National Guardian's Gone and We're Done

Chapter 51: Chapter 51: Could the sudden outbreak of these Evil Spirits be because the Demon Cave wasn’t completely cleansed?

”This... This is impossible!”

When Ji Shengyue heard her secretary’s report, a storm of disbelief crashed through her heart.

She knew her secretary would never be so rash at a time like this,

so she immediately regained her composure. Frowning, she asked, ”Are you certain this information is accurate?”

The secretary, who had clearly rushed over, nervously wiped the cold sweat from his brow. ”Yes, Your Majesty. This is an urgent request for aid sent personally by the Yongdeng City Lord. The wording is desperate; there is no doubt it’s true.”

Ji Shengyue took a deep breath, a sense of foreboding washing over her.

She pressed on, ”What is the situation elsewhere? Have there been any other reports of Evil Spirit activity?”

The secretary paused to collect his thoughts. ”At present, no other cities have reported similar incidents. It should be... for now, the problem is confined to Yongdeng City.

The Yongdeng City Lord has already reacted swiftly, assembling the local Martial Artists to deal with the threat, but the results have not been ideal.

Right now, they are focusing all their efforts on evacuating the public to minimize casualties.”

Ji Shengyue’s expression was grave.

She knew the threat of the Evil Spirits was not to be underestimated and immediately issued a command: ”Relay my order to the cities near Yongdeng City. Mobilize a portion of their Martial Artists to enter Yongdeng City at once and assist the local forces in purging the Evil Spirits as quickly as possible.”

The secretary nodded and quickly turned to relay the order.

Before he left, he hesitated, then turned back to Ji Shengyue and suggested, ”Her Majesty the Queen, should we inform Xiao Cangqing about this?

After all, Xiao Cangqing was the one who eliminated all the Evil Spirits in the Demon Cave. Handling the Evil Spirit incident in Yongdeng City should be much easier for him, which would make the situation more secure.”

”You have a point.”

Hearing this, Ji Shengyue’s interest was piqued.

She turned to Xiao Cangqing and recounted the intelligence she had just received in detail.

Then she asked worriedly, ”Xiao Cangqing, could it be that the Demon Cave wasn’t completely cleared out, and that’s why these Evil Spirits have suddenly appeared?”

Xiao Cangqing shook his head and firmly denied it. ”Absolutely not.

I personally inspected the Demon Cave. There is no trace of any Evil Spirit aura there anymore.

These Evil Spirits must have been stragglers that escaped long ago. They were probably lying dormant, waiting for the right moment to emerge.”

Ji Shengyue said, ”Then would you be willing to go and assess the situation? Yongdeng City is in grave danger, and we need your help.”

Her words carried a tone of negotiation, as Xiao Cangqing had, after all, displayed extraordinary power.

Across all of Blue Star, the Great Jing Empire had become the first nation in the world to completely resolve a Demon Cave infestation.

This was enough to prove that Xiao Cangqing’s power was unparalleled globally, so Ji Shengyue no longer dared to treat him with her previous attitude.

Xiao Cangqing shook his head and said to Ji Shengyue, ”Her Majesty the Queen, I do not believe it is necessary for me to go to Yongdeng City in person.

However, to prevent panic from spreading to other cities due to a lack of information, I suggest you release my analysis to the entire nation in the form of a news bulletin.”

”Very well, we’ll do as you say,” Ji Shengyue said.

The reason Xiao Cangqing was so certain the Demon Cave had been dealt with stemmed from an understanding—one might even call it a transaction—he had reached with the rotting man dwelling inside him.

The rotting man, a powerful force from the Demon Cave, was utterly terrified of Chu He’s existence.

This fear was not limited to the rotting man alone; it was a sentiment shared by all the Evil Spirits in the Demon Cave.

According to the rotting man,

Chu He’s power had reached an unbelievable level, and his every improvement surpassed the bounds of normal imagination.

The rotting man had even stated bluntly that even if all the Evil Spirits in the Demon Cave joined forces, they would still stand no chance against Chu He’s might.

This description shocked Xiao Cangqing. He simply could not comprehend how a human could achieve such a state.

He recalled the incident in Dalang City. The rotting man had originally planned to lead the Evil Spirits to descend upon the city and harvest a massive amount of ”blood food” to awaken the other Evil Spirits slumbering in the Demon Cave.

However, they never imagined that Chu He would appear there and slay the Ghost Infant right before his eyes.

Although Chu He left right after killing the Ghost Infant,

a single, casual glance from him had filled the rotting man with a terror he had never felt before.

That terror was like an abyss, nearly causing his form to disintegrate.

What frightened the rotting man most was his clear sense that Chu He hadn’t even done it intentionally.

That look, truly just a fleeting glance, contained an indescribable power.

This power terrified the rotting man, who ultimately chose to let Xiao Cangqing ”kill” him so he could escape from Dalang City.

He didn’t even spare a thought for the Evil Spirits he had brought with him, which was how Xiao Cangqing was able to suppress the Evil Spirits of Dalang City so easily.

Watching Ji Shengyue’s departing figure, Xiao Cangqing’s thoughts remained turbulent for a long time.

The image of Chu He, the man who struck fear even into Evil Spirits, replayed in his mind.

Xiao Cangqing had always been half-skeptical of the information provided by the rotting man.

He found it hard to imagine that a human could possess such immense power that even Evil Spirits were afraid of him.

As his understanding of Chu He gradually deepened, a theory began to form in his mind.

’Chu He might have also mastered Primordial Spirit Power.’

’But as for the specific details of this cultivation, that remains unknown for now.’

Although fate had pushed him down a path he did not wish to walk,

Xiao Cangqing could still clearly sense that after fusing with the rotting man’s power, his own strength had ascended to a new height.

The entire Great Jing Empire had been basking in the joy of the Demon Cave problem being solved,

but the Evil Spirit incident in Yongdeng City was like a bombshell, instantly setting all the major domestic online platforms ablaze.

The death toll in Yongdeng City continued to climb.

Each number was like a cold, sharp arrow, piercing the hearts of every citizen of the Great Jing Empire.

Online, discussions about the incident were raging.

”I’m seriously starting to doubt whether the Demon Cave was actually dealt with or not.”

”Is that even a question? Her Majesty the Queen has already made a personal announcement. Would she really lie to us about something so important?”

”Then how do you explain the Evil Spirit incident in Yongdeng City?”

”Didn’t the government already issue a response? Are you blind, or can you just not be bothered to look?”

”I think Xiao Cangqing’s explanation is the most realistic. There must be some stray Evil Spirits wandering the country, and the destruction of the Demon Cave probably sent them into a frenzy. This just proves that the Demon Cave really must have been cleared out.”

Online, although everyone had their own opinions, a two-point consensus gradually emerged:

First, the Demon Cave had indeed been dealt with.

Second, the criticism and dissatisfaction directed at Chu He remained intense.

The people of the Great Jing Empire generally believed that Chu He was incompetent, yet he had insisted on shouldering this heavy responsibility back then.

If Her Majesty, the new Queen, had not discovered and handled the Demon Cave crisis in time, the consequences would have been unthinkable.

...

In Xuanyong City, not far from Yongdeng City,

the streets were empty and silent under the night sky, with only the lonely flicker of the streetlights.

The city’s proximity to Yongdeng City meant it was also under threat from the Evil Spirit incident.

To ensure the safety of the citizens, the city administration had implemented strict patrols and ordered all residents to remain at home after sunset.

At this moment, a ten-man squad, fully armed, was patrolling the streets.

Their weapons glinted coldly under the streetlights.

Suddenly, a THUMP THUMP THUMP sound shattered the night’s silence.

It sounded like someone bouncing a rubber ball, echoing through the empty streets.

The sudden noise instantly put the squad members on high alert.

[Thank you to the new boss for the 106 Book Coin tip, and thank you to boss Book Friend 20240705235744400 for the 100 Book Coin tip. Thank you to both generous bosses!!!]