Chapter 242: Seeing Zhang Tianyang Again
Guo Zhen's head hit the ground, instantly shocking the numerous Xuanjia Guards surrounding him.
There were always internal conflicts within the Demon Cleansing Bureau, mostly among hot-blooded young men who could hardly tolerate each other, and it was not unusual for them to stir up trouble over trivial matters.
However, those conflicts were typically under control, but today's eruption from Han Zheng was intense, making the act of direct killing a rare occurrence.
Guo Zhen's head rolled to the feet of Cui Zeyuan, his eyes still filled with disbelief and regret.
He might have been regretting his decision to return to the Resonating Demon Department. If he had not returned, if he had not appeared before Han Zheng, he might still have had a chance to save his own life.
Cui Zeyuan was especially agitated at this moment.
Guo Zhen's death was not really significant; he had only been a sycophantic, insignificant character before Cui Zeyuan.
Even after Cui Zeyuan returned to Southern Mountain, when Guo Zhen came to see him, Cui Zeyuan barely remembered who he was.
But now, Han Zheng had killed Guo Zhen right in front of him, which was a direct slap in his face, and a resonating one at that!
Wrapping the Coiling Dragon Spear in his hand with a terrifying killing intent, Han Zheng scoffed, seemingly ready to continue the fight.
At that moment, two men pushed through the crowd to Cui Zeyuan's side.
"Cui brother, what happened? Why are you fighting with someone?"
Both men looked about the same age as Cui Zeyuan—one dressed in Xuan Armor with a white inner lining, his expression cold and brooding; the other always wearing a smile, looking very amiable.
Yang Tianqi quickly whispered to Han Zheng from behind, "Brother Han, that one with the cold face is 'Demon Flame Hand' Pang Zhen's disciple, Si Xingyan, and the always smiling one is 'Blood Drink Saber' Lu Tianfang's disciple, Tang Jue.
Before you came to the Demon Cleansing Department, those three and Brother Su were called the four young paragons of the Southern Mountain Demon Cleansing Department.
However, they all have backing, unlike Brother Su, so their influence is somewhat weaker."
Cui Zeyuan pointed at Han Zheng and said coldly, "This Han Zheng is audacious, daring to kill a colleague inside the Demon Cleansing Department's government office, right in front of me! How could I forgive him!"
Hearing this, Si Xingyan frowned and scoffed, "These newcomers are becoming more and more arrogant. Weren't you thinking of yourself too highly in the Demon Cleansing Department when we were not around?"
Tang Jue, still smiling, spoke chilling words, "So, you are Han Zheng. I've heard much about you.
Yet what you've done is too much, to actually kill a colleague inside the Demon Cleansing Department's government office. These aren't the disorderly people from the Martial World or brutal Demons, but one of our own.
Tsk tsk, you just became a Demon Sweeping Captain and you're already so ruthless to your own people. What will happen if you rise higher in rank?"
Si Xingyan's attitude was arrogant, clearly not taking Han Zheng seriously.
And while Tang Jue appeared friendly with his ever-smiling face, his words were venomous, continually throwing serious accusations at Han Zheng.
Just as Han Zheng scoffed about to say something, a familiar voice suddenly came from behind him.
"When did the Demon Cleansing Department start valuing seniority over merit? What does it matter if he's a newcomer? Brother Han's achievements are no less than any of yours!"
Turning around, Han Zheng saw Su Wuming and Ye Liuyun approaching and standing beside him.
The previous statement had been made by Ye Liuyun.
Su Wuming was more concise, drawing out his Coiling Dragon Spear and pointing it emotionlessly at Cui Zeyuan and the others, "You always liked to stick together before, but Brother Han is not alone. If it's a fight you want, then let's fight!"
Tang Jue's smile gradually faded, his brow furrowing slightly.
Previously, he thought Han Zheng was alone; he hadn't expected Su Wuming and Ye Liuyun to stand by his side.
Su Wuming, they knew well; despite being plagued with bad luck, his talent and combat power were nothing less than theirs.
If not for his misfortune, Su Wuming's cultivation might even surpass all three of them by now.
And there was Ye Liuyun, whose previous performance had been extremely impressive, only slightly inferior to the four.
Having not seen Ye Liuyun for months, he had also stepped into the Xuan Gang Realm, his cultivation rivaling theirs, certainly not an easy opponent to contend with.
Rumors had been that Han Zheng had joined the Demon Cleansing Department only a few months ago, so how had Su Wuming and Ye Liuyun come to stand so firmly by his side, even risking a fallout with their own?
"Wow, quite the lively scene here, you guys just got back to Southern Mountain and already it's all swords drawn, is this really necessary?"
Another familiar voice rang out.
The newcomer was clad in Purple Gold Sky Wolf Armor, with a fierce look and a ferocious scar on his face—it was the long-unseen Zhang Tianyang!
At this moment, Zhang Tianyang too had entered the Xuan Gang Realm, and his aura was thick and powerful, astonishingly at the peak of the Xuan Gang Realm.
Even to Han Zheng's eyes, Zhang Tianyang seemed to have traces of the Dan Sea Realm about him, almost as if he was at the half-step Dan Sea Realm.
Han Zheng was slightly stunned, apparently not expecting Zhang Tianyang's cultivation to have advanced so rapidly.
Back during the battle in Black Stone County, Zhang Tianyang had been gravely injured, his vital energy even damaged.
In just a few months, Zhang Tianyang had progressed from the Half-step Xuan Gang Realm to the half-step Dan Sea Realm, a rate of growth that definitely wasn't possible through cultivation alone.
At this time, people like Cui Zeyuan also looked at Zhang Tianyang with a hint of wariness in their eyes.
Zhang Tianyang was older than them by quite a bit, and strictly speaking, he should be considered of the same generation as Pei Xiuyuan.
However, Zhang Tianyang's reputation in the Southern Mountain Demon Cleansing Department was immense, known for his righteousness and generosity, and he liked to support the younger generation.
Aside from being a bit strict, he was nearly flawless, and many newcomers owed him favors.
If Cui Zeyuan and his group were to get into a conflict with Zhang Tianyang, most of the Xuanjia Guard would definitely not stand by his side.
Tang Jue said with a benevolent smile, "Lord Zhang, it's not that we wanted things to escalate to this point, but Han Zheng was just too ruthless in his attack.
After all, we are colleagues from the Demon Cleansing Bureau, and he just killed someone without so much as a word—how can this be justified?"
"Colleagues from the Demon Cleansing Bureau? But as far as I know, Guo Zhen was expelled from the Demon Cleansing Bureau by Lord Wen personally several months ago."
Zhang Tianyang narrowed his eyes as he spoke.
Cui Zeyuan snorted coldly, "But I've already discussed this matter with my master, and I brought Guo Zhen here today to get him reinstated in the Demon Cleansing Bureau!"
"So you're saying, Guo Zhen hasn't officially returned to the Demon Cleansing Bureau yet, hasn't put on that Xuan Armor, right?"
Zhang Tianyang's expression suddenly darkened, and he said coldly, "An expelled scoundrel now hoping to return to the Demon Cleansing Bureau.
And he hasn't even put on the Xuan Armor yet and dares to threaten the Xuanjia Guard. If he were to put on the Xuan Armor again, who knows how arrogant he might become!
Killing a colleague is indeed a serious matter, but all Han Zheng did was kill a scoundrel daring to spout nonsense in our Demon Cleansing Bureau's government office—is there a problem with that?"
Tang Jue and Si Xingyan both gave Cui Zeyuan a reproachful look.
They all knew Guo Zhen had once been a Xuanjia Guard, but they didn't know about Guo Zhen being expelled from the Smoke Wave Prefecture Demon Cleansing Bureau.
So Tang Jue and Si Xingyan really thought Han Zheng had recklessly killed a member of the Demon Cleansing Bureau, which emboldened them to confront Han Zheng on behalf of Cui Zeyuan.
Who would have thought that Guo Zhen was currently just a civilian? So why the righteous indignation?
If he's not a Xuanjia Guard, then he's not one of us.
As long as Han Zheng firmly insists that Guo Zhen was the first to be presumptuous and threatened one of our own, then his death is merely his own fault.
Moreover, with Zhang Tianyang and others supporting Han Zheng today, facing four against three, they aren't likely to come out on top.
Cui Zeyuan said bitterly, "Let's go!"
Si Xingyan didn't say a word, but Tang Jue smiled at Zhang Tianyang, "It seems it was all just a misunderstanding, my apologies, Lord Zhang. Brother Han, please accept my apologies too."
The three left, and the other Xuanjia Guards who had come to watch also dispersed.
Zhang Tianyang turned and intensely scrutinized Han Zheng, then burst out laughing, "You're a fine lad!
I was definitely right about you from the beginning—if you joined the Demon Cleansing Bureau you would surely shine.
But I never expected that in just a few months, you'd have accomplished so much, and now you've even become a Demon Sweeping Captain.
I really wasn't wrong about you!"