Celebrate Freedom

The former Demon-Slaying Division's individuals made Ren Tianye doubt his own eyes for a moment.

He read it carefully again.

He even read it word by word once more.

And found he hadn't been mistaken—it was indeed so!

The person who had delivered this letter claimed to be from the former Demon-Slaying Division!

But...

"Wasn't the Demon-Slaying Division founded by me?"

Ren Tianye had an extremely clear memory of this matter.

Wei Shuo had spoken to him about the chaos in the capital and the turmoil under heaven, and had suggested establishing a specialized department to suppress the seductive monsters across the land, restoring peace and clarity to the world.

Even the name 'Demon-Slaying Division' was proposed by Wei Shuo. Ren Tianye had agreed almost on the spot, leading to the establishment of the now-renowned Demon-Slaying Division.

Yet,

How could there be a 'former Demon-Slaying Division'?

Ren Tianye immediately summoned Su Jin through his personal guards and handed the letter to him.

After reading it, Su Jin was also greatly perplexed.

"Lord Duke, this 'former Demon-Slaying Division'—I find it hard to comprehend."

"Did someone from your Demon-Slaying Division resign and come to Yunjing?"

Su Jin shook his head and said, "Lord Duke, the Demon-Slaying Division operates with imperial authority, empowered to act first and report later. It's an unparalleled honor, a place many envy. Who would easily leave such a position?"

"Besides, the selection process for the Demon-Slaying Division is extremely strict. Those with weak resolve simply cannot join."

"Therefore, I can be certain that the writer of this letter has no relationship with the current members of the Demon-Slaying Division."

"Then it might be related to Wei Shuo," Ren Tianye said. But no matter how hard he thought, he couldn't figure out what connection Wei Shuo could have.

After a pause, he said, "First, send someone to pursue Liu Aijiu. I'll write a letter to Wei Shuo and ask him..."

As he spoke, Ren Tianye thought it might be better to simply transfer Wei Shuo here.

After this period, Sun Xiang had gained a considerable understanding of the capital and no longer needed Wei Shuo, who was familiar with the situation, to remain. Keeping Wei Shuo in the capital was a waste.

Moreover, with potential upheavals in Yunjing ahead, having another capable general would provide an extra layer of security.

"Yes, Lord Duke. I'll go at once!"

Su Jin rose and immediately led his men toward Yuancheng to pursue.

Ren Tianye then summoned his personal guards again to inquire in detail about the origins of this mysterious letter. The result was the same: it had appeared abruptly, with no trace, and no information could be found about this so-called former Demon-Slaying Division.

"Keep investigating!"

"This place is patrolled by personal guards; not just anyone can wander in here. Go find Xu Sha, have him cooperate with the investigation, and make sure to locate the person who delivered the letter."

"Yes!"

The guards departed with their orders.

Ren Tianye sat alone behind his desk, his gaze repeatedly shifting over the words 'former Demon-Slaying Division.' The more he looked, the more the characters 'Demon-Slaying Division' seemed to possess some kind of enchantment.

"Given my nature, when establishing such a critical department as the Demon-Slaying Division, I ought to have deliberated carefully before choosing its name. Yet I accepted it so lightly after just one suggestion from Wei Shuo, and I never found it strange at all."

"Could it be that the very name 'Demon-Slaying Division' holds some peculiar power?"

Ren Tianye traced the three characters, his eyes flickering between confusion and sudden insight, a jumble of emotions swirling within.

...

On a small path from Huai'an City to Yuancheng, a carriage creaked and swayed as it plodded along.

The coachman wore a pained expression—this rough journey was rattling his carriage nearly to pieces.

He had wanted to take the main road.

But this passenger insisted they avoid it, claiming there was fighting on the main road.

He knew about the fighting—after all, he had witnessed troops marching out of Huai'an City toward Yuancheng.

But those soldiers belonged to the Duke.

Now, everyone in Huai'an knew that the Duke loved the people like his own children. As long as it didn't involve things like seductive monsters, the Duke's troops wouldn't disturb their livelihoods.

Besides,

The main road was wide enough. His small carriage wouldn't be in anyone's way, so what was there to fear?

Yet, the passenger stubbornly demanded the small path.

Since the man had paid a generous fare, the coachman gritted his teeth and carried on.

Suddenly, the passenger inside called out.

"Stop for a moment."

"What's the matter, sir?" The coachman quickly halted the horse.

Once the carriage had stopped, the passenger jumped down and looked back. Huai'an City had long since vanished from sight.

After traveling for a full day and night, he had covered eighty li and was nearing Yuancheng.

At most, another half an hour, and he would be inside Yuancheng. Even if Ren Tianye in Huai'an City finally woke up to the truth, it would be too late.

They would never catch him now!

"Coachman, do you have any wine?"

"Yes, I do, sir. Would you like a drink? But it's just common folk's liquor—you might not find it to your taste," the coachman quickly replied. After all, this fellow, though short, stout, and rather ugly, was clad in silk and satin. Obviously, he was wealthy and noble, unlikely to touch the cheap drinks of commoners.

"No matter. Give me a cup!"

"Very well." The coachman opened the flask, poured a cup, and handed it over. Noticing the passenger's barely concealed excitement, he asked, "Sir, are you celebrating something?"

The passenger raised his cup high, full of smug satisfaction.

"Celebrating freedom!" he said.

"Ah?"

"And celebrating love as well!"

With that, the passenger downed the liquor in one gulp. The cheap brew's harsh sting made him cough, yet the joy on his face remained undiminished.

He then climbed back into the carriage and ordered the coachman to continue. But doubts were beginning to stir in the coachman's mind.

This passenger had knocked on his door yesterday, when the sky was still dark and the sun hadn't risen, arriving in a hurry.

He hadn't thought much of it at first, but the passenger's remark about celebrating freedom made him uneasy.

"Could he be a bandit?"

"No, that build—too frail even to ride a horse."

"Then maybe he's an escaped criminal."

"Hiss!"

"If he is a criminal, I'd be helping him flee. Now that the Duke has entered the city, life is visibly improving. If I let a criminal get away, won't I be done for?"

The coachman fell into deep hesitation.

For a moment, he didn't know whether to stop and turn the man back or pretend nothing had happened and just finish this job with his head down.

Just then, the clatter of hooves broke the quiet of the path as a horse approached from the distance. It looked like a traveling peddler.

Huai'an City had always been commercially prosperous, with close ties to neighboring towns, and peddlers were common. Many took these rural trails to reach villages far and wide.

So the coachman didn't pay the peddler much attention. To his surprise, the peddler halted when he spotted the passenger.

"Master Liu?"

"Is it really you?"

"Aren't you supposed to be teaching at the Red Luan Literary Academy? What brings you here?"

...