Chapter 131: The Power of the City Lord’s Token

The steamship was cruising toward the city of Red Moon, its destination now close at hand. In a little over an hour, the vessel would arrive safely.

At that moment, dark shadows emerged silently from the surrounding sea. Pairs of glowing eyes stared up from the depths, darting toward the ship with the speed of fish. It seemed as if countless mysterious deep-sea monsters were encircling the ship from every direction.

Danger!

Standing at the railing and gazing at the distant city, Cheng Feng froze. His passive ability, "Crisis Warning," had suddenly triggered in his mind. Whenever this ability activated, it meant danger was closing in. But they were in the middle of the vast ocean, surrounded by endless water—where was the threat?

Cheng Feng scanned the deck, finding nothing amiss. He sniffed the air and caught a strange, fishy stench. No... this was the scent of a fish demon!

He grew alert and asked, "Xueju, do you smell that?"

Seeing Cheng Feng’s guarded expression, Xueju immediately realized that danger was near. She twitched her small nose and her face turned pale. "I... I smell it. It’s fish... no, wait, it’s the scent of Sea Demons!"

Sea Demons?

Cheng Feng searched his memory. He recalled information he had looked up online about various monsters. Sea Demons were not the half-human, half-fish creatures of legend; they were upright, bipedal fish-men with fins. They possessed no human features, sporting horrific, ghastly fish heads. Anyone who had seen a Sea Demon’s face would likely be scarred for life, forever unable to eat fish again.

Cheng Feng knew that Sea Demons were notorious monsters that lived in the ocean, frequently ambushing passing ships, slaughtering the crew, and leaving nothing behind but bones. Few demon hunters ever ventured to purge them, as the ocean was their domain; hunters could only protect the waters within a certain range of a city.

If the enemies were Sea Demons, they were right there in the water below. He could not let them board the ship.

With this thought, Cheng Feng moved toward the edge of the deck, but suddenly heard a "slap!"

"Slap..."

A bizarre, scale-covered claw reached out and gripped the side of the hull, pulling a body up with it. Then, another strange, webbed claw latched onto another part of the wall, pulling itself up as well.

"Slap..." "Slap..." "Slap..."

One after another, nearly thirty Sea Demons with dorsal fins scrambled over the railing with their sharp claws, vaulting onto the deck.

"Eek! There really are Sea Demons!"

Seeing the fish-monsters leap onto the ship, Xueju’s fur stood on end. She darted behind Cheng Feng, trembling like a frightened kitten. Peeking out from behind his shoulder, she whispered, "Cheng Feng, what do we do?"

Even with the Sea Demons appearing, Cheng Feng remained calm, even finding the mood to tease her. "And here I thought you were a cat demon who ate fish every day. Is this how you react when you see one?"

Xueju retorted quietly, "I only know how to be cute, not how to fight."

Cheng Feng stopped teasing her and turned his gaze toward the menacing fish-monsters. They were a motley collection of mutated, horrific predatory fish, standing like men and covered in scales. The sight was enough to make one’s skin crawl.

The two or three dozen Sea Demons rolled their bulging eyes, glaring at Cheng Feng and Xueju with murderous intent, their mouths agape to reveal rows of razor-sharp teeth. Their claws glimmered with a cold, metallic light in the sun—a force capable of tearing through steel with ease.

"Humans..."
"Delicious fresh meat..."
"I want to drink their blood..."
"Wait, why is there a cat demon among the intruders?"
"Doesn't matter. Since it’s with a human, the cat is a pathetic traitor. Tear them both apart and we’ll split the meal."

The Sea Demons hissed in their inscrutable, guttural language, but their greedy gazes were fixed firmly on Cheng Feng and Xueju, as if they were looking at nothing more than a feast.

Without looking back, Cheng Feng calmly asked, "These Sea Demons appearing at this exact moment—could they be the demons of Red Moon City?"

Xueju nodded hurriedly. "Yes, they are the patrol guards of these waters, tasked with intercepting intruders entering Red Moon City."

"Have you been out at sea so long that you've gone soft in the head?" Cheng Feng glanced at her sideways. "You're so scared, but have you forgotten what our leverage is for coming to Red Moon City?"

Xueju blinked, a sudden realization dawning on her. "Oh, right! The token!"

The Sea Demons exchanged confused glances, not understanding what their prey was doing, and began to close in, attempting to surround them from all sides.

Cheng Feng reached into his pocket and pulled out a golden plaque. Holding the City Lord’s Token aloft, he said coldly, "Are you sure you want to lay a hand on me?"

The lead Sea Demon’s bulging eyes widened as if it had seen something terrifying, and it jerked to a halt. It wasn't just him; the other Sea Demons froze at the sight of the object in Cheng Feng’s hand, their expressions shifting to horror. The murderous aura that had permeated the air vanished instantly.

To see the City Lord’s Token was to see the City Lord himself. They were mere patrol guards and dared not act rashly.

Seeing their shocked reaction, just as he had expected, Cheng Feng smiled. "Why did you stop? I thought you were all eager to tear me apart?"

One Sea Demon stammered in astonishment, "That is the City Lord’s Token! You are but a human, how do you possess such a thing..."

"That is not for you to worry about."

Cheng Feng’s smile faded, his voice turning icy. "Now, get off my ship."

The Sea Demons did not hesitate; they scrambled and dived back into the sea.

***

"Brother Shen!"
"Hmm!"

Shen Changqing walked along the path, nodding or greeting those he knew. But regardless of who they were, no one wore any extra expression, as if they were indifferent to everything.

Shen Changqing was already used to this. This was the Demon Suppression Division, an organization dedicated to maintaining the stability of the Great Qin Empire, with the primary duty of slaying demons and monsters, among other side tasks. It could be said that everyone in the division had blood on their hands. When one is accustomed to life and death, one becomes indifferent to many things.

When he first arrived in this world, Shen Changqing had been unaccustomed to it, but over time, he had grown used to it. The Demon Suppression Division was vast, and those who remained there were formidable experts or those with the potential to become one. Shen Changqing belonged to the latter.

The division was divided into two ranks: Guardians and Demon Slayers. Everyone entered as a low-level Trainee Demon Slayer, and only through step-by-step promotion could one hope to become a Guardian. Shen Changqing’s predecessor had been one such trainee.

With the memories of his predecessor, he was very familiar with the surroundings. It didn't take long for him to stop in front of a pavilion. Unlike the rest of the grim, blood-soaked division, this pavilion stood out, exuding a quiet tranquility.

The doors were open, and people occasionally entered and exited. Shen Changqing hesitated for only a moment before stepping inside.

The atmosphere shifted immediately. A scent of ink mingled with the faint smell of blood, causing him to frown instinctively before relaxing. The blood-soaked stench on everyone in the division was nearly impossible to wash away.