Secret Letters and a Fortune

"Illusory Astral Qi can change one's appearance in countless ways; it's interesting."

Lin Qing immediately tried it, and a cloud of emerald green energy rose around him, causing his appearance to change dramatically. In an instant, he transformed into an old man with wrinkles and white hair.

The next moment, his appearance changed again, transforming him into a fierce-looking, burly man with a scarred face.

Thus, in a very short period of time, his appearance changed seven times in succession, from an old man to a child, from a woman to a strong man. Moreover, this change was not limited to his appearance; his inner temperament also changed, as if he had become a completely different person out of thin air.

Lin Qing was very satisfied with this. This kind of Gang Qi was very practical. In the future, he could transform into other people when acting in secret, which would greatly increase his secrecy.

"Time to go!"

Lin Qing transformed back into his original form, glanced out the window, and saw that the night was already deep.

He got up and left the inn. He immediately transformed into a man with a round face and then used his Lightness Skill to run quickly towards Ao Xiong's residence nearby.

Before long, he had climbed over the wall and landed in the courtyard. According to Ao Xiong's memory, there were four guards in the courtyard, all of average strength, and about ten servants and maids, none of whom knew martial arts. The defense was extremely weak.

However, since the owner of the house was Ao Xiong, no thief dared to enter, so even with only these four guards, there had never been any thefts.

Lin Qing walked through the courtyard; his hearing was extremely sharp, and he quickly determined the location of everyone in the courtyard.

With his current strength, if he chose to force his way in, none of these people could stop him; he could silently kill everyone in this mansion.

However, he did not want to do so. Firstly, he did not want to escalate the situation further, and secondly, he did not want to indiscriminately kill innocent people.

So he moved Stealth, hiding in the shadows to avoid anyone who passed by.

About half an hour later, Lin Qing pushed open the door to Ao Xiong's bedroom and quickly found a white wooden box under the bed.

He easily broke the copper lock on the box with brute force. Inside, he found seven or eight secret letters and twenty-seven silver notes, each worth ten thousand taels of silver.

"As expected of the Office Chief the Netherworld Pacification Bureau, he is indeed rolling in money. There is so much silver in just one mansion." Lin Qing thought to himself, but he was not surprised.

The Office Chief the Netherworld Pacification Bureau has a very high status. If he wants to make money, he has plenty of ways to do so. He doesn't even need to lift a finger; many forces will offer him money willingly.

Lin Qing carefully put away the secret letter and the silver notes, turned around, and quickly disappeared into the night.

It was in the early hours of the morning.

Lin Qing returned to the Soul-Calming Office's headquarters. He had just arrived at his own courtyard when there was a knock on the door.

"Brother Lin, are you back yet? Open the door!"

Lin Qing heard Wei Dong's voice, got up and opened the door, and saw Wei Dong standing at the door with an anxious look on his face.

"Oh, you're finally back! I thought something had happened to you."

Wei Dong looked Lin Qing up and down, let out a long breath, and strode into the room.

"What could possibly be wrong with me?" Lin Qing asked.

"Hey, things were really chaotic in the city yesterday. Another big thing happened: Ao Xiong and Ao Ziyi are dead!" Wei Dong entered the house and casually picked up a glass of cold tea from the table next to him and gulped down several mouthfuls.

"What? Has the murderer been caught? Are there any clues?" Lin Qing asked in shock.

"Not yet, but there's no need to investigate. It's most likely the work of the Yinyuan Sect. Damn it, these guys have gone mad lately, seizing every opportunity to attack our Soul-Calming Office. If we don't get rid of them, the Prefectural City will never be peaceful," Wei Dong cursed.

"What has the higher-ups decided to do?" Lin Qing stepped forward and poured a cup of hot tea for each of them.

Wei Dong blew on the hot tea and took a small sip. "I heard that martial law has been declared throughout the city, and a massive search is planned to find all the Yinyuan Sect spies!"

Lin Qing nodded slightly. "It's time to conduct a thorough search. However, it's probably impossible to eliminate them all, but we can kill a group of Yinyuan Sect Fiend."

"Yes, but Brother Lin, Ao Xiong's death is also good for you." Wei Dong suddenly whispered, "That kid Ao Ziyi held a grudge because you took his Constable Chief. I heard he often speaks ill of you behind your back, and Ao Xiong was known for spoiling him. It's hard to guarantee he wouldn't try to trip you up. Now that he's gone, your life in the Soul-Calming Office Division will be more comfortable. Besides, you're currently a candidate for director. With Ao Xiong dead, the position will be vacant, and you'll have a chance to compete for the position."

At this point, Wei Dong looked on with envy.

"That's the Director, a real big shot in the Soul-Calming Office. In the Prefectural City, every faction has to be careful and curry favor with him. Brother Lin, if you succeed, you'll be the youngest Director in the history of the entire Prefectural City Soul-Calming Office, and you'll have inexhaustible martial arts resources and silver in the future."

"Don't get your hopes up too high. I'm not the only candidate for director. I could easily fall into someone else's hands," Lin Qing said calmly.

He maintained a calm attitude. If he could win the position of director, he would indeed gain great benefits, but not winning it was not a big deal. He was still young and would have plenty of opportunities in the future.

"You're right." Wei Dong scratched his head.

Just then, another set of footsteps came from outside; it was Wang Ling.

Lin Qing hadn't closed the courtyard gate, so Wang Ling walked straight into the courtyard, and he immediately went out to greet him.

"Greetings, Your Excellency!"

Wei Dong also came out and joined in, speaking loudly.

Wang Ling nodded slightly and said in a deep voice, "Yesterday I heard that you single-handedly killed four True Gang Realm Martial Artist?"

"Yes, sir, I recently broke through to the True Gang Realm by chance," Lin Qing said.

A strange light flashed in Wang Ling's eyes. "Good, I didn't expect you to have reached the True Astral Force realm in such a short time. Such Talent is extremely rare in the history of the Prefectural City. It seems you are also qualified to compete for the position of Office Chief the Netherworld Pacification Bureau."

"So, it seems Ao Xiong has truly encountered some trouble," Lin Qing said.

"It seems you already know. Ao Xiong somehow revealed his whereabouts and was killed by the Yinyuan Sect Fiend. The news hasn't spread yet, but once it does, it will surely cause a huge uproar," Wang Ling said.

"The people of the Yinyuan Sect are far too arrogant," Lin Qing said, frowning.

"With your strength, unless you encounter a few individuals like Deng Qianyu, you won't be in any more danger against any other assassins. That puts my mind at ease. Keep up the good work. If you have any questions, feel free to come to me anytime." Wang Ling said, turning and leaving.

Lin Qing watched his retreating figure and suddenly sighed. He saw a deep sense of worry between Wang Ling's brows, and thought that after disappearing from the Blood Valley Forbidden Ground, Wang Ling had lost his way and did not know how to cure Nüji's illness.

This has become his obsession; if he cannot achieve it, it will torment him for the rest of his life.

"Brother Lin, I'm leaving now. I'm glad you're alright!" Wei Dong suddenly spoke, interrupting his thoughts.

Lin Qing nodded slightly. After Wei Dong left, he thought for a moment and decided to visit Wang Ling.

"The Unity Heaven Art can simulate various types of Gang Qi, among which the Everlasting Spring Astral Qi can enhance physical strength, nourish the spirit, and heal hidden injuries and ailments. Perhaps I can give it a try and cure his daughter's illness."

Lin Qing got up and went out. He was grateful for Wang Ling's care and would always remember this kindness. He would definitely find a way to repay her if he had the ability.