Returning from the abyss

Chapter 1318 Clues

Ning Ke put the man down, stood up, and touched his mask with his hand.

"Hey, hey, what do you want to do?"

"The situation may be more dangerous than I expected." Ning Ke said calmly, "You will have to suffer a little."

"What? When did you ever speak to me politely? You—"

Before the mask finished speaking, it let out a scream. Black and red thorn flowers bloomed from Ning Ke's fingertips and pierced into the mask, breaking it into dozens of pieces in an instant, and then reassembled them into the shape of a scimitar between the thorn patterns.

The demon's miserable scream was sealed inside the scimitar. If it could be heard by an ordinary person, he would probably feel horrified.

Ning Ke had already heard footsteps, noisy and chaotic, coming from outside.

The people in this brothel area, from the madam to the pimp, from the customers to the singing girls, from the young people to the children, all seemed to be controlled at this moment, and walked towards this place. Their expressions were still normal, but everyone was very silent. They looked at Ning Ke and the servant lying on the ground.

"It hurts so much! Ning Ke, you damn woman! Those guys - do you want to kill people? You are a demon-suppressing officer, you can't just attack civilians!"

"No need to remind me."

Ning Ke glanced at the group of people. She knew that the person behind the scenes would definitely not hide among these people. Of course, she would not take action against this group of people, regardless of her responsibility as the Demon Suppression Officer or the prospective master of the Temple of the Chief.

Blue lightning burst out under her feet. As soon as the people approached, they fell down one after another when they were touched by the lightning, and lay all over the ground.

"Why would you want to use me when you have something as convenient as the Blue Lightning Tribulation Qi—"

"Shut up! Don't talk if you don't want to die!"

Ning Ke already felt some kind of huge pressure. At the end of the people who fell, there was a person who was still walking slowly. His steps were very steady, different from the others. Ning Ke found that he could not see the other person's face clearly.

"Hello, Demon Suppression Officer."

The voice was very young, and Ning Ke recognized it immediately.

"You are the descendant of that demon cult."

"Yes, the Demon Cult... No one has forgotten it yet. But that doesn't matter. What I want to talk about is another matter, Palace Master Ning Zhun."

Ning Ke narrowed his eyes slightly, but no matter what means he used, the man's face was still blurry.

Being too famous always brings this kind of trouble. Ning Ke is certainly not a very famous person, but more capable tourists can find out about her - after all, the Temple of the Head Cutting also has external business.

“I don’t accept negotiations.”

"It's not a negotiation. There's nothing to discuss about the mission of tourists. As far as I know, you are not a stupid and superficial person. You should have a correct judgment on the current situation."

"situation?"

"The Demon Cult does have plans in Xingyin City, but they are not big. It's okay for other demon-suppressing officials, but as a tourist, you shouldn't pay attention to things in this direction. What is about to happen in Xingyin City has little to do with the Demon Cult."

“Whether it is credible or not, it still needs to be verified.”

"Of course, but you'd better not spend too much time on this. The emperor...will be here in five days, right? As a demon-suppressing officer, your position may not be enough to know some of the details."

"I know." Ning Ke said.

"That would be much more convenient. The governor of Xingyin knows very well that the current state of Xingyin City is absolutely unacceptable for the emperor to see, so I'm afraid that one or two days before the emperor arrives, the entire Xingyin City will be "restored to its original appearance" under orderly control."

"There are problems with outsiders entering." Ning Ke said, "Is there a problem with outsiders?"

"There is a tourist on the demon side. Although superficial, she is not stupid. Her deployment is all outside the city, and it is obvious that she has some other preparations - to take the emperor's life."

"The Great Wei Emperor will not be killed so easily."

"It's difficult, but not impossible. My intelligence is not comprehensive. After all, I only need to complete my mission and don't need to worry about whether Dawei is good or bad."

"Then why are you here?"

"I came to confirm your strength...that's all."

After saying that, he raised his hand and snapped his fingers, and his face suddenly became clear. It was the face of a somewhat immature young man, also symmetrical on both sides. When the face became clear, he fell to the ground and fell together with the other people around him.

He's also a cautious guy.

Ning Ke loosened his hand, the thorn flowers scattered, and the mask returned to its original state.

"Hey, hey, hey, why don't you fight anymore? Then all my pain is in vain, right? Ning Ke, what's wrong with you?"

"Are you sure you want to fight?"

"Uh……"

Numu is not stupid. He knows Ning Ke's abilities very well, so even Ning Ke has to prepare for the battle in advance. If a fight really breaks out, he might even be beaten to pieces.

"Who is that guy? The tourist is..."

"You just need to know that it's very dangerous." Ning Ke put the mask back on his face, "But his words do raise a possibility. I just thought that this was the only force in Xingyin City that intended to attack the emperor, but now it seems that's not the case."

"What? That's the Demon Cult. You haven't lived that long, so you don't know how crazy the Demon Cult was back then. It's just a lie. Do you believe it just because I tell you so?" He laughed angrily, "Look at those lying on the ground. They are all victims!"

“Don’t act like you’re so righteous.” Ning Ke tapped his mask. “Whether it’s a demon sect or not, the Demon Suppression Bureau has to deal with it. Let’s go back to Lin Xiyin and report this matter first.”

  =

Gu Zhongtan walked into the government office of the Demon Suppression Bureau in Xingyin City.

The Demon Suppression Bureau has never had enough staff. Gu Zhongtan is already a director, a fourth-rank official, but the number of people under him is far less than that of an ordinary fourth-rank official.

The four Si Yi were the most capable men under his command, the rest were just a bunch of miscellaneous people who probably couldn't even handle patrol duties.

There are six such officials as Gu Zhongtan in Xingyin City now. This number may double when the emperor arrives in Xingyin City.

Qin Chuanyu did not ask all the demon-suppressing officials to report for duty today, but went to attend the luncheon hosted by the governor of Xingyin. Although he had not returned yet, Gu Zhongtan had a hunch about what would be discussed at the banquet.

I'm afraid the time for the Emperor to arrive in Xingyin has been determined.

"Why is Dianzheng sighing?"

Gu Zhongtan saw a man in his thirties walking towards him. He was one of his Si Yi, Liu Fengwu.

"Ah, Feng Wu, how was the patrol today? Was there anything unusual?"

"The situation in the city can be said to be normal or normal." Liu Fengwu shook his head. "Dian Zheng also knows what Xingyin City was like in the past and what it is like now. Even in the middle of winter, it would not be like this." "The governor of Xingyin has not received the emperor, so he is always cautious." Gu Zhong smiled and said, "Thank you for your hard work. When the emperor returns to the capital, we can also rest for a while."

"That's not the problem." Liu Fengwu said, "Winter has come early. Snowstorms have hit the northern states, but the war in the northern border continues. The army needs food, and the people need comfort, but the emperor has no plan. Instead, he comes here to build a large-scale project..."

"Be careful with your words, Fengwu." Gu Zhong sighed and interrupted him. "Although the Demon Suppression Division does not need to attend court meetings like other officials, it is not allowed to make rash comments on the emperor's decisions."

"Dianzheng, has the emperor... really made a decision?" Liu Fengwu smiled bitterly.

Gu Zhongtan made a gesture to keep quiet, and Liu Fengwu stopped talking too.

"Ning Ke is back?"

"not yet."

"Is Lin Xiyin awake?"

"She woke up, but I didn't disturb her."

Gu Zhong nodded and went to find Lin Xiyin.

As soon as Liu Fengwu walked out of the yamen gate, he saw Ning Ke walking back quickly.

"Ning Ke? Where have you been? I didn't see you this morning either—"

"Is Dianzheng here?"

Liu Fengwu was stunned when he saw Ning Ke's expression: "He went to find Lin Xiyin. Did something happen?"

"It's very likely, Feng Wu, do you have a mission?"

"No... I understand. I'll go with you." Liu Fengwu reacted quickly.

"follow me."

Ning Ke and Liu Fengwu quickly rushed into Lin Xiyin's room, and Gu Zhongtan had no time to say anything.

"Dian Zheng, I have found something." Ning Ke said, "I don't have time to compile it into a report for now. Time is tight and the Demon Suppression Bureau needs to act as soon as possible."

"What's the matter?" Gu Zhongtan immediately took paper and pen from Lin Xiyin's desk.

"We have discovered traces of the Demon Cult in the city. According to the clues we have obtained, it is not just the Demon Cult, but also demons who are plotting to assassinate the Emperor. The identity of the assassin is unknown, and he has probably not entered the city yet due to the patrols of the Demon Suppression Department, but we must remain vigilant."

"I see."

After Ning Ke finished reporting the general situation, Gu Zhongtan thought for a moment and had already written a beginning on paper.

"The three of you go find Li Lanshi and act together. Bring more people and don't be alone. The methods of the remnants of the Demon Cult are unclear. Since Ning Ke has already made contact, he will be in charge this time. I will submit this report to Lin Qinchen as soon as possible. This matter is of great importance and must not be disclosed before it is fully investigated."

"Understood sir." The three of them immediately clasped their hands together and went out to mobilize the troops.

At this time, outside the Xingyin prefectural government's mansion, a large number of carriages were parked. The drivers did not dare to leave without permission. They could only sit in the carriages, rubbing their hands while waiting for the banquet inside to end.

"Come on, guys, have something to eat."

A big man came over with a basket, opened the cloth on the top, and took out some hot buns and steamed bacon. The drivers gathered around and took a piece each, thanking him repeatedly. After distributing the food, the big man did not leave immediately. Instead, he put the basket aside and said with a smile: "It's not easy in such a cold weather. Why don't you have some hand warmers? There are some for sale two blocks away, and they are not expensive."

"It's not expensive, but we can't afford it." A driver answered during a break from eating, "We are just drivers. How can we have such a good life as the master? But the weather is too bad...Brother, why are you the one delivering food? There is not even a maid in the prefecture?"

"The kitchen staff is busy, I am just a handyman, I was drafted into the army." The big man, Zhao Yuqiao, took out a pipe and threw it to a driver with a pipe bowl, "Brothers, please take a few puffs."

"Thanks."

"Ah, is the governor's mansion so busy?"

"You are all drivers for important people, and you know how many people are here. The whole prefectural government is tense right now. To be honest, I can't stand the atmosphere, so I took this job on purpose to avoid seeing the ugly faces of those people inside." Zhao Yuqiao laughed, "But you are right, the prefectural government is really short of people. I have only been here for a short time, and it is getting harder and harder to get by in Xingyin City."

"When my master first came here, Xingyin City was not like this." A coachman quickly finished his meal, took the bag of tobacco, pinched out a pinch, took a sip of the flavor, then took out his pipe and stuffed it into the pipe bowl.

"How to say?"

"Oh, it wasn't that cold then, and the streets were full of people. As for vendors, you could always see two or three in a place that wasn't too deserted. It wasn't as prosperous as the capital, but it was still prosperous. I don't know what went wrong, and it has become like this now."

"I heard that it was the governor of Xingyin who issued the order."

"Hey, he really doesn't care about people's lives. Fortunately, I don't live here. If we had such a governor, the people of Xingyin City would be in trouble."

The drivers started chatting with each other, and Zhao Yuqiao, who started the conversation, squatted there, adding a few words from time to time and listened to them starting to talk nonsense.

Although there were a lot of pieces of information mixed in that sounded like random speculations, Zhao Yuqiao soon heard someone talking.

"...Hey, the brothel in Xingyin City doesn't give people a very good impression."

"You are just not blessed enough to get in, haha!"

"I'm serious! Our adults - ha, anyway, I drove there the day before yesterday, and that place gave me a very strange feeling. Anyway, I took a look and then sat in the car. I didn't dare to walk around at all."

"Are you serious? It's not because you have no money?"

"Even if I had money, I wouldn't choose that weird place. A little girl there looked at me and I felt my hair stand on end. You guys don't have the ability to go there. If you were there, you would feel it too."

"You're just bragging. How can a grown man be frightened by a little girl?"

Zhao Yuqiao replied at the right time: "If it's so strange, is your master okay?"

"Master? Master is like this all the time. Besides, who dares to look at Master casually?"

"That's right." Zhao Yuqiao said with a smile.

At this time, there were curses coming from inside. Zhao Yuqiao quickly stood up and said, "I'm sorry, brothers. It looks like I have to go back. If I'm found slacking off here, my monthly salary will be deducted."

A group of coachmen expressed their understanding, and Zhao Yuqiao carried the basket back to the Xingyin prefectural government's mansion.

"Oh... It's such a headache. It's good that there are still people making trouble. But this matter is a bit too big, we should not let it get to the point where everyone can't escape..."

He returned to the kitchen, put down the basket, picked up the broom and dustpan, and continued cleaning, slowly approaching the front room where the lunch was being held.

Of course, as a janitor, he definitely couldn't get in. But Zhao Yuqiao was a martial artist after all, and although his hearing and eyesight were not as good as Lu Ning's, which had been specially strengthened by the distribution center, he could still get closer and listen to the wall.

Who asked them to hold a party outside in such a cold weather? The hobbies of rich people are really hard to understand.