Wild cultivation begins with wielding the Taiyin talisman.

Old Li's eyes widened. Such powerful magic, such domineering swordsmanship—could someone who had just entered the eighth rank really do that?

The snake demon's vertical pupils suddenly contracted.

Their supposedly invincible poisonous mist didn't even touch the hem of the other's clothes.

"Kill!" The leading snake demon roared and pounced first.

The remaining two followed closely behind.

They were moving even faster than before, their bone blades whistling through the air.

Ning Che lightly tapped the stirrup with his toes.

He shot out suddenly.

too fast.

Zhao He only felt a blur before his eyes, and Ning Che had already appeared in front of the three snake demons.

The crescent-shaped blade swept horizontally.

The blade sliced ​​into the waist of the first snake demon without resistance. Then came the second, and the third.

The movements were fluid and seamless, without the slightest hesitation.

Ning Che landed, the blade vibrated, and a wisp of frozen blood fell like a plum blossom in winter.

Only then did the three snake demons freeze in their tracks.

Their upper bodies slid off in unison and crashed heavily onto the soil.

The broken edges were as smooth as a mirror, and the vibrant colors had all solidified. The frost had frozen their very essence, and not a single drop of blood had flowed out.

Absolute crushing defeat.

This is Ning Che's current strength.

Old Li's hand holding the knife trembled slightly. He looked at Ning Che's retreating figure, his heart pounding.

Both being eighth-rank officials, the difference in their ranks is astounding.

Zhao He's mouth gaped open, and he couldn't utter a word for a long time.

Ning Che walked up to the severed body of the leading snake demon.

It wasn't quite dead yet; its vertical pupils were filled with terror.

"Where is the wise teacher?" Ning Che looked down at it.

Black foam mixed with ice shards spilled from the snake demon's mouth, and it made a hoarse sound from its throat.

"My wise teacher... is watching you from the source..."

It suddenly laughed eerily.

Immediately afterwards, its body collapsed rapidly.

Black slime seeped from beneath the scales, emitting a nauseating stench.

The other two remains also underwent the same changes.

Ning Che took two steps back to avoid the spreading black water. The black water seeped into the soil, corroding out pits.

This is probably some kind of vicious restriction. If the mission fails or the individual faces torture, they will self-destruct, leaving not even a corpse. That wise teacher's methods are probably not exactly honorable either.

But where is the source?

Ning Che suddenly had a guess; he felt that it might be the old stone pillar.

But we'll have to wait for further verification. If there are no other unforeseen circumstances, it's best to return to the city first. The power struggles among various factions are complex and multifaceted; perhaps only by stepping outside the game can we truly understand the whole picture.

He returned to his carriage to cultivate, while those around him were filled with astonishment. These three demons, working together, were likely enough to hunt down an ordinary eighth-rank cultivator, yet he had wiped them out with a single strike—easier than killing a chicken!

Even though Zhong Lingsu already knew he was different, she couldn't help but stare back at the mangled corpse on the ground.

"If my third brother had possessed such strength back then, would he have been able to return alive?"

Unfortunately, this question is destined to remain unanswered.

The horse's hooves moved swiftly towards the increasingly bright sunlight, leaving behind the melting ice and blood.

When Ning Che returned to the city, it was already noon. The sun hung high in the sky, shining its light on all things without discrimination, seemingly indifferent, yet also impartial.

The group split into two at the city gate. Zhong Lingsu and Lao Li took the wounded to the free clinic first, while Ning Che and Zhao He went to the Personnel Hall to hand over their tasks.

As soon as Ning Che stepped into the mountains, he was stopped by a member of the enforcement team who was wearing heavy armor.

"Commander Yu, please come forward."

Although he was puzzled, he still told Zhao He to go to the Personnel Hall to complete the transaction first, while he followed the law enforcement officers to find Yu Congrong.

The meeting took place in the same study, which had no extra decorations.

The floor-to-ceiling black wooden bookshelves were piled high with documents. Yu Congrong sat behind the large desk, the candlelight outlining her cold, hard profile. Her vermilion pen moved ceaselessly as she reviewed secret reports, without even looking up.

Ning Che pushed open the door and entered, closing it behind him. He then clasped his hands in a respectful greeting: "Your subordinate greets Your Excellency."

"I heard you went to Liutang Village?" Yu Congrong's voice came from behind the desk, crisp and to the point.

"Yes, I heard that something had happened in Liutang, so I took it upon myself to go and resolve the demonic threat there." Although Ning Che didn't know why she had summoned him, he still explained truthfully.

The vermilion pen paused. Yu Congrong raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the file and piercing Ning Che: "You shouldn't have gone to that village, and you certainly shouldn't have gotten involved in that free clinic."

Ning Che straightened up: "My rash action was also to investigate the aftermath of the Rat Swamp case and to find Mu Qingming's weaknesses."

"A flaw?" Yu Congrong sneered. She tossed the vermilion brush into the brush washer, the clinking of the porcelain ringing out sharply in the quiet study. "Mu Qingming is meticulous in his work. Do you think you can catch him red-handed by going to a few remote villages and checking on the lives of some villagers?"

"Clues are always hidden in the details."

"Details take time." Yu Congrong stood up, walked around the desk, and stood in front of Ning Che, looking down at him. "And what I lack most is time. Your current actions, besides alerting Mu Qingming to your investigation, are meaningless."

Ning Che met her gaze: "He disregards human life and concocts evil potions. Those villagers' lives matter too..."

"So what?" Yu Congrong interrupted coldly.

The study fell into a deathly silence.

Ning Che's pupils contracted.

Yu Congrong stood with his hands behind his back, an overwhelming sense of oppression surging forth: "Xing, you are a rough gem, but you are too young, inexperienced, and do not understand the true laws of this world."

Remember this: don't say these things to me again. I promoted you because I saw your potential; I want you to be a knife that can pierce Mu Qingming's throat. I don't care if Mu Qingming is righteous or evil, nor do I care if he killed or saved anyone.

She paused, then said, slowly and deliberately, "I just want him to fall from power."

As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere became as cold as a gust of wind, chilling and resolute.

Ning Che looked at the deputy commander in front of him, who was regarded as "iron-fisted and impartial" in the camp.

He got it.

Yu Congrong's ironclad rules only applied to the power shifts and operational procedures of the mountain-guarding camp. In her eyes, the lives and deaths of those at the bottom were merely bargaining chips in a game.

Earlier, he wasn't standing high enough, so he could only see Yu Congrong and Mu Qingming standing in the light, tall and dazzling.

Now, he has finally reached a point where he can see Yu Congrong clearly, and finally realize what kind of person she truly is. This kind of woman cannot be described by certain stereotypes; she is a true political animal.

Ning Che lowered his eyelids, concealing the sharpness in his eyes.

Those who walk different paths cannot make plans together. However, Ning Che still needs to temporarily rely on her for protection, unite all forces that can be united, and rely on Yu Congrong as a powerful figure to shelter him from the wind and rain. There is no point in stubbornly resisting.

"Your subordinate understands. From now on, I will definitely follow your plans." Ning Che cupped his hands, his voice revealing neither joy nor anger.