Immortality: Grinding Experience Starting as a Paper Craftsman

Chapter 74 Returning to Familiar Places, Wisdom Appears as Foolishness

In Changning County, inside the Demon Suppression Division's headquarters, the silver frost in the charcoal brazier crackled and popped.

A tiny oil lamp flickered in the damp air, casting two long, slender shadows onto the mottled wall.

Xiao Chen, the man in blue from the Demon Suppression Division back then, was sitting on a gleaming armchair, with the longsword that had been with him for many years lying across his knees.

He was wiping the sword blade again and again with a piece of clean white deerskin, his movements as gentle as if he were caressing a lover's hand.

The sword's blade, as smooth as autumn water, reflected his calm and stern face.

"Senior brother, could you please stop wiping?"

Finally, Song Hong couldn't take it anymore. She slammed the willow-leaf throwing knife she was holding onto the table with a thud. "Just hearing that sound annoys me. What are they thinking at headquarters? Sending a mere Qi Refining stage inner disciple as commander? Do they think we haven't lost enough people in Changning County already?"

Song Hong was dressed in her signature red outfit, and from behind, she looked just like a red-tasseled spear.

Time hadn't left many marks on her face, but the fierce look between her brows was a bit more intense than before.

"Calm your mind."

Xiao Chen didn't even look up, and said calmly, "The Flowing Cloud Sect is, after all, a superior sect. Even if the inner disciples they send are just good-for-nothings trying to gain experience, we still have to give them face. As long as they don't give bad orders and ruin our plans, we'll just treat them well."

"Moreover, the appointment document from the Liuyun Sect clearly states that although this Commander Gu Changsheng's cultivation level is not high, he has great fortune. Not only did he make outstanding contributions in the war between the righteous and the demonic, but he is also a local of Changning County and is familiar with the local customs and traditions."

"Can abundant blessings fill your stomach? Can familiarity with local customs and traditions slay demons and monsters?"

Song Hong scoffed, "I think he's probably just a good-for-nothing second-generation rich kid. You'd be better off relying on that paper seller from three years ago."

When the topic turned to the small business owner who sold paper, the two men fell silent for a moment, a rare occurrence.

Xiao Chen sheathed his sword, which emitted a clear humming sound.

"That's a different matter," he said casually.

Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside the door, followed by a captain who pushed the door open and entered, soaking wet, bowing and saying:

"My lords, the new commander has arrived and is waiting in the main hall."

Song Hong rolled her eyes and pulled out a throwing knife from the table: "Let's go, let's go see this blessed Lord Gu."

……

In the main hall, Gu Yan stood with his hands behind his back, looking with great interest at a map of Changning County hanging on the wall.

He maintained his slightly sickly pale face, wearing the blue Daoist robe of an inner disciple of the Flowing Cloud Sect, with a jade pendant symbolizing his identity hanging at his waist.

After half a year, Gu Yan returned to this land. He didn't feel much trepidation about returning home. Instead, he felt the excitement of a hunter returning to the hunting ground.

In the past six months, Changning County has undergone significant changes. The roads are wider, and there are even more vendors and laborers.

"Gu Changsheng, an inner disciple of the Liuyun Sect, greets his two colleagues."

Hearing footsteps behind him, Gu Yan slowly turned around, a harmless and honest smile on his face, and cupped his hands in greeting to Xiao Chen and Song Hong who had entered.

Xiao Chen's eyes were sharp as he sized up Gu Yan.

He was at the ninth level of Qi Refining, his aura was weak yet resilient, his eyes were clear, and his demeanor was calm, completely lacking the arrogance of disciples from major sects.

My first impression wasn't too bad.

"My name is Xiao Chen, and this is my younger sister, Song Hong."

Xiao Chen returned the greeting, "Commander Gu, you must be tired from your journey."

"Not at all, it's all for the sect's sake."

Gu Yan quickly waved his hand and said with a wry smile, "You two can just call me Junior Brother or by my name. I am unworthy of the title of Commander. To be honest, although I am called Commander, I still have to rely on you two for the real skills of subduing demons and monsters."

These words were spoken with utmost sincerity, even carrying a hint of weakness, leaving Song Hong, who had originally intended to give him a hard time, with nowhere to vent her anger.

As the saying goes, you can't hit a smiling face. Gu Changsheng's slippery methods are just like those of a seasoned old fox.

The three took their seats as host and guest, and the captain served them hot tea.

"Since Junior Brother Gu is a local, I wonder if you have heard about the series of changes that occurred in Changning County three years ago?" Xiao Chen asked casually, holding his teacup.

Gu Yan's heart stirred, but his face showed a look of reminiscence:

"Of course I know. At that time, I was still cultivating at home and had not yet joined a sect. I heard that it was a time of great turmoil. Master Yin was causing trouble, the Black Dragon Gang was destroyed, the White Spirit Sect took the opportunity to cause chaos, and even a master from the Blood River Sect perished here. If it weren't for the two great masters of the Demon Suppression Division, Changning County would probably have become a living hell long ago."

This flattery was perfectly timed and gave the recipient plenty of face.

After all, although Song Hong and Xiao Chen's positions were not as high as his, their cultivation had reached the peak of Qi Refining after three years. However, due to the lack of background, they were here to gain seniority and wait for a breakthrough.

Gu Yan disdained to engage in a momentary verbal sparring and took the initiative to soften his stance, which naturally lessened Song Hong's prejudice against this newly appointed superior.

Song Hong's expression softened slightly, and she snorted coldly, "If we had relied on ourselves alone, we probably wouldn't have been able to succeed so smoothly. Back then, there was a highly skilled person in this city who didn't want to show his face."

"Oh? A master?" Gu Yan expressed his curiosity at the opportune moment.

Xiao Chen gently blew away the foam on the tea, looked up at the window, in the direction of Gu's paper-making shop: "About four years ago, there was a paper-making shop in the west of the city. The young owner of that shop was a remarkable person, young in age, with superb paper-making skills. He was behind the fox demon case, the Yin Master case, and even the battle at the mortuary later."

Standing up and stretching, Song Hong added, "Yes, he was too naive back then. He left too many loose ends. If we hadn't secretly covered for him a few times, like suppressing the report about the sedan chair mechanism, he would have been arrested by his superiors long ago."

"At the time, I thought, this kid's new to the world, so he's bound to be naive. If he can grow up, he might be a help. Sigh..."

Song Hong shook her head regretfully.

Gu Yan sat opposite them, listening to their comments on his performance, and his heart skipped a beat.

I had done it flawlessly back then, so how come these two people described it as if it were a treasure?

He remained outwardly calm, probing, "Since you have such a powerful expert assisting you, why don't you two recruit him into the Demon Suppression Division?"

"Recruit him?" Song Hong glanced at Gu Yan with a half-smile. "That kid is very slippery. He always pretends to be timid and cowardly. If we expose him, he'll probably have to pack his bags and run away the next day."

Xiao Chen put down his teacup and let out a soft sigh:

"Actually, we noticed it the first time he used paper figures to trap the fox demon. How could a mortal paper craftsman make something with such spiritual power? It's just that the situation was chaotic at the time. Although he acted mysteriously, he always stood on the side of slaying demons and even secretly helped us out of trouble many times."

"If the water is too clear, there will be no fish. Since he is a friend, not an enemy, and doesn't want to cause trouble, why should we expose him? Letting him have some peace and quiet is also leaving ourselves a way out."

At this point, Xiao Chen smiled meaningfully: "It's a pity that the little boss disappeared half a year ago. Now that I think about it, I kind of miss that little guy who secretly handed me the knife."

Gu Yan sat in the chair, his hand holding the teacup tightening for a moment, then quickly relaxing, a forced smile on his face.

"I see. You two are truly wise in their apparent foolishness."

He praised her outwardly, but inwardly he mocked himself fiercely.

Indeed, back then, when I first transmigrated, I was young and ignorant, thinking that I had done everything perfectly, and even feeling smug that I had the Demon Suppression Division under my control and used others to do my dirty work.

Looking back now, the methods used were indeed too naive.

The spiritual energy fluctuations on the paper figure, the coincidental information, and the overly professional corpse disposal methods... aren't they all flaws?

It wasn't that they didn't notice, but they were too lazy to expose it. Because this trick was to their advantage, they tacitly cooperated in playing the role of the one in the dark.

If it weren't for their tacit approval and indulgence, I probably would have died before I even grew up.

This served as a wake-up call for him.

Although I now possess considerable strength, I still need to be more cautious when facing a true old fox.

"Thank goodness, thank goodness I've changed my identity now." Gu Yan secretly rejoiced.

Now he has changed his temperament using the "Turtle and Snake Breath Concealing Technique," and with the addition of the identity of Gu Changsheng, his appearance has also changed drastically.

Even sitting face to face, these two would never have guessed that the timid and submissive commander in front of them was the same little boss they had indulged back then.

"Let's get back to the main topic."

Xiao Chen changed the subject, his eyes sharpening again, "Sir, now that you've taken over as commander, it's up to you to make the decisions on the current case."

Gu Yan immediately composed himself and said seriously, "Please speak, Senior Brother."