Responsibilities

"Chase them!"

"Kill the assassin."

Zhang Wan Long was furious. The Black-Clothed Figure was clearly at the end of their rope, yet they still managed to escape.

When he gave the order, only two or three tenths of the remaining Black-Armored Soldiers were still able to move.

The elite Black-Armored Soldiers had suffered half their number in casualties.

The Central Hall was filled with the smell of blood.

The entire Prefecture City was brightly lit.

"Immortal Master, why not pursue the victory?" Zhang Wan Long looked at the defending Immortal Master, a flicker of hatred and confusion in his eyes.

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

Even he, a mere mortal, could see that the assassin was at the end of their rope.

They could collapse at any moment.

As long as the assassin fainted, how could that Evil Ghost continue to wreak havoc?

If such a golden opportunity was missed, there wouldn't be such a good chance in the future.

The young man glanced at Zhang Wan Long, his hand loosening its grip on the Ebony Sword.

The Ebony Sword transformed into a small wooden sword the size of a palm and was put away into his Storage Talisman.

Immediately after, he violently coughed up a mouthful of fresh blood.

His previously somewhat rosy complexion instantly turned pale, completely devoid of color.

The young man shook his head, "I am already severely injured. Continuing to fight will not bring any benefit."

"I will request aid from the Sect."

"The Prefect can also report to the Liang Capital..."

Mid-sentence, the young man began to cough violently.

His jawbone might have been fractured; now, any movement would cause intense pain.

If not for the Golden Light Talisman protecting him, he would likely be completely unable to speak right now.

The Evil Ghost had become stronger.

It was also his first time encountering such a Ghost Creature.

Logically, such a powerful and cunning Ghost Creature would not obey the commands of that assassin.

That person was too weak.

At most, they were at the Qi Condensation Second Layer.

If he could get close to the Black-Clothed Figure, one sword strike would be enough to kill them.

Yet, such a powerful Evil Ghost guarded their side, and even when there was an opportunity to pursue the victory, it gave up the great chance to return to the Banner Master's side and rescue them.

This couldn't help but make one ponder.

Did that thing possess high intelligence?

After a moment of thought, the young man didn't say anything more.

The meaning had been conveyed to Zhang Wan Long. As for whether he would listen or not, that was not up to him.

His duty was to protect the people of the Prefecture City from the invasion of Demons and Ghosts.

When encountering a Demonic Path Cultivator, he only needed to kill them.

Other matters, he did not want to concern himself with, nor did he want to delve deeper into them.

A short while later, the young man left the Prefectural Manor.

Zhang Wan Long's face was ashen, and he swept his arm violently.

He swept the teacup on the table onto the floor.

Shattered porcelain.

A crisp sound.

None of this was enough to quell the anger in Zhang Wan Long's heart.

The pain of losing his son deeply stung the aging Prefect.

That Evil Ghost had even taken his enemy away.

One day, they would return.

They would return for revenge.

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

As for the young Immortal Master claiming to be severely injured, Zhang Wan Long was half-skeptical.

More than that, he didn't trust him, because the young Immortal Master had hesitated when Li Qing Feng questioned him.

Although Immortal Masters are typically oblivious to worldly affairs, attempting to use falsehoods to masquerade as justice will still reveal flaws.

Moreover, this person was not easy to deceive in the first place.

This was Zhang Wan Long's first impression upon meeting the young Immortal Master.

Even though this Immortal Master appeared young, he was unexpectedly composed, possessed great strength, and his swordsmanship was particularly exquisite.

He did not drink, did not seek pleasure, and did not frequent brothels.

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

He just didn't know if he would inspect the food before eating.

Zhang Wan Long thought he probably would.

If one were to harm such a person, it must be a fatal blow, absolutely not giving him a chance to recover.

From the young Immortal Master's hesitation, Zhang Wan Long understood that this Immortal Master had definitely sensed a part of the truth.

Precisely because of this, the Immortal Master was wary of him.

Zhang Wan Long was also uncertain how effective a mortal poison would be against an Immortal Master.

Even Internal Energy could resist potent poisons and even expel them through cultivation.

Immortal Masters were not mortals; they possessed Magic Power, and perhaps were not affected by poison at all.

To take down an Immortal Master, one must use things that Immortal Masters used.

Without the deterrence of an Immortal Master, that Assassin would come again.

On the day he struck again, he would have no power to resist.

Even with the Immortal Master's attitude, Zhang Wan Long still endured it.

He sat alone in silence for a long time.

Zhang Wan Long stood up, his expression grim. "Asking others is not as good as relying on oneself."

"Come, have Advisor Song come over."

"Reporting to the Prefect, Advisor Song is already a headless corpse in the side hall."

Upon hearing this news, Zhang Wan Long showed no reaction, his expression devoid of joy or sorrow.

It only further solidified his resolve.

He waved his hand, signaling the servant to leave.

The Central Hall was already dilapidated, with corpses being loaded onto carts and pulled away one by one.

The flesh and armor of some corpses were mixed together, impossible to separate, forming a muddy paste that could only be buried together.

The deaths were horrific, with blood flowing everywhere.

It was even more brutal than a battlefield where two armies clashed.

The Prefectural Manor was bustling with activity.

Zhang Wan Long summoned the steward.

"How is the matter progressing?" Zhang Wan Long's expression held urgency.

The elderly steward, his face beaming with joy, respectfully replied, "Reporting, master, we have found it."

"Good!"

Zhang Wan Long was overjoyed, a sinister smile unconsciously appearing on his face.

Heaven had not forsaken him, Zhang Wan Long; after a long time, he had finally found it.

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

"I need to write a Memorial to the Throne for the Imperial Court."

For double assurance, Zhang Wan Long decided to follow the young Immortal Master's suggestion and write a Memorial to the Throne for the Imperial Court.

Liang Capital had the Hall of Offerings, which recruited Rogue Cultivator Immortal Masters from the populace.

As long as he described it as a Demonic Cultivator, and attributed the deaths of the five Gentry families in the city, as well as the deaths of over a hundred Soldiers, to this Demonic Cultivator, for the sake of safety, Liang Capital would definitely dispatch Offerings.

Eight Directions Prefecture City was not far from Liang Capital; if the Immortal Masters from the Hall of Offerings traveled day and night, they could arrive quickly.

As a Prefect, he hadn't personally written a Memorial to the Throne in a long time.

Writing Memorials to the Throne was a skill officials were known for.

He wouldn't forget.

Zhang Wan Long spread out the Xuan Paper and held the brush, writing in Running Script.

The young Immortal Master, who had returned to the Five Directions Temple, was welcomed in by the Daoist Priests of the temple.

"Why are you so heavily injured again?" The old Daoist Priest was greatly alarmed and quickly instructed the Daoist Acolytes to prepare hot water.

"Cough cough."

The young Immortal Master coughed twice, his body straightening. He wiped away the blood from the corner of his mouth, and the paleness on his face subsided considerably.

His originally weak expression completely faded.

"There's no need. I'll be healing these next few days. Don't let anyone in even if the Prefect sends someone."

"Just leave the food at the door."

With that, the Immortal Master closed the door to the side room.

Only after sticking spirit talismans on the doors and windows did he resume his weak posture.

He couldn't show fatigue.

Not even in front of the people from the Five Directions Temple.

Who knew if the Prefect had spies here?

If what that banner-wielding Demonic Cultivator said was true, that Zhang Wan Long really used people as medicine to treat his son, and even allowed his son to possess a spiritual root and cultivate...

Then, at his weakest moment, Zhang Wan Long might make a move against him.

Mortals and Immortal Masters were essentially no different.

Often, desire would drive people to do irrational things.

There were few intelligent people in this world; most were quite foolish.

Truth and falsehood, mixed together, would always make the intelligent ones retreat in the face of difficulty.

Sometimes, mere suspicion was enough.

The human world was treacherous; one had to be wary.

Tu Shan Jun held Li Qing Feng under his arm, feeling his magic power fading.

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

He no longer had enough power to take Li Qing Feng out of the Prefecture City; he could only find a place nearby to settle him.

As long as Li Qing Feng could wake up, that was all that mattered.

Shaking off the soldiers, the pursuing constables, and government officials was simple.

Tu Shan Jun tidied up all loose ends and finally brought Li Qing Feng to a hidden place.