Mysterious World: I Have a Lost Heavenly Court

The next day, the sky was bright.

Lu Changqing sat up from the bed, but instead of going to the yard to practice his boxing as usual, he did not go first.

He decided to first address the weaknesses in his own magical abilities.

"With my current spiritual power cultivation at the Core Formation stage, coupled with the enhanced spiritual sword and pure yang fire, I can already break through the evil Taoist's defenses and hold my own in spell clashes, but that's about it."

"It's like a strong man with superhuman strength, who only has a wooden stick in his hand. He can swing it at people, but he can't kill them."

"Right now, I have the vast spiritual power of the Core Formation Realm, but I don't have enough means to convert it into effective damage."

This weakness wasn't very noticeable when facing enemies of the same or even lower level.

Because at that time he could make up for it with martial arts fists and swords.

However, when facing elite monsters like the heretic, who are skilled in magic, the opponent doesn't give you a chance to get close at all, and uses Blood Fiend Orbs to suppress you from a distance from beginning to end.

At this point, the problem of the shallow spell pool is magnified infinitely.

He needs more methods.

It's not just about adding one or two more spells; it's about having a complete system of spells that can work together and be flexibly switched in different battle situations.

He got up and pushed open the door.

Qingyun had already practiced her skills twice in the courtyard.

She looked up when she heard the door open, her forehead still covered with a thin layer of sweat, which gleamed faintly in the morning light.

"Qingyun, do you know any spells that can be used by those at the Liquid Condensation Realm or above?"

"Ideally, it should contain all five elements."

Qingyun blinked and immediately understood what Lu Changqing meant.

She nodded: "Some young masters, although I don't know how, these things were all in my inheritance."

She folded the soft cloth and placed it on the stone table, stood up, took the talisman bag from her waist, and carried a small wooden box out of the house, lining up all the stored goods in a row.

She picked up the talismans and placed them one by one on the stone table, explaining them as she did so.

"Sharp Metal Technique, usable at the Condensation Realm. It uses spiritual power to condense the metal element into a sharp blade, and its penetrating power is second to none among techniques of the same level."

"The Wood Element Vine Binding Technique can be used by the Condensation Realm. It uses Wood Element spiritual power to generate vines to entangle the enemy. The toughness and number of vines depend on the thickness of the caster's spiritual power. With the cultivation of the Core Formation Realm, it is enough to bind multiple targets at the same time."

"Water Prison Technique..."

"Fire-based Pyroblast..."

"Earth element's Rock Armor Technique, Rock Spike Technique..."

"Although I'm not yet able to use most of these techniques, I've memorized the incantations and hand gestures. Teaching them to you, young master, is no problem at all."

"Then, by observing the operation of their magical power through talismans, with the young master's talent, he should be able to learn it very quickly."

Lu Changqing looked at the talismans placed on the stone table, feeling the spiritual power they exuded, and nodded in satisfaction.

"good!"

At this moment, Lu Changqing suddenly thought of something and spoke again: "In addition to the Five Elements spells, there are also exorcising thunder spells."

"Breaking through the scorching flames with ice magic?"

Qingyun nodded again: "Yes, young master! Yes!"

"Lightning Strike..."

"Ice Thorns..."

Qingyun carefully and slowly explained the functions and effects of these techniques to Lu Changqing.

After learning the specific information, Lu Changqing smiled with satisfaction.

That's enough.

Lu Changqing laid out the seven talismans one by one, scanning the runes on each talisman with his divine sense.

Before he could even ponder it carefully, the words on the golden finger began to flash and jump continuously.

[Having received instruction in the Sharp Metal Technique from a Daoist cultivator at the Condensation Realm, does the subject wish to begin practicing?]

[Having received instruction in the Vine Binding Technique from a Daoist cultivator at the Condensation Realm, does the subject wish to learn it?]

【…】

【…】

Looking at the handwriting in front of him, Lu Changqing was overjoyed.

This is the cheat code!

If it's not turned on, how can it be considered cheating?

Study all of them!

The incantations, hand gestures, and spiritual energy circulation paths of the eight new techniques were imprinted deep into the divine consciousness like a brand.

The core principles, applicable scenarios, spiritual energy consumption ratios, and possible combinations with existing techniques of each spell were instantly absorbed and digested with the help of the cheat system.

"call--"

Lu Changqing's eyes flickered, feeling that the extra information in his mind was very enriching.

"I've already learned it."

"Then, in order to perform even better..."

"The next step is practice!"

...

...

Time flies, and ten days have passed.

During these ten days, Lu Changqing neither went to the ancient ruins nor left the Lu family's gate.

He devoted all his energy to digesting these new spells.

After Qingyun broke down the details of each technique for him, he began to practice them one by one.

By the third day of practice, he had mastered all eight new techniques, and a row of new characters appeared on his cheat code panel.

On the fifth day of practice, Ice Thorn and Water Prison were the first to break through to the proficiency level.

These two spells can be used together. After the target is trapped in the water prison, the ice thorns explode inside the water prison. The killing range is more concentrated because the water prison restricts it.

By the tenth day of practice, all spells could be released in actual combat with a mere thought and hand seals.

There's no need to go through the entire hand seal process like before when releasing the Gale Technique.

That evening, Qingyun came out of the side room after taking a medicinal bath and pushed open the door. She was shocked by the scene in the courtyard.

Lu Changqing stood in the center of the courtyard, his hands hanging naturally at his sides.

Instead of demonstrating each new technique one by one as he had done in the previous days, he strung all the new techniques together into a combo.

With a slight raise of the right hand, the Rock Spike Technique begins.

A sharp rock spike suddenly pierced out from the ground three feet away from his feet, at a tricky angle, piercing diagonally upwards.

Before the rock cone had completely stopped, his left hand had already completed the second hand seal: Vine Binding Technique—

Green vines, crimson flames, ice thorns...

Numerous unusual phenomena flashed.

Finally, a bolt of azure lightning as thick as an arm descended from the sky!

"boom--"

The lightning struck the ground precisely, and a small, mushroom-shaped cloud of smoke rose from the yard.

As the smoke cleared, only a charred, shallow pit remained on the ground, with wisps of white smoke still rising from the bottom.

Qingyun stood at the door, looking at the shallow pit that was still smoking. She remained silent for a moment, then pushed open the door and walked into the courtyard.

"Young master, if you keep practicing like this, our courtyard wall will have to be rebuilt."

"Last time it was a wall, this time it's the ground."

Lu Changqing stopped and couldn't help but laugh.

"Go and have Erwa find a craftsman later; it's nothing!"

Looking at the surrounding pits, Lu Changqing's eyes flashed with ecstatic joy.

In the past, when he cast spells frequently, he would feel his spiritual energy depleting.

However, his spiritual energy remained abundant.

This is the difference between the Core Formation Realm and the Liquid Condensation Realm.

In terms of both quality and quantity, the Core Formation Realm completely surpasses the Liquid Condensation Realm!

He moved his wrists, feeling the steady flow of spiritual energy output from the elixir in his dantian.

With several new spells, the depth of this spell pool is already sufficient to handle the vast majority of battle situations.

"I'm not practicing anymore." He withdrew his hand. "That's enough."

As soon as Lu Changqing finished speaking, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the courtyard gate.

Soon, Lu Yue pushed open the door and walked in.

She wasn't wearing a Taoist robe today, but rather plain clothes, her hair simply tied up in a bun, and her face flushed slightly from the journey.

"Little brother," she said as she entered, her voice a few decibels faster than usual, "someone from the prefectural city is coming regarding the array!"

"The formation that seemed to be trapping my parents has a solution!"

Lu Changqing's eyes lit up. "Second Sister, tell me the details!"

Qingyun poured tea for Lu Yue.

Lu Yue took the teacup and took a sip. Once her breathing had calmed down a bit, she continued:

"He is a formation master that Master knew before. His surname is Liu and his name is Liu Qingyu. He is from the prefectural city and specializes in trapping formations and sealing formations."

"He held a guest position in the Demon Suppression Division of the prefecture, without receiving a salary, but he could access the division's documents."

"A few days ago, I asked someone to send a letter to the prefectural city, and it took several connections to finally get in touch with him."

"I received a reply this morning. I'm already on my way and will arrive in Heishan County tomorrow."

"A guest elder of the Demon Suppression Division?" Lu Changqing was somewhat surprised by this identity.

The Prefectural Town Demon Suppression Division is a subordinate agency of the Demon Suppression Division. Those who can hold the title of Guest Minister, even without receiving a salary, must at least possess a skill so specialized that it would make the government make an exception for them.

"right."

"The trapping formation is something that ordinary Dao cultivators cannot come into contact with, let alone specialize in."

"Mr. Liu has been in this line of work for half his life. He was in charge of setting up several sealing formations in the surrounding counties of the prefecture city."

"I asked someone to make a copy of the runes on the tree stump and send it to my parents regarding their formation. After reading it, he replied that he could break it." Lu Yue put the teacup back on the stone table, but her expression did not relax because of this matter. Instead, it became more serious.

"There's something else. It's not just my parents who are missing." She lowered her voice slightly, "Many martial arts schools and families in the county, especially those above the third realm, have recently disappeared without a trace."

Upon hearing this, Lu Changqing's initially joyful smile, which had been bright because the formation could be broken, slowly faded away once again.

"Not just our parents? We've lost contact with many people in the Three Realms?"

He was somewhat surprised.

Because in that case...

That means the Wanxian Army is ready to make a move at any moment!

Lu Yue nodded: "Mr. Zhao from Zhao Family Pharmacy, who is at the Blood Exchange Realm, went to the prefectural city to purchase goods half a month ago. He hasn't returned yet, and the goods haven't arrived either."

"Instructor Liu of the Liu Family Martial Arts School, who is at the Blood Exchange Realm, said ten days ago that he was going to a neighboring county to celebrate the birthday of an old friend. However, the old friend sent someone to ask why he hadn't arrived yet."

"Two pairs of people were lost on the way. There were also several retainers who were on good terms with the Lu family, ranging from the Condensation Realm to the Blood Exchange Realm. They all left the city one after another in the past half month and never came back."

Lu Changqing stared blankly.

"Even the county magistrate, who went to the prefectural city to report for duty half a month ago, has not been heard from since." Lu Yue's voice lowered slightly. "It's not a normal handover of office. People from the prefectural city came to inquire, and they said the county magistrate didn't even go to the prefectural city."

"He went missing on the official road leading to the prefectural city."

Two weeks ago.

The timing is too perfect.

Half a month ago was the time when Qin Yuan's spirit talismans were being distributed on a large scale throughout the county, around the time he broke through to the Blood Exchange Realm.

Experts at the third realm or above are essentially the high-end combat force of Black Mountain County. They are usually distributed among various families and martial arts schools, each with their own livelihood.

If only one person goes missing, it can be considered an accident;

The disappearance of two people could be a coincidence;

But the disappearance of so many experts at the third realm within half a month cannot be a coincidence.

The image of the rune-carved tree stumps in the Lost Forest flashed through his mind instantly.

The area covered by that trapping formation was much larger than Huang Hu had discovered. Huang Hu's men only searched the outer perimeter and couldn't get into the formation's entrance.

If it wasn't just their parents, but also other experts from the three realms who were trapped inside.

The purpose of the person who set up the formation was not simply to "trap Lu Ba and his wife".

This is to wipe out all the high-end combat forces in Heishan County.

Trapped, not killed, because trapping is more effective than killing.

People are trapped inside, and those outside don't know if they are dead or alive, so they keep searching, waiting, and expending manpower to search.

During this process, Qin Yuan's talismans spread throughout the county town without any hindrance.

Lu Changqing remained silent for a moment, then placed the teacup back on the stone table, the porcelain striking the stone surface with a crisp sound.

"It's alright, thankfully they can come tomorrow!"

"Wait until tomorrow."

"As soon as the people from the prefectural city arrived, they broke the formation."

"Mm." A smile appeared on Lu Yue's face.

She had stayed at Qingfeng Temple for many years. Her master was gone, her eldest brother was an evil spirit in human skin, and her junior brothers and sisters were tormented beyond recognition by the talismans. All she could do was endure it.

Now that my younger brother has stepped forward and the city's help has arrived, the weight on my heart has lightened somewhat.

The siblings chatted for a few more minutes about the current situation at Qingfeng Temple and Lu Ri's recovery from his injuries, before Lu Yue got up to take her leave.

She had to return to Qingfeng Temple; Qin Yuan was holding a Dharma assembly tonight, and she had to be there to prevent it from arousing suspicion.

...

...

The next day, before dawn.

Lu Changqing was awakened by a series of urgent knocks on the door.

He sat up abruptly, but Qingyun had already put on her coat and quickly went to open the courtyard gate.

A moment later, Lu Erwa rushed into the courtyard, covered in sweat, his face pale and barely able to catch his breath.

"Third Young Master! That array master from the prefectural city! He's been attacked! Outside the city!"

Lu Changqing's eyes narrowed.

He jumped to his feet, not even having time to fasten his coat.

"Where exactly?"

"On the official road less than ten miles east of the county seat! Constable Zhou Wu has already led his men there, and Colonel Li Chun, who is stationed there, has also gone!"

"But the news coming back from over there says that there are quite a few demons attacking, and they're all fighting like madmen. Officer Zhou and his men are about to be overwhelmed!"

"The messenger was a garrison soldier; he came on horseback, and the horse was so tired it was vomiting!"

Lu Changqing grabbed his coat and put it on.

The array master from the prefectural city was his only hope to break the array and save his parents. He had waited for so many days and finally found someone who knew how to trap arrays. If Qin Yuan's people intercepted and killed him on the way, all his previous waiting would be in vain!

He didn't know how Qin Yuan got the information, but now was not the time to think about that.

He turned to look at Qingyun, who had already spat out her natal spirit sword from her mouth and held it in her hand, nodding at him.

The two did not use the main entrance.

The main gate is too slow; it takes several corridors to get from the courtyard to the main gate.

Lu Changqing wrapped one arm around Qingyun's waist and unleashed the full power of the Hundred Ghosts Divine Step, leaping over the courtyard wall like a shadow.

He lightly touched the rooftop across the street with his toes, breaking two tiles, and leaped dozens of feet away.

Each leap allowed them to glide nearly a hundred paces through the air. With a few more taps of their toes and a quick descent, they were out of the east gate.

The official road outside the city.

The blade in Zhou Wu's hand was already chipped.

The old wound on his right hand, which had been ripped open by the Blood Zombie Hall Master in the alley last time, hadn't fully healed yet, and now it was covered by a new wound. His entire palm was soaked in blood, and the hilt of the knife was so slippery that he could barely hold it.

Four of his men had already fallen, and the remaining constables were huddled back-to-back in a circle, surrounding their wounded companion. They were swinging their knives at a slower and slower pace, the blades riddled with nicks and chips. Each strike required an immense effort to pull the knife from the demon's bones.

They were attacked by a group of demons dressed in ordinary people's clothes.

There were men and women, young and old, and at first glance they were no different from ordinary people on the streets. There were peddlers carrying loads, peasant women carrying baskets, and even a teenager wearing a school robe.

But they all wore the same excited smiles, just like the people who had affixed Qin Yuan's talismans.

The difference is that these people's excited smiles have been distorted to an extreme degree, with their mouths stretched to their ears, their eyes wide open, and only a hollow dark pink light in their pupils.

They attacked without feeling pain or fear. Even after their arms were chopped off, they continued to lunge forward. Instead of normal red blood, a thick, dark pink liquid flowed from the severed wound, emitting a cloying, fishy stench.

Even with its stomach pierced, it still opened its mouth to bite. One constable was bitten on the shoulder, and a piece of flesh was torn off.

They weren't having their life essence drained by the talisman; their minds were completely controlled by the talisman, and they had been turned into humanoid weapons of the Joyful Hall.

Li Chun, the garrison commander, stood on the other side of the official road, clutching a twelve-foot-long iron spear with blood still dripping from its tip.

A large piece of his military robe was torn off at the hem, and there was a deep gash on the iron armor on his left shoulder, as if it had been slashed by a sharp weapon. His helmet had been knocked off at some point, revealing a square and rugged face covered in sweat and blood.

Although the troops he brought were equipped with standard swords and shields and simple combined attack formations, their numbers were too small.

He only brought a 10-man squad with him this time.

Faced with this group of nearly a hundred fearless demons, the combined attack formation could not hold out for long.

The formation had been broken twice, and he had gritted his teeth and regrouped it, but each regrouping meant that a soldier was dragged out of the formation.

Only six soldiers remain standing, two of whom are clearly struggling, their legs trembling.

"Damn it." Li Chun pierced the chest of a demon who pounced on him with a single spear thrust, the spear tip protruding half a foot from his back, and dark pink viscous fluid dripped down the shaft.

He kicked the corpse aside with his military boot, and then called out to Zhou Wu, who was standing not far away, "Old Zhou, how many of these lunatics are left?"

Zhou Wu sliced ​​off half of a demon's shoulder with a single stroke, took a half step back, and wiped the blood from his face with his sleeve.

Blood and sweat mingled together, obscuring half of his vision. He squinted as he scanned the demons still pouring out of the woods on both sides of the official road and cursed.

"I don't know! The more we fight, the more there are! Seven or eight more have popped up over here!"

After he roared, he swung his sword again, the blade striking a demon's neck and getting stuck in the bone.

He loosened his grip on the knife handle, punched the demon in the face, and then quickly bent down to pick up a short knife that someone had dropped from the ground.

Just as Li Chun was about to reply, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a figure swooping down from the city wall.

The speed was too fast; even with his peak Bone Refining Realm eyesight, he could only catch a fleeting afterimage.

The afterimage traced a very faint arc in mid-air, as if it had been lifted by something and glided for a distance before landing.

He instinctively gripped the gun barrel, thinking it was a new enemy.

Then the figure landed in the very center of the official road, making no sound the moment it touched the ground.

He was tall and handsome, with only half of his coat draped over his shoulders, which fluttered in the morning breeze.

A woman dressed in a neat short-sleeved outfit followed closely behind him.

Her face was beautiful but her eyes were sharp. A small spiritual sword, no bigger than a palm, hung on the fingertip of her right hand, its blade gleaming with a cold light.

Lu Changqing did not turn around.

He raised his right hand, his five fingers slightly spread, and gently grasped the fist of the demons.

Icethorn.

Countless fine ice crystals suddenly condensed in the air, exploding amidst the demons and transforming into dozens of sharp ice thorns that pierced through the bodies of seven or eight demons from all directions simultaneously.

The ice thorns did not dissipate after entering the body, but continued to grow and spread, pinning these demons firmly to the spot and rendering them unable to move.

Several demons were still struggling, trying to break the ice thorns, but the roots of the ice thorns had already sunk deep into the ground.

The more they struggled, the deeper the ice thorns burrowed, causing them to let out inhuman howls of pain.

"Lu Changqing!?"

Zhou Wu's eyes widened, and after recognizing the figure, he burst into laughter, a hoarse but unrestrained laugh.

"You little brat! I almost thought I was going to die here today! Don't worry about me, go protect that carriage!"

"The carriage contains a formation master from the prefectural city; these bastards are after him!"

Lu Changqing did not answer, his gaze already sweeping over the carriage protected by several shields beside the official road.

The bodies of several demons lay scattered around the carriage, their positions suggesting they were trying to flank it from the side, but were stopped by the garrison soldiers who fought desperately to stop them.

The carriage curtains were tightly closed, and only a very faint light shone through the windows, through which a hunched figure could be vaguely seen huddled inside the carriage.

The person is still alive.

The weight lifted from his heart, but his hands didn't stop moving.

With his left hand forming a hand seal, he unleashed a lightning strike.

A beam of azure lightning, as thick as an arm, shot out from his palm, precisely piercing through the demons pinned by ice thorns, and exploding in the crowd.

Wherever the lightning passed, the demons convulsed violently, and wisps of dark pink smoke rose from their bodies.

The spiritual power of the talismans left in their bodies by Huanxitang was being forcibly dispelled by the lightning strike technique.

The yin energy of the talisman is particularly deadly to these demons controlled by it.

After the smoke cleared, those demons were like puppets with their strings cut.

One by one they collapsed to the ground, their limbs still twitching, but they had completely lost their fighting ability.

He made a hand seal with his right hand again, unleashing the Flame Burst spell.

A burst of blazing white light exploded amidst the second wave of demons surging from the left side of the official road, the flames sweeping across an area of ​​several feet.

Several demons at the forefront were blown away by the blast wave, their clothes and flesh bursting into flames.

The screams and the crackling of the flames mingled together, carrying exceptionally far in the cold morning air.

Before the flames of the Fireball spell had completely dissipated, he pressed his left hand onto the ground—Rock Spike.

Suddenly, the ground on the right side of the official road cracked open, and three sharp rock spikes pierced out from different angles at the same time, piercing through several demons who were trying to flank the carriage from below.

The rock spikes continued to grow after piercing their bodies, suspending them in mid-air, making them struggle wildly, but they could never reach the ground.

The whole process took less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

From the Ice Thorn spell to the Sharp Metal spell, each spell flowed seamlessly together, with no gap between hand seals exceeding a single breath.

With the five elements rotating and ice and lightning clashing, the thirty-odd demons who had nearly caused Zhou Wu and Li Chun, two seasoned veterans, to lose their lives were as fragile as paper in front of him.

The remaining few who were still alive were finished off one by one by Qingyun, who arrived later, using her natal spirit sword.

A flash of sword light appeared, and a very fine cut appeared on the demon's throat.

Before the dark pink liquid could even be sprayed out, it was burned into a charred mist by the pure yang talisman power on the sword.

Li Chun was still gripping the gun barrel, but he had forgotten to thrust it out.

The spear tip planted firmly on the ground, and he froze in place, his mouth slightly open and his eyes wide open, staring at the young man in the middle of the official road who was still making hand seals to finish.

He had seen many experts in his life. There was a Blood Exchange Realm instructor in the garrison camp, and he had also seen a Core Formation Realm cultivator make a move from afar when he was reporting for duty in the prefectural city.

But when those masters make their moves, they do so one move at a time, in a very precise and methodical manner. How could they be like this young man in front of me, unleashing the five elements' techniques in turn?

The ice spikes hadn't even finished dissipating when the lightning struck, and before the lightning strike was even finished, the fireball exploded.

The hand gestures are barely visible in the middle.

It seems that he has mastered every technique to the point that he can unleash it instantly with a thought.

The Realm of Transformation into Elixir.

With this level of cultivation, not to mention Black Mountain County, he would definitely be considered a top expert even in the prefectural city.

But the face in front of him still clearly had the delicate features of a young man, and he looked no older than the youngest recruit under his command.

He turned to look at Zhou Wu beside him and saw that the old constable was leaning against his dulled sword, panting heavily, with an expression on his face that was hard to tell whether it was smugness or gloating.

"Old Zhou," Li Chun's voice was a little dry, "Is this the Lu family's third young master you told me about last time? Lu Changqing?"

Zhou Wu used his sword to support himself as he stood up, sheathed the chipped blade, and picked up a tattered rag from the ground to wipe the blood from his hands.

He glanced up at Qingyun, who was still finishing off the enemy, and then at Lu Changqing, who was standing still, scanning the surroundings with his divine sense to see if any had slipped through the net. His lips twitched and his eyelids twitched.

He clearly sensed that Lu Changqing had become stronger than when he had met him before.

"It's him."

"I told you before, but you didn't believe me."

Li Chun opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

He had certainly heard of the name of the third young master of the Lu family.

It wasn't because he cared about any aristocratic young masters, but because his soldiers would also gossip. When they were on night duty in the barracks and had nothing to do, they could chat about anything.

The Lu family has three sons, one a dragon, one a phoenix, and one a dog. Lu Ri is a master at running the business, and Lu Yue is the personal disciple of the abbot of Qingfeng Temple.

Only the third brother was a good-for-nothing who lay on the maid's lap indulging in pleasure and drinking. He failed to cultivate Taoism or master martial arts, and was possessed by an evil spirit, almost dying in bed.

When Zhou Wu was drinking with him last time, he mentioned that Lu Changqing had broken through to the Blood Exchange Realm and smashed the head of the Blood Zombie Hall.

He didn't take it too seriously at the time.

It's just the Blood Exchange Realm; there are plenty of those in the garrison camp.

As for killing the leader of the Blood Zombie Hall, Zhou Wu said at the time that it was a joint effort between him and Lu Changqing, not a one-on-one fight.

But the young man before them moved freely among the thirty-odd demons, wielding the Five Elements magic with ease, and rescuing everyone from the brink of death without even flinching.

He's not the useless guy the rumors say he is at all.

Blood Transformation Realm?

wrong.

Which of those instructors in the garrison who are at the Blood Exchange Realm has such mastery of magic?

He cultivates both Taoist and martial arts! Advancing in tandem! He's quite a formidable figure in the entire prefecture!

Zhou Wu used his sword to support himself as he stood up, sheathed the dull blade, and patted Li Chun's shoulder forcefully.

After pinning the last demon to the ground with ice thorns, Lu Changqing stopped, slightly spread his fingers, and returned the spirit sword that had been hanging in the air to his heart.

He glanced down at the convulsing demons on the ground, making sure none of them could stand up, before turning and walking toward the carriage protected by several shields beside the official road.

The corpses of several demons were scattered around the carriage. Judging from their positions, they were trying to flank the carriage from the side, but were stopped by the garrison soldiers who fought desperately to stop them.

Two soldiers lay dead beside the carriage, both with serious injuries, but still breathing, being helped by their comrades to move to the side of the road.

The carriage curtain swayed slightly in the morning breeze, and one could vaguely see figures moving inside.

The carriage curtain was suddenly flung open.

An old man with gray hair poked his head out of the car. He was wearing a gray cloth robe full of patches, with frayed edges on the cuffs and collar, but it was very clean.

His face was still pale from the shock of surviving a disaster, and his white beard was trembling slightly, but his eyes were not cloudy at all.

Sharp and clear.

He was glaring angrily at the convulsing demons on the ground, his beard sticking up high.

"This is outrageous! It's a complete rebellion!"

Liu Qingyu jumped down from the carriage, but stumbled when she landed and almost stepped on the hem of her robe.

He steadied himself by grabbing the carriage shaft, then glanced down at the twitching demon pinned by ice thorns at his feet, his anger intensifying.

"I've lived in this prefectural city for forty years, and I've never heard of any evil spirit daring to intercept and kill an official of the imperial court on the main road! This is the official road of the prefectural city!"

"It's not some remote, bandit-infested mountain path!"

"To ambush and kill members of the Demon Suppression Division on the official road—this is rebellion! This is blatant rebellion!"

He got angrier and angrier as he spoke, and his mustache stood up almost level with his eyebrows.

He turned around, took out a grayish-brown communication jade talisman from the carriage, and shook it in his hand, like an old scholar disciplining a disobedient student with a ruler.

"Once I return to the city, I'll send a dispatch to the prefectural capital—no, to the entire state capital! Instruct the Demon Suppression Division to send men to suppress the bandits! Locate and eliminate them!"

When people in the county town are ambushed, their first reaction is to report it to the county government.

When people in the prefectural city are ambushed, their first reaction is to report to the Demon Suppression Division.

Different levels of authority have different sources of confidence.

Liu Qingyu was merely a guest minister of the Demon Suppression Division who did not receive a salary, yet he was able to directly threaten to send a document to the state capital after being attacked.

This shows that his connections and status in the prefectural city were far higher than the title of "guest minister" might seem on the surface.

This is exactly what Heishan County needs most right now.

Qin Yuan's influence in Heishan County is deeply entrenched. The county magistrate provides him with cover, and Qingfeng Temple has been planning this for seven years. It's not impossible for the Lu family to uproot Qin Yuan on their own, but it will take time.

And time is precisely what Qin Yuan has in abundance.

For every day its talisman is affixed to the people, there is an additional day of offerings. If the prefectural government can truly use the pretext of Liu Qingyu's attack to send people from the Demon Suppression Division, things will be much simpler.

Positioning for the suppression of bandits.

These four words carry far more weight than Heishan County's own statement that "the senior disciple of Qingfeng Temple has a problem."

The former was a rebellion recognized by the imperial court, while the latter was merely a local dispute.

Once Qin Yuan was identified as a bandit, he and Huanxitang, which was behind him, completely lost any room for maneuver.

After Liu Qingyu finished cursing, her anger subsided considerably.

He put away the communication jade talisman, straightened his collar which had been blown askew by the morning breeze, and walked up to Lu Changqing, looking him up and down.

He looked very carefully.

After watching for a while, he stroked his beard and nodded.

"You're pretty good, kid!"

"I will remember your life-saving intervention and this kindness!"

"Lu Changqing...your sister has already explained the situation to me."

He paused, then made a promise, "I owe you my life."

"Once we get back to Cheng, let's stabilize things first, and then I'll study that formation."

"I will help you break the formation that traps your parents!"