Chapter 342 - 304: Lishui City

Chapter 342: Chapter 304: Lishui City

In less than five minutes,

Wei Nan, Zhou Qi, and Sun Tao

all appeared in the cafeteria.

When they saw Chu Zhengxiong, they quickly ran over.

After greeting them,

they first grabbed trays and got their food from the window.

Then they came back, sat at an adjacent table, and started eating.

Once they were done eating,

Chu Zhengxiong left with Mo Yanfeng and Qin Zhaoxue.

The Demon Hunting Institute still had matters to attend to.

They couldn’t stay for too long.

Chen Shuang, Cao Gang, and Cui Ya all left with them as well.

When only Lin Yi, Wei Nan, and the others were left,

they all brought their trays and gathered around.

"What did Captain Chu want with you?"

Wei Nan asked, his face full of curiosity.

Lin Yi shook his head. "Nothing much. Haven’t I gotten famous? He wanted my autograph!"

Wei Nan: "..."

"The school sent out a notice supporting student Demon Hunting. Did you see it?" Zhou Qi said in a low voice.

Lin Yi nodded. "We were just talking about that."

"I think with the school taking an open stance, Songshan City is going to be packed tonight!"

"If we want to go Demon Hunting, we’ll probably have to leave Songshan and try our luck in the surrounding cities!"

Wei Nan, who had been eating with his head down, paused.

He looked up at Lin Yi. "Other cities? Where to?"

"Fengcheng, Qingzhou, or Lishui City would all work."

"These are the cities Captain Chu suggested we go to."

Lin Yi mentioned the names of three cities, but deliberately left out Shannan Province.

He personally felt that regardless of whether it was a major disaster zone or not, it wasn’t a place they could go to at the moment.

Shannan Province was located in the Northwest War Zone, which meant it was under wartime jurisdiction.

Normally, there would be no problem there.

But things were different now. Plus, it was easy to tell from the reactions of Chu Zhengxiong and his people.

This influx of demons into the cities was definitely directly related to the Restricted Area Battlefield.

Although the battlefield hadn’t completely collapsed, their forces were already stretched to their limits.

Therefore, Shannan Province had become a major disaster zone.

The number of demons there was certainly higher than in other cities.

And based on Lin Yi’s own speculation, a small-scale battlefield had definitely formed there.

The garrisoned troops were probably engaged in an all-out war with the demons in Shannan Province.

The news was just being blacked out so it wouldn’t reach other provinces and cities, preventing mass panic.

If Lin Yi and his group went there now, they would inevitably be drawn into a war.

Besides, Wei Shang and Feng Lei hadn’t returned since they left a couple of days ago.

They might have also gone to Shannan Province as reinforcements.

There was no point in telling Wei Nan and the others about this.

It was better to just stick to the plan and clear out the demons in the surrounding cities first.

If the situation really became uncontrollable, they could figure out another plan then.

Wei Nan nodded and went back to eating.

Lin Yi glanced at Zhou Qi and Sun Tao. "After we finish eating, check the recent news."

"See which of these cities has the worst demon problem. We’ll go to that one."

"Alright!"

Zhou Qi nodded and resumed eating.

「A dozen or so minutes later.」

After they finished their meal, they all took out their phones to search for news.

After comparing the information, Wei Nan frowned and said, "Fengcheng and Lishui City. The demons are causing quite a stir in these two places."

"Especially the night before last, a demon broke into a shopping mall, injuring over thirty people and killing several. But the demon was killed on the spot by people from the Lishui City Demon Hunting Institute."

"Last night, the number of demons and beasts increased again!"

"They’re deliberately going to busy downtown areas, places with lots of people, to cause chaos!"

"It’s the same in Fengcheng. There’s been constant news about demons these past two days. They’re not afraid of people anymore. Why do I get the feeling these demons are intentionally creating this chaos just to spread panic?"

After reading the news,

Wei Nan commented, looking puzzled.

Lin Yi, Zhou Qi, and Sun Tao glanced at him.

They did get that feeling. With Songshan City as the epicenter,

the disturbances caused by demons in the surrounding cities seemed even greater.

And it was as if they were deliberately heading to crowded places, with a determination to die.

They were creating chaos again and again, drawing more and more attention.

This couldn’t help but remind Lin Yi of the time he came out of Jail City.

Jail City had been attacked by demons, creating a chaotic situation.

He’d heard that those demons were trying to break into Jail City to rescue the demons and beasts trapped inside, and that the child of some Demon King was trapped in there.

"Do you guys think it’s possible..."

"That this demon activity is actually related to Jail City? Maybe their goal is to breach Jail City and rescue the demons and beasts trapped inside?"

After Lin Yi finished speaking,

Wei Nan and Zhou Qi exchanged a look.

"Even if that is their goal, why don’t they just attack Jail City directly?"

Lin Yi shook his head. "It’s not that simple. Jail City itself has restrictions; it can’t be breached just because they want to."

"Besides, the guards there are all high-level. I saw that the lowest among them have 3-star cultivation. They’re not opponents you can just take on."

"Especially since there’s a unit from the Martial Arts Alliance garrisoned near Jail City!"

"Their numbers aren’t large, only a few hundred people, but that’s still a considerable force."

"I think these demons are causing trouble in the surrounding cities... could they be trying to lure the tiger away from the mountain? They want Songshan City to send reinforcements, and once the defensive forces here are weakened, they’ll launch an all-out assault on Jail City?"

This was all just Lin Yi’s personal speculation.

Zhou Qi and Wei Nan were both completely shocked.

"These demons are that intelligent? They’re already using tactics like luring the tiger away from the mountain?"

Lin Yi shot them a glance. "This isn’t our first time dealing with demons."

"The higher their realm, the higher their intelligence."

"This isn’t like the Old District, where demons are generally 1-star. Here, they’re 2-star and above."

"Just last night when we went Demon Hunting, it was hard to even find a demon below 3-star. Most of them were 3, 4, or 5-star. It’s not surprising they’re intelligent."

"What if there’s a powerful demon behind the scenes, orchestrating all this?"

Lin Yi’s words sent a chill down the spines of Wei Nan and the others.

’Intelligent demons? Wouldn’t that be even more terrifying?’

’They have intelligence, high realms, and can strategize and command others.’

’If they wanted to conquer a city, it wouldn’t be difficult at all.’

"If it’s really like you say, then this is terrifying!"

"A highly intelligent demon commander, even using a tactic like luring the tiger away from the mountain?"

"The terror of these demons is far beyond what we imagined!"

"Did you tell Captain Chu about any of this?"

Zhou Qi’s brow furrowed into a knot.

His expression grew serious.

Lin Yi shook his head. "Not yet."

"It’s better not to say anything for now. This is all just speculation, with no hard evidence. Knowing Captain Chu’s personality, if I told him, it might disrupt the Demon Hunting Bureau’s plans."

"Let’s just wait and see. If things really do develop in the direction you’re suggesting, it won’t be too late to say something then."

Zhou Qi nodded.

Lin Yi looked at them. "So, what’s the plan for tonight’s Demon Hunt?"

"Lishui City!"

"Public security there is chaotic, and the Demon Hunting Institute staff is overwhelmed."

"And I heard the Left Guard isn’t stationed there. The Demon Hunting Institute and the Public Security Bureau alone can’t handle it."

"Of the three cities, Lishui City is the most chaotic!"

Zhou Qi made the final decision.

Wei Nan and Sun Tao also nodded in agreement.

"I agree with Old Zhou. Public security in Lishui City is a mess right now, and the demons are running rampant."

"Tonight, we’re going to Lishui City!"

Lin Yi glanced at them. "Lishui City is over 260 kilometers away. Captain Chu said he could arrange a car for us. It would take about three to four hours by highway."

"We’d arrive before dark and stay in Lishui City for three days."

"If we leave at 3 PM, we can get there before 7 PM."

"But if we take the high-speed rail, it’ll only take about an hour and a half. What do you guys think?"

Zhou Qi and Wei Nan looked at each other.

"The situation in Songshan City isn’t looking good either."

"Let’s not trouble Captain Chu and his people. We’ll take the high-speed rail."

"We can save some time. The round trip will only be about three hours."

Lin Yi nodded. "Okay, I’ll call Captain Chu then."

He then took out his phone and dialed Chu Zhengxiong’s number.

It didn’t take long.

The call went through.

"What? You don’t need me to arrange a car for you?" Chu Zhengxiong sounded surprised.

Lin Yi nodded. "We’re planning to take the high-speed rail to Lishui City to save some time, so you don’t need to arrange a car for us."

Chu Zhengxiong was silent on the other end for a long moment.

"Alright, then. You all be careful. Call me if anything happens."

Lin Yi agreed before hanging up.

"We need to buy the high-speed rail tickets first. We still have some time this afternoon. What are you guys planning to do?"

Wei Nan glanced at the others and said with a smile, "Ever since I got back this morning, I’ve felt my Qi and Blood surging. I’m going to head to the Cultivation Field to check my Qi and Blood levels, and get some more practice in while there’s still time."

"Let’s leave the ticket buying to Old Zhou. He can get them for us."

Zhou Qi nodded. "Sure, leave it to me. You guys go do your own thing. I’ll let you know when I’ve got the tickets."

After settling the plan, they all left the cafeteria and went their separate ways.

Wei Nan and Sun Tao went to the Cultivation Field.

Zhou Qi went to the library by himself.

His injuries hadn’t fully healed yet, so he wasn’t suited for strenuous exercise.

But it wouldn’t affect things like Demon Hunting.

Lin Yi returned to his dorm to feed Xiaoqi.

While he was at it, he entered the [Blood Prison Map] to strengthen his Power of Heart and Mind.

Everyone was busy with their own tasks,

getting ready for the trip to Lishui City that afternoon.

Meanwhile, ever since the school posted the notice

allowing students to form teams for Demon Hunting,

all the dorm areas had come alive.

Regardless of gender or year,

everyone was in various group chats, looking for teams and teammates.

The whole place was buzzing with excitement.

Meanwhile, Xu Tai, whose injuries had not yet healed, was still recuperating in the hospital.

When he saw these messages, he couldn’t sit still.

Lying in his hospital bed, he looked at the chat history in the group.

It was filled with messages from people looking to form teams.

It made him restless and eager to join in.

"President, your wounds haven’t healed yet. Don’t be in such a rush to go Demon Hunting!"

"Focus on recovering first. It won’t be too late to go Demon Hunting after you’re all better!"

Another person beside him nodded. "That’s right. Don’t make your injuries worse just to go Demon Hunting. Didn’t the doctor say you can probably be discharged after another three to five days of rest?"

Xu Tai put down his phone and looked up at them.

"Three to five days? By then, they’ll have cleared out all the demons!"

"I’m pretty much recovered. I can be discharged now. How about you help me sneak out?"

"..."