Chapter 10: No-Life Sect!
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Late at night, after returning to his small courtyard in the North City, Chen Yuan took off his black clothes, the Heart Guard Mirror, the Hand Crossbow, the lime bag...
These were all items he had prepared over the past few days, especially the poison-coated crossbow arrows on his wrist, which had required a great deal of effort to obtain.
He had spent nearly two taels of Silver Coins.
There was no other way, self-preservation came first.
Life is singular, and once it's gone, it's truly gone!
Chen Yuan had already calculated that once the three Tiger Bone Pills from Old Song Six arrived, he would be able to cover his body with the golden paint within a few days and achieve perfection in the Skin Refining level.
After that, he would be able to step into the Blood Refining Level, only then would he possess some self-defensive capability within Ping'an County.
Ping'an County was a small town, and there weren't many masters. The arrest officer Huang Xing, with his Bone Refining Level cultivation, was enough to be considered a master. Chen Yuan thought that there were probably not even ten Bone Refining Martial Artists in the entire area of Ping'an County.
Because the cultivation of Martial Artists is extremely resource-intensive. For example, the Blood Refining Constables in the county government were all over thirty years old, and the Bone Refining Level required even more resources to achieve.
And resources required a lot of Silver Coins.
A single Tiger Bone Pill cost ten taels of Patterned Silver, and although it was one of the top elixirs in the Foundation Establishment Realm, even weaker elixirs still cost five taels of silver.
And silver was hard currency. As a government official, Chen Yuan's salary and additional earnings didn't amount to two taels of silver a month, and that had to cover daily expenses as well.
Thus, those who could embark on the path of Martial Arts needed a reasonably affluent family background, otherwise, they simply couldn't afford it.
That night, Chen Yuan pondered a lot, and it felt like the first time he truly relaxed since arriving in this supernatural world...
Having been in this world for more than half a month, Chen Yuan had spent the first half looking for his "Golden Finger" and the second half working hard after finding the opportunity directed by it.
Aside from practicing with his blade every day, it was cultivation, or fulfilling his duties by patrolling daily...
Such days were plain and dull.
If it hadn't been for the assistance of the "Golden Finger," Chen Yuan might have been content with an ordinary life, though it's more likely that he would still resolutely embark on the path of Martial Arts.
But the growing process without it would have been many times harder than now.
The Vajra Glaze Body Refining Divine Skill alone was something Chen Yuan could only look up to.
And he could only practice the most widely spread Body Refining Technique.
Although it was also a Body Refining Technique, it was the most rudimentary technique in the world, not only slow to cultivate but also offering mediocre strength.
Its only advantage might be that it was quick to learn, suitable for entry-level government officials to practice.
Chen Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly, as if he saw his hometown in the distance, that blue planet where his family, friends, and concerns lived...
It seemed there was also the smartphone with the browser history he hadn't cleared.
Just as Chen Yuan was trying to see more clearly, a colossal black altar appeared before his eyes.
It was engraved with blood-colored patterns, some corners were damaged, and there was a faint light emanating from within.
Chen Yuan suddenly sat up from his bed, and it was dawn!
...
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At the County Government.
"Why the urgent summon today, what's happened?"
Chen Yuan leaned closer and quietly asked an old constable beside him.
This morning, Chen Yuan was getting ready to have breakfast at the Zhou's Bun Shop. Before he could finish, as he was whispering sweet nothings with Xiao Fang,
a White Servant hurriedly informed him that the arrest officer had issued an urgent order, calling all available government officials, including those on leave, to assemble. Without delay, Chen Yuan rushed to the County Government.
Afterward, he saw more than twenty constables and nearly a hundred White Servants standing solemnly at the entrance to the Arrest Room.
This was a significant force, not even seen during the capture of the criminal known as Tie Shou.
The old constable glanced around, and seeing that the arrest officer had not yet arrived, quietly told Chen Yuan:
"It is said to be an order from the Government, that some demon folks of the Demon Dao might have infiltrated the County Government Office."
"Really?"
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Chen Yuan's heart trembled—Demon Dao fiends, they were individuals relentlessly pursued by the imperial court. They practiced cultivation with no holds barred, concocting Blood Refining Pills and harvesting souls.
They even stirred the common people into rebellion.
Qingzhou had been in constant turmoil over the past few years, all because of the chaos sown by some Demon Dao fiends.
Since the first day Chen Yuan had entered the County Government, the long-standing constables had warned him about the dangers of the Demon Dao fiends.
The old constable shook his head:
"I don't know if it's true or false, Old Ma told me, but there's a good chance it is. The County Government had a similar situation a few years back, only you hadn't arrived yet and didn't know about it."
"How was it resolved last time? Aren't the Demon Dao fiends said to be extremely sinister? If we constables were to..."
Chen Yuan hadn't finished speaking when he suddenly closed his mouth.
He looked straight ahead without diverting his gaze.
The troop of over a hundred people fell silent as the discussion ceased.
That was because Arrest Officer Huang Xing, surrounded by a cluster of men, escorted a middle-aged man in a red official robe to their proximity.
The middle-aged man had a slender figure with long, thin cheeks and a long beard hanging from his chin; his entire aura exuded a faint sense of authority that made the surrounding constables instinctively lower their heads.
The County Magistrate, Li Mingqi!
With cultivation at the Gang Condensation Realm, he was the strongest in Ping'an County Government, seventh grade, and the direct superior of Arrest Officer Huang Xing.
In the Great Jin Dynasty, even in the entire realm, martial prowess was esteemed. Without a powerful martial artist to maintain order, stability at the grassroots level was impossible.
Thus, the County Magistrate was in charge of governance and the people's livelihood, while the County Magistrate oversaw law enforcement and catching thieves—one civil and one military authority managed the entire county together.
He was equivalent to the current Director of Public Security, while Arrest Officer Huang Xing was akin to the head of the Criminal Investigation Department.
Although the County Magistrate was of the standard seventh rank, the authority of the County Magistrate was in no way inferior to the County Magistrate's.
Li Mingqi walked to the center of the crowd, with Arrest Officer Huang Xing half a step behind him, a stern expression on his face.
"Recently, the Government quelled a group of demon cultists from the No-Life Sect, but remnants still remain and may have possibly fled into the territory of our Ping'an County."
"The Magistrate has issued a strict order that all remnants of the Demon Dao must be rooted out."
"Therefore, I have decided to conduct a thorough investigation across the county. Anyone who discovers traces of the No-Life Sect remnants will be richly rewarded upon confirmation. Anyone who manages to kill the No-Life Sect cultists will also be richly rewarded."
"But if anyone knows and fails to report, or shows fear and retreats from the enemy, they will be severely punished!"
County Magistrate Li Mingqi, standing with his hands behind his back, spoke in a solemn and loud voice.
"Yes, this subordinate obeys!"
The voices of over a hundred people were somewhat disorderly.
"Arrest Officer Huang..."
Li Mingqi called out indifferently.
"This subordinate is here," Huang Xing stepped forward, bowing slightly.
"These men will be under your command. We cannot overlook even the towns and villages beneath the county city; these Demon Dao thieves are very cunning, and there is a significant chance they are hiding among them."
"Yes, this subordinate understands," replied Huang Xing.
Li Mingqi nodded slightly, sweeping his gaze over the constables, then turned and left with brisk steps, seemingly preoccupied with an urgent matter.
Chen Yuan watched Li Mingqi leave with a calm demeanor. When his gaze had swept over earlier, Chen Yuan had felt it pause momentarily on him.
Taking a deep breath, Huang Xing began to assign tasks:
"Chen Yuan, Zhao Ning, you two will lead seven White Servants to Ping'an Town..."
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