As Zhou Gang spoke, his mouth suddenly fell open, and an incredulous look appeared in his eyes.
"Heh heh, Commander Zhou, take another look. Who am I now...?"
Under Zhou Gang's shocked yet delighted gaze, Li Qingyun traced through the air with his fingers, forming six thunder seals to dispel any possible spying or eavesdropping.
At the same time, his aura abruptly changed and his features shifted, transforming from Qin Qing's pale, frail face back into his own jade-handsome appearance.
This "transformation" was only displayed briefly before he immediately changed back into Qin Qing.
He secretly transmitted his voice: "This Daoist is Li Qingyun, a disciple of Lingbao Temple. I only arrived in Yinshan Town today. Tell me, what exactly is going on with Jia Song, the Youdao Division, and this entire town?"
Li Qingyun did not stand on ceremony; there was even a trace of anger in his tone.
This Commander Zhou was far too unreliable. He had sent out pleas for aid in all directions, and righteous men from every road had come to Yinshan Town, only to fall into this enormous pit of conspiracy, soon to die with both body and Dao extinguished!
"Alas, I can only blame myself for failing to see people clearly..."
Zhou Gang was an old hand in the world. He immediately concealed his delight as though nothing had happened, glaring angrily at Qin Qing with the proper demeanor as he spoke in a low voice.
"Starting last month, the townspeople of Yinshan Town began disappearing without end. No one could be found alive or dead. At first, one or two people vanished each night, but later it grew increasingly severe, with four or five disappearing in a single night!"
"I led the Youdao Division in investigating. Piecing together clues, we determined that vicious ghosts and demons from Great Yin Mountain had come down to abduct people. So I sent Inspector Tu Xiong, who was born among mountain folk, back to his village to ask the old shaman and learn the details of those evil ghosts..."
"And I was run ragged. I already carried injuries, and one night, while pursuing that evil ghost, we both suffered grievous wounds. That old bastard Jia Song kindly offered me medicine. Without thinking much of it, I took it directly. As a result, my illness and injuries flared up worse, my cultivation was sealed, and I ended up in this state!"
"Only then did I discover that Jia Song's lifespan was nearly exhausted. Unwilling to accept it, he had long ago secretly colluded with that evil ghost from Great Yin Mountain. From the ghost, he obtained an ancient wicked method that could turn him into something half-human, half-ghost, on the condition that he blood-sacrificed tens of thousands of commoners!"
"It is truly shameful. Aside from me falling prey to his schemes, colleagues such as the chief officials of the Youdao Division and Patrol Division had apparently already been controlled by Jia Song one after another..."
"The righteous men and fellow Daoists who arrived later were also targeted by Jia Song and that ghostly thing, because your vital essence and souls are far stronger than those of ordinary people. Once you came in, you could not leave. Otherwise, you would surely be killed..."
"..."
Li Qingyun could not help but be speechless.
This Commander Zhou had been far too careless. A grand conspirator like Jia Song had been hidden at his side, and he had long since been stripped of real authority and the like, yet he had noticed nothing before this.
Even death would not be an injustice to him!
Li Qingyun could not help saying with faint mockery, "Does Commander Zhou have any reliable plan to break this deadlock?"
Feeling Li Qingyun's sarcasm, anger flashed across Zhou Gang's face, only for him to become guilty again, unable to put on a tough front.
With shame on his face, he said, "The best and most direct way to break the situation would naturally be to seize and kill Jia Song with the speed of thunder before one could cover one's ears, then join forces to eliminate that evil ghost! But unfortunately, none of you may be Jia Song's match, much less capable of suppressing that ghostly thing!"
Li Qingyun gave a faint scoff. "Commander Zhou might as well have said nothing! Every Dao official and armored soldier in the entire town is under Jia Song's control. Never mind that he himself is at the seventh layer of Qi Refining—even those several hundred armored soldiers would be enough to wipe us out with ease!"
After pausing, he said seriously, "At today's banquet, Jia Song proposed allowing us to leave freely in three days. Clearly, time waits for no one. If Commander Zhou does not wish for his entire Household to suffer calamity alongside him, he must come up with a reliable method!"
"You have governed Yinshan Town for so long. Even if Jia Song has controlled the overwhelming majority, there must be some confidants or hidden cards of yours among them, right!"
"Besides, I know some things about the local Youdao Division. In an extremely urgent situation, it is possible to contact the Youdao Divisions in the county seat or even the prefectural city. Could it be that Commander Zhou cannot bear to burn away his lifespan to use that thing...?"
Hearing this, Zhou Gang seemed lost in thought. Looking at Li Qingyun, he said, "Your surname is Li. Could you be blood from the imperial clan scattered outside? No wonder you know of that thing's existence. This is an absolute secret of the Youdao Division; even Jia Song does not know much about it!"
Li Qingyun merely looked at Zhou Gang calmly without explaining.
Marquis Qinghe's Estate had long since been far removed from the center of imperial power in Youjing. With more than a dozen generations between them, they could hardly truly be called the Li Imperial Clan.
His surname was Li, and he knew of that secret item of the Youdao Division. To Zhou Gang, that was an immense pressure!
Zhou Gang struggled inwardly for a moment before finally making his decision. With a sigh, he said:
"I can sacrifice myself and ignite the signal, but I have one request. I hope that afterward, Young Master Li can protect my entire family, especially my two children. Both of them possess the potential to cultivate the Dao..."
The commander of Yinshan Town's Youdao Division had quietly changed his form of address, now calling Li Qingyun "Young Master Li," with a measure of respect in his tone.
He thought Li Qingyun truly was a disciple of the imperial family!
"Agreed! So long as I do not die, I will certainly protect your family during the coming chaos!"
Li Qingyun was somewhat disdainful, but after thinking it over, he still agreed.
As commander, Zhou Gang had been unable to pacify and comfort the people within, or suppress ghosts and eliminate demons without. He was also stubborn and self-willed, incapable of judging people properly, which was why he had ended up where he was today!
Now, when it was time to do what a commander ought to do, he still dared to bargain.
Yet when Li Qingyun thought of the dozen or so innocent women and children in Zhou Mansion, his heart softened, and he still agreed to keep them safe.
"Good! Young Master, you are righteous indeed!"
Zhou Gang's face brightened with delight. At last, he had made up his mind.
"Sorry for the trouble, Young Master Li. Remove the third floor brick on the left beneath my bed and take out the Azure Blood Talisman!"
Li Qingyun crouched down, holding his bronze short sword. After lightly tapping and probing for a while, he pried open the floor brick and took out a nanmu wooden box.
The box was locked and sealed with curse marks. He handed it to Zhou Gang on the sickbed.
Only Zhou Gang could open this item. Otherwise, if the restriction were triggered, Li Qingyun's current cultivation truly would not be enough to withstand it.
"Alas, I entered the Daoist Academy at thirteen, reached the middle stage of Qi Refining at eighteen, and by twenty-five was already stationed outside to govern a region. Originally... who would have thought that the day would come when I needed to use the Azure Blood Talisman!"
Zhou Gang examined the box in his hands, looking somewhat melancholy, unwilling, and conflicted.
Once this talisman was activated, it meant that this commander's future would be cut short, and his very life and Dao cultivation would be reduced to nothing!
The Daoist Academy he spoke of was an institution in Youjing for training elite Dao officials, much like the Imperial Academy in Li Qingyun's previous life's history.
In the eyes of commoners who only vaguely understood such matters, entering the Daoist Academy was far better than joining a Daoist sect. In those days, it was the lifelong dream of countless people.
Yet few and far between were those admitted to the Daoist Academy each year. Dao Bone Spiritual Root, strength of will, and perseverance—none could be lacking.
From this alone, Zhou Gang truly counted as a dragon and phoenix among men. His starting point had been high, and so long as he did not fall halfway down the road, a bright future surely awaited him.
Compared to Zhou Gang, the aptitude of Li Qingyun's current body was worlds apart, like clouds and mud.
Li Qingyun stood calmly to one side, merely watching without urging him.
The Dao Path, life and death, one's future, one's family...
When one truly had no choice but to decide, hesitation and indecision were only human nature.
"Enough!"
A moment later, Zhou Gang bit his finger. With his bloodied finger, he traced and tapped, resolutely lifting the seal!
The moment the box opened, dazzling golden light stabbed into both their eyes. Inside lay a golden talisman, still and silent, as though forged entirely from gold. It looked exceedingly extraordinary!
The talismans of the You Kingdom were divided into six grades: black, gold, silver, purple, blue, and yellow. Yellow talismans were the most common; things like the House Soothing Talismans pasted up by every household belonged to that grade.
Yet the Azure Blood Talisman in this box was golden. Its rarity was plain to see.
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