Returning to Demon-Suppression Office's check-in room, Chu Bai didn't hesitate for a moment and immediately sent someone to summon his two right-hand men, Hu Hao and Feng Qin.
On the desk, a huge Anping County city defense map was slowly spread out.
Chu Bai stretched out his slender fingers and drew a circle in the center of the map, the most prosperous and densely populated downtown area.
"Regarding this area, are there any abnormalities in the patrol records of the past six months?" Chu Bai asked straight to the point.
Hu Hao and Feng Qin looked at each other, both looking a little confused.
Feng Qin was the first to speak, "Captain, in the past six months, our Demon-Slaying Squad has never stopped patrolling the city.
This downtown area has always been the most stable place for Anping County due to its dense population and strong yang energy. Except for some battles between local ruffians, which are under County Yamen's control, there are almost no evil things."
Hu Hao also nodded in agreement. "That's true. Most of the evil spirits we have dealt with in the past six months are in remote villages outside the city, or Three-Bath River's deserted beaches along the coast.
Occasionally there would be some trouble in the city, and it would usually be caused by some unscrupulous wandering souls, and before we could arrive, they would be dispersed by the incense of the Kitchen God in the common people's homes."
This phenomenon is very common in the Great Zhou dynasty.
Humans and demons have different paths, and most demons and monsters breed in cold, remote, and inaccessible places.
Human beings gather together to form towns and develop cities in order to rely on their strong popularity and national luck to protect them from evil spirits.
Generally speaking, the more prosperous a place is, the less likely it is to have problems.
However, after listening to the two people's reports, Chu Bai frowned even more.
"Pull out the archives of the past five years and let me see them myself." Chu Bai ordered in a deep voice.
Hu Hao worked quickly and soon returned to the check-in room holding a thick stack of old files.
Chu Bai sat behind the case, flipping through it quickly. As the former Patrol Banner Commander, he had an almost instinctive intuition for reviewing files, and the details from many years ago still remained in the depths of his memory.
A quarter of an hour later, Chu Bai closed the file and tapped his fingertips lightly on the table.
"That's the problem."
Chu Bai looked at the two of them, with a hint of coldness in his tone, "According to the records, in the past years, in this downtown area, monsters that accidentally breed would appear every two months on average - either rat spirits in the sewers, or evil spirits born out of resentment. Although they would be exterminated soon by the former captain, they have never been eliminated."
"What's strange is that since the Lu Household case occurred half a year ago and our Demon-Slaying Squad was reorganized, the 'evil records' in this area are actually zero."
Feng Qin was a little puzzled and asked in a rough voice, "Captain, isn't this because we patrol diligently and scare away those little things? Or is it because the county town Fortune has recovered and the evil spirits dare not show their faces?"
"If there is stability outside the city, it means Fortune will rebound."
Chu Bai shook his head, "But in a city like this place where filth and human evil are hidden and where human desires flow, if there is no dirt at all, it is not called stability, it is called 'dead silence'."
Everything must be reversed.
If a patch of grass that is supposed to be occasionally infested with mosquitoes suddenly becomes completely devoid of insects, it can only mean that there is a giant spider squatting in the grass that has eaten up all the insects.
"What do you mean, sir..." Hu Hao reacted suddenly and his face changed, "There is a big thing hidden in this downtown area that we can't find, but can devour or intimidate all the little monsters?"
"Fox Spirit on the other end has been running away for a month."
Chu Bai stood up and walked to the window to look at the fireworks in the distance. "It can evade Wu Household's search and can hide from our Demon-Slaying Iron Token. Even other little monsters and monsters have disappeared in the area where it lurks. This is enough to show that its 'personality' or the means it relies on are far beyond your imagination."
Feng Qin also realized the seriousness of the situation at this time, and a fighting spirit flashed in his eyes. "Do you want to increase the intensity of the patrol? I will bring all the troops tonight to turn those streets upside down!"
"No, that would only alert the enemy."
Chu Bai waved his hand, "Well, since Nature Spirit can hide for a month without hurting anyone, it shows that it is very tolerant. If we go there in a big way, we still can't find it if it digs into a dry well or deep ditch."
He turned his head and looked at Hu Hao: "Let the brothers change their clothes and go on patrol. Don't wear iron badges or official uniforms. Focus on those old houses and abandoned alleys that are full of yin, but are not infested by snakes, insects, rats, and ants. In addition..."
Chu Bai narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "Go and check whether there have been any rumors of missing livestock or phantom sounds in the middle of the night in that area in the past six months. People may think it is an illusion, but those are often the clues left by Nature Spirit."
"I accept the order!" Hu Hao and Feng Qin responded in unison, and took the order solemnly before leaving.
Quietness returned to the room.
He felt the Five-Element Spiritual Power in his body like a rushing river, and the trace of vigilance against the unknown in his heart gradually turned into a strong interest.
Fox Spirit makes the bustling city "too clean".
This is no longer a simple Wu Household private matter, but a secret that he, as the captain of Demon-Slaying Squad, must uncover personally.
Late at night, midnight.
Anping County City has faded away from the hustle and bustle of the day, and only the sound of the watchman's bang echoes in the empty streets.
The lights of thousands of houses in the downtown area have long been extinguished, and only the occasional barking of dogs adds a bit of chill to the silent night.
In a shadow-covered corner, Chu Bai was dressed in a smart outfit, and the Demon-Slaying Iron Token around his waist was forcibly suppressed by his spiritual power.
Behind him, Hu Hao and Feng Qin each led ten elite guards. Everyone put on light night clothes and even breathed very lightly.
Since everyone is a monk, they naturally have bright eyes and can see at night, so no lighting is needed.
"According to the plan, the people will be divided into two waves, outflanking from the north and south sides." Chu Bai whispered, his tone unquestionable, "Without my signal, no one is allowed to activate the iron plate sensor without authorization, so as not to alert the enemy."
"Take orders!"
The two teams dispersed quietly into the complicated alleys.
Chu Bai walked alone to the deepest part of the downtown area.
He did not search with the naked eye like ordinary guards, but slowly closed his eyes, and the majestic spiritual thoughts of the fifth level of Qi training overflowed around him like a tide.
Twenty feet, thirty feet...
The architectural outlines of the entire downtown area formed a translucent three-dimensional image in his mind.
He could even clearly perceive the scenes in the houses on both sides: an old man snoring heavily in his sleep, a baby writhing uneasily in his swaddling clothes, and even the whispers between a few mortal couples fell into his ears like lines on the palm of his hand.
A quarter of an hour passed, and everything seemed quiet and peaceful, without any Demon Qi spilling out.
Chu Bai leisurely walked into a dead end named Great Locust Alley.
At the bottom of the alley stood a large locust tree that was old and whose twisted branches looked like a ferocious ghost hand in the moonlight.
At this time, there were still many clothes hung on the crossbars between the tree trunks that people had hung to dry during the day, swaying gently in the wind, creating waves of shadows.
The moment Chu Bai passed by the locust tree, a sudden change occurred!
A slight gust of wind blew through the shadows of the trees diagonally above.
Chu Bai's originally steady breathing suddenly stagnated, [Golden Eye Illusion-Breaker] started to operate spontaneously in an instant, and a dark golden light flashed through the depths of his pupils.
In the shadow of the pile of clothes hanging to dry, a petite figure, all white in body but almost translucent in the moonlight, was running away against the wall at an unprecedented speed.
"It's that Fox Spirit!"
Chu Bai looked sharply. Although the other party still couldn't feel the slightest bit of Demon Qi, its agility and speed far beyond those of ordinary creatures instantly revealed its identity.
"Boom!"
Chu Bai didn't hesitate at all, and the [Fire Element Ring] under his feet was instantly activated by Spell Power.
Two dark red flames erupted at the soles of the feet, and the scorching strong wind instantly blew away the snow and fallen leaves on the ground.
With the help of the instantaneous explosive power of the magic weapon, Chu Bai's whole body was like a red thunder. The moment Fox Spirit just ran out of the alley, it had already swept less than three feet behind him.
At the same time, Chu Bai's right hand slammed on the iron plate at his waist, and a sharp spiritual pressure, accompanied by special fluctuations, was instantly transmitted through the formation to Hu Hao and Feng Qin.
"Target found! Southeast, close the net!"
After receiving the signal, Demon-Slaying Guard rushed out of the darkness instantly, and the sound of armor clashing and rapid footsteps could be heard in the distance.
However, Fox Spirit's reaction far exceeded Chu Bai's expectations.
Seeing that the escape route was blocked, the white figure twisted strangely in the air half a circle, and its tail behind it swiped violently.
In an instant, a thick pink mist spurted out, and in Chu Bai's [Golden Eye Illusion-Breaker] field of vision, there were overlapping white afterimages, each of which was difficult to distinguish between true and false.
"Illusion?"
Chu Bai snorted coldly, put his fingers together, and [Innate Geng Metal Qi] turned into a sharp finger wind, directly penetrating the afterimage in the front.
However, that is false.
The real body actually used the shadow of the swaying clothes to get into the leaky gutter of a house like a fish, and then jumped back and forth between the intricate eaves and tiles.
It is extremely fast and is incredibly nimble in this small urban area with many obstacles.
Although Chu Bai is blessed by Fire Element Ring and has extremely strong explosive power, in this alley with many corners and densely populated people, the powerful Spell Arts dare not use it at all, for fear of accidentally injuring a sleeping mortal.
"Want to leave?"
Chu Bai tapped his toes on the tiles, and [Firestep Dash] started again.
However, Fox Spirit is extremely cunning. It seems to be able to predict Chu Bai's foothold. Every time Chu Bai is about to reach out to grab it, it will use the old locust branches and leaves of the tree or the drying curtains as a shield, and instantly disappear into the blind spot of the field of vision.
After a few ups and downs, the white shadow flashed across the roof, completely submerging into the deeper darkness.
When Hu Hao and Feng Qin came around with their people, there was only a faint, vague fragrance of vegetation left on the scene.
"Captain!"
Hu Hao looked at Chu Bai parked on the roof, clasping his fists with some remorse, "My subordinate was incompetent, so he let it escape."
Chu Bai stood at a high place, and the moonlight outlined his cold side face. He did not get angry, but just looked down at the cold touch left on his fingertips.
"I don't blame you. This Fox Spirit's method of concealing breath... is not innate."
Chu Bai's eyes flashed with an unprecedented solemnity.
During the chase just now, he discovered that Fox Spirit was not only fast, it even easily avoided the induction of [Mystic Accumulation Incantation].
"Not only did it gain wisdom, I'm afraid it also gained some means."
Chu Bai jumped off the eaves and dusted off his hands.
"The people are divided into three groups. Hu Hao will lead people to search East Street, and Feng Qin will lead people to search West Street. It can't run far. Since it has been alarmed, it will definitely find a place to hide tonight that it thinks is the safest."
Chu Bai looked at the old houses with the deepest shadows in the downtown area, with a dangerous arc at the corner of his mouth.
"Keep looking. I want to see how long you can hide on my territory."
"Yes!"
Chu Bai ignored Hu Hao and others who had dispersed to search, but walked alone into the deep and silent "Great Locust Alley" again.
The late night wind blew through the alleys, bringing with it a whimpering sound. The blue brick walls on both sides cast shadows of varying lengths under the moonlight.
Chu Bai stopped at the entrance of the alley, looking deeply at the end of the alley.
Just half a quarter of an hour ago, the white fox shadow had clearly escaped among the intricate tiles. With its dexterous movement and illusion, ordinary Nature Spirit should have escaped as far away as possible at this moment.
But when Chu Bai turned back, in the shadow of the huge locust tree, a flash of snow-white light flashed past again, like a provocation and a temptation.
"Fox Spirit again..."
Chu Bai smiled instead of getting angry, with a playful curve at the corner of his mouth. He gently rubbed his fingertips and whispered to himself, "Playing with a carbine under my nose is really very smart. No wonder Wu Household and those Qi Refining Early Stage monks will be fooled by you."
This time, he did not rush to activate [Fire Element Ring] to pursue blindly.
The defeat just now has proved that in this complex terrain of residential areas, blindly seeking speed will only fall into the opponent's fighting rhythm.
Chu Bai slowly closed his eyes, stepped steadily on the bluestone with his feet, and the "Origin Return Formula" in his body was running like a rushing river.
Moreover, since the other party has fled, why did he come back?
There should be something wrong with the boundary here.
Divine Sense, which was originally spread out like a tide and slightly scattered, was forcibly compressed and condensed by him at this moment, and then suddenly expanded with him as the center, like an invisible hemispherical barrier!
Ten feet... fifteen feet... twenty feet!
The Divine Sense he had cultivated was brought into full play at this moment. Within a radius of twenty feet, every particle of dust rising and falling, every breeze swirling, and even the dormant insects and ants in the cracks of the bark of the old locust tree, all appeared in Chu Bai's mind, forming a rhythmic map of absolute control.
"Got you."
Chu Bai opened his eyes suddenly, the dark golden light shone brightly in the depths of his pupils, and the technique of [Golden Eye Illusion-Breaker] penetrated the illusion.
In his Divine Sense perception, the dead end showed an extremely strange dynamic.
The snow-white fox shadow was indeed under the locust tree, but it was not squatting on the ground, but half-suspended in the air three feet above the ground.
What's even more peculiar is that the spiritual power fluctuations emitted by Fox Spirit's body are extremely weak, and the beating frequency perfectly coincides with the vitality of the old locust tree. The two auras are intertwined, as if they are one.
This is the real reason why it can hide from the Demon-Slaying Iron Token sensor and even lurk in this busy city for a month.
"Together we live and die together, driven by Qi..."
Chu Bai took a step forward and spoke in a cold tone, which was particularly disturbing in this dead alley. "I wonder how Demon Qi in this downtown area has been filtered so cleanly. It turns out that there is not just one fox, but the old master at the bottom of the alley, who also has an enlightened mind."
As soon as the voice fell, Great Locust Alley, which was originally quiet, suddenly felt a cold whirlwind.
The old locust tree, which was full of people hanging clothes to dry and carrying the fireworks in the market, started to tremble violently in the windless state. The leaves rustled, as if they were whispering or roaring.
In the field of vision of Chu Bai and Divine Sense, is this tree still an ordinary plant?
Its root system that penetrates deep into the ground is flashing with a faint green light, like countless strong meridians, greedily absorbing the inspiration from Earth Vein.
And on the vigorous old bark, the criss-crossing lines faintly converged into an old and hollow human face, with two dots of green light shining through the eyes.
Tree Spirit!
This old locust tree, which has been worshiped by the people in the alley, hung to dry clothes, and used for cooling off for countless years, was nourished by the smoke and smoke and quietly built into Nature Spirit.
The white Fox Spirit is now rubbing against the trunk of the locust tree intimately and no longer running away.
Its eyes no longer held the cunning and frightened look before, but a determination and attachment as if they were protecting their homeland.
"Nature Spirit protects the house, Wood Wight hides."
Chu Bai stood with his hands behind his back and did not move Spell Arts.
But the majesty that belonged to Principal Ninth Rank Demon-Slaying Token around him, along with the fluctuations of Qi Refining Fifth Layer's spiritual power, was like a big mountain pressing down to the bottom of the alley.
"Wu Household said that one Fox Spirit was lost, but he didn't say that there is another Tree Spirit hidden here. It seems that this Fox Spirit escaped and is not a wild and untamable one."
"It should be due to your influence."
In the dead end, the air seemed to freeze at this moment. Only the leaves of the old locust tree were blowing in the wind, making a rushing sound, like countless people talking in low voices.
The old man's face hidden in the lines of the tree trunk became clearer and clearer. In the empty eye sockets, two green dots faintly rotated and locked on Chu Bai.
"Master, you look at me... like an immortal or a human being?"
The voice is old and thick, with a vicissitude that has been baptized by the years, as if it was squeezed out of the soil deep underground.
With each word, the yin energy in the alley became more solemn, and there was a faint tendency to suppress the aura around Chu Bai.
Chu Bai looked as usual, but the hands in his sleeves tightened slightly, and he felt secretly awe-inspiring in his heart.
"Ask for sealing!"