Before long, Wang Lang, Patrolman Li, and Centurion Zhao followed City Lord Zhou through a corridor of the City Lord's Mansion and arrived at the rear courtyard's council hall.
Two guards in fitted black uniforms stood before the door, their temples bulging and their blood brimming with vigor. They were Body Tempering Realm experts at the middle stage, assigned solely to protect City Lord Zhou.
City Lord Zhou gave the two guards a slight nod and led the three inside.
The hall was brightly lit, and three people were already seated within.
On the left of the seat of honor sat an old Daoist with crane-white hair and the face of a child. He gripped a gleaming, oil-polished wine gourd in his hand, his eyes narrowed as if awake yet not awake.
On the right sat a monk of around forty, dressed in a patched earth-yellow robe. The nine burn scars atop his head were clearly visible.
Strangely enough, a sheathed short saber hung at his waist.
In the center sat a woman of about twenty, dressed in a water-blue, waist-cinched gown. Her figure was slender and graceful, though her expression was cold.
A sheathed longsword lay across her knees.
When they saw people enter, all three raised their eyes.
City Lord Zhou strode forward and first cupped his hands toward the three inside.
"Forgive me for keeping you three eminent ones waiting."
He then turned to Wang Lang's group and said solemnly,
"Young Master Wang, allow Zhou to introduce you. These three are accomplished Rogue Cultivators whom Zhou invited from many places. All are deeply cultivated and broadly experienced."
"This is Daoist Songyunzi."
"This is Master Huineng."
"This is Jiang Wan, Fairy Jiang."
After introducing Song Yunzi and the others, City Lord Zhou turned back and continued,
"Esteemed ones, this is Zhao Changyuan, Centurion Zhao of our Yuan Province Demon Subduing Division, a mid-stage Qi Induction Realm cultivator. This is Patrolman Li, also an expert who has achieved Qi Induction."
Finally, he turned slightly toward Wang Lang, and his voice unconsciously rose.
"And this is Young Master Wang Lang. Though Young Master Wang is young, he has already... reached the ninth level of the Qi Induction Realm!"
The instant those words fell, the air in the hall seemed to freeze.
Song Yunzi and the other two immediately fixed their gazes on Wang Lang. Their scrutiny carried undisguised astonishment.
Ninth level of Qi Induction? This young man looked barely past twenty, and his build was more like that of a martial artist. Yet he possessed such a level of qi cultivation?
With such cultivation at such an age, he would have been a genius even in a great sect. How had he appeared in this small frontier city?
Though the three were suspicious and bewildered, none voiced any doubts.
The first rule for Rogue Cultivators roaming the martial world was to ask less and observe more.
Especially when facing someone whose cultivation might surpass their own.
What if the other party was some old monster who enjoyed pretending to be young?
Thus, they all cupped their hands to Wang Lang in greeting.
Wang Lang's expression remained calm as he returned the gesture. Neither City Lord Zhou's praise nor the three scrutinizing gazes stirred the slightest ripple in his heart.
Nor did he reveal that he had already broken through to the fourth level of the Spirit Condensation Realm.
It was not that he suspected there was a traitor among them. He simply understood that one should not lightly reveal one's strength.
Always keep a card up one's sleeve; only then could one strike unexpectedly at a critical moment.
The Grand Righteous Qi and Vajra Qi within him were now restrained and profound. Unless someone's realm far exceeded his own, it would be exceedingly difficult for them to see through his true depth.
Naturally, Patrolman Li had the lowest cultivation among them all, having only reached the first level of Qi Induction. He stood somewhat awkwardly behind Centurion Zhao.
But this sort of high-level gathering did not require him to take charge in the first place. With his own Centurion standing at the forefront, he only needed to follow orders.
After the two sides made brief acquaintance, City Lord Zhou hurriedly got to the point.
If you can't find the book by searching its title, try searching for the author instead. It may simply have been renamed!
"Esteemed ones, I presume you have all heard of the Liu family massacre. Why don't we set out at once and inspect the scene? Perhaps we may discover clues and catch that monster harming others as soon as possible."
Naturally, no one objected.
Those who had come to assist in slaying demons all possessed, to some degree, the desire to save the world. Otherwise, why would they risk coming when they knew a Second-Order Demon might be behind this?
The group left the City Lord's Mansion and, under City Lord Zhou's lead, headed toward Liu Manor.
When pedestrians on the street saw the city lord hurrying along with several people of extraordinary bearing, they stepped aside and whispered among themselves.
When they arrived before Liu Manor's imposing yet gloomy gates, City Lord Zhou stopped and bowed deeply to Wang Lang and the others.
"Everyone, Zhou is but a mortal. Faced with such strange matters, I fear I cannot be of any help and may instead become a burden. I shall rely entirely on you eminent ones for the investigation! Zhou will await good news at the government office!"
His tone was sincere, yet his eyes revealed a sense of having laid down a heavy burden. He was even secretly calculating that once this matter was resolved, he had to find a way to transfer back to his hometown in Central Province.
Even if he returned to become a Lineage parasite who merely ate and waited for death, it would still be better than spending every day trembling with fear in this small frontier city.
City Lord Zhou hurried away with his attendants, leaving Wang Lang and the other five standing before Liu Manor's tightly shut gates.
Three headless corpses lay haphazardly beneath an old ginkgo tree before the gates. Judging by their clothing, they appeared to be servants and guards.
The wounds at their necks were as smooth as mirrors, as though something unimaginably sharp had severed them in an instant.
The soldiers from the City Lord's Mansion had clearly received strict orders, and the scene had been kept relatively intact.
Master Huineng softly recited a Buddhist invocation and was the first to step forward, crouching beside one of the bodies to examine the wound and the surrounding traces carefully.
He held his fingers in the air near the wound, then studied the direction in which the corpse's fingers had clawed at the ground before saying thoughtfully,
"Amitabha. Judging from the way these three fell, they faced outward from the manor, their limbs pitched forward. They must have fled in terror while still alive."
"Yet... their speed was far inferior to the thing that beheaded them. They were caught beneath this gateway and died in an instant."
"Furthermore, the cuts are smooth and completed in one stroke. If it was not a sharp blade, then it was some incomparably sharp limb or supernatural ability of the demon."
Song Yunzi stroked his beard and nodded. "Master speaks truly. From the remnants of their blood and qi, and from the terror frozen upon their faces at their final moment, the attack came suddenly and swiftly."
Wang Lang also nodded slightly. This monk's observations were quite meticulous.
"Everyone, let us go inside and have a look." As the official representative, Centurion Zhao was the first to enter Liu Manor through the gates, which had already been pushed open.
The moment they stepped inside, a heavy stench of blood mixed with an indescribable scent of Chinese flowering crabapple rushed toward them.
Everyone frowned. Jiang Wan even covered her nose with her sleeve, disgust flashing through her eyes.
The sight in the front courtyard was even more gruesome than outside.
The pavilions and ornamental rocks remained standing, but the ground, corridor pillars, and flowerbeds were splattered with dark-red blood and unidentifiable fragments.
Song Yunzi swept his horsetail whisk, driving away the flies, then said gravely, "The manor is quite large. If we move together, our efficiency will be too low."
"Why don't we split up to investigate, then regroup here in half an hour and exchange information?"
The proposal was reasonable, and everyone agreed.
Jiang Wan spoke first. "I will investigate the women's quarters in the rear courtyard."
Centurion Zhao said, "Patrolman Li and I will inspect the front hall, accounting room, and storerooms."
Master Huineng pressed his palms together. "This poor monk will inspect the eastern and western wings, as well as the servants' quarters."
Daoist Songyunzi said, "Then this poor Daoist will inspect the kitchen, rear rooms, and secluded spots in the garden."
At last, everyone's gazes fell upon Wang Lang.
Wang Lang appeared calm, but inwardly he grumbled, Why was every one of them so professional?
I'm not a professional! What am I supposed to do?
Still, he had to say something appropriate. After pondering briefly, he spoke with an unchanged expression,
"Everyone's duties are clearly assigned. Wang will fill in the gaps and inspect the distribution of bloodstains, traces of destruction, and other matters.
"I will carefully examine the most direct traces at the scene. Perhaps they may confirm your findings, or perhaps I may uncover different clues."
With their tasks clearly assigned, the six immediately scattered.
Before you continue