After hearing Patrolman Li's account of the demon rampaging in Creek Stone Village and claiming more than ten lives, Wang Lang swiftly made his assessment.
A creature that only dared to secretly devour people in a small village of barely a hundred residents probably wasn't some formidable demon worthy of the stage.
The risk was manageable, and as for the reward... perhaps he could accumulate some practical combat experience. It was worth making a move.
So he said, "Patrolman Li, this Wang has trained with the old man for several years since childhood. I have some strength in me."
"If you do not mind, I am willing to lend Patrolman Li a hand and rid the people of this evil."
At his words, heartfelt relief first appeared on Patrolman Li's face, only to be replaced by even deeper hesitation.
He sighed and said sincerely, "Young Master Wang, your intentions... sigh, to be honest, if this had been a moment ago, I would have only thought you were a hot-blooded youth. Having such intentions would have been enough.
"But now... I truly do not want you wading into these muddy waters."
He thought of how Old Master Wang had suffered irreparable injuries while helping the Demon Subduing Division capture a Heretical Cultivator years ago.
And Wang Lang might be Old Master Wang's only bloodline left in this world. Though he did not know that Wang Lang was not the man's biological grandson,
that did not stop him from wanting to keep Wang Lang from suffering any mishap while helping the Demon Subduing Division. Otherwise, Li would never have peace of conscience for the rest of his life.
Thus, he earnestly said, "Young Master Wang, this matter is truly dangerous. It would be safer for me to report it to the Prefect and wait for reinforcements from the Demon Subduing Division."
Wang Lang caught the meaning behind his words and could not help but think more highly of the rough-faced Patrolman Li.
This was a man who valued loyalty and righteousness, a man with principles—not the sort of calculating fellow who would stop at nothing to complete a mission.
Since the man meant well, there was no harm in revealing part of his strength.
Wang Lang said no more. With a slight stir of his mind, a thread of the vast, abyss-like Grand Righteous Qi within him leaked out.
Though he controlled it to fluctuations around the Sixth Level of the Qi Induction Realm, to someone like Patrolman Li, who had already crossed the threshold of Qi Refining, it was as clear as a boulder cast into a still lake.
"Th-this...!" Patrolman Li's eyes flew wide open. His body straightened unconsciously, his face filled with disbelief.
"Young Master Wang, you... you are a Qi Refining cultivator as well?! May I ask... what realm have you cultivated to?"
"By sheer luck, the Sixth Level of the Qi Induction Realm," Wang Lang said without changing expression.
Naturally, he would not reveal all of his true Ninth Level of Qi Induction Realm cultivation and Ninth Level Body Tempering strength.
When traveling abroad, the more trump cards one held, the more peacefully one slept.
"The Sixth Level of the Qi Induction Realm!" Patrolman Li sucked in a sharp breath, and the worry on his face was instantly replaced by immense delight.
"As expected of Old Master Wang's grandson! With strength like yours, if you take action, this demon calamity will surely be seized as easily as reaching into a bag!"
He was genuinely excited.
According to the Demon Subduing Division's procedures, if he reported this to the Prefect and requested aid, the first group sent would most likely be advance members at the Third or Fourth Level of the Qi Induction Realm.
Only after confirming that they could not handle it would stronger experts be dispatched.
The time cost was high, and the process cumbersome.
A Qi Refining cultivator at the Sixth Level of the Qi Induction Realm was already a rare expert in the local region!
Amid his excitement, Patrolman Li immediately made a tangible promise:
"Young Master Wang, if we succeed in eliminating the demon this time, Li will truthfully report all your merits and have a record made for you in the Demon Subduing Division!"
Wang Lang nodded and did not decline. There was no reason to refuse something free.
"You are too courteous, Patrolman Li. Time waits for no one. Let us set out at once. Please lead the way."
"Good, good!" Patrolman Li agreed repeatedly, then carefully took two pale-yellow talisman papers from his robes, each inscribed with peculiar patterns in cinnabar.
He handed one of them to Wang Lang. "Young Master Wang, this is a Swift Travel Talisman from our Demon Subduing Division. Pour the qi within your body into it to activate it, and it can greatly reduce the burden of long-distance travel."
Wang Lang took it and found the paper unusually tough to the touch.
Patrolman Li used one himself, and the two of them left Listening Waves Mountain Manor together.
With Patrolman Li leading the way, Wang Lang followed close behind.
After activating the talisman, Wang Lang felt a light force rise beneath his feet, as if he were stepping upon clouds.
Every step carried him far farther than usual. The wind howled past his ears, while the scenery on both sides rapidly receded.
Wang Lang secretly praised it. This thing is much more useful than shared bicycles from my previous life!
He could not help but entertain the idea of learning talisman drawing, but he quickly suppressed it.
Leaving aside how tightly guarded the inheritance of such techniques was, merely the cost of talisman paper, cinnabar, and spirit brushes was beyond what he could afford right now.
Mm, I can only think about it for now.
Creek Stone Village was sixty li from Listening Waves Mountain Manor. Empowered by the Swift Travel Talismans, they arrived in less than half an hour.
Wang Lang estimated that if he unleashed the full power of his Ninth Level Body Tempering physique, he could be several times faster still.
But that would be far too shocking, and it would leave Patrolman Li far behind. It did not fit the image of a Sixth Level Qi Induction Realm cultivator.
By the time they reached Creek Stone Village, the eastern sky had begun to show the pale white of a fish's belly.
The village was small, its houses crude, and the air was steeped in a faint but palpable sense of terror.
Familiar with the route, Patrolman Li led Wang Lang directly to the only fairly neat blue-brick, tiled house in the village. It was the village chief's home.
In the Limitless Dynasty, villages and towns were not formal administrative units and had no government offices.
Daily affairs were handled autonomously by local elders. If a major event occurred, someone had to be sent to the nearest city to seek help from the City Lord's Mansion.
As for the so-called village chiefs and town chiefs, they were mostly respected local figures or elected representatives responsible for communicating with the authorities and conveying official decrees.
When they entered the courtyard, a burly, dark-skinned man was already waiting there.
He wore a coarse cloth short shirt, his muscles knotted like coiling dragons. At a glance, he was clearly a trained fighter.
Patrolman Li introduced him. "Young Master Wang, this is Shi Meng, one of the village's best fighters. He is already a First Level Body Tempering martial artist and has grown up here in Creek Stone Village.
"We will need his help handling this demon calamity, calming the villagers, and learning the details."
He then turned to Shi Meng. "Shi Meng, this is Young Master Wang Lang, a Qi Refining expert from Listening Waves Mountain Manor. He has come specifically to eliminate the demon for us."
Upon hearing this, Shi Meng immediately cupped his fists in salute, an honest smile on his face.
"Young Master Wang, thank you for coming! I, Shi Meng, thank you on behalf of everyone in the village, young and old!"
Wang Lang returned the salute.
Rubbing his hands together, Shi Meng said, "Patrolman Li, Young Master Wang, how about... we first take a look at the bodies of those who died? They are all laid out in the charity house at the eastern end of the village.
"Also, some villagers said they seemed to hear strange noises last night. They were so frightened that they did not dare sleep."
The three of them arrived at the charity house.
Calling it a charity house was generous; it was really just an abandoned mud-brick room, cold and damp.
Several corpses covered with straw mats lay side by side inside, giving off a faint stench of decay.
When they lifted the straw mats, the sight was rather gruesome.
Most of the corpses were mutilated and covered in bite marks from sharp teeth. Their internal organs in particular had almost been hollowed out, leaving behind only empty chest and abdominal cavities.
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