20: Chapter 20 Deterrence

With the three Families having arrived, Chen Yuanba arranged for the Evil-Suppressing Guards to begin taking roll call.

Anyone who received an invitation but failed to attend would inevitably Face reckoning by the Evil Suppression Bureau afterwards; this was no empty threat.

This caused some factions that had originally intended to muddle through to secretly heave a sigh of relief.

If they hadn't come this time, they certainly wouldn't have been able to withstand the reckoning from the Evil Suppression Bureau.

"How is the headcount? Are there any who received invitations but did not attend?" Chen Yuanba asked, looking at the Evil-Suppressing Guard beside him.

"The headcount is complete. There are four factions that did not send anyone," the Evil-Suppressing Guard replied.

"Which four?" Chen Yuanba frowned, his expression very displeased.

Sending them an invitation was already giving them plenty of Face; he hadn't expected that there would actually be people who didn't take him seriously.

"The East City Rice Shop, the Liu Family; the East City Casino, the Yuan Family; the Yunhe Pawnshop, the Yun Family; and... Constable Zhang's Zhang Family." After a moment of hesitation, the Evil-Suppressing Guard still stated the facts truthfully. He paused specifically for two seconds when mentioning the Zhang Family.

But how could Chen Yuanba not understand his ulterior motives?

Constable Zhang was a member of the Zhang Family and belonged to the County Magistrate's side. The Evil-Suppressing Guard was worried that this matter would lead to a conflict between the Evil Suppression Bureau and the yamen.

But what kind of person was Chen Yuanba? He always kept his word.

Since these four Families would not cooperate with the Evil Suppression Bureau's operation, there was no need for them to exist.

"Whether it is the Zhang Family, the Yun Family, or the Yuan Family and the Liu Family, execute everyone in their households without exception. Do not make any mistakes."

"Go execute this now. I want to see the results before sunset." Chen Yuanba's voice was not loud, but everyone present heard it clearly.

If one person didn't come, the entire Family would be wiped out.

Even if there were constables from the yamen, they would not be spared.

This iron-fisted method deterred everyone present.

Some heads of small and medium-sized factions were even more terrified, feeling fortunate that they had come.

Otherwise, if he alone caused the destruction of his Family, he would be a sinner for all ages.

Watching the expressions of the crowd, Chen Yuanba realized that his tactic of killing the chicken to warn the monkey had been successful.

The next second, Chen Yuanba changed to another expression, smiling as he faced the crowd.

"I, Chen Yuanba, am very happy that you all could come here today to support me and contribute to the operation to wipe out the Demon disaster. I express my deep respect here."

As he spoke, Chen Yuanba bowed slightly.

Immediately, he continued, "Many of you present have participated in operations to wipe out Demon disasters before. But this operation is different from the past; the level of danger is much higher. If you have come with the intention of just tagging along, you will only throw your lives away in vain. I advise you all here to follow orders in everything."

"I believe that none of you will joke with your own lives. Here, I would like to thank you all for your full support on behalf of the 400,000 common people of Wuyang County. I believe that as long as you all act together, there is no reason why the Demon disaster won't be wiped out."

Speaking to this point, Chen Yuanba's tone became somewhat impassioned.

If there were any hot-blooded youths, they might have been infected by his emotions.

But who present wasn't an old hand? Having endured so much hardship to become a Divine Strength Martial Artist, how could they fully believe what Chen Yuanba said?

However, there was one point that everyone heard clearly.

That is, this operation is far more dangerous than in the past.

Everything else might be false, but this one sentence could absolutely not be fake.

This caused the Faces of those who were already lacking confidence to turn pale. And those who were full of confidence also smelled the scent of danger, and could not help but look solemn.

"Looking at the situation, this Demon disaster is even more dangerous than expected. Apart from those from the three Families, I'm afraid no one can guarantee they will return alive," someone whispered.

"I didn't expect it to be so dangerous this time. I really regret not listening to my second uncle; if I had reached my Breakthrough later, I wouldn't have been arranged for this suppression operation. Early Stage Divine Strength; I am afraid I am the weakest one here." Thinking of this, the young man regretted it so much that his intestines were practically turning green.

Truly, if you don't listen to the words of the elderly, your life will be in jeopardy.

Compared to the other murmurs, the side with the three Families was very quiet.

Regardless of which of the three Families it was, their understanding of the Demon disaster was not something that the others could compare to.

Before arriving, they already had an idea in their hearts.

After everyone whispered for a while, Chen Yuanba spoke again.

"If you all have no more questions, then prepare to set off."

Once these words were spoken, those who were still whispering all shut their mouths.

Not long after, the group, under the gaze of the common people, marched out of the city gates in a grand procession.

Thirty miles outside the city.

The sky was not yet bright; the cold morning mist, like a thin veil, shrouded the wharf. More than a dozen personnel escorting goods had gathered here early. They were dressed in thick clothing, their expressions serious, and their eyes filled with focus and vigilance.

Leading them was a burly middle-aged man named Chen Hai, who had many years of experience in escorting goods and was currently directing the crowd in an orderly manner. "Everyone, check your equipment well; this shipment today cannot tolerate the slightest carelessness." His voice was low and powerful, echoing on the quiet wharf.

As his voice fell, several experienced veterans in the team silently began to check. After everyone finished checking, they carefully loaded the goods onto the carts.

As the wheels turned, they made a dull sound on the stone road.

While moving, Chen Hai did not forget to urge everyone.

"This trip will not be peaceful; everyone, stay alert."

Soon, the escort team entered a winding mountain road. On both sides of the mountain road were dense forests, and occasionally a few bird calls could be heard, adding to the tense atmosphere.

Chen Hai walked at the very front of the team, his gaze scanning his surroundings sharply, not letting any abnormality slip by.

But as they walked, Chen Hai discovered that the surroundings were abnormally quiet. Except for the sound of swaying branches, there was not a single sound.

For an escort team like theirs, there were two situations they feared most in the wild.

One was too much noise, attracting attacks from powerful exotic beasts.

The second was the lack of any sound in the wild.

In such a large forest, the lack of animal calls was definitely not a normal phenomenon.

"Do not speak, observe the surroundings." Out of experience and intuition, Chen Hai immediately raised his hand to signal the team to stop, and then whispered.

Everyone instantly became vigilant, their hands gripping the weapons at their waists.

Suddenly.

A cold gust of wind came from afar, and the leaves rustled with a clattering sound.

Everyone instinctively felt a chill rise up.

The next moment, several grayish figures emerged from the forest like ghosts, swift as the wind.

It's a Demon!

Chen Hai widened his eyes and hurriedly reminded everyone beside him.

But his warning was ultimately one step too late; several people in the team could not react in time and were invaded by the Demon's Qi.

Only a few shrill screams were heard; the flesh and blood of the few people originally invaded by the Demon withered at a speed visible to the naked eye.

In less than ten breaths, the bodies of those few people turned into withered bones.