Chapter 3

"Immortal Sir, we humbly request your assistance in capturing the evil spirit. The people of Wanshan County and I are deeply grateful."

In Su Fu's spiritual awareness, two cultivators suddenly entered, one at the Reversion stage and the other at the Spirit Sensing stage.

Downstairs, the diners were as silent as cicadas in winter. After a thorough search, perhaps not finding their target, one of the Immortal Masters began to ascend to the second floor.

‘Thump, thump, thump’

This sound echoed throughout the entire tavern, making it particularly grating. The diners on the second floor all looked toward the staircase.

A man in his thirties came into view, his expression cold, looking down on everyone with a sense of superiority. In Su Fu's spiritual awareness, this man was at the Reversion stage, where one forms a vortex of spiritual energy, symbolizing an endless cycle, and can circulate it through the body to purify impurities. He could also use low-level talismans to combat enemies, marking a significant step in cultivation.

His movements were quiet, indicating that most impurities had been removed, and his body functions were well-controlled.

Su Fu and his two companions continued to eat and drink as usual. The man's eyes, filled with shadows, swept over them. Upon seeing the three, he could not help but feel a chill. The person in the corner at the Spirit Sensing stage was not a concern, but the man and woman opposite had deep and unfathomable auras, clearly surpassing his own cultivation.

Aware of the gap in cultivation, his expression softened, and he hurried forward, bowing respectfully. "I did not expect to encounter a senior here. I am Meng You, a D-grade contributor to the Great Law Secretariat, tasked with capturing the evil spirit. I apologize for any disturbance."

Even the approximate cultivation level of the other party could not be detected, indicating a significant gap in cultivation. In the world of cultivation, those who have achieved a higher level are always respected as seniors.

The people in the private rooms on the second floor now realized that Ji Sui Feng was a reclusive master, and surprisingly young. Those who could afford to dine on the second floor were usually managers or proprietors of merchant houses, and they began to entertain thoughts of possibly recruiting him.

Ji Sui Feng understood the difficulties of independent cultivators and did not make things difficult for him. He said coolly, "Go about your business; don't worry about us."

"Upon entering the city, I heard you talking about an evil spirit. What exactly happened?" Su Fu's eyes flashed with interest.

Meng You's brows furrowed slightly. He thought to himself, how could this person, who doesn't even have a degree, be associated with a senior? Nevertheless, he said, "Recently, a spirit-possessed demon has been causing chaos in the city. This evil spirit only acts after midnight and targets young maidens. Although the victims were not physically harmed, their yin essence was taken, and they deny it, perhaps due to some evil spell."

At this moment, another Immortal Master, a middle-aged man in his forties, heard the conversation upstairs and hurried up. In Su Fu's spiritual awareness, he was at the peak of the Spirit Sensing stage, capable of drawing yin energy into his body to form a yin spirit.

The most distinctive feature of the Spirit Sensing stage is the ability to understand the properties of materials, allowing one to harness spiritual energy to draw restrictions and refine magical artifacts. This middle-aged man had a somber expression, and a pendant around his neck emitted a faint light, clearly a magical artifact, though the material was rough and the craftsmanship poor.

Seeing Ji Sui Feng and the others, he felt a chill. He could more clearly sense the gap between them, or rather, he immediately recognized that they were disciples of major sects like the Jade Purity Sect or the Sword Hall, despite the lack of identifying marks.

Having traveled extensively, he had seen few true masters, and he did not dare to be negligent. He hurried forward and bowed, saying, "I did not expect to encounter a senior here. I am Du Song, a B-grade contributor to the Great Law Secretariat. I apologize for any rudeness."

"The presence of a senior in Wanshan County is a blessing for the people. I believe with you two here, the evil spirit will be easily captured..."

Ji Sui Feng waved his hand impatiently, interrupting, "You are a generation older than me. Do you want to shorten my life? Fine, go about your business. I rarely leave the mountain, and I am not interested in these matters."

Yun Xi was amused by this and giggled, her beautiful eyes captivating everyone. The higher one's cultivation, the more one can modify one's appearance, which is one of the reasons people aspire to immortality. However, this woman was almost unaltered, naturally beautiful.

Su Fu compared her to the women of his past life and realized she would have been considered a celestial beauty. He smiled and said, "Since Senior Ji is not interested, I will take care of it."

Only then did Du Song notice him, surprised. "Who is this fellow cultivator?" Of course, he had noticed Su Fu but was testing his background.

Ji Sui Feng was about to speak, but Su Fu answered, "I am an independent cultivator, Su Fu. I have always admired cultivators like Mr. Du who work for the people." His expression was sincere, showing no signs of insincerity.

Yun Xi, who had been eating, gave him a strange look. Due to her background, she understood the difficulties of independent cultivators. Every independent cultivator tried to climb the social ladder, but this person was doing the opposite. Was he using reverse psychology?

Du Song's expression softened, though his face remained somber. He nodded and said, "Are you traveling together? If Su Fellow does not have a degree, I can speak on your behalf."

Su Fu smiled and said, "Thank you, Mr. Du. I and Senior Ji are just acquaintances."

Hearing this, Du Song's previously warm attitude cooled, and he said coolly, "In that case, please follow me later to complete the necessary procedures. It is not complicated."

A degree was something ordinary independent cultivators could obtain with some money. With Du Song's help, it would be even easier, so he decided to do a favor.

He then turned to Ji Sui Feng and bowed, saying, "Since Senior is not interested, I will not force the issue. I will go ahead. With you here, the evil spirit will not dare to act rashly."

"Hmm? That's not certain..." Su Fu suddenly narrowed his eyes, but his movements were swift. He grabbed the Soul Summoning Banner, and his aura suddenly became sharp, like a drawn sword, making people shiver.

Du Song's already somber face darkened further, and he said irritably, "What do you mean..."

Before he could finish, a scream and panicked footsteps came from the third floor. People rushed out, their faces filled with fear, as if something terrifying was chasing them.

As the crowd surged out, a strange aura was released, about to break through.

Ji Sui Feng and Yun Xi were surprised. They had been at the Yin Spirit stage for a long time, yet their spiritual awareness was inferior to Su Fu's. This person must have hidden his true cultivation, which was likely higher than theirs.

Thinking the same, they acted quickly. Yun Xi took a talisman from her storage bag, held it between her fingers, and quickly infused it with spiritual energy, causing it to glow.

"Dry, Yang, Escape, Binding Spell, Great Purity Dragon Transformation Order."

With her final cry, the talisman transformed into a visible net, perfectly covering the staircase. With many mortals around, she had to be cautious, and this Great Purity Dragon Transformation Order was suitable.

In an instant, the net caught something. The crowd saw a creature with a human body and a cat's head, covered in fur. The creature, bound by the net, bared its teeth and snarled, though there was a hint of mockery in its eyes.

The mortals in the private rooms on the second floor screamed in terror and fled downstairs.

This all happened in a flash, and the two Immortal Masters reacted quickly, drawing out talismans and magical artifacts to eliminate the creature.

Ji Sui Feng, however, coldly ordered, "Wait, this place is not suitable for a major confrontation. Little Sister, take it outside."

His concern was not unfounded. Cultivators' battles often involved thunderous power, which could destroy the tavern and harm innocent mortals.

Yun Xi, following the order, began to contract the net.

The creature, feeling the discomfort, finally revealed itself, speaking in a human voice, "You few human cultivators dare to attack Grandfather Nine Lives? Watch me tear you apart!"

As he spoke, the net burst open, and the creature laughed maniacally, lunging at Yun Xi.

Su Fu, who had been still, leaped into the air, drawing a sword from the handle of the Soul Summoning Banner. A flash of sword light followed, and a scream echoed.

‘Bang—’

Another loud collision, and Su Fu landed. A hole had been torn in the ceiling of the second floor, and the creature was gone, leaving only a severed claw and a few drops of blood on the ground.

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