landbeastnovel Chapter 4 Demon Suppression Division
Chapter 4 Demon Suppression Division
Zhao Zimin was the first to come to his senses.
"I say, Brother Changming..."
He leaned closer to Su Changming, lowered his voice, and his tone was full of gossip:
"Didn't you just get off the ship yesterday? When did this happen? What's that girl's name? Where is she from? What does her family do? You're something else, aren't you!"
Chen Boran nodded in agreement, though he didn't say anything, but his eyes clearly said, "I want to know too."
Su Changming was speechless for a moment.
A lone man and a lone woman.
We were in the same room.
And they had only just disembarked, they hadn't even finished unpacking their luggage...
How do you explain this?
They say it hatched from an egg?
He's probably going to be sent to a mental hospital.
Su Changming subconsciously turned his gaze to the girl in school uniform beside him, but she didn't even lift her eyes.
Well, looking at her is pointless.
Su Changming coughed lightly, his mind racing:
"She's my distant cousin, her name is... Zhou Ling!"
The surname "Zhou" was not something Su Changming made up arbitrarily.
First of all, the fact that cousins share the same surname "Su" makes it easy for them to be exposed.
The girl's black outfit and tone of voice clearly indicated a connection to the previous dynasty.
The imperial surname of the Great Qian Dynasty was Zhou.
Since I have so generously bestowed upon her the surname "Zhou," there is no need for thanks.
After saying that, Su Changming secretly observed the bell beside him.
Whether it was a misperception or not, the moment she heard the name "Zhou Ling," a very subtle look of bewilderment seemed to flash across the girl's usually calm eyes.
However, upon closer inspection, she still maintains that aloof and indifferent demeanor, seemingly unapproachable to everyone.
Although the reason given by the "cousin" was lame, since Su Changming insisted on it, Zhao and Chen couldn't delve into it further.
The two exchanged a glance and gave each other a knowing smile.
……
After a few jokes and banter, the sky outside the window gradually darkened.
The afterglow of the setting sun spilled onto the bluestone pavement, turning this city, which is half bustling and half weathered, into a golden-red hue.
"Alright, it's getting late, let's go eat!" Zhao Zimin took out his pocket watch, glanced at it, and waved his hand generously. "I've already made reservations, Taifeng Restaurant! It's one of the top restaurants in Shenghai Beach, perfect for calming Brother Changming's nerves, and also to welcome... Cousin Zhou back!"
The group walked out of the hotel.
As soon as they reached the street, Ling, who had been silently following behind Su Changming, suddenly stopped.
She didn't look in the direction of Taifeng Restaurant that Zhao Zimin pointed out, but stared straight at the street corner.
There, the old man carrying the straw target was preparing to pack up his stall.
On the straw target, only a few strings of candied hawthorns remained.
Bright red and shiny.
The girl just stared at him without saying a word.
"..."
Su Changming immediately understood what she meant when he saw her like this.
He stopped and turned to Zhao Zimin and Chen Boran, saying, "Zimin, Boran, you two go to Taifeng Restaurant to order first, I'll be right there."
Zhao Zimin was stunned for a moment, then followed Ling's gaze and immediately understood.
"Oh—I got it!" He chuckled, patted Su Changming on the shoulder, "Alright, we'll head over first. Brother Changming, take your time buying, no rush!"
After saying that, he grabbed Chen Boran, winked at him, and quickly left.
After the two walked away, Su Changming sighed helplessly and walked to the stall.
"Grandpa, a skewer of candied hawthorns, please."
"Alright! Two cents a skewer, here you go!"
Su Changming paid, took the string of hawthorns covered in glistening sugar coating, and turned to hand it to Ling.
"Here, this is for you."
Looking at the candied hawthorn in front of her, a faint glimmer of light finally appeared in Ling's usually calm eyes.
She naturally reached out and took the string of candied hawthorns.
Then, under Su Changming's watchful gaze, the girl opened her mouth and took a small bite.
"Click."
A crisp sound of sugar coating cracking rang out.
Su Changming looked at her expectantly, wanting to ask her if it tasted good.
However, Ling completely ignored him.
One bite, two bites, three bites.
His cheeks were bulging, but his icy expression remained unchanged.
Huffing and puffing, like a hamster hoarding goods.
In just a few seconds, she ate the entire string of candied hawthorns clean.
Finally, still wanting more, he gently licked the sugar residue from the corner of his mouth.
Su Changming was dumbfounded.
"That... bell?"
"Um?"
Hearing Su Changming's call, the girl finally raised her head somewhat blankly, looking as if to say, "Why are you calling me?"
Seeing that he didn't speak, she simply threw the bamboo skewer in her hand into the trash can next to her with a blank expression.
Then, she turned around and walked lightly toward Taifenglou.
"..."
Su Changming stood there, watching the graceful figure in the female student uniform walk away, his lips twitching wildly.
"Wait... could you at least tell me if it's good or not?"
……
Taifenglou.
Zhao Zimin was a local bigwig in Shenghai Beach. His family was in the textile business and had considerable assets. He casually asked for a private room on the second floor facing the street and ordered a table full of Shenghai specialties.
Large sea cucumber with shrimp, sweet and sour pork ribs, poached chicken, braised carp lung, and of course, the indispensable eight-treasure duck.
The steaming hot dishes were served, and the atmosphere immediately became lively.
The three of them clinked glasses and chatted about their experiences overseas and interesting stories from Sheng Hai.
Meanwhile, Ling was silently waging a desperate battle with the pile of food in front of her.
She ate with impeccable manners, chewing slowly and carefully, but this did not affect how quickly she finished her food.
After several rounds of drinks and five courses of food,
The street downstairs suddenly became noisy, followed by a series of urgent whistles.
"Get out of the way! Get out of the way!"
"When the military is on duty, those who don't want to die should get lost!"
The once bustling street instantly descended into chaos, with vendors hastily packing up their stalls and pedestrians scrambling to escape into roadside shops.
Su Changming frowned slightly and looked down towards the window.
The once bustling street had been cleared out, leaving a narrow passage.
A group of soldiers in gray uniforms were marching past in neat formation.
But this group of soldiers was different from the ordinary Beiyang Army that Su Changming had seen.
Each of them had a black cloth band wrapped around their left arm, and what they carried on their backs were not Hanyang rifles, but long, strip-shaped objects wrapped in black cloth that looked like some kind of cold weapon.
Moreover, these soldiers were all unusually pale, with cold eyes, and exuded an indescribable chilling aura.
In the middle of the procession, eight tall horses pulled a huge black carriage.
The carriage was completely black, with no windows, and its surface was covered with yellow talismans that rustled in the cold wind.
Several thick iron chains tightly bound the carriage, producing dull thuds as the carriage swayed.
"Which unit are these soldiers from?" Zhao Zimin also came over, looking puzzled. "I've been in Shenghai for so many years, and I've never seen soldiers dressed like this before. They don't look like they're from the Zhili clique, nor do they look like they're from the Fengtian clique."
Ling glanced at it, merely raised an eyebrow slightly, made no comment, and then continued eating.
"Those are people from the Demon Suppression Division."
Chen Boran, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up.
He pushed up his glasses, the lenses reflecting a cold light, and his expression became more serious than ever before.
"The Demon Suppression Division?" Zhao Ziming was taken aback. "Isn't that something made up by storytellers in teahouses?"
"It's not made up." Chen Boran looked at the departing soldiers and said in a low voice, "My father works in the Ministry of Education of the Beiping government. I once heard him mention that there are some abnormal events in this world that cannot be explained by science. In order to maintain social stability, the government secretly established a special agency three years ago, which is publicly known as the 'Special Security Maintenance Office,' but its internal code name is—Demon Suppression Division."
Chen Boran turned his head, looked at Su Changming, and said in a serious tone:
"It seems the matter concerning the Victoria has been taken over by the Demon Suppression Division."