"Is that so?"
Jiang Yuechu was noncommittal, her gaze sweeping over the faces of the dozen or so people one by one.
Their armor was indeed somewhat damaged, and their faces were covered in traces left by the wind and sand, making them look disheveled.
Yet, everyone merely looked disheveled.
There were no wounds.
Not a single one.
Not even a trace of blood could be smelled.
Jiang Yuechu slowly paced forward, stopping in front of Li Gui.
"So, you've rendered meritorious service?"
Li Gui's heart rejoiced, assuming the other party was going to let the matter go, and quickly said, "I dare not claim meritorious service, I only ask to be free of fault!"
"Very good."
Jiang Yuechu nodded, then suddenly raised her hand without warning.
Slap!
A crisp, loud slap echoed through the silent city gate tunnel.
Everyone was stunned.
Li Gui was completely dazed by the slap, covering his face, looking at Jiang Yuechu in disbelief.
"Disobeying military orders, venturing out of the pass without authorization, causing more than a dozen brothers to be in danger."
Jiang Yuechu retracted her hand, her voice icy, "This slap is from The Department."
She paused, and before Li Gui could react, she slapped him again with her backhand.
Slap!
"Clever words and deceit, misleading a superior officer."
"This slap is from me."
Jiang Yuechu looked at his face, which was a mix of shock and anger, and a sneer curled at the corner of her lips.
Two slaps, heavy and loud.
Li Gui's face, already covered in wind and sand, swelled up visibly at a speed discernible to the naked eye.
The astonishment in his eyes was quickly replaced by a fleeting, ferocious glint.
Humiliation!
Utter humiliation!
He, Dog Second, a dignified Ming Gu Great Demon, had never suffered such humiliation, not even from White Ape Duke!
To be slapped twice in the face by an inexperienced Human Race girl, in front of so many people!
Damn it!
He had wanted to volunteer, transforming into Li Gui's appearance, so that if he succeeded, he would get the credit.
But if he had known this credit would bring such great humiliation, he would rather have let another Demon go.
The killing intent was almost impossible to suppress.
But thinking of the true purpose of this trip, Dog Second forcefully suppressed the Demonic Qi that was on the verge of erupting.
Endure!
He must endure!
As long as he could infiltrate Yumen Pass, the humiliation he suffered today would surely be repaid a hundredfold in the future!
With a myriad of thoughts swirling in his mind, the ferocity on Dog Second's face gradually transformed into panic.
With a thud, he actually knelt directly on the ground, hugging Jiang Yuechu's calf, and began to wail with snot and tears.
"This subordinate knows his mistake! Please, Captain Jiang, give This subordinate another chance! This subordinate is willing to accept any punishment, even if it means climbing a mountain of knives or plunging into a sea of fire, I will not hesitate!"
This sudden scene, let alone Commander Zhou and Chen Tong and the others, even the dozen or so Demon-transformed Demon Suppression Guardss behind Li Gui, were dumbfounded.
Liu Ke's brows furrowed tightly, a hint of disgust flashing in his eyes.
After all, the other party was a Squad Leader of the Demon Suppression Division, and kneeling to beg for mercy so shamelessly was truly an utter disgrace to the Demon Suppression Division.
Jiang Yuechu looked down at Li Gui, who was clinging to her calf and crying profusely, the sneer on her face growing even more pronounced.
She slowly lifted her foot.
Li Gui subconsciously let go.
Jiang Yuechu kicked him in the chest, sending him stumbling and falling to the ground.
"Commander Zhou, I'll borrow your men."
Commander Zhou was stunned, then immediately understood and waved his hand.
"Men!"
The armored soldiers behind him roared in affirmation, stepping forward.
"Take them all down for me."
Jiang Yuechu said indifferently, "Disarm them, lock them in the dungeon, guard them strictly, and no one is allowed to visit."
Li Gui's expression completely froze.
The "Demon Suppression Guardss" behind him also burst into an uproar.
"Captain Jiang! What do you mean by this?!"
"We admit our mistakes and accept punishment, but why are we being thrown into prison?!"
"We are people of the Demon Suppression Division! Not criminals!"
Li Gui grew even more anxious, scrambling forward on his knees, trying to grab Jiang Yuechu's leg again.
"Captain! Captain, think twice! We..."
"Noisy."
Jiang Yuechu couldn't be bothered to listen to their nonsense anymore, and drew the horizontal saber from her waist with a backhand.
Clang—
The saber light flashed.
Li Gui's hand, halfway extended, was severed at the wrist!
"Ah—"
A bloodcurdling scream echoed through the city gate.
Blood spurted out, splashing all over Jiang Yuechu.
Yet, she didn't even blink, merely sweeping her emotionless gaze coldly over the remaining people.
"Anyone who says another word will suffer the same fate."
Inside and outside the city gate, a deathly silence instantly fell.
The crowd, who had just been clamoring, were now as quiet as cicadas in winter, their faces pale, not daring to utter another word.
Dog Second clutched his severed wrist, trembling all over from the pain, but deep in his heart, an indescribable ecstasy surged.
He's in!
He's finally in!
No matter if he's locked in the dungeon or whatever, as long as... as long as he can get into the city!
The tide of battle will turn!
Commander Zhou's eyelids twitched as he watched the bloody scene before him.
What a ruthless woman!
"What are you still standing there for?"
Jiang Yuechu sheathed her saber, not even glancing at the severed hand on the ground, "Take them away."
"Yes!"
Commander Zhou's personal guards, as if waking from a dream, swarmed forward like wolves and tigers, pinning the dozen or so terrified "Demon Suppression Guardss" to the ground and tying them up securely with ropes.
"Let's go."
Jiang Yuechu turned and walked towards the pass.
Chen Tong and No Abstinence exchanged glances, then quickly followed.
Only Liu Ke, watching the group being dragged away, frowned even deeper... Yumen Pass, dungeon.
The heavy iron door slammed shut, cutting off the last sliver of light from outside.
Torches burned on the walls, crackling and casting distorted figures onto the damp walls.
As the footsteps faded away.
The prison cell was plunged into a deathly silence.
The "Li Gui" who had just been wailing and looking disheveled, slowly picked himself up from the ground.
He raised his hand, which had been severed at the wrist, and could no longer hold back.
"Damn you!!!"
He spun around abruptly, slamming his head against the cold wall with a dull thud.
"That bitch! That little bitch!!!"
Dog Second's eyes were bloodshot, and his whole body was trembling, "How dare she?! How dare she do this to me?!"
The remaining dozen or so people in the cell no longer concealed themselves, emitting faint Demonic Qi.
"Brother Dog, calm down! Brother Dog, please calm down!"
A shifty-eyed man quickly stepped forward, trying to help him up, but Dog Second flung him away.
"Calm down? I'll calm your mother down!"
"Master Dog!"
A seductive voice came from the mouth of one of the Demon Suppression Guardss, sounding truly eerie.
Her voice was soft, with a hint of appeasement: "You endured this humiliation to allow us to enter the pass smoothly. This is a great achievement. When the great task is accomplished, True Monarch will surely not treat you unfairly."
"Exactly!"
Another burly man, whose Demonic Qi was quite formidable, also spoke up, "That woman is arrogant now, but once we destroy the Great Demon Suppression Array and break Yumen Pass, we'll capture her first. Whether to kill her or dismember her, won't it be up to you to decide?"
"That's right! At that time, we'll make her kneel before you and lick the mud off your feet!"
"Master Dog is mighty!"
For a moment, flattery flowed like a tide in the prison cell.
Listening to these praises, the evil fire in Dog Second's chest finally subsided a little.
"Enough."
Just then, a seemingly young man with a feminine demeanor spoke, frowning.
He looked around and said coldly, "Entering the pass is only the first step. Now that we are all in a cage, it's too early to be happy."
At his words, the previously noisy cell instantly fell silent.
The young man walked to the center of the cell and lowered his voice: "Listen carefully, when it's the third watch, when the guards are most lax, that's when we make our move."
"Fox Third Mistress, what about that kid?"
Someone suddenly looked at a figure in the corner. That person had been sitting there motionless from the start, with dull eyes.
The Fox Demon covered her mouth with a chuckle, her eyes full of pride: "Don't worry, he's I won my 'Thread of Entanglement'. It can not only change his appearance, but his mind is also no different from a walking corpse. When the time comes, I will loosen a bit of the restraint and have him lead us to the core of the Great Demon Suppression Array."
She paused, the smile on her face slowly receding, her expression becoming solemn.
"However, I must be frank."
"Inside this pass, there's a great array suppressing us. The maximum Demonic Power we can use is about forty to fifty percent, so we must not be careless."
"Before the great array is destroyed, if our whereabouts are exposed..."