The Demon Suppression Bureau’s Intervention and a Maid’s Fate

“Senior from the Demon Suppression Bureau, I believe this is a misunderstanding.” Xu Qingzhu stated, his expression unchanged.

Despite the Golden Core cultivator before him maintaining extreme vigilance, their spiritual energy remained actively vibrant, and their aura surged like a mighty river meeting the sea. Yet, they had not made a move—this was the precise moment Xu Qingzhu had seized.

Had he continued his pursuit of Xiao Yao just now, he would undoubtedly have clashed with the Demon Suppression Bureau. In such a scenario, without a word, the Bureau would have intervened to prevent Xu Qingzhu from eliminating another “witness.”

Once a fight began, there was no telling if the Demon Suppression Bureau might be short-tempered or quick to anger… In short, a confrontation would inevitably escalate, leaving Xu Qingzhu severely wounded, or even dead.

Fortunately, Xu Qingzhu was a veteran, having discerned the peculiar destiny clinging to Xiao Yao. Thus, he had not given chase.

This was a variable, unknown even to the Heavenly Dao. Both Xu Qingzhu’s extraordinary strength and his terrifying insight into the current situation were variables. Coupled with Su Mo, another such variable, the potential conflict had ultimately been averted.

A profound silence settled in the air for a moment. The Demon Suppression Bureau looked down, their gaze fixed on the two. As their eyes swept over Su Mo, a fleeting astonishment flickered within them, simultaneously recalling a recent wanted poster.

‘Su Mo of the Su family? No, the aura and vital essence are completely different,’ the Demon Suppression Bureau mused, a hint of surprise in their thoughts.

The information on a wanted poster was never erroneous; if the aura and vital essence did not match, then no matter how similar their appearance, they could not be the same person.

“Oh? A misunderstanding, you say?” The voice of the Demon Suppression Bureau, indistinguishable as male or female, resonated with a majestic, heaven-shaking power that stirred the very depths of one’s soul.

Those with wavering resolve, those whose spirits were languid, or those who had already surrendered—none could withstand such power. They would involuntarily confess the truth. This was a common interrogation technique employed by the Demon Suppression Bureau, and when wielded by a Golden Core cultivator, it was as irresistible and unyielding as a decree from the heavens.

“Indeed, it was a misunderstanding. A demonic cultivator trespassed into my home, attempting to abduct my wife. I intervened, which caused some commotion.” Xu Qingzhu remained utterly unfazed.

Nodding, the Demon Suppression Bureau detected no anomaly.

Their towering form descended, the crackling lightning around them receding. The Demon Suppression Bureau met their gaze, a smile gracing their lips, yet their voice whistled like air escaping a punctured cavern. It was profoundly strange.

“It appears to have been a genuine misunderstanding. There’s no need for either of you to be nervous,” they said, pressing a hand down, signaling Xu Qingzhu to sheathe his sword.

They had long since noticed the continuous sword marks scarring the ground. Truth be told, that particular sword strike was an apex achievement within the Foundation Establishment realm. Such remarkable talent did not belong to an ordinary cultivator.

Nevertheless, in Dangyang County, they were disinclined to witness any unrest.

“In times of great chaos, I shall safeguard the peace of this region.” This was their Great Dao, a Heavenly Dao vow sworn when they achieved the Golden Core realm.

Benefiting from this vow, their power at the Golden Core stage was truly terrifying, earning them the moniker, “As long as I stand, the city stands.”

“Whose arm is this?” the Demon Suppression Bureau inquired, casually collecting it.

Xu Qingzhu offered no resistance, possessing scant knowledge of the Golden Core cultivator before him.

In his previous life, by the time he had lucidly emerged from the madness of his family’s annihilation, this Golden Core expert of Dangyang County had vanished without a trace. Or rather, Dangyang County itself had fallen into utter ruin.

‘But that will be years from now,’ Xu Qingzhu analyzed inwardly.

Bowing respectfully, Xu Qingzhu informed them, “A demonic cultivator’s arm.”

“Is that so? A demonic cultivator.” Though they uttered it as a question, the Demon Suppression Bureau did not pursue the matter further. Changing the subject, they turned to Su Mo and asked, “Is this lady your esteemed wife, young master?”

“Indeed.” Xu Qingzhu, having no intention of crossing a Golden Core expert, answered every question. Whether his answers were accurate or not remained unknown.

“May I inquire her esteemed name?”

“Su Yao.”

“Su?” The Demon Suppression Bureau repeated the surname. Their gazes met, and no further words were exchanged.

Still draped in Xu Qingzhu’s green robe, Su Mo rose and offered a slight bow, expressing her gratitude: “Senior from the Demon Suppression Bureau, your protection of this region and your discerning judgment of right and wrong are a blessing to Dangyang County. Had you not arrived in time, my husband might not have escaped this ordeal unscathed…”

“Spare me the flattery. Gather yourselves, and if you have time, come visit the Demon Suppression Manor.” The Demon Suppression Bureau interrupted.

“We will remember all that Senior has said,” Su Mo replied, gently pulling on Xu Qingzhu’s arm.

The moment she mentioned him “escaping the ordeal unscathed,” he had grown restless. Such a grown man, why couldn’t he just let her have some peace of mind!

‘Both in public and private, he had grown accustomed to ‘bowing and scraping’ in his previous life. For an orphan to scrape together tuition fees was truly no simple feat.’

‘Never mind, she no longer cared for such things as ‘face.’ The crucial thing was to prevent a fight, to prevent Xu Qingzhu from being killed.’

“Excellent,” the Demon Suppression Bureau said with a smile, then soared away.

The sky rumbled a few times, and the thunderclouds dispersed. Su Mo immediately let out a sigh of relief. Her chest heaved with quick, light breaths as she smiled, “Everything’s fine, that’s wonderful.”

“There *was* a problem, but I could have effortlessly dealt with Xiao Yao,” Xu Qingzhu insisted, still dwelling on the matter. It was as if he could lose to anyone else, but the one thing he couldn’t tolerate was being considered inferior to Xiao Yao.

“At your age, why are you still arguing over such trivialities?” Su Mo retorted, giving him an exasperated look.

“You are not I; how could you possibly understand me?” Xu Qingzhu countered, crouching down to examine Maid Xia. Ever since Xiao Yao had fled in disarray, the maid had remained unconscious, her face alarmingly pale.

‘…’ Su Mo had been about to retort; after all the books she’d read, didn’t she recognize a tragic male lead like him? Yet, she reluctantly bit her tongue, truly unable to fathom him.

Drawing closer to examine the maid, Su Mo nudged Xu Qingzhu with her elbow and asked, her face turned to his, “Well? How is she?”

“Her Yin energy is depleted, and her lifespan greatly diminished. A very crude harvesting technique,” Xu Qingzhu stated coldly.

‘…’ Su Mo understood immediately: Maid Xia’s latter half of life was ruined.

With such a loss of Yin energy and a diminished lifespan, she would no longer be able to bear children, and might not even live much longer. A maid like her might have saved a small sum of money in the Zhang family, eventually marrying an ordinary man and spending a simple life raising children. But to be laughing and carefree in the morning, only to…

“I underestimated the sheer depravity of Xiao Yao,” Su Mo muttered, searching for a more impactful word.

What was seen in books was, in the end, merely a partial glimpse; only now, truly living in this world, did she grasp the profound cruelty. Perhaps Xiao Yao had simply harvested a maid at whim, but the tragedy behind it was something he had never truly acknowledged. The books had never mentioned it either; people only saw the superficial terror.

“Can cultivation replenish it?” Su Mo’s eyes gleamed with a spark of hope.

“It seems plausible?” Xu Qingzhu turned, nodding earnestly.

“Hooray!” Su Mo beamed, her small body crouched as she clenched her fists tightly. Her beautiful eyes darted about, her thoughts drifting into the distance, already conjuring all sorts of methods.

‘…’ Watching her, lost in thought, a warmth bloomed in Xu Qingzhu’s heart.

“Speaking of which, what cultivation technique should she practice?” Su Mo suddenly froze, completely bewildered.

Shaking his head, Xu Qingzhu said with a helpless sigh, “My family possesses a cultivation technique that absorbs Post-natal Qi to supplement Pre-natal Qi. There’s no need for my wife, Su, to trouble herself with it.”

Although her little scheme had been seen through, it had ultimately prompted Xu Qingzhu to speak. She deemed this exchange well worth it.

“Oh, right, I’m not your wife!” Su Mo’s thoughts shifted, and she immediately retorted.

There had been too many people earlier, making it difficult for her to speak up, but now she had to correct this misconception with all her might.

“Sooner or later,” Xu Qingzhu replied, patting his clothes.

“Get lost!” Su Mo snapped, delivering a kick. He dodged it! ‘What a nimble dog!’

****

Meanwhile, the Demon Suppression Bureau recalled the scene, dismissing their subordinates who arrived shortly after. As they walked back to their manor, they couldn’t shake the feeling that things were not as simple as they seemed.

“A time of many troubles,” they mused, their voice still gender-neutral.

“My lord, a cultivator has been found fallen into the water over there.”

“Oh? Let’s see.”

“My lord, he’s lost an arm and is unconscious.”

“Pull him out and bring him back to the manor.” Their eyes flickered subtly, keenly grasping a crucial thread. Indeed, this was none other than the “demonic cultivator” who had appeared at the Zhang family residence.