157: Zhong siblings

"Subordinate Lu Ming greets General Wu." Lu Ming cupped his fists.

Although the two had a good private relationship, this was not the time for such personal favors.

As Lu Ming paid his respects, the officials from Xianshui Town following behind him bowed even lower, wishing they could bury their heads in the ground.

"Hmm!" Wu Mingjian nodded slightly. He glanced at the Xianshui Town officials following Lu Ming, then withdrew his gaze.

"I received your message. Tell me everything that happened in Xianshui Town, one by one." Wu Mingjian did not exchange pleasantries; he asked in a low voice.

After all, executing a town's chief official was no small matter. Although the Demon Suppression Division was granted great authority, it still needed a basis. Otherwise, if it were exploited by some with ulterior motives, the entire Great Liang Kingdom's officialdom would fall into chaos.

Although Lu Ming had provided an explanation, stating that the other party had colluded with demons and harbored malicious intentions, the evidence was conclusive. However, he still needed to come and see for himself to ensure everything was foolproof.

More importantly, Lu Ming's extensive conjectures in the letter made the death of a Xianshui Town chief official seem like a minor issue by comparison.

Lu Ming knew what General Wu was worried about. As he led him to the living room, Lu Ming began to recount everything that had happened since his arrival in Xianshui Town.

In reality, Lu Ming's actions in Xianshui Town were not complicated. Simply put, after discovering clues, he used absolute power to crush and eliminate all lurking dangers.

Upon arriving in the living room, after listening to Lu Ming's account, Wu Mingjian's brows furrowed. He knew that Lu Ming would never deceive him, and these matters could all be verified. This meant that something serious had indeed happened in Tianshi City.

Recalling the information about Tianshi City he had read in the Demon Suppression Division, although there had been plagues in the surrounding areas, leading to an increase in demon sightings, no requests for assistance had been received.

"It seems this matter is no small feat. If it weren't for this, I'm afraid the situation in Tianshi City would only be detected by the Demon Suppression Division when it reached an irreversible stage." Wu Mingjian thought, glancing at Lu Ming beside him, feeling fortunate.

Having been in Xianshui Town for less than an hour, after a moment of contemplation, Wu Mingjian immediately made a decision.

"Let Xing Zhentian and the others come in."

At his command, his personal guard immediately went to relay the order.

In a moment, three figures entered the living room.

Seeing one of the figures, Lu Ming couldn't help but feel a little surprised.

All three were Centurions serving in the Demon Suppression Division. Lu Ming was familiar with two of them: one was his former superior, Xing Zhentian, and the other's relationship with him could not be considered good.

That was Zhao Shouyuan, who had made a harsh declaration in front of Wu Mingjian.

He hadn't expected him to be involved in this operation.

Zhao Shouyuan stood on the left. He naturally noticed Lu Ming beside Wu Mingjian, but he acted as if he hadn't seen him, choosing to ignore him completely.

"Heed my command: the entire army will immediately set off for Tianshi City. Xing Zhentian, I order you to be the vanguard. Lead your troops and depart first. Use my personal order to take over the defenses of Tianshi City. Those who resist will be executed." Wu Mingjian said calmly, his words filled with a chilling aura.

"Yes, sir!" Xing Zhentian said loudly, then took the token representing the Demon Suppression General's authority.

"Lu Ming, I have also mobilized your subordinates for this trip. You will accompany the army." Wu Mingjian instructed.

"Yes, sir!" Lu Ming nodded, cupping his fists.

Without further delay in Xianshui Town, after clarifying the situation and confirming its authenticity, Wu Mingjian made a decisive move. Over three thousand Demon Suppression Division Martial Artists immediately set off towards Tianshi City...

Tianshi City was only about a hundred li from Xianshui Town. From above, one could see a mighty army setting off along the official road, marching towards the distance.

After receiving Lu Ming's message, Wu Mingjian led three Centurions and several thousand soldiers to provide support, which demonstrated his trust in Lu Ming.

Of course, this was also related to the information Lu Ming conveyed. After all, it had been confirmed that the Golden Lotus Sect had intricate ties with demons, and the fact that Tianshi City, as its origin, had not reported any news already proved many problems.

Riding a blood-red warhorse along the road, Wu Mingjian, clad in silver armor, wore a somber expression. Cold light constantly flickered in his eyes, lost in thought.

Xing Zhentian had already led his Demon Slayer Guard to Tianshi City ahead of the main force. After all, the movement of a large army could not be concealed from others. To prevent those with ulterior motives in the city from causing trouble after getting early news, taking over the city's defense affairs as quickly as possible was undoubtedly crucial.

"So the Saintess of the Golden Lotus Sect was a snake demon. You were really ruthless, directly burning her to ashes in public. But I like this style of handling things." Beside Lu Ming, a dashing woman riding a white horse let out a delicate laugh.

The woman wore a tight-fitting outfit, her long hair tied into a high ponytail. A long sword hung at her waist. Her figure was curvaceous; though not an absolute beauty, she possessed a certain charm.

Seeing the woman's silver-bell-like laughter, the young man beside her showed a helpless expression.

"Sister, the army is on the move; you're being a bit much."

However, the spirited woman didn't mind. She waved her hand casually and said, "I'm just trying to understand the situation, aren't I? But you still have some shortcomings. The corpses of Wu Shude and his son should have been hung up as a warning. A bunch of unruly commoners actually dared to cause trouble for our Demon Suppression Division, wouldn't you agree, Little Brother Lu?"

As she spoke, the spirited woman winked at Lu Ming.

Lu Ming glanced over, seeing the seriousness in her Phoenix eyes. He couldn't help but fall silent, ignoring her teasing. He hadn't expected her to be even more ruthless than him.

Through their conversation, Lu Ming also learned the identities of the siblings.

The young man was named Zhong Gu. He was one of the three Demon Suppression Division Centurions Lu Ming had seen earlier. As for the woman with the single ponytail, she was called Zhong Xiu, and she served as a Centurion under Zhong Gu.

However, anyone with a discerning eye could see that the woman with the single ponytail was only a few merits away from promotion. Both siblings were Extremity Realm martial artists, and Zhong Xiu, as the elder sister, was even stronger than Zhong Gu.

It turned out she had approached him first. After hearing some of his deeds in Xianshui Town, she had pestered him to explain the events.

"Sister!" Zhong Gu covered his face, reminding her again. Seeing her like this, he truly felt a bit embarrassed.

"Is Little Brother Lu shy? Don't worry, when we reach Tianshi City, if anything really happens, I, your elder sister, will protect you." Zhong Xiu didn't mind, she said with a smile.