I Have 10 Equipment Slots-Chapter 50 - 44: Promoted to Commander Already?

The Three-Striped Lizard Snake Demon this time was even stronger than the one at the Zhao Mansion.

If the one at the Zhao Mansion was late-stage tier one, then the one just slain was at the peak of tier one, about to break through to tier two.

A tier-two Lizard Demon would have four stripes formed by the yellow scales on its chest!

The difference in their strength was at least double.

However, Gu Zheng had also advanced from Alien Body Shakes the Mountain from a few days ago to Alien Body Shadow.

This was combined with his perfect-mastery Frenzy Battle Continuous Blade Slash, his fully unleashed Divine Wondrous ability, and Zhang Boshong’s Half-Spiritual Soldier.

He had to admit, having a weapon and not having one were two completely different levels.

’After this mission ends and I get back to the Fengzhou headquarters,’ Gu Zheng thought, ’I have to get my hands on a Spiritual Soldier, no matter what.’

...

"Gu, you... you broke through to Alien Body Shadow?"

After a period of rest, Zhang Ning helped Yan Hongxue to her feet and walked over to Gu Zheng, asking in astonishment.

Although Yan Hongxue didn’t speak, her eyes were fixed on Gu Zheng, unblinking.

"Just a lucky breakthrough," Gu Zheng replied, tossing the pitch-black long blade back to Zhang Boshong.

"...You really broke through."

Zhang Ning was envious.

Everyone had been busy these past few days, and Gu Zheng had been even more so, dissecting and removing the Lizard Demon eggs.

’To think he’d also manage to break through a minor realm amidst all the chaos.’

"It’s a good thing Gu broke through. Otherwise, we all would’ve been done for this time."

Zhang Boshong caught the long blade, his gaze falling on the Three-Striped Lizard Snake Demon that had been hacked into several pieces. He sighed, "Who would have thought that Chen Zhizhen was actually colluding with Demon Fiends?"

"Speaking of Chen Zhizhen, Yan Tou," Gu Zheng asked, "this Demon Extermination mission in Baishui County... was it Chen Zhizhen who guided you into accepting it?"

"Yes." Yan Hongxue recalled for a moment, then nodded. "Chen Zhizhen said that over here... Forget it. Let’s not talk about him anymore."

Yan Hongxue clearly didn’t want to discuss Chen Zhizhen further and changed the subject. "These three Lizard Demons must have just arrived in Baishui County. Now that we’ve killed them, their main nest obviously doesn’t know yet. If we can get Lord Cao to act before they react, we can go and wipe them out. We’ll definitely catch them off guard!"

"That’s right."

Zhang Ning agreed and walked over to the bound, large-bellied Lizard Demon. He hauled it up and untied the rope around its mouth.

"Talk. Where is your nest in the mortal world?"

"HSSSK~" The large-bellied Lizard Demon hissed, its crimson eyes filled with resentment. It spoke in a hoarse voice, "Are you that eager to die?"

"That’s right, we’re tired of living. Go on, tell us," Zhang Ning played along.

"HSSSK~ HSSSK..." The Lizard Demon’s abdomen heaved as it exhaled and spoke. "Fine. Since you want to die so badly, I’ll grant you your wish!"

...

After the large-bellied Lizard Demon finished speaking.

Gu Zheng’s group set out immediately.

Before leaving, they searched Chen Zhizhen’s body but found no useful clues.

They did, however, chop off and take the sharp claws from the Lizard Demon corpses. That stuff was excellent material for forging Spiritual Soldiers. There was also the Bloodshed, which Gu Zheng absorbed as well.

They set the remaining corpses on fire.

They returned to the County Magistrate’s Office and settled in for a bit.

Early the next morning, the injured members—Tao Liu, An Xiaoxue, and Wu Kun—headed back to the Fengzhou headquarters first.

Gu Zheng, Yan Hongxue, Zhang Ning, and Zhang Boshong, meanwhile, took the large-bellied Lizard Demon and hurried towards Qi Yun Mountain.

Qi Yun Mountain was on the periphery of a channel that had been transformed from a Domain in Jing’an Prefecture.

The Demon Slayer Bureau’s Hundred Households in charge of the garrison here was named Cao Handing, and he was at the Super Body Realm.

Yan Hongxue seemed to have a good relationship with him. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Upon arriving, she addressed him as Mr. Cao and explained the situation in Baishui County.

After listening, Cao Handing glanced at Gu Zheng and chuckled. "You’re a step too late. We just wiped out the Lizard Demons’ nest in the mortal world yesterday."

"What?"

Zhang Ning was stunned. "You’ve already wiped them out? The Lizard Demons’ Young Clan Leader is dead too?"

"Dead. It was a Lizard Demon that had just broken through to tier two not long ago. Its strength was average at best," Cao Handing replied nonchalantly.

"This..." Zhang Ning was speechless.

Zhang Boshong was also at a loss for words.

Yan Hongxue, however, breathed a sigh of relief. "It’s for the best that they’ve been wiped out."

Although Gu Zheng felt something was strange, he had nothing to say.

’The man said he wiped them out,’ he thought. ’What else is there to say?’

The bound, large-bellied Lizard Demon, however, lay on the ground in a daze for a long moment. When it came to its senses, it shrieked frantically, "Impossible! The Young Clan Leader can’t be dead! With just you lot, who could possibly kill him? I don’t believe it! I don’t believe it!"

"Is this the kind of thing that requires your belief?"

Cao Handing shot the large-bellied Lizard Demon an indifferent glance.

"Yan Girl, the other Lizard Demons are all dead. There’s no use keeping this one. Let’s just kill it too."

He looked at Yan Hongxue.

"Alright."

Yan Hongxue nodded, then cupped her fist in a salute. "Since the Lizard Demons have been eliminated, we won’t disturb you any longer, Mr. Cao."

"Be careful on your way back," Cao Handing advised.

As he finished speaking, he seemed to remember something and added, "Oh, right. Yao and the others happen to be heading to the State City. You should all travel together. You can look out for each other on the road."

"Okay."

Yan Hongxue agreed with a smile.

She gestured for Gu Zheng, Zhang Ning, and Zhang Boshong to leave. They took the large-bellied Lizard Demon outside the city, finished it with a single strike, performed the Absorption of its Bloodshed, and cut off its claws.

The corpse was set on fire.

With all future troubles now resolved, the group of four met up with the Demon Suppression Guards who were also returning to the Demon Slayer Bureau headquarters, and they all rode toward Fengzhou State City.

...

「Outside Qi Yun Mountain.」

In a mountain forest thick with miasma.

Cao Handing walked alone on a mountain path covered with fallen leaves.

Suddenly, a tall, imposing figure revealed itself from behind a massive boulder.

It had the tail and neck of a snake, the head and limbs of a lizard, and four distinct stripes on its chest formed by yellow scales.

"What are you doing here?"

The four-striped Lizard Demon that had just appeared stared directly at Cao Handing with its crimson eyes and questioned in a hoarse voice, "Isn’t the plan still in motion..."

"Your operation has already failed."

Cao Handing cut him off coldly. "The arrangements in Baishui County have been completely dismantled. All of your clansmen are dead."

"What did you say!?"

The four-striped Lizard Demon’s aura changed abruptly, flaring violently. Its crimson eyes shot out an eerie, demonic light as it glared at Cao Handing. "You betrayed..."

"If I had betrayed you, do you really think you’d still be here, safe and sound?"

Cao Handing cut him off again with a cold shout. "You have no one to blame but yourselves for acting recklessly and not following the plan! As a result, someone discovered what you were up to, you were wiped out in one fell swoop, and you even got one of my men killed!"

"That was..."

"Enough. I don’t want to say any more nonsense." Cao Handing raised his hand to cut him off again. "I’ll just ask you this: do you still want to expand your clan in the mortal world?"

"...Yes!"

...

...

「Fengzhou State City.」

「Demon Slayer Bureau Headquarters.」

「Internal Affairs Hall.」

"Alright, it’s calculated. Your merits come out to exactly ten Great Merits. You can... huh!?"

In a corner of the hall, the Internal Affairs staff member attending to Gu Zheng finished calculating the merits, then subconsciously looked up at him with a strange expression. "Brother, has your realm reached Alien Body..."

"Alien Body Shadow, right? My buddy here just broke through to Shadow."

Zhang Ning cut in from the side. "Haha, ten Great Merits and the Alien Body Shadow realm. Does that mean he can be promoted to Commander?"

"...His cultivation will still need to be verified."

The Internal Affairs staffer replied in astonishment. "If the verification passes, then Gu can be promoted to Commander."

Inside, however, he was screaming.

’Holy shit, he got a promotion after just one mission?’