The rest followed as a matter of course.
After Chen Xiao explained the situation to the Grand Chief and expressed his wish to investigate Shen Li'an, the Grand Chief readily agreed. Not only was there their cooperative relationship, but if what Chen Xiao said was true, Shen Li'an truly deserved to be an official in charge of a region. Moreover, Chen Xiao could have resolved the issue his own way, perhaps by killing him with a single blow. But he didn't, indicating he was still considerate of his reputation.
Thus, after that phone call, Shen Li'an was taken away to assist in the investigation. While it was termed "assisting in the investigation," Shen Li'an's ashen face made it clear that this old fellow was finished. He had weathered numerous storms throughout his life, growing into a towering tree. Yet, he never expected to capsize in a gutter, his ambitions dashed.
Shen Li'an's future fate was a trivial matter to Chen Xiao, and he paid it no mind. Through this maneuver, his objective was achieved; he had established his prestige in Jiangcheng, his own stronghold. From now on, anyone who dared to bully someone related to Chen Xiao would truly be blind.
Mo Junsheng, as the mayor of Jiangcheng, was filled with apprehension after the day's events. Fortunately, Chen Xiao didn't pursue the matter further, or he wouldn't have escaped either. He didn't know that Chen Xiao's leniency wasn't forgetfulness, but a gesture of goodwill due to their past relationship, hoping he would mend his ways.
Besides Mo Junsheng, Song Zijian's heart was also churning with mixed emotions. When Song Zijian first met Chen Xiao, he only knew him as a capable young man, and they could still be considered brothers. But now, Chen Xiao had grown into someone who could casually call the Grand Chief. The gap between them was as vast as heaven and earth. Even if Chen Xiao still called him "Brother Song," he was hesitant to accept.
Among all those who experienced the events of the day, Wu Feier was the most profoundly shaken. The incident originated because of her, and it resulted in the downfall of a high-ranking official who stood at the pinnacle of Jiangbei. She could never have imagined this in her wildest dreams. Unbeknownst to her, Chen Xiao had already reached such heights. And every time she thought of Chen Xiao calling her his woman, it felt like a sea of flowers blooming in her heart, filling her with immeasurable sweetness.
After this minor interlude, Chen Xiao didn't linger at home. He was racing against time; every day, every hour, every minute, and every second was crucial to him. He had decided to venture into the Immortal Hidden Realm, but before that, he needed to visit Southern Xinjiang. Tu Shan Che had told Chen Xiao to find him in Southern Xinjiang before heading to the Immortal Hidden Realm. He intended to let Chen Xiao use the cultivation sacred land of the demon race. Although Chen Xiao didn't know its mystical properties, a sacred land was undoubtedly extraordinary. Chen Xiao eagerly anticipated this cultivation.
Before departing, Chen Xiao used the jade talisman left by Tu Shan Che to transmit a message, informing him that he was setting off for Southern Xinjiang immediately. The jade talisman functioned much like WeChat. Shortly after Chen Xiao sent the message, the talisman vibrated. Then, Tu Shan Che's slightly excited voice resonated directly in Chen Xiao's mind: "That's great, Brother Chen. Tell me when you'll arrive, and I'll immediately send someone to pick you up at Huadu Airport!"
Chen Xiao picked up the jade talisman and replied, "I'll be there shortly."
"Hmm? So soon? Then please wait a moment, and the person picking you up will arrive shortly!" Tu Shan Che was unaware that Chen Xiao possessed the Judge's Brush, a treasure that allowed for instant teleportation, and assumed he would travel by plane. Chen Xiao didn't elaborate. Furthermore, he wasn't very familiar with other places in Southern Xinjiang, so waiting at Huadu Airport was perfectly fine.
"I'm at Huadu Airport... restroom!" Holding the Judge's Brush, Chen Xiao moved it with fluid strokes on the ground. With a flash of light, he appeared in an empty restroom. It was best to use such an extraordinary technique unseen by others. Chen Xiao also took the opportunity to relieve himself, wash his hands, and tidy his hair, looking as dashing as ever before casually walking out of the restroom.
After about forty minutes, the person sent to pick him up arrived. Chen Xiao could have guessed without Tu Shan Che telling him that the person would be either Li Qin or Xiao Hei. Chen Xiao's guess was correct; the one who came to greet him was Xiao Hei.
"Father!" Xiao Hei enthusiastically gave Chen Xiao a bear hug. It had only been a little over a week since they last met, but Xiao Hei seemed more mature and handsome than before. It had to be said that the growth of the demon race was much faster than that of humans. Most importantly, Chen Xiao noticed that Xiao Hei's aura had grown considerably stronger. Chen Xiao sensed it carefully and suddenly frowned. Something was wrong... Xiao Hei's strength had increased too rapidly; he had reached the Nascent Soul stage! The last time they met, he was still in the Core Formation stage.
"Nascent Soul stage? We only parted ways a few days ago, how did you achieve this?" Chen Xiao voiced his confusion.
Xiao Hei awkwardly scratched his head and chuckled, "Actually, it's all thanks to my adoptive father. He used spiritual elixirs and potent medicines to forcibly advance me to the Nascent Soul stage. I currently possess the cultivation realm, but my actual combat power hasn't reached this level yet." Xiao Hei's last sentence was clearly a display of modesty. Reaching a cultivation realm meant reaching the corresponding strength. While his combat experience might be slightly lacking, his cultivation realm was solid.
The Demon Venerable was indeed a Demon Venerable, possessing unique methods to forcefully elevate a demon cultivator's realm in such a short time through spiritual elixirs and potent medicines. Chen Xiao's gaze suddenly became intense as he wondered what kind of elixirs and medicines were used, his mind already set on obtaining them. After all, his own strength hadn't improved in a while. Although he now housed a "Medicine King Valley" at home, the spiritual herbs in "Medicine King Valley" were still in their growth phase, and it would take some time before they could be harvested, let alone refined into elixirs.
Seeing Xiao Hei's progress made Chen Xiao even more eager for this trip. Perhaps he could break through and reach the seventh level of the Nine Revolutions Canglan Art. That was a realm Chen Xiao hadn't even reached in his dreams.
"Good job, young man. Remarkable progress. We don't look at the process, only the results," Chen Xiao said, patting Xiao Hei's shoulder encouragingly. Unconsciously, he had already adopted the role of a father. Xiao Hei, however, said with a helpless expression, "There's no choice. Adoptive father wants me to be the Demon King, and the Nascent Soul stage is the minimum requirement for becoming a Demon King..."