263: Chapter 263 Images, Swordsmanship

A subordinate walked quickly into the hall, cupping his fists in a respectful salute.

"What is it?" Lin Wan looked up, her voice as cold and clear as a spring.

The subordinate presented a secret report with both hands and said in a deep voice, "Reporting to the Chief Constable, the Demon-Slaying Squad just sent over some intelligence, asking if our Six Doors has any relevant records."

"The Demon-Slaying Squad?" Lin Wan was slightly taken aback.

The Six Doors manages Jianghu feuds and major cases, while the Demon-Slaying Squad specializes in hunting demons. Although both belong to imperial institutions, they have always kept to themselves and rarely interact.

For them to suddenly take action now, something new must have happened.

"Yes," the subordinate explained. "According to the Demon-Slaying Squad, they encountered an extremely troublesome ancient demon species while hunting demons in the mountains outside the city yesterday, suffering heavy casualties."

"At the critical moment, a mysterious Innate Realm Saber Master intervened and wounded the demon with a single strike, preventing the situation from deteriorating further."

"A Innate Realm Saber Master?"

When Lin Wan heard the words 'Saber Master', her heart skipped a beat for no reason.

For some reason, a tall and straight figure instantly appeared in her mind.

But immediately, she shook her head gently, banishing this absurd thought from her mind.

Although that person's strength is unfathomable and his actions are quite mysterious,

but a Innate Realm Saber Master... that is a supreme expert capable of establishing a sect, and there are only a handful of them in the entire Great Wei Dynasty.

How could he be that mysterious Saber Master?

It must be that she has been too exhausted recently and had a hallucination.

"Did the Demon-Slaying Squad leave any clues?" Lin Wan composed herself and asked calmly.

"That Saber Master did not leave a name and drifted away after slaying the demon. However, someone in the Demon-Slaying Squad is skilled in painting and drew a portrait from memory, sending it over to ask for our Six Doors' help in investigating."

As the subordinate spoke, he respectfully placed a scroll on Lin Wan's desk.

Lin Wan nodded slightly, signaling the subordinate to withdraw.

When she was the only one left in the hall, she slowly unfurled the portrait.

The ink on the portrait was slightly sloppy, clearly drawn in a hurry.

The person in the painting had their back to the viewer, wearing a green shirt, holding a long saber, and was about to break through the air and leave.

Although the face could not be seen, that Aura of aloofness, arrogance, and disdain for the world leaped off the paper, as if it were about to burst out.

Lin Wan stared at the back figure in the painting, her delicate brows gradually furrowing.

This back... why does it look so familiar?

Whether it was the posture, the way of holding the saber, or even the temperament emanating from the paper, it all gave her an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

It was as if she had seen it countless times before.

"Why do I have this feeling? Who exactly is it..."

Lin Wan muttered to herself, her fingertips gently brushing over the scroll, lost in thought.

Just as she was completely puzzled, a slight noise suddenly came from outside the hall.

Lin Wan raised her head, looking toward the source of the noise.

"Who is it?"

The door curtain was gently lifted by a slender, fair hand.

A familiar figure walked slowly into the hall.

The person who arrived was wearing a green shirt, with a handsome face and a temperament as gentle as jade, yet also exuding a coldness that kept people at a distance.

It was Chen Ran.

Lin Wan stared blankly at the man who had suddenly appeared before her, and the surprise and radiance that were hard to conceal instantly bloomed in her originally cold eyes.

At this moment, all the worries about the bombing case and the doubts about the mysterious Saber Master were cast to the back of her mind.

She simply gave up on thinking and walked up to greet him quickly.

"You... you're back?"

There was a hint of trembling and joy in Lin Wan's voice that even she herself had not noticed.

The usually cold and efficient Six Doors ace constable was now like an ordinary woman, her eyes full of joy.

Chen Ran looked at the woman with a flower-like smile before him, a faint softness flashing in the depths of his eyes.

"Mm, I'm back."

He nodded slightly, his tone calm, yet carrying a reassuring strength.

"The Demon-Slaying Squad was hunting demons a few days ago, so I went with them to the mountains outside the city. I was delayed for a few days and only returned to the city this morning."

Chen Ran explained casually, without mentioning the Phantom Soul Mirage, nor the heavy casualties of that trip.

"So that's it."

Lin Wan suddenly realized, and the worry in her heart was completely put to rest.

She looked Chen Ran up and down, and seeing his clothes were neat and he was unscathed, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's good that you aren't hurt. The mountains outside the city are extremely dangerous and infested with demons; it would be better for you to go there less in the future."

Lin Wan urged softly, her tone filled with a trace of imperceptible concern.

"The Six Doors has been very busy lately, and I can't get away. If you have any difficulties, you can come to me; do not go and take risks alone."

Chen Ran looked at the faint dark circles under Lin Wan's eyes and knew she must have been overworked lately.

"It's fine, they were just some ordinary demons; they couldn't hurt me."

Chen Ran smiled slightly, his voice gentle, "What about you? While investigating cases is important, you must also pay attention to resting. I see the files on your desk are almost piled up like a mountain."

Hearing this, Lin Wan followed his gaze to the desk and sighed helplessly.

"This is the capital, such a big mess has occurred, and the higher-ups are urging us; where would I find the time to rest?"

She paused, as if remembering something, and a hint of gravity flashed in her eyes.

"Right, you should also be careful when moving around the capital recently. According to your reminder, I found some clues. The bombing case a month ago is indeed related to the Red Lotus Demonic Cult."

"The Red Lotus Demonic Cult?" Chen Ran raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Yes, this group of evil cultists acts without any bottom line. If they have really infiltrated the capital, they will definitely have major movements. Although your strength is good, it is easy to dodge open spears, but hard to defend against hidden arrows."

Lin Wan urged him carefully, completely devoid of her usual cold-as-ice demeanor.

Chen Ran listened quietly, a faint warmth rising in his heart.

"I will keep it in mind." Chen Ran nodded slightly.

The two stood facing each other, the morning sunlight shining through the window lattice onto them, adding a touch of warmth and coziness to the cold Six Doors hall.

Chen Ran's gaze inadvertently swept over Lin Wan's desk.

His line of sight slowly froze on the table to the side.

On an opened scroll on the table, there was strikingly a painting of a figure in a green shirt, holding a long saber, with their back to the world.

Although it was only a few strokes, Chen Ran recognized at a glance that the person in the painting was none other than himself.

In the blank space of the scroll, a few lines of annotations were written in small, fly-head-sized regular script:

"Suspected Innate Realm Saber Master, wounded the ancient demon species Phantom Soul Mirage with one strike in the mountains outside the city. Identity unknown, please have the Six Doors assist in the investigation."

Chen Ran's eyes narrowed slightly, and in the depths of his eyes, a profound light flashed.

He did not expect that there would be someone in the Demon-Slaying Squad so skilled in painting, being able to capture his essence so accurately with just a fleeting glance.

He even less expected that this portrait would appear on Lin Wan's desk so quickly.

However, the ability he used that day was the [Painted Skin] talent, so his appearance was completely different from his own; even if they investigated, it would be difficult to trace it back to him.

If Lin Wan were to know that the "Innate Realm Saber Master" who amazed the Demon-Slaying Squad was this seemingly gentle-as-jade man before her, who knows what she would think.

Chen Ran withdrew his gaze calmly, walked to the desk, and casually picked up the portrait.

"Another new case?"