Start slaying demons from the proficiency panel.

Despite the uncertainty, Ning Xiu still placed the demon's corpse on the ground and carefully examined the list page by page.

Just then, Ning Xiu noticed a name among the many names.

Lu Dengke was appointed as the Assistant Magistrate of Wendeng County.

Because of Huang You, Ning Xiu still had some impression of the new county magistrate.

According to records, this county magistrate was transferred to Wendeng County from another region half a month ago. He even squeezed out the old county magistrate of the county, which made Huang You full of resentment.

"By the way, Lord Dong, the new county magistrate has been in Wendeng County for half a month now, why haven't I seen him in the yamen?" Ning Xiu asked in confusion.

Dong Fu immediately shook his head: "Speaking of this new county magistrate, he's quite a strange person. Apart from the first day he came to the yamen to report, I haven't seen him since. I really can't understand why the higher-ups would transfer such a guy to Wendeng County. In terms of being conscientious and responsible, County Magistrate Huang is much better."

"He hasn't shown up for half a month..." Ning Xiu pondered to himself. It seemed that this person was highly suspicious.

"Lord Dong, I plan to visit the new county magistrate's residence. Could you please find a constable to guide me?"

Dong Fu nodded and said, "It's a small matter. Then let Officer Fang from last time accompany you, sir."

"This is the demon I just caught outside. Please have Lord Dong cremate him." Ning Xiu pointed to the corpse wrapped in a tablecloth on the ground.

Dong Fu was secretly alarmed upon hearing this. How long had this person been away, and he had already killed a sorcerer?

Is this the efficiency of the Demon-Subduing Guard? I've really learned something new.

"Lord Ning's methods are extraordinary, I admire them greatly," Dong Fu said sincerely.

Fang Ping was one of the few acquaintances Ning Xiu had in the yamen. With Fang Ping leading the way, Ning Xiu quickly arrived at the Lu residence in the county.

That is, the residence of that County Magistrate Lu.

"Lord Ning, how did your clothes get torn?" Fang Ping couldn't help but ask, looking at the damage to Ning Xiu's abdomen.

Ning Xiu looked down and saw that it was the damage left when the scaled demon attacked his abdomen earlier.

Although he had the Golden Bell Shield, which protected his body from damage, his clothes were not so durable and suffered damage again.

This left Ning Xiu feeling very helpless. In less than half a month, he had already changed no less than five sets of clothes, which was more than the number of clothes he changed in a year when he stayed in the champion camp.

"It's nothing, just a minor scratch," Ning Xiu replied.

Upon Fang Ping's notification, the gatekeeper of the Lu residence quickly summoned the old steward of the Lu residence to receive Ning Xiu and his companion.

"Please come, gentlemen. My master has been unwell recently and may not be able to see you. If it is something that needs to be done at the yamen, you can let me know and I will pass on the message to my master."

Fang Ping said, "What kind of illness has been going on for half a month and still can't be cured?"

"Master has always been frail and sickly, alas," the old butler sighed.

Ning Xiu said, "Take me to see Magistrate Lu."

"This..." The old butler hesitated for a moment.

Fang Ping immediately shouted, "The county magistrate has instructed that this official's orders are valid. You should lead the way immediately."

"In that case, please, you two." Hearing Fang Ping say this, the old steward had no choice but to agree.

I believe that even if the master is angry, he won't blame me.

The three of them passed through many corridors and pavilions and soon approached the backyard. The place was eerily quiet, and Ning Xiu quietly used his Spirit Eye Observation Technique.

But everything seemed normal, with no trace of any evil spirit present.

Soon, the three of them arrived at the door of a side room.

【023】The Chaos in Wendeng County

"Master, a high-ranking official from the yamen has come to visit you," the old steward said to the door.

At first, there was no sound coming from inside the room, until everyone felt something was wrong, and then a hoarse voice suddenly rang out.

"I don't know which esteemed person has come, but I am ill and unable to get up to receive guests. I hope you will forgive me."

The old steward hurriedly said to Ning Xiu, "My lord, my master probably fell ill because he just arrived in Wendeng County from another place and is not used to the local climate. Please forgive him."

"Open the door and let me see just how ill Magistrate Lu is," Ning Xiu said calmly.

"This..." The old butler was stunned.

Generally speaking, when things have come to this point, shouldn't we take the opportunity to back down and say that since your master is seriously ill, we should let him rest and recover, and visit again another day?

Why does this person still want to come inside and take a look?

"Open the door," Ning Xiu commanded.

Upon receiving the order, Fang Ping, who was standing to the side, immediately pushed open the door, and Ning Xiu stepped inside.

Despite it being broad daylight, the room was strangely dim and eerily dark. Ning Xiu immediately spotted a figure sitting at the tea table.

The person stood there motionless, and no one knew what was going on.

The old butler, who followed Ning Xiu in, quickly lit the candles in the room. By the light of the candles, everyone was able to see the figure next to the tea table.

It was a pale-faced man.

"Young Master, you're here too," the old butler said.

This person was rather strange, so Ning Xiu used his Spiritual Eye Observation Technique to take a look at him and found that he was surrounded by evil energy.

Ning Xiu's eyes sharpened immediately; it seemed there was indeed something wrong with Magistrate Lu's residence.

"There's no water in the house, I'll go get some." Lu Chuan got up and walked towards the door.

Leaving him aside for the moment, Ning Xiu went straight to the bed and saw a haggard-looking man lying on it.

The quilt covered most of his body, leaving only his head exposed. This person was Lu Dengke.

“County Magistrate Lu, what illness do you have? You haven’t been able to go to the yamen for half a month. You shouldn’t delay in your health. Have you seen a doctor in the city?” Ning Xiu stopped by the bedside and asked, looking down at him.

"This gentleman looks unfamiliar. I didn't see him when I first went to the yamen. But I'm sorry to trouble you. I just caught a cold and need to rest. It's a minor illness."

The old steward hurriedly came over with a candlestick and chimed in, "Sir, my master was the same way when he was an official in other counties. He was weak and sickly. Please tell Magistrate Dong when you return to the yamen that my master did not intentionally avoid going to the yamen to take up his post."

"Yes, no problem, no problem." Ning Xiu smiled.

Suddenly, his expression changed abruptly, and he reached out and grabbed Lu Dengke's shoulder.

As Ning Xiu's right palm instantly turned crimson, Lu Dengke's face immediately showed a pained expression, and his entire appearance changed drastically.

"Roar!"

His skin began to wither at a visible rate, eventually turning him into a completely dried-up corpse.

While in pain, Lu Dengke opened his mouth wide enough to defy normalcy, his jaw almost dislocated.

It bit into Ning Xiu's arm.

"Be careful, sir!" Fang Ping shouted immediately upon seeing the sudden turn of events.

But it was too late; Lu Dengke's mouth had already bitten Ning Xiu's arm hard.

However, the next moment, he was dumbfounded by the situation. Ning Xiu's arm was as hard as an iron rod, which was outrageously hard.

He bit down on it but there was absolutely no reaction. He couldn't even bite through Ning Xiu's skin, let alone break the arm.

"Not pretending anymore?" Ning Xiu grabbed Lu Dengke by the neck and lifted him off the bed.

When Ning Xiu pulled Lu Dengke's body, which had been hidden under the covers from the neck down, out of the room and exposed it to everyone,

Fang Ping and the old butler were both dumbfounded, unable to believe what they had just seen.

Lu Dengke's torso below the neck had long since turned into a skeleton with some remaining bits of flesh.

A Japanese man, about a foot tall, with four limbs but no hands or feet, was curled up inside Lu Dengke's ribcage, his brain fused with Lu Dengke's heart.

What's truly chilling is that this Japanese man looked exactly like Lu Dengke, which is simply unbelievable.

"Master!" the old butler exclaimed, startled so much that he fell to the ground with a thud.

Fang Ping couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine, as he had never seen such a bizarre scene before.

Even though this guy's methods of concealing his evil aura were very sophisticated, Ning Xiu, who had advanced to the fifth level of the Spiritual Eye Observation Technique, could still detect traces of evil aura on him.

Looking at the creature that was neither human nor evil, squeezed into the ribcage of the skeleton, Ning Xiu asked, "Can it talk?"

"You're still alive? It seems Poison Luo has already fallen into your hands," the demon said hoarsely.

"So, you are the demon who uses puppets to go out and about."

I originally just thought Lu Dengke was quite suspicious, so I came to check on the situation. Even if it was a wasted trip, it wouldn't be a loss.

Unexpectedly, Lu Dengke was the big fish that Ning Xiu wanted to catch.

However, judging from the current situation, Lu Dengke was persecuted by a sorcerer and has already died.

But the demon in front of him was using his body to do something he didn't know.

If I hadn't discovered it myself, I'm afraid no one would have ever noticed it.

"Don't be too happy yet. Even if you capture us, Wendeng County won't return to peace. In the half month since Lu Dengke came here, I've been secretly doing quite a few things." The sorcerer chuckled.

Ning Xiu frowned; the demon's words gave him a very bad feeling.

Meanwhile, throughout Wendeng County.

A vegetable vendor carrying baskets walked through the streets and alleys, loudly hawking his cheap vegetables. Several women from a short distance away came over, wanting to buy from him.

Just then, the vegetable vendor's expression suddenly went blank. He then dropped his carrying pole, pulled a cleaver from his basket, and charged directly at the women, beginning to slaughter them.

In the private school, an old man who was reading suddenly stopped, stiffly walked to the door, and locked it.

Amidst the puzzled gazes of the students inside, the old man removed his belt and began a brutal and inhumane act of violence.

One by one, children were strangled to death by him, unable to struggle at all.

The former school has now become a desolate and lifeless place.

Whenever someone dies, a green shadow suddenly flies out from their body, heading towards the Lu residence from all directions.

Finally, it landed inside the Lu residence and disappeared without a trace.

Screams, wails, and cries of agony filled the entire Wendeng County in an instant.

The government office in Wendeng County was completely thrown into chaos shortly after the riot broke out.