A Rare Treasure

As he pondered.

A thought stirred in his mind, and Ghost Illumination activated.

Heaven and earth faded into nothingness. All sights vanished, leaving only streaks of white, gray, and black.

Then Qin Jiu shifted his thoughts slightly.

He arrived inside the lodging he had arranged for Zheng Dahai and the other two.

Several voices echoed in his ears at once.

"Grand Elder Zheng, was that celestial phenomenon really caused by a rare treasure? Could the Wei Army have been behind it? After all, that King of Pacifying the Seas is a 'Demon Feeder,' and the branch of the Wei Army that marched south is his own direct force. Demons are running rampant in Songshan County right now. I suspect they're trying to imitate the King of Pacifying the Seas."

"Using the blood essence of the county's people to raise a great demon and bring it through the pass."

After that,

Zheng Dahai's voice rang out.

"You haven't yet reached the Willow Tendon stage."

"Naturally, you can't sense it. In truth, the Wei Army alone isn't powerful enough to alter the heavens. This phenomenon arose because the people of the White Bone Heretical Sect used great power to drench Songshan's leyline in demonic miasma, giving rise to a place of utmost yin. Within a year, a rare treasure is certain to appear."

"Just wait and see."

"I expect those bastards from the Divine Fist Sect will soon come sniffing around, too. Once the sect's Divine Guard Army arrives, you two must quickly seize a favorable position in the county and set up camp. That way, we'll have the advantage of the terrain when it's time to claim the treasure."

"Yes."

Qi Yuan sounded curious. "May I ask, Elder, what exactly is this rare treasure?"

"I have no way of knowing for now."

"However, judging by the utterly pure yin baleful energy in the leyline, it must be either a treasure of extreme yin or one of pure yang. When heaven and earth contend and yin and yang mingle, either kind would be related to cleansing or refining high-quality true qi. If the Mystic Firmament Sect obtains it, perhaps our sect may even produce a Grandmaster."

"No wonder the sect is taking this so seriously."

"This time, they've not only sent the Divine Guard Army, but also dispatched three direct disciples to lead them."

"Mm."

"Don't spread this around. This region is no simple place. When I was traveling here, I sensed at least two Willow Tendon experts. Judging by their auras, they were likely from the White Bone Cult. Add to that the man sent ahead by the Wei Army, who clashed with County Magistrate Ye Wunian outside the city... Songshan County may soon become a demonic lair."

"We must select disciples as soon as possible over the next two days. Once the Divine Guard Army arrives from Pinglin County, have them escort the disciples away at once."

When he finished speaking,

the voices fell silent. No one said another word.

Qin Jiu pondered for a moment.

He didn't turn off Ghost Illumination. Instead, with a shift of his thoughts, he swept beyond the Qin Mansion.

Since breaking through to the Three Refinements, he had gained six more talent slots, and his mental strength had also increased significantly. He didn't feel particularly tired yet, so he wanted to scan the area around the county and see whether the County Magistrate who had left that day, along with the others, had returned.

After all, Fu Hanchuan was back.

And Zheng Dahai had just mentioned the White Bone Cult.

Without taking a look,

Qin Jiu simply couldn't feel at ease.

To his surprise, however, inside the Patrol Office in the Inner City, he saw no other lights besides Fu Hanchuan's gray one.

"Reporting to the commander."

"We've finished interrogating all the disciples from Canghai Martial Arts Hall."

"Oh? Did you find anything out?"

"Reporting to the commander, your subordinate used every kind of torture, but got nothing. The deaths of the Li Family and Han Family in the Inner City, as well as the Divine Fist Sect disciples, should have nothing to do with Canghai Martial Arts Hall. Should we release them?"

"Release them?"

Fu Hanchuan's voice was cold.

"Though they had nothing to do with those families' massacres, their hall master dared to join forces with the Canal Gang, Four Seasons Pharmacy, and the others to ambush Lord Ye. That alone would justify skinning them alive and pulling out their tendons. If Four Seasons Pharmacy hadn't been deserted, and those Canal Gang bastards hadn't vanished, they should all have been arrested by now, too. Lock those people in the water prison and deal with them when the lord returns."

"Sir, what about the Qin Family..."

"We have no solid evidence, and the Mystic Firmament Sect intends to protect them. Leave them alone for now."

"I'm issuing my orders."

"Send out the Patrol Office, the Demon Suppression Bureau, and every yamen constable. First, publish the Mystic Firmament Sect's disciple recruitment notice. Then suppress the scattered demons that have slipped into the city. After that, guard the city gates and await the County Magistrate's return."

"He really is devoted to his duties."

After listening,

Qin Jiu swept past the Inner City with a shift of thought, took a brief look around the Outer City, then turned off Ghost Illumination.

"For now, no one in the city seems to harbor ill will toward me. That's neither good nor bad news. The people from Four Seasons Pharmacy and the Canal Gang seem to have left the county these past few days. I wonder whether Jiang Lin, Tang Yu, and Ji Changqing will come back."

"And that White Bone Cult..."

As Qin Jiu pondered,

he slowly went through his Stance Training in the courtyard.

He had already found time to butcher the dozen or so spirit beasts left at the Hundred Beasts Garden. Though he hadn't gotten the talent he wanted, the spirit-beast meat had been cured into jerky and packed away. The Qin Mansion was ready to leave the county at any time.

But according to Zheng Dahai, the Divine Guard Army would arrive within days.

They would also spare men to escort the disciples.

Qin Jiu planned to leave with the main group then. As for the rare treasure, the Wei Army, and the White Bone Cult, he had no desire to get involved. If he weren't worried that the Qin Family might run into trouble on the road if they left on their own,

he would have already led them out of the city.

But Songshan County was still nearly half a month's journey from Ning'an Prefecture, even at a fast gallop. With his family along, the trip would be slower still, taking at least half a month.

Qin Jiu had no choice but to be cautious.

The next day.

The long street outside the Qin Mansion was packed with people, their voices rising in a clamor.

Whether they were dressed in finery or rags, beggars and all, they had gathered there.

"Quiet!"

Qi Yuan stood at the entrance.

He first gathered his inner force and shouted. Once everyone had covered their ears and quieted down, he continued, "I'll repeat myself. To join the Mystic Firmament Sect, you must be under thirty. Anyone older can go home."

"Now get into orderly lines."

"Come into the Martial Arts Arena to have your bones tested..."

At the Qin Mansion, in the East Wing.

Qin Xuanzhou found Qin Jiu and bowed. "Family Head, should we send the guard team to help out at the Martial Arts Arena?"

"The guard team?"

Qin Jiu shook his head. "The estate is full of all sorts of people right now. The guards need to watch the crowd and make sure no one leaves the Martial Arts Arena and wanders into other parts of the Qin Mansion. Just send one or two people to keep order."

Though Ghost Illumination was active,

he couldn't be expected to deal personally with every petty thief trying to take advantage of the chaos.

What would be the point of keeping a guard team, then?

"By the way."

"Xuanzhou, have you ever considered joining the Mystic Firmament Sect?"

Qin Jiu suddenly asked.

Qin Xuanzhou froze, then shook his head. "I'm a Three Refinements martial artist, but I'm already thirty-two. I don't meet the Mystic Firmament Sect's age requirement."

"Rules are dead, people are alive."

"You've already reached the peak of the Three Refinements. You'll need only two or three years to break through to Internal Strengthening. You may as well give it a try."

Qin Jiu considered it. "I'll find a chance to ask Elder Zheng. As for the Qin Family, we should focus on cultivating Qin Xudong during this period. Once we reach Ning'an Prefecture, he'll be more than capable of managing the family's affairs."

At the same time,

three figures, all visibly advanced in years, arrived outside the Qin Mansion with their children and grandchildren.

They looked up at the plaque above the Qin Mansion's entrance.

Their faces were filled with complicated emotions.