Ding Bo and the other Demon Suppressors understood—Bai Li Feihong was finished.

"Defying superiors, speaking wild words..." The phrase was barely spoken when a figure appeared before him. A hand struck toward his head. The sudden martial will, gathering the forces of heaven and earth—the five elements—came crashing down like a world-ending millstone upon his skull. In an instant, the entire Demon Suppression Bureau was flooded with an overpowering martial intent.

Demon Suppression!

It was as if the will of the Demon Suppression Formation itself responded to this move.

The dignified Heaven-ranked Guardian, Lin Zhiyuan, now stood frozen, his pupils focused.

Fast! Too fast! Not only fast, but the martial intent was overwhelming. At this moment, locked by this intent, he was as a demon or monster. The five elements condensed in a hand seal; with one palm, it suppressed this fiend.

He wanted to unleash his full strength to resist, but it was already too late. He could only cross his arms to defend himself.

Boom!

With a single strike, the floor beneath his feet, hard as stone, collapsed. The terrifying force slammed into his arms; his bones, supposedly as strong as steel, snapped like rotten wood. The immense power blasted him from the third floor, through two floors, sending him crashing into the main hall and leaving a gaping hole.

Lin Zhiyuan’s bones shattered throughout his body. The raging five-element energy, like five distinct dragons, rampaged within him. His blood surged, releasing stored energy from his acupoints, trying to resist the force. Yet under the Five Elements Demon Suppression Palm, everything fractured. Weakness spread through his body.

Within the Demon Suppression Five Elements Palm lies a technique—Demon Sealing Hand. With one strike, the demonic power is sealed. Gold, wood, water, fire, earth—five chains permeated his meridians and acupoints, locking away his strength. His bones broken, even if he could muster blood and bone power, he could not withstand the suppression.

"What are you staring at? Don’t you see the officer is injured? Hurry and take him to the Bureau’s medical hall for treatment. Should anything happen to this Guardian, our East Shore City Demon Suppression Bureau cannot afford the consequences." Bai Li Feihong squatted by the hole, looking at the Heaven-ranked Guardian collapsed in the main hall.

Weak, truly weak. Twice reforged in blood, bones tempered to steel, thirty-six acupoints opened, one martial intent refined—such cultivation, and yet this fool dared to flaunt before Master Gongyang?