Starting as a stray dog, I embarked on a journey of cultivation.

After the evil Taoist left, Gou An immediately took out the map and looked at it.

West Continent, Ghost Hill, is located in the mountain range at the junction of West Continent and North Continent, and it is just an inconspicuous location on the map.

There is another line of markings on the map. The reason this place is called this is because the yin energy here is very heavy and the sun never shines. It seems that this place used to be a mass burial ground, hence the name.

The area around Ghost Gate Hill is not under the jurisdiction of any sect and is almost entirely uninhabited.

Such a place is truly a perfect spot for murder and robbery.

Then Gou An summoned Pig Ninth and asked him to watch over the alchemy furnace. After walking out of the alchemy room, he took to the air and headed towards the Imperial Guard of Ten Thousand Demon City.

This is the place of the chief protector of the nation, the White Ox Demon, and the reclusive scholar of Zhenyue.

We definitely need to borrow a few helpers to go with us, otherwise it's not reassuring to just go with Xie Gu and the other two.

Once outside the door, Gou An revealed his purpose. The demon soldiers guarding the door dared not delay and hurriedly went in to report.

Soon, the demon soldier who brought the news returned and respectfully said to Gou An, "Reporting to the Protector of the Kingdom, the esteemed scholar is already waiting for you inside. Please follow me."

Gou An nodded and followed the demon soldiers inside.

As he ventured deeper into the Imperial Guard's headquarters, the sights he witnessed filled him with awe and wonder.

The entire Imperial Guard residence was magnificent and imposing, with spacious courtyards and numerous palaces, exuding an atmosphere of solemnity.

The Imperial Guards coming and going in the mansion were all transformed demons, and there were quite a few demon cultivators with the Golden Core cultivation level among them.

A group of imperial guards, clad in black iron armor, gathered in twos and threes under the eaves and in the pavilions. Some chatted idly, exchanging insights on cultivation, while others played with and admired the weapons and magical treasures in their hands. Each of them exuded a powerful aura.

The group of demon cultivators caught sight of Gou An passing by, and their expressions varied.

Most of the demon cultivators knew that Gou An was a newly appointed protector of the country, so they all bowed their heads and clasped their hands, showing respect.

However, many senior demon cultivators, while bowing to Gou An, harbored a hint of disdain and resentment in their eyes.

They had cultivated diligently for many years, working step by step to reach their current status, while Gou An had only been in the city for a few years and was also at the Golden Core stage, yet he ascended to the throne of the Protector of the Nation in one step. Naturally, he felt resentful.

Gou An took in the expressions of the demons, but didn't take them to heart.

He couldn't help but sigh inwardly, no wonder the Great Master Zhenyue could hold the top position among the protectors of the country and command the most elite imperial guards of the Ten Thousand Demon City. The overall combat strength under his command was indeed the most outstanding among the eight protectors of the country.

After walking through the streets, they soon entered the main hall of the Imperial Guard's residence.

The atmosphere inside the hall was much more relaxed than outside. The White Ox Demon, the Mountain Guardian, was reclining on the jade throne, his gleaming heavy armor casually open, his body robust and strong, his aura deep and steady.

At this moment, several beautiful female bull demons stood on his left and right, their delicate hands kneading and pressing to relax his muscles and bones.

Two female demons held special magical oil and carefully polished his thick, white bull horns, making them smooth and shiny.

Hearing footsteps, the virtuous scholar Zhenyue looked up and saw that it was Gou An, so he waved his hand.

The female demons who were serving them understood and carefully withdrew from the main hall.

"Gou Huguo, please take a seat." The voice of the high-ranking scholar Zhenyue was deep and resonant. Although Gou An was now of equal rank to him, his tone still carried a hint of superiority.

"What brings you here so suddenly?" the hermit Zhenyue asked.

Gou An took his seat as instructed, cupped his hands in greeting, and replied, "Sir, I have come here today to ask you for a favor."

"The task that the Demon King gave me that day has yielded some clues. The hiding place of the Overlord Saint Lord has been located at Ghost Gate Hill in the Western Continent."

"That villain is cunning and highly skilled. I fear that I will be outnumbered when I go to find him, so I have come here to ask you to borrow a few Imperial Guard demon generals to accompany me."

Upon hearing this, the esteemed scholar Zhenyue frowned slightly, then retorted, "Gou Huguo, you seem to be unfamiliar with the rules of the Imperial Guards!"

"The sole duty of my Imperial Guards is to guard the City of Ten Thousand Demons and protect its safety. They are never transferred out of the city on their own."

"If I lend you my men, and something unexpected happens in the city, causing chaos, who can bear the responsibility? How can I explain this to the Demon King?"

Upon hearing these words, Gou An felt a chill run through him.

He finally realized that the Evil Bone Taoist's earlier suggestion that he could borrow people was a deliberate trap.

Knowing that the Imperial Guards were strictly disciplined and that the virtuous and upright Zhenyue scholars would never secretly transfer personnel, the other party deliberately misled him into coming here, causing him to run into a wall and suffer embarrassment.

It's definitely another scheme.

Gou An cursed Xie Gu's treachery in his heart, but he was unwilling to leave empty-handed. Since he had come all this way, he had to give it his all.

He immediately smiled and cupped his hands in greeting, his tone sincere and tactful: "You flatter me, sir. With a top-tier expert like yourself presiding over Ten Thousand Demon City, its defenses are impregnable. Who would dare to rashly come and cause trouble?"

"It is precisely because the city is peaceful and no one dares to cause trouble under the nose of the high-ranking official that, over time, the imperial guards in the mansion will also feel bored if they have no missions for too long. They might as well take the opportunity to go out with me and get some exercise."

As soon as he finished speaking, the esteemed scholar Zhenyue's eyes turned cold, and a sneer rang out: "Oh? So you're telling me how to do things?"

The oppressive aura of the primordial spirit cultivation instantly enveloped the hall, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense.

Gou An's heart tightened, and he quickly waved his hand and smiled apologetically: "No, no, I had no such intention. It was just a casual and presumptuous suggestion. Please don't take offense, sir."

Without further ado, he flipped his hand and took out the two pairs of lustrous spiritual pearls that the Black Horn Immortal had given him earlier. They were of excellent quality and had a warm, gentle spiritual light. He held them quietly in his palm and respectfully presented them to the immortal.

"I hope you will accept this small token of my appreciation. If you would be so kind as to grant me a few companions to accompany me, I would be eternally grateful."

But the esteemed scholar Zhenyue merely glanced at the two spirit orbs in Gou An's palm, not even lifting his eyelids, and a cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth: "You dare to offer these two worthless things?"

Gou An's lips twitched violently, and he secretly clicked his tongue in amazement.

Unexpectedly, this white bull demon has such a big appetite; he doesn't even look at this kind of treasure.

Before Gou An could speak in defense, the voice of the High Priest of Zhenyue rang out again: "Every one of these Imperial Guard generals under my command is an elite force that I have personally selected and trained."

"If I hadn't sent them with you to the Western Continent's Ghost Gate Hill to face the vicious human cultivators, they would have been seriously injured and killed if they hadn't been careful."

"Your mere two spirit pearls, do you think they're worthy of being worth their lives?"

These words were powerful and resounding, leaving Gou An speechless.

In that case, these two beads are really not as valuable as the life of a Golden Core demon cultivator.

The problem is, I'm not sending them to their deaths!

Gou An did not argue, but quickly put away the spiritual pearl in his palm. His smile remained unchanged as he calmly cupped his hands and said, "It was my oversight that I was being presumptuous to you, esteemed scholar."

"No need for further words." The esteemed scholar of Zhenyue waved his hand impatiently, dismissing the guest in a curt manner. "You should go back. The Imperial Guards are strictly disciplined, and I absolutely cannot lend them any manpower."

Upon hearing this, Gou An slowly stood up, about to leave, but suddenly stopped and sat back down steadily.

The hermit of Zhenyue raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise in his eyes, and asked, "What? Don't you want to leave?"

Faced with the oppressive aura of this powerful primordial spirit, Gou An remained calm and continued, "This junior dares to suggest that you lend me a few demon generals."

Upon hearing this, the recluse of Zhenyue couldn't help but scoff, then said, "I will not accept any of your suggestions!"

"You might as well listen to my reasons before making a decision," Gou An said calmly.

The high-ranking scholar Zhenyue had always looked down on Gou An, who had served as a protector of the country at the Golden Core stage. But seeing that Gou An was determined to argue, he became somewhat interested and asked curiously, "Then tell me your reasons. Let's see what you can come up with."

Gou An composed himself and slowly began to speak: "As far as I know, the esteemed scholar guards the City of Ten Thousand Demons and commands the Imperial Guards. The city has always been peaceful and stable, and there has never been any major trouble."

"The last time something happened, I heard it was more than 20 years ago, but it was just a few heretical practitioners causing trouble after drinking."

The recluse of Zhenyue nodded indifferently, his expression cold: "That's right!"

"But it is precisely because it is too peaceful that it has become the biggest problem." Gou An said with a firm gaze, "More than twenty years of peace and tranquility is not bad, but it also means that Gao Shi has not made a single real contribution in front of the Demon King for more than twenty years."

Upon hearing this, the virtuous scholar Zhenyue frowned slightly and retorted, "The city is peaceful and its defenses are solid; that is merit enough. How can you say there is no merit?"

Gou An gently shook his head, then analyzed the situation clearly and logically: "Your Excellency is mistaken. The Demon King currently has eight guardians under his command, each with their own duties and verifiable achievements."

"Jin Yang, the protector of the country, is in charge of the spirit stone mines, supplying the Demon King with a massive amount of spirit stones every month. His achievements are evident to the naked eye."

"Guardian Cangxuan takes care of all the trivial and miscellaneous affairs of the Demon King, sharing his worries and solving his problems. He is deeply trusted by the King and reports on various matters every few days."

"Even the Azure Sea Dragon Lord regularly repairs and reinforces the city's protective formations."

He paused, then continued, "Even I, the newly appointed Protector of the Kingdom, now oversee the city's alchemy workshops, manage the spirit fields outside the city, and run a spirit tobacco business, generating substantial monthly output that benefits the city. Even the cigars that His Majesty now cherishes are personally crafted by me."

"Even the other three people who are responsible for protecting the country each have their own duties and are often given tasks."

"Only Gao Shi sits in the Imperial Guard, doing nothing. With peace lasting for so long, no mistakes are no achievements. Over the years, in the eyes of the Demon King, all the other guards are useful, but Gao Shi is idle all year round, with no merit to show for it."

"If this continues, Gao Shi's position as the head of the nation's protection will likely be gradually overtaken or even replaced by others sooner or later!"

His words were well-organized and each sentence hit the nail on the head.

The esteemed scholar Zhenyue fell into a brief silence, the disdain in his eyes fading slightly, his expression shifting between light and shadow.

He wouldn't admit it verbally, but deep down he had to concede that what Gou An said made a lot of sense.

He guarded the City of Ten Thousand Demons for hundreds of years, and indeed he was safe and sound without any mistakes, but he also did not make any new achievements.

Whenever the Demon King was in a hurry to hold a meeting to protect the country, I was mostly just an observer, with nothing to report or say, and it really felt like I had been forgotten.

While the other protectors always reported on their affairs and the Demon King would occasionally assign them tasks, he remained stagnant.

Over time, his importance in the Demon King's heart did indeed gradually fade.

Gou An noticed the brief hesitation and instantly realized that he had hit the nail on the head regarding the other party's concerns.

So he added, "No matter how sharp a precious sword is, if it is kept in its sheath for a long time, it will not show its edge. In time, people will think that it is only good in name."