Start slaying demons from the proficiency panel.

"Is this the hammer that weighs 320 jin? It looks so majestic and domineering on Lord Ning. As the saying goes, flowers are given to a beauty and a precious hammer is given to a hero. My four thousand taels tonight were well spent and perfectly spent."

Seeing Ning Xiu swaggering over with a hammer slung over one shoulder, Huang You immediately launched into the most blatant flattery.

It's oily but not greasy, refreshing but not unpleasant.

Ning Xiu smiled and said, "I will remember Young Master Huang's kindness in giving me the hammer. If Young Master Huang encounters any calamity in the future, he must ask me for help so that I can repay the kindness of giving you the hammer tonight."

"Lord Ning, you're too kind. Please get in the carriage, we'll head back to our residence now."

"No, no, this hammer is too heavy. If I were to get on the carriage with the hammer, Young Master Huang, I'm afraid your carriage wouldn't be able to handle it. I'll just follow behind the carriage. I ate too much earlier, so this is just to help with digestion."

"Then I'll have to trouble Lord Ning." Huang You turned to the coachman and said, "Let's go back to the manor."

……

The night was pitch black. Four guards from the Huang family followed the carriage, each with a sword at his waist and a very cautious expression.

Knowing he would be buying a lot of things tonight, Huang You brought guards with him to ensure his safety.

Having lived in Wendeng County for over ten years, Huang You recalled that the county was very safe, so four guards should be enough.

But to his utter surprise, the son of the newly arrived County Magistrate Lu was not a local.

Glug glug!

The carriage moved slowly along the road, and just as everyone was immersed in the quiet of the night, a large crowd suddenly emerged from the alleys on both sides of the road ahead.

Armed with weapons, they blocked the way in front and behind, quickly surrounding the carriage.

"Protect the young master!" Huang You's henchman shouted immediately.

The four guards drew their swords and confronted each other, but it was clear from the scene that these four men were no match for the thugs.

"Hand over everything in the car, and we'll spare your lives," someone in the crowd shouted.

"What's going on?" Huang You leaned out of the car window and looked at the thugs outside, his expression immediately turning bewildered.

Damn it, when did the security situation in Wendeng County become so bad that someone actually dares to rob people openly?

Ning Xiu carried the golden hammer to the carriage and said, "Young Master Huang, I didn't expect your calamity to come so soon. Do you need my help to fight them off?"

At this moment, Huang You felt as if a thousand horses were galloping through his mind. He had originally planned to use Ning Xiu's favor only when he encountered difficulties in the future.

I never expected to run into such big trouble so soon. If I don't ask Ning Xiu for help tonight, I'm afraid I'll end up losing both my money and my life.

"Lord Ning, then I'll have to trouble you," Huang You said helplessly.

"What are you two wasting your breath on? Brothers, let's go! Just do it!"

The rioters lost their patience and immediately charged at the carriage with their weapons. Judging from their posture, if Huang You dared to resist, he probably wouldn't see the sun rise again.

At the same time, Ning Xiu also made a move.

In the darkness, a figure leaped high into the air, wielding the handle of a giant hammer and slamming it down on the ground in front of the charging thugs.

boom!

The stone-paved street surface cracked instantly, with pebbles flying everywhere, and a large section of the ground caved in.

At the same time, numerous cracks spread in all directions, extending for eight or nine feet before finally stopping due to exhaustion.

In the blink of an eye, a huge crack appeared on the ground, making it look like a meteorite had fallen from the sky.

The huge commotion instantly terrified all the thugs who rushed over; they all stood frozen in place, too stunned to take another step forward.

With the power of that hammer blow, if you were hit by it, you would definitely be reduced to ashes on the spot.

Snapped!

With the golden hammer still on the ground, Ning Xiu stepped on it, clasped his hands together, and cracked his knuckles as he laughed, "Anyone who dares to take another step forward will be killed without mercy."

All the rioters fell silent; no one could be confused about whether the ground was harder or their bodies were harder.

Ning Xiu reached out and grabbed the hammer handle, saying, "I'll count to three. Anyone who dares to appear before me after the count will receive a hammer blow."

"three."

"two."

Before Ning Xiu could even shout "One!", the thugs had already fled in panic and disappeared.

"Young Master, this Lord Ning is really... really doesn't match his image at all," Huang You's follower couldn't help but mutter under his breath.

Huang You nodded in strong agreement: "I originally thought he was a weak scholar, but who would have thought that he was actually a super strong man behind the scenes."

The carriage resumed its journey, and Ning Xiu returned to the room Huang You had arranged for him at the Huang residence. After reciting his daily dose of the Diamond Sutra to Liu Yan Jinzhu, he began practicing several martial arts techniques.

Silent all night.

Early the next morning, Ning Xiu arrived at the post station. According to the efficiency of the Demon Subduing Division, if there were any discoveries about the spell map, Su Qianqian should send someone to Wendeng County today.

Sure enough, as soon as Ning Xiu entered the post station, the same postman from yesterday came over with a sealed letter and handed it to Ning Xiu.

"My lord, this is what that official from the Demon Extermination Bureau asked me to give you."

Ning Xiu immediately took it, opened it, and began to examine it.

In the letter, Su Qianqian said that this incantation diagram was an evil technique that had long been sealed by the Demon Subduing Division. When drawn on a human body, it could absorb the vital energy in the body, which would cause the person to turn into a corpse after death.

If I'm not mistaken, there must be a sorcerer hiding in Wendeng County. He's using the drowning incident as a pretext to obtain the vital energy from the people's bodies.

If this person is allowed to continue doing evil, Wendeng County will eventually become a dead land.

In the letter, Su Qianqian also instructed Ning Xiu to continue his investigation in Wendeng County. If he sensed danger, he could request reinforcements from the Demon Subduing Division. In short, he must find and execute that hidden demon.

In this way, things suddenly became clear.

Ning Xiu immediately conceived a plan to lure out the demon, but this plan could not be implemented during the day and had to wait until night.

Ning Xiu immediately brought up the proficiency panel.

……

【Pure Yang Fist: Nine Levels (32/5000)】(+)

[Golden Bell Shield: Eight Layers (13/4000)] (+)

[Spiritual Vision: Level 5 (22/3000)] (+)

【Mahavairocana Sutra: Eighth Level (3/4000)】(+)

General Proficiency: 8500

……

After dealing with the seventeen zombie-turned-corpse demons last time, Ning Xiu accumulated another 8500 points of general proficiency.

Tonight we'll be luring out the demons, so we'll need to temporarily strengthen our abilities to ensure our safety. There's no need to save up our general proficiency anymore.

Currently, upgrading Pure Yang Fist requires a whopping 5000 general proficiency points. After upgrading this, you can't upgrade either of the other two combat-effective techniques, making it not cost-effective.

Ning Xiu then chose to upgrade both the Golden Bell Shield and the Great Sun Mystic Scripture simultaneously, in exchange for better defensive capabilities and deeper internal energy.

With his Pure Yang Fist, Golden Bell Cover, and Great Sun Mystic Scripture all reaching the ninth level, Ning Xiu was now confident enough to face even seventh-grade evil spirits without flinching.

……

Ning Xiu had reviewed the case files in Dong Fu's study. The files recorded the seventeen victims, all murdered at night, meaning the sorcerer only targeted during the night.

Ning Xiu waited at the Huang residence until nightfall before setting out. He bought a jar of wine, pretended to be a drunkard, and headed to Changxia River.

At night, only the sound of flowing water and shimmering waves remain along the banks of the Changxia River. Because the drowning case was so bizarre, no one dares to come to the Changxia River at night anymore.

Using his Spirit Eye Observation Technique, Ning Xiu began to stroll around the banks of the Changxia River.

If that sorcerer really appears and intends to attack him, then he can turn the tables on him.

Half an hour later, Ning Xiu sat slumped on the riverbank, clutching a jar of wine. He would get up every now and then, take a few steps, and then fall to the ground again.

But the entire Changxia River remained completely silent, and nothing unusual happened.

This makes one wonder if the sorcerer has already left Wendeng County and gone to other places.

Cuckoo!

Suddenly, a large number of bubbles rose to the surface of the calm river. After a while, these bubbles swam towards Ning Xiu in large numbers.

"Take the bait!"

After becoming a martial artist, Ning Xiu's senses became much more acute than those of ordinary people. When he heard the sound of bubbles rising on the water's surface, he immediately became aware of it.

A black, misty aura began to appear on the water's surface. Could it be that a demon has appeared?

So Ning Xiu pretended to be calm, still acting as if nothing had happened, took a sip of wine while holding the jar, and waited for the right opportunity to make his move.

Wow!

As the bubble reached the riverbank, a pale arm suddenly emerged from beneath the water and scrambled up the bank.

With the help of the moonlight, Ning Xiu quickly made out the appearance of the thing.

It turned out to be a disheveled man whose entire body was swollen from being soaked!

His eyes were swollen like balls from being soaked in the river, with his upper and lower eyelids tightly folded together, making it impossible to see his eyeballs.

"A drowning ghost?!" Ning Xiu was surprised. He had been acting for so long, and this was the only thing he had encountered.

Seeing Ning Xiu slumped on the ground, the drowning ghost opened its mouth wide and let out a strange roar.

His mouth was full of sharp teeth, none of which were the shape a normal person should have.

boom!

Without any hesitation, Ning Xiu immediately leaped up and punched the other person hard in the face.

The crimson pure Yang fist is a nemesis to evil spirits.

The drowning ghost's face instantly turned red and started smoking, making a sizzling sound. After feeling the pain, its first reaction was to escape back into the Changxia River.

But Ning Xiu would never give him that chance. He directly channeled his inner force into his right palm and grabbed the drowning ghost by the back of the neck.

Click click click!

With a forceful squeeze, the drowning ghost's throat bones cracked instantly. After emerging from the Demon Suppression Prison, Ning Xiu's strength had increased significantly, making this ninth-grade evil spirit no match for him.

Finally, with its throat completely broken, the drowned ghost's body became completely still.

Looking at the river, apart from the evil aura brought by the appearance of the drowning ghost, there were no other traces of evil aura around the entire Changxia River.