"Then notify the County Lieutenant to temporarily assume the position of magistrate and handle the yamen's affairs."
"As for what happens afterward, await the Imperial Court's decree."
"Yes."
After giving his instructions, Wei Qing swung onto his horse and followed the bluestone road toward the inn.
The sun was setting in the west. In front of the inn.
"Sir, take care on your way out. Watch the steps."
At the inn's entrance, the shop assistant, A Fu, supported a customer reeking of alcohol and reminded him softly.
"You little brat, are you looking down on me... hic." The customer suddenly belched, then squinted drunkenly at A Fu:
"Even if you brought another jar... I could still finish it..."
"Sir, would you like me to call a carriage for you?"
The customer raised a hand to stop him. "No need... I... I'm only two steps from home."
"Then take it slow."
"Go back. Don't see me off."
The customer waved his hand and staggered into the alley opposite.
The shop assistant returned to the counter. "Boss..."
Zhang Zhidong raised a hand to interrupt A Fu, then rose and walked toward the entrance. "My lord."
Wei Qing's face was icy, utterly lacking his usual amiability.
"Take me to the secret chamber."
"Yes."
Zhang Zhidong's heart trembled. For some reason, he sensed an inexplicable chill emanating from Wei Qing.
The instant the hidden door opened, the bronze lamp swayed on its own despite the absence of wind.
Wei Qing suddenly turned around and said sternly, "Brother Zhang, are you thinking of going to the Inspection Division for tea?"
"What makes you say that?"
At those words, Zhang Zhidong looked utterly bewildered.
"The intelligence the Night Snack Guard previously reported to the Imperial City said the demonic creature was at the early Eighth Rank. Is that correct?"
Zhang Zhidong rapidly replayed the intelligence in his mind, then nodded slightly. "That's correct!"
Wei Qing raised his eyes. "Then why was the true strength of the demonic creature I encountered in Longdong Village at the mid-Eighth Rank?"
"That alone could be overlooked, but why did the intelligence fail to mention the existence of a Low Sixth Rank demonic creature?"
"It also never mentioned that Magistrate Fang's eldest son, Fang Xiang, had colluded with demonic creatures."
"Yet as the Night Snack Guard—the eyes and ears of the Heavenly Realm Division—you actually knew nothing about any of this."
Boom!
Zhang Zhidong stood frozen in place as if struck by lightning.
A bone-deep chill shot from his coccyx straight up his spine to the crown of his head, while cold sweat dripped from his brow onto the tip of his nose.
When the words "Sixth Rank demonic creature" and "Fang Xiang colluding with demonic creatures" crashed into his ears, his knees instinctively went weak.
It was as if he had already knelt before the gloomy gates of the Heavenly Realm Division's prison.
Zhang Zhidong's Adam's apple bobbed several times before he forced out a broken sound. "M-My lord, please see the truth clearly. Even if the Night Snack Guard had ten thousand—"
"Two days." Wei Qing suddenly cut him off, leaning forward slightly. "I want the names of everyone else in Qingcheng who has colluded with demonic creatures."
"Otherwise, I won't mind replacing every member of Qingcheng's Night Snack Guard."
"As the eyes and ears of the Heavenly Realm Division, the Night Snack Guard should never have made so many errors. Brother Zhang, it's time you woke up."
"This time, we were fortunate that a mysterious powerhouse happened to pass by and dealt with that Sixth Rank demonic creature."
"Next time, whether your head can remain safely attached to your neck will be another matter."
"Lord Wei, your rebuke is well deserved."
Zhang Zhidong nodded obediently, understanding in his heart.
Wei Qing absolutely wasn't trying to frighten him. Although the Night Snack Guard was an intelligence department and did not need to directly participate in slaying demonic creatures,
if the intelligence truly went wrong and caused the Heavenly Realm Division to suffer major losses,
then—
let alone cutting off his head, even executing his entire clan of nine relations would not be impossible.
"That is all I have to say, Brother Zhang. Just make sure you understand." Wei Qing had no intention of wasting too much time on this matter.
"My lord, I will remember this favor. If there is ever anything you need me for, I will go through fire and boiling water without hesitation."
Zhang Zhidong solemnly bowed to Wei Qing.
"Later, I will report the matter concerning Fang Xiang truthfully. Whether you can seize this chance to redeem yourself through merit will depend on you."
After speaking, Wei Qing rose and returned to his room.
After leaving the secret chamber, Zhang Zhidong suddenly felt as though he had escaped death by a hair's breadth.
He immediately arranged for all the Night Snack Guard members to conduct a carpet search and investigation throughout Qingcheng.
Inside the room.
Wei Qing brought out several sheets of white paper and spread them flat before him.
He ground the ink.
He picked up his brush.
Although he had only been in Qingcheng for two days, he had already encountered no shortage of trouble.
First there was a mid-Eighth Rank demonic creature, then a Low Sixth Rank demonic creature, the appearance of a mysterious expert, Fang Xiang's collusion with demonic creatures, and the mysterious Sixth Rank black-robed martial artist. All kinds of information were tangled together.
This made the thread of unease in Wei Qing's heart grow ever stronger.
He had no choice but to report these matters.
After all,
there were also people from the Inspection Division lurking in the shadows.
Of course, there were some things he chose to conceal.
He did not mention Zhu Huan's betrayal at all.
When he had fought the Four-tailed Spirit Stream Demonic Cat, the people from the Inspection Division had never appeared.
An Eighth Rank fighting a Sixth Rank.
That had already gone far beyond the scope of an assessment.
There had to be a reason he did not know about.
This also gave Wei Qing the perfect justification for concealing information about Zhu Huan.
After spending a quarter of an hour,
he finally finished writing everything he needed to write.
True qi surged forth and dried all the ink. He folded the letter, placed it inside the bamboo tube he carried, then turned and went downstairs to the rear courtyard.
A Fu had long since been waiting there. When he saw Wei Qing approach, he stepped forward and handed him a night owl. "My lord, Manager Zhang ordered this subordinate to prepare it."
"Mm."
He securely fastened the bamboo tube to the night owl's leg. The faint clink of the metal clasp sounded especially clear in the silent courtyard.
The instant he opened his right hand, the night owl suddenly let out a long cry. Its feathers stirred without wind, and its wings spread violently. It transformed into a black shadow that pierced the night sky and flew swiftly toward the Imperial City.
After returning to his room,
Wei Qing took the Marrow Cleansing Pill from his system space and swallowed it with his head tilted back.
The instant the Pills slid down his throat, they suddenly transformed into thousands upon thousands of icy needles.
Wrapped in lightning, the icy needles surged along the Governing and Conception Vessels into his dantian.
The icy needles gathered in his dantian to form a tiny vortex. Then, as they flowed into the Eight Extraordinary Meridians, their temperature suddenly soared, transforming into something scorching hot as lava.
Two utterly extreme forces rampaged through his body like wild horses that had broken free of their reins.
The hot current carried the icy needles along. Wherever they passed, thin strands of black impurities seeped from the surface of his skin.
As time passed, the impurities gradually solidified into scabs, followed by an overpowering stench.
"Oh..."
"This smells awful."
Wei Qing's figure flashed, appearing beside the pond in the rear courtyard. He jumped straight in.
Water splashed three feet into the air. Inky sewage gushed from his collar, dyeing the entire pond black.
The fish that had been playing in the pond suddenly turned belly-up one after another, floating motionless on the surface.
The sound of him hitting the water immediately drew A Fu over.
When he saw that the person in the pond was Wei Qing, he hurried forward to inspect him.
"My lord..." Before he could finish, he saw the fish's reaction and the color of the pond water. Remembering the records concerning Marrow and Blood Cleansing within the Heavenly Realm Division, his eyes lit up. "Congratulations, Lord Wei, on completing Marrow and Blood Cleansing."