Arriving in Qingyang County, the Demon-Hunting Team

"Kid, don't scare me!"

The Ninth Boss was so frightened that his body went stiff and his face turned deathly pale. He slowly turned around, terror written all over his face, but strangely, there was nothing behind him.

"You fucking dare lie to me?"

The Ninth Boss flew into a rage and cursed him out.

"Heh heh—"

Yan Yangtian suddenly laughed. The corners of his mouth slowly rose, then, under the Ninth Boss's horrified gaze, stretched all the way to the roots of his ears. It was an angle no normal person could possibly reach!

"Found you."

The next instant, darkness abruptly descended, and the Ninth Boss's consciousness sank.

A breeze blew, sending dead leaves whirling through the air. The two men who had been at the mouth of the alley vanished without a trace in the blink of an eye.

Qingyang County.

Qingyang County was surrounded by mountains on three sides, with a great river at its back. It was rich in resources, favorably situated, and densely populated.

For that very reason, gangs abounded in Qingyang County, and its powers were tangled and complex. There were hundreds of gangs of all sizes, and martial arts academies beyond counting. Many powerful local figures and gentry had purchased property in the county and settled down there.

Qin Ming and his companions traveled at a leisurely pace for several days before finally arriving.

The setting sun's lingering rays fell on the city walls, coating them in what looked like a golden film.

The carriage gradually came to a stop.

"Junior Brother, we're here."

Li Shengnan's voice came from outside the carriage.

Inside, Qin Ming finished his stake stance and slowly breathed out a mouthful of turbid air.

For the past few days, Qin Ming had cultivated day and night in the carriage. With the help of the Qi-Blood Powder they had seized, his stake skill had made progress. Not only that, he had also successfully reached the beginner level in Xingyi Fist and the Wandering Dragon Step.

Looking at his panel again, he saw that it had changed considerably since before.

[Life-Bound Martial Art (first stage): Pig-Slaying Saber Technique (150/5000), perfection]

[Ninth-Rank Martial Art: Eight Trigrams Stake Skill (130/1000), major accomplishment]

[Ninth-Rank Martial Art: Fire Sand Palm (1000/1000), perfection]

[Ninth-Rank Martial Art: Eight Trigrams Palm (30/200), beginner]

[Ninth-Rank Martial Art: Savage Bull Strength (420/1000), major accomplishment]

[Ninth-Rank Martial Art: Wandering Dragon Step (10/200), beginner]

[Eighth-Rank Martial Art: Xingyi Fist (3/200), beginner]

[Realm: Late Skin-Refining Realm (strength: 380 jin), additional strength bonus (300 jin)]

[Pig-Slaying Saber Technique bonuses: while holding a pig-slaying saber, attack speed +40%, force dissipation +35%, Fire Poison damage +40%, base strength +30%, angled attacks +10%, 1% chance to trigger saber force]

After he reached the beginner level in Wandering Dragon Step and Xingyi Fist, the pig-slaying saber had indeed gained two more attribute enchantments.

Wandering Dragon Step added a bonus to angled attacks.

Although the Pig-Slaying Saber Technique had previously boosted his attack speed, most of its attacks had been straightforward. Now things were different. With the bonus to angled attacks, Qin Ming's saber moved like a wandering dragon, becoming even more unpredictable.

Next was saber force, with a 1% chance of triggering.

After cultivating Xingyi Fist, there was a chance of developing fist force. Once enchanted onto the pig-slaying saber, the attribute became saber force.

It was just that the 1% chance was a little low.

Qin Ming did not know that saber force was even harder to master than sword force. Never mind the Skin Refining Realm—even among Bright-Dark Strength experts who had reached major accomplishment in the Four Realms, few had truly mastered it.

With the saber force bonus, its power could at least double, equivalent to a hundred percent increase in critical hit damage.

Xingyi Fist was only at the beginner level for now. Once he cultivated it to the Perfection Realm, the chance of triggering saber force was bound to increase.

Besides that, Savage Bull Strength was not far from the Perfection Realm either.

A few days ago, Qin Ming had gone on a killing spree, sweeping through his enemies with brute force. He had put all his kill points into Savage Bull Strength.

Qin Ming planned to bring Savage Bull Strength to the Perfection Realm first. Then he could return to his original, unadorned state and regain his old appearance. His current three-meter-tall form was simply too conspicuous.

"Embroiderer, let's get out."

Qin Ming took Embroiderer's little hand and stepped down from the carriage with her.

Not far away stood a towering city gate, its iron plating bearing traces of rust.

As they approached the gate, carriages and ox carts came to a stop.

Entry into Qingyang City required registration.

Pei Heng went forward and said something to one of the runner squad leaders. The man's expression changed abruptly, and he hurriedly let them through with the utmost respect.

"Master, what did you say to him?"

Li Shengnan could not help asking.

"Nothing much, really." Pei Heng stroked his beard and smiled. "I just told him my junior brother's name."

"Master, who exactly is this martial uncle you've been talking about?"

Lu Liu asked.

Qin Ming's heart stirred.

The reason Yuan Lie had wanted to capture Pei Heng alive seemed to be this martial uncle they had never met. Just who was he?

"Him? He... never mind, you'll find out soon enough."

Pei Heng left them in suspense.

The group headed for the Qingyang County yamen.

The road was wide enough for a dozen carriages to travel abreast. It was paved with neat, large pieces of Yuhua Stone and was very smooth.

"Candied hawthorn! Freshly skewered candied hawthorn!"

"Big meat buns, little meat buns, spicy soup, tofu pudding!"

"Flatbreads! Fresh from the oven!"

People came and went on the street, and vendors lined both sides with their stalls. It was a lively scene.

"Brother Qin, I want some candied hawthorn."

Embroiderer gazed longingly at the candied hawthorn by the road. Ever since moving into the shantytown, they had never known where their next meal would come from, and she had nearly forgotten what sweetness tasted like.

Qin Ming was both amused and pained for her. He promptly bought her several skewers of candied hawthorn for the Embroiderer.

"Go on, eat. There's more when you finish."

The candied hawthorn seller jumped in fright at the sight of Qin Ming's three-meter-tall bulk, and passersby kept looking back at him.

It was the first time they had seen anyone as burly as Qin Ming. His forearms were thicker than the thighs of many grown men.

By comparison, Embroiderer, standing beside him, looked dainty and petite.

Embroiderer gave the candy a gentle lick, and a satisfied smile appeared on her face. "It's so sweet."

Embroiderer was beautiful to begin with, and after being nourished by Qin Ming for days, her figure had grown fuller, giving her the rich allure of a young married woman. When she smiled, everyone was momentarily transfixed.

"Huh? Isn't that the woman Incense Master Yan has his eye on?"

Some members of the Wild Wolf Gang were passing nearby and recognized Embroiderer.

"Come on, let's hurry and report to the Incense Master. This will be a great merit!"

The men jostled one another as they ran off, unable to wait.

Meanwhile, because they were too conspicuous, Qin Ming and Embroiderer got back into the carriage.

Half an hour later, the carriage rolled to a stop in front of the yamen.

"Whoa!"

"Master Pei, what wind blew you here?"

The runner guarding the door clearly knew Pei Heng and hurried over at a jog to greet him.

"Is my junior brother here?"

"He is. His lordship is busy, but I'll go report your arrival right away."

He did not dare delay and immediately ran off to notify him. Qin Ming and Embroiderer also stepped down from the carriage.

Before long, Qin Ming heard footsteps approaching from afar.

The footsteps were steady, carrying a peculiar rhythm. Listening closely, he felt as though each step landed on his heart, giving him a stifling sensation.

Qin Ming was startled.

This man was incredibly powerful.

Soon, a middle-aged man as thin as a stick strode over. He wore a simple outfit of coarse linen and was not tall. His eyes were bright, sharp, and appraising.

His name was Xiong San, the chief constable of the Qingyang County yamen and a Bone Refining Realm expert. All the runners in Qingyang County, including those in the areas under its jurisdiction, answered to him. It was Xiong San who had demoted Liao Jun to Qingshan Town.

In Qingyang County, few people did not know Xiong San. That was why, at the city gate, the guards had hurriedly let Pei Heng through upon hearing he was Xiong San's senior brother.

Xiong San walked with the gait of a dragon and the stride of a tiger. He spotted Pei Heng at once, but after only a glance, his gaze was involuntarily drawn to Qin Ming.

There was no other reason: Qin Ming's three-meter-tall frame was simply too conspicuous.

"Senior Brother!"

"Junior Brother!"

Leaning on his cane, Pei Heng hurried forward a few steps, and the two embraced tightly.

"Senior Brother, your leg..."

"Don't mention it. It's the same as ever."

Pei Heng suddenly coughed several times, and a trace of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.

"You're injured? Who did this?!"

Xiong San's sword-like brows shot up, and a murderous aura burst from his body.

It was so powerful that everyone felt as though they had plunged into an ice cellar, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.

Qin Ming was even more startled. Though this murderous aura was not as strong as that of his pig-slaying saber, it was by no means weak. Just how many living beings had this man killed?

Soon, after hearing everything from Pei Heng, Xiong San's face grew increasingly grim.

"Those bandits from Clearwind Stronghold actually set their sights on you to get at me, Senior Brother. Those damned bastards!"

Xiong San drew a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Senior Brother. I dragged you into this."

"Let's not talk about that for now. There's something else..."

Pei Heng told him about their encounter with the Ghost Entity.

"Ghost Entity? You actually ran into a Ghost Entity? From what you've said, they should have been wandering souls."

Xiong San's brows knitted tightly. "Ghost Entities have appeared in quite a few places around the county recently. You were lucky to survive an encounter with them."

Pei Heng went on to mention how the gentry of Qingshan Town and the Tiger Martial Arts Academy had been completely wiped out.

"All dead?"

Xiong San frowned. "All right, I understand. I'll have someone investigate the matter thoroughly."

Qingshan Town was not a small place. If it had been destroyed by Ghost Entities, that would be a major matter indeed.

"Come, let me introduce you. This is Xiong San, my junior brother. Greet your martial uncle!"

"Martial Uncle."

Qin Ming and the others spoke in unison.

"Mm." Xiong San's gaze fell on Qin Ming. "Do you cultivate Horizontal Training Martial Arts?"

"Yes."

"Whose is it? What's it called?"

"It's my family's ancestral Savage Bull Strength."

Li Shengnan spoke up.

Xiong San's gaze swept over the knots of muscle on Li Shengnan's body.

Although Li Shengnan was as sturdy as an ox herself, she still fell far short of Qin Ming.

"You've cultivated it to the major accomplishment realm, haven't you? What's your current martial realm?"

"Late Skin-Refining Realm."

The corner of Xiong San's mouth twitched. He snapped his gaze toward Qin Ming, disbelief in his eyes. "What did you say? Late Skin-Refining Realm?"

Could someone at a mere Late Skin-Refining Realm cultivate Horizontal Training Martial Arts to major accomplishment?

"Junior Brother, I forgot to introduce him. This is the disciple I'm proudest of. Not only has he cultivated Horizontal Training Martial Arts to major accomplishment, he's also cultivated Fire Sand Palm to perfection. It was he who gravely injured the Ghost Monster earlier, allowing us to escape with our lives."

Pei Heng smiled.

His words were enough to shock anyone. Xiong San was startled once again, and even his voice changed. "Perfection Realm? Senior Brother, you're not joking with me, are you?"

"Qin Ming, show him."

Pei Heng smiled. He leaned close and whispered, "Listen to me. There'll be something in it for you later."

Qin Ming nodded imperceptibly and held out his palms.

As he circulated the technique, both palms rapidly turned crimson at a speed visible to the naked eye. Intense heat spread from them, along with thin wisps of white smoke.

"It really is Fire Sand Palm at the Perfection Realm!"

Xiong San's eyes widened, and he exclaimed "Good!" three times in a row.

"Senior Brother, I never expected you to raise such an outstanding disciple!"

Xiong San sighed deeply.

"Junior Brother, my disciple should be qualified to join the Demon-Hunting Team, shouldn't he?"

Pei Heng suddenly asked.

Xiong San's expression froze. "Well..."

"What? Fire Sand Palm at the Perfection Realm is extremely effective against Ghost Entities. By the rules, he's more than qualified to join the Demon-Hunting Team."

"That's true, but the Demon-Hunting Team is almost full now. I only have one spot available."

Xiong San looked hesitant.

The Demon-Hunting Team was a branch of the yamen, specifically responsible for investigating and resolving supernatural ghost-monster incidents within Qingyang County. Because the work was extremely dangerous, the benefits were excellent.

The so-called Demon-Hunting Team had been established by the Qingyang County government in imitation of Wangjing Prefecture.

One condition for joining was having a means of countering Ghost Monsters, and a recommendation was also required.

Though they were said to resolve supernatural incidents, in practice they would send at most one or two people to take a look from a distance, hastily write a report, and call it done. No one dared actually approach and investigate, much less resolve the incidents.

As time went on, the Demon-Hunting Team's purpose slowly began to change.

The Demon-Hunting Team not only paid handsomely, with a substantial monthly salary in silver, but also gave those who joined the right to choose any one martial art from the county yamen's collection. Later on, if they accumulated enough Contribution Points, they could exchange them for any martial art they wanted.

On top of that, the Demon-Hunting Team operated under the government's banner, giving its members status and power. As a result, many factions and gangs in the city wanted to slip their own people into the team.

But the Demon-Hunting Team had only ten official positions, and that number was fixed. A position could only open up if someone voluntarily left or died.

As luck would have it, a position had just opened up recently.

The previous holder had been unlucky. A few days ago, he had gotten drunk and accidentally died in a gang clash.

Over the past few days, many factions in the city had set their sights on the position. The county magistrate had also dropped frequent hints, sending several people his way.

Caught in the middle, Xiong San was in a dilemma.

No matter who he gave the position to, he was bound to offend everyone else.

"Junior Brother, isn't that simple?" Pei Heng said with a smile. "Just take them all on as temporary workers and let whoever's most capable have the position. That way, the others won't have anything to say."

"Oh, that's a good idea, Senior Brother."

Xiong San's eyes lit up, and he burst out laughing.

This way, he no longer had to be caught in the middle and offend people.

"Junior Brother, what about your martial nephew..."

"Martial Nephew Qin Ming, from this moment on, you're a Reserve Team Member of the Demon-Hunting Team."

Xiong San smiled.

He then briefly explained the benefits and treatment of the Demon-Hunting Team's official members to Qin Ming.

When Qin Ming heard that he could choose a martial art, he couldn't help but be tempted.

He was in urgent need of a Horizontal Training Martial Art that could improve his physical defense, which was also one of his major weaknesses at the moment.

Although his strength was comparable to that of someone at the Mid-Stage Flesh-Refining Realm, and he was capable of killing such an expert, his body was still only at the Late Skin-Refining Realm. If he took a palm strike from a Flesh Refining Realm expert, he would be grievously injured even if he survived.

Besides that, what attracted Qin Ming most to the Demon-Hunting Team was dealing with ghosts, monsters, demons, and fiends.

Other people avoided such things whenever they could, but in Qin Ming's eyes, those ghosts and monsters were all walking Free Attribute Points. By killing them, he could quickly improve his martial arts proficiency and grow stronger!

Looks like I have to join the Demon-Hunting Team, and I have to become an official member.

Qin Ming thought to himself.

He was also in urgent need of a new identity to gain a firm foothold in Qingyang County.