I Have 10 Equipment Slots-Chapter 61 - 55: To Cut the Grass, One Must Remove the Roots
"The Hundred Households, Thousand Households, Demon-slaying Grand Generals, and the Commander of the Demon Slayer Bureau... have they all entered the Zhong Family Ancestral Land? Did they slumber in the Ice Pupa Pool for decades, or even centuries?"
In the silence, Gu Zheng took a Satiety Source Fruit from his Storage Leaf. He popped it into his mouth and asked, "And it’s not just the Demon Slayer Bureau, is it? The Divine Capture Bureau, the Observatory, the Dragon Guard Bureau... any master at the Super Body Realm or higher from all the major government agencies in the country has been to the Zhong Family Ancestral Land? Are these the geniuses the Zhong Family has handpicked over centuries? Secretly training them, step by step, to break through their limits and advance to the Alien Body, Super Body, and Heroic Body?"
"Yes."
Cao Handing nodded. "The royal Zhong Family has spent centuries selecting talented individuals from various families, sects, and the Martial World. Of course, those who are chosen must also be of good character."
"This selection process has several public-facing methods, such as the Dragon Tiger Alliance, the Grandmaster Ranking, and the Heroic Assembly."
Gu Zheng raised an eyebrow at this.
The Dragon Tiger Alliance and the Heroic Assembly were both martial arts tournaments that had been held for centuries, taking place once every twenty years.
As for the Grandmaster Ranking, no one who hadn’t truly reached the Grandmaster Realm could even get on the list.
Gu Zheng had been lucky enough to participate in the most recent Heroic Assembly three years ago, which was held on Cyan Mist Mountain in Hongzhou.
The journey alone from Fengzhou Nanyun Prefecture to Cyan Mist Mountain in Hongzhou had taken him a month and a half.
On the day of the assembly, every somewhat famous martial artist, sect, and family in Jing Country had sent representatives to gather at the summit of Cyan Mist Mountain. The scene was incredibly lively.
Thinking back on it now, it was still quite exhilarating. ’But as it turns out, the Heroic Assembly was actually backed by the imperial court? All for the sake of selecting talent to serve the court?’
’That’s right. After the assembly ended, someone did approach me. They invited me to join them, and it was a famous major sect in the Martial World, no less.’
’But back then, I wasn’t interested in joining any sect, so I politely declined.’
Gu Zheng’s eyes narrowed.
Gu Zheng still had no interest in risking his life for the imperial court.
He joined the Demon Slayer Bureau because it was a convenient way to slay Demon Fiends for Demon Points, and incidentally, to find a temporary backer.
The ranks of Demon Suppression Guard Small Banner and Commander were considered low-level, so they wouldn’t attract much attention.
But once he was promoted to Hundred Households or Thousand Households, he would be in the middle ranks. He would inevitably be noticed by the Command Headquarters and come into the view of the higher-ups!
At this thought, Gu Zheng pondered for a moment before looking at Cao Handing and asking, "What’s the name of that True Skill you just used? Is it also from the Demon Slayer Bureau’s repository?"
"It’s called the Yinglong Demon-Suppressing Hand. It’s one of the Ultimate Skills of the royal Zhong Family, taught only to members of the Dragon Guard Bureau. I was formerly with the Dragon Guard Bureau."
Cao Handing replied respectfully, "Master, if you wish to learn it, I can..."
"That won’t be necessary."
Gu Zheng raised a hand.
Although he was tempted, the consequences of secretly teaching a True Skill were too severe.
Once discovered, not only would the one who learned it die, but the one who taught it would also meet a terrible end.
The reason he had asked Cao Handing was for confirmation.
True Skills were divided into grades: Lower, Middle, and Upper Grade. Above Upper Grade was the Ultimate level.
An Ultimate Skill referred to precisely an Ultimate Level True Skill.
When Gu Zheng had clashed with Cao Handing’s claw technique just now, he had clearly sensed its terrifyingly lethal power.
If not for his Bronze Elephant Body and its 100% physical defense, he would have definitely been pierced with several large holes at the beginning of their exchange.
He had only been able to defeat Cao Handing later by unlocking his power to 70%, relying on his superior speed, agility, and strength.
In fact, the Bronze Elephant Body only gave Gu Zheng explosive power and Barbaric Force; in terms of technique, he still had to rely on himself.
When facing enemies of a lower realm, or perhaps those weaker than his 100% unlocked state, Gu Zheng could crush them directly with his power.
But against an opponent of the same realm, even a fully unlocked Bronze Elephant Body wouldn’t be enough.
This was the bonus to combat power that True Skills, Spiritual Soldiers, and Treasure Pills provided!
...
After calming his mind, he asked a few more questions.
For instance, regarding Yan Hongxue’s background and identity, Cao Handing answered all his questions respectfully.
Yan Hongxue’s family background was ordinary, but she had a master who was at the peak of the Super Body Realm and a member of the Observatory.
As for whether she was colluding with Demon Fiends, Cao Handing didn’t know. In any case, Yan Hongxue was not among the undercover agents he was aware of.
"If the Lizard Demons are truly annihilated, will that affect you?" Gu Zheng asked, having ruled out Yan Hongxue as a suspect. "This batch of Lizard Demons that came through the passage... I want them dead. We have to pull them out root and stem!"
"It will have a small impact, but it’s not a major problem."
Cao Handing replied respectfully, "It’s just that there are two people in the county town with the same status as me—undercover agents planted by the higher-ups. They also had a hand in colluding with the Lizard Demons. It wouldn’t be difficult to kill them to silence them..."
"There’s no need to silence them."
Gu Zheng interrupted calmly. "You just need to tell me the location. You don’t need to get involved in the rest."
’Silencing them would be easy, but the resulting trouble would be significant. For example, what if those two were deliberately placed beside Cao Handing by his superiors to monitor him? Killing them would most likely arouse the suspicions of the higher-ups. Gu Zheng didn’t want his Seal Slave, Cao Handing, to be disposed of so quickly.’
"Thank you, Master!"
Upon hearing this, Cao Handing immediately bowed respectfully and said gratefully, "The Lizard Demons’ new lair is in an underground cave to the south."
"Master, please follow me."
Cao Handing walked ahead to lead the way.
Gu Zheng and Zhang Meiyuan followed behind.
’He had summoned Zhang Meiyuan to come along just in case, to serve as backup. Now that Cao Handing was subdued, the remaining Lizard Demons naturally had to be wiped out as well, ensuring their complete annihilation!’
...
「A quarter of an hour later.」
Cao Handing led Gu Zheng and Zhang Meiyuan to the entrance of an earthen cave deep within a mountain ravine, shrouded in miasma.
"It’s right there."
Cao Handing pointed to the dark mouth of the cave and said in a low voice, "The number of Lizard Demons inside, large and small, is about twenty. The strongest is the Lizard Demon’s Young Clan Leader, a Second-Order being. His strength is comparable to mine."
"Besides the Young Clan Leader, there are two at the peak of the First Order, three in the late stage of the First Order, and the rest are First-Order, but of average strength."
"That’s a formidable force." Gu Zheng nodded and asked softly, "Are there any other exits in the cave?"
"There’s an underground current connected to the depths of the cave, but the entrance to the stream is very narrow. For the Lizard Demons to escape that way, they would have to use Barbaric Force to break through and dig a secret passage," Cao Handing replied.
"That’s enough."
Gu Zheng waved a hand. "They won’t be able to escape! You can go back now."
"Yes! This subordinate takes his leave."
Cao Handing bowed, then cupped his fist at Zhang Meiyuan before turning and leaving.
「A quarter of an hour after Cao Handing left.」
Gu Zheng stripped off his clothes and pants, storing them in his Storage Leaf. He then had Zhang Meiyuan guard the cave entrance, with orders not to let a single Lizard Demon escape.
His skin underwent a Bronze Transformation, his body expanded, and his aura condensed around him as he walked toward the cave entrance.
"What—"
SWOOSH!
The sound of rushing wind suddenly erupted.
Gu Zheng instantly unlocked 60% of his Bronze Elephant Body. His height shot up to two meters and, releasing a billow of heat, he tore through the miasma wrapped in a fierce gale and charged toward the cave entrance, smashing a fist at the Lizard Demon on guard duty.
BANG~!
