NOVPUBAt the same time, a mile away from the manor where Su Changkong resided, a man paused slightly in a small alley.
The man was tall and robust, dressed in gray clothes, and wearing a bamboo hat, underneath which was a distinct face, weathered with age, looking every part the wandering swordsman.
"Clang, clang, clang!"
The long, iron case on the man’s back trembled incessantly, as if trying to free itself from restraints, which made him frown, "The Purple Soul is shivering? Has it sensed the presence of Demon Monsters?" 𝒏𝒐𝙫𝙥𝙪𝙗.𝒄𝙤𝙢
"Quiet down."
The man patted the iron case on his back, and the vibrations inside gradually ceased.
His frown deepened in contemplation, "Could there be Monster Warriors lurking in Feiyun City? However... I have urgent matters to attend to. I’ll deal with this when I return."
Unbeknownst to each other, Su Changkong and the man in gray were aware of each other’s presence, yet the man in gray had no intention of probing further, for he had a more important mission at hand. A Monster Warrior or two couldn’t compare to his current task; he couldn’t afford any distractions.
Without a word, the man headed out of the city gates and, once outside, he quickened his pace. With his qinggong, he sped off into the distance as swiftly as wind gallops and lightning flashes.
However, the man in gray didn’t realize that someone was watching him from among the clouds in the sky.
"Was it this man that caused the Flame Prison Blade to react just now?"
Among the clouds, Su Changkong sat cross-legged on the back of a white crane phantom, using his Turtle Breath Technique to conceal his breath, and he looked down at the man in gray on the ground.
Earlier, when he had opened the Bag of Book Fragrance, the Flame Prison Blade had felt a presence resembling that of a Demon Monster and trembled. However, it seemed the other party also sensed something and immediately concealed his own breath.
But Su Changkong was not willing to give up so easily. Using Crane Play, he soared high above, peering down at everyone near the manor.
Apart from some residents of Feiyun City out for a walk, Su Changkong’s eyes immediately spotted the man in gray beneath, dressed like a jianghu traveler, bamboo hat on head and iron case on back.
He quietly followed from above as the other man left the city.
"This man is extraordinary... his qinggong alone is remarkable. He maintains such a high speed without any signs of fatigue; he absolutely possesses profound martial skills!"
Using Crane Play and the White Crane Escapes through the clouds, Su Changkong watched the man in gray speeding below and was certain that this man was no ordinary person.
"Better not to startle the snake, let’s see what he’s up to."
After a long deliberation, Su Changkong suspected the man might be a Monster Warrior, but couldn’t be certain. Seeing the man in a hurry, Su Changkong decided to follow and see what was happening. If the man indeed was a Monster Warrior, perhaps he could trace back and find more of them.
Using the Turtle Breath Technique to hide his presence, coupled with the aerial capabilities of Crane Play, Su Changkong flew among the clouds, tracking undetected by the man in gray, whose skills were unfathomably deep.
The man in gray, possessing extraordinary qinggong and deep martial prowess, would speed across miles at a phenomenal pace before stopping to catch his breath and rest for about half an hour.
After traveling like this for two days and nights, the man in gray had crossed ten thousand miles, passing through the realm of Central State. Only then did he take out a map, appearing to have almost reached his destination.
"His destination... is it the Yellow Sand Valley in Great Cloud State?"
Su Changkong observed everything, noting that this place lay within the Great Flame Empire’s Great Cloud State and was a very remote area of Yellow Sand Valley.
According to the map Su Changkong took out, Yellow Sand Valley was located in a desert, a desolate area of deafening silence, spanning a thousand miles.
About dozens of miles away from Yellow Sand Valley, five individuals were waiting.
"Is that... Lian Tianlu? Are they from the Demon Suppressing Department?"
A hint of surprise appeared on Su Changkong’s face.
The reason for his astonishment was that among the five waiting individuals, Su Changkong recognized a burly man. It was none other than Lian Tianlu, deputy chief of the Demon Suppressing Department, whom Su Changkong had met twice before.
In the past, after Su Changkong had killed the traitor Qi Gang from the Demon Suppressing Department, Lian Tianlu himself came to Feiyun City to thank him. Thanks to Lian Tianlu’s relationship with the Demon Suppressing Department, Su Changkong was able to collect several True Beast Pictures of Bai Xingzhi, and also learned of the Li Family’s whereabouts.
It was then that Su Changkong agreed to escort Duanmu Tao’s son, Duanmu He, to the Wuji Empire.
Su Changkong originally thought the man in gray might be a Monster Warrior. However, seeing that the man belonged to the Demon Suppressing Department, the situation seemed otherwise. Why the Flame Prison Blade reacted remained a mystery to Su Changkong!
Furthermore, Su Changkong saw that upon meeting, Lian Tianlu and his companions greeted the man in gray, with Lian Tianlu showing particular respect to him.
"To command such respect from Lian Tianlu... this man must be Duanmu Tao, the Demon Suppressing Chief!"
Su Changkong deduced the identity of the gray-clothed man he had been following: Duanmu Tao!
Duanmu Tao, a figure of pinnacle authority and status within the Flame Empire, held immense power as the Demon Suppressing Chief. His strength was unfathomable. Previously, it was Duanmu Tao who had helped to quickly collect seven True Beast Pictures, and Su Changkong had, in passing, helped transport his son Duanmu He to the Wuji Empire.
"What matters are so urgent that the Demon Suppressing Chief himself must come?"
Curious, Su Changkong watched silently from the clouds.
"Tianlu, how are things?"
The man in gray, Duanmu Tao, spoke with a deep voice. Having received a message from Lian Tianlu earlier, he knew the matter was of great importance and had immediately rushed from his residence at the Demon Suppressing Department to this remote region in Great Cloud State to meet with Lian Tianlu.
