The Demon Slayer Martial Saint Begins with Insect Refining

Chapter 411 The Dragon Family's Secret Scheme
Chijiang Prefecture, Longcheng, Chijiang County

Deep within the Long family mansion, which resembled a palace, the secret chamber door was tightly closed. Four figures with auras as deep as the ocean sat in rows, surrounded by the fragrance of spiritual incense. However, the four of them had rather somber expressions.

"That Grand Commandant has already left Chijiang City. The news from the Demon Suppression Guard says that he is going to personally visit various sects and factions."

At the very end of the four positions was a middle-aged man, dressed in fine clothes and exuding an air of wealth, but with eyes as sharp as a hawk's. He was none other than Long Qinghai, the current head of the Chijiang Long family.

"How well is the cover-up of Zhahemu's affair going?"

The elder in charge was Long Zhenyue, the patriarch of the Long family. He wore a dark red coat, had black hair and beard, black eyes, and a solemn face.

In matters of the Long family, he and the two elders have always been the main decision-makers.

"Difficult to conceal"

Upon hearing Zhahemu's name, Long Qinghai's expression darkened considerably: "That brute, for some unknown reason, actually went to ambush Su Yan. What an idiot. If he hadn't been a rogue cultivator in Chijiang Prefecture, keeping a low profile and avoiding suspicion, his identity would probably have been uncovered by the Demon Suppression Guards by now."

Zahemu was a spy planted by the Northern Barbarians within the Dali Dynasty. It could be said that he controlled all the spies in Chijiang Prefecture, and was responsible for contacting and secretly cooperating with forces such as the Long family in Chijiang Prefecture.

Normally, no matter what happens, one should remain calm. Who would have thought that he would suddenly pull such a stunt? Now, not only the Long family of Chijiang Prefecture, but also the forces that cooperate with them are probably in a passive position.

The Second Elder, Long Qianhui, spoke in a hoarse voice: "The Northern Barbarians and that person have an irreconcilable feud. His closed-door disciple went south alone. It's no wonder they couldn't stand it."

Long Qianhui had silver hair like silk, leaned on a cane, and was so thin and frail that she looked like a shadow as she hunched over in the chair. She was the only female Golden Body Realm martial artist among the elders of the Long family, and also the aunt of the current family head, Long Qinghai.

She was more rational. To be fair, wasn't Zahemu cautious enough in his actions?
Without any warning, they acted as if struck by lightning.

Su Yan was merely a martial artist at the Dharma Aspect Realm.

But look at how many people Zahemu mobilized?

Based solely on what they could tell from the surface, there was one Golden Body Realm martial artist named Zhahemu, and as many as seven or eight Dharma Aspect Realm martial artists among the Wolf Guards.

This lineup would be more than capable of dealing with two Golden Body Realm experts.

Even if the ambush fails, leaving shouldn't be a problem.

But it failed just like that, and even Zahemu got caught up in it.

Third Elder Long Hanzhou said in a deep voice, "Right now, we need to cover up our trade with the North. If it is exposed, not only our Golden Body Dragon Clan, but even a Martial Saint might not be able to protect us."

Long Qinghai's expression was serious: "The Demon Suppression Guard is conducting a strict investigation, and the Prefect is also extremely cooperative. Now, whether it is from Longcheng or Chijiang City, all the shipping ships going out will be strictly inspected, and the goods cannot be sent out at all. Moreover, there is no one in the north who can take over this batch of goods."

"Hide"

The leader, Long Zhenyue, said decisively, "Those who need to be dealt with should be dealt with, those who need to be hidden should be hidden, and the weapon refiners and alchemists should be kept under control."

"Rest assured, Ancestor, the goods have been hidden in the No. 1 Dark Harbor. The weapon refiners and alchemists have also been kept under control in the Hidden Dragon City of my Long family. No matter how powerful the Demon Suppression Guard is, they will not be able to find out there easily. However, some clues have not been completely cut off and more time is needed."

Upon hearing Long Qinghai's reply, Long Zhenyue's brows relaxed slightly, and he coldly said, "When it's time to make a decision, make a decision. Those affiliated canal gangs and kidnapper gangs should be wiped out. Aren't the yamen runners and city guards we've been supporting lacking merit? They're perfect for this. If they're members of the Long family, they should be withdrawn to lay low for a while. We can support them again once things have calmed down. There can't be any mistakes."

"Qinghai understands, arrangements are already being made. It's just the northern side."

"Send someone outside the family to contact them and cooperate as soon as possible to eliminate any clues."

"Yes"

The assassination attempt on Su Yan caught them completely off guard.

In the case of ordinary transactions, various powerful families and sects are also engaged in such transactions. The Northern Barbarians are vast, with numerous mountain ranges, and their territory is several times larger than that of the Dali Dynasty.

Although extremely dangerous, frigid, and high-altitude, making it not entirely suitable for human habitation, it has nurtured a great many rare and precious natural treasures and wild beasts.

Trading rare and precious materials with the Northern Barbarians and the Western Desert is not prohibited; as long as one is careful enough, there will be no problem.

However, to make huge profits and acquire more resources, ordinary commodity trading is not the only way.

The items traded by the Long family included standard sets of battle formations, a large quantity of elixirs, and children from the Dali Dynasty.

Children are a resource; if trained into assassins or cultivated into medicine-making humans, they are extremely important human weapons.

None of these three things are not capital offenses.

If it weren't for trading these things, how could the Long family have four Golden Immortals?

The four discussed countermeasures, and Long Qianhui fell into deep thought: "How should we deal with Su Yan?"

Long Zhenyue hesitated for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "He is the Grand Commandant's disciple; it may not be wise to attack him."

"But the root of the problem lies with him. If he is not satisfied, Fan Zhen will not stop. But if he stops pursuing it, Fan Zhen alone cannot investigate us."

Although Fan Zhen is at the Golden Body Realm, does the Long family not have any Golden Body Realm cultivators?
The Long family's influence is deeply rooted throughout Chijiang Prefecture. If the Demon Suppression Guards could infiltrate, the Prefectural Governor might very well be replaced by one of their own.

It would be incredibly easy to use any means to prevent the Demon Suppression Guards from carrying out their investigation.

The difficult one is someone like Su Yan.

Su Yan is already a figure of great concern; if he were to die at this critical juncture, the entire Chijiang Prefecture would likely be thrown into chaos.

"What is Long Cangqing's current cultivation level? If he were to enter the Dragon Gate Ranking, where would he rank?"

Long Hanzhou suddenly asked about Long Qinghai's eldest son.

Long Qinghai thought for a moment and then replied, "Cang Qing has been practicing the Crimson Dragon Profound Water Scripture and the Crimson Dragon True Body Technique of the Red Dragon Clan. He has now made further progress and is at the ninth level of the Dharma Aspect Realm, which is no weaker than Xiao Wujiu."

Long Hanzhou's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and then he said, "Give him the Crimson Dragon Lock, a fifth-grade superior Dao weapon from the Long family. Let other sects dampen Su Yan's spirits first, and then let him defeat Su Yan. Once Su Yan is defeated, he probably won't have the face to pursue the matter further. Then, we can find a scapegoat and get ourselves out of this mess."

"Can"

Long Zhenyue didn't think much of it; this was undoubtedly an excellent idea: "Give him one of the Five Extremes Golden Body Pills as well, hopefully it can help him break through to the Golden Body Realm. As for Su Yan's protector, we'll intercept him when the time comes."

Su Yan is the key to breaking the deadlock in Chijiang Prefecture. Once Su Yan's edge is broken, any further attempts to do anything else will face numerous obstacles.

As for Zhahemu's failure, it was because that fool misjudged that Su Yan might have a protector.

However, if it is an open challenge, Su Yan's protectors will definitely not easily take action.

The advantage of Chijiang Prefecture still lies with the Long family.
-
Jiujiang Prefecture, Jiujiang City

The river flows swiftly, winding like a series of bends, with tributaries flowing through the vast land of Dongjiang County before converging here to form the great city we know today.

The bustling metropolis, usually teeming with people, vehicles, and boats, was now a scene of utter desolation. Banners fluttered in the wind, boats lay moored on the river, the gates were wide open but deserted, and the high walls were filled with warriors, all clad in armor, looking as if facing a formidable enemy.

On the city wall, Zhang Zhu, the leader of the Jiujiang Alliance, had a gloomy expression and kept looking into the distance.

How far is Su Yan?

"It's only about ten miles on foot."

Several people stood nearby, three of whom were positioned on the left and right, all exuding an aura of Dharma form, similar to Zhang Zhu's.

Further away are more than ten Danqiao Realm warriors from the Great River Alliance, demonstrating the prosperity of the Great River Alliance.

"What exactly does Su Yan mean by coming to cause trouble for us first?"

Deputy leader Miao Duru glanced at the alliance leader Zhang Zhu out of the corner of her eye.

Zhang Zhu remained silent, but at that moment, Miao Duruo's heart skipped a beat. "The Third Elder hasn't emerged from seclusion yet?"

"Not yet out of quarantine"

Zhang Zhu simply answered in this way. Upon hearing this, the First Elder and Second Elder's expressions changed slightly, but they chose not to pursue the matter further.

Zhang Zhu said meaningfully, "The Great River Alliance is a whole. No matter what, we must get through this first."

Miao Duruo's face gradually turned ashen, and at this point, she could only nod in agreement.

The Great River Alliance has one leader, one deputy leader, and three elders, each in charge of a portion of the alliance's affairs.

Although they rarely get together and are all working on alliance affairs, it's impossible for them to truly understand each other.

However, given that things have progressed to this point, it's highly suspicious that the Third Elder hasn't emerged from seclusion yet.

"coming!"

At this moment, outside Jiujiang City, a figure in black gradually approached.

Although they came slowly, each step covered a hundred feet, causing wind and thunder to stir, and they arrived outside Jiujiang City in almost an instant.

The powerful aura pressed down on the city like dark clouds, instantly suppressing the surging blood pressure of all the warriors on the city wall.

It was as if someone had grabbed his throat, causing him to suddenly pause.

"With the arrival of the Champion Marquis, the Great River Alliance has failed to properly welcome him. We hope the Champion Marquis will forgive us."

Zhang Zhu released his aura, which broke through the pressure brought by Su Yan, but his face also turned gloomy.

Su Yan's arrival was clearly ill-intentioned, and his aura was indeed extremely powerful.

'As expected of a genius on the Dragon Gate Ranking!'

Even standing on the opposite side at this moment, Zhang Zhu had to admit that Su Yan's performance truly deserved this honor.

"It's quite a grand occasion, but judging from your appearance, is it that Elder Huo Lin, the Third Elder, still hasn't come out of seclusion?"

Su Yan's expression was calm, but his words were like a sharp sword, piercing through all the pretense.

"Elder Huo Lin has made a breakthrough and has been in seclusion for a long time. It is not appropriate for him to come out of seclusion to meet me now. I hope that the Champion Marquis will understand."

Su Yan smiled enigmatically: "Secluded in seclusion for a long time? Did someone see Elder Huo Lin just half a month ago? Could it be such a coincidence?"

Zhang Zhu was now in a bind, with no other options: "It is indeed a coincidence. I know that the Marquis of Champion has doubts about the Northern Barbarian assassination, and we are also extremely worried. Now that Elder Huo Lin is in seclusion, we cannot easily contact him. Why don't we personally take him to apologize to the Marquis of Champion after he comes out of seclusion?"

"I'm afraid I won't be able to see him again."

A cold smile flashed in Su Yan's eyes. Whether Zhang Zhu was just being stubborn or it was a genuine coincidence, if he were allowed to drag things out for that long, everything would probably change.

"Is the Marquis of Champion truly unwilling to show mercy?"

"Are you using a formation, or will you all attack together?"

Su Yan's gaze swept over the five people, his expression frighteningly calm: "I'll give you a chance. If you lose, don't blame me."

The Great River Alliance won, and Su Yan turned and left, letting the matter drop.

If they lose, then it's up to Su Yan to decide.

"I'm here to learn from Champion Hou's superior skills."

Miao Duruo leaped down, and her Dharma image rose from the ground behind her, transforming into a heavy water tortoise that rushed straight at Su Yan.

Raging Wave Divine Fist!

With a single punch, the water vapor surged, as if a towering wave had appeared out of nowhere.

Su Yan stood tall and motionless, like a reef in the water.

A divine eye appeared between his brows, his keen senses surged instantly, and his violent true energy flowed. The changes and connections of his moves all rushed into Su Yan's mind at this moment.

"Not bad!"

He nodded slightly, revealing a hint of approval, and then a dazzling light shot out from his divine eyes, instantly piercing through the Heavy Water Xuan Turtle.

In an instant, the Dharma form shattered. Miao Duruo narrowly avoided the divine light. Su Yan took a step forward and was already beside him, grabbing his head with his large hand.

A terrifying burst of true energy erupted, and with a thunderous roar, Miao Duruo was slammed to the ground, instantly sinking into a deep pit. Her bones were broken, her true energy was in chaos, and she lost consciousness.

Zhang Zhu and the others' pupils contracted sharply, their faces filled with shock.

They knew Su Yan was powerful, but they never expected that Miao Duruo, who was at the seventh level of the Xiang Realm, couldn't even withstand a single blow.

"Next"

Su Yan looked at Zhang Zhu on the city wall, along with the two elders beside him and the three Dharma Images.

"You can all come at me together, or you can use the formations of your Jiujiang City."

The calm tone angered Zhang Zhu and the others, but at this moment no one thought Su Yan was joking.

After all, even if Zhang Zhu himself faced Miao Duruo, he probably wouldn't be able to achieve this level of skill.

"Setting up the formation"

Zhang Zhu took the lead, and a silver array flag appeared in his hand. Instantly, nine dragons sucking water rose from the ground around Jiujiang City, converging in the sky above Jiujiang City to form an extremely ferocious water beast.

The water beast was over a thousand feet tall, with water vapor constantly condensing, looking down at Su Yan's tiny body.

"A fine formation, but today, break it for me."

Su Yan showed a hint of excitement as the Myriad Insects Eroding Stars Sword appeared in his hand. True essence gathered at the sword's edge, instantly transforming into a beam of wind and thunder, its sword energy reaching the heavens, heading straight for the terrifying water beast.

The sword energy stretched for thousands of feet, like a rainbow piercing the sun.

The water vapor condensed into mist, which was completely cleared away in that instant.

The powerful torrents of water unleashed by the roaring water beast were torn apart like rags by this sword energy.

bang
The city walls collapsed and the formation was destroyed.

Zhang Zhu, the leader of the main force, spat out blood, his pale face filled with disbelief.

How can it be? !
He was merely a martial artist at the Dharma Aspect Realm; how could he possibly unleash such a sword light?

With a single strike, the Dao weapon in Su Yan's hands unleashed unimaginable power.

Su Yan leaped to the level of the city wall, looking down at the crowd, the Myriad Insects Eroding Stars Sword in his hand emitting soft hums.

A powerful aura suddenly emanated from the city, and the white-haired old man strode over, sighing, "Young friend, why must you be so ruthless?"

(End of this chapter)