21: Keep the bottom line and be a good person

Jiang Lan was startled at first, then scanned his surroundings.

Other than the occasional night breeze, there was nothing around, as if the voice he had just heard was merely his imagination.

He stood there for a long while, but the voice did not reappear.

“If you don’t come out, I’m leaving.”

Silence followed his words.

Jiang Lan stepped towards Wuwei Hall.

A moment later, he arrived at the entrance of Wuwei Hall, where candlelight glowed within.

“Knock knock knock—”

Jiang Lan knocked on the door.

“Lan’er? Come in.”

Chen Heguang’s voice came from inside the room.

Jiang Lan pushed the door open and saw Chen Heguang holding a case file, looking up at him.

“Uncle Chen, did you call for me?”

Chen Heguang gestured, “Sit.”

Jiang Lan sat beside him.

Seeing this, Chen Heguang handed the case file in his hand to Jiang Lan.

Jiang Lan took it, and by the candlelight, began to read through the file.

After a long pause, he looked up and said,

“It’s the Green Lantern Sect again?”

Hearing this, Chen Heguang frowned, rubbing his face in annoyance.

“Who says it isn’t? Luckily, the person was caught, otherwise, who knows what else would have happened. When will these bastards all die off?”

After speaking, he looked up again and added, “But this case is a bit strange. The men in their families died relatively normally, just simple disembowelment. But the women all turned into mummies, with not a drop of blood left in their bodies.”

“Where is the person? I’ll interrogate him.”

“Cell Block C-6.” Chen Heguang quickly said, “No rush, you can interrogate him tomorrow. It would be best to ask if there are others behind them. I don’t believe their actions are without organization.

“The main reason I called you here was to ask you about the tiger demon.”

“Tiger demon?”

Chen Heguang stood up and looked Jiang Lan up and down.

“You killed that tiger demon?”

Jiang Lan was stunned.

Did Qiu Rang tell Chen Heguang?

The thought flashed for only a moment before he dismissed it.

Probably not. After returning from Black Wind Mountain, Qiu Rang had started arranging a celebration feast.

And Chen Heguang had been busy with cases, not even attending the celebration feast, so the two of them likely hadn’t spoken privately.

Seeing Jiang Lan’s reaction, Chen Heguang sighed lightly and sat back down in his chair.

“I guessed correctly after all.”

Jiang Lan looked curious.

He truly didn’t know where he had shown a flaw.

Actually, Jiang Lan had no intention of hiding his strength from Chen Heguang.

What he was curious about was how Chen Heguang knew.

“Are you wondering how I knew?”

Jiang Lan nodded repeatedly.

Chen Heguang said,

“I guessed.”

Jiang Lan: “...”

Before he could speak, Chen Heguang continued,

“But it wasn’t a wild guess. Although I wasn’t there, I heard that the tiger demon’s strength was at the Bone Refinement Ninth Stage. Demons, by nature, are physically superior to humans. To defeat a demon of the same Realm is already considered an outstanding martial artist.

“A tiger demon at the Bone Refinement Ninth Stage, you don’t even need to think, it must be a huge one. I’ve seen Centurion’s strength; while not weak, it’s probably a bit lacking against a tiger demon.”

“As for those Demon Slayer Guards, the strongest among them is only at Bone Refinement Seventh Stage, so they wouldn’t be much help. If they had suffered heavy casualties to take down that tiger demon, it would be understandable. But only one person died, and that was on the way back, which is a bit unreliable.”

A hint of surprise appeared in Jiang Lan’s eyes.

This analysis was quite logical.

Jiang Lan stood up.

“Then Uncle Chen, you go and interrogate him tomorrow. Tell me if you find the mastermind, and I’ll go over.”

“Hmm, hmm?”

Chen Heguang also stood up, “What do you mean?”

“You’re so good at analyzing, of course you should interrogate him. I only know how to whip people.”

“What are you talking about...” Chen Heguang sighed helplessly, “Sit down first, let’s chat.”

Jiang Lan sat back down.

Chen Heguang began,

“Lan’er, in the years since your father passed, how has Uncle Chen treated you?”

Jiang Lan’s expression was strange.

Didn’t this conversation sound familiar?

That’s right, after he killed that dog, Chen Heguang had asked him the same thing.

Thinking of this, Jiang Lan directly said,

“Qi Gathering Realm.”

After thinking for a moment, Jiang Lan added, “Third Stage. Hmm... currently Third Stage.”

A hint of complexity was in his eyes, and he let out a long breath.

“Good boy.”

After saying that, he didn’t speak for a long time.

Jiang Lan also just sat there. After a long period of silence between them, Chen Heguang finally looked up.

“Everyone has their own Opportunity, and I won’t ask you too much, but there’s one thing you must remember!” Chen Heguang emphasized his tone here, with a solemn expression.

“Please tell me.”

“Protect yourself.”

Jiang Lan paused, then suddenly laughed.

“I thought you would tell me to uphold my bottom line, or to be a good person.”

“Good person? Bottom line?” Chen Heguang’s expression was slightly disdainful, “In this damned world, all the good people with a bottom line are dead. Is it your turn to be a good person? Living well is being a good person; if you die, no matter how good you were, you’re just a dead person.”

At this point, Chen Heguang changed his tone.

“That being said, I’m not telling you to be a scoundrel. Remember, no matter what you do in the future, as long as you have a clear conscience, that’s enough.”

“Your nephew will remember.”

Jiang Lan stood up, bowed respectfully, his expression equally solemn.

Undeniably, Chen Heguang was definitely a qualified elder.

Chen Heguang waved his hand.

“Go... I’ll interrogate the person tomorrow.” He smiled, “Perhaps when I see you again tomorrow, I’ll have to address you as ‘Sir’.”

“I’ll interrogate him. And no matter what, you’ll always be my uncle.”

Chen Heguang showed a look of relief, but didn’t say anything more.

“Go on, go on...”

Stepping outside, Jiang Lan looked up at the starry night sky.

If Chen Heguang had truly asked him to be a good person, he certainly wouldn't be able to do it.

But a clear conscience... he hoped he would have a clear conscience.

Shaking his head, Jiang Lan walked towards his home.

The road was very quiet. It was already curfew, and the streets were empty.

Only occasionally, the sound of a gong and the cries of the night watchman would reach his ears.

“Dong—”

“Dry weather—watch out for fire—”

Normally, during curfew, loitering outside was not allowed.

But Jiang Lan, serving in the Demon Suppression Division, had no such restrictions and could move freely within Yan Capital even late at night.

Following the street, Jiang Lan returned home.

During this time, no unexpected situations occurred, and even that inexplicable voice did not reappear, seeming to truly have been his auditory hallucination.

He pulled open the door and entered the familiar room.

Everything was normal.

Jiang Lan didn’t dwell on it too much.

If it came, he would kill it with one saber. If it didn't come, he was happy to be at peace.

Sitting on the bed, Jiang Lan narrowed his eyes slightly.

The light screen appeared... [Name: Jiang Lan]

[Cultivation: Qi Gathering Third Stage]

[Cultivation Technique: Three Yuan True Nurturing Skill]

[Martial Skills: Yan Military Saber Technique (Return to Simplicity), Wild Goose Step (Adept)]

[Remaining Lifespan: Two hundred and seven years]

[Can infuse Cultivation Technique skills with Lifespan to increase strength.]

[Can increase Lifespan by suppressing or slaying demons.]