Starting as pearl divers, they have endless jobs.

Chapter 133 The Wind Fills the Tower, the White Bone Banner

After the breakthrough, Chen Ye felt that the whole world was different.

If the internal energy of the Qi Nourishing Realm is a trickle, then the surging energy within his body at this moment is a mighty river.

All meridians are open, and Qi circulates throughout the body without any obstruction.

Every thought, every bit of strength, can reach every part of the body in an instant.

This is an unprecedented sense of control, an exhilarating and powerful feeling.

Chen Ye was very satisfied, and then got up and pushed open the door.

When they arrived at the lobby downstairs, they saw the shop assistant idly wiping the table. As soon as he saw Chen Ye come down, he immediately came over.

"Sir, my cousin works as a waiter at Fengmanlou. He just passed by here when he came out to buy groceries and told me that the man surnamed Lü was cursing you at Fengmanlou again today, and what he said was even more offensive than the other day."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ye sneered inwardly, then gave the waiter a piece of silver as a tip before leaving the inn and heading straight for Feng Manlou.

……

The air inside the building was thick with the smell of alcohol and the cacophony of voices.

On the second floor, by the window, Lü Song was talking animatedly with two fellow disciples, their voices so loud that they could be heard throughout half the restaurant.

"That guy surnamed Chen is a coward. I only said one harsh word, and he was so scared that he didn't dare to show his face for two days. He's probably already fled the city with his tail between his legs!"

"Hahaha, junior brother is right. Some country bumpkin who came out of who knows which mountain village dares to oppose our White Bone Mountain. He's simply courting death!"

"Come on, senior brother, let's drink!"

The three shouted loudly, but none of them dared to say a word.

Because in this world, even unorthodox cultivators are not people that ordinary people can afford to offend.

Just then, a calm voice rang out from the stairwell.

"I heard you were looking for me?"

The noisy restaurant seemed to have been paused, instantly falling silent.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a young man dressed in black with a long sword at his waist walking up the stairs.

His pace was not fast, but it carried an invisible sense of oppression, each step feeling like it was stepping on everyone's hearts.

The smile on Lü Song's face froze instantly, replaced by a ferocious expression.

"You little brat, you actually dare to show up!"

He then slammed his hand on the table, pointed at Chen Ye's nose, and cursed, "I thought you cowardly turtle would hide in the inn for the rest of your life. Since you dare to come out today, I'll show you what it means to court death!"

Before he finished speaking, Lü Song moved swiftly, his five fingers forming a claw, carrying a chilling gust of wind, aiming straight for Chen Ye's throat.

He had already reached the Unimpeded Realm, and this grab was made in anger, confident that he could capture Chen Ye on the spot and humiliate him properly.

However, Chen Ye didn't even lift his eyelids in the face of this fierce attack.

He simply raised his hand casually.

Snapped!
A crisp sound.

Lu Song's determined claw strike was easily blocked by Chen Ye, whose wrist was firmly clamped and unable to move.

"you……."

Lu Song's expression changed, and he was about to exert his strength to break free when a vast and powerful aura suddenly erupted from Chen Ye's body.

This aura is far stronger than his!
"The Unobstructed Realm?!"

"How can it be!"

Lu Song and his two senior brothers exclaimed in surprise, their faces filled with disbelief.

Just a few days ago, this kid was only at the Qi Nourishing Realm. How long has it been since he broke through?
Such a speed of cultivation is simply unheard of!

Immediately afterwards, a chill rose from the bottom of Lü Song's heart, and for the first time he felt a trace of regret.

Perhaps he shouldn't have provoked this monster in the first place.

"Are you done? If you are, it's my turn."

Chen Ye's voice was icy, and he twisted his wrist sharply.

Click!

The sound of bones breaking was clearly audible.

"what--!"

Lu Song let out a shrill scream as his entire arm twisted at a bizarre angle, the excruciating pain contorting his face.

"Junior brother!"

"How dare you, Zhu Zi!"

The other two senior brothers were furious when they saw this, and could no longer sit still. They pounced on Chen Ye from the left and right at the same time.

Chen Ye snorted coldly and kicked the screaming Lü Song away, sending him flying and overturning several tables.

Immediately afterward, instead of retreating, he advanced and charged towards his two senior brothers.

Clang!
The blade flashed, a cold glint appearing in the restaurant!
Although those two senior brothers were also at the Unobstructed Realm, their cultivation was entirely fostered by evil methods, and their foundations were weak. They were no match for Chen Ye.

Ding-ding-ding-ding!

A series of metallic clangs rang out as Chen Ye fought two opponents simultaneously, holding his own against the odds and growing stronger with each battle.

His swordsmanship was sharp and precise, forcing the two men into a flustered and disheveled state.

"Damn it, this kid's knife is too fast!"

"My two senior brothers, we must cripple him today, or we will disgrace the reputation of White Bone Mountain."

Lu Song clutched his severed arm, got up from the ground, roared with a face full of resentment, then took out the urn with his still intact hand and poured it directly into his mouth.

In a short while, his body was filled with intense yin energy, and even his severed arm quickly recovered.

Then he joined the battle.

The three surrounded them again, and their attack became even more ferocious.

However, under the siege, Chen Ye moved like a ghost, shifting and dodging with ease.

Just then, Chen Ye spoke up, "A piece of trash is a piece of trash, no matter how many more there are."

The voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached the three people's ears, filled with undisguised sarcasm.

"you wanna die!"

One of the tall, thin senior brothers was completely enraged, a crazy glint flashing in his eyes.

He suddenly took a step back and pulled out a small banner, about the size of a palm, made entirely of bone and exuding an ominous aura, from his bosom.

"Senior brother, no!" The other person's expression changed drastically upon seeing this.

But it's too late.

"You little beast, you forced me to do this!"

The tall, thin senior brother roared and poured his inner energy into the banner.

hum!
The white bone banner grew taller in the wind, instantly becoming more than a person's height. Black energy billowed around it, and countless grotesque ghost faces appeared and disappeared on its surface, emitting chilling wails.

Chen Ye's eyes instantly turned cold.

Because the method of making this kind of ritual artifact is recorded in the Book of the White Bone Observation, in order to make this banner, one must torture and kill dozens of living beings and extract their souls, which is extremely cruel.

This shows that Lü Song and his gang were indeed inhuman and deserved to die!

At the same time, a dense aura of yin energy enveloped the entire restaurant, and the temperature plummeted, causing even the tables and chairs to condense a layer of white frost.

The diners inside the building were terrified and scattered in all directions, screaming.

"Die to me!"

The tall, thin senior brother, his face contorted in a ferocious grimace, suddenly waved the White Bone Banner, and several ghostly claws formed from black energy howled toward Chen Ye.

This Yin energy was extremely powerful, and Chen Ye dared not be careless, and was about to deal with it with all his might.

Just then, a thunderous roar came from downstairs, its sound echoing throughout the surrounding area.

"Who the hell uses this kind of weird and crooked stuff in the city? Do they want to die?!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the surging yin energy seemed to be gripped by an invisible hand, fluctuating violently and greatly reduced in power.

Then came a series of heavy footsteps.

Cong Bo strode forward, followed by a squad of demon-slaying soldiers in standard armor, exuding a menacing aura.

Upon seeing the newcomer, Lü Song and his two senior brothers' expressions changed drastically.

Cong Bo's gaze swept over the messy restaurant, finally landing on the tall, thin senior brother and the white bone banner in his hand, a cold smile curving his lips.

"Who do we have here? It turns out to be a disciple of White Bone Mountain. I am truly sorry for my rudeness."

The tall, thin senior brother's hand trembled, and the yin energy on the white bone banner instantly dissipated. He then quickly put away the magic weapon and forced a smile at Cong Bo: "Lord Cong... it's a misunderstanding, it's all a misunderstanding, I didn't mean it."

"Misunderstand?"

Cong Bo sneered and approached step by step, "Stop talking nonsense to me! Your White Bone Mountain has become more and more arrogant lately, and if I'm not mistaken, this thing of yours must have cost a lot of lives, right?"

"No...no, this is...it's a magical artifact passed down from our sect!" the tall, thin senior brother stammered in his defense.

“I don’t care whether it’s been passed down or whether you made it yourselves.” Cong Bo waved his hand impatiently. “This matter is not under the jurisdiction of my Demon Slaying Division.”

Hearing this, Lu Song and the other two breathed a sigh of relief.

But Cong Bo's next words plunged them into an icy abyss.

"But for you to use this in Yuhuo County is disrespecting me, Cong Bo." His eyes sharpened. "So tell me yourselves, are you going to accept a beating or a punishment?"

At this moment, Lu Song and the other two didn't even dare to breathe loudly.

The tall, thin senior brother lowered his head, his voice trembling: "I...I accept the punishment."

"Very well, then take them with you!"

Cong Bo waved his hand, and two soldiers behind him immediately stepped forward and bound the tall, thin senior brother tightly with specially made chains. "I'll put you in solitary confinement for ten days to teach you a lesson. Is that alright?" Cong Bo asked calmly.

"No...no problem."

This person dared not utter a single word of dissent.

Seeing their senior brother being taken away, Lü Song and the remaining fellow disciple exchanged a glance, not daring to utter a single harsh word, and sheepishly helped each other away.

After all these people left, the restaurant regained a bit of its former liveliness.

Cong Bo then turned around, smiled at Chen Ye, and revealed a set of white teeth.

"Good lad, not bad, you even wiped out Black Wind Stronghold."

Clearly, the news has already reached the Demon Slayer Division.

Cong Bo found a reasonably intact table, sat down, and crossed his legs. "So, how did you get on the bad side of White Bone Mountain?"

Chen Ye gave a general account of what had happened.

After listening, Cong Bo curled his lip and said, "Those bastards from White Bone Mountain have indeed become more and more arrogant in recent years. We'll have to deal with them sooner or later."

Chen Ye sat down opposite him, poured himself a cup of tea, and calmly asked, "Lord Cong, you came here today not just to help me out of this predicament, were you?"

He didn't believe that this official from the Demon Slayer Division would happen to be here by such a coincidence.

"Hahaha, as expected, nothing can be hidden from you, kid!"

Upon hearing this, Cong Bo first burst into laughter, then leaned forward, his smile slowly fading as he became very serious.

"There is something I'd like to ask you for help with."

Chen Ye's heart stirred slightly, knowing that the main topic was about to be discussed. Although he didn't know what it was about, Cong Bo had been kind to him, so he immediately spoke up.

"Please speak freely, Lord Cong. If I can help, I will certainly not refuse."

"Don't worry, I won't make things difficult for you." Cong Bo sighed, then the smile on his face completely disappeared, and his expression became serious.

"That's right, recently there have been several men in the city who have died suddenly in their sleep."

"Sudden death?"

"Yes, they even died in the same way, both from exhaustion of yang energy."

He paused, then continued, "Our investigation revealed that these people all had one thing in common before they died: they had all visited the Drunken Spring Pavilion in the west of the city."

Zuichunlou?
Chen Ye knew that it was the most upscale brothel in Yu Huo County, even larger than the previous De Yi Lou, and couldn't help but ask, "So, Lord Cong, you suspect that some demons or evil spirits have infiltrated the Zui Chun Lou?"

"That's what I thought at first too."

Cong Bo scratched his head in frustration. "But that's exactly the problem!"

"I searched the entire Drunken Spring Pavilion, inside and out, including all the girls, pimps, and waiters, with the Demon Slayer Bureau's magical artifacts, but I found absolutely nothing!"

"There was nothing unusual; it was as clean as if the house had just been cleaned."

"How is this possible?" Chen Ye frowned as well.

If it were truly the work of demons and ghosts, it would be impossible for them not to leave any trace.

Cong Bo slapped his thigh, his voice filled with frustration.

"Who says it isn't! What's even more damn weird is that there's absolutely no movement from the City God Temple side!"

"Logically speaking, if there were evil spirits of this level harming people in the city, the City God should have issued a warning long ago, but he was like a man asleep, without making any move."

Chen Ye's heart sank upon hearing this.

The City God is a local underworld deity responsible for monitoring demons and ghosts within the city and protecting the local environment.

Even the City God Temple didn't react at all, which was indeed quite strange.

"I tried every method I could think of, both overt and covert investigations, but I was still at a loss."

Cong Bo's tone was filled with helplessness.

"But the number of deaths over there is still increasing; another one died this morning."

At this point, Cong Bo's face turned as black as the bottom of a pot.

"The one who died was the only son of Qian, the county magistrate's son. Now, all the pressure is on me."

Chen Ye finally understood.

This case is a hot potato; there's no clue how to solve it, and he's under immense pressure. No wonder Cong Bohui is so agitated.

"That's why I thought of asking you for help." Cong Bo looked at Chen Ye with a hint of expectation in his eyes.

"You're a shrewd and ruthless guy. Sending you to investigate in secret might yield some unexpected results."

In fact, Cong Bo did not tell the whole story. He did not initially set his sights on Chen Ye. It was only after the news from Black Wind Village came back that he had a change of heart and realized that Chen Ye was a talented person. He realized that he had entered a dead end and that if he could not solve the case sooner or later, he would have to pack his bags and leave.

So he decided to give it a try; if it worked, that would be great.

Even if it doesn't work out, it won't be a big problem.

Since things have come to this point, we have no choice but to try anything, even if it seems hopeless.

After speaking, Cong Bo stared intently at Chen Ye, waiting for his reply.

Chen Ye didn't speak, his fingers tapping lightly on the table as he quickly calculated in his mind.

This case does sound strange, but if we only investigate it, there doesn't seem to be any direct danger.

The key point is that Cong Bo is a good person, and he even took the initiative to help me out of this predicament. If I can form a good relationship with him, it will be beneficial for my future development.

Chen Ye pondered for a moment, then raised his head and asked, "Lord Cong, I have a question."

"You said."

"Now that it's been discovered that these people's deaths are all related to that Drunken Spring Pavilion, why not just shut it down?"

Chen Ye felt this was the most direct and effective method.

Whatever is causing this, we should first take down its hunting grounds. Even if we can't find the culprit, at least we can temporarily stop the murders from happening again.

To everyone's surprise, Cong Bo gave a wry smile after hearing this.

He picked up his teacup, downed it in one gulp, and then let out a long sigh.

"Brother, do you think I haven't thought about it? But this matter is not that simple."

"To tell you the truth, the owner behind this Drunken Spring Pavilion is none other than Magistrate Huang of Yuhuo County."

"The county magistrate?"

Chen Ye's brows furrowed even deeper.

"Yes."

Cong Bo nodded, his face full of helplessness.

"Our Demon Slaying Division is nominally not under the jurisdiction of the county government; we are directly responsible to our superiors."

"But you know what the situation is like now. The imperial court is short of money everywhere, and the funds allocated from above are decreasing every year."

"Therefore, nearly half of the expenses of our Demon Slaying Division have to be allocated by the county government."

At this point, Cong Bo's tone carried a hint of self-deprecation, "He who eats another's food is bound to do his bidding. Now, my brothers and I all depend on the county government for our livelihood. How am I supposed to seize the county magistrate's property?"

Chen Ye fell completely silent after hearing this.

He finally realized that this was not a simple case involving demons and ghosts, but also involved the intricacies of officialdom and conflicts of interest.

The Demon Slayer Division may seem powerful and imposing, but it also has its own difficulties.

Therefore, Cong Bo is now in a dilemma, like someone being roasted over a fire.

Chen Ye remained silent for a moment, then said, "I want to go see the body first."

He is not an impulsive person, and he will not make a decision easily before understanding the situation clearly.

"Okay, I'll take you there right now!"

Upon hearing this, Cong Bo's spirits lifted immediately. He got up and led Chen Ye away from Fengmanlou, heading straight for Qian Zhubu's residence.

The registrar was a prominent figure in the county government, and although his residence was not large, it was still quite impressive.

At this moment, the entire mansion was shrouded in gloom and despair, with white banners hanging at the entrance and the faint sound of weeping coming from inside.

Cong Bo had obviously given prior notice, and the two were led to the side room where the bodies were kept without any hindrance.

The room was filled with a faint smell of herbs and a barely perceptible fishy odor.

The young master of the Qian family lay stiffly on the door panel, covered with a white cloth.

A man in his fifties, dressed in official robes, with a sorrowful face, stood to one side; this was Qian, the registrar.

"Lord Cong."

When Qian, the registrar, saw Cong Bo, he cupped his hands in greeting, his voice hoarse.

Cong Bo nodded. "My condolences, Lord Qian. I would like to examine the body again."

"Alas, look, look!" Qian, the registrar, sighed, then wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes, his face full of grief.

Cong Bo walked to the body and gently lifted the white sheet.

Chen Ye's gaze fell upon it, and he saw that the deceased Young Master Qian had a pale face, sunken eyes, a slightly open mouth, and a strange expression that seemed to be the result of extreme pleasure.

What's most striking is his lower body.

Even though it had been cleaned, the area still showed an abnormal swelling and emitted an unpleasant odor mixed with bodily fluids that couldn't be washed off.

Chen Ye squatted down and observed carefully.

He even used his blood-spotting vision, but as far as he could see, apart from the normal signs of life force dissipating, there was no energy residue.

There was no yin energy, no demonic energy, nothing at all.

It's as if this person really brought about their own demise.

(End of this chapter)