One more catty, one more attribute point

The clouds dissipated, and the rain stopped, leaving golden sunlight to spill once again onto the cold and battered city.

From the time the first wisps of fog began to curl around the streets and alleys of Changqing County to the clearing of the skies, it had been merely five days or so.

Yet it felt as if an age had passed.

Before the fog enveloped the area, Changqing County had been a large city with a population of over one hundred thousand.

But when the fog lifted and the incident concluded, nearly half of Changqing County\'s population had died, leaving only about sixty thousand survivors.

In the city, wails and cries of the elderly and children could be heard everywhere, along with the numb and stupefied faces of men and women, all wearing an expression of utter despair. Many places hung white silk, and even the poorest families, unable to afford standard ceremonial white silk, tore out a piece of white cloth to hang outside in mourning.

The massive loss of life, combined with extreme fear, led to the complete breakdown of order.

A great many people committed rape and pillage, desperately venting their desires.

Fortunately, Su Heng had anticipated this and took timely measures to quell the chaos. He mutilated the limbs of those who took advantage of the situation to create unrest and made them into human stakes, hanging them in the central square of the city. Then he distributed large quantities of grain confiscated from the storehouses of the He and Xue families among the remaining disaster victims.

Only then did a semblance of order return to Changqing County.

However...

Even so, it was impossible for Changqing County to return to its former prosperity. With a significant outflow of the population and the remaining residents living in fear, the vitality of the city would only diminish, possibly even turning into a complete ghost town eventually.

Creak!

The carriage stopped at the entrance of the Su residence.

After making a round outside, Su Heng lowered his head as he exited the carriage.

He passed through the door, the central hall, numerous long corridors and arches quickly, reaching an ancient-looking, bright study filled with the distant scent of sandalwood.

In the center of the study, on a valuable rosewood desk, a sheet of Xuan paper was spread out, with Xiaoqing grinding ink by the side.

The black ink stick, her pure white fingers.

The rustling friction sound came rhythmically.

Beside Xiaoqing, Su Li\'s long hair was draped over her shoulders as she held a brush, drawing and writing on the open Xuan paper. Sometimes she\'d lift the brush and furrow her brows in deep thought. Su Heng stood silently to the side, watching without interruption, nor making a sound.

Finally, after a long while.

Su Li placed the brush on the porcelain brush holder nearby.

She reviewed the letter she had just finished, then lifted her bare hand and passed it to Su Heng.

"The situation in Changqing County was somewhat urgent, so I had to write a letter first to give a brief overview of what happened here. Do you think this is okay?" Su Li explained in a soft voice.

Su Heng took the letter, and his gaze swept over it.

The letter clearly showed a lot of deliberation, concealing some of Su Heng\'s true strength.

The rationale provided for solving the crisis was altered to say that it was due to the fog demon clashing with members of the Sealing Demon Family, leading to mutual destruction, while they merely picked up the spoils from the outside.

Su Heng knew this was Su Li\'s idea of protecting him.

But...

"Is there something that needs to be changed?" Seeing his eyebrows furrow slightly, Su Li couldn\'t help but ask again.

"What do you think of the Demon Suppression Bureau Director, your master\'s nature?" Instead of answering, Su Heng suddenly switched to an entirely unrelated question.

"Naturally, he is upright and extremely reliable."

Though surprised at Su Heng\'s sudden mention of her master, Su Li still wore a solemn expression and seriously explained, "My master, Li Daoxuan, known as the Golden-Eyed Ape King, is now over a hundred years old. The Demon Suppression Bureau has been able to withstand its crises thanks to his sole efforts."

"Barely managing?" Su Heng asked, surprised.

"Ah..." Su Li let out a low cry, realizing she had inadvertently let something slip, and covered her mouth with her hand.

Su Heng pulled over a chair and sat down with his legs crossed, "Can you tell me what\'s going on?"

Su Li exchanged a glance with Xiao Qing.

"Although you are not from the Demon Suppression Bureau, these matters are not exactly top secret, so it\'s harmless to tell you," Su Li said with a light cough, her tone becoming grave, "I\'ve previously mentioned the noble families to you. The noble families, the demons, and the Demon Suppression Bureau, are Baihua County\'s three major powers."

"Over a hundred years ago, when the previous Bureau Director was still in charge, the Demon Suppression Bureau was at its strongest. They established the Demon Suppression Tower and even suppressed the noble families and demons to the point where, in the eyes of ordinary people, demons gradually became a legend."

"But something happened, and the previous Bureau Director disappeared without a reason."

"And replacing him was the current Bureau Director, my master, the Golden-Eyed Ape King Li Daoxuan. My master\'s strength is naturally formidable, but the previous Director was truly exceptional. Compared to him, there\'s still a gap. Plus, there were problems with the Demon Suppression Tower..."

"Cough cough!" Xiao Qing coughed twice with an expressionless face, interrupting the conversation between Su Heng and Su Li.

Clearly, the matter of the Demon Suppression Tower had touched upon a secret.

Su Li spread her hands, showing a helpless expression on her face and stopped speaking. The atmosphere fell into silence for a moment.

"To put it simply, the power of the Demon Suppression Bureau has declined to the point where it is somewhat undeserving of its status," Su Heng said.

"Although it sounds a bit harsh, it\'s pretty much the case."

Su Li nodded her head, "The importance of demons to martial artists is self-evident. The flesh of demons can be used to enhance cultivation and assist in breakthroughs. And if one can successfully fuse with a demon\'s remains, it can change one\'s fate against the heavens. The Demon Suppression Tower holds a large number of demons, naturally arousing envy."

"What kind of method against the heavens is it?" Su Heng lifted his head, curiosity evident on his face.

"A martial artist\'s innate abilities are mainly manifested in two aspects, physique and comprehension." Su Li explained briefly, "And fusing with demon remains can directly enhance one\'s physique, allowing a martial artist\'s strength to undergo earth-shattering changes in a short period.

Besides the enhancement of physique, one can also gain some of the innate divine abilities of the demons.

Most importantly, fusing with demon remains can prolong life. Some elderly martial artists have returned to their peak overnight after successfully fusing with demon remains."

"The value of demon remains is indeed tremendous, immeasurable..." Su Heng remarked in astonishment, "According to what you\'ve said, constantly hunting demons and fusing with their remains, could one not achieve immortality?"

"While that\'s the case, it\'s actually very difficult," Su Li explained, "Firstly, fusing with demon remains requires opening one\'s body and implanting it into specific organs, a process fraught with immense risks. Second, the demon remains contain extreme desires of the demons, and the fusion process is like placing one\'s spirit in hell, making it easy to lose control and go mad."

"Moreover, even if one perseveres and succeeds in the fusion, it doesn\'t mean the end. Throughout the eternal time that follows, the demon remains will continuously exert influence on the mind and body, and there is even the possibility of being seized by the demon remains, transforming into a new demon."

Su Li looked out the window, her gaze profound, "In the Demon Suppression Tower of Baihua County, there are not only demons imprisoned but also many martial artists who have gone mad after fusing with demon remains, including some elder-level figures from the noble families."