Cultivating Immortality in Two Realms: Sunflower Lord

The night the blood corpse vanished into thin air was an extremely turbulent night for Shen Lian and Han Ling.

After settling the wounded, the two highest-ranking officials of the Qinglan County Night Patrol Division did not return to their respective residences to rest.

They returned to the narrow alleyway where the fierce battle had taken place, and to the larger area around it.

Shen Lian's divine sense was like the most intricate net, sweeping over every inch of land, every piece of rubble, and even the shallow soil beneath the ground.

He tried to catch any clues the blood corpse might have left behind when it escaped—unusual yin energy fluctuations, remnants of escape techniques, or a trace of blood energy that had not yet dissipated.

Han Ling's is even more delicate.

She lit the specially made "Yin-Seeking Incense," and the pale blue smoke drifted in the night breeze, extremely sensitive to evil spirits.

She examined every suspicious shadowy corner, and even used several of the company's treasured "spotting charms" in an attempt to make the invisible footprints appear.

However, it was all in vain.

The blood corpse seemed to have never existed. Apart from the bloodstains on Ji Ruchang's broken sword and traces of the fight, there were no clues left to follow.

That powerful Yin energy dissipated completely into the air in a very short time, leaving no trace.

"How could this be?" Han Ling frowned, a rare hint of anxiety appearing on her usually cold face. "Even if it's skilled at concealment and incredibly fast, it couldn't possibly completely evade your divine sense, much less leave without leaving a trace. Unless…"

"Unless it didn't escape," Shen Lian interjected, his voice low and filled with deep doubt, "but rather... truly 'disappeared' in some way we can't understand."

The two exchanged a glance, both seeing the seriousness and confusion in each other's eyes.

Such situations, which fall outside the realm of common sense, often mean even greater trouble.

As dawn broke, the two returned to the company, exhausted and filled with even deeper worries.

They issued the highest level of alert, canceling all night patrol shifts and increasing patrol density and coverage, especially at night.

However, for the next three days, Qinglan County fell into an unusual and unsettling calm.

No new murders have occurred.

Even the low-level wandering spirits, ghosts, or weak evil spirits hiding in corners that used to appear almost every night and require night watchmen to deal with seemed to have disappeared overnight.

There are more stray cats and dogs out and about at night on the streets, and you can occasionally hear them meowing.

Some bolder villagers even started to speculate whether some kind of powerful figure had come to the county town and driven away all the evil spirits.

But the atmosphere inside the Night Patrol Division grew increasingly tense.

Both the experienced Shen Lian and Han Ling knew that this was definitely not a good omen.

Evil spirits don't disappear without a reason. This unusual silence often means that a more powerful being is lurking in the shadows, or... that some balance has been broken and the evil spirits are instinctively avoiding something.

The shadow of the blood corpse still weighs heavily on everyone's heart.

Did it really leave?

Or are they lurking deeper and darker, brewing an even more terrifying attack?

Ji Ruchang behaved quite "well" during these three days.

He spent most of his time in his small courtyard, ostensibly to recuperate from his injuries.

He was given food and medicine every day, which he took on time. Occasionally, he would walk slowly in the courtyard to stretch his muscles and bones.

Sun Xiaowu and Qian Laoliu, who were both seriously injured, are also recovering well.

The three occasionally met in the courtyard, exchanged a few words, and their conversations mostly revolved around the terrifying moment that night and their physical recovery.

The three of them naturally knew nothing about the whereabouts of the blood corpse.

Ji Ruchang behaved no differently from the other wounded soldiers. He carefully controlled his emotions, not letting any of the elation he felt from the huge harvest in the courtyard show.

Only when he was alone and the night was deep in the quiet would he repeatedly "reminisce" about that thrilling sneak attack in his mind, feeling the steady increase of his true essence under the nourishment of the sun essence (which he had secretly used in small amounts), and the vague anticipation brought by the Golden Sunflower's growth reaching 72/100.

That dusty gray storage bag, like the most tempting treasure, constantly tugged at his heartstrings.

But he managed to resist the urge to immediately go into the courtyard and retrieve it.

He needs to wait for a safer, less noticeable opportunity.

News of the upcoming inspection envoy has already spread within a small circle of the department.

He had to make sure he didn't give himself away during the time "people from above" were coming.

On the morning of the fourth day, a group of people arrived in Qinglan County.

There were only three people.

The leader was a middle-aged man with a fair complexion, no beard, and sharp eyes like a hawk, dressed in a dark purple brocade robe.

His aura was as deep as the sea. Although he did not release it intentionally, he exuded an aura of authority as he walked. He was clearly a cultivator at the seventh level of the Qi Refining stage!

It was Wang Chongshan, the patrol officer dispatched by the prefectural night patrol office.

He was followed by two attendants, both of whom were at the fifth level of Qi Refining, with solemn expressions and taciturn demeanor.

Shen Lian and Han Ling had already led their men to wait respectfully in front of the Night Patrol Office.

After a brief greeting, Wang Chongshan got straight to the point.

"Shen, the garrison commander, and Han, the deputy garrison commander, the prefecture is already aware of the matter of the blood corpse."

This scoundrel is vicious and unruly. He killed my colleagues from the Night Patrol Division without permission and has since disappeared without a trace, posing a great threat.

"I have been ordered to come here, firstly to ascertain their whereabouts, and secondly to assist in their suppression." Wang Chongshan's tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable authority.

"Thank you for your help, Inspector Wang! The department has fully cooperated," Shen Lian said, bowing.

Wang Chongshan said no more and took out a palm-sized, round bronze mirror with silver runes inlaid on the edge and a hazy, watery surface from his bosom.

"This is the 'Evil-Revealing Mirror,' which can reveal the origin of Yin energy and expose the traces of evil spirits," he explained simply, before channeling his true energy into the mirror.

"Buzz—"

Suddenly, the mirror shone with a hazy light. The scene in the mirror was no longer a reflection, but rippled like water, revealing the indistinct outline of Qinglan County. Auras of light, some strong and some weak, and of various colors, faintly appeared in various parts of the county in the mirror.

Most of them are very faint gray or black specks of light, representing scattered wandering spirits and yin energy.

In a few places, there were relatively solid red and green spots of light, exuding an ominous aura.

"As expected, they've hidden themselves well." Wang Chongshan sneered, gesturing with his finger on the mirror. "These areas where yin energy is concentrated must harbor evil spirits. Commander Shen, immediately gather your men and follow me to eliminate them one by one!"

"yes!"

Guided by Wang Chongshan's "Evil-Revealing Mirror," the Night Patrol Team of Qinglan County became much more efficient, as if they had a clear map.

The first location is the abandoned dye house cellar in the east of the city.

A "Changgui" that feeds on the life essence of livestock was hidden there, but it was destroyed by a golden light casually thrown by Wang Chongshan.

The second location was an old locust tree on the edge of the shantytown in the south of the city. The heartwood of the tree was hollow, and it had nurtured a "locust tree spirit" that was about to become powerful. The people worked together to cut down the trunk and burn it with real fire.

The third location is the basement of a long-abandoned, haunted house in the west of the city.

The two malevolent spirits, a mother and child, were locked in a fierce struggle, devouring each other and entangled in resentment. However, they were quickly purified by the combined attack of Wang Chongshan, who was at the seventh level of Qi Refining, and the others.

Three well-hidden evil lairs were destroyed in succession, and five evil spirits of various kinds were killed.

The gloom over the entire Qinglan County seemed to dissipate somewhat as a result.

However, from beginning to end, the "Evil-Revealing Mirror" never showed any dense, dazzling scarlet light spots that represented the level of blood corpses.

After the operation was over, Wang Chongshan returned to the front hall of the Night Patrol Division. His face was calm, but a hint of contemplation flashed in his eyes.

Shen Lian presented the broken Fire Copper Sword, which had been sealed away long ago and was stained with the blood of the corpse.

Wang Chongshan took the evil-sealing talisman bag, unsealed it, carefully sensed the residual blood aura on the broken sword, and then took out a jade talisman engraved with complex runes, introducing a trace of blood aura into it.

The jade talisman glowed faintly, with runes flowing around it, but it quickly dimmed and became unresponsive.

"The Blood Tracking Technique is ineffective." Wang Chongshan put away the jade talisman, looked at Shen Lian and the others, and announced the result, "There are two possibilities. First, this fiend is dead, and its essence has dissipated, so it cannot be tracked."

Everyone's spirits lifted.

"Secondly," Wang Chongshan changed the subject, "it is at least a hundred miles away from here, or it is in a place with special restrictions that can prevent tracking, so it cannot threaten this county in the short term."

Regardless of the method, Qinglan County has temporarily escaped the direct threat of the blood zombies.

Everyone in the hall, including Shen Lian and Han Ling, breathed a sigh of relief.

After days of tension, I can finally relax a little.

"Even so, we must not let our guard down," Wang Chongshan instructed. "Strengthen patrols and be alert for any unusual activity. I will stay here for two days to confirm that everything is alright before I leave."

"Yes! Thank you, Inspector Wang!" Shen Lian bowed solemnly.

The news quickly spread throughout the Night Patrol.

The shadow of death that had loomed over everyone for days seemed to have truly dissipated.

Laughter and chatter returned to the canteen, and even the footsteps of those on patrol seemed lighter.

In the back room, Ji Ruchang listened to the news brought back by her colleagues, gazing at the darkening sky outside the window, a barely perceptible smile curving her lips.

died?

Yes, he is indeed dead.

Dead beyond dead.

Moreover, they left him a great gift.

Ji Ruchang: After some time, it's time to go and reclaim what belongs to us.