Scarface dared not retort further, only silently accepting the chains and wrapping them around Guan Youlong.
The young man coldly watched this scene, and only after the chains were completely secured did he slowly speak.
"The matter of the Qiang River Dragon King will be taken over by the General Bureau starting immediately."
He turned around and gave a look to the two men behind him.
The two understood, stepped forward, and were about to escort Guan Youlong away, one on each side.
"Guard him strictly. Without my order, no one is allowed to visit."
"Yes!"
After all this was done, he finally turned around to look at Jiang Yuechu.
"Longyou Commandery, Jiang Yuechu?"
Jiang Yuechu nodded.
The other party cupped his hands.
"I am Gu Changge, Black Robe Inspector Envoy of the Demon Suppression Headquarters."
Although Jiang Yuechu had not been in the Demon Suppression Division for long, she was no longer the ignorant rookie she once was.
Under the Demon Suppression Division, various Dusi were subordinate, progressing layer by layer, with strict Ranks.
However, the world was vast, and human hearts were unpredictable, so it was inevitable that there would be some who held positions without performing duties, or even colluded with Demons.
To prevent this, the General Bureau specially established the position of Inspector Envoy, with immense power to patrol the world and supervise Demon Suppression Divisions everywhere. If any illegal activities were discovered, they could be reported for minor offenses, or executed first and reported later for serious ones.
Jiang Yuechu had heard Wei He mention all this.
However, this was the first time she had heard of an Inspector Envoy with the prefix "Black Robe."
Nevertheless, since he was from the General Bureau and had just helped her out, she didn't continue to maintain a cold expression.
"Thank you."
Gu Changge waved his hand, "Guan Youlong's matter was my original purpose for this trip. I didn't expect to run into Commander Jiang here."
Jiang Yuechu raised an eyebrow.
She seemed to recall that she hadn't given her name on the ship.
"You know me?"
Gu Changge smiled, "A woman of Miss Jiang's age who has entered Core Formation, there is perhaps only one in the entire Great Tang."
"I see..."
Jiang Yuechu nodded and didn't press further.
After all, her situation had already been reported to the General Bureau by Wei He.
It was understandable that someone from the General Bureau would know more.
She changed the subject, suddenly asking, "In that case, what about this Qiang River Dragon King...?"
Gu Changge didn't say much, only stating, "This is not the place to talk. If you are also here for this matter, why don't we investigate it thoroughly together?"
Then, his gaze swept over the Demon Suppression Guards, who had long lost their backbone, and his voice returned to its previous coldness.
"Take me to Guan Youlong's room."
...The room was small.
One bed, one table, one chair.
A worn-out longbow hung on the wall, and a bundle of arrows with blunted fletching lay in the corner.
Gu Changge strolled in, with Jiang Yuechu following closely behind.
Scarface followed last, head bowed, not daring to speak.
Gu Changge first walked to the bed, lifted the bedding, and then knocked on the bed frame.
Then, the table, the chair.
He examined every crack and every corner with extreme care.
Jiang Yuechu stood at the doorway, arms crossed, watching him busy himself.
After a long while.
Gu Changge straightened up and turned to look at Scarface, who was already sweating profusely.
"Tell me everything you know about the Qiang River Dragon King, from beginning to end, clearly."
...Scarface's body trembled, and he quickly bowed, his voice hoarse.
"Reporting, Sir..."
"That beast is a Great Demon at Perfected Core Formation. Years ago, Longyou and my Jiannan Provincial Command jointly besieged it. Several Core Formation Martial Artists were dispatched at the time, but they only managed to heavily wound it, allowing it to escape back into the depths of the Qiang River."
"That beast is cunning by nature. After being heavily injured, it has been lurking at the bottom of the river, rarely showing itself."
"Commander Zhao is currently leading people to suppress several other Great Demons in the Dao, and truly cannot spare any hands. The other generals in The Department also have their own important duties..."
"So, Brigade Commander Guan has been suppressing it here."
However, Gu Changge sneered.
"Suppressing?"
"If it's suppressing, why does the Qiang River still frequently experience turmoil?"
...
Gu Changge paced twice, glaring at him, "Don't say that the Demon is cunning and refuses to show itself. It's just a beast at Perfected Core Formation. If it could truly cause the river waters to surge, it must have approached the surface."
"Guan Youlong has been here for over ten years. Is he blind or deaf? How could he not notice?"
"I..."
"Speak."
Gu Changge's voice was already laced with killing intent.
...
Scarface's lips moved, but he ultimately said nothing.
Gu Changge waited for a moment, and seeing him remain silent, he wasn't angry. Instead, he started pacing around the room by himself.
"I remember, Guan Youlong joined the Demon Suppression Division at twenty-four. Hasn't it been over ninety years now?"
Scarface was startled, subconsciously looking up, his eyes full of confusion, wondering why the other party suddenly brought this up.
Gu Changge seemed not to notice his reaction. He walked to the wall where the worn bow hung, extended a finger, and lightly plucked the bowstring.
Buzz—
A dull sound.
"I also remember that since joining The Department, Guan Youlong has visited the Martial Temple seven times in total, but he never managed to obtain a Spiritual Seal."
As soon as these words came out.
Scarface's face instantly turned pale.
Gu Changge slowly turned around and sneered.
"Since the General Bureau sent us here, do you really think the General Bureau would be completely unaware of the situation here?"
"You have followed him to guard this place for many years. Don't tell me you truly know nothing."
"He dared not engage that beast, so you also dared not? He told you to be inactive here, so you complacently did nothing?"
"Now, he can't even protect himself. Do you think he can protect you?"
"I..."
Scarface's legs gave out, and he could no longer stand, collapsing to his knees.
"We... we were just following orders..."
Gu Changge sighed, walked up to him, and slowly squatted down, his voice softening slightly.
"Guan Youlong committed a capital crime; not even gods can save him."
"But you might not."
"Tell the truth, and I can consider pleading with the General Bureau afterwards to spare your lives."
Scarface knelt on the ground, trembling all over.
He wasn't a fool.
Even if Commander Zhao turned a blind eye, since the General Bureau had sent an Inspector Envoy, they must have noticed something.
Brigade Commander Guan was truly finished.
But he didn't want to die.
He had elders above him and children below him. He had struggled for so many years, finally reaching the position of Captain... After a long time.
Scarface's eyes were filled with bitterness.
"Lord Guan... his time is almost up..."
Gu Changge showed no surprise, merely stating, "Continue."
"Lord Guan's talent is not outstanding. He has been stuck in the Core Formation Realm for nearly sixty years, unable to make any progress... He... he is already one hundred and seventeen this year."
"He went to the Martial Temple seven times, but he never managed to obtain a Spiritual Seal."
"If he cannot Breakthrough again, he will die of declining Qi and blood within a few years."
As soon as these words were spoken, Jiang Yuechu, standing at the doorway, was slightly moved.
No wonder she had been puzzled during their earlier exchange.
Why was a Core Formation Realm Martial Artist of the Demon Suppression Division weaker than Forgetting Dust of Baosha Temple back then?