Night Reconnaissance

A set of night clothes.

He would also have to cover his face well.

Tucking a dagger into his belt and gripping the Soul Banner tightly, he waited quietly for nightfall.

As mana surged into the banner, the ferocious ghost face on the black banner spat out a wisp of black mist.

The black mist coiled around him, and Li Qingfeng's tense nerves settled considerably.

He entered his dream once more to confer with the Main Soul evil ghost.

Li Qingfeng understood that although the Main Soul evil ghost could not speak, it was not a spirit lacking in intelligence.

Before setting out, he could not help but pour out his heart.

In the dream, Tu Shanjun provided Li Qingfeng with a detailed plan.

This plan would effectively conceal Li Qingfeng himself, preventing him from being exposed before others.

With the evil ghost's guidance, Li Qingfeng was brimming with confidence.

The sun set in the west, and the moment darkness fell, Li Qingfeng, who had been lying on his bed, opened his eyes.

In a flash, Li Qingfeng, clad in dark night clothes, left the Li Manor.

Although he could not directly contact the Prefectural Governor, nor did he know where the Governor lived, he could first approach the Middle-aged Adviser who handled affairs for the Governor.

This also confirmed what Li Qingfeng had told Yang Lingu—that he would help ask that adviser about Meng Zhen's whereabouts.

As a young master of the Li family, he was fairly familiar with the major figures within Eight Directions City.

"I didn't expect the Prefectural Governor's Mansion to be so heavily guarded."

Li Qingfeng hid on the roof beams, landing softly to avoid the patrolling guards.

The Black Armor Guards carried an aura of slaughter, looking far from easy to deal with.

These Black Armor Soldiers, placed outside, were also experts who could hold their own against ten men. Clad in armor and wielding sharp weapons, they could match the skilled martial artists of the jianghu.

The Prefectural Governor's Mansion was neither too large nor too small; Li Qingfeng had only been there twice.

Once when he took the child scholar exams, and again after passing the scholar level. That second visit left a special, deep impression.

Still, he could find the adviser's office.

In the side hall of the main building.

The adviser ordered his subordinates to light the oil lamps.

Three long-burning lamps and two close lamps illuminated the dim side hall.

The Prefectural Governor governed an entire commandery, encompassing at least four counties.

Official affairs were heavy, and documents piled up.

They all passed through the adviser's hands once; important matters were reported to Zhang Wanlong, while the rest, less critical, the adviser could decide on his own.

The petty clerk guarding the oil lamps yawned in boredom, wishing he could close up early.

He had heard that Drunken Flower Lane in the East Ward had added a few secret brothels, which made him itch with desire. Recalling those plump, beautiful legs, he thought they were simply to die for.

But wishes were one thing; Sun Adviser still had at least another hour of work, and he would have to stay for that hour as well.

Thinking of this, the clerk suddenly felt his strength drain away, and his eyelids began to twitch involuntarily.

He collapsed onto the desk.

The same happened to Sun Adviser, who had been carefully analyzing official documents.

Mana surged into the Soul Banner. With mana, Tu Shanjun directly pulled Sun Adviser into a dream.

Li Qingfeng, lying on the roof beam, naturally followed along. As the banner's master, he did not need Tu Shanjun to channel mana to enter the dream.

Sun Adviser stared in shock at everything before him, as if he had only been dazed for a moment, yet the surrounding scene had not changed much.

The side hall remained as it was.

Half light, half dark, somewhat eerie.

"Sun Adviser, I've long heard of your reputation." Li Qingfeng, clad in night clothes with his face covered, appeared in the hall.

"Who are you, daring to trespass in the Prefectural Governor's office?" Sun Adviser's expression remained calm, showing no fear, only slight annoyance.

"Guards."

"Guards!"

His two consecutive shouts had no effect.

Outside the hall, it was eerily quiet, and the night beyond the window was chilling.

"Sun Adviser, don't waste your breath. I've already dealt with those guards," Li Qingfeng said, brandishing his dagger.

To be honest, he dared not act.

Even after training for over half a year, he was still a scholar. With thought came hesitation.

But drawing a blade to scare someone was something he could manage.

By this time, Sun Adviser was already slightly panicked—anyone who could take out the patrolling Black Armor Soldiers was no ordinary man. "What do you want?"

"I only want to know the whereabouts of those who failed the immortal recruitment you gathered four months ago."

The words had barely fallen when Sun Adviser's eyes went wide, but in an instant they returned to normal, even the initial panic vanishing without a trace. As Zhang Wanlong's right-hand man, handling countless major and minor affairs for him, his mental fortitude was no joke—he wouldn't be cowed by a little dagger.

What's more, this black-clad man was asking about such a taboo subject.

Li Qingfeng carefully observed Sun Adviser. Not knowing how to torture a confession out of someone, he could only brandish the knife in his hand again.

Who would have thought that Sun Adviser would instead calm down at this point.

"Young man, the waters here run deep. You can't wade into this. From your accent, you're a local—are you acquainted with those four?"

"I advise you to leave quickly, or you'll bring trouble upon yourself." Sun Adviser seemed utterly confident he had Li Qingfeng figured out.

Judging by build, voice, and demeanor.

He was nothing more than a hot-headed youth with high martial skill but fresh out into the world.

The kind who dared not kill, who feared the sight of blood.

He had dealt with many like this before; he knew their nature well.

Li Qingfeng furrowed his brow. Though he had nurtured a vicious aura, and this was within a dream, the realistic scene still made him hesitate to strike.

When dealing with ghouls, he had to act, and fear dominated his mind, leaving only the will to survive.

Now, with a human life laid before him like fish on a chopping block, he didn't know what to do.

Tushan Jun watched and shook his head.

Those who had never seen blood naturally feared killing their own kind.

Li Qingfeng couldn't do it, but someone else could.

Footsteps sounded.

Sun Adviser looked over in surprise, thinking it was the guards arriving. Joy had just surfaced on his face when it was overtaken by terror.

A seven-foot-tall green-faced, red-haired demon stepped out from the shadows.

Its crimson demonic eyes brought fear.

The demon carried a jagged ghost-head blade and walked up to him.

Towering over him, its ferocious aura completely drowned Sun Adviser.

Sun Adviser's legs gave out; he couldn't stand at all.

His whole body trembled, his face pale. From the look of him, it seemed his courage had already shattered.

Tushan Jun showed no mercy. He grabbed Sun Adviser by the collar and pressed him onto the desk.

Then he spread out each of his fingers one by one.

Tushan Jun swung the blade cleanly.

Pfft.

The finger snapped off with a sound.

A piercing pain made Sun Adviser howl in agony.

His miserable screams rang through the night.

Li Qingfeng's heart ached, and he wanted to stop it, but remembering this was a dream, the reluctance in his eyes faded.

"Where are those four?!" he demanded harshly.

The ghost-head blade rested against Sun Adviser's neck. The icy steel chilled him to the bone.

Even the pain in his fingers seemed to lessen.

The young man indeed dared not deliver a killing blow, but this man had actually commanded a demon to do the deed.

Demons had no shred of pity or compassion.

They only brought fear and horror—the purest evil in the world.

"I'll give you three breaths."

"I only want to know the whereabouts of those four. Are you going to talk or not?"

With Li Qingfeng's words came the saw-blade pressing harder. A cloying, sweet smell invaded his nostrils and mouth—the fresh, metallic rust stench was nauseating.

The demon pinning Sun Adviser down acted as if it hadn't heard, raising the saw-blade again. But this time, it wasn't aimed at his fingers.

It was aimed at his neck.

"I... I'll talk."

"I'll tell you everything." Sun Adviser had already wet himself in terror, weeping and wailing, a complete mess.

Gone was his earlier calm and confidence.

Snot and tears smeared all over his face.

His urine leaked uncontrollably, one side of his trousers reeking of filth.

He kowtowed incessantly, hoping Li Qingfeng would relent and let the evil spirit spare his life.

"This humble one did not know he was in the presence of an immortal master. Whatever the immortal master wishes to know, this humble one will tell all."

Li Qingfeng hardened his heart, forcing himself to endure the discomfort. "I want to know the whereabouts of those four—whether they are alive or dead."

"Three are dead, and one still lives."

"Is Meng Zhen alive or dead?"

Seeing the adviser hesitate, Li Qingfeng sensed something was wrong and barked, "Speak!"

Sun Adviser trembled in fright, then fell to his knees with a thud.

"Immortal master, Young Master Meng passed away seven days ago."

Li Qingfeng's chestnut pupils shrank abruptly, and he staggered back two steps.