Race to Fuchang, First Investigation of Demonic Traces

An hour later, the parade ground at the headquarters of the Qing Province Xuntian Guard was filled with a somber atmosphere.

Xuntian Envoy Zhao Kuang, clad in dark black light armor with a dark red cape draped over it and a broad-bladed long saber at his waist, stood like an iron tower before the command platform. His expression was stern, exuding an imposing aura. His gaze swept over the assembled ranks below, carrying a palpable pressure.

Below the platform, twenty elite Xuntian Guards, including Li Yifan's Seventh Squad, were ready to depart. Each was dressed in standard black armor, armed with sabers and crossbows, their eyes sharp and their auras steady. Among these twenty, besides Li Yifan's Seventh Squad which was a fixed unit, the other ten were skilled individuals drawn from other guard posts. Their cultivation was at least at the mid-stage of Bone Refining, and two of them were even vice-captains at the early stage of Tendon Refining. Clearly, the Xuntian Guard headquarters attached great importance to this mission.

Li Yifan stood at the very front of the formation, also in black armor with a long saber at his waist. His expression was calm, his eyes deep. After his secluded cultivation during the New Year, his aura was contained, but the subtle hint of prowess emanating from him put a subtle pressure on the team members beside him.

Zhao Kuang's gaze fell upon Li Yifan, and he nodded slightly. Then, his voice boomed like a bell, echoing across the entire field: "Brothers! You must all know about the massacre in Fuchang County! Over thirty lives, sucked dry of their vital essence overnight, leaving them like withered bones! Such a heinous and inhuman act occurring within our Qing Province is a disgrace to us, the Xuntian Guard!"

His voice suddenly rose, laced with a chilling killing intent: "Investigations indicate that this case is highly likely to be the work of the wanted criminal 'Corpse Demon Old Monster' Nie Wuya! This scoundrel is inherently brutal and possesses profound cultivation, having reached the mid-stage of Blood Refining! This mission is extremely perilous and not to be taken lightly!"

Upon hearing this, the expressions of those below became even more solemn. A master at the mid-stage of Blood Refining was an insurmountable behemoth to most of them, who were mostly at the Bone Refining or Tendon Refining Realm.

"But!" Zhao Kuang's tone shifted, and a piercing light shot from his tiger-like eyes, "No matter how evil the perpetrator, they will not be allowed to run rampant in our Qing Province! As Xuntian Guards, it is our undeniable duty to protect this land! This time, I will personally lead the team to hunt down this demon, tear him to pieces, and bring solace to the innocent souls!"

"We respectfully obey the Envoy's command! We will slay the demon and protect Qing Province!" the assembled ranks roared in unison, their voices shaking the heavens and igniting their morale.

"Good!" Zhao Kuang waved his large hand, "Depart!"

With the order given, the team moved swiftly. Logistics personnel had already brought over twenty fine warhorses. Everyone mounted their horses with clean and decisive movements.

Zhao Kuang took the lead, with Li Yifan closely following. The entire team, like a black torrent, surged out of the Xuntian Guard headquarters and onto the official road leading to Fuchang County.

Hoofbeats pounded, and dust flew. The team moved at an extremely fast pace, demonstrating high military discipline. Li Yifan, riding his horse, his body swaying with the horse's rhythm, had his mind immersed in the upcoming mission.

He recalled the description of the Fuchang County massacre from the case files, picturing the sinister and eerie image of the Corpse Demon Old Monster, Nie Wuya, in his mind. Mid-stage Blood Refining... a cultivator at this level was far superior to those in the Tendon Refining Realm. Their true energy could transform into blood, their vitality was boundless, and they could even initially manipulate the natural energy of heaven and earth to unleash immensely powerful martial skills. In a head-on confrontation, besides Zhao Kuang, they would likely not be a match for him even if they combined their strength.

This mission hinges on reconnaissance and tracking. We must pinpoint Nie Wuya's hiding place, and then Lord Zhao can strike like lightning. I must not act rashly and engage him myself. Li Yifan cautioned himself inwardly. His advantage lay in his familiarity with Nie Wuya's aura and his minor accomplishment in the Detection skill. He might be able to achieve remarkable results in reconnaissance and tracking.

Along the way, Zhao Kuang remained taciturn, only occasionally issuing orders to adjust their travel speed or to rest. The entire team was enveloped in a suppressed and tense atmosphere.

Fuchang County was located about two hundred li southeast of Qingzhou Prefecture City. The team traveled at full speed, only stopping briefly at post stations to change horses and replenish food and water. They finally arrived at Fuchang County town by dusk the following day.

At this time, Fuchang County town was shrouded in an atmosphere of panic and grief. The city gate guards had clearly increased their numbers and were conducting strict checks. The streets within the city were sparsely populated, with many shops closing early. An indescribable sense of oppression permeated the air. The massacre of the Zhang family had cast a huge shadow over this small town.

The team did not stop and proceeded directly to the Xuntian Guard sub-station located east of the city. It was a small courtyard, brightly lit at the moment, where several local Xuntian Guard personnel were anxiously waiting.

Upon seeing Zhao Kuang and his entourage arrive, the person in charge of the sub-station, a Captain surnamed Liu at the early stage of Tendon Refining, quickly led his men to greet them, a look of relief on his face.

"Your subordinate, Liu Ming, Captain of the Fuchang Sub-station, greets Envoy Zhao! And greetings to all my colleagues!" Captain Liu bowed, his voice tinged with exhaustion and trepidation.

Zhao Kuang dismounted and said sternly, "Captain Liu, no need for formalities. What is the situation? Take us to the scene of the crime!"

"Yes! Lord Zhao, please follow me!" Captain Liu did not dare to delay and immediately led the way.

The Zhang family mansion was located in the northwest corner of the county town, a sprawling courtyard. At present, the mansion's main gate was tightly shut, sealed with official government seals, and guarded by county constables to prevent unauthorized access.

After Liu, the Captain, negotiated with the constables, he tore off the seal and pushed open the heavy gate.

A strong smell of blood and an indescribable, cold, decaying odor instantly assailed them! Even after several days, the smell was still nauseating.

As they stepped into the mansion, the sight before them made their scalps tingle!

Within the courtyard, beside the rockery, under the corridors, and amidst the flowerbeds, lay a number of desiccated corpses scattered haphazardly! The skin of these corpses clung tightly to their bones, presenting a withered, grayish hue. Their eyes were wide open and hollow, filled with the terror and agony of their final moments. It was as if their vital essence had been forcibly drained by some power, leaving only a skeletal frame covered in skin. The entire mansion was deathly silent, like a ghost realm.

Even the elite Xuntian Guards, accustomed to seeing death, couldn't help but gasp and turn pale at the sight. Several members of the local sub-station turned their heads away, unable to look any further.

Zhao Kuang's face turned ashen, his fists clenched with a creaking sound, and rage burned in his eyes. He suppressed his anger and said to Li Yifan in a deep voice, "Yifan, investigate carefully. See if you can find any traces left by that old ghost!"

"Yes!" Li Yifan took a deep breath, suppressing his discomfort. He activated his Detection skill, his sharp gaze sweeping across the entire scene.

He first carefully examined several nearby desiccated corpses. Most of the wounds were on the neck or chest, as if pierced by sharp claws. However, the edges of the wounds were charred and shriveled, clearly indicating that their vital essence had been instantly absorbed by some evil technique. He squatted down, gently touching a patch of dried, blackened bloodstain on the ground. Simultaneously, he circulated the Nine Yang Burning Heaven Technique, his spiritual sense highly concentrated, carefully sensing any residual energy fluctuations in the air.

Indeed! An extremely faint, yet exceptionally cold and deathly aura, like a spider's thread, lingered within the mansion! This aura was from the same source as the aura of the Corpse Demon Old Monster he had sensed outside the cave in the Black Stone Mountains! It was just much fainter, clearly having dissipated significantly after a few days.

"Envoy, there are indeed residual traces of Nie Wuya's aura. Although it is faint, it can be confirmed that he is responsible." Li Yifan stood up and reported to Zhao Kuang.

Zhao Kuang nodded with a grim expression, "Continue investigating. See if there are any other clues, such as the direction he left, or if he left anything special behind."

Li Yifan accepted the order and began a more meticulous investigation. He employed the tracking and trace identification techniques from the Detection skill, combined with his own keen senses, as he slowly moved through the mansion. He noticed that the closer he got to the master bedroom in the backyard, the more pronounced the cold and deathly aura became.

He arrived at the master bedroom in the backyard, which was the center of the crime scene. The room was in disarray, with overturned tables and chairs, clearly indicating a struggle. A large pool of dark blood stained the floor, and the aura was most concentrated here.

Li Yifan's gaze fell upon a dressing table in the corner of the room. The table was covered in dust, but on the handle of one of the drawers, there was a relatively clear fingerprint, contrasting with the surrounding dust. He carefully opened the drawer; it was empty. However, at the bottom of the drawer, he discovered a small pinch of extremely fine, dark red powder.

He dipped a fingertip in the powder and brought it to his nose, sniffing gently. A faint fishy smell mixed with a strange herbal scent wafted up. This was not blood, nor was it ordinary soil.

"Is this... 'Red Blood Sand'?" Li Yifan's heart stirred. He had seen records of this material in the Hundred Poisons True Explanation. It was a mineral powder with a Yin-attributing nature, often used in certain evil formations or for refining poisonous drugs. Did Nie Wuya leave this here accidentally, or was there another meaning behind it?

He committed this discovery to memory and continued his investigation. In a corner of the backyard, he found several crushed tiles and a slightly blurry footprint pointing towards the direction outside the city. The footprint was shallow, but the trace of cold aura contained within it pointed towards the mountainous region to the southeast of the city.

Li Yifan walked out of the mansion and stood outside the wall where he found the footprint. He focused his vision and looked towards the southeast. That area was a continuous range of the Black Stone Mountains' branches, with high mountains and dense forests, rarely visited by humans.

"Envoy," Li Yifan returned to Zhao Kuang's side and reported, "The residual evil technique aura at the scene indeed belongs to Nie Wuya. Your subordinate found traces left by him as he departed in the backyard, pointing towards the mountainous region to the southeast of the city. Furthermore, a small amount of 'Red Blood Sand' powder was found in the master bedroom. This substance is often used in evil formations or for refining poisons. It is unclear if it is related to Nie Wuya's actions this time."

Zhao Kuang's eyes flashed with cold light upon hearing the report, "The southeastern mountains? Hmph, this old scoundrel has indeed fled into the mountains! Red Blood Sand... it seems his ambitions are not small!"

He turned and ordered Liu Ming, "Captain Liu, immediately dispatch men to seal off the key routes into and out of the mountains and conduct strict interrogations! At the same time, compile a list of all survivors from the Zhang family's household (if any) and individuals who have had recent contact with the Zhang family. Question them one by one to see if there are any unusual circumstances!"

"Yes! Your subordinate will attend to it immediately!" Liu Ming quickly responded.

Zhao Kuang then looked at Li Yifan and the other team members, saying sternly, "We will rest here tonight and enter the mountains to search early tomorrow morning! Yifan, take a few men and go investigate the pharmacies, pawnshops, and gathering places of all sorts within the county town tonight. See if there is any news about suspicious strangers or the purchase of special medicinal ingredients."

"Your subordinate obeys!" Li Yifan cupped his fists and accepted the order. He knew that the real confrontation had just begun. And those dark mountains might very well be the battlefield where he would clash with the Corpse Demon Old Monster again.