"Don’t jinx it! Since Lord Gu dared to enter the passage, he must have a trump card."

"Exactly. The Demon Tribe on the other side of the Yan Gui Ridge passage was completely wiped out. Lord Gu’s power is definitely on par with the Third-Rank! At the very least, he has the means to kill a Third-Rank Demon Fiend!"

"That may be so, but there’s been no sign of him for so long. It’s hard not to get anxious."

"..."

The group of men muttered amongst themselves.

Xiong Zengming heard them. He didn’t show much on the surface, but deep down, he was also uneasy.

But there was nothing he could do but wait.

...

On the third day, Gu Zheng still hadn’t returned.

On the fourth day, Gu Zheng still hadn’t shown himself.

By the fifth day, it wasn’t just his subordinates—even Xiong Zengming was getting frantic.

They waited another anxious day.

On the sixth day, Gu Zheng was still gone.

"This won’t do. I have to go into the passage and see for myself."

Xiong Zengming’s aura flared. His eyes bloodshot, he charged straight for the river.

"Sir, calm down!"

His subordinates rushed to stop him.

"That’s right, sir! Lord Gu only dared to enter the passage because he had a plan. If we go over to the other side, what if we run into a Third-Rank Demon Fiend...?"

"Sir, let’s just wait two more days. What if Lord Gu comes back tomorrow?"

"Yes, yes, let’s wait two more days. If Lord Gu still isn’t back by then, we’ll..."

BOOM—

SPLASH!

Suddenly, the surface of the river exploded, sending a massive spray of water high into the air.

A dark shadow shot out from the water, trailing a ferocious aura as it soared through the air toward the riverbank.

THUD!

With a heavy thud, mud flew everywhere, and the ground trembled slightly.

A six-meter-long catfish Demon Fiend landed on the bank less than twenty paces from the group, a gaping hole in its head.

Standing atop the catfish’s head was a slender figure with sharp brows and black hair, dressed in dark, practical attire.

It was Gu Zheng!

"Lord Gu?"

"Lord Gu is back!"

"This is great! He’s finally back, and he’s not even hurt."

"..."

Recognizing Gu Zheng, the men burst into excited cheers after a moment of stunned silence.

Xiong Zengming let out a long sigh of relief, his tense mind finally relaxing. He cleared his throat twice and stepped forward to greet Gu Zheng.

"Lord Gu, you’ve been through a lot."

"It was nothing." Gu Zheng gestured to the catfish Demon Fiend at his feet and said lightly, "I ran into this Fish Demon on my way back. It’s edible, so I brought it back for everyone to have a little extra with their meal."

"Thank you, Lord Gu!" Xiong Zengming said with a salute.

Hearing this, the others followed suit, thanking him with deep bows.

"Thank you, Lord Gu!"

"It’s amazing that Lord Gu was still thinking of us, even after going to the other side."

"Lord Gu, how did it go with the Demon Fiends?"

"Shut your mouth! Can’t you see Lord Gu has been fighting for six days?"

"I was just—"

"’Just’ what?! You have no right to speak here! Get lost!"

"..."

Amidst the chorus of thanks, the group started to argue.

"The Demon Fiends have been dealt with."

Gu Zheng glanced at the crowd and said calmly, "There were no Third-Rank Demon Fiends on the other side. It was mainly two types: Shrimp-headed Demon Fiends and Tentacle Demon Fiends. I’ve killed most of the Shrimp-headed ones; there aren’t many left. All of the Tentacle Demon Fiends have been eliminated. They were scattered all over the place, and hunting them all down is what took so much time."

Fortunately, he had acquired the "Underwater Walking" Demon Technique. Otherwise, Gu Zheng truly wouldn’t have been able to stay in the water for days on end. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

As he finished speaking, the scene fell silent.

"Does that mean... our passage here will be peaceful for a while, Lord Gu?" a Commander asked cautiously.

Gu Zheng glanced at the man and nodded. "Correct."

"Whoa~!"

"Lord Gu is incredible!"

"So powerful, Lord Gu!"

"He’s pacified another Second-Rank passage! That means all four of Dahong Prefecture’s Second-Rank passages have been dealt with!"

"This is unprecedented, a new record! Lord Gu set this record all by himself!"

"..."

The Demon Suppression Guards cheered, their voices filled with excitement, astonishment, and awe.

Though Xiong Zengming didn’t join the shouting, the shock and elation in his heart were equally hard to contain.

This wasn’t something a person could lie about.

The moment the report was uploaded to the Treasure Mirror at the Demon Slayer Bureau headquarters, the truth would be known.

In other words, Gu Zheng had truly wiped out the Shrimp-headed Demon Fiends’ nest and all of the Tentacle Demon Fiends.

He alone had pacified all four of Dahong Prefecture’s Second-Rank passages!

...

「Longxi County, Yan Gui Ridge.」

Xing Zhilong, having just completed the handover and preparing to depart, felt his Guerrilla General Token vibrate.

He took it out and read the message. His body jolted. A moment later, he took a deep breath, a look of astonishment spreading across his face as he clicked his tongue in amazement.

"Incredible. He actually pulled it off."

"Lord Xing, who pulled it off?" asked a Hundred Households who was taking over the Garrison, leaning in curiously.

"Who else? Gu Zheng, a Guerrilla General just like me!"

Xing Zhilong replied casually, "A few days ago, Gu went to the passages at Youmen County and Fish Scale Town. Said he wanted to try his hand at pacifying them, and now he’s done it."

"Huh?"

The Hundred Households exclaimed, his eyes wide. "Lord Gu really succeeded? Doesn’t that mean all four of Dahong Prefecture’s Second-Rank passages have been pacified?"

"That’s right!"

Xing Zhilong sighed with admiration. "That Gu... he’s truly remarkable!"

The Hundred Households stood with his mouth agape, lost in profound shock.

...

「Sanming County.」

"What a man, that Gu Zheng... Gu Ping’an!"

Gao Liezhan, who had just slain a roaming Scattered Demon, put away his Communication Token, his face filled with amazement.

"Sir, what great deed has Lord Gu accomplished now?" the Commander beside him asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Oh, Lord Gu pacified the two Second-Rank passages at Yan Gui Ridge and Fish Scale Town," Gao Liezhan replied nonchalantly, but inwardly, he felt a strange sense of excitement.

"What?"

The Commander and the men beside him stared wide-eyed, their faces a mask of pure shock.

’Gu Zheng pacified the other two Second-Rank passages?’

’Doesn’t that mean all of Dahong Prefecture’s Second-Rank passages are secure now!?’

...

「Dahong Prefecture City.」

Yu Quandong, who had just finished reporting for duty and was sharing a laugh with a Hundred Households, received the news.