Divine Intent Qi Seed, Remnants of Calamity Ash

"What a buzzkill!"

Commander Han put down his chopsticks, annoyed. "Do you know what a 'city's heart' is? Do you know what 'majesty' is? If he doesn't speak first, how can I, his superior, speak first? That would be beneath my status!"

"..."

The honest, middle-aged man scratched his head and looked at Duke Lu. "What about you, old sir?"

Duke Lu picked up a piece of tofu and said calmly, "I'm the oldest here, and this matter concerns their Heavenly Supervision Department. What does it have to do with me?"

Finally, all eyes turned to Lin Yan.

"Then why are you acting so profound, kid?"

"I was busy all night and I'm starving. I need to fill my stomach first."

Lin Yan looked up and said seriously, "As my cultivation increases, my appetite grows, and I get hungry faster."

As his voice fell, he took out the Junior Banner of the Lin Jiang Department and placed it on the dining table.

Then he picked up his bowl and swallowed the remaining half bowl of porridge in one gulp.

After wiping his mouth, he said, "Banner Commander, this Lin Jiang Banner suddenly changed color last night."

This banner was the symbol of the Banner Bearer of the Lin Jiang Department.

It had a black background with silver edges, a willow branch pattern on the back, and the words "Lin Jiang" on the front.

But after Lin Yan had extinguished the Evil Spirit, the willow branch pattern on the back of the Lin Jiang Banner had turned green.

"I was born and raised in Gao Liu City, and I've only ever heard of the divine might of Lord Liu, protecting the borders and the people, safeguarding all living beings."

"All demonic evils in the world, without exception, fear the name of Lord Liu."

"That is why Gao Liu City can endure through the ages."

"Why did an evil spirit that fears no divine might of Lord Liu appear in the world last night?"

Lin Yan pointed at the glistening green willow branch pattern on the Lin Jiang Banner and said, "I believe our Heavenly Supervision Department must know the inside story!"

"..."

Commander Han was silent for a moment, then reached into his robe and took out another banner, placing it on the table.

The banner was clearly inscribed with the words "Lin Jiang."

This was a new Lin Jiang Banner.

He had clearly come prepared.

"Let me think carefully about where to begin."

Commander Han casually put away the original Lin Jiang Banner that had already changed.

Then, after some thought, he slowly said, "Actually, whenever Lord Liu slumbers, some special 'Qi' appears in Gao Liu City."

"It's currently named 'Divine Intent Qi Seed'."

"Normally, these 'Divine Intent Qi Seeds' can destroy evil spirits."

"But certain 'evil spirits' are special and instead absorb the 'Divine Intent Qi Seeds'."

"Once fused, this evil spirit will possess Lord Liu's 'aura' and can even be considered a branch of 'Him'."

"That's why the evil spirit that appeared last night was fearless of Lord Liu's divine might."

"Based on past occurrences, it's possible it will fuse with Lord Liu's divine might and become even more powerful."

Commander Han looked up and said, "These Qi Seeds are extremely rare. Only a few are born whenever Lord Liu slumbers..."

Lin Yan was silent for a moment, then asked, "How were they dealt with in the past?"

Commander Han replied, "By destroying the evil spirits and eradicating the demonic entities, the Qi Seeds would disperse."

Then he reached out and pointed at the banner on the table. "For example, this Lin Jiang Banner is specially made by Phoenix Perch Prefecture City. It attracts the free-floating Qi Seeds and attaches them to itself!"

"Furthermore, the Temple of Lord Liu isn't entirely without means to deal with such evil spirits."

Just then, Duke Lu spoke up. "At the very least, the twelve Temple Priests each have their own methods of suppression!"

Lin Yan nodded upon hearing this. "So, Mr. Jing's lack of skill means he hasn't received the true teachings yet?"

"That's about the gist of it."

Duke Lu chuckled and added, "Besides, it's only fused with a wisp of Lord Liu's Qi. It's still an evil spirit at its core."

Lin Yan mused, "So, individuals above the Inner Strength realm, who have reached the Essence Refining Realm, can consume their own vital blood and use their yang energy to destroy this evil spirit."

As he said this, clarity dawned in his mind.

The only apparent function of these Divine Intent Qi Seeds so far was to grant demonic entities Lord Liu's aura.

Although most of the divine techniques from the Temple of Lord Liu were completely useless against demonic entities that had fused with Divine Intent Qi Seeds, the true secret arts of the temple, or individuals above the Essence Refining Realm, could still suppress them.

"If that's the case, it doesn't seem so terrifying. But why did it cause such a disaster sixty years ago?"

Lin Yan was puzzled and asked this question.

Commander Han slowly spoke, saying, "The temple only has twelve temple priests, and the number of cultivators in Gao Liu City is also very limited."

"What if the demonic evils that have fused with the Divine Intent Qi Seeds outnumber the strong individuals in the city?"

"Even if the surplus is just a common wandering spirit, it could cause immense disaster!"

"Aside from the twelve temple priests, the other temple envoys are powerless."

"And martial artists might not even be able to protect themselves when facing malevolent spirits."

"Back then, there was more than just one malevolent spirit!"

At this point, Commander Han's expression grew slightly complex.

Lin Yan thought for a moment and then asked, "What about the spirit-worshippers?"

Commander Han pondered for a moment, then said, "Based on the information we have, the spirit-worshipper from last night likely secretly obtained a Divine Intent Qi Seed, but hid it for personal gain, hoping to achieve a higher status."

"Higher status?"

Lin Yan raised his eyebrows and said, "So, there really is a hidden force?"

"Didn't you already suspect as much?"

Commander Han said solemnly, "This force calls itself 'Jie Jin.' It should have been completely destroyed sixty years ago."

"But in the past three to five years, their traces have appeared behind many incidents. It seems the 'Remnants of Calamity Ash' have made a comeback."

"Also, it can be confirmed that Chen Yuannü was the work of 'Jie Jin'."

"As you predicted, they weren't targeting Wuchang, but Lin Yan."

Saying this, Commander Han refilled his bowl of porridge and added, "We haven't figured out why they're targeting you yet, but we should have an explanation for you before this evening."

Lin Yan was surprised, "You're that confident?"

Commander Han's lips curved into a smile.

"I've already identified the person behind it!"

"Oh?"

The middle-aged man couldn't help but be curious, leaning his big, dark face forward, blocking the space between Lin Yan and Han Zheng.

He looked at Han Zheng and asked in surprise, "You're here, so how are you watching them?"

"..."

Commander Han slowly turned his head, looking past the man's face towards Lin Yan, and said, "Those four constables you sent to investigate last night, weren't they silenced?"

"Actually, I found Liu Guangding's body early on. I was just waiting for them to clean up the mess."

"So, the four constables who handled the bodies were already under my watch."

"Someone took action and silenced them, so I saw it all very clearly."

"This person's methods are not bad. They should be a high-ranking member of 'Jie Jin'."

"But their official rank within the Outer Southern Prefecture Office is not low, so I need to wait for a document from the Heavenly Supervision Department headquarters in the inner city before I can legally enter the Outer Southern City Guard Office and apprehend them!"

Before Commander Han could finish speaking, he noticed the big, dark face slowly leaning in again, blocking his view.

"What if the information leaks? Looking at your scarred face, you don't seem reliable at all," the man with a simple and honest face said, shaking his head.

"..."

Commander Han rubbed his temples and reluctantly explained, "This document comes from the Supreme Commander and will be sent secretly. The information will not leak."

"I also have people watching the Outer Southern Prefecture Office. It's foolproof."

"Alright, the porridge is finished, the flag has been changed, and the explanation is clear. I'm heading back to the Outer Southern Department now."

Commander Han put down his bowl and stood up, then pointed to the bundle at his feet: "Inside is your salary for this month."

"Additionally, you'll need to provide a list of all the Junior Banners under your command and submit it to the Outer Southern Department."

"Once the number of personnel is finalized, it can be reported to the inner city to apply for next month's salary."

"Oh, right. You've achieved significant merits these past two nights. You'll need to write a battle report so the Heavenly Supervision Department headquarters in the inner city can calculate your achievements and record your merits."