"Exorcising demons? Tell me exactly what happened."
The moment Ji Qing heard it involved "exorcising demons," he was no longer sleepy.
"Hero Ji, it's like this..."
One-Ear began recounting every detail of this mission.
The Fang Family's young lady in Copper City was suspected of being possessed by a demon, her behavior and mannerisms bizarre.
The Fang Family had sought out every famous physician far and wide, but none had any effect.
Later, they hired people to exorcise the demon.
That had been equally ineffective.
The Fang Family then made the matter public, recruiting strange talents and extraordinary people from the Jianghu. Whoever could cure the Fang Family's young lady would receive a reward of a thousand taels of gold from the Fang Family!
Once the news spread, many people from the Jianghu headed for Copper City.
Although Copper City also had a Listening Wind Tower, the Listening Wind Tower system was highly unusual. Each Listening Wind Tower could essentially be considered an independent entity.
There was competition among the Listening Wind Towers as well.
Shopkeeper Yu clearly had no intention of missing this opportunity. What she wanted was not merely the Fang Family's thousand taels of gold, but also the influence of Anyang City's Listening Wind Tower. She wanted to extend that influence into Copper City.
That was the true reason Shopkeeper Yu had been willing to pay such a high price to ask Ji Qing to act.
After understanding the whole story, Ji Qing nodded and said, "Fine, I'll take this job!"
"Good. Then I'll return and report back."
One-Ear silently departed the library pavilion once more.
The reason Ji Qing had been able to live so "peacefully" over the past three months was that he and Shopkeeper Yu of the Listening Wind Tower had reached a "cooperation agreement."
The Listening Wind Tower would withdraw its intelligence concerning him.
In exchange, Ji Qing would take action for the Listening Wind Tower and handle certain matters.
Of course, the initiative remained in Ji Qing's hands.
He could refuse.
And every time he did something for the Listening Wind Tower, he would receive the corresponding reward.
There was one additional condition: whenever there was information on the Skin-Peeling Demon or other demons, the Listening Wind Tower would provide Ji Qing with the relevant intelligence free of charge.
The reason he had secured such favorable terms was because, in his battle with Du Chen, he had displayed "blade intent."
According to Shopkeeper Yu.
Once one grasped blade intent, one would have a chance of becoming a grandmaster in the future.
The influence of a grandmaster was simply too great.
Even an organization as powerful as the Listening Wind Tower would not dare sell intelligence on a grandmaster.
"Blade intent... I'm actually far from having grasped blade intent. At best, I've only formed its embryonic shape..."
Ji Qing knew full well that what he possessed was not genuine blade intent.
He had comprehended "Accumulating Momentum" only after perfecting the Blade Drawing Technique.
He could accumulate momentum only when his hand gripped a blade.
If he had no blade, then Ji Qing could not unleash blade intent.
Moreover, he could not control the blade intent. He could only draw his blade while accumulating momentum, sending the blade intent out together with the flash of steel.
If he had truly mastered blade intent, there would not be so many restrictions.
But even so, even if it was merely the embryonic form of blade intent, how many martial artists in the Jianghu could grasp it?
Early the next morning, Ji Qing disguised himself and left Anyang City, heading straight for Copper City.
Copper City was not far from Anyang City. Riding at full speed, Ji Qing reached Copper City in just three days.
Copper City was famed for its "copper."
There were numerous copper mines here, so the imperial court had opened many mines in the area, and there were countless miners.
As he walked through the streets, he would occasionally see groups of miners.
After asking for the Fang Family's location, Ji Qing headed directly there.
At that moment, many people had already gathered within the Fang residence.
Most were martial artists of the Jianghu.
There were also all manner of people from the three teachings and nine professions, so-called strange talents and extraordinary individuals.
Clearly, all of them had come for the Fang Family's reward of a thousand taels of gold.
"Master Fang, what exactly are we waiting for? Why not bring the young lady out? We can each show our methods and drive out the demon, allowing Miss Fang to recover sooner."
"Exactly. With so many of us here, with every kind of strange talent and extraordinary person among us, can't we drive away one demon?"
"Hmph, demon or not, with people like us here, Miss Fang will definitely recover!"
Not everyone among this group was a wine sack and rice bag, or a Jianghu swindler.
Many of them truly had some skill.
For example, several Jianghu martial artists even possessed a measure of prestige within the Jianghu.
Yet Steward Fang was somewhat hesitant.
The intelligence from Anyang City's Listening Wind Tower said that they had arranged for a truly "professional" person to come.
If even that "professional" could not restore Miss Fang to health, then the others would basically be unable to do so either.
Steward Fang still trusted Anyang City's Listening Wind Tower deeply.
That was why he had kept waiting.
Judging by the time, the person should be arriving soon.
"Everyone, please remain calm and wait a little longer. An extremely important distinguished guest has not yet arrived. Once he comes, you may naturally display your remarkable abilities."
Steward Fang soothed the crowd.
"Hmph, who is worthy of making so many of us wait together?"
"Could it be that all of us are inferior to him alone?"
"Could it be that Steward Fang does not trust us?"
Everyone in the hall was an old hand of the Jianghu. How could they fail to hear the meaning behind Steward Fang's words?
Clearly, in Steward Fang's eyes, they were all dispensable, while that "distinguished guest" was the most important one!
At that moment, a servant hurried inside.
"Master, there is a Jianghu man outside. He has presented a token."
The servant handed a token to Steward Fang.
It was unmistakably a Listening Wind Token from Anyang City.
Steward Fang was overjoyed and hurriedly said, "Quick, invite the distinguished guest in at once!"
"Yes, Master."
The servant rushed away.
Steward Fang smiled at everyone in the hall. "Everyone, that distinguished guest has arrived. When the time comes, I will have to ask you all to display your extraordinary skills and treat my daughter."
Outwardly, Steward Fang still used the excuse of "treating an illness" to recruit all sorts of strange talents and extraordinary people from the Jianghu.
The people in the hall also wanted to see what sort of person could make Steward Fang value him so highly.
Before long, the servant led in a man wearing a bamboo hat with a long blade at his waist.
He was dressed like an ordinary Jianghu traveler, with nothing particularly remarkable about him.
"Master, he has arrived."
"Good! May I ask how this hero is addressed?"
"Zhang Yun."
"So it is Hero Zhang. Please, take a seat."
Steward Fang directly pointed to the first chair on the left.
Ji Qing raised his head and swept his gaze across the entire hall.
He had assumed the alias Zhang Yun, and Steward Fang did not know his true identity.
He only knew that Anyang City's Listening Wind Tower had invited an expert.
But just how skilled that expert was, Steward Fang did not know.
Still, Steward Fang had shown all the respect due.
He had even reserved the first chair for Ji Qing.
Ji Qing could naturally see that everyone in the hall harbored their own schemes.
These people were all old hands of the Jianghu. People of every stripe, from the three teachings and nine professions, had gathered in the Fang residence.
Exorcising demons?
They did not have that kind of ability!
But when it came to holding others back and turning on one another, every last one of them was an expert.
The reason they had not erupted yet was that they were giving Steward Fang face.
Once the exorcism truly began, these people would likely start making trouble.
Ji Qing could not be bothered to scheme and contend with them.
Thus, Ji Qing slowly said, "Zhang alone is enough to exorcise the demon. I ask that all of you return whence you came!"
Boom!
The moment those words fell, the entire hall exploded into an uproar!
Before you continue