Chapter 87

Deep night.

Chang Qing sat alone, not lying down to rest on the bed.

At his level, unless there was a significant expenditure of energy, going without sleep for a day or two wouldn't be a big issue.

Earlier, he had a conversation with Zhong Chi, gaining some understanding of the situation in Jincheng.

Most importantly,

it was the issue with the Eternal Alliance.

"It seems there's a chance I really need to visit the Wanhu Lou again," Chang Qing thought to himself.

He wasn't particularly interested in brothels.

Initially, if not for sensing the sinister aura on Qing'er, Chang Qing wouldn't have stepped into that place at all.

However,

once inside the Wanhu Lou, he only sensed the sinister aura on her and not on anyone else.

Now,

Chang Qing wasn't too surprised by this.

The sinister aura was subtle, and since the person possessed a sinister object, the aura wasn't very strong. There must have been other means of concealment.

After all,

he was very confident in his own perception.

Even the faintest sinister aura could be detected if not too far away.

Like during the day, if it could only be sensed up close, there must have been some concealment technique.

Chang Qing didn't mention this to Zhong Chi.

The presence or absence of other concealment techniques wasn't a major issue.

The Heavenly Inspector Guard had long known that the Wanhu Lou was suspicious and had been investigating it cautiously. The only problem now was how to uncover the evil behind the Wanhu Lou.

Then,

Chang Qing thought of Xu Yi and the others he had seen during the day.

"They probably won't act too quickly. They are still in the information-gathering stage. If they do act, it will likely take some time. I hope they don't rush it."

He blew out the oil lamp.

Chang Qing went to the bed, took off his shoes, sat cross-legged, and quietly began cultivating the Heavenly Martial Aura.

"Miss, it's already late. Why don't we go back and rest?"

In a large courtyard, a pretty maid, who looked to be only fifteen or sixteen years old, looked around the dark scene and couldn't help but show some fear on her face.

In front of her was a slightly older, beautiful woman.

The woman held a Qing Shuang long sword, dressed in white martial attire, exuding a capable air not typical of ordinary women.

"If you're afraid, you can go back first!" Zhou Qin's voice was cold, her beautiful eyes filled with a fierce gaze, always alert to the surroundings.

"When did the Zhou family become so weak that we would abandon our ancestral home out of fear of an evil spirit? Now we are seeking help everywhere, losing all our dignity. Today, I will see what kind of evil spirit dares to oppose the Zhou family."

She was the eldest daughter of the Zhou family, with good martial talent, and had left home early to join a martial arts sect.

Usually,

she only returned home during holidays.

This time, the Zhou family encountered an evil spirit, and many people died. The old patriarch of the Zhou family, besides inviting martial artists from the martial world, also sent a message to the Zhou family's eldest daughter.

Upon receiving the message,

Zhou Qin rode day and night, directly returning to Jincheng.

As soon as she returned to Jincheng, she led people to directly enter the abandoned Zhou family ancestral home.

The maid, scolded, dared not speak.

Zhou Qin said sternly, "Pay attention to the surroundings. If anything is wrong, tell me immediately."

"Yes," the maid replied softly.

Seeing this,

Zhou Qin didn't say anything more. Her long sword remained unsheathed, pointing diagonally at the ground, as she slowly moved forward.

The Zhou family was a well-known large clan in Jincheng, and the ancestral home was quite large.

The back garden had artificial hills and flowing water, with pavilions and terraces standing tall. Under the night sky, many dark shadows were cast.

"According to others, all the bodies were found in the back garden."

"That means,"

"the evil spirit is likely in the back garden."

Zhou Qin recalled the information in her mind, her true qi rising from her dantian, her senses heightened, always alert to the surroundings.

Any evil spirit

was no weaker than a Pulse-Through realm martial artist.

However,

she was considered outstanding in her sect, having reached the Pulse-Through realm a year ago with self-generated true qi.

Dealing with an evil spirit of the same realm, Zhou Qin was not afraid.

"Miss, there's a white figure,"

the maid suddenly screamed.

"Where?"

Zhou Qin turned her head, seeing the maid's pale face.

Hearing this,

the maid was terrified, her finger trembling as she pointed to the left: "Just now, I, I think I saw a white figure flash by."

Zhou Qin followed the direction the maid pointed to, where there was a tall artificial hill.

Without hesitation,

she leaped directly toward the hill.

Arriving behind the hill, her gaze swept the surroundings but found nothing unusual.

At that moment,

a piercing scream echoed.

"Trouble!"

Zhou Qin's face changed, and she immediately left the hill, returning to her original position.

The maid, who had been standing there, was now nowhere to be seen.

In the moonlight, a clear trail of blood could be seen.

"Damn it!" Seeing the blood, Zhou Qin's face turned dark.

She didn't need to think to know what had happened to the maid.

Entering the ancestral home,

she didn't find the evil spirit but lost a person.

To say she wasn't angry would be impossible.

However,

besides anger, Zhou Qin was also slightly surprised. The hill was not far from here, only two or three zhang away. When the maid disappeared, she had no prior perception.

This showed that the evil spirit's methods were quite unpredictable.

At that moment,

a gust of wind came from behind, a bone-chilling cold surging.

The cold made Zhou Qin feel as if her blood had frozen.

True qi exploded.

A terrifying cold light burst from her long sword. She stepped back and then turned to slash, colliding with a green, withered hand.

Bang!!

The green, withered hand directly gripped the sword, and no matter how sharp the sword was, it couldn't harm it.

When the hand gripped the sword, a terrifying cold surged.

A layer of frost quietly formed on the white sword.

Seeing the frost spreading to the hilt, Zhou Qin was startled and had to let go and retreat.

Only then

could she clearly see what was in front of her.

A small, emaciated old woman with a pointed mouth and greenish face, her green eyes terrifying.

The sword, now completely covered in frost, shattered like pottery when it hit the ground.

The evil spirit instantly disappeared from its original position.

Zhou Qin, too shocked to react, felt a gust of wind from behind, the same bone-chilling sensation making her dare not confront the enemy again.

Her toes lightly touched the ground,

and her body floated away like a feather.

Pulling away, Zhou Qin was about to breathe a sigh of relief when she suddenly felt her vision change, and a terrifying face appeared in front of her.

At that moment,

Zhou Qin was struck as if by lightning.

Without thinking, all her true qi exploded, and she struck with a palm.

Boom

Her jade hand, condensed with true qi, struck the evil spirit.

The evil spirit slightly retreated, and its green, withered hand struck like lightning. Zhou Qin couldn't react in time, and the attack hit her.

Bang!!

The powerful strike sent a bone-chilling cold through her, and she was thrown back.

Just before landing,

Zhou Qin twisted her body, her toes touching the ground, and she left the Zhou family ancestral home.

The entire process

happened in an instant.

Leaving the ancestral home, Zhou Qin didn't dare to stop, heading directly to where the Zhou family was now staying.

The next day,

Chang Qing got up early. Soon after, a waiter brought water for washing, but under the basin, he found a piece of paper.

No need to say, this was information from the Heavenly Inspector Guard.

Unfolding the paper,

Chang Qing read the content, slightly surprised.

"I didn't expect the Zhou family to have such foresight. It's not without reason that they have grown to this size."

The paper contained information about Zhou Qin and the martial arts sect she joined.

Yi Jian Men!

A relatively famous martial arts force in the Dahuang Prefecture.

The strongest in Yi Jian Men was a Master-level expert. Any sect with a Master as a guardian was considered a major sect.

"A sect with a Master has a high status wherever it is. The Zhou family, with foresight, sent talented clan members to join Yi Jian Men, which is a wise move."

Chang Qing was quite impressed.

In such a world, relying solely on wealth is not enough to stand firm. Strength is equally important.

The Zhou family had wealth.

Now, with someone joining Yi Jian Men, they also had strength.

With both wealth and strength, such a family could thrive.

After looking at the information about Yi Jian Men, Chang Qing focused on the information about Zhou Qin.

Zhou Qin, the eldest daughter of the Zhou family, was sent to Yi Jian Men at the age of fourteen, broke through to the Pulse-Through realm at seventeen, and was hailed as the most outstanding genius disciple in Yi Jian Men in the past ten years, with a future chance to break through to the Innate realm.

Now eighteen, she is suspected to be a mid-Pulse-Through realm martial artist. She returned to Jincheng yesterday and entered the Zhou family ancestral home at night, where she fought the evil spirit and was defeated, sustaining serious injuries.

"Zhou Qin,"

Looking at the information, Chang Qing's eyes flickered.

Joining Yi Jian Men at fourteen and breaking through to the Pulse-Through realm at seventeen, she was indeed a genius.

Don't be fooled by the fact that most people in the Demon Suppression Bureau who become official demon hunters usually break through to the Pulse-Through realm within a year or less.

In reality,

each person who joins the Demon Suppression Bureau and becomes an apprentice demon hunter has strong martial talent.