Start slaying demons from the proficiency panel.

"Sir, you don't need to be so polite."

"Actually, I've recently encountered some tricky matters. I should have gone to Lord Meng for help, but he's currently in Yunxia Mountain and I don't know when he'll return. Since you gentlemen are Demon-Subduing Officers, could you perhaps help me see if you can handle this?" Ye Hang suddenly changed the subject and made a request.

This turn of events was completely unexpected by Ning Xiu and the others. How could a mere prefect of Nanjiang City seek help from a few Iron Horse Demon-Subduing Officers?

Isn't there a fourth-rank physician named Fumo Wei living in Fumo Yayuan?

Seeing the puzzled expressions on Ning Xiu's and the others' faces, Ye Hang explained, "Doctor Hua Zhen's abilities are not suitable for combat, and the matter I encountered this time is related to evil spirits, so you all understand."

Ning Xiu was naturally happiest whenever it involved evil spirits. Others would get nothing for killing evil spirits, but he could gain general proficiency.

He immediately said, "Lord Ye, you can tell me what happened to you. If possible, I will help you deal with it."

Compared to the Iron Horse Demon-Subduing Captain, the Bronze Leopard Demon-Subduing Captain has more freedom in his actions.

Especially since Ning Xiu hasn't had time to upgrade his rank yet, nor has he created his own Bronze Leopard Squad, it doesn't matter how long he stays outside.

In contrast, Ren Qianxing and his two companions each had their own Bronze Leopard Squads, making it inconvenient for them to be away for too long, lest their squad leaders be short-handed when assigning tasks.

Therefore, these three must leave Nanjiang City and return to Chaotiandu in Jingzhou before tomorrow.

The incidents involving evil spirits that Ye Hang encountered could only be handled by Ning Xiu.

"Alright, please follow me." Led by Ye Hang, the group quickly arrived at his study.

This place is also where Ye Hang usually works.

"Please take a look, gentlemen. These are urgent letters recently sent from various counties and towns in Yunze Prefecture. All the information in them points to evil spirits causing trouble." Ye Hang handed the letters on the table to Ning Xiu.

There were seventeen letters in total. Ning Xiu read through them one by one, his expression gradually becoming serious.

In Huanggang Village, 108 villagers were skinned alive and placed on their beds in various bizarre positions, with so much blood that it soaked the bedding.

In Dongbang Village, seventy-two boys and girls disappeared. A few days later, they were found in the desolate mountains behind the village. The bodies of more than one hundred children were buried in the soil, with only their heads, which had suffocated to the point of swelling, exposed on the ground. The sight even made many villagers faint on the spot.

In Yaogu Village, all 365 villagers dressed in white and hanged themselves overnight.

In Dayan County, more than ten woodcutters who went out to chop firewood went missing for a day. When they were found, their bodies were covered in dried blood, as if they had been forcibly drained by something.

...

All of it together is truly shocking.

“Yunze Prefecture is already the closest place to Jingzhou, and such things still happen from time to time. It’s hard to imagine what kind of chaos those places far from Jingzhou must be in,” Ning Xiu sighed.

"Actually, the situation in Yunze Prefecture has always been quite good. It hasn't seen such a serious problem for many years. I just don't know why this suddenly happened recently. It's really puzzling to me." Ye Hang shook his head helplessly.

“Alright, then I’ll investigate this matter for you, sir.” Ning Xiu handed the secret letter back.

He had already memorized all the place names mentioned in the letter, so there was no need for him to carry the letter with him.

"Then I'll trouble you. If the matter is resolved, I will definitely send a letter to the Demon Extermination Bureau to register your merit."

If the Demon-Subduing Officer is available when he is away, he can temporarily help local officials solve problems caused by evil spirits. If the Demon-Subduing Officer successfully solves the problem, the official must write a letter to the Demon-Subduing Division of Chaotiandu to register the Demon-Subduing Officer's merit. Only then will there be extra silver and merit points when the monthly settlement is made.

Without exchanging many pleasantries with Ye Hang, Ning Xiu and his group left the yamen.

Their mission to deliver Dong Changgui, Yao Shouchong, and others to the yamen for handling by officials has been accomplished. The rest of the matter concerning the Qinglong Society is entirely up to Ye Hang.

As soon as they stepped out of the yamen, Ren Qianxing couldn't help but ask, "Brother Ning, are those evil spirit incidents that Lord Ye entrusted to you very dangerous? Although we have already arranged to leave for Chaotiandu tomorrow and return to the office to report, if you need help, we can stay and lend you a hand."

Xia Yunsi lightly tapped Ren Qianxing on the head: "Idiot, Ning Xiu is a fifth-grade martial artist. If he really needs help, what chance do you think we'll have?"

The monk Zhengwu clasped his hands together and nodded in deep agreement: "Amitabha, indeed."

Ning Xiu smiled and said, "I originally planned to return to the company with everyone, but now that I've taken on this mission, I can only stay in Yunze Prefecture for a while longer."

“Brother Ning, you’re fine. Before the Copper Leopard Demon-Subduing Captain established his own squad, he was quite idle,” Ren Qianxing said.

"Then we'll set off on our own tomorrow. Ning Xiu, although you're a fifth-rank martial artist, you still need to be careful and cautious when traveling alone in Yunze Prefecture. Don't slip and fall into a shallow ditch," Xia Yunsi advised.

Both of them came from the champion camp, a few years ahead of Ning Xiu. If we talk about age and not strength, Ning Xiu should actually address them as senior brothers and sisters.

After spending several days together on this trip, Ning Xiu had a good understanding of the personalities and temperaments of the three people.

Ren Qianxing appears mature and composed, but his personality is actually the opposite.

Zhengwu is a man of few words, but he is warm-hearted and kind at heart.

Xia Yunsi appears aloof, but once you get to know her, she becomes like an older sister, caring for people deeply. In Ren Qianxing's words, she's like a "mother hen."

After He Yunlang's accident, these three became Ning Xiu's best friends in the Demon Subduing Division.

"I will, everyone, don't worry," Ning Xiu replied patiently.

In fact, as long as the Demon Buddha Ning Xiu is there, Ning Xiu is absolutely safe within the Great Shang territory. His strength as a first-grade Buddhist and Taoist is no joke.

So after parting ways with Ren Qianxing and the other two, Ning Xiu prepared to first go and find the wandering Demon Buddha Ning Xiu.

With him by my side, I really don't have to worry about anything anymore.

The next day.

Because they were in a hurry to return to their office, Ren Qianxing and the other two said goodbye to Ning Xiu early in the morning and left. After washing up, Ning Xiu also took his things, rode the Iron-Eating Beast and left Nanjiang City.

According to Doctor Huazhen, Master Chanhui needs to stay in Nanjiang City to recuperate for a period of time and is currently unable to return to Dalingyin Temple, so Ningxiu no longer needs to worry about him.

A few miles after leaving Nanjiang City, Ning Xiu stretched out his left arm and began to search for the whereabouts of the Demon Buddha Ning Xiu.

As Master Chan Hui said, the evil thoughts remaining in Ning Xiu's body are the best tool to find the demonic Buddha Ning Xiu.

When he rolled up his sleeve, he saw evil thoughts suddenly emerge from within Ning Xiu's left arm.

At the same time, they transformed into countless tentacles, all pointing in the same direction, which was the place where the Demon Buddha Ning Xiu was located.

Ning Xiu patted the Iron-Eating Beast's ear, immediately signaling it to walk towards the forest in that direction.

……

Deep in the mountains and forests, towering trees reach for the sky.

The Demon Buddha Ning Xiu sat cross-legged on the black lotus platform, and the ground around him was covered with all kinds of birds and beasts.

Interestingly, despite the large number of different kinds of animals gathered here, there was no fighting or killing. Instead, they lived together in harmony, forming several circles around the Demon Buddha Ningxiu.

If any common people witnessed such a strange scene, wouldn't they all kneel down and worship the living Buddha?

However, Demon Buddha Ningxiu seemed oblivious to all of this around him. At the tip of his finger, a white butterfly with fluttering wings was perched.

His gaze was fixed entirely on the white butterfly.

A short while later, a rustling sound came from the bushes in the distance, and then a huge figure emerged from them.

It was Ning Xiu and the iron-eating beast beneath him.

Hearing the noise, Demon Buddha Ning Xiu merely glanced at him expressionlessly without saying a word.

"It's a good thing you didn't run far, otherwise it would have taken me a lot of effort to find you," Ning Xiu said, brushing the leaves off his clothes.

"Let's go. I'll be carrying out some missions in Yunze Prefecture soon. You'll come with me, and I'll give you some free time after I finish the missions."

Ning Xiu waved his hand, and the black lotus platform beneath the Demon Buddha Ning Xiu immediately moved and flew towards Ning Xiu.

"I want to raise it." As the black lotus platform approached Ning Xiu, the Demon Buddha Ning Xiu suddenly spoke up, a rare occurrence for him.

The "it" he was referring to was the white butterfly on his fingertip.

Ning Xiu was slightly taken aback, but quickly recovered and said indifferently, "Sure, whatever you like."

A hint of joy flashed across Demon Buddha Ning Xiu's face, but it quickly vanished.

Having found his top-notch henchman, Ning Xiu didn't linger and immediately left with the Demon Buddha Ning Xiu.

The secret letters that Ye Hang showed to Ning Xiu all mentioned villages and towns located about 800 to 900 miles away from Nanjiang City.

If you draw a circle on a map of Yunze Prefecture, you will find that all the locations of these incidents are within this circular area.

Therefore, it is clear that this evil spirit causing trouble and harm must be hiding in this area. As long as it has not left, Ning Xiu has a chance to find it.

……

As rumors of people being harmed by evil spirits began to circulate in the surrounding villages, the villagers of Changqing Village became increasingly fearful, since ordinary people had no chance of fighting against evil spirits.

So the villagers pooled their money and invited two Taoist priests from Changqing Taoist Temple, which was ten miles away, to temporarily reside in Changqing Village and protect the villagers from evil spirits during this period.

night.

"Pei Feng, with the peach wood sword in your hand and the talisman on your body, no evil spirits can get close to you. This is the copper coin sword passed down by my master, and I entrust it to you for self-defense. If any evil spirits dare to cause trouble in Changqing Village, we, master and disciple, will join forces and make sure they never return."

In a room specially vacated by the villagers of Changqing Village, an old Taoist priest held a pink peach wood sword and smiled.

The other young Taoist priest sitting in front of him nodded earnestly and replied, "Thank you, Master. Pei Feng understands."

Chen Peifeng was an abandoned baby that Master Kongxu picked up from the mountains. He learned the art of immortality from Master Kongxu from a young age.

Now fifteen years old, Chen Peifeng has already reached the seventh rank of the Immortal Path. According to Daoist Kongxu, he is a natural talent suited to learning the Immortal Path.

As long as Chen Peifeng grows up, he will surely become a major pillar of the human race's immortal path in the future.

As for Master Kongxu, who taught Chen Peifeng cultivation, he was over sixty years old, but his strength was only at the eighth rank of the Immortal Path, which shows how poor his foundation was.

Over the years, the two have traveled around slaying demons and monsters for the people to earn money, relying entirely on various magical treasures left behind by their ancestor.

This time is no exception.

Yunze Prefecture is very close to Jing Prefecture, and it is within the range that the Demon Subduing Division's influence can still reach. Therefore, Yunze Prefecture has been quite safe for many years. Even if evil spirits appear, they are just some weak and insignificant demons and ghosts.

Relying on the power of the immortal treasures, the master and disciple never failed when invited to eliminate various evil spirits in Yunze Prefecture.

Therefore, I believe that with the two of them working together, they will surely succeed.

Whoohoo!

Time passed slowly, and the hour of Chou (1-3 AM) had arrived.

A sudden gust of cold wind swept through Changqing Village, causing the windows and doors of every household to shake violently, and dogs to bark and roosters to crow incessantly.

Chen Peifeng suddenly opened his eyes and looked at the door with a wary expression.

Something's coming!

"Master," Chen Peifeng immediately stood up, picked up the copper coin sword, and said in a low voice.

The snoring Taoist priest suddenly shivered, grabbed the peach wood sword lying across his lap, and shouted, "What kind of demon are you!"

"Master, don't make such a fuss, there's something going on outside." Chen Peifeng pointed outside and then went over to open the door to check.

But the moment he opened the door, a huge gust of cold wind swept in, causing him to stumble.