Witch, don't do anything reckless!

Young master.

Xu Hong stared at the desk on the table, his brows furrowed.

With Qin Yan dead, how to give an explanation to the Qin family in the capital has become the current problem for this commander.

Although the Tianxuan Division, as the official agency of the Great Xuan Dynasty responsible for exorcising demons and monsters, inevitably suffers casualties, the Qin family is not a small family after all. Although Qin Yan is only a son of a concubine, he is still a young master arranged by the family to undergo training.

Since he suddenly died here, Xu Hong naturally had to give the Qin family a reasonable explanation.

This wouldn't normally be a difficult problem, but the problem is... Qin Yan has been possessed by the Blood Demon.

This is a bit tricky.

Who is the Blood Demon?

In the eyes of the world, this blood demon died twenty years ago. Now, resurrected through impure means, it has possessed Qin Yan… How can the Qin family believe this?

If it weren't for the fact that the young lady and young master Xu said it themselves, even Xu Hong would hardly believe that the Blood Demon who was kicked to death twenty years ago was still alive, let alone the Qin family.

The matter of the Blood Demon is too sensitive, and the young lady instructed them not to publicize it. As a result, how to face the Qin family's questioning when the time comes has become a considerable headache.

Thinking of this, Xu Hong sighed softly.

The power struggles between those powerful families in the capital were beyond the reach of a mere commander like him.

Just then, a report came from outside the door. A constable named Xie An said he had brought news of the real culprit who killed Qin Yan.

Upon hearing this, Xu Hong was taken aback.

"Let him in!"

……

Before long, Xie An, the young master of the yamen, hurriedly entered. As soon as he stepped into the yamen, he knelt down with a thud and began to wail.

"Commander-in-Chief, I have an important report... I know who the real culprit is who murdered Envoy Qin Yan!"

"We beg the President to make the decision!"

"..."

Before the yamen, Xu Hong stared at Xie An, who was kneeling before him with a face full of fear and grief: "Get up."

Xie An then raised his head and stood up shakily.

"You're saying you know the real killer who murdered Qin Yan?"

"Yes, Commander-in-Chief."

"Who?"

Xie An looked terrified, glancing around cautiously as if he were afraid of something.

Xu Hongdao said, "Tell me what you know."

Upon hearing this, Xie An gritted his teeth, made up his mind, and knelt down again with a thud: "Commander-in-Chief, the one who murdered the Qin envoy was... Li Chuqiu!"

"I witnessed it with my own eyes; I implore the Commander-in-Chief to uphold justice!!"

"..."

As Qin Yan's number one lackey and most loyal supporter in Yuhua City, Xie An was able to hold his head high in the Tianxuan Division, relying on his master's power.

Therefore, when Xie An learned of Qin Yan's murder, his world collapsed!

He was terrified, scared... and completely panicked.

In particular, he believed he knew who killed Qin Yan... After all, three days ago, he had personally witnessed Li Chuqiu kill Qin Gongzi with a single blow.

Upon seeing Qin Yan collapse, Xie An and the others were so panicked that they scattered like birds before they could even confirm the situation. Back at Tianxuan Division, they learned of Qin Yan's death that very night… Who else could it be but Li Chuqiu?

Xie An was terrified and furious, yet also a little excited. But before he could even find Deputy Commander Liu to complain, an even more devastating piece of news suddenly spread throughout the Tianxuan Division... The usually pure and proud Deputy Commander Liu was having an affair with Li Chuqiu?!

This news sent chills down Xie An's spine.

If that's true, and he goes to Deputy Commander Liu to complain, wouldn't that be walking right into a trap?

Finished!

That's it, he's doomed!

Deputy Commander Liu has colluded with Li Chuqiu and ended up in bed with her. As an eyewitness who witnessed Li Chuqiu "harming" Young Master Qin, shouldn't he be silenced immediately?

Terrified, Xie An took several days off, hiding at home, too afraid to go out, utterly despondent. After several days of internal struggle, he finally remembered something…

Isn't there still Commander Xu Hong?!

Although Liu Xu was a big shot who was parachuted in from the capital, she was ultimately just a deputy commander, with a grand commander above her.

More importantly, rumors circulated that the Grand Commander was upright and incorruptible, and would never show favoritism... This rekindled a glimmer of hope for Xie An.

So he immediately came to complain!

……

At this moment, Xu Hong, having listened to Xie An's account, gradually narrowed his eyes.

Li Chuqiu?

This name sounds familiar?

After a moment, Xu Hong stared at him: "What evidence do you have that Qin Yan was killed by him?"

"I saw it with my own eyes!"

Xie An banged his head on the ground: "Besides my subordinates, there were several other people traveling with me, as well as Young Master Qin's entourage. They all witnessed it with their own eyes... that Li Chuqiu murdered Young Master Qin."

"Li Chuqiu's cruelty towards his colleagues is heinous. Knowing that his subordinates are eyewitnesses, he will surely kill them to silence them..."

"Please, Commander-in-Chief, protect the safety of your subordinates!"

silence.

Xu Hong seemed to be lost in thought, pondering for a long time.

Get up.

"Rest assured, within the Tianxuan Division, anyone who dares to harm a colleague will not be tolerated by this commander. The information and evidence you provided are extremely important, and this commander will investigate thoroughly. If it is true, I will certainly give you an explanation."

Upon hearing this, Xie An was overjoyed.

You made the right bet!

The president is indeed upright and incorruptible; he's saved now!

...Li Chuqiu is doomed!

Even if he has Vice Commander Liu protecting him, so what?

He harmed Young Master Qin, and the Qin family will never let him go, nor will the Grand Commander... I don't believe that Deputy Commander Liu can really protect him.

Thinking of this, Xie An finally felt relieved.

……

After Xie An left, Xu Hong pondered deeply.

Wasn't Qin Yan harmed by being possessed by the Blood Demon?

And what does this have to do with Li Chuqiu?

However, it seems...

Just as a thought popped into Xu Hong's mind, a cold and aloof figure appeared silently outside the door.

Xu Hong was taken aback, then quickly stood up and went to greet her: "Miss, what brings you here?"

What appeared in Xu Hong's line of sight was willow catkins.

"Young Miss, your injuries have not yet fully healed; you should not move around easily. If anything goes wrong, I will not be able to explain it to the Chief!"

Xu Hong looked worried.

Xu Hong was nearly scared to death when the young lady suffered such serious injuries in Yuhua City. If the chief found out, he would probably be out of a position as the grand commander.

Fortunately, the young lady was kind-hearted and specifically instructed that the news of her injury not be sent back, for which Xu Hong was naturally grateful.

"It's alright."

Liu Xu's expression was aloof as she spoke softly, "I have something to discuss with you."

"What instructions does the young lady have?"

Liu Xu glanced at him: "Has a decision been made regarding Qin Yan's matter?"

Xu Hong was taken aback, then said, "Qin Yan's death is not a problem, but the Qin family in the capital might be in some trouble..."

Liu Xu shook her head: "There's no need to worry about the Qin family; the Tianxuan Division will handle it."

Xu Hong immediately felt relieved, but then asked with suspicion, "What does the young lady want with me?"

Liu Xu calmly asked, "With Qin Yan dead, the position of Commander is vacant. Is there a candidate for the new commander?"

Xu Hong was taken aback, seemingly not expecting that the young lady would suddenly care about the position of a mere envoy.

But he still shook his head: "Not for now. I originally planned to promote from among those below me. However, most of Qin Yan's subordinates are mediocre, lacking in ability and prestige, and unfit for this position..."

"I do have someone in mind."

Upon hearing this, Xu Hong was taken aback: "Does Miss have any candidates to recommend?"

Liu Xu's gaze was calm as she softly uttered a name: "Li Chuqiu."

Xu Hong's heart skipped a beat, and his pupils contracted.

"What's wrong?"

"without……"

Xu Hong suppressed his astonishment and couldn't help but ask, "Young Miss, why did you recommend this person?!"

Liu Xu said calmly, "His martial arts skills are quite good, and his abilities are outstanding. He is capable of serving as the chief envoy... Let's choose him."

The tone was casual and understated.

But Xu Hong was in turmoil.

He said it was a recommendation, but since the young lady had already spoken, how could he refuse?

Just who is Li Chuqiu? That the young lady would take such good care of him and specifically ask him to serve as the chief envoy?

In an instant, Xu Hong recalled the rumors circulating within the Tianxuan Division these past few days…

At first, he dismissed it as nonsense and didn't take it seriously. But now that the young lady herself has come to visit... how can this be considered a mere rumor?!

Miss, could it be that you really have something going on with that Li Chuqiu?

Xu Hong's eyelids twitched suddenly, and a wave of fear and terror washed over him.

He almost...

"In that case, we will do as Miss commands."

Xu Hongqiang suppressed his unease and spoke in a deep voice.

"Um."

Liu Xu remained indifferent as she turned and left.

Xu Hong was left standing there, and for some reason, despite the coolness of the room, he was already sweating profusely and filled with fear.

"Li Chuqiu..."

Xu Hong muttered to himself, "This boy, could he really be with the young lady..."

He dared not continue thinking about it. After a short while, as if remembering something, Xu Hong's eyes gradually turned cold.

That Xie An just now... he almost got him killed!

……

On the other side, Xie An, feeling refreshed after filing his complaint, had just stepped out of the yamen when he ran into Li Chuqiu and others in the front yard.

Upon seeing him, Xie An's face changed drastically, and he abruptly took a step back: "You, you dare to come back?!"

Li Chuqiu looked at Xie An, who had suddenly gone mad, with a bewildered expression: "Why don't I dare to come back?"

"You, you..."

Xie An's eyes widened as if he'd seen a ghost, a mixture of fear and smugness in them: "You...you murdered Young Master Qin, you harmed your colleagues, and you still dare to come back and walk right into our trap?!"

Li Chuqiu frowned: "Are you sick?"

However, Xie An was convinced that Li Chuqiu was the murderer. In addition, he had just complained to the upright Commander Xu, and now that he was in Tianxuan Division, he was confident that Li Chuqiu would not dare to do anything to him in broad daylight, so he became bolder and bolder.

"I witnessed you harming Young Master Qin with my own eyes. Do you still want to deny it?"

Xie An sneered, "I have already informed Commander Xu of this matter. Li Chuqiu, your death is imminent!"

Xie An's outburst quickly attracted the attention of many people.

The matter of the Blood Demon was not publicized within the Heavenly Profound Division; Qin Yan's death was only publicly stated as being caused by a demon. Therefore, Xie An's words now caused many of his colleagues' expressions to change.

Many people are aware of the conflict between Li Chuqiu and Qin Yan. Now that Qin Yan is dead, they naturally can't help but wonder... Could it really be that Li Chuqiu harmed his colleague?

"Boss, what's going on?"

Chen San'er and Zhang Man, who were standing to the side, were also completely confused.

Of course, the two of them also suspected that it might be that Tou was really that temperamental and had killed that kid surnamed Qin.

...They completely believed that the boss was capable of such a thing.

"This idiot is spreading rumors."

Li Chuqiu wasn't about to indulge him; no one knew better than him how Qin Yan died. Besides, with Vice Commander Liu backing him up, Li Chuqiu wasn't worried at all.

"This idiot spreads rumors about his colleagues and slanders them. I've put up with him for too long. Give him a good beating."

Upon hearing this, Chen San'er and Zhang Man, who were standing nearby, immediately disregarded everything else and started talking, saying, "Let's beat him up."

The two immediately rubbed their fists together and pounced on Xie An.

"What, what are you trying to do?!"

Xie An retreated in terror, completely unprepared for Li Chuqiu to dare to attack him in broad daylight within the Tianxuan Division!

Before he could react, Zhang Man approached and punched him hard in the face.

"what!"

A scream.

This punch was fueled by too much personal grudge, and Xie An screamed in pain, collapsing to the ground with a thud. Before he could even recover, Chen San'er delivered another flying kick.

"Take this!"

The front courtyard of Tianxuan Division was instantly thrown into chaos.

Some were arguing, some were fighting, and some were trying to break them up—it was quite a scene.

until……

"The President is here!"

In an instant, the surroundings fell silent, and the onlookers retreated and dispersed.

Chen San'er and Zhang Man immediately fled, hiding in the crowd. Xie An was left lying on the ground, disheveled and covered in dust, his face bruised and swollen, howling in pain.

Upon seeing this, Xu Hong asked in a deep voice, "What's going on?!"

"Commander-in-Chief, Commander-in-Chief..."

Xie An struggled to his feet, intending to accuse Li Chuqiu. But Li Chuqiu spoke first: "Commander, Xie An has used malicious words to slander me, accusing me of harming my colleagues. His intentions are utterly sinister! Please, Commander, see the truth!"

Xie An's eyes widened: "The Grand Commander, no, it's him..."

He was eager to speak, but Xu Hong frowned and said coldly, "Shut up."

"The Heavenly Mystic Division strictly forbids internal strife. Are you disregarding these rules?"

His cold tone, carrying an air of authority, made everyone present feel a chill in their hearts and their expressions change slightly.

As expected of the Grand Commander, such an imposing presence...

The Fifth Realm?!

Li Chuqiu narrowed his eyes, sensing that the aura emanating from this commander-in-chief had probably reached the fifth realm.

They are indeed not to be underestimated.

For some reason, Li Chuqiu seemed to sense something strange when the commander-in-chief's gaze fell on him.

It was as if she was... sizing him up?

At this moment, Xu Hong surveyed the room and spoke in a deep voice: "Three days ago, Envoy Qin Yan died at the hands of a demon outside the city. We are deeply saddened and regretful about this. Now that Envoy Qin is dead, the position of Envoy is vacant. After repeated discussions and deliberations, we have finally decided on the new Envoy..."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Hong's gaze fell on Li Chuqiu in front of the crowd.

"Li Chuqiu, are you willing to succeed Qin Yan as Commander?"

As soon as he finished speaking, there was a brief silence.

The next second, an uproar erupted!

The crowd stared in shock, astonishment, disbelief... No, why him?!

Everyone was stunned.

With Qin Yan's death, many people fantasized about whether they would have a chance to rise to power, especially Xie An...

He considered himself the most promising candidate after Qin Yan... In addition, if he could sue Li Chuqiu for harming Young Master Qin and make a great contribution, wouldn't the position be a sure thing?

But Xu Hong's sudden announcement was like a heavy hammer blow to Xie An's heart. He slumped to the ground, his expression blank, his mind a complete void, as if he hadn't yet reacted.

The new envoy... is it Li Chuqiu?!

He stiffly looked up, only to meet Li Chuqiu's face, which was scrutinizing him meaningfully.

Xie An's heart sank to the bottom... His former mortal enemy had suddenly become his superior?!

He was terrified and desperate, and collapsed to the ground.

It's over, it's over!

...This is it, it's completely over!

……