Start slaying demons from the proficiency panel.

With him handling the tasks, Ning Xiu felt reassured. He then led the Overlord back to the official road and continued their journey on the Iron-Eating Beast.

……

Bai Sha Zhou has many mines, and gold panners often come here downstream in the river, trying to pan for gold in the sand to make a living. This has attracted many displaced people to this place.

Besides its abundant mineral resources, Baisha Prefecture also boasts many incredible opportunities for overnight riches. For example, someone once caught a rare fish weighing over 100 kilograms in a tributary of the Yellow River, which was then bought by a wealthy businessman for a large sum of money.

Or someone might lease land here and dig a field, unearthing valuable antiques. Such things happen all the time, almost every six months, but the circumstances vary.

Compared to other states in the Great Shang Dynasty, Baisha State is more like a synonym for "getting rich quick" and "serendipity," so many people who can't make a living come here to try their luck.

Jinbian City was the first major city encountered by outsiders entering Baisha Prefecture. Those who wanted to reach the prefectural capital of Baisha Prefecture had to pass through this city, which allowed Jinbian City, which was just a small county town in the early years, to develop into the scale it is today.

In order not to reveal his identity, Ning Xiu did not wear the special Xuan Silver Chainmail exclusive to the Bronze Leopard Demon Subduing Captain, and in addition, his Concealment Technique had been greatly improved in the previous round.

Nowadays, when he goes out, it's almost impossible for anyone to recognize his identity.

"In Jinbian City, Baisha Prefecture, it is said that dozens of people have gone missing in succession. The fate of the missing is unknown, and the specific circumstances are unknown. An investigation is needed." Ning Xiu sat on the back of the Iron-Eating Beast, looking down at the passers-by on both sides of the road, thinking to himself about the contents recorded in the dossier.

Because of the possibility of getting rich quick by taking a chance in Bai Sha State, the number of foreign residents in the state exceeds that of local residents.

Given the particularly chaotic local situation, it is quite normal for people to go missing from time to time, which is not unusual in the history of Pasir Ris.

However, what happened in Jinbian City this time is truly special and has reached a level that cannot be ignored.

That is, among the dozens of missing people, not all of them were ordinary migrants from the lower class. Most of them were locals of Jinbian City. The disappearance of a family member, and the inability to even find the body, naturally caused a great stir.

After sending people to search for them, the Jinbian City government found nothing. In the end, they had no choice but to report the matter to the Demon Subduing Division.

Historically, when people go missing, the underlying cause is usually evil spirits or demons. Upon learning of this matter, Tianmu Tower immediately opened a case and handed it over to the Bronze Leopard Squad within the department.

Finally, due to an accident involving the previous team, all the files ended up in Ning Xiu's hands.

Iron-eating beasts are not rare animals, but many locals are seeing one as huge as the one under Ning Xiu's command for the first time.

Therefore, as soon as Ning Xiu entered the city, he immediately attracted a lot of attention.

Ning Xiu was already used to this. He directly drove the Iron-Eating Beast to the Jinbian City government office, intending to exchange information with the local city garrison and learn about the latest developments in the case regarding the disappearance.

"My lord, there is a Copper Leopard Demon-Subduing Captain outside who wants to see you."

Qi Dong, the city garrison commander of Jinbian City, was practicing martial arts in the backyard of the yamen when a yamen runner rushed over and shouted loudly.

Upon hearing this, Qi Dong stopped practicing his martial arts and hurriedly said, "Quickly, quickly invite this gentleman in."

The Demon Subduing Division has four levels. The Iron Horse Demon Subduing Captain is roughly equivalent to the county magistrate level, not to mention the Bronze Leopard level.

Outside of the Demon Subduing Bureau, you'd be considered very lucky to even see a Bronze Leopard Demon Subduing Officer, because beings at the Silver Tiger or even Golden Dragon levels simply wouldn't show up in other places unless there was a reason.

Soon, Ning Xiu and Ba Wang followed a yamen runner into the backyard. Upon seeing Qi Dong, the runner immediately ran up and bowed, saying, "Qi Dong, the city garrison commander of Jinbian City, greets Your Excellency."

As usual, Ning Xiu subtly used his Qi Observation and Qi Recognition Technique to examine the person upon first meeting him, thus eliminating any suspicions.

Qi Dong's good lines, evil lines, and luck lines were all at the level of a normal person, and there was nothing to doubt. Ning Xiu nodded and replied, "Greetings, Lord Qi. I won't talk about anything else. Tell me about the current situation in Jinbian City."

"Yes, sir, this way please."

Following Qi Dong to the office, he took out the files and began to recount that after the incident of someone going missing was reported to the Demon Subduing Division, embarrassing incidents continued to occur in Jinbian City.

And what's really strange is that no matter how many people are sent out to search, they can never find any trace of the missing person or even their body.

Now they can't even be sure whether the missing person is dead or alive, which has caused quite a bit of panic in Jinbian City. Many people are worried that they will be the next to go missing.

"How often have evil spirits or demons appeared in Jinbian City in the past?" Ning Xiu asked.

"Evil spirits have appeared a few times, but demons have not. Baisha Prefecture is within the territory of the Great Shang Dynasty, so the situation regarding demons is still very significant."

Ning Xiu thought that Baisha Prefecture and Donghai Prefecture were connected, and the Yellow River ran through the two prefectures. One could travel by boat from one side to the other side of Donghai Prefecture. Considering that Donghai Prefecture had always been plagued by fish demons, Ning Xiu asked, "Have you investigated all the waterfront areas near Jinbian City? Could it be that the fish demons are going upstream along the Yellow River to come to Baisha Prefecture and cause trouble?"

Qi Dong shook his head: "Jinbian City is quite far from Huangjiang. Any place near a water source is shallow water, which is not an environment that fish demons would like to go to. Moreover, we have not found any trace of fish demons around Jinbian City, so we can rule out this possibility."

"I see." Ning Xiu crossed his arms and pondered.

There are only a few reasons why people go missing.

Being captured, eaten, buried underground, or imprisoned—most of the reasons are attributed to evil spirits and demons. But while you know the reasons, finding the root of the problem is the most challenging aspect.

On his way to the yamen, Ning Xiu had already observed the situation in Jinbian City. There was no demonic aura present; it was just an ordinary city.

Therefore, it will take quite a while to find out the reason for the disappearance of people in Jinbian City.

In contrast to Ning Xiu's deep contemplation, Qi Dong was beaming with joy. This time, it wasn't the Iron Horse Demon-Subduing Captain who came, but a Bronze Leopard Demon-Subduing Captain, which showed how much the Demon-Subduing Division valued Jinbian City.

With the Copper Leopard Demon-Subduing Commander personally taking charge, the matter should be resolved soon.

"How about this, I'll wander around Jinbian City first and see if I can find any useful clues. Give me the information on the missing persons, and I'll see if there's any hidden pattern," Ning Xiu said.

"My lord, I have already prepared what you requested." Qi Dong turned around, took a stack of papers from the shelf, and handed them to Ning Xiu.

"Thank you," Ning Xiu said, taking the paper.

Despite the disappearance, Jinbian City, as a famous city in Baisha Prefecture, is still crowded with people, preserving the dreams of countless gold prospectors who hope to get rich overnight.

Ning Xiu temporarily left the Iron-Eating Beast at the Jinbian City government office, while he and the Overlord wandered around the streets of Jinbian City alone.

"Most of the missing people live in the eastern part of Jinbian City, which is a noteworthy detail," Ning Xiu thought to himself as he looked at the information Qi Dong had given him.

[082] Join the mine

In the eastern part of Jinbian City, there is an iron ore mountain range that has produced countless iron ore in recent years, with clear profits, which has attracted many merchants to enter the market.

This has made the mining industry in the eastern part of Jinbian City exceptionally lively, with as many as four or five mines belonging to different managers appearing on a single mountain at the same time.

This leads to a huge demand for miners, and sometimes even with generous monthly salaries, mine owners are still unable to recruit enough workers.

After all, there are only a few professional mining farms. Most of the wealthy people who enter the market are from other industries looking to make a quick buck. The protection measures for miners are completely inadequate, and the mining farms are utterly unsafe.

Every now and then, there are incidents of mine collapses causing injuries and deaths, but for Jinbian City, which relies on mining for its livelihood, these things have become commonplace, and the people are used to them.

Since most of the missing people lived in the east, Ning Xiu followed this clue to investigate and see if he could find any clues.

Compared to the central urban area of ​​Kam Penh, the eastern urban area is much older in terms of both buildings and facilities. There are alleys and intersections everywhere, and the second floors of the buildings along the street are equipped with a large number of bamboo poles for drying clothes, making the terrain look extremely complicated.

In such a place, if you encounter some evil spirit or demon who intends to harm an ordinary person, the person really has no ability to resist.

"Daqingshan Mine is hiring. The monthly salary is fifty copper coins, with food and accommodation provided. At the end of the month, you will receive a free day of digging. Whatever you dig up is yours."

"Tianying Mine is hiring. One string of copper coins per month, meat with every meal. Only sixty people will be accepted. Come quickly."

Not long after entering the urban area, Ning Xiu could hear shouts coming from afar. People with wooden signs hanging on their bodies were running around in the alleys and streets, advertising that the mine was recruiting workers.

Some mines offer generous funding, and people will rush up to inquire about them after hearing about it. If it's suitable, they can move in and start work on the same day.

While Ning Xiu was still looking around, a thin-faced man with narrow eyes quietly ran up to him and asked, "Gentlemen, are you interested in mining? Our Blue River Gold Mine is currently recruiting. As long as you join, you will have two days of free mining time every month. No matter how much gold you mine, it will all belong to you. This is a great opportunity if you want to earn more silver."

The puppets made by Nie Ying were so realistic that this guy couldn't tell them apart at all. He thought there were two people on Ning Xiu's side, so he planned to invite them to go mining.

This also shows just how desperately this mining area is for manpower; it's gotten to the point where we have to actively reach out and invite people.

“What’s the point of making money? People keep going missing in Jinbian City these days, and they can’t even find the bodies. It’s so dangerous, why be a miner? I’m here to see a friend and then I plan to leave Jinbian City,” Ning Xiu said, shaking his head.

"Brother, you're worried about this? Hey, it's no big deal. In this day and age, do you think you won't encounter strange things if you go to live elsewhere? Of course you will. Let me tell you, come to our mine. My boss recently found a few powerful Taoist priests to oversee it. Mining at my mine is absolutely safe. You can rest assured."

Ning Xiu waved his hand and said, "Never mind, I don't have that intention at the moment."

"No problem, young man. If you're interested, just come find me at the Blue River Gold Mine. The pay is excellent." After saying this, the man hurriedly ran off to meet another young man not far away.

"The situation in the East District is so complicated, with a huge flow of people. It's quite difficult to find information related to the missing persons. If we don't stay here and observe for a while, it seems we won't get much out of it," Ning Xiu thought to himself.

The families of the missing persons had already been questioned by the authorities several times, and all the necessary questions had been asked. It would be difficult for Ning Xiu to obtain any valuable information by asking them again now.

The disappearances have not completely stopped; they still happen every few days. To figure out the problem behind this, we need to adopt a new identity, hide ourselves, and observe secretly.

Ning Xiu was absolutely unwilling to disguise himself as a miner and go mining. This job was not only tiring but also left him with no free time. There was simply not enough time for him to conduct investigations in secret.

Just then, a tall wooden wall placed outside a shop at the intersection of the streets ahead caught Ning Xiu's attention.

The high wall was covered with all sorts of notices, all from various mining farms recruiting for all kinds of positions, from the lowest-level miners to skilled supervisors, and even hiring powerful individuals to oversee operations.

This gave Ning Xiu a bright idea; hiring a powerful expert to oversee the mine was a perfect fit for him!

The potential profits and risks behind a mining operation are enormous. You might encounter skilled individuals sent by other forces to cause trouble, or you might encounter evil spirits.

To prevent such incidents from happening, mine owners spend a lot of money to hire powerful individuals to oversee their mines, thereby ensuring the safety and stability of the mines.

In a place like Jinbian City, having a fifth or sixth-rank expert to oversee things is already considered a very luxurious setup. Experts of the fourth rank or above are either seeking a breakthrough or serving as retainers in powerful forces; they would never risk their lives in a place like a mine.

Ning Xiu immediately walked to the wooden wall and examined it carefully. At this time, there were already quite a few people standing in front of the wooden wall to watch, all intending to choose a job that was more suitable for them.

"A foreman of the ninth rank or above earns a monthly salary of two taels of silver, which is really good. Foremen don't have to work as hard as miners. They just need to stand in the mine and supervise every day. I really envy them."

"That's nothing. Look at this. Tianquan Mine is hiring a deputy mine owner. The requirement is a mid-level third-rank official. The salary is one hundred taels of silver per month. He doesn't have to do anything. He just needs to step in when the mine needs him. That's what I call awesome."

"Alas, it's a pity I don't have that talent. I've been practicing martial arts for ten years and I still don't have any internal energy. I'll just be an ordinary person for the rest of my life."

While these people were discussing, someone noticed Ba Wang following behind Ning Xiu. There was no way around it; Ba Wang's body was simply too imposing, and no one could possibly ignore him in a crowd.

"Wow, this guy is strong. He would be perfect as a miner. He can do the work of two people and would be paid double."

"He is indeed strong. I wonder if he is a ninth-rank official. Otherwise, his physique would be excellent for a foreman."

Amidst the envious glances of these people, Ning Xiu focused intently on searching for a suitable position on the wooden wall, and finally found one that was not bad.

The Daqingshan Mine is hiring a chief foreman at a high price. The foreman must be of medium-grade strength, with a monthly salary of one hundred taels of silver. He will be in charge of all foremen and will be responsible for protecting the Daqingshan Mine when necessary. He will be rewarded with fifty taels of silver for each act of protection.

Ning Xiu chose this position not for the money. With his fourth-rank martial arts strength, making money is not difficult for him nowadays. As long as Ning Xiu makes his word, many rich people will be willing to pay high prices to hire him as a retainer.

The reason for choosing Daqingshan Mine was that the employment contract strongly stated that the chief engineer would have a very free daily life and would not need to worry about anything, which was exactly what Ning Xiu needed.

When he reached out and tore off the job offer from the Daqingshan Mine, everyone around him looked at him with astonishment, their expressions varied but all filled with disbelief.

It's as if it's silently saying: How dare this person do that?

Those with the strength of the middle-third rank are all in their forties or fifties, with appearances of being over fifty. Even those with exceptional talent are around thirty years old.

Ning Xiu looks to be only in his teens, not even twenty yet, and he dares to take on a contract of this caliber?

"Kid, you can't just take any job here. You have to work according to your skill level. There have been plenty of cases where people have had their legs broken because of greed." Someone couldn't help but remind Ning Xiu.

"I understand." Ning Xiu nodded and calmly left with Ba Wang.

Looking at his back, the group of people simply couldn't believe that Ning Xiu, at his age, would have the strength of a mid-level three-grade cultivator. They assumed that Ning Xiu had simply covered up for someone else.

After asking for directions, Ning Xiu quickly found the location of the Daqingshan Mine. Although it was called Daqingshan, the entire mountain had become barren due to years of mining, with no trace of greenery to be seen.