Human Clan Defender-Chapter 438 - 191: Elder Jiang? (Seeking Monthly Votes)

Chapter 438: Chapter 191: Elder Jiang? (Seeking Monthly Votes)

Hidden Heart Pavilion.

A group of people dressed as scholars in white robes had already appeared there.

When Shen Changqing returned, he was slightly taken aback to see a familiar face among the group of scholars in white robes.

Jiang An!

A member of the Suppressing Evil Hall.

Speaking of which, Shen Changqing also had some friendship with him.

"Brother Jiang!"

"Pavilion Master Shen."

Jiang An greeted him with a polite bow. He was less intimate than before but showed more respect.

Speaking of which, he too felt it was somewhat absurd. A former member of the Martial Hall had suddenly leaped to the position of Martial Hall Master. Not only that, he had also become the Defender Envoy of South Nether Prefecture.

Immediately, a significant gap in their statuses had appeared.

One should not consider those from the Suppressing Evil Hall as completely detached; even they had to consider the context. In the presence of a Pavilion Master, only those who were also Pavilion Masters were qualified to speak as equals.

Shen Changqing said, "Calling me Pavilion Master is too formal. Given our friendship, Brother Jiang, there’s no need for such ceremony."

He waved his hand dismissively and then turned his gaze to the people behind Jiang An.

"Are these all members of the Suppressing Evil Hall?"

"Correct."

Jiang An nodded, a smile appearing on his face upon hearing Shen Changqing’s words.

"Pavilion... Brother Shen, Defender Dongfang has already stated that we will be responsible for constructing the Demon-Subduing Prison in South Nether Prefecture this time."

"I see. So, Brother Jiang, you’re leading this operation?"

Shen Changqing looked curious. Among the group of scholars in white robes, Jiang An was at the forefront, clearly appearing to be the leader at first glance.

But based on his knowledge of Jiang An, although he was a member of the Suppressing Evil Hall, his status didn’t seem to be very high.

Noticing his confusion, Jiang An smiled and said, "You are correct. Though I may feel unworthy, I am indeed the one leading the team this time."

"Then I’ll entrust the matter of the Demon-Subduing Prison to you, Brother Jiang."

Shen Changqing said no more. If the Suppressing Evil Hall had chosen Jiang An to lead, they must have had their reasons. In any case, he didn’t care who led the team; as long as the Demon-Subduing Prison was built properly, that was all that mattered. The rest were trifles.

At this moment, someone asked, "Elder Jiang, approximately when will we depart?"

"When we depart is for Pavilion Master Shen to decide."

Jiang An shook his head slightly.

Elder Jiang?

Shen Changqing raised an eyebrow and took another serious look at him.

"Brother Jiang, you’ve become an Elder of the Suppressing Evil Hall?"

"Sort of," Jiang An replied modestly.

If Shen Changqing were still an ordinary member of the Martial Hall, then he [Jiang An] certainly wouldn’t be so modest. But Shen Changqing’s current status was far beyond what a Hidden Heart Pavilion elder could compare to. His [Jiang An’s] own achievements were nothing to speak of in front of Pavilion Master Shen.

At this time, someone from the Suppressing Evil Hall spoke up, "Elder Jiang solved the problem with the Banishing Evil Crossbow and was thus exceptionally promoted to Elder of the Suppressing Evil Hall. This issue had stumped many, but Elder Jiang ultimately succeeded."

The Banishing Evil Crossbow!

Shen Changqing was taken aback. He remembered Jiang An mentioning the Banishing Evil Crossbow to him before. It was a type of crossbow capable of slaying Demon Evil, but it had limitations: only Martial Artists in the Pulse Condensation Realm could wield it. If he truly resolved the Banishing Evil Crossbow issue, then its significance for Great Qin would be immense. If so, his promotion to Elder of the Suppressing Evil Hall was indeed justifiable.

Hearing this, Jiang An smiled humbly. "It was just luck. Considerable progress had already been made on the Banishing Evil Crossbow."

"Brother Jiang, there’s no need for such modesty. Now that the Banishing Evil Crossbow issue is resolved, I suppose it can be deployed with the army, right?" Shen Changqing inquired.

The true significance of the Banishing Evil Crossbow lay in its potential for mass production. If this was achieved, the threat Demon Evil posed to Great Qin would be significantly reduced.

Jiang An nodded. "Mass production of the Banishing Evil Crossbow isn’t an issue. The Suppressing Evil Hall is already manufacturing them at full capacity. It won’t be long before they are widely distributed throughout the military."

Although his expression was modest when mentioning the Banishing Evil Crossbow, a trace of pride still lingered in his words.

Shen Changqing could understand this. If he himself had achieved something similar, he too would feel proud.

He then looked at the others. "If everyone is ready, we will officially set out for South Nether Prefecture in two hours."

"No problem."

「Outside the Capital City.」

Shen Changqing, riding Tiankui, led at the very front. The members of the Suppressing Evil Hall rode Exotic Beasts and followed behind.

Speaking of Exotic Beasts, when Shen Changqing first saw them, he too was quite curious. Initially, Shen Changqing hadn’t understood why Great Qin didn’t consider taming Fierce Beasts or using them to breed powerful mounts. It was only after seeing the mounts of the Suppressing Evil Hall members and others that he understood.

It wasn’t that Great Qin didn’t breed them; rather, Great Qin had done so long ago. To be precise, the Demon-Subduing Division had bred them.

Those Exotic Beasts were completely different from ordinary wild animals or mounts. They were noticeably larger than typical horses and possessed strong, powerful bodies, clearly endowed with both stamina and speed.

However, though these Exotic Beasts looked impressive, they dared not approach upon sensing Tiankui’s aura. Clearly, they feared Fierce Beasts.

Only Jiang An forcefully urged his Exotic Beast forward, looking at Tiankui with a gaze full of curiosity.

"Brother Shen, is this Fierce Beast of yours the Tiankui spoken of in rumors?"

"Has Brother Jiang seen it before?"

"I’ve encountered descriptions of it in some archives, but this is the first time I’ve seen one in reality!"

Jiang An shook his head, his gaze then turning wistful as he looked at Tiankui.

"It truly deserves its reputation as a top-tier Fierce Beast. It’s said that a mature Tiankui possesses power rivaling the Grandmaster Peak, incomparable to other Fierce Beasts. Looking at your Tiankui, Brother Shen, I presume it has already matured to a certain extent, hasn’t it?"

Just from Tiankui’s aura, Jiang An could sense its extraordinary nature, though he wasn’t clear about its specific strength.

Shen Changqing said indifferently, "It has almost reached maturity. Its current strength is passable; ordinary Grandmasters would not be its match."

"GASP!"

Shen Changqing spoke lightly, but his words were incredibly shocking to Jiang An.

To be honest, he himself had not yet entered the Grandmaster Realm, yet Shen Changqing’s mount was already capable of rivaling a Grandmaster-level expert. This meant he himself was not even equal to a Fierce Beast! 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

For a moment, Jiang An felt somewhat disheartened, but he quickly recovered. He was a researcher, so it was normal for his martial strength to be lacking. Besides, even though he wasn’t a Grandmaster, he was still an Innate Realm Martial Artist. In the Jianghu, that was enough to be considered a master. It was only because the Demon-Subduing Division was filled with so many powerful figures that an Innate Martial Artist seemed ordinary.

Shen Changqing also looked at the Exotic Beast Jiang Zuo was riding. Under its rider’s forceful urging, it barely managed to walk alongside Tiankui, but its eyes clearly showed extreme fear. If not for its master’s presence, it likely would have already fled in terror.

"Brother Jiang, your Exotic Beast looks quite exceptional too. I wonder how it compares to a Fierce Beast?"

"They are vastly different." Jiang An shook his head.

"Exotic Beasts are merely creatures we at the Suppressing Evil Hall have cultivated using some Fierce Beasts. Although they possess some traits of Fierce Beasts, they are not adept at combat. In terms of strength, they are at most equivalent to Body Tempering Realm Martial Artists. However, they are exceptionally strong in terms of speed and endurance."

The Exotic Beasts effectively sacrificed combat ability, focusing all their innate talents on endurance and speed.

Hearing this, Shen Changqing nodded slightly. "In that case, Exotic Beasts do indeed make for optimal mounts. But I wonder, are they bred on a large scale?"

"Large-scale breeding is difficult." Jiang An sighed. "Breeding even a single Exotic Beast incurs considerable cost. Therefore, they are only cultivated on a small scale within the Demon-Subduing Division and mostly used only when necessary. For instance, like now, heading to South Nether Prefecture, we use Exotic Beasts to save time."

Without the ability for mass production, the utility of Exotic Beasts is greatly reduced. However, they were still adequate as mounts for the daily travel of some individuals in the Demon-Subduing Division.

At this moment, Jiang An’s gaze suddenly became fervent. "Brother Shen, once the Demon-Subduing Prison is completed, might I ask you for some of Tiankui’s blood? Such a top-tier Fierce Beast must possess potent blood. If we could obtain it and combine it with our existing Exotic Beasts, perhaps we could cultivate even more powerful ones."

This was his real reason for engaging Shen Changqing so eagerly: to obtain some of Tiankui’s blood for research. If he hadn’t known that Tiankui was now equivalent to a Grandmaster and that Shen Changqing possessed only one, Jiang An would have been tempted to ask directly if Tiankui was for sale. If it were, he would certainly have been keen to buy it. But a Grandmaster-level Tiankui... to be honest, he knew that even if he emptied his entire savings, he couldn’t afford it. Moreover, with only one Tiankui, Shen Changqing was unlikely to sell.

Shen Changqing smiled faintly. "Tiankui’s blood is not an issue. If you want some, I can give you a little."

"Then I thank you in advance! I also have something else I’d like to ask Brother Shen’s opinion on, if I may." Jiang An’s expression showed some hesitation.

Seeing this, Shen Changqing said, "Whatever it is, Brother Jiang, please speak frankly."

"It’s like this, Brother Shen. Now that you’ve broken through to become a Great Grandmaster, your Flesh and vital energy must have undergone a significant transformation. We would like to collect a sample of a Great Grandmaster’s blood. Our aim is to see what differences exist compared to the blood of ordinary Grandmasters and Defender Envoys. If we can identify any changes, it could be immensely helpful in various aspects. However, regarding the blood collection... I wonder if Brother Shen would mind?"

After speaking, Jiang An awaited Shen Changqing’s answer.

The Suppressing Evil Hall and the Demon Sealing Hall had been considering this matter ever since learning of Shen Changqing’s breakthrough. However, deciding when to ask, and who should do the asking, had become another issue. Blood, after all, could be a trivial matter or one of great consequence. Especially since some esoteric techniques could be performed if one possessed a person’s blood, many powerful individuals were extremely wary of giving it.