Starting as pearl divers, they have endless jobs.

Chapter 152 A Single Strike Causes a Wave! (10,000 words, please subscribe)
"call……."

Chen Ye let out a long breath, feeling the real sense of regaining his body, and felt much more at ease.

With the death of the caster, Li Gu, the evil magic circle in the center of the secret chamber, constructed from various filthy substances, lost all its energy support and collapsed with a crash.

boom!
A visible black wave of energy suddenly spread outwards from the center of the magic array.

The shockwave was accompanied by countless mournful cries of ghosts and wolves, and dense resentment and evil energy spread wildly outwards.

Chen Ye frowned.

Such a commotion will definitely attract the attention of the patrol personnel in the city!

Therefore, we must leave here immediately!

Thinking of this, Chen Ye had no lingering feelings and didn't bother to search for any possible spoils on Li Gu's body. He turned around and left.

The most important thing now is to get away, because if we get cornered here by the people from Tianjian Manor or Qingzhou Prefecture, we won't be able to explain ourselves no matter what.

He didn't want to get himself involved because of some scum from White Bone Mountain.

Chen Ye's judgment was indeed correct. No sooner had he left the mansion than a night patrol team from Tianjian Manor and Qingzhou Prefecture arrived.

When they arrived at the scene, they were stunned by the intense, almost tangible, evil aura before them.

"Such a heavy evil aura!" a disciple leading the team from Tianjian Manor said with a solemn expression.

"Go in and take a look!" The centurion of the armored soldiers in Qingzhou Prefecture waved his hand, and several bold armored soldiers immediately took out their evil-dispelling talismans and cautiously rushed into the secret room that was already in a mess.

They came out quickly.

"Boss, the people inside are dead!"

"died?"

The leaders of the two squads came over, and when they saw the gruesome state of Li Gu's death, they couldn't help but gasp.

The armored centurion was a discerning man; he crouched down and carefully examined the wounds on the corpse, his expression growing increasingly serious.

"The person who did this is a master knife user!"

The leader of the Tianjian Manor disciples nodded and added, "Moreover, judging from the residual aura at the scene, the battle should have only lasted for a very short moment before it ended."

"To dare to act so openly in Qingzhou Prefecture, this person is really bold." The armored centurion stood up, his brows furrowed.

"Hmph, no matter who he is, daring to cause trouble on Tianjian Manor's territory during the trade fair shows that he doesn't respect our manor!" The disciple sneered, his eyes filled with murderous intent.

Qingzhou Prefecture has explicit regulations that strictly prohibit anyone from engaging in private fights within the city, let alone performing such large-scale curse-based killing techniques.

Now, not only are people using evil magic, but some are also committing murder, which is simply a blatant provocation against the dignity of Tianjian Manor and Qingzhou Prefecture.

So both sides protected the scene while reporting the incident to higher authorities.

Soon, numerous disciples of Tianjian Manor and soldiers from Qingzhou Prefecture arrived at the scene, surrounding the entire residence in layers.

Not long after, two more groups of people arrived at the scene almost one after the other.

The person who came from Tianjian Manor was a woman.

She looked to be no more than twenty years old, dressed in a white outfit that perfectly accentuated her slender figure.

Her long, jet-black hair was tied back with a simple jade hairpin. Her face was extremely beautiful, but her expression was as cold as ice, like unmelting ice that had never melted for thousands of years. Her phoenix eyes held an arrogant air that kept people at a distance.

A long sword hung at her waist, and she herself resembled a drawn sword, its sharpness so striking that no one dared to look directly at her.

"Senior Sister Xiao!"

Upon seeing the woman, the disciples of Tianjian Manor all bowed respectfully.

This woman is Xiao Zhanbai, an elite disciple of the Enforcement Hall of Tianjian Manor.

Despite her young age, she has already reached the Sea Condensation Realm. Her swift swordsmanship is unmatched among her peers, making her one of the best among the younger generation in the manor. She is highly regarded by Elder Jian, the Law Enforcement Elder.

The person who came from Qingzhou Prefecture was a middle-aged man.

He was dressed in the official uniform of a constable in Qingzhou Prefecture. He was of medium build, with an average appearance and a weathered look on his face, making him look like an ordinary government official.

But his eyes were exceptionally bright and piercing, as if they could see into people's hearts.

"Boss!"

When the soldiers saw him, they all bowed in respect.

This man is the chief constable of the Demon Slaying Division in Qingzhou Prefecture. His surname is Wang, and everyone calls him Constable Wang.

He was experienced in handling cases and was mature and prudent, making him a well-known figure in Qingzhou Prefecture.

Xiao Zhanbai and Constable Wang had clearly dealt with each other before; they nodded to each other as a greeting.

"What's going on?" Xiao Zhanbai asked bluntly, his voice cold and devoid of any emotion.

"Miss Xiao, please take a look."

Chief Constable Wang pointed to the two halves of the corpse on the ground.

Xiao Zhanbai walked over, glanced at it briefly, and his brows furrowed slightly.

"What a fast knife."

She was an expert and could naturally see the terror contained in that strike.

Clean, efficient, and without any unnecessary delays.

With just one stroke, a living person was cleaved in two.

Moreover, judging from the faint trace of sword intent remaining at the edge of the wound, the swordsman's skill had reached a state of returning to simplicity, concentrating all power on that single point of the blade.

"That's right, this man's swordsmanship is superb and he should not be underestimated," Officer Wang remarked.

"Any other discoveries?" Xiao Zhanbai asked.

Officer Wang squatted down, poked at the corpse's clothes with a small wooden stick, and pulled out a black token from inside.

The token is engraved with three distorted characters: White Bone Mountain.

"The deceased was from White Bone Mountain," Constable Wang said in a deep voice.

"White Bone Mountain?" A hint of disgust flashed in Xiao Zhanbai's eyes. "These evil heretics actually dare to come to Qingzhou City and cause trouble."

Officer Wang nodded and continued, "Judging from the situation at the scene, this sorcerer from White Bone Mountain must have secretly set up a stronghold here and then used some kind of evil spell. As a result, his enemies came looking for him and killed him with a single blow."

“I examined the scene, and there were very few signs of a struggle, which means that the person who attacked him arrived and killed him almost immediately.”

Officer Wang stood up and looked around the messy secret room.

“This evil cultivator deserves to die, but the problem is, who was the one who did it? Why did he do it in the city? And how could he leave so quietly right under our noses after killing someone? That’s the most troublesome thing.”

Xiao Zhanbai snorted coldly upon hearing this: "Whoever it is, daring to break the rules of Qingzhou City during the trade fair is to be an enemy of my Tianjian Manor. This matter must not be left unresolved."

Her tone carried an undeniable domineering air.

As the ruler of Qingzhou, Tianjian Manor has always taken it upon itself to maintain order in this region.

Now that someone has caused such a huge mess right under their noses, if they don't investigate thoroughly and bring the culprit to justice, what will become of Tianjian Manor's reputation?

Officer Wang glanced at her but said nothing.

He knew Miss Xiao's temperament and understood the stance of Tianjian Manor.

However, Qingzhou Prefecture is a melting pot of all sorts of people, especially during the trade fair, when all kinds of shady characters gather here. Trying to find a skilled knife user who is determined to hide among so many people is like finding a needle in a haystack.

"What are your plans, Miss Xiao?" Officer Wang asked.

"Investigate!" Xiao Zhanbai's answer was a single word, crisp and decisive.

"Although there are many cultivators in the city who use swords, those who can deliver such a strike are extremely rare. If we investigate all the swordsmen who meet the criteria, I don't believe we won't find a single clue!"

A cold glint flashed in her eyes.

"Furthermore, I don't want this matter to leak out before the killer is found, so as not to cause unnecessary panic."

Chief Constable Wang nodded: "I understand. I will have my men cover up the news and conduct a secret investigation."

Although he felt the hope was slim, he still had to cooperate with the Heavenly Sword Manor's actions.

After all, Qingzhou Prefecture is nominally under the jurisdiction of the imperial court, but in reality, everyone knows that Tianjian Manor is the one that truly calls the shots here.

"Then it'll be hard work."

After Officer Wang left, Xiao Zhanbai walked to the corpse that had been split in two, squatted down, and gently touched the wound with two fair, jade-like fingers.

She caught a faint, almost imperceptible trace of sword intent at her fingertips.

She closed her eyes and carefully sensed the intent of the blade.

Sharp, concise, and with an unstoppable penetrating force.

“Interesting…” Xiao Zhanbai murmured to himself, a hint of interest appearing in his phoenix eyes.

Meanwhile, Chen Ye had returned to the inn. After letting out a long breath, he opened the system panel.

Name: Chen Ye

[Cultivation Realm: Unimpeded]

[Class: Asura Blade Lv2 (Born for killing, greatly enhances swordsmanship power and combat instincts.)]

[Talent: Asura's Eye - Upgraded bloodthirsty vision, able to see through the trajectory and weaknesses of energy flow.] [Technique: Golden Toad Devouring Qi Technique Lv3]

[Martial Arts: Needle Blade Technique Lv4]

In fact, after killing the fierce bone, a system notification appeared in front of Chen Ye's eyes, but he didn't have time to check it at the time. Now that he saw it, he was naturally very happy.

Not only did my profession level up, but more importantly, my Needle Blade Technique jumped two levels, which is quite a significant achievement.

Just then, Chen Ye heard a flurry of footsteps coming from the street outside, accompanied by the rustling sound of armor moving quickly.

Chen Ye's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately went to the window to peek out. Sure enough, he saw many more patrol teams on the street, realizing that this matter had really gotten out of hand.

However, after careful consideration, Chen Ye was relieved to find that he had not left any traces. He then stopped cultivating and went straight to bed.

The next morning, Chen Ye acted as if nothing had happened and, together with Su Yuan and Yun Heqing, returned to the stall area.

Qingzhou Prefecture City seemed no different from yesterday, still bustling with people.

However, the number of Tianjian Manor disciples and Qingzhou Prefecture soldiers patrolling the streets was more than double that of yesterday, and they all had serious expressions and sharp eyes, scanning the passers-by. The checks were also much stricter than before.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Yun Heqing shrank back guiltily and asked in a low voice.

He was naturally timid and most afraid of dealing with powerful entities like the government and Tianjian Manor.

"Who knows?" Chen Ye replied indifferently, his face expressionless.

Su Yuan nonchalantly munched on a candied hawthorn, saying, "Who cares? Maybe some fool has messed with Tianjian Manor. It'll be good to see some fun."

Chen Ye didn't say anything, but he wasn't worried.

His actions last night were swift and decisive, leaving no direct clues.

Moreover, he was just an unknown nobody from Yuhuo County, and his cultivation was only at the Unobstructed Realm. No one would have imagined that the murderer who cleaved the White Bone Mountain Elder in two with a single blow would be such an ordinary-looking young man.

This is the best disguise.

What he needs to do now is to remain low-key, make money, and improve his capabilities, just like before.

Meanwhile, this deserted mansion in the west of the city has been completely sealed off.

Xiao Zhanbai and Constable Wang worked here all night, turning the entire mansion upside down, but they found very few clues.

Aside from confirming that the deceased was from White Bone Mountain and that the killer was a skilled knife user, no other valuable findings were discovered.

"Captain Wang, have you brought the list of all the registered swordsmen in the city who are at least at the Sea Condensation Realm?"

Xiao Zhanbai stood in the courtyard, his voice still cold and clear.

"They're all here." Officer Wang handed over a thick register.

"There are a total of 137 eligible swordsmen who reside in Qingzhou Prefecture and those who recently arrived due to the trade fair. I have sent people to check them one by one, but so far I have not found any."

Xiao Zhanbai took the roster and quickly flipped through it.

Her gaze quickly fell on one of the names.

"Crazy Swordsman, Xue Shan?"

“Yes.” Constable Wang nodded. “This Old Xue is the most famous rogue swordsman in Qingzhou City. He has the cultivation of the peak of the Sea Condensation Realm and his Whirlwind Sword Technique is superb.”

"Moreover, this person has an eccentric personality, both righteous and wicked, and is indeed suspected of committing the crime. Our people have already contacted him, but he vehemently denies it, and we have no evidence."

Xiao Zhanbai closed the register and said coldly, "The lack of evidence doesn't mean it wasn't him. Keep an eye on him."

Just then, a disciple from Tianjian Manor rushed over and handed a jade slip to Xiao Zhanbai.

"Senior Sister Xiao, this is the young master's order!"

Xiao Zhanbai took the jade slip and probed it with his divine sense.

A moment later, her expression became even more serious.

The jade slip was sent personally by the young master, Jian Wuchen. The content was very simple, consisting of only one sentence.

The murderer must be apprehended within three days to serve as a warning to others.

An invisible pressure instantly enveloped Xiao Zhanbai's heart.

She knew that the young master was angry.

After all, the prestige of Tianjian Manor cannot be challenged, especially at this sensitive time when a grand trade event is being held; it cannot afford to be compromised.

Therefore, if this matter is not handled properly, she, as an elite disciple of the Enforcement Hall, will likely also be held responsible.

"Pass on my orders!" Xiao Zhanbai's voice suddenly rose, filled with a chilling aura, "Intensify the investigation! Even if you have to dig three feet into the ground, find the murderer!"

"Yes!"

The disciples present responded in unison.

……

Chen Ye was naturally unaware of these matters.

He was currently busy at the stall with Su Yuan and Yun Heqing.

Last night's incident was just a minor episode for him.

The most urgent task is to make money.

"What's the next, the next treasure?"

Yun Heqing had just sold a piece of ordinary jade with a bit of spiritual energy that Chen Yehua had bought for fifty taels of silver. However, he had touted it as a treasure that could nourish the soul and prolong life, and it was eventually sold for a high price of one hundred and twenty taels. He was beaming with excitement.

The feeling of making a fortune just by talking is simply wonderful.

Chen Ye didn't say anything, but took something else out of his bag.

This is a piece of wood that looks dark and charred.

"Brother Chen Ye, what... what is this thing again?" Yun Heqing looked at the charred piece of wood, somewhat bewildered.

This thing looks like a fire poker dug out of some stove.

Can this be sold for money?
Chen Ye explained casually, "Lightning-struck wood contains a trace of lightning power."

He had just bought this for fifteen taels of silver from a stall selling all sorts of strange and unusual materials.

Under the Asura's Eye, there were indeed tiny, finer purple arcs of electricity flickering inside the charred wood.

Although the energy is very weak, it still has some value for some cultivators who practice thunder magic or need to use thunder power to refine magical artifacts.

"Lightning-struck wood?" Yun Heqing's eyes lit up, and his mind immediately became active.

Then he cleared his throat, picked up the piece of charred wood, and began a new round of performance.

"Fellow Daoists, fellow immortals, look! Heavenly lightning tempers the body, divine wood descends from the heavens! This is the core of a thousand-year-old peach wood, forged on a stormy night by drawing upon the divine lightning of the nine heavens. It contains the most powerful and yang thunderous force, the nemesis of all demons and evil spirits!"

"Wearing it on your body will protect you from all evil! Using it to refine magical artifacts will imbue them with lightning attributes, multiplying their power! Don't miss out!"

His shout attracted a large crowd.

Chen Ye took this opportunity to leave his stall, rejoin the crowd, and begin a new round of purchasing.

Meanwhile, in Qingzhou Prefecture, inside a tavern called Jieyou.

This is one of the most popular gathering places for independent cultivators in the city, because the tavern owner is Xue Shan, the famous Mad Swordsman of the city.

At this moment, Xue Shan, shirtless and revealing his bulging muscles and crisscrossing scars, sat behind a table drinking with an air of superiority.

Although he was a master at the peak of the Sea Condensation Realm, he was generous and unconcerned with trivial matters, so he was well-liked among the rogue cultivators.

The tavern was thriving, with customers playing drinking games, chatting, and having a great time.

Just then, the tavern curtain was lifted, and two uninvited guests walked in.

Leading the group was Xiao Zhanbai from Tianjian Manor, followed by a helpless-looking head constable, Wang.

The moment the two entered, the entire tavern fell silent.

All eyes turned to Xiao Zhanbai.

There was no way around it; this disciple from Tianjian Manor was simply too eye-catching. His aloof and unapproachable demeanor clashed completely with the lively atmosphere of the tavern.

"Oh, isn't this Fairy Xiao from Heavenly Sword Manor? What brings you here?"

Xue Shan looked up, saw who it was, grinned, and revealed a set of white teeth.

Then, while wiping the wine bowl in his hand, he said unhurriedly, "However, my little tavern cannot afford to entertain such an important person as you."

His words carried an obvious hint of mockery and detachment.

Clearly, Xue Shan did not have much affection for prestigious sects like Tianjian Manor.

Xiao Zhanbai ignored his teasing and walked straight to his desk, coldly asking, "Xue Shan, where were you last night at midnight?"

Xue Shan's smile faded, and he raised his head, looking coldly at Xiao Zhanbai.

"Little girl, are you interrogating me?"

　I wrote 10,000 words in a month, and I did it! (Proud face) I would also like to thank everyone for their support. I hope you will continue to subscribe and vote.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)