An hour later, in Qinglin City a hundred li northeast of Black Stone City, within a temporarily requisitioned courtyard.
Wei Qing looked at the seven or eight people standing sparsely before her, and the corner of her eye twitched almost imperceptibly.
This... was the entirety of the elite force she could urgently gather in this area?
The strongest among them was a Centurion named Zhao Changyuan, at the sixth level of the Qi Induction Realm.
The rest were patrolmen from nearby cities and towns who had fortunately not been sent out on assignments, most hovering around the first or second level of the Qi Induction Realm.
There was even a young man who had barely stepped into the Qi Induction Realm, his aura still unstable.
When Centurion Zhao saw Wei Qing's gaze sweep over him, he forced a bitter smile and cupped his hands. "Reporting to the Pacification Envoy, it is not that this subordinate has neglected his duty."
"It is truly because... demon and monster incidents in Yuan Province are erupting like a geyser. This subordinate should have had dozens of patrolmen under his command..."
"But now, most of them have either been transferred away or gone to provide support elsewhere on their own. The only ones left here are a scant few, such as Brother Li Si."
"Just the other day, this subordinate dealt with three Second-Order Demons in Qinglin City. I had planned to rest briefly before heading elsewhere to provide aid, but just as I was about to depart, I received your Beacon Fire Token."
The implication was clear: if not for this coincidence, even he, this supporting pillar, might not have been here.
Wei Qing nodded lightly. Now that she understood the situation, she naturally would not rebuke him without cause.
Her gaze swept across the crowd as her cool voice rang out. "The situation is urgent, so I will make this brief."
"Black Stone City has been completely sealed off by an unknown black mist. Its aura is exceedingly malevolent. A heaven-shaking demon or evil entity may have emerged."
"The prefect cannot provide assistance, so he has ordered us to investigate first."
Li Si's face turned pale upon hearing this, sweat beading in his palms.
He was really just a little patrolman at the first level of the Qi Induction Realm.
He could barely handle some First-Order minor demons in ordinary times, yet now even the Pacification Envoy, who was in the middle stage of the Spirit Condensation Realm, found this troublesome...
This was plainly a high-end deathmatch!
Ever since Creek Stone Village, if Young Master Wang Lang had not intervened, he probably would not even have been able to deal with that white fox demon.
And after that, the chaos across Yuan Province had completely spiraled beyond control.
Thinking of Wang Lang, his eyes rolled, and he hurriedly bowed. "M-my Lord, this subordinate has a suggestion..."
Wei Qing looked at him. "Speak."
"We are short on manpower. Why not... seek outside help?"
Li Si swallowed before continuing.
"Within a hundred li, there may be reclusive masters or disciples from sects traveling the land."
"For example, those three Second-Order Demons from a few days ago were not actually slain by us,
but were dealt with through the assistance of Young Master Wang Lang from Listening Waves Mountain Manor and several Rogue Cultivator masters."
Centurion Zhao nodded as well. "Indeed. Though that Young Master Wang is young, he possesses cultivation in the Spirit Condensation Realm. His dharma manifestation is quite extraordinary, and he is a righteous man. Perhaps... we can ask for his aid."
"Oh?" Wei Qing raised a brow, somewhat surprised.
In such a remote borderland, there was actually a reclusive cultivator in the Spirit Condensation Realm?
That was an unexpected delight.
After pondering for a moment, her eyes shifted slightly. She immediately took out a jade plaque and said, "Good! In that case, I, Wei Qing, swear in the name of a Jade Face Guard Pacifier of the Demon Subduing Division:
Anyone who assists in handling the Black Stone City incident, regardless of origin or cultivation,
may, once the matter is resolved, choose one Magic Tool of the corresponding grade and one cultivation manual or spell manual from the Demon Subduing Division's armory according to their merits!
Furthermore, all Demon Subduing Division personnel who participate, so long as they give their all, will be credited with a major merit regardless of the final outcome!"
The moment those words were spoken, the eyes of the originally anxious crowd immediately lit up.
The Demon Subduing Division's armory collection and cultivation manuals held immense allure for Rogue Cultivators and disciples of small sects!
And major merit was tied to promotion, resources, and even blessings for one's descendants.
Even Centurion Zhao's breathing grew heavier.
He had been stuck at the sixth level of the Qi Induction Realm for a long time. Perhaps through this, he could trade for an opportunity to break through!
Wei Qing put away the jade plaque and quickened her speech. "Now, Centurion Zhao and Patrolman Li, you two will accompany me to Listening Waves Mountain Manor to call upon Young Master Wang Lang."
"The rest of you are to immediately spread out and search within a hundred li around Qinglin City for Qi Refiners and body-tempering martial artists with genuine ability. Invite them with sincerity."
"Yes, my Lord!"
The crowd answered in unison. The worry in their eyes had been replaced by blazing fighting spirit, and they quickly dispersed to carry out their respective duties.
Mingyue Mountain, Listening Waves Mountain Manor.
Yesterday, Wang Lang had just completely skinned that tiger demon, cut up its meat for air-drying,
and, at Su Yao's request, let her eagerly take that whip-like thing away to soak in specially prepared medicinal wine.
At that moment, he was planning his next round of idle cultivation beneath the waters of the Dadu River.
The moment he pushed open the manor gates, he saw three people standing outside.
Two were familiar faces: Centurion Zhao Changyuan and Patrolman Li Si of the Demon Subduing Division.
The other was a woman with an upright figure and a handsome face touched by heroic spirit.
Though she wore fitted clothes convenient for movement, the fabric, tailoring details,
and the Demon Subduing Division jade plaque hanging from her waist all revealed that her status was anything but ordinary.
Wei Qing was also sizing up Wang Lang.
At first glance, a trace of surprise flickered through her heart.
The man before her had a burly, powerful physique, his muscle lines smooth and brimming with strength.
Compared to ordinary Qi Refiners, he looked more like a martial artist devoted to the path of body tempering.
Yet around him lingered an indescribable aura. It was not the blood energy of martial arts, but rather seemed more like...
the Righteous Qi cultivated by scholars?
No, not merely that. The purity and abundance of this upright aura was more awe-inspiring and lucid than that of many great Confucian scholars she had encountered in this age.
Naturally, she did not understand that this was the passive effect brought by Wang Lang's trait known as Righteous Qi.
The moment Li Si saw Wang Lang, a smile like one who had glimpsed a savior immediately appeared on his face. He hurriedly stepped forward and bowed. "Young Master Wang, pardon the disturbance!"
"This is Lord Wei, a Jade Face Guard Pacifier from the Demon Subduing Division headquarters in Central Province. She has come this time to ask for your help in an urgent matter!"
Centurion Zhao cupped his hands in greeting as well, then added solemnly, "Young Master Wang, something major has happened in Black Stone City."
"According to Lord Wei, the entire Black Stone City has been completely shrouded by a strange demon mist, its aura profoundly inauspicious."
"Lord Wei has come under orders to investigate, but she lacks manpower. She has specifically come to ask for your assistance."
Upon hearing this, the relaxed expression on Wang Lang's face instantly faded, replaced by astonishment. "Black Stone City has been completely shrouded in demon mist?"
"This... I went there late at night just a few days ago, and I did not notice anything unusual in the city!"
"What? Young Master Wang went to Black Stone City a few days ago?" Wei Qing's eyes narrowed, while Li Si and Centurion Zhao both revealed astonished expressions.
Wang Lang nodded and explained, "After dealing with those three demons in Qinglin City some days ago,
I heard on my way back to the manor that Qi Family Village nearby was suffering from famine, so I went to take a look."
"Many of the village's young and able-bodied men had been conscripted to work in the western district of Black Stone City."
"I had doubts in my heart, so I sneaked into the city that night to investigate."
Naturally, he skipped over the details of killing people and distributing grain before continuing.
"There were indeed many workers in the western district of Black Stone City who looked like villagers, building fortifications,
and... everything was orderly, the lights brightly lit. Though the overseers were strict in urging them on, I did not sense any demon aura, ghostly aura, or anything of the sort."
After hearing this, Wei Qing pondered. "At the time, Young Master Wang, did you rely mainly on spiritual perception, or on visual observation?"
"Both. I observed with my eyes in the night, supplemented by spiritual perception," Wang Lang replied.
Wei Qing's tone turned grave. "Then it is highly possible that what you saw at the time was already an illusion."
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