Chapter 81: Chapter 73: Demonic Shadows Over Yanzhou City

Du Chengfeng remembered clearly that his relationship with the Commander of Jizhen troops, Liu Yanran, was merely a cooperative one.

Liu Yanran opened the Jizhen arsenal to him, allowing him to hone his skills and increase his strength, while he temporarily filled in the gap left by Jizhen’s Armament Supervisor, Wang Gaoceng, to assist with Jizhen’s war preparations—this was only temporary. He had not accepted Liu Yanran’s recruitment; at most, this task could only be considered outsourced.

But while he thought this way, Liu Yanran had another plan in mind.

"So, Commandant Liu recommended me to the court under his name?"

Upon arriving at the office and learning the entire reason behind recent events, Du Chengfeng was dumbfounded.

It turns out Commandant Liu never gave up the idea of recruiting him but instead hoped to put the carriage before the horse.

First, get him involved in the work while sending a recommendation letter to the court. Based on his understanding of Liu Yanran, the court might not even respond before Liu Yanran starts a fight with the northern forces—and by then, should there be an emergency at the border, the court would have no choice but to accept the recommendation willingly.

And as for Du Chengfeng, if war indeed broke out, he would find it hard to refuse such a responsibility, leaving him no choice but to follow Commandant Liu to the end.

Hmm, the idea was rather convincing, at least to Du Chengfeng. It truly might trap him.

The only problem was that Liu Yanran died too early.

According to the timeline, shortly after the recommendation was sent, Liu Yanran was killed by He Xiqing with a single strike due to his declining strength from staying up late frequently.

And this recruitment plan ultimately fell apart.

Or perhaps, only part of it was complete.

"Perhaps you should seek someone else."

Du Chengfeng immediately thought of fleeing; he did not wish to owe Liu Yanran a favor—especially since he didn’t want to be overly involved with the mentally unstable. He wasn’t keen on taking the position of Jizhen’s Armament Supervisor.

Even without understanding the intricacies of politics or strategic affairs, just by observing the two individuals from Jizhen, he could deduce the situation.

Liu Yanran had minor mental issues. Wang Gaoceng was outright unreliable. The idea of placing such individuals at the border—is Da Chen’s court doing well?

"I have matters to attend to, can’t chat now; I left water boiling at home."

"Hey, hey, sir! Don’t rush off! Also, you just arrived, where is your home?"

Seeing Du Chengfeng about to leave, a group of clerks hurriedly stopped him with earnest persuasion, preventing his departure.

"No need to resign and leave! The benefits for the Armament Supervisor are excellent! Not only is there a salary every month, but you even have dedicated housing in Yanzhou City..."

"Huh? Housing too?"

Suddenly, Du Chengfeng was wide awake.

After the clerks’ explanation, Du Chengfeng learned that the Armament Supervisor’s perks in Yanzhou were quite decent. Apart from the monthly salary, he also got a compound with two courtyards in the city—a spacey residence that could accommodate a whole family with ease.

Having a salary and a decent place to live, this job didn’t seem too bad after all?

Most importantly, he could hone his skills.

The experience in Jibei had taught Du Chengfeng that personal strength was more crucial than external wealth—being bare of substantial might would render one vulnerable in upheaval, much like the Yang family, rich yet forced to flee their homeland and nearly perishing in turmoil.

For Du Chengfeng, the quickest way to enhance his strength was sharpening blades.

Although killing could also quickly boost strength, it was unstable. Excessive slaughter might affect his state, leading him to lose sanity and become a monstrous figure like He Xiqing. Moreover, indiscriminate killing could provoke even greater troubles.

After all, he remembered that there were terrifying creatures in this world, three meters tall and able to catch Evil Energy Weapons barehanded.

"Besides, did no one discover before He Xiqing that killing could boost strength?"

Du Chengfeng shook his head secretly. This ability to gain strength by killing and maintaining will amidst Evil Qi wasn’t likely He Xiqing’s exclusive secret.

So, why wasn’t this straightforward path known or taken by many, considering its simplicity?

Could it merely be a matter of personal preference?

"Hmm..."

With scant information, Du Chengfeng couldn’t guess the answer, but his intuition told him it was a dangerous path.

By contrast, improving one’s strength through sharpening blades seemed a safe, sure bet.

"So, I have one last question for you all."

After confirming that this job suited him, Du Chengfeng voiced his remaining doubt.

"Why am I, a Jizhen Armament Supervisor, given housing here in Yanzhou?"

"This..."

The clerks exchanged glances, speechless for a long moment.

It wasn’t until Du Chengfeng clenched his fist, ready to strike, that they revealed the truth.

Before his arrival, there was another Armament Supervisor in Yanzhou, but when the news of Jizhen City’s fall came, this supervisor straightforwardly resigned and fled.

"Initially, the Capturers’ Master Craftsman was prepared to step in, but he left even faster..."

"Huh?"

Speechless, Du Chengfeng stayed silent for quite a stretch.

Goodness, with both capable individuals gone, no wonder the benefits were so enticing—they were planning to use him as a scapegoat.

However... for him, this wasn’t entirely bad.

For others, these two jobs might mean extreme pressure, but for him, it translated to doubling his opportunities for honing skills.

With a chance to boost his strength, why turn it down?

"That’s great!"

The clerks repeatedly bowed to Du Chengfeng in gratitude.

"Then let’s start with inspecting the damages to the military supplies!"

"... Hang on a second?"

Suddenly, Du Chengfeng sensed an ominous premonition.

"Is this also my responsibility?"

Upon asking the clerks, Du Chengfeng realized it indeed fell within his scope of work. Or rather, it was the troublesome legacy left by his predecessor—the Yanzhou arsenal witnessed unusual phenomena unlike Jizhen’s, though not due to any malevolent battle flags.

In Yanzhou’s arsenal, entire rooms of weapons occasionally turned into useless scraps, the Evil Qi within dissipating.

According to the clerks, the remains of those broken weapons appeared as if something gnawed on them.

"This..."

Du Chengfeng was speechless once more.

No wonder why, despite the battlefield chaos in Jizhen, Yanzhou remained silent—it wasn’t due to reluctance but because the arsenal was malfunctioning.

And the issues in Yanzhou City didn’t end there.

"If you’re staying in the city, sir, it’s best not to venture out at night."

A clerk approached, speaking in hushed tones.

"The city is haunted by monsters lately, with over a dozen people devoured. These beasts devour flesh without leaving bones, stripping a large human down to just a skull..."

"... Monsters too?"

Du Chengfeng suddenly recalled He Xiqing and the monstrous bird formed from his blood and flesh. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Now, he understood why Yanzhou was silent despite the brainy battles at Jizhen.

To continue surviving in Yanzhou City seemed nothing short of a miracle.