Li Ling looked toward the man who had spoken.
He seemed to be a mortal military officer, wearing the leather armor of a company commander of the Mystic Xin Kingdom. Unlike ordinary officers, however, spiritual energy seemed to reside within him. He was an extraordinary mortal!
Speaking of extraordinary mortals, one had to mention the divide between immortals and mortals, as well as the many things born of their contact and interaction.
Most likely, a powerful cultivator had appeared among this man's ancestors, leaving him some inherited trace of that elder's divine abilities. Yet, like Li Ling, his Spirit Root was deficient, leaving him without a foundation for the immortal path and unable to embark on a future of cultivation.
Thus, no matter how hard he worked, he would remain an extraordinary mortal, somewhere between an ordinary mortal and a cultivator.
Such people were not actually rare in the world. When Li Ling first displayed intelligence and abilities beyond those of ordinary people, he had not been treated as a monster, but as an extraordinary mortal born with wisdom from a past life.
Cultivators did not despise extraordinary mortals. On the contrary, they often looked after them, and many such unusual talents held important posts in the Unusual Events Bureau.
But that was as far as it went.
Who could help it when their Spirit Roots were deficient and they had no foundation for the immortal path?
The man looked to be past thirty. His appearance was unremarkable, but his features were firm and carried a heroic air. His eyes, in particular, shone with such vigor that they seemed to give off light, leaving a strong impression at a glance.
Li Ling caught a fresh, bamboo-like fragrance from him and felt that he must be an upright man with a chivalrous spirit, one who hated evil as fiercely as an enemy.
"Hundred-Household Commander Zuo, what makes you say that?" the cultivator-like Attendant asked.
Hearing the Attendant's question, Hundred-Household Commander Zuo said, "You can tell from the skeletal remains in the water monster's lair."
"Do you know what that claim means?" a mortal senior official asked.
Hundred-Household Commander Zuo did not answer. The mortal official continued, "On the strength of your suspicion alone, our brothers in the bureau will have to run all over the place investigating. If they find something, that's well and good. After a fight, there'll be merit and recognition to go around. But if they find nothing, all their work will have been for nothing."
Hundred-Household Commander Zuo frowned. "We slay monsters and demons only to protect our territory and keep the people safe."
"Now, you can't put it that way. If you're running yourself ragged over this, doesn't that mean fewer people investigating other cases? Why put yourself through it?"
"Exactly. If someone truly is pulling the strings behind this, sooner or later they won't be able to resist showing themselves. It won't be too late to investigate then."
"As I see it, fighting has already broken out in the south. Who knows how many ghouls and fiends will seize the unrest to wreak havoc? Rather than fixating on a mere water monster, we should close the case as soon as possible and free up our people to deal with other matters."
Li Ling drifted behind these officials of the Unusual Events Bureau. None of them exactly stank, but each carried a mingled odor of rotten wood and cooking fumes.
Perhaps in their youth they, too, had held the world in their hearts and worried for their country and its people. But over time, they had all deteriorated into mediocrities in a turbid world.
If they could muddle through a matter, they would, so long as their superiors were satisfied. Only matters involving substantial merit and heavy responsibility deserved real attention.
Yet even Li Ling had to admit that there was some truth in what they said.
The Unusual Events Bureau had limited manpower and resources. Pursuing every case to its very end existed only in an ideal world.
Even sunlight shining everywhere could not sweep away every shadow. How could the Unusual Events Bureau do so?
Resolving the matter of a little water monster that scarcely qualified as a menace this quickly could already be called lightning-fast. The dozen or several dozen deaths people spoke of might have accumulated over many years. In this world, they hardly counted as anything.
If, as Hundred-Household Commander Zuo said, someone else was behind it, that person would eventually reveal themselves. It would not be too late to deal with them then.
Hundred-Household Commander Zuo said, "But I think..."
"Enough, Hundred-Household Commander Zuo. I don't want what you think. I want what I think. Go outside for now. Once headquarters decides whether to pursue the investigation, you'll be notified."
Hundred-Household Commander Zuo could only rise and leave the room dejectedly.
"That Zuo Zhongliang..." An official shook his head, letting out an amused sigh without saying more.
Only then did Li Ling learn that Hundred-Household Commander Zuo's name was Zuo Zhongliang.
The cultivator-like Attendant said, "Hundred-Household Commander Zuo is still full of hot blood, haha. But judging from this confiscated Three Treasures Demon-Refining Art, this may be the Netherworld Sect's work. It was a major demonic sect, once known as a sacred land. Even after splitting into four, it cannot be underestimated."
The official said, "Oh? Do you mean that former sacred land of the demonic path, the Netherworld Sect that led the alliance of the world's evil cultivators?"
The cultivator said, "Precisely."
The official said, "Tsk, tsk. They say internal strife split that sect into four: the Yellow Springs Sect, the Corpse Immortal Sect, the Ghost Soul Sect, and the White Bone Sect. They remain quite powerful even now."
The cultivator said, "It was once a monstrous power that ravaged the mortal world, one that could only be opposed by the combined forces of the world's orthodox sects. Of course it wouldn't be weak. But now the Yellow Springs Sect is in Zuzhou, the Corpse Immortal Sect in Changzhou, the Ghost Soul Sect in Yuanzhou, and the White Bone Sect in Liuzhou. Each has major orthodox sects watching it. However restless they grow, at most they can send a few insignificant pawns here to spread their teachings. This might even be lingering poison from demonic cultivation arts circulated in the past."
Someone sighed. "Alas, the demonic path offers quick results and excels at drawing on outside power. It has quite a few advantages at the lower stages. No wonder it so easily beguiles people."
"Indeed. These methods have long since spread. Repeated bans have never stopped them."
The cultivator said dismissively, "In the end, evil cannot overcome righteousness. Besides, do you truly think someone of Hundred-Household Commander Zuo's temperament will drop it just because he's told to? In my view, he'll almost certainly sneak off and investigate to the bitter end."
The roomful of Unusual Events Bureau officials exchanged strange looks at his words. "You mean..."
The cultivator chuckled. "I'm a fairly good judge of character. This Hundred-Household Commander Zuo probably won't be able to let it go and will investigate on his own. My suggestion is that, since he wants to investigate, we let him have his wish. We need only watch how things unfold."
"What remains unclear is whether the demonic path harbors sinister intentions and plans to provoke another war between orthodoxy and evil, or whether some rogue cultivator from the wilds stumbled upon a fortunate encounter and wants to raise demonic beasts through someone else's hands."
"And just who was the mysterious figure who sent us that message?"
Hearing this, Li Ling silently cursed him as an old fox. It seemed they intended to hide in the shadows, meeting every change by remaining still.
Still, he had heard rumors about the Netherworld Sect before.
It was indeed a difficult power to contend with. Even the Skycloud Sect could only be called an upstart beside it. Caution was certainly warranted.
The group then discussed other matters. Li Ling listened for a while, found nothing of interest, and simply began wandering around.
The Unusual Events Bureau was an organization dedicated to dealing with monsters, demons, and spirits, so it naturally possessed measures against yin spirits and all manner of ghosts. But Soul Projection involved the mysteries of the primordial spirit. It was a Spirit Body of the utmost purity, far above the likes of yin spirits and ghosts.
Ordinary means could not detect him in this state, so he reached what appeared to be an archive room without the slightest obstruction.
Li Ling suddenly thought of something. The Unusual Events Bureau collects information on strange and important cases from all over. It must have encountered plenty of unusual people and bizarre tales.
There might even be cultivation arts from the cultivation world!
These were precisely what interested him.
Li Ling had previously obtained some knowledge of the cultivation world from the Skycloud Sect, along with breathing and energy-drawing methods. Recently, he had also acquired Cloud Escape and knowledge concerning the soul. But he had never encountered the cultivation arts of unaffiliated rogue cultivators, let alone those of the demonic path.
After searching around, he found plenty of case files, with associated evidence and testimony neatly sorted and stored, but not a single cultivation art.
Li Ling realized, Such things are more confidential. They must already have been secured somewhere or destroyed.
People of the demonic path are already spreading these things in secret. If nothing is done, they'll soon be everywhere.
Just as he thought this, however, he suddenly noticed a silk manuscript lying in plain sight on a table in one corner of the room.
Could that be the demonic art confiscated today? Right, there hasn't been time to close the case and archive it yet. Besides, this is Unusual Events Bureau territory, guarded by an expert.
Li Ling's heart stirred. He floated over, spread it open, and began reading.
Sure enough, it was the Three Treasures Demon-Refining Art the bureau's Attendant had mentioned!
According to the Attendant, this art was the work of the great demonic Netherworld Sect, created to spread its teachings and oppose the orthodox path. Naturally, it could not be too profound or obscure.
Li Ling read on without difficulty and soon grasped its essence.
This is actually an art that proceeds from simplicity to complexity, with limitless potential. Though intended for low-level beginners, the three treasures-essence, energy, and spirit-already contain the supreme path of refining essence into energy, refining energy into spirit, and refining spirit to return to the void. With these as its foundation, how could it be useful only at the Energy Refining stage?
However, apart from the opening principles touching upon the great path, it soon shifted to specific methods of demon refinement. These were indeed minor arts offering quick results.
It recorded four demon-refining arts in total-corpse refining, beast refining, venomous insect refining, and baleful intent refining-along with methods for commanding their products. Huang De had apparently chosen the beast-refining section, which involved selecting suitable supernatural creatures and transforming them into demonic servants. Its methods were vicious and evil throughout.
But Li Ling soon noticed that the entire text made no mention of the ritual refinement, master recognition, or similar methods common in the cultivation world.
Logically, such an oversight should never have appeared in a major sect's introductory art. Even a newly forged flying sword had to be ritually refined with one's own blood essence and vital energy, binding it to its master. How much more necessary was this for dangerous demonic beasts?
Just as "having a meal" in everyday speech could not mean eating only rice without any dishes, a Demon-Refining Art could not truly concern itself only with refining demons and not controlling them.
A specific method for establishing mastery had to be missing-the part concerning control over demons. Those crude methods of issuing commands did not count.
Is this a back door left open for someone to plunder the results and enjoy the fruits of another's labor?
Secretly alarmed, Li Ling suddenly thought of this possibility.
Those of the demonic path were hardly pious, kindly souls. They certainly had not gone to the trouble of spreading cultivators' methods involving supernatural power in the hope that mortals like Huang De could shake the foundations of orthodox sect rule. Anyone could figure out with their toes that such a thing was impossible.
Their true purpose, then, was almost ready to leap off the page.
Those with complete Spirit Roots would naturally infuse their own energy into the demonic beasts during refinement. This is a manifestation of energy, one of the three treasures. It could also serve to select potential seeds of the demonic path and grant them power.
Li Ling soon thought of another possibility.
Even the demonic path would not readily allow mortals to possess power. Such a design could distinguish those with aptitude from those without.
Li Ling gathered his thoughts and decided not to concern himself with all that for now. He would first memorize the entire text, then study it slowly after returning home.
The next day, Li Ling rose early and silently recited the demonic art to strengthen his memory, while considering whether any part of it might be useful to him.
He discovered that the section on refining baleful intent seemed to share something with Cloud Escape.
As the saying went, the Way followed nature. All cultivators took nature as their teacher, and their differing insights into the great path of heaven and earth gave rise to vastly different cultivation routes and methods.
But in essence, what they sought was the same.
Such common ground would intersect at profound stages, until different paths ultimately reached the same destination.
Li Ling wondered whether he could graft one branch onto another, taking the essence of these demonic baleful intent refining methods and using them instead to refine Cloud Fiend, or the tangible Incense Baleful Force he condensed himself, thereby gaining the power to manifest.
But to do so, he would first have to create an entirely new incense capable of producing smoke and clouds to supply what the refinement required.
Li Ling could not truly commit crimes as the demonic art described, harvesting blood baleful intent produced by slaughter to cultivate divine abilities.
His solution was to draw on his own strengths and find suitable things within the Incense Path to use as substitutes.
This method seems feasible. If I really can create such an incense, it would benefit not only me. Others who ritually refine Cloud Fiend would also gain an entirely new form of Cloud Escape, one that could be called incense clouds. It would make a worthy cultivation resource.
With inspiration bursting forth, Li Ling immediately headed to the Fragrant Incense Pavilion and buried himself in experiments.
Around noon, a servant reported that officials from the Incense Affairs Bureau had presented a visiting card.
These were truly well-informed people.
Although establishing the Incense Affairs Bureau appeared to have nothing to do with Li Ling, the prince consort, the two were actually inseparably linked. They could hardly fail to pay their respects and ask him to put in a few good words before the immortal master.
After a moment's thought, Li Ling accepted the visiting card and received them in the front hall.
Only then did he learn that the head of the Incense Affairs Bureau currently being established was surnamed Pei and held the post of vice minister. Those accompanying him were all principal officials slated to serve in the bureau.
Li Ling held a lofty position without putting on airs, while his visitors were eager to cultivate a connection. Naturally, host and guests alike enjoyed themselves.
After chatting for a while, Li Ling suddenly remembered his unusual encounter in Huangkou Town and asked, "Vice Minister Pei, how much do you know about heavenly treasures suitable for making incense?"
Vice Minister Pei said, "For a long time, ordinary people have had very few opportunities to encounter heavenly treasures. We have never specifically collected information on the subject either, so we lack any in-depth understanding.
"However, heavenly treasures also share the properties of ordinary things. Since some ordinary materials can be used to make incense, similar heavenly treasures should logically work as well.
"Beyond that, there are travel accounts and legends passed down from the cultivation world.
"If you wish to learn about this subject, Prince Consort, you might look in the Gazetteer of the Ten Thousand Nations. It is said to have been compiled jointly by several wandering immortal masters, each contributing accounts of their experiences in the mortal world and their explorations. Later contributors have continued to expand and improve it."
Then he volunteered, "I happen to have read this book. If you do not disdain my help, I would gladly prepare an index and mark the passages concerning incense materials and related things."
Just look at that. These days, even bootlicking required learning and knowledge.
Li Ling said admiringly, "Vice Minister Pei, your learning is truly extensive. Sorry for the trouble, then."