The night wind was cold atop Ox Horn Mountain.
Most of those present practiced martial arts and had already reached a high level, with exceptionally robust physiques.
Yet at that moment, they still felt the cold wind pierce to the bone, making their hearts tremble with dread.
The stench of blood filled the ground, along with headless corpses torn apart at the waist.
"Fifth Master..."
One of the Night Patrol Envoys could not help speaking in a hoarse voice.
The atmosphere grew increasingly stifling.
"..."
Meng Lu tightened his grip on his saber. Looking at the other man's Golden Silk Black Robe, he asked in a low voice, "The new Banner Bearer of the Lin Jiang Department?"
His gaze fell on the old man kneeling on the ground, his face full of terror, and his expression grew even more solemn.
"This is Clerk Luo of the Outer Southern Prefecture Office?"
"..."
Everyone felt the chill of the night grow even more sinister.
Following Meng Lu's gaze, they saw the head rolling off to one side, and their expressions became even uglier.
"New Recruit Drillmaster under the city commandant of the Outer Southern Prefecture Office?"
A chill rose in Meng Lu's heart in an instant.
This drillmaster was responsible for training the new recruits of the Outer Southern Prefecture Office. It was said that among the subordinates of the city commandant, he was one of the three great experts.
Yet tonight, on the remote and deserted Ox Horn Mountain, someone had casually cleaved off his head with a single stroke?
And the killer had been considered that very morning to be under grave suspicion of murdering the captain of the Grand Commander's personal guard!
The way Meng Lu held his saber grew even more solemn.
The city-defense soldiers behind him worked in perfect harmony with him. Seeing his actions, they immediately spread out slowly and surrounded this mountainside.
The Night Patrol Envoys exchanged glances, unable to react for a time.
Only then did someone panting catch up from behind.
Lin Yan glanced over and found that the man's clothing bore the mark of the shrine, while several shrine attendants followed behind him.
"The evil aura here is so heavy!"
Liu Jing came forward, panting as he spoke. Then he saw the scene before him, and his face went pale for an instant.
He then looked at Meng Lu and asked, "What happened?"
"I arrived first and saw this Banner Bearer chop off the head of the Outer Southern Prefecture Office's New Recruit Drillmaster."
Meng Lu looked at the old man kneeling in front and said, "His saber is pressed against the neck of this Clerk..."
As he spoke, his expression grew increasingly solemn, and his movements became much more cautious.
He had vaguely formed an encircling formation with the city-defense soldiers around him.
"Fifth Master, what exactly happened?"
Just then, one of the Night Patrol Envoys spoke up, hurriedly saying, "Is there some misunderstanding here?"
Lin Yan glanced at him, vaguely remembering that this fellow often spent money in the brothels.
Before he could speak, he heard the leader of the Night Patrol Envoys hurriedly speak.
"Everyone, hold your hands. Fifth Master must have had a reason for killing. He has always hated evil as if it were a mortal enemy and would never casually slaughter an innocent person."
The leader of the Night Patrol Envoys hurried forward again and urged, "Fifth Master, please don't act rashly. If you bring that saber down again, there'll be no surviving witnesses, and this will be impossible to explain afterward!"
As he said this, he glanced at the kneeling old man, unable to suppress the pleasure in his heart.
That old man had always relied on his status as a clerk to embezzle, pervert the law, and dock salaries.
As for the New Recruit Drillmaster whose head had been chopped off, he had never treated new recruits as human beings. Three to five of them died during training every year.
The Night Patrol Envoys were under the jurisdiction of the Outer Southern Prefecture Office. When they had first entered the office, they had all suffered under this New Recruit Drillmaster's torment and knew all too well how cruel he was by nature.
Before this, Fifth Master had spent nearly two years assisting the Night Patrol Envoys in solving case after case, and had even saved several of their lives.
Now that they saw the city-defense soldiers had surrounded Fifth Master, they were at a loss as well, not knowing what they should do.
"Right, this is a high disciple of the shrine, a student of the Twelve Shrine Priests, a major figure of the Inner City..."
The leader of the Night Patrol Envoys hurriedly continued, "Fifth Master can explain everything to Mr. Jing."
He stepped forward and lowered his voice. "Fifth Master, I know you hate evil as if it were a mortal enemy and like to chop people down on the spot, but look at the situation. It isn't suitable to cut him down directly."
"Now that you've become the Banner Bearer of the Lin Jiang Department and hold great power, you should put the greater picture first. Otherwise... why don't we go through the proper procedures according to the laws and regulations?"
"Good." Lin Yan nodded slightly.
"If you're still not reassured... Wait, what did you say?"
"Good!"
"Huh?"
The leader of the Night Patrol Envoys froze.
In his impression, whenever Fifth Master arrested someone, the saber in his hand was always itching to move. He was practically addicted to killing.
He had been afraid that once Fifth Master's killing intent flared, that saber would come down, and nothing could be explained afterward!
Yet he had never expected Fifth Master to be so easy to talk to.
"As an envoy under the Heavenly Supervision Department, I merely enforce the law impartially. I'm not addicted to killing."
Lin Yan sheathed his saber and said indifferently, "This old bastard practices the Worship of Evil Method, driving away evil and harming people. I hadn't finished questioning him when you arrived... Fine. Just take him back and interrogate him directly."
As his voice fell, he kicked the old man over, sending him tumbling toward Meng Lu and the others.
"First, take out the incense ash and protect yourselves. This old bastard practices an evil method. He can pray for evil aura and drive evil spirits. Be careful of his wine pot."
Seeing this, Meng Lu hurried forward. He held a paper packet of incense ash in one hand and took out a chain with the other.
"Bastard!"
The old man was freed from beneath Lin Yan's saber and rejoiced inwardly, but then suddenly shouted, "This Demon-Human has already killed the drillmaster and now wants to sully my innocence! Why haven't you seized him yet?"
At these words, Meng Lu's movements hesitated.
Bang!
The old man abruptly flung up a hand.
A stream of Evil Wind rushed straight toward Meng Lu's face.
In an instant, everyone was horrified.
Then a flash of saber light streaked past!
The Evil Wind suddenly shattered!
And as the saber light fell, so did the old man's arm. It dropped to the ground amid spraying blood.
In the blink of an eye, Lin Yan had stepped forward and saved Meng Lu first, then kicked over the old bastard, who had been preparing to flee while taking advantage of the chaos.
"Now..."
Lin Yan looked at the stunned crowd before him and said coldly, slowly, "You can all tell who has a problem between this envoy and this old ghost, can't you?"
Everyone exchanged glances, then silently nodded.
Meng Lu seemed ashamed of his earlier rashness. He first saluted Lin Yan, then tore open the packet of incense ash and scattered it over himself.
Seeing this, everyone else also took out packets of incense ash and prepared to sprinkle them over themselves to ward off evil.
"Don't bother!"
At that moment, Mr. Jing stepped forward, already taking out a Spirit Banner. He said, "This is an artifact offered by the shrine. It can restrain evil spirits and dispel evil aura. With me guiding the banner and suppressing him, he won't be able to stir up any trouble!"
He gave the banner a wave, and wind immediately began to blow.
The wind stirred by the Divine Banner seemed to carry the aura of Willow Venerable's true form.
Within Gao Liu City, it was enough to suppress powerful demons and evil spirits!
Mr. Jing then held the Divine Banner and pressed it down toward the old man who practiced the evil method.
The old man's eyes blurred for an instant.
But in the next moment, he suddenly came to his senses and cried out in terror.
"Something's wrong! Take that banner away, quickly!"
Bang!
Before his voice had even faded, the wine pot exploded!
The old man had already been blasted into a sieve by the fragments of the wine pot, his chest and abdomen riddled with countless holes.
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