Night Meeting with the Commander

"Hmph, I've given him quite a bit of medicine, but this genius elite disciple from Lingbao Temple must be hiding his cultivation. I can sense his mana has been refined to be quite pure.

If I'm not mistaken, this kid is at least at Qi Refining Layer Three, and he's especially cultivated the Lightning Method, which is why he has such strong immunity to my [Soul-Losing Azure]."

"However, the more outstanding he is, the better. Once I seize their..."

Jia Song trailed off, stopping abruptly, falling silent for a moment.

After a while, a strange gurgle came from his throat, as if he was catching his breath.

Then, he let out a long, foul-smelling breath. The entire room instantly chilled, becoming eerily cold, and a thin layer of frost quickly formed on the desk, lamps, and other objects.

Qin Qing, the young Daoist priest kneeling on the ground, looked utterly terrified. He opened his mouth, then fearfully covered it, and scrambled out of the freezer-like room.

This Deputy Commander Jia is becoming less and less human. Tomorrow, the town will find another missing resident...

Panic churned within him, coupled with regret for his own cowardice. He hadn't dared to hint anything to that esteemed disciple from Lingbao Temple just now.

At this moment, all he wanted was to rush back to his own room, lock the doors and windows, and prostrate himself, chanting to Dao Lord Lingxiao Miaozhen Dongyou Yinyang Rensheng to feel even a sliver of security.

As Qin Qing fled in a panic, a chilling aura continued to seep from the window and door cracks of the room, drifting towards various parts of the Dao Division, and then spreading throughout the entire town.

Finally, a sound echoed from within the room, like a window opening and something flying out.

Side Courtyard Annex Room.

Li Qingyun, sitting cross-legged in meditation, was observing the "Illusionary Spirit Technique" imprint behind the Daoist effigy in his mind.

Waves of insights into the spell, surging like the tide, filled him with joy.

Even though the faint magical pattern had only recently appeared on the dark wall, he now felt as if he had been studying and practicing it for half a year or a year, his understanding and application of its variations clear in his mind.

Just then, the oil lamp on the table suddenly dimmed.

The room's temperature also plummeted, becoming even more chillingly cold.

This Dao Hall is unnaturally cold!

Li Qingyun opened his eyes, as if he could see through the room's walls, toward the source of this chilling aura.

A surge of lightning intent from his body dispelled the cold.

He then rose, picked up the bronze short sword, placed the Nightmare Eye within his sleeve, and with a surge of Illusionary Spirit mana covering his body, he lightly leaped, vanishing out the back window.

What is called mana is the union of Dharma and power. When Dharma is achieved, the Dao resides, and the technique is for application, naturally giving rise to all sorts of profound powers!

Amidst the swaying trees in the side courtyard, five or six armored soldiers shivered, frozen.

These soldiers were nominally there to protect the Ghost Suppressing Warriors like Li Qingyun, but in reality, they were there to monitor them, preventing them from acting on their own.

If anyone went out, they would report it immediately.

At this moment, the armored soldiers saw a flicker before their eyes. Shocked, they were about to aim their crossbows, but upon recognizing the figure, they quickly lowered their heads in greeting.

"Daoist Master Qin..."

In the sparse light, the air distorted slightly. What they saw in their eyes was clearly Qin Qing, who served the Deputy Commander.

"Mm, it's cold tonight, thank you all for your hard work!"

"Qin Qing" nodded and offered a few pleasantries. Then, his Daoist robe billowed as if in a strong wind, and he lightly leaped, soaring over the courtyard wall.

"You must not reveal my whereabouts. I am acting under the Deputy Commander's orders!"

As he scaled the wall, "Qin Qing" added as an afterthought.

"Yes!"

The armored soldiers' hearts grew solemn, and they replied in low voices.

Let alone this Youdao Division, the entire Yinshan Town now knew that Deputy Commander Jia called the shots!

If Qin Qing was acting under orders, who would dare to question it!

It feels strange... didn't Daoist Master Qin just come out of that Lingbao Temple disciple's room earlier? Hasn't he already left? they wondered.

This "Qin Qing" exited the side courtyard and, seeing the hidden guards along the way salute from a distance, became even more natural. He walked through the courtyard pond and flower trees with ease, and under the scattered, dim lights, he left the Dao Division.

The Yinshan Town under the night sky was even more desolate, with no pedestrians, only the clappers of the night watchman and the occasional timid bark of a dog.

Every household's doors were tightly shut, with layer upon layer of talismans pasted on them: House Soothing Talismans, Ghost Suppressing Talismans, Evil Warding Talismans, and so on.

"Qin Qing," who was Li Qingyun, moved silently along the eaves and walls, his footsteps unheard, but his pace was swift.

As he passed by the residents' houses, he could faintly hear the chanting of the Dao Lord's name.

Panic, confusion, fear, unease...

The entire Yinshan Town was shrouded in an unknown, ominous shadow.

To the east of the Daoist Affairs Bureau, not far away, stood a three-courtyard residence. The main gate was tightly shut, and the plaque bore the words "Zhou Mansion."

Li Qingyun's left hand was tucked into his robe sleeve, holding the Nightmare Eye. With a calm expression, he stepped forward and knocked on the door.

"Daoist Master Qin, why are you here so late? Does the Deputy Commander have any more instructions?"

When the gate opened, the armored soldier with a stern expression saw "Qin Qing" and his vigilance immediately dissipated.

"Mm, Deputy Commander Jia has something he wants me to ask Zhou Gang..."

Walking through the Zhou residence, Li Qingyun found it was indeed as Chi Hui had said, with extremely tight security.

If he chose to scale the walls and break in, his current cultivation level would certainly alert the armored soldiers guarding the place.

Based on experience, three to five armored soldiers couldn't stop a cultivator, even one who had just entered the Qi Refining Realm. However, with a large enough number of soldiers, these ordinary humans equipped with talisman bows and crossbows and well-trained could pose a lethal threat to Qi Refining Realm cultivators.

Especially for those in the first layer of Qi Refining, who had just begun their cultivation journey. They might expend all their mana after casting a few spells, leaving them unable to withstand a barrage of crossbow bolts!

"Cough, cough, cough..."

Escorted by armored soldiers, Li Qingyun arrived at the door of Commander Zhou Gang of Yinshan Town's Dao Division. He heard weak coughing sounds emanating from within, along with a woman's sobs.

"You may withdraw!"

Li Qingyun glanced at the armored soldier, who hesitated for a moment before leaving.

He gently knocked on the door, but there was no response from inside for a long time, only the increasingly panicked sobs of the woman within.

He sighed inwardly. With a surge of mana, the bolt fell from the door, and he walked straight in.

"Qin Qing, how dare you..."

Inside the room, a talisman lamp flickered, illuminating a man and a woman.

The middle-aged man lying on the bed struggled to lift himself up and glared at the approaching "Qin Qing." He was gaunt but still powerfully built; though his energy was weak and his face pale, he still possessed the commanding presence of a commander.

This was Commander Zhou Gang of the Dao Division, afflicted by a strange illness. The once robust and imposing man was now skeletal, like a sick tiger that had lost its sharp claws and teeth.

Just as Chi Hui and the others had suspected, Commander Zhou had been sidelined and placed under house arrest by Jia Song.

Zhou Gang's mana aura was also barely perceptible.

The position of Commander of a Dao Temple was held by the strongest cultivator in the town. Zhou Gang should have been able to overpower Jia Song, possessing at least the cultivation of the eighth or ninth layer of Qi Refining.

But as things stood now...

Li Qingyun's expression was calm. He looked at the beautiful woman, who appeared panicked, and said softly, "Madam, please step aside for a moment. I have something to discuss with the Commander!"

The beautiful woman looked quite helpless, then glanced at Zhou Gang on the sickbed.

"Alas, go ahead!" Zhou Gang sighed deeply.

The woman, her face full of worry, finally got up and left.

"Qin Qing, I always thought you were upright. I never expected you to willingly become Jia Song's lackey! I already know Jia Song's intentions. Heh heh, what audacity, what ambition! To collude with ghostly creatures and attempt a blood sacrifice of the entire town's populace, all in a desperate bid to extend his lifespan!"

"His lifespan is nearing its end, and this is his last gamble. You, Qin Qing, are young with a bright future, and your family is in Youjing. How will you face yourself then..."

Zhou Gang looked at Li Qingyun, trying to reason with him, lamenting his perceived lack of backbone.