Identity Revealed, Command and Strategy

"Since there are rules, then many things will be easy to handle."

"I hope everything goes smoothly."

Elder Huang left the Archives Hall, and about an hour later, he returned quietly.

He looked at Li Qing, "Come with me; someone wants to see you."

"Very well," Li Qing replied without unnecessary chatter, following Elder Huang directly.

They wound through the Demon Extermination Hall, soon arriving at a small, detached building.

The area was quite secluded, with hardly a soul in sight.

Entering the building, they made their way to the second floor.

Knock, knock, knock.

Elder Huang rapped on the door.

A deep voice sounded from within, "Come in."

Elder Huang pushed the door open, and Li Qing followed behind him.

The interior was a dim room, with only faint slivers of sunlight leaking through the gaps in the window.

The space was quite empty, save for a figure shrouded in darkness, standing in the depths of the room with their back turned toward them.

The deep voice spoke suddenly, "Qin Wuming is your alias."

"Your real name is Li Qing, a servant at the Huayue Study in Qingshi County, fifteen years of age."

"You were picked up off the street ten years ago by Mr. Huayue of the Huayue Study."

"Over half a month ago, Mr. Huayue suffered a Rule-Breaking Alienation while practicing the Blood Demon Sect's Blood Refining Art."

"You also practiced this technique, and when Mr. Huayue alienated and attempted to kill you, you escaped and alerted the members of the Qingshi County Demon Extermination Hall."

"You were placed on the Government Office's wanted list, but you fled that very night."

"On the road, you encountered Wang Kuohai of the All-Under-Heaven Escort Agency and used a magical artifact to kill an Anomaly."

"The artifact manifested a Flood Dragon phantom and likely originated from the hands of some non-human entity."

"Afterward, you followed Wang Kuohai to Jade City and settled down."

"The next day, due to your cultivation technique, you attracted a Blood Demon Sect member in Jade City, from whom you obtained the Blood Fusion Art and the Blood Swallowing Art."

"By merging the three techniques, you practiced the Blood Demon Scripture's Foundation Establishment method, eliminating the grave hidden dangers of the three individual arts."

"Am I correct, Li Qing?"

Hearing this, the hair on Li Qing's body stood on end, and his heart hammered against his ribs.

The person before him had investigated so much in just half an hour; Li Qing's voice was slightly dry as he spoke.

"That is correct; my name is indeed Li Qing."

"I had no choice but to flee."

"I have no desire to be treated as a practitioner of the demonic path."

The man replied indifferently, "No need to say more. Since you have entered the Demon Extermination Hall, as long as you do not break the law, no one can hold your past against you."

"Now tell me, what have you discovered?"

"If the situation is verified, you shall have what you asked for."

Li Qing took a deep breath and nodded. "Very well."

"I discovered from these cases that..."

Li Qing did not waste words; he wove a narrative, cleverly stringing all the cases together.

"These cases appear unrelated, but the ultimate beneficiary is one person."

"Commander-in-Chief Wang Jie; this man must be in collusion with the Blood Demon Sect."

The figure with his back to Li Qing fell into deep thought, while Elder Huang, standing to the side, looked equally horrified as he recalled certain events.

At this moment, Elder Huang suddenly spoke, "The Secretariat Office was wiped out a month ago. According to the rules, in two months at most, the new personnel for the Secretariat Office will arrive."

"The number of refugees outside is growing, and the situation is already vaguely unstable."

"I fear something will happen within these two months."

The figure shrouded in darkness nodded and turned to face Li Qing.

He was a man with a square face, thick eyebrows, and a rugged complexion, yet he possessed an air of incorruptible integrity.

"Li Qing, I am Huang Tairen, Commander of the Jade City Demon Extermination Hall."

"The information and deductions you provided are logical, and I agree to your demands, though your identity remains under suspicion."

"Once this matter is concluded, you will receive what you desire. Until then, you must remain within the Demon Extermination Hall and are not permitted to leave."

"Furthermore, you have a mission: monitor Wen Taiquan. You will be provided with information on him daily."

"Your task is to uncover his contact."

Li Qing frowned slightly upon hearing this, but after a moment of thought, he nodded.

"Fine, I accept this mission."

Li Qing and Elder Huang left the area and returned to the archives room.

Elder Huang said, "This matter is extremely dangerous. If what you say is true, there is no telling how many Blood Demon Sect scoundrels are already lying in ambush within this city."

"How does the Commander intend to resolve this?"

Elder Huang smiled mysteriously. "That is not for you to ask."

"Just do your own job."

"What you desire, you shall certainly receive."

"Provided that everything turns out to be true in the end."

"Very well!"

Jade City Government Office.

Prefect Fang Qingyu was reading in a pavilion in the back courtyard when a figure appeared silently behind him.

The two guards immediately drew their blades. "Who goes there?"

"Fang Qingyu, tell them both to leave."

Upon hearing this voice, Prefect Fang Qingyu narrowed his eyes and looked at the figure clad in a black robe.

He waved his hand at the two guards and said, "You two may withdraw for now."

The two guards nodded upon hearing this. "Yes, sir."

They left the area without a sound, leaving only Fang Qingyu and the black-robed man in the pavilion.

"Why have you come in such a state? If I hadn't recognized your voice, I would have thought some bandit had broken into the Government Office."

Huang Tairen pulled down his mask, his expression grave.

"I have come to you regarding a matter of great importance. No one other than you can know I am here; this concerns the safety of the entire Jade City."

Hearing Huang Tairen's words, the hand Fang Qingyu held his book with paused slightly.

A trace of gravity flashed across his face, and a cold, sharp light suffused his eyes.

"What is going on?"

"The Blood Demon Sect has colluded with Commander-in-Chief Wang Jie to wipe out the family of Lord Li of the Secretariat Office, because they have been using the river transport to smuggle a large number of rebel soldiers and weapons into the city."

"The city is now rife with hidden murderous intent; the situation is dire."

"There is no one I can trust but you."

Fang Qingyu's brows furrowed deeply as he took a long breath.

"What do you intend to do?"

Huang Tairen narrowed his eyes. "Here is how we shall proceed..."

Fei Yangming was working in the Government Office when he suddenly saw two people walk past his door.

He frowned, immediately chased after them, and called out, "Wang Qi, Tang San, why have you two come to the front office?"

The two were indeed Fang Qingyu's guards. Hearing Fei Yangming's call, they immediately turned and bowed.

"Greetings, Chief Constable!"

"It was the Prefect who ordered us to leave."

"What is going on?" Fei Yangming asked, his brows knitted tightly.

Tang San looked left and right, then stepped close to Fei Yangming and whispered.

"A man in black has come to see the Prefect."

"The Prefect ordered us to leave."