Refining the True from the False: Becoming a God Starting with Devouring a True Dragon

Chapter 89 The Power of the Rising Sun: Is the Exorcist Guild Doomed? Assassin's Class Skill "Invisibility" (5k)

Wang Qi took out the book on the One Yang Needle Technique.

Appreciate the secret manuals passed down by the master of the Rejuvenation Sect.

【One Yang Needle Technique: Gathering the brilliance of the great sun, condensing it into a single, sharp point. One yang illuminates the path ahead, breaking through the most perilous obstacles, opening up all difficulties, with the most intense and blazing light—.—·】

Wang Qi read through this secret manual and its techniques, and couldn't help but admire it.

Although Shi Jun and Zhuang Yuan's character was questionable, Wang Qi had already discerned some suspicious signs about Zhuo Huai'an, the master of the Yi Yang Needle Technique, from the secret manual in his hand alone.

This is a highly accomplished person.

"The One-Yang Needle Technique is both an exorcism technique and a secret offensive technique."

"Eat the 'primordial yang energy' at the time of sunrise every day, and let it enter your chest and merge with your internal energy. This will form a scorching yang energy."

"When exerting power, one concentrates all the yang energy into a single point."

"Needle tip, fingertip, gun tip—"

"To maximize penetrating power."

This is undoubtedly a very powerful and deadly move.

It's a deadly move that can penetrate armor and defense.

If Shi Jun were to actually use this move, Wang Qi would likely suffer heavy losses as well as his opponent.

"practice!"

The sun rises high, and its rays shine brightly.

Today is a rare sunny day.

However, the atmosphere inside the prefectural governor's mansion was somewhat oppressive.

The white-eyed girl sat in the main hall, seated to the right of Deng Liyang, the prefect of Dushui County.

And looking further down...

The Prefectural Governor Xiang Kang, the Chief Secretary Lu Jingcheng, and the Prefectural Magistrate Hua Weihua were all present.

of course,

The title of Prefectural Commander Hua Weihua sounds almost identical to that of Military Commander Huang Siye.

But the actual power is vastly different.

One was a military commander from a prestigious family, who led a naval force of 100,000 men from five counties.

One was a sixth-rank official who was nominally in charge of military training but had actually been demoted to the position of head of the city guard, responsible for maintaining the daily security of the county town. He was even subject to the command of the military government when mobilizing more than 500 people.

Further down,

The three elders of the exorcism guild were also present.

"What brings the Holy Maiden on this journey?"

Deng Liyang asked with a smile.

Granny Yao, standing behind the white-eyed girl, spoke up, "The Grand Protector has appointed the Holy Maiden as the Inspector of Dushui County. She has only three things to do on this trip."

"The first thing, naturally, is to oversee the case of Heihe County's collusion with the demon race."

"Besides investigating those who directly colluded with the demon race, we also need to see if there are any people behind them, such as officials from the prefecture."

Deng Liyang immediately laughed and said, "Absolutely impossible!"

"The warriors of Dushui County all consider it their duty to break through the Demon Locking Cave and enter the Ten Thousand Demon Mountains."

"They hate the demon race to the core."

"There is absolutely no fertile ground for human rape to survive."

Granny Yao smiled and looked at Prefect Deng, saying, "Prefect, it's best not to speak too definitively. You'll know once the matter is investigated."

"The second thing."

"Intelligence indicates that on the same day that Heihe County was attacked, the Demon Locking Cave also exhibited unusual activity."

"Although the underground demon race and the demon race in the Ten Thousand Demon Mountains have always been considered two separate races, their irreconcilable differences are even greater than those between our human race and the demon race."

"But the Beiting Prefecture's intention is to thoroughly investigate potential threats and prevent the absurd situation in Heihe County, where no one noticed the demons attacking by water, from happening again."

Deng Liyang said solemnly, "I have already asked Hua Weihua, the Hua Sima, to handle this matter."

"The entire East City has now been investigated, and it is expected that the remaining three cities will be thoroughly investigated within two months."

"Once we've thoroughly investigated the situation in the city, we'll immediately head to the countryside—."

Hua Weihua immediately expressed his opinion.

"The last thing, and the most important."

Granny Yao looked at the white-eyed girl, but saw that she didn't intend to speak.

He then spoke up, "Someone submitted a complaint to the Northern Court Prefecture, saying that the exorcists of Dushui County do not take exorcising evil spirits and saving people as their duty, but instead amass wealth. They use the identity and unique abilities of exorcists to collude with those above and below them, engaging in corrupt practices between officials and merchants."

"They oppressed the people and established many unreasonable so-called rules of the trade. They restricted the development of exorcism practices and even created some kind of illegal exorcism—"

"As a result, public resentment boiled over, and disasters continued to occur."

"Many warriors cannot get medical treatment even if they spend money, and eventually they become alienated and degenerate."

Upon hearing this, the three elders of the exorcism guild's expressions changed slightly.

"Absolutely not!"

"There are reasons why my Exorcism Guild established those rules. Your Excellency Inspector may not know, but a few years ago—..."

He hadn't finished speaking.

The white-eyed girl interrupted him impatiently, saying, "Sir, you don't need to explain these things to me. I'm an amateur and don't understand."

"I'm just here on orders to resolve this matter."

"I can understand earning a living. If someone tries to make a little extra money or engage in petty profiteering, I can ignore it if I don't see it."

"But it would be bad if greed led to widespread resentment among the people."

"Especially since this is Dushui County, the front line against the demon race. It's also a place with a radical martial spirit, a model for the Northern Court—"

"What you're doing is even more wrong."

"It wasn't us—"

The elderly man with gray hair corrected him.

The white-eyed girl waved her hand dismissively, "I'm here with one attitude this time."

"Kill those who commit unforgivable crimes, arrest those who are wicked, punish those who steal petty things—and support the rest so that the spirit of exorcising evil spirits in Dushui County can be reversed."

"Exorcism is an important logistical support for the development of martial arts; it is like food and medicine."

"This cannot be ignored."

"This is an order from the Northern Court Prefecture, and also Huang Sima's suggestion."

That's all. I hope the three of you will cooperate.

The three elders' faces immediately darkened, and they looked at Prefect Deng Liyang.

"Your Excellency, please say something!"

Deng Liyang kept his eyes and nose closed, and turned a deaf ear to everything.

He had already received a tip-off before the girl arrived.

Why send a high-ranking official from the Protectorate instead of a person like the Holy Maiden of the Earth River Sect, who is known for her aloofness and coldness?

to be honest,

They took advantage of the fact that the Holy Maiden of the Earth River Sect was ruthless and possessed formidable strength.

In other words,

Perhaps the events in Heihe County prompted the higher-ups to make up their minds to address these problems.

Just like the information revealed by this Holy Maiden of the Earth River Sect.

Exorcism is an important part of the development of martial arts.

This was also a crucial step in strengthening the military and martial prowess of the entire Beiting Protectorate, including the crossing of the river.

Deng Liyang dared to speculate.

The incident in Heihe County did not diminish Master Huang's desire to re-enter the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain; on the contrary, it strengthened his resolve.

Otherwise, how could this situation have come to this?

Thinking of this,

He turned his attention to the three elders of the exorcism guild.

These three idiots don't seem to realize how serious the situation is.

"Prefect Deng?"

Grandma Yao looked at Deng Liyang.

Deng Liyang immediately smiled and said, "This humble official will certainly cooperate fully!"

Wang Qi practiced his skills at home for half a day.

He thought that once Shi Jun's death came to light, officials would surely come to question him, and after that, he would go out shopping to buy materials.

never thought,

The morning was peaceful and uneventful.

It wasn't until lunchtime that Wang Qi heard the diners around him excitedly talking about something important.

"Have you heard? The Holy Maiden of the Earth River Sect, carrying the Grand Protector's warrant and Master Huang's approval, is leading the City Guard to search everywhere for information about the Exorcism Association."

"Who doesn't know that?"

"Just before I left, the second-rank exorcist who lived next door to me at the Huitong Inn had his house raided."

"You know how much a house in our alley costs, a plot of land that costs two hundred taels, but they managed to confiscate three thousand taels from it! And there are two delicate twin beauties too."

"I heard they're the two who went missing last month."

"Those two daughters of Boss Wang?"

"Isn't that right!"

The fire-wielding fortune teller, Lin, also said, "This morning, a taxi driver wearing a city guard badge but speaking with a non-local accent came to see me, asking about my experiences at exorcism clinics over the past few years."

"You wouldn't believe it, his face changed completely when he heard that it cost twenty taels for a single acupuncture treatment, and the exorcising effect was barely noticeable!"

"Did you all know that Shi Jun and his apprentice died last night?"

Someone said something.

All the diners present looked at Wang Qi.

Someone laughed and said, "Wang Yizhao, you don't need to worry about that bet anymore."

The person is already dead.

"Is that so?" Wang Qi smiled, feigning surprise.

"This time, the Protectorate General is serious!"

"I heard from the second son of my uncle's older brother, who works in the government office, that it was because the exorcism association had some inside information in advance."

"Shi Jun knew too many of the old hands' dirty secrets, so he was silenced by his own people."

"Really?!"

The group ate their meal and chatted about the dramatic changes that had taken place at the exorcism ceremony that morning.

"These exorcism societies should have been shut down a long time ago!"

"Illegal exorcisms—is this a rule that even a human being could come up with?"

"Who do they think they are? Prefects?"

"Hmph, I want to know now which corrupt official is backing them up!"

The more they talked, the more agitated and dangerous the conversation became.

Some words,

It had even become so extreme that if it reached the ears of the prefect, he would lose his head.

However, the people in the building seemed to be "deeply in love" and became increasingly unrestrained.

Wang Qi looked at the crowd, which was filled with indignation.

Remaining silent.

Although he couldn't fully empathize with the people who were born and raised in the county town.

However, based solely on his interactions with the Li brothers and Shi Jun and his apprentice over the past few days, Wang Qi had already come to deeply despise the absurd behavior of the exorcism guild.

They also illegally performed exorcisms.

I suggest hanging all of these people from the city wall!

Wang Qi thought this to himself, and then went out.

he knows,

With something like this happening today, it's unlikely anyone will bother him for a while.

Many people even applaud this.

Bafengfang.

Wearing a bamboo hat, Wang Qi walked into the market town, which had a very good reputation among the Li brothers.

Li Afu accompanied him as a tour guide.

I wonder if it was influenced by the arrival of the Holy Maiden of the Earth River Sect.

There were significantly fewer people at Bafengfang today.

"Our Bafengfang is actually a black market."

"Intelligence trading, hiring murderers, even the slave trade. It's all there."

"Of course, the main thing is still selling rare medicinal herbs and demon meat; that's the most common thing."

"If you sell to a legitimate butcher shop or pharmacy, you'll have to pay taxes."

"Of course, some are of dubious origin—such as those obtained through murder and robbery. Selling them openly would make it easy for enemies to track them down."

Wang Qi nodded.

He then inquired, "Where are there many medicinal herbs with exorcising effects?"

"If you want to buy medicine to ward off evil spirits, come this way."

Li Afu led Wang Qi to another street.

There are even fewer people on this street.

Moreover, the stall owners were very wary when they saw Wang Qi and Li Afu walk in.

One or two have even started packing their things and leaving.

Li Afu lowered his voice and said, "This is the medicine street in Bafengfang."

"Although various trades in the county have cracked down on these irregular gray-market businesses, the most ruthless of them are the exorcists."

"Because if these exorcism herbs are sold to the exorcism guild, their rules stipulate that the price will be reduced."

"There's such a saying?" Wang Qi frowned slightly.

Li Afu sighed, "If you sell to Zeshan Hall or Zhengping Hall, and secretly find a master craftsman to supply the goods to those big halls, they will bypass those rules."

"But if it's sold to the exorcism guild—"

"The price of medicinal herbs needs to be reduced by 20%!"

"Then why don't we just not sell it?" Wang Qi retorted.

"They're coming to collect it," Li Afu snorted. "Not selling? If you're not selling, it means you're not considering the development of martial arts in the county!"

"You are selfish."

"They're just like that tax collector; you can't afford to mess with them."

Wang Qi found this absurd.

"How dare they be so domineering? So unscrupulous?"

Li Afu nodded, "As the saying goes, one part profit makes people take risks, three parts profit makes people cunningly seize, five parts profit makes people commit murder and arson, and seven parts profit—then they'll turn their backs on even their closest relatives."

"Besides, he's an exorcist. If you practice martial arts—who can avoid hiring an exorcist to perform an exorcism?"

"Besides, they must be bribing officials and clerks every year."

"An impregnable fortress!"

"Of course, these are all just my guesses, and I can't guarantee they're true."

Li Afu made a disclaimer.

This exorcism guild is truly insatiable!

Wang Qi frowned deeply.

The exorcism guild takes a cut from the exorcists, another cut from the drug dealers, and finally makes a fortune from the patients.

They're sucking blood from everyone!

As they talked, they walked to a stall.

He hasn't even opened his mouth yet.

The other person spoke up, their words cold and indifferent, "I don't speak in the voice of strangers."

"Uncle Jiu, it's me."

Li Afu took off his straw hat and said with a smile.

"Hey, it's Afu."

The stall owner's icy demeanor melted instantly upon seeing Li Afu's face.

"This is—"

The stall owner lowered his head slightly and saw Wang Qi's face.

"Master Wang?"

The stall owner looked delighted.

"You recognize me?" Wang Qi asked in surprise.

"Who doesn't recognize you? Aren't you the one who gambled with Shi Jun at Songyue Tower?"

The stall owner smiled broadly.

"You're quite famous in our circle."

"The portrait has been circulated everywhere."

"We were thinking that when the day of the betting finally comes, we'll come and support you."

"Have you heard? Shi Jun is dead, and his apprentice is dead too—"

"Great news!"

"You've lost a formidable rival."

The stall owner suddenly became incredibly enthusiastic, "Take a look and see what you need."

He removed the black cloth covering the stall and took out a wooden box of materials from under the stone slab.

A jar of black cat blood, a jar of black dog blood.

Sun-dried and processed sweet flag, greenish-red in color, and sandalwood with mysterious patterns—

"Secret sandalwood, a medicinal herb that grows beside a withered tree bull demon. Its value is judged by its patterns, also known as growth rings. Each ring represents one year of age, and mine is at least ten years old. It promotes the flow of qi, relieves pain, and soothes the heart and blood."

"This red calamus grows on one side of the Blood Tiger Demon's den. This plant can open the orifices and invigorate the blood, so exorcists skilled in acupuncture often use it. Some bloodline pharmacists also use it after completing their sublimation and transformation. It's a truly sought-after commodity."

The stall owner spoke with great conviction.

Wang Qi laughed and said, "You know so much?"

"A medicine vendor is half a doctor, you know," the stall owner said proudly. "To tell you the truth, when my family members are sick, I don't even need to see a doctor—I just go straight to the pharmacy to get the medicine."

"Where do the people of our county usually go to gather herbs?" Wang Qi asked.

"Let's lock the demon's lair down there."

The stall owner began, "The martial artists and qi masters in our county are no exaggeration. They're way more ruthless than those in other counties and prefectures—they're all fearless."

"As long as you pay enough, or provide some valuable information or rare medicine or meat."

"Then everyone should rush to go right now!"

Wang Qi listened to the stall owner's boasting with a smile.

Wang Qi believed everything he said.

I'm already itching to try it.

He also wanted to go down into the Demon Locking Cave.

Unfortunately, the case in Heihe County is not over yet.

I wonder if the Holy Maiden of the Earth River Sect will be able to solve this case now that she's here.

What's the point of always dragging things out?

"What's the price of this red calamus?"

Wang Qi asked.

When he heard the words "Blood Tiger Demon," he had already set his sights on this medicinal herb.

It is certain that it can be combined with his Blood Tiger power.

"Forty coins a qian, but if you want more, I can give you thirty-five coins," the stall owner said.

One jin is ten liang, one liang is ten qian.

Li Afu whispered in Wang Qi's ear, "This medicine needs to be obtained from a pharmacy or the exorcism guild; it'll cost at least fifty coins..."

"Give me two jin."

"Black dog blood, one hundred coins per pound."

"Do you have the blood of the Moon Dog Demon?"

"I have some here." A vendor ran over from not far away.

"And there's also Moon Dog Demon meat!"

"Blood and flesh are both 380 coins per catty."

"Ten pounds of blood! One hundred pounds of flesh!"

"Secret Sandalwood."

"One pound!"

Ash Grass -

"Ten jin!"

Wang Qi began a large-scale purchasing spree.

Prices in the county town are indeed high.

However, without buying high-level demon meat, Wang Qi had more than enough money to spend on the five hundred taels of silver he received.

After a major shopping spree at Bafengfang.

Wang Qi only spent seventy-five taels of silver.

Besides the Moon Dog Demon Blood and Fire Ash Grass that he needed, and the Red Stone Sweet Flag that he had his eye on, he had a total of more than twenty kinds of materials.

After shopping, I went home.

Locked inside the house.

Wang Qi embarked on a major scientific research project.

First is the Moon Dog Demon Blood—

break!

A deep blue sheen appeared.

[Yin Dog Demon Blood: A superior demon of the Moon Dog Demon, it has abandoned the moon's light and completely hidden in darkness. Its blood is cold and icy, and it commands evil. It possesses an extremely strong suppressive power against evil spirits and demons. When applied to exorcising items...]

It can greatly enhance the power to ward off evil.

Wang Qi then looked at the flesh.

This time,

It has a pale purple sheen.

[Yin Dog Demon Flesh: This is a superior-ranking demon of the Moon Dog Demon, possessing the ability to completely conceal itself in darkness, making it a killer in the shadows. It can erase auras and fluctuations of blood energy—like the Grim Reaper, when the difference in cultivation level is not too great.]

The ability to hide in the darkness?!

Wang Qi instantly became excited; he had won the lottery.

Assassin skills.