Duties

"Give chase!"

"Kill the assassin."

Zhang Wanlong was beside himself with rage. The Black-Cloaked Man had clearly been unable to hold on much longer—how had he let him escape again?

When he gave the order, only twenty or thirty percent of the remaining Black Armor Soldiers could still move.

Half of the elite black-armored force had been lost.

The main hall reeked of blood.

The entire Prefecture City was ablaze with lights.

"Immortal Master, why not press the advantage and pursue?" Zhang Wanlong looked at the resident Immortal Master, hatred and confusion flashing through his eyes.

At a time like this, why not press the attack?

Even an ordinary man like him could see that the assassin was at the end of his tether.

He could collapse at any moment.

Once the assassin fell unconscious, how could that evil ghost continue to wreak havoc?

Such a golden opportunity—if they missed it, they might never get another one so good.

The young man glanced at Zhang Wanlong and loosened his grip on the ebony sword.

The ebony sword turned into a palm-sized wooden blade, which he stored inside his Storage Talisman.

Then he suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.

His somewhat rosy complexion instantly turned pale, drained of all color.

The young man shook his head. "I have already suffered serious injuries. If I keep fighting, I will not gain the slightest advantage."

"I will request aid from my sect."

"The Prefect may also petition Liang Capital..."

Before he could finish, the young man broke into a violent coughing fit.

His jawbone might have been shattered. Even the slightest movement now triggered agonizing pain.

If not for the Golden Light Talisman protecting him, he likely would have been completely unable to speak by now.

The evil ghost had grown stronger.

It was also his first time seeing such a ghostly creature.

By all reason, a ghost so powerful and cunning should never have obeyed that assassin's commands.

That man was too weak.

At most, he was at the Qi Refining Second Layer.

If he could get close to the Black-Cloaked Man, one sword strike would be enough to kill him.

Yet such a powerful evil ghost had guarded his side. Even when it could have pressed the advantage, it had abandoned that excellent chance and returned to its banner master, rescuing him.

That was enough to make one ponder deeply.

Did that thing possess an exceptionally high level of intelligence?

After contemplating for a moment, the young man said nothing further.

He had already conveyed his meaning to Zhang Wanlong. Whether Zhang Wanlong listened was no longer his concern.

His duty was to protect the people of the Prefecture City from the disturbances of demons, devils, ghosts, and monsters.

When he encountered Demon Cultivators, he only needed to kill them.

As for everything else, he did not wish to concern himself with it, much less dig deeply into it.

A little while later, the young man left the Prefectural Governor's Mansion.

Zhang Wanlong's face was ashen as he swept his arm viciously.

He knocked the teacups from the table to the floor.

Porcelain shattered.

A crisp ringing echoed out.

None of it was enough to quell the fury in Zhang Wanlong's heart.

The pain of losing his son pierced deeply into the aged Prefect's heart.

That evil ghost had even taken his enemy away with it.

One day, they would return.

They would come back for revenge.

Qi cultivators could improve, but he was merely a mortal, without any miraculous means.

As for the young Immortal Master's claim of grievous injury, Zhang Wanlong only half believed it.

More than that, he distrusted him, because the young Immortal Master had hesitated when Li Qingfeng questioned him.

Though Immortal Masters kept their ears shut to affairs beyond their windows, anyone trying to paint falsehood over as justice would still reveal flaws.

Besides, this man was not easy to fool.

That had been Zhang Wanlong's first impression upon meeting the young Immortal Master.

Although this Immortal Master looked young, he was unexpectedly steady, highly skilled, and his swordsmanship was even more exquisite.

He neither drank nor sought pleasure, nor did he visit prostitutes.

He ate only the coarse food supplied by Five Directions Temple.

The only question was whether he inspected it before eating.

Zhang Wanlong believed he did.

If one wanted to harm such a person, one had to kill him in a single blow. He could never be given the chance to recover.

From the young Immortal Master's hesitation, Zhang Wanlong understood that this Immortal Master had definitely noticed part of the truth.

That was precisely why the Immortal Master had become wary of him.

Zhang Wanlong was also unsure how much effect mortal poison would have on an Immortal Master.

Even the qi of internal martial arts could resist deadly poison, even force it out through cultivation.

Immortal Masters were no ordinary people. They possessed spiritual power; perhaps poison did not affect them at all.

To bring down an Immortal Master, he would have to use something Immortal Masters used.

Without the Immortal Master's deterrence, that assassin would return.

When he came to kill again, Zhang Wanlong would have no power to resist.

Even with the Immortal Master's attitude, Zhang Wanlong still endured.

He sat alone in silence for a long time.

Zhang Wanlong rose to his feet, his expression dark. "Relying on others is no match for relying on oneself."

"Someone, summon Advisor Song."

"Reporting to the Prefect, Advisor Song's body has already been torn apart in the side hall."

Upon hearing this news, Zhang Wanlong showed no reaction. His face held neither joy nor sorrow.

It only strengthened his resolve.

He waved a hand, signaling the servants to withdraw.

The main hall had already been reduced to ruins. Corpses were loaded onto flatbed carts and hauled away cart after cart.

The flesh, blood, and armor of some bodies had been mashed together beyond separation, churned into mud. They could only be buried together.

Their deaths had been gruesome, blood flowing everywhere.

It was even crueler than a battlefield where two armies faced each other.

The Prefectural Governor's Mansion was busy.

Zhang Wanlong summoned the steward.

"How did the matter go?" Urgency colored Zhang Wanlong's expression.

The elderly steward wore a pleased smile as he answered respectfully, "Replying to Master, it has been found."

"Good!"

Zhang Wanlong was overjoyed, a savage grin unconsciously appearing on his face.

Heaven had not forsaken him, Zhang Wanlong. After spending so long, he had finally found it.

"Prepare brush, ink, paper, and inkstone."

"I will write a memorial to the court."

For double insurance, Zhang Wanlong decided to heed the young Immortal Master's advice and submit a memorial to the imperial court.

Liang Capital had an Attendant Tower that recruited Rogue Cultivator Immortal Masters from among the common folk.

As long as he portrayed him as a fiend, pinned the deaths of the five prominent families in the city and more than a hundred soldiers on that fiend, Liang Capital would surely send Attendants for the sake of safety.

Eight Directions Prefecture City was not far from Liang Capital. If the Immortal Masters of the Attendant Tower traveled day and night, they would arrive swiftly.

As the Prefect of an entire region, it had been a long time since he had personally written a memorial.

Writing memorials was an official's bread and butter.

He had not forgotten how.

Zhang Wanlong spread out the xuanzhi paper and took up his brush to write in a flowing hand.

The young Immortal Master who returned to Five Directions Temple was ushered inside by the temple's Daoist priests.

"How did you get injured so badly again?" The old Daoist was alarmed and quickly ordered the Daoist boy to prepare hot water.

"Cough, cough."

The young Immortal Master coughed twice, straightened his body, and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. Much of the pallor faded from his face.

The weakness in his expression vanished completely.

"No need. I will treat my injuries over the next few days. Even if the Prefect sends someone, do not receive them."

"Just leave the meals outside the door."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Immortal Master closed the door to his room.

Only after placing talismans over the doors and windows did he resume his weakened appearance.

He could not reveal his fatigue.

Not even before the people of Five Directions Temple.

Who knew whether the Prefect had spies here?

If what that banner-wielding Demon Cultivator had said was true, if Zhang Wanlong had truly used people as medicine to save his own son, even granting his son spiritual roots so he could cultivate—

Then, while he was weak, Zhang Wanlong might very well strike against him.

Mortals and Immortal Masters were not so different, really.

Many times, desire drove people to do irrational things.

There were few clever people in this world. Most were terribly foolish.

Truth and falsehood intertwined would always make those clever people retreat in the face of difficulty.

Sometimes, suspicion alone was enough.

The human world was treacherous; one had no choice but to guard against it.

Tu Shan Jun tucked Li Qingfeng beneath his ribs, and he could feel his spiritual power fading.

Perhaps in another moment, he would turn into black mist and return to the banner.

He no longer had enough strength to carry Li Qingfeng out of the Prefecture City. He could only hide him somewhere nearby.

As long as Li Qingfeng could wake up, that would be enough.

Shaking off those formations of soldiers, the pursuing constables, and the government men had been simple.

Tu Shan Jun cleaned up every loose end and finally brought Li Qingfeng to a concealed place.