In the Demon Suppression Division: Crimson Words Nurture the Blade, Slaying Demons to Prove the Dao

"I'm here to help you!!"

Upon hearing the familiar voice, Wei Xuanfeng smiled.

He knew that voice all too well.

Wen Shihan swung her meteor hammer three times in quick succession, while the fire pearl aimed straight for the black-clad man's face.

Boom!

The Fire Pearl was fast and ruthless, instantly knocking the two black-clad warriors to the ground.

"Why are you here?" Wei Xuanfeng moved closer to Wen Shihan. "Where's Xiaoxiao?"

"She fell asleep at the inn. I was worried about you, so I came," Wen Shihan said succinctly. "Who are these people?"

"I suspect it's the Gongsun family. I killed their patriarch," Wei Xuanfeng said, making a startling statement.

Wen Shihan wasn't surprised and nodded.

"There's something strange about this group of people; they don't seem like living people."

"Hmm, be careful!"

Before the two could finish speaking, the group of black-clad warriors charged at them on horseback once more.

Wei Xuanfeng and Wen Shihan did not choose to retreat. They exchanged a glance, drew their weapons, and went to meet their opponents separately.

Wei Xuanfeng's battle can be considered a worthy opponent, with both sides evenly matched.

He was faster than the black-clad warrior, and with his inexhaustible inner strength, he was not inferior in power, not to mention his mastery of martial arts.

The black-clad warrior relied on nothing more than a near-immortal body.

Knowing his opponent's weakness, Wei Xuanfeng launched a preemptive attack, his embroidered spring blade constantly circling around the opponent's neck.

Although the black-clad warrior knew nothing of fear, he knew how to dodge danger. He always kept his weapon in front of his chest to protect his vital points, while his other hand frantically swung at Wei Xuanfeng.

Wei Xuanfeng moved with agility, revealing no flaws and remaining completely unharmed.

In the short term, neither side can gain the upper hand.

After Wei Xuanfeng launched dozens of attacks without success, he prepared to change his tactics.

He was slightly uneasy about Wen Shihan, so he didn't want to prolong the fight.

The black-clad warrior had desperately protected his neck.

He then refrained from taking it by force and instead used a pretext to attack Guo.

The black-clad warriors' attack methods were nothing more than slashing, hacking, and parrying.

The neck could be protected entirely by the weapon in hand.

Wei Xuanfeng's target was the arms that wielded the weapon.

His embroidered spring knife was clearly aimed at the vital point of his neck.

In reality, the strike was aimed at the elbow joint that was blocking the attack.

The black-clad warriors' bones and muscles were as strong as iron and stone, making them unafraid of swords and spears.

After becoming an immortal monster, it felt no pain.

In its eyes.

It doesn't matter how badly your arms are injured, as long as you can protect your vital organs.

After Wei Xuanfeng changed his strategy, the threat to the black-clad warrior's vital neck was reduced.

However, each slash left a wound on the black-clad warrior's elbow.

The black-clad warrior paid no attention to the wound on his arm and launched an even fiercer attack whenever he had the chance.

The two engaged in a fierce battle, with one launching an attack and the other countering, each exchanging blows and defenses.

While dodging and weaving, Wei Xuanfeng still had the energy to glance at the battle situation on Wen Shihan's side.

His eyesight was already superior, and seeing that she walked steadily and remained composed, he immediately felt relieved and focused on dealing with his opponent.

Under the cover of night, Wei Xuanfeng and Wen Shihan moved with lightning speed, leaving afterimages in their wake.

In the heat of the battle, Wei Xuanfeng suddenly let out a long, triumphant roar...

The Embroidered Spring Blade unleashed dozens of slashes in an instant, all landing on the black-clad warrior's left elbow.

That spot had already been struck dozens of times, the wound deep enough to expose bone. This time, even the black-clad warrior's iron-like body finally couldn't withstand it.

Before the whistle had even faded, the black-clad warrior's entire left arm was severed at the elbow, and black blood gushed out.

It roared to the sky, not from pain, but from rage...

This living creature dared to cut off its arm; it deserves to die!

In its rage, it abandoned its right arm and lunged at Wei Xuanfeng with all its might.

Wei Xuanfeng instantly realized that he could decapitate the creature before it could strike him...

However, this move is too risky.

He chose to play it safe and retreat.

Even with both arms intact, he was no match for the enemy; now, with only one arm remaining, his death is inevitable.

Victory is already assured, there's no need to rush, so why not play with him a little longer?

Just as the battle on this side was about to end, a change occurred on the other side.

The other black-clad warriors, who seemed to possess immortal abilities, couldn't help but turn their attention to the shouts of their companions.

They had previously assumed that their opponents were of mediocre strength and posed little threat, so they confidently diverted their attention.

Wei Xuanfeng realized that the battle on the other side had ended, so he stopped fighting and unleashed a hundred slashes with his Embroidered Spring Blade, severing both arms of the black-clad warrior who was desperately blocking.

The black-clad warrior who had lost both arms was no different from a cripple.

With a swift stroke, Wei Xuanfeng severed his head.

The two previously fierce and seemingly immortal black-clad warriors were reduced to skeletons in an instant, leaving one in a daze.

If these two ferocious creatures were in my previous life, they would probably be almost invincible...

At their speed, even firearms would probably be barely able to cope.

He then turned to look at Wen Shihan, only to see her being suppressed and forced to retreat.

The reason why Wen Shihan was always at a disadvantage and did not retaliate was partly because she was at a disadvantage from the start, but also because the black-clad warrior was immortal. Ordinary counterattacks would not only be ineffective, but would also easily put her in danger.

She needs to solidify her defense and wait for the perfect opportunity to deliver the decisive blow.

On the other hand, the essence of the meteor hammer lies in killing with a single blow, and all actions are aimed at maximizing efficiency.

Avoid unnecessary counterattacks, as they are a waste of energy and can easily expose weaknesses in the defense.

After regaining her footing, she took advantage of the black-clad warrior's frenzied attacks to hone her footwork.

However, Wen Shihan was more daring than Wei Xuanfeng; her deadly strategy was designed for such risks.

The black-clad warrior's momentary lapse in concentration was precisely what allowed her to seize the opening with her ever-prepared fatal strike. The Fiery Pearl shot out suddenly, piercing his throat; the black-clad warrior was struck before he could even react.

Incredulous and enraged, it gripped the Fire Pearl tightly with both hands, trying to roar, but its throat was ruptured and it couldn't utter a sound. With nowhere to vent its pent-up anger, it reached out one hand to grab Wen Shihan.

Unable to extract the Fire Pearl, Wen Shihan simply retreated. As the black-clad warrior gave chase, a figure suddenly appeared behind him…

It was Wei Xuanfeng.

A flash of light appeared, and the huge head rolled off with a thud, a plume of black smoke gushing out from the severed neck.

Wen Shihan was quite surprised, not expecting Wei Xuanfeng to secretly ambush and help her.

She understood that he was concerned about her, and she couldn't help but feel a surge of warmth.

Since embarking on the path of martial arts cultivation, I have been alone for too long. Although my mother is by my side, I still cannot confide my feelings to her.

Now she has a junior sister who knows and loves her, and colleagues who work together with her, so she will never be lonely again.

Indeed, joining the Demon Suppression Division was the right decision; her choice was correct.

Wei Xuanfeng and Wen Shihan exchanged a glance, then joined forces to kill all the remaining black-clad warriors.

Even after everything had settled down, both of them were still somewhat reluctant to leave.

This battle failed to achieve its intended purpose, and the gains in cultivation breakthrough were limited.

Firstly, they were too deeply afraid of the black-clad warriors' immortality, and could not transcend the attachment to life and death. Their minds were distracted, so they could not enter the deepest realm.

Secondly, the black-clad warriors were ultimately not strong enough. Although they possessed the ability to live forever, they could not compare to humans who had exquisite martial arts skills.

They weren't strong enough, so the pressure they brought wasn't great enough, and Wei Xuanfeng and Wen Shihan couldn't get into a life-or-death struggle...

Without the threat of destruction, where would the opportunity for something to emerge come from?

……

When Wei Xuanfeng and Wen Shihan returned to the inn, it was almost dawn.

He told Wen Shihan to rest first, while he spread out a map and studied it intently.

While I was deep in thought, a sudden inspiration struck me.

He hurriedly grabbed two chopsticks, hastily made a simple compass, and first drew an arc with the place where Hu Murong disappeared as the center and the distance he chased after him as the radius. Then, with Gongsun Mansion as the center, he estimated another radius and drew a second arc.

Wei Xuanfeng stared intently at the map, trying to find the intersection of the three areas...

Once this intersection can be confirmed, Madam Huang's daughter, Hu Murong, and others are most likely hiding there.

However, after finishing the drawing, his heart sank. He stared intently at the markings on the map, muttering to himself, "How could this be... why is there absolutely no overlap?"

It can be seen that the arc centered on the point where Hu Murong disappeared does overlap with the area around Zhugan Lane, but the circle on the side of Madam Huang's daughter is far away, and even if the radius is enlarged, it cannot reach this side.

"How could this happen?"

Wei Xuanfeng thought this method was foolproof, but reality slapped him hard in the face.

The only method failed, and he slumped onto the table, gradually sinking into despair.

The most crucial period in a kidnapping case is the initial few hours, the golden window for rescue. The longer it drags on, the slimmer the chances of survival become...

Moreover, they were such beautiful women, so their situation was only more dangerous.

In a daze, a pair of gentle hands lightly rested on his shoulders and began to massage them.

Wei Xuanfeng looked up and saw that it was Madam Huang.

"Xiao Wen was supposed to come too, but I saw that she was too exhausted, so I let her rest first," Madam Huang said with a gentle smile.

Wei Xuanfeng nodded and responded in a hoarse voice.

"Is things not going well?" Madam Huang was adept at reading people and quickly noticed his low spirits. Wei Xuanfeng reached out and wrapped his arms around her waist, burying his face in her soft belly: "I've tried my best, but I still can't find them. Now... I'm at my wit's end."

Previously, Wei Xuanfeng had always been full of vigor in front of him, but now he showed an unusual vulnerability.

Madam Huang was not disgusted at all; on the contrary, she felt that he was more real and relatable this way...

The man she knew in the past always seemed unreal and elusive, but this appearance of his now touched the softest spot in her heart.

"You must really like that fox girl." Madam Huang gently stroked his hair, a hint of envy in her voice.

"Liking someone doesn't necessarily mean... but being moved by them definitely does."

Wei Xuanfeng thought to himself. Perhaps, in their daily interactions, he had already unknowingly fallen in love with that seemingly arrogant but actually gentle and generous girl.

"Xuanfeng, I believe you can definitely save them. In my heart, you are a god who can reach out and pluck stars from the sky... Is saving people harder than praying for rain?" Madam Huang kept stroking his hair, her tone becoming more and more gentle.

"That's right, I can even defy fate, how could I not save a few people!" Wei Xuanfeng's fighting spirit gradually rekindled, and he looked at her gratefully, "Thank you!"

Madam Huang smiled gently and continued to massage his shoulders with her slender fingers, trying her best to dispel his fatigue.

Wei Xuanfeng patted her hand: "Everyone says you are a femme fatale, but in my opinion, you are more like the virtuous Empress Zhangsun."

Upon hearing this, Madam Huang blushed slightly: "How dare I compare myself to Empress Zhangsun?"

Wei Xuanfeng smiled slightly, said no more, and turned his gaze back to the map.

Suddenly, as if he had thought of something, he immediately changed the center of the circle on the side of Madam Huang's daughter to the opposite symmetrical point centered on the location where the carriage was attacked.

He suddenly realized: the masked man who kidnapped Madam Huang's daughter was extremely skilled in martial arts, had gray hair, and must be very experienced in the martial arts world...

Why would they flee straight to their hiding place? They would instinctively try to lure their pursuers away in the opposite direction, then take a long detour back to their destination.

After redrawing the third circle, the small intersection area was finally locked in.

Although not precise to a specific point, it was enough for Wei Xuanfeng. Anxious to save lives, he didn't have time to say anything and dashed out of the inn in a flash. Watching his disappearing figure, Madam Huang's face softened into a gentle smile.

Not long after Wei Xuanfeng left, a scout from the Northern Garrison rushed in excitedly with a man in tow: "Commander Wei, we have news of Miss Hu Murong! Commander Wei..." He stopped abruptly, staring at the empty desk.

Madam Huang explained, "Xuanfeng just went out."

Upon hearing this, the scout turned to give chase. Madam Huang quickly stopped him, saying, "With Xuanfeng's lightness skill—crossing the river on a single reed—even a steed couldn't catch him... And who is this person beside you?"

Wu Jingci stood there dumbfounded, speechless...

There was such a stunningly beautiful woman in the world! Madam Huang was already used to such admiring gazes and didn't care. She simply coughed lightly to remind him.

Wu Jingci snapped out of his daze, hurriedly wiping the drool from the corner of his mouth, and introduced himself incoherently: "My name is Wu Jingci, I'm from the Gongsun family, and I know the whereabouts of Miss Hu Murong..."

Madam Huang understood the purpose of their visit and immediately instructed the scout, "Xuanfeng went to the place you mentioned. Take the people from your household and this strong man with you and head there; perhaps we can be of some help."

Although she was gentle and kind, she was also someone who had experienced many storms, and she still managed to make arrangements in an orderly manner even in a hurry.

"Alright!" The scout nodded in agreement and quickly called Wu Jingci to follow the group out of the inn.

……

Meanwhile, Wei Xuanfeng followed the area marked on the map and found it surprisingly easy...

The place of confinement was noisy in the middle of the night, and he could see the location at a glance from a high place.

In a flash, he landed in the mansion, where he bumped right into Gongsun Su and his cousin, who were carrying bundles and looking hurried, as if they were trying to escape.

"Where are you two headed?" Wei Xuanfeng asked in a calm tone, but beneath that calmness lay a raging fire that had been building up all night.

"Kill him!" Gongsun Su knew that since the other party had come to his door, there was no point in wasting words, so he immediately gave the order.

As soon as he finished speaking, dozens of archers suddenly appeared from all around the courtyard wall, hurling arrows at Wei Xuanfeng like locusts.

Wei Xuanfeng snorted coldly and casually took a step forward.

An invisible ripple seemed to spread through the air, and the arrows, which had been shot halfway through their flight, suddenly froze and then turned into ashes.

The archers on the wall let out muffled groans and fell silently one after another.

Gongsun Su's cousin suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood and fell straight to the ground, motionless.

Gongsun Su, whose skill was slightly deeper, barely withstood the blow, but the shock caused his blood and qi to surge. In the end, he could not hold on any longer and knelt on the ground, coughing up blood continuously.

Wei Xuanfeng didn't look at him again, and went straight into the courtyard, looking for several rooms...

The woman's fragrance still lingered inside, but the place was now deserted, and her whereabouts were nowhere to be found.

Where are they?

Wei Xuanfeng turned around and was back at the main gate, looking down at Gongsun Su from his high vantage point.

Gongsun Su held his cousin's gradually cooling body. Based on his experience, he knew that his son had already died. He seemed to be in a daze, kneeling on the spot.

"I'm asking you, where are they?" Wei Xuanfeng repeated coldly.

"My brother... is dead." Gongsun Su's voice was hollow.

Wei Xuanfeng glanced at them and said indifferently, "They deserved to die. I should have finished you off back in the brothel, to avoid causing all this trouble."

"you……"

"Have you finished spouting your nonsense?" Wei Xuanfeng frowned slightly.

Gongsun Su slowly spoke: "Everyone says that the new commander of the Northern Garrison Command is unparalleled in martial arts. At first, I didn't think so. I thought I had some reputation in the martial arts world and that with the strength of my subordinates, I could at least hold my own against you... But now it seems that your true cultivation is much higher than what people say."

Wei Xuanfeng gave a faint snort, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

"But no matter how high your martial arts skills are, you still can't beat me in the end." Gongsun Su laughed hysterically.

"Is that so?" Wei Xuanfeng's tone was full of disdain.

"Since I'm going to die today anyway, I might as well play a game with you." Gongsun Su cackled, then suddenly spat out a mouthful of black blood.

Wei Xuanfeng's eyes narrowed: "You took poison?"

A strange smile appeared on Gongsun Su's face, as if he were still attached to the mortal world, or as if he was relieved to be completely free: "Those of us in this line of work will have this day sooner or later. We've always had deadly poison in our teeth."

However, my inner strength is profound, barely enough to protect my heart meridian, allowing me to speak a few more words for a while longer.

Wei Xuanfeng flashed forward, already seizing his pressure points. His eyes gleamed with a strange light, and he was about to use the Soul Transfer Technique to interrogate the women about their whereabouts. Unexpectedly, Gongsun Su seemed to have anticipated this, turning his head away and coldly sneering, "I could die at any moment. If you use the Soul Transfer Technique on me, once my internal energy goes out of control, the poison will immediately attack my heart."

"Then I will force the poison out of your body," Wei Xuanfeng said calmly.

Gongsun Su shook his head: "Right now, I'm using my true energy to forcibly lock the poison around my heart. If I relax even slightly, the poison will instantly rush into my heart meridian, and even a Great Luo Golden Immortal will be powerless to save me. If you don't believe me, feel free to try it."

Wei Xuanfeng frowned, ultimately abandoning the idea of ​​taking the risk: "Tell me, what game?"

Gongsun Su then revealed a smug smile: "When I returned, I found that Wu Jingci was missing. When I asked his companions, they stammered and looked suspicious, so I knew those two must have betrayed me..."

"Get to the point!" Wei Xuanfeng interrupted impatiently...

This person could die at any moment, so there's no time to listen to his ramblings about the past.

Gongsun Su wasn't annoyed and continued, "So I immediately ordered my men to hide Miss Fox and the others inside the sedan chair, and then split them into three groups, moving in three completely different directions. My men will be waiting for me at the agreed location, and if they don't see me after half an hour, they will... silence them on the spot. Now, judging by the time it's almost half an hour, hahahaha..."

……

Wei Xuanfeng's heart sank. No matter how skilled he was in lightness skill, he couldn't possibly search all three locations in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. Choosing one of them would only give him a one-in-three chance of rescuing Hu Murong. As for who the other two were, he had neither the knowledge nor the time to concern himself with it.

"However, I can give you a chance." Gongsun Su paused, a smug smile appearing on his lips. "I said I wanted to play a game with you."

"As expected of a powerful family, you've really stumped me." Wei Xuanfeng gave him a thumbs up. "So, what game is it?"

"Don't worry, I will tell you where each of the three of them is hiding." Gongsun Su's smug expression grew even stronger.

Wei Xuanfeng snorted coldly: "You would be so kind?"

"Of course not." Gongsun Su's smile faded, and he glanced at the sky. "The time I made an appointment with my subordinates is approaching. The three of them are positioned in three completely different directions. No matter how skilled you are in lightness skills, you can only save one of them."

Wei Xuanfeng's heart sank to the bottom. He never expected that the melodramatic plots from those plays in his past life would actually happen to him. His current cultivation level was unmatched in the world, but he was ultimately no match for time and space. He frowned, feeling that things were not so simple, and stared intently into Gongsun Su's eyes.

"Why don't you just kill them and be done with it? Or point me to a few random places to mislead me? I don't believe you would be so kind as to tell me their real hiding place."

Gongsun Su sneered, "What's the point of that? I'm going to give you a chance to save someone, so that you'll suffer even more afterwards, forever trapped in the regret of saving one person but abandoning the other two."

"They're ruthless indeed." Wei Xuanfeng was silent for a moment before speaking, "Tell me where they're hiding."

Gongsun Su clearly understood that this was an unsolvable situation, so he didn't hesitate to reveal the whereabouts of the others: "Hu Murong's sister is at the City God Temple in the north of the city, Hu Murong himself is at the Guanyin Pagoda for praying for a child in the south of the city, and Huang Chanchan is at Zhao Kang Bridge by the canal. Choose one of them to rescue."

As soon as he finished speaking, he withdrew the true energy protecting his heart meridian, and the poison instantly attacked his heart, killing him on the spot.

"Damn it!" Although Wei Xuanfeng channeled his inner energy into Gongsun Su's body as quickly as possible to protect his heart meridian, he was ultimately a step too late. Gongsun Su was a top-tier martial arts master; it was certainly not easy for him to live, but if he was determined to die, no one could stop him.

With only about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea left, Wei Xuanfeng's temples were covered in a fine layer of sweat. He knew that he had to make a decision at this moment—the three places were each dozens of miles apart, and no matter which one he rushed to, time was extremely tight, and there was absolutely no chance of saving the other two.

That Huang Chanchan must be Madam Huang's daughter.

If we don't save them...

They've already given themselves to me...

And then there's Hu Murong's sister. If she dies, I'm afraid Hu Murong will never forgive himself.

As for Hu Murong...

Wei Xuanfeng came here because of her!

Who should we save?

…………