I Can Merge Techniques

The female Demon Suppression Captain, however, paid him no more mind, seemingly having lost all interest in questioning him further. She tossed out a few more inconsequential rebukes at the crowd, then turned and walked toward the back courtyard.

A moment after her figure had completely vanished behind the Moon Gate...

"HAHAHAHA!"

"Oh man, that’s hilarious! I’m dying!"

"Brother Chu Fan, you’ve got some rotten luck, running into Lord Xiao’s episode on your very first day!"

In the great stone courtyard, the Demon Suppression Guards, who had just been standing as still as pines, erupted in a deafening roar of laughter like a bursting dam.

Some slapped their thighs, laughing so hard they nearly fell over. Others were crying with laughter, clutching their stomachs and unable to stand up straight.

As everyone chimed in with explanations, Chu Fan finally began to understand.

The female Demon Suppression Captain was named Xiao Ziye, a figure within the Qing Province Demon Suppression Bureau who gave even Demon Suppression Envoy Leng Qingqiu a terrible headache.

Although she was a Demon Suppression Captain, her cultivation was unfathomably deep. Rumors in the martial world even claimed her combat prowess was no less than Lord Leng’s.

Unfortunately, her mind was unstable—sometimes lucid, sometimes muddled—and her moods were erratic.

Just two days ago, she had given the Heir of Prince Zhennan a sound beating right in the middle of the street.

The Prince’s Mansion came demanding justice, and in the end, Lord Leng had to personally intervene to smooth things over.

Chu Fan had only taken two whacks to the forehead. Compared to the Heir, who was still bedridden, he could count his lucky stars.

Who among these Demon Suppression Guards hadn’t suffered at the hands of Xiao Ziye’s Demon Training Rod?

Chu Fan’s heart jolted. He lowered his voice and asked, "Are you all saying that Captain Xiao... has been afflicted by Pollution, and her mind is damaged? Doesn’t the Demon Suppression Bureau have any techniques to purify Pollution and stabilize one’s mind?"

The moment he spoke, the uproarious laughter died abruptly.

The smiles vanished from the faces of the Demon Suppression Guards, replaced by looks of solemnity and helplessness.

An older Demon Suppression Guard with flecks of gray in his hair sighed. "Cultivators in the Spirit Awakening and Divine Power Realms absorb a limited amount of the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Mechanism, so they don’t need to fear the encroachment of Pollution. But for someone at Lord Xiao’s Realm, the affliction of Pollution is an unavoidable death sentence."

"And within the Demon Suppression Bureau, there are quite a few experts like Lord Xiao."

"Quite a few?" Chu Fan’s expression changed dramatically.

’Is it like this for every sect in the world, or is it unique to the Demon Suppression Bureau?’

’If it’s the latter, it’s probably not too late for him to walk away right now and go curse Yue Mankong and his eighteen generations of ancestors.’

The older Demon Suppression Guard pointed to the token at his waist and continued, "Our Demon Suppression Guard Tokens are forged from Purifying Nightmare Spirit Crystals mixed with Calm Heart Stones. Wearing them close to the body provides a purifying effect."

"But they can only slow the corrosion, not completely eradicate such a bizarre form of Pollution."

Another guard chimed in, "To be blunt, is there anyone who’s made it to the rank of Demon Suppression Envoy who isn’t at least a little bit mad?"

"It’s just a matter of severity. For someone like Lord Xiao Ziye, the only place left to go is the Martial Saint Hall."

’The Martial Saint Hall again.’

Chu Fan had heard Yue Mankong mention the name before.

A Demon Suppression Guard added, "Legend says there’s a supreme treasure in the Martial Saint Hall that can effectively suppress the Pollution. But it only suppresses it. As for completely expelling it... that’s been unheard of since ancient times."

"You’ve been cultivating for many years; how could you not know of these secrets?"

Chu Fan laughed bitterly to himself. ’He’d only been cultivating for half a year; how was he supposed to know any of this?’

He immediately asked, "If that’s the case, why doesn’t Lord Xiao Ziye go to the Martial Saint Hall?"

Before anyone could answer, a clear, cold voice suddenly sounded from behind them, making the hair on everyone’s arms stand on end.

"Why would I need to go to the Martial Saint Hall?"

Everyone’s hearts skipped a beat as they stiffly turned around.

There stood Xiao Ziye, who had returned at some point without them noticing, standing quietly behind them.

Chu Fan was speechless.

’This lord is like a phantom, coming and going without a trace.’

At this moment, however, her gaze was clear and her expression was serene, a complete contrast to the crazed woman from moments before.

"I only lose my senses from time to time."

Xiao Ziye said calmly, "Even if I go a little mad, I don’t act recklessly, and I certainly don’t mistake friend for foe."

"As for beating the Heir of Prince Zhennan, that was only because he was using his status to bully others and harass a commoner girl."

"I was merely feigning madness to carry out justice."

’She’s... back to normal?’ Chu Fan breathed an inward sigh of relief.

But then, Xiao Ziye’s gaze suddenly fell upon him, her brow furrowed, and her expression became identical to her earlier, crazed state.

"Who are you? Why are you here? The Demon Suppression Bureau is a restricted area for fighting demons. Unaffiliated personnel, leave at once!"

’Here we go again...’

Just as Chu Fan was about to explain, Xiao Ziye suddenly glanced north. Her figure flickered, transformed into a streak of black light, and vanished with a WHOOSH.

Chu Fan rubbed his twice-smacked forehead, breaking into a cold sweat as he worried about his future in the Qing Province Demon Suppression Bureau.

[Pollution Level: 11/100]

He had been wearing his Demon Suppression Guard Token against his skin day and night, but his Pollution Level still rose uncontrollably whenever it pleased.

From what his colleagues said, there wasn’t a single effective countermeasure within the Demon Suppression Bureau.

The higher one’s cultivation, the more of the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Mechanism one absorbed, and the more dangerous the encroaching Pollution became.

Even the legendary Martial Saint Hall could only suppress it, not purify it completely.

’Were all cultivators in this world born with this original sin?’

He recalled Yue Mankong saying that the three great dynasties were on the verge of collapse because the Martial Saint who had once suppressed the fate of the mortal realm had not been seen in five hundred years.

The Moon Worship Sect even speculated that the Martial Saint had long ago succumbed to the Pollution and perished, which was why they now dared to re-emerge from the ashes and stir up trouble.

’If that’s true, does it mean that not even a Martial Saint can completely eradicate the Pollution?’

Chu Fan’s heart suddenly grew heavy.

This was no longer just his problem; it was a sword of Damocles hanging over the head of every high-realm cultivator.