Second Patrol Mission

The next morning, Li Yuan was notified and went straight to the station.

The main hall's door stood open. Wang De glanced up at Li Yuan, then turned the document on the table to another page.

"Sit."

Li Yuan pulled over a chair and sat down. Wang De pushed the document toward him.

"The patrol assignments have been adjusted. They will take effect tomorrow."

Li Yuan took the document and skimmed through it.

The contents were brief—given the continuing decline in the number of rogue cultivators within the market, the reduced pressure on internal market patrols, and the frequent Demonic Beast activity outside the market, the Guard Squad was short-handed.

With the approval of the Wang Family Steward, part of the Patrol Squad would be incorporated into the outer patrol ranks, coordinating with the Guard Squad to carry out patrol missions around the perimeter of the market.

To put it bluntly, they were pushing Patrol Squad members outside.

A batch of rogue cultivators had left, disputes within the market had decreased, and the Patrol Inspectors no longer had as much work.

Meanwhile, Demonic Beasts were frequently appearing outside, and the Guard Squad was desperately short of manpower. It was the perfect time to fill those gaps with the surplus Patrol Inspectors.

They still belonged to the Patrol Squad in name, but in reality, they would be doing the Guard Squad's work.

Of course, it was still far better than being directly conscripted by the Guard Squad.

As a deputy captain at Qi Refining, Fourth Layer, Li Yuan would receive a monthly allowance of twelve Spirit Stones, along with a Healing Medicine allowance. Since he had not been conscripted, this could be stacked with his original Patrol Squad monthly salary.

Li Yuan continued reading.

He had been assigned to the Outer Third Patrol Group. Their patrol area covered the region south of the market and east of the Spirit Field District, extending a full circle farther out than the outer patrol route he had previously overseen.

"This time, three people will be going with you."

Wang De took a sip of tea.

"Xu Mao and Lin Xiaowu were both with you on the trip to the Spirit Field District before. They worked fairly well with you. The Guard Squad is also sending over a captain to lead the team. He's at Qi Refining, Fourth Layer. His surname is He, and his name is He Shou."

Sending a captain at Qi Refining, Fourth Layer showed that this patrol would not be merely going through the motions.

"The previous schedule of one patrol every three days has been canceled. This mission will be continuous. You patrol during the day and stay overnight at an outer outpost. You will not return to the market."

Wang De pulled a rough map from beneath the document and pointed to several marked locations.

"There are several Guard Squad outposts outside. Your group will stay at this South Outpost nearby. Each outpost has plenty of rooms."

Li Yuan looked at the outpost's location on the map. It was roughly three or four li outside the market's South Gate, beside a dirt road leading in and out of the market.

"How will we coordinate with the Guard Squad during patrols?"

"The Guard Squad patrol teams take the outer line, while you take the inner line. It's called inspection, but it's really patrol duty.

When you encounter a Demonic Beast, first judge its rank. Low-grade First-Order and below can be handled on the spot. First-Order Mid-Grade and above depend on the circumstances. If it is an Upper First-Order, retreat immediately and notify the Guard Squad."

Wang De paused. "The same goes for Cultivator Bandits."

Li Yuan put away the document and map, then nodded in acknowledgment.

"Gather at the East Gate tomorrow afternoon. He Shou will come meet you."

Li Yuan stood, then asked one more question. "Has the Wang Family sent more people over again?"

Wang De glanced at him but did not answer directly.

"Demonic Beasts have been causing a fierce disturbance lately. The market's business has been affected. The Wang Family will not simply sit by and do nothing."

That sentence already answered the question.

Qinghe Market was one of the Wang Family's important assets. Demonic Beast harassment had caused rogue cultivators to leave and shops to pull out, directly affecting revenue. It was only inevitable that the Wang Family would continue sending people to the market.

And pushing this batch of Patrol Squad members to the outskirts was also meant to help the Wang Family strengthen its control over the areas surrounding the market.

After leaving the station, Li Yuan did not return directly to his residence. Instead, he first turned into East Street.

At the southern fork, the old woman selling Medicinal Pills was still there.

Her stall was as small as ever, with several porcelain bottles arranged neatly on the white cloth.

The old woman was leaning against the wall with her eyes closed, resting. Hearing footsteps, she opened her eyes. When she saw Li Yuan, she sat up slightly straighter.

"How many Fiend Essence Pills do you have left?" Li Yuan crouched down and got straight to the point.

"Only four." The old woman held up one hand.

"I'll take them all."

Li Yuan took eight Spirit Stones from his sleeve and lined them up neatly on the stall cloth.

The old woman's eyes lit up, but she did not immediately take the Spirit Stones. Instead, she sized Li Yuan up and down.

"Young man, are you planning to take these for the long term?"

"I've tried them. The effects are decent."

The old woman frowned slightly and spoke.

"It's not easy to clear out too much Fiend Qi accumulated in the body. Take them slowly. Don't gulp them all down in one breath."

Li Yuan nodded.

"Thank you for the warning."

Only then did the old woman tuck the eight Spirit Stones into her sleeve. She placed the four Fiend Essence Pills into a small cloth pouch and handed it over.

Li Yuan took the pouch, weighed it in his hand, and slipped it into his sleeve.

"If your old man refines more later, save three for me."

"Fine, but I can't guarantee it."

Li Yuan rose and left, following East Street toward the East Gate.

As he passed a rogue cultivator's Medicinal Pill stall, Li Yuan glanced over the items on display. Qi Nourishing Pills—three Spirit Stones each, or three for eight Spirit Stones.

If the old woman could not gather enough, he would use Qi Nourishing Pills to make up the final gap.

The next afternoon, outside the market's East Gate.

When Li Yuan arrived, Xu Mao and Lin Xiaowu were already waiting by the roadside.

Xu Mao looked somewhat more spirited than he had last time.

Lin Xiaowu carried a small cloth pack on his back. His hand habitually kept brushing the Dharma Artifact at his waist, and he still looked somewhat nervous.

Li Yuan nodded to the two of them. The three did not say much and simply stood by the road waiting.

They did not have to wait long before someone emerged from the East Gate.

He was a man in his early thirties, of medium height and solid build, with a square face and a ring of bluish stubble around his chin. He wore the Guard Squad uniform, carried a long saber at his waist, and walked with steady, powerful strides.

He Shou.

He Shou stopped before them. His gaze passed from Li Yuan to Xu Mao and Lin Xiaowu before returning to Li Yuan. He cupped his hands in greeting.

"Deputy Captain Li? I'm He Shou, sent over by the Guard Squad."

"Captain He." Li Yuan returned the salute.

He Shou nodded. Without wasting time on pleasantries, he spoke directly.

"We'll talk on the road. Let's move first."

The four headed south along the Yellow Earth Road.

He Shou walked at the front. His pace was not fast, but it was steady. His eyes continuously swept over the grass and short trees on both sides of the road.

After walking for a while, He Shou began speaking as he walked. His voice was low and his pace unhurried, as though he were making casual conversation, but what he said was hard-earned experience.

"Outer patrols differ from inspections inside the market. In the market, you watch people. Outside, you watch for traces."

He Shou raised a hand and pointed at a clump of low shrubs by the road, their branches bent in one direction.

"Breaks like this are caused by wind. The branches all bend in the same direction, so there is nothing worth looking at. What you need to watch for is this—"

He Shou pointed ahead. "Several branches broken in different directions, at around waist height or lower. That usually means something passed through the brush."

He Shou's tone was casual, but the information he provided was substantial.

After they walked a little farther, He Shou stopped on a stretch of Yellow Earth Road and crouched down.

"The ground."

Li Yuan crouched beside him to look.

The yellow dirt road was dry and hard, with no obvious marks visible.

He Shou lightly scraped the ground with the tip of his saber sheath, leaving a shallow line.

"You cannot see claw prints in dry earth, but you can see indentations."

He Shou pointed to a slightly sunken patch in the road. It was not large, as though something had pressed down on it.

"This was left by a Mortal Beast. It did not weigh enough, so it only left a trace like this. If a Demonic Beast had passed through, the depression would be much deeper, and the surrounding earth would show cracks."

He Shou stood and dusted the dirt from his hands.

"Demonic Beast traces are relatively easy to identify. They are large, heavy, and leave behind residual spiritual energy. The difficult ones are Cultivator Bandits."

When he mentioned Cultivator Bandits, He Shou's voice grew heavier.

"Cultivator Bandits will not leave claw marks for you to find. What you need to watch for are things that should not be there—for example, a few footprints suddenly appearing on a wilderness trail no one uses, a strip of cloth tied to a tree, or a stone that was moved by someone and then put back."

"These may not necessarily have been left by Cultivator Bandits, but whenever you find something unusual, remember the location and report it when you return."

Li Yuan committed every detail to memory.

He Shou went on to explain several methods for judging Demonic Beast species—such as identifying the breed from the shape and smell of its droppings, estimating its size from the depth and spacing of claw marks, and distinguishing Mortal Beasts from Demonic Beasts by the fur left on the ground.

Xu Mao listened silently, nodding occasionally. Lin Xiaowu looked utterly serious, as though he wished he had paper and brush to write it all down.

After walking for roughly half a shichen, the four arrived at the South Outpost marked on the document.

It was a row of low wooden houses built along the edge of a small forest. Parts of several houses showed obvious damage on the outside.

He Shou pushed open the door of the first house and looked inside. The furnishings were sparse: two beds made of wooden planks, one table, and several water skins and miscellaneous items piled in a corner.

"You can sleep separately, but since you have no experience for now, sleep two to a room. Lin Patrol Inspector and I will share one room. Deputy Captain Li and Patrol Inspector Xu will share another."

He Shou entered the first room, leaned his long saber against the wall, sat on the edge of a bed, and rolled his neck.

Li Yuan entered the second room and placed his belongings on the other bed.

"Today, we'll familiarize ourselves with the route and surroundings. Formal patrols begin tomorrow," He Shou said.

"We'll make another round this afternoon. Memorize the key locations nearby, then rest separately tonight."

The afternoon patrol lasted more than two hours. He Shou led the three through the terrain within several li of the outpost, giving them a general sense of the area.

He pointed out the main dirt roads, the areas thick with brush, several high points with open views, and two streams where they could collect water, making everyone remember them one by one.

By the time they returned to the outpost, the sky had already darkened.

Li Yuan and Xu Mao entered their room and pulled the door shut.

After exchanging a few words with Xu Mao, they began cultivating separately.

Li Yuan sat on his bed and took a Fiend Essence Pill from his sleeve.

The scorching medicinal power flowed through his meridians, and Li Yuan's cultivation began to rise slowly.