Corpse Demon

When the merchant caravan had been attacked before, the Corpse Fiend had been driven back rather than killed. Naturally, the Special Capture Division could not allow such a monster to roam freely outside, or who knew how many more casualties it would cause.

The Special Capture Division reacted swiftly, immediately sending people to hunt down the badly wounded, fleeing Corpse Fiend, and later dispatching additional manpower.

But things did not go so smoothly. That Corpse Fiend was incredibly slippery. The Special Capture Division's pursuers had cornered it several times, yet it still escaped. More than ten days passed, and they still had not managed to settle the matter.

The Young Commander was growing anxious. If this matter still produced no result, he had been prepared to go himself. Yet now these stewards had actually returned to say it had already been handled?

And it had not even been handled by them?

The moment Chu Han saw the giant man enter through the door, he froze on the spot and trembled as he said, "Lord Xu?!"

Xu Zhe, a True Essence Realm martial artist. The Martial Arts True Qi throughout his body had long since liquefied into Martial Arts True Essence, granting him combat power more than tenfold—perhaps even dozens of times—greater than True Qi!

Every True Essence Realm martial artist possessed terrifying combat power, capable of easily suppressing an entire region. There were only a handful of True Essence Realm martial artists in the whole Xiang Kingdom, and every one of them stood like a Pillar of the Nation.

Chu Han knew every True Essence Realm martial artist in the Xiang Kingdom. He had never imagined that a great figure like Xu Zhe would appear in the Jiujiang Commandery he guarded.

Chu Han hurriedly rose and went to greet him. "Lord Xu, forgive me for failing to welcome you from afar. My apologies, my apologies."

Xu Zhe smiled faintly and tossed down the Corpse Fiend's head in his hand. "I happened to be passing through and saw your people hunting this thing, so I killed it in passing. Then I came over to see you."

Chu Han could only cry out in his heart, Well, damn. The Corpse Fiend that their Jiujiang Commandery had failed to take down for so long had been casually slaughtered by some formidable man merely passing by.

Happiness had come too suddenly. Chu Han was in high spirits and immediately offered his thanks.

"Thank you, Lord Xu, for stepping forward in righteousness and resolving a major problem for our Jiujiang Commandery."

Xu Zhe waved a hand, signaling that he need not care. "A trivial matter. No need to mention it."

Chu Han wore a broad smile. "May I ask what business Lord Xu is attending to outside? If there is anywhere we can be of use, we will not refuse."

Xu Zhe chuckled. "Now that you mention it, I really do have something that requires your help. I will also be stationed in Jiujiang Commandery for some time."

Before long, Chu Han's smile froze on his face, and he could no longer smile at all.

Why would a True Essence Realm martial artist be wandering outside with nothing to do? They were usually entangled in important matters, and anything connected to martial artists of that level was often exceedingly troublesome.

Xu Zhe had come to track down an Evil Warrior.

What was an Evil Warrior?

They were aberrations among martial artists. The martial path they pursued had long since twisted and crumbled, drawing power from sinister phenomena. Some Evil Warriors, in order to better command those sinister phenomena, would even transplant all manner of sinister things into their own bodies!

Under the corrosion of those sinister phenomena, a considerable number of Evil Warriors could no longer even be considered human. They were virtually no different from monsters!

Absorbing sinister phenomena into their bodies could grant them terrifying power, but those same phenomena also eroded their minds. Evil Warriors all suffered mental problems to varying degrees; going mad and losing their senses was commonplace!

Evil Warriors who completely lost control were even more dangerous!

Unlike the dumbstruck Chu Han, Xu Zhe explained calmly, "I have pursued that Evil Warrior for a long time. We clashed several times along the way, and he is very strong."

"I do not know his purpose, nor do I know his name. I only know that his codename is Corpse Demon. Corpse Demon came all the way westward and has recently been lingering in Jiujiang Commandery, as if searching for something."

"I suspect Corpse Demon came for this place."

The moment those words fell, Chu Han nearly failed to catch his breath.

"An Evil Warrior?"

"Corpse Demon?"

Chu Han knew of Evil Warriors. He had even killed quite a few himself.

But the Evil Warrior Xu Zhe spoke of was no trivial matter!

Even a True Essence Realm martial artist said the other party was strong. Then this one called Corpse Demon... wouldn't he be heaven-defying?!

And besides, what was such a terrifying fellow doing in my Jiujiang Commandery?

They had just killed the Corpse Fiend and had not even had time to celebrate before an even more terrifying figure arrived!

Was something truly massive about to happen?

Seeing the bitter look on Chu Han's face, Xu Zhe patted his shoulder. "Rest assured. I will remain here and only return after the matter is resolved."

With such a great deity willing to sit here and hold the fort, Chu Han felt somewhat more at ease and hurriedly expressed his thanks.

"Thank you, Lord Xu, for being willing to protect our Jiujiang Commandery."

Next, the two dismissed everyone else and discussed in detail how they should arrange matters going forward.

Most people in Jiujiang Commandery had no idea that an enormous crisis had already arrived.

After Li Yuan and Wu Si'an reached an agreement to cooperate, the two chose some free time and headed together for the Special Capture Division in the commandery city.

As they traveled together, Li Yuan seemed to recall something and asked.

"By the way, is it appropriate for the two of us to come to the Special Capture Division and take private jobs?"

"The martial arts school will not object, will it?"

Wu Si'an chuckled. "How could they? The martial arts school would be delighted."

"It is not easy for people like us to practice martial arts. Training requires martial arts techniques, tempering the body requires medicinal supplements, and if we are injured, we still need treatment and medicine."

"What part of that does not cost money? What part of that does not require resources?"

"It is simply impossible to rely on the martial arts school to provide all those resources, because the school cannot bear the burden. So we can only come out and take a few private jobs ourselves, striving for resources on our own. That is also something the martial arts school is happy to see."

After that explanation, Li Yuan also sorted out the relationship behind it all.

You were already a mature disciple. You had to learn to fight for resources yourself instead of expecting the martial arts school to provide everything.

With no more concerns regarding the martial arts school, Li Yuan felt much more at ease. Before long, he and Wu Si'an arrived at the Special Capture Division.

The Special Capture Division stood at the very center of Jiujiang Commandery City. Its compound was structured like a city within a city, surrounded by a ring of thick, solid walls. Beyond those walls, one could faintly glimpse soaring eaves and upturned rooftops within.

Two guards of considerable strength stood at the gate, their gazes already falling upon Li Yuan and Wu Si'an as they approached.

Wu Si'an was a regular here, and the guards all recognized him. But they did not know Li Yuan, the newcomer, so the two guards looked at Wu Si'an questioningly.

"Wu Si'an, who is this?"

Wu Si'an stepped forward and familiarly introduced him to the two guards. "He is also a disciple of my Zhengyang Martial Arts School. He has already broken through to the Inner Force Realm and has come here to accept missions."

Having an acquaintance make an introduction was indeed convenient. After a simple explanation, the guards let them through. Otherwise, it would not have been easy for Li Yuan even to enter.

After passing through the gates and truly entering the Special Capture Division, Li Yuan discovered that it was quite bustling within. People came and went, while some, dressed in traveling gear, hurriedly departed.

Li Yuan followed beside Wu Si'an as they moved between the Special Capture Division's lofty buildings and courtyards.

"See that building? That is the Special Capture Division's central headquarters. The Young Commander is often there. Do not wander over there when you have nothing to do in the future, lest you offend the Young Commander."

"That courtyard is where the Spirit Masters live. Spirit Masters are stationed here year-round."

"That square is the martial training grounds. People often practice martial arts there, and sometimes they even test their skills against one another. You could say it is the busiest place in the Special Capture Division."

"..."

Wu Si'an was extremely familiar with the Special Capture Division. He continuously introduced its various facilities to Li Yuan and explained the matters that required attention.

After weaving east and west for a while, the two soon arrived at a great hall.

"This is where missions can be accepted. There, look over there." Wu Si'an pursed his lips, gesturing for Li Yuan to look to the side.

A wall beside them was covered with notices, and written on those notices were the missions that people like them, blade catchers, could accept.

Li Yuan walked beneath the wall and began examining the missions listed there.

Exterminate Water Ghosts: Large numbers of water ghosts have appeared in the Great Prosperity River, thirty li south of Jiujiang Commandery City. Two contribution points will be awarded for each water ghost killed.

Guard the Mine: The No. 3 brass mine is about to begin operations. The Zhao Family is recruiting martial artists to assist in guarding the mine. Inner Force Realm martial artists receive ten contribution points per day; True Qi Realm martial artists receive fifty points per day.

Investigate Clues: Recently, people in many places throughout Lin Nan County have developed symptoms of amnesia. They remember only encountering ghostly entities, while the rest is unknown. People are urgently needed to investigate and determine the situation. Mission reward: one hundred contribution points.

All kinds of missions covered the wall, and some of them seemed incomparably difficult even to Li Yuan.

Wu Si'an also stood to one side examining the missions on the wall. After making his selection, he soon found a suitable target.

"Li Yuan, come look at this."

"I found a suitable one."