Willows danced in the wind, gently stirring the misty remnants of spring rain.

Amidst the drizzling rain, a streak of light tore through the curtain of raindrops, descending towards a city enveloped in the downpour.

Around the city walls of Hongye City, Bone Viewing Mirrors were suspended.

A hazy light pulsed, illuminating the mortals and cultivators entering and exiting the city.

Shen Mo landed atop the city wall and dismounted from his Thunderstroke Sword.

The Treasure Mirror's light flashed briefly before quickly dimming; no anomalies were detected.

The cultivator in charge of this section of the city wall, a man at Layer II of the Qi Gathering Realm, wearing a straw raincoat and a bamboo hat, hurried over.

"May I ask your purpose in coming to Hongye City, fellow daoist?" The man was about forty years old, with rather gaunt features.

Shen Mo casually looked the gaunt man up and down. "You don't seem to be a cultivator from the Defense Division. Why are you performing this duty?"

Normally, both the armored soldiers and cultivators guarding the city were required to be registered with the Defense Division, regardless of whether they hailed from the Five Great Sects, local Cultivating Families, small immortal sects, or were rogue cultivators.

Given Shen Mo's higher cultivation, the gaunt man maintained a polite demeanor. He wasn't annoyed by the question; instead, he smiled and replied, "Fellow Daoist, you may not be aware, but the Defense Division in the city is severely understaffed—just a handful of people—and they generally don't oversee much!"

"Now, the Five Great Sects have issued strict orders to investigate any demon heads that have infiltrated the mortal realm. The Cultivating Families within our Hongye City have voluntarily taken up this responsibility. If we were to let a demon head slip through... they could potentially bring disaster to the million souls within the city."

The gaunt man's words were no exaggeration.

A hundred years ago, when the Heavenly Demons first crossed into this realm, the cultivation world of the Red Flame Country was woefully unprepared. Frequently, mutated Heavenly Demons—Demon-corrupted mortals and cultivators—would infiltrate major cities and strategic towns. By the time they were discovered, the Heavenly Demons, originally only at Class I or Class II, had already fed on the city's inhabitants and grown to Class III, their power becoming overwhelming and unstoppable!

Then, after devouring all the mortals and cultivators in a city, they would advance to the peak of Class III or even Class IV.

Otherwise, why would the Five Great Sects have joined forces with all other factions to establish the Defense Division and even dispatch Elite Disciples from their sects to guard the towns? It was all because these creatures, the Heavenly Demons, were utterly without scruple. Like a swarm of locusts, they crossed realms, creating a Demon Tide that could result in terrifying demonic disasters.

Even a single Heavenly Demon, starting at the weakest early-stage of Class I, could advance to Class IV by corrupting a weak mortal and gaining an ample supply of blood food, effortlessly destroying cities and nations.

If the cultivation world, led by the Five Great Sects, were to sit idly by, the billions of creatures in the Red Flame Country could nurture hundreds of Class IV Heavenly Demons, perhaps even Class V. Eventually, even high-ranking cultivators—Spirit Sea Realm experts, Golden Core Realm patriarchs, Divine Bridge Realm Heavenly Monarchs—regardless of their cultivation, would all become blood food for the Heavenly Demons!

"Fellow Daoist, you still haven't stated your reason for coming to Hongye City," the gaunt man said, pressing the question after his explanation.

In the current climate of the cultivation world, no amount of caution was excessive. Even if the newcomer wasn't a Demon-corrupted cultivator, he could be an evil cultivator attempting to exploit the turmoil to sneak into the city and practice some nefarious cultivation method.

Shen Mo, far from being annoyed, rather appreciated the gaunt man's dedication to his duty. He took out the Commander token of the Defense Division and handed it over.

Shen Mo had received this token from the Affairs Hall after getting his deployment orders. At that time, he hadn't seen the Hall Master from the Tian Family, nor even a single Elder from the Affairs Hall; he was only greeted by a Deacon, who had given him the prepared token.

"Riverside Sect, disciple of Stars Peak..."

"Hongye City, Defense Division branch, Commander..."

After reading the token, the gaunt man's expression grew solemn. He returned the token with both hands. "Previously, I was unaware... that you, fellow daoist, are the Commander of the Defense Division. If my words caused any offense, I hope Master Shen will not take it to heart."

Shen Mo waved his hand dismissively and, seeing the man's apprehensive expression, asked for his name and background.

The man's name was Tao Dong. From his surname, it was clear he was not from the Tian Clan. Originally a rogue cultivator, he had settled in Hongye City after reaching the Qi Gathering Realm and founded a cultivating family. He was considered the head of this small family.

However, the Tao Family was not flourishing; Tao Dong was their only Qi Gathering Realm cultivator. Including his Dao companion, the family had only three Body Tempering Realm cultivators; the rest of his descendants were incapable of cultivation. Perhaps in another hundred years, the Tao Family might produce a few promising cultivation talents.

"If you wish, you can register with the Defense Division. It could secure you a future within its system," Shen Mo suggested casually.

Subsequently, he mounted his Flying Sword and disappeared into the drizzling rain.

A flicker of hesitation crossed Tao Dong's face. He was well aware that for cultivators from small families and rogue cultivators, joining the Defense Division was a decent path. It was far easier to build connections and obtain cultivation resources there than as an ordinary cultivator.

However, he also knew that Hongye City's Defense Division had achieved almost nothing. All relevant affairs had fallen into the hands of the Tian Clan. Lacking authority and responsibility, the city's Defense Division was naturally short on cultivation resources like Spirit Stones and Immortal Grain. He had been fortunate enough to befriend a disciple of the Tian Family, and it was through this connection that he had secured his current post guarding the city. The monthly allowance of Spirit Stones he received also came from the Tian Family!

Should he "betray" the Tian Family and switch to the Defense Division... and if this Commander Shen failed to make any significant achievements, his own situation could become very precarious. Not only would he lose his current monthly stipend, but he might even find it impossible to remain in Hongye City.

Tao Dong pondered this at length. Eventually, he quietly returned to his post, diligently fulfilling his duty of guarding the city against the light wind and slanting rain.

...

Shen Mo had only made the suggestion casually upon noticing Tao Dong's conscientiousness. He didn't expect that his mere status as Commander of the Defense Division would be enough to persuade a Qi Gathering Realm cultivator he had just met to join. Only by achieving something noteworthy could he win people over. Besides, with his earlier offer, if Tao Dong decided to register with the Defense Division, there would be a good pretext.

If the Tian Family doesn't cause me trouble, I have no desire to disturb the city's current power structure.

At worst, I'll be reprimanded by the Enforcement Hall and docked some Spirit Stones and Merit Points...

But it won't be easy to pass this year peacefully.

The wealthy sects, led by the Tian Family, went to great lengths to have me transferred to Hongye City; they must have further schemes in store for me.

With these thoughts, Shen Mo arrived at the Defense Division's location.

The Tian Family's mansion, by contrast, occupied the city's best Spirit Vein node. Its grounds featured an intricate complex of pavilions and towers, presenting a magnificent sight. The Defense Division's quarters, however, were rather shabby.

Located in the northwest corner, the buildings were dilapidated and decaying. The ambient Spiritual Qi was also relatively thin, and numerous mortals were hawking their wares outside the Defense Division's gates, having effectively turned the area into a marketplace.

Shen Mo had no intention of driving away the common folk trying to make a living and strode into the Defense Division's premises.

Inside, it was reasonably quiet. A simple Prohibition had been established, isolating it from the outside noise. However, the place was deserted; not a soul was in sight...

It wasn't until Shen Mo deliberately circulated his Mana that five cultivators of varying cultivation levels, all looking rather disheveled, hurried over from different parts of the compound.

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