Chapter 36: The Temple's Sacred Instrument Suppresses the Evil

Atop Bull Horn Mountain, the night wind was cold.

Those present were mostly accustomed to practicing martial arts, their physiques robust and well-trained.

Yet at this moment, they still felt the wind piercing to the bone, causing a tremulous sense of dread.

The ground reeked of blood; bodies lay decapitated, severed from their heads.

"Master..."

Among the night patrol, someone's voice couldn't help but come out hoarse.

The atmosphere grew increasingly stagnant.

"..."

Meng Lu gripped the knife in his hand, gazing at the other's black robe trimmed with gold thread, and said in a low voice, "The new Flag Commander of Linjiang Station?"

His gaze fell upon the old man kneeling on the ground, face full of terror, and his expression became even graver.

"Is this the chief clerk from the Outer South Government Office?"

"..."

Everyone felt the chill of the night seeping deeper into their bones.

Following Meng Lu's gaze to the head that had rolled to the side, their expressions grew increasingly grim.

"The Outer South Government Office, under the command of the City Defense, the new military instructor?"

In an instant, a chill swept through Meng Lu's heart.

This instructor, responsible for training the new recruits of the Outer South Government Office, was said to be one of the three great experts under the City Defense Commander's authority.

Yet here on this secluded, uninhabited Bull Horn Mountain, someone had casually chopped off his head with a single blow?

And the murderer, moreover, was just that morning deemed to have a major suspicion of murdering the Great Commander's personal guard captain!

Meng Lu's grip on his knife became even more solemn.

The city defense soldiers behind him, who worked exceptionally well with him, seeing his movement, slowly dispersed, surrounding this area of the mountain top.

The members of the night patrol looked at each other, for a moment not knowing how to react.

Just then, someone came panting from behind, catching up.

Lin Yan glanced over and noticed the attire of the newcomer, marked with the symbol of a Temple, followed by several Temple attendants.

"Such a heavy evil aura here!"

Liu Jing stepped forward, panting as he spoke, then upon seeing the scene before him, his face turned pale in an instant.

He then turned to Meng Lu and asked, "What happened?"

"I arrived first and saw this Flag Commander chop off the head of the new military instructor from the Outer South Government Office."

Meng Lu looked at the old man kneeling on the ground and said, "His knife was at this chief clerk's throat..."

As he spoke, his expression grew even more solemn, his movements much more cautious.

He and the surrounding city defense soldiers subtly formed an encirclement.

"Master, what exactly happened?"

It was then that among the night patrol, someone spoke up, hurriedly asking, "Is there some misunderstanding here?"

Lin Yan glanced at him, faintly remembering this kid as a frequent visitor to the brothels, squandering money.

Before he could speak, the leader of the night patrol interjected.

"Gentlemen, hold back from attacking; Master has a reason for killing. He has always detested evil and would never kill the innocent without good cause."

This leading member of the night patrol approached and urged, "Master, please restrain yourself. If you strike with that knife again, it'll result in a death without evidence, and then things will be unexplainable!"

He spoke these words while glancing at the kneeling old man, a hint of satisfaction creeping into his heart.

This old timer, always taking advantage of his chief clerk status, was corrupt and extorted bribes, pocketing the soldiers' pay.

The military instructor whose head had been chopped off was even worse, never treating the new recruits as human; every year, three to five would die due to his brutal training.

The night patrol, under the jurisdiction of the Outer South Government Office, had all suffered this military instructor's cruelty when they first joined the station, well aware of his brutal nature.

And before this, Master had assisted the night patrol for nearly two years, solving cases consecutively, even saving several of their lives.

Seeing now that the city defense soldiers had surrounded Master, they were quite at a loss, unsure of what to do.

"That's right, this person is a high disciple of the Temple, a disciple of the Twelve Temple Priests, an important figure from the inner city..."

This patrol leader hurriedly spoke again, "Master Five can explain it to Mr. Liu Jing."

He couldn't help but step forward and in a low voice said, "Master Five, I know you detest evil and like to behead people on the spot, but look at this situation, it's not suitable to behead him directly."

"Now that you, Master Five, have become the Flag Commander of Linjiang Station, with a high position and great authority, you should consider the overall situation first. Otherwise... should we follow the due process of the law and regulations?"

"Good," Lin Yan nodded slightly.

"If you're still not at ease... wait, what did you say?"

"Good!"

"Ah?"

The patrol leader was taken aback.

In his memory, every time Master Five captured someone, his knife was always eager to move, almost as if addicted to killing.

He feared that once Master Five's murderous intent rose, if that knife came down, nothing could be clear afterward!

Yet who would have expected Master Five to be so agreeable?

"As an officer of the Observatory, I am only just in law enforcement, not addicted to killing."

Lin Yan sheathed his knife and said indifferently, "This old fellow has cultivated the 'Worshiping Evil Method,' using it to summon evil and harm people. I haven't clarified things yet, and you all arrived... fine, now we can just take him back for interrogation."

As his words fell, he kicked the elder over, sending him tumbling towards Meng Lu and the others.

"You should first take out the incense ash to protect yourselves. This old man has cultivated an evil method and can summon evil energy while controlling Evil Spirits. Be careful of his wine pot."

Seeing this, Meng Lu hurried forward, holding a packet of incense ash in one hand and a chain in the other.

"You scoundrel!"

The elder, having escaped from under Lin Yan's knife, rejoiced in his heart but suddenly shouted, "This demon has taken the life of the drillmaster and now seeks to stain my innocence, apprehend him!"

Upon hearing this, Meng Lu's movements hesitated.

Thud!

But the elder suddenly extended his hand and tossed it.

A gust of evil wind surged towards Meng Lu's face.

In an instant, everyone was shocked.

But then a flash of blade light cut through!

The evil wind scattered abruptly!

And with the falling of that blade light, so too fell the elder's arm, dropping to the ground, blood spraying.

In that split second, Lin Yan had stepped forward, saving Meng Lu first and then kicking over the old man trying to seize the chance to escape.

"Now..."

Lin Yan looked at the stunned crowd in front of him, his tone cold, and slowly said, "Is it clear to you all now, between this old ghost and me, who is the true problem?"

The crowd looked at each other, then silently nodded their heads.

Meng Lu, feeling ashamed for his earlier rashness, first bowed to Lin Yan, then tore open the incense ash package, and sprinkled it over himself.

Seeing this, the others also took out their own packets of incense ash, ready to spread it over themselves to fend off evil.

"No need!"

At that moment, Mr. Liu Jing stepped forward, having already taken out a spirit banner, and said, "This is a magical instrument offered by the Temple, capable of subduing Evil Spirits, eliminating evil energy. Let me lead with the banner to suppress the disturbances, he won't be able to muster any storm!"

He lifted the banner, and immediately a breeze fluttered.

The wind drawn by the spirit banner seemed to carry the breath of Liu Venerate himself.

In High Willow City, it was enough to suppress powerful evils!

Soon after, Mr. Liu Jing, holding the spirit banner, pressed down upon the elder who had practiced evil methods.

The elder's gaze became vacant for a moment.

But the next instant, he suddenly awoke and cried out in alarm.

"Wrong! Quickly take that banner away!"

Boom!

Before his words ended, the wine pot exploded!

And the elder, having been pierced by the shards of the wine pot, turned into a sieve, his chest and abdomen riddled with holes.