Stepping on the Demoness to become the strongest

After flying over more than half of Lu Country, the Zhenhai Team finally landed at the airport and was subsequently picked up by the Dingbei Army to be taken to Baihe Town.

Baihe Town, located about 35 kilometers from Changbai Mountain, had an economy that largely depended on tourism. But since the Changbai Mountain tourist area was suddenly closed, the number of visitors had sharply declined, casting a somber mood over the entire town.

As soon as Yan Yu got off the car, he saw Liu Longtao and Ye Jun already waiting at the parking lot entrance.

"Old Liu, you came to pick us up personally?" Yan Yu asked in surprise, "I'm really flattered."

"It's a matter of courtesy, should be done," Liu Longtao said with a smile, then greeted Chen Lingyun who was behind him, "Ah, Ling Yun is here too?"

"What, did you think I wouldn't come?" Chen Lingyun narrowed her eyes.

"How could that be? After all, you are the 'deputy' captain of the Zhenhai Team," Liu Longtao chuckled, changing the subject, "The hotel we booked is not far from here, let's all settle in first."

"It's a hot spring hotel~" Ye Jun added with a laugh.

"A hot spring hotel?" The girls behind Yan Yu immediately lit up with excitement.

Everyone arrived at the hotel by car. The girls hurriedly changed clothes in their rooms and then went to the hot spring area for a bath.

Yan Yu wasn't particularly interested in hot springs. He wandered around the lobby in the hotel-issued slippers and happened to see Liu Longtao and Ye Jun coming out of the elevator.

"...So it's still not confirmed?" Liu Longtao asked with a frown.

"Mhm." Ye Jun sighed, saw Yan Yu in the lobby, and smiled, "Captain Yan, aren't you going to try the hot springs?"

"No need," Yan Yu waved his hand, "Too lazy to change clothes."

"Indeed." Liu Longtao gave Ye Jun a meaningful look, saying, "I'll go out and buy some things."

As he left through the door, Ye Jun found a sofa nearby and sat down, smiling:

"Captain Yan, want to have a chat?"

"What for?" Yan Yu joked with her, "To probe for intelligence?"

"Yes," Ye Jun replied playfully, "It's a honey trap, let's see if you dare take it."

"Alright," Yan Yu sat down on the sofa opposite her, "What do you want to ask?"

His straightforward attitude momentarily stumped Ye Jun.

But the girl from Jinmen was good at warming up the atmosphere, so she decided not to ask about intelligence right away and smiled:

"Did you bring enough clothes this time, Captain Yan? It's still quite cold here in Taining during the summer, not like the south where it's easily over thirty degrees."

"I didn't," Yan Yu observed her closely, "And you're not wearing much either, are you?"

Today, Deputy Captain Ye Jun was dressed in a thin white knitted pullover and soft, form-fitting trousers, looking less like a soldier about to go to battle and more like a city woman on vacation, an office executive perhaps.

Her hairstyle was still the cute short cut from before, and her facial features were precise and charming, but it was evident that she had applied some light makeup to conceal the heavy dark circles beneath her eyes.

"Well, we are in the hotel, with the heating and air conditioning set high, of course it's not cold," Ye Jun also laughed, saying, "Wait until we actually head to Changbai Mountain tomorrow, then you'll see if I wear a padded jacket or not."

"I've heard you've been staying up late recently," Yan Yu asked nonchalantly.

Ye Jun asked in surprise:

"Who did you hear that from?"

"So you don't deny it," Yan Yu immediately understood.
Explore stories at empire

"Ah, being the deputy captain," Ye Jun said nonchalantly, "so much to do, so little time, it's unavoidable."

"Isn't it because Old Liu dumps all the work on you?" Yan Yu pointed out sharply.

"Now, I don't like hearing that," Ye Jun said, her smile steady, retorting, "Each captain has their own leadership style. It's like how Ling Yun often complains about you in the group, and nobody takes it seriously..."

"Hold on." Yan Yu suddenly interrupted, his demeanor becoming serious, "What did Chen Lingyun complain about me?"

The deputy captains of the four teams had created a special group for deputy captains, where they exchanged experiences and tips on commanding their teams, something Yan Yu was certainly aware of.

But Chen Lingyun secretly speaking ill of me behind my back in the group... I'm sorry, I just can't tolerate that.

"Uh." Ye Jun suddenly felt a bit guilty, as if she had inadvertently turned into a snitch, and tried to laugh it off in an attempt to bluff her way through, "It's nothing really, I often complain about Captain Liu being a hands-off manager too, we all just vent in the group... what are you doing?"

Yan Yu had already taken out his phone and dialed Chen Lingyun's number.

"Hello?"

"Chen Lingyun, I hear you've been talking crap about me behind my back in other groups?" Yan Yu coldly asked.

"Oh?" A calm voice responded from the other end, "It was Ye Jun who told you, right?"

"Sorry, Ling Yun," Ye Jun said helplessly from the side, "My lips slipped, it's all my fault."

"It's okay," Chen Lingyun said with a laugh, "Yan Yu, you might have misunderstood, I didn't speak ill of you."

"Then what did you say?" Yan Yu asked expressionlessly.

"I merely shared the tactics of your training with the team as an experience for everyone," Chen Lingyun said nonchalantly, "I quoted exactly what I saw, without any exaggeration. That doesn't count as talking behind your back, right?"

"Indeed," Yan Yu said grimly, "since you like my training tactics so much, after we return this time, I'll create a personalized special training program just for you, how about that? Don't thank me; you deserve it."

As belittling as Chen Lingyun was, faced with Yan Yu's 'I'm the type to act rather than talk' aggressive approach, he didn't know what to say for a moment and just gave a dry laugh.

While there was silence on the other end, a beautiful woman entered the store from outside, glanced at the unattended counter, and walked towards Yan Yu and Ye Jun, speaking in Lu Country-accented language:

"Hello, is the owner in?"

A person from Goryeo? Ye Jun thought to herself.

There were many people from Goryeo in Jinmen Prefecture, especially around the era castle city area, so Ye Jun recognized the accent almost immediately.

"The owner is in the kitchen," Yan Yu said casually, "just call out and he'll come out."

"Okay, thank you." The person bowed deeply, and suddenly a glint of cold light flashed at the neckline.

In his left hand still holding the phone, Yan Yu's right hand casually lifted, and between his fingers already appeared a small sword—a sword a few inches long, gripped by his Barrier Charm-activated right hand, still buzzing as it tried to drill inward, like a venomous snake aiming for his face.

"What, looking for me?" Yan Yu smiled.

The woman suddenly straightened up, forcing the sword to break free from Yan Yu's hand. The small sword changed direction and stabbed viciously again, but it was knocked away by the Huang Tingjian from the side.

Ye Jun also reacted, quickly drawing the Xuan Guang Ruler from behind her waist and waving it lightly, sending a burst of light shooting out, casting down upon the woman's head.

The woman tried to dodge, but did not anticipate Yan Yu's coordinated attack as the Huang Tingjian circled behind her, directly knocking her into the range of the light, trapping her instantly, leaving her unable to move.

"How interesting." Yan Yu calmly stood up, looking at the small sword on the ground that had lost control.

The small sword was dull in color and only two-thirds the length of an adult's arm, making it very suitable for concealment on one's person—it was specifically designed for assassination.

Yan Yu pondered for a moment and then instructed Ye Jun:

"Keep an eye on her and call the Dingbei Army over right away."

"What about you?" Ye Jun also hurriedly took out her phone.

The team captain being attacked by an unknown cultivator was a very serious matter, so serious that Ye Jun didn't know what would be best to do... But Yan Yu was right, the military needed to be called to handle the situation immediately.

Yan Yu did not answer, but spoke into his phone instead:

"Did you hear that? Spa time is over, everyone on battle alert, immediately."

He hung up the call and then asked Ye Jun again:

"Where did Old Liu go?"

Shit, Captain Liu was still outside! Ye Jun was suddenly alarmed.

If even Captain Yan was targeted by an assassin, she wasn't naive enough to think Liu Longtao could be spared. She was just about to send a message to Lord Master when suddenly a loud bang was heard from outside.

The fury of the True Dragon, echoing through a thousand miles!