Fairy, please don't do this!

"You'll know once you try it."

Gu Jinzhao smiled slightly, said nothing more, picked up the calico cat, and headed towards the morgue.

Before long, the calico cat approached the five bodies covered with white sheets and gently sniffed them with its pink nose.

Then, she raised her two front paws and made a few gestures in the air as if casting a spell: "Boundless Heaven and Earth, Tracking for Ten Thousand Miles..."

The calico cat naturally didn't understand anything about the "Qi-seeking technique." All of this was secretly instructed by Gu Jinzhao.

In the game, he spent the longest time and failed the most times following the pure love route with Xiao Qingyi.

Almost every time you start over, you have to re-enter the Demon Suppression Bureau and start all over again.

To save time and speed up the process, he compiled and organized all the cases and missions of the Demon Suppression Division during this period.

They know exactly how the heretical practitioners commit their crimes, where they hide, and how many accomplices they have.

In this way, whether he enters the Military Supervisor's Office or the Imperial Guard after his second chance, he can solve cases and make meritorious contributions as quickly as possible, stand out from the crowd, and enter the Empress Dowager Xiao Qingyi's sight as soon as possible.

At that moment, the calico cat suddenly opened her eyes and exclaimed sweetly, "Found them! They're hiding underground in the mortuary!"

"Underground of the mortuary?"

The four people in the courtyard looked at each other, their eyes all turning to Gu Jinzhao.

"Let's go to the mortuary."

Gu Jinzhao said no more and stepped out the door first.

The scheme set up by Zen Jing can just help him solidify his public image.

From the moment he decided to join the Demon Suppression Division, he had already decided on the role he would play in the Cangyue Dynasty—the White Tiger Guard, who was mortal enemies with evil.

Whether it's the Zhao family or some heretical sect or chaotic party, they will all become his stepping stones.

This action was intended to demonstrate to Empress Dowager Xiao Qingyi that Gu Jinchao had the law of the court in mind, a sense of justice and righteousness in his heart, and was bold yet meticulous, making him a capable person who could shoulder great responsibilities.

Only in this way can it become the sharp sword in her hand to cleanse the court of its corruption.

Of course, all of this is predicated on him ensuring his own safety.

This place is not the Qingyun Sect, but the Jade Capital City, a place like a dragon's den and a tiger's lair.

He has no foundation here. Even if he is a future sword immortal, if he is killed before he can grow up, he will only be a flash in the pan.

If the Zhao family, such a powerful and deeply entrenched entity, were to be dealt with decisively, there would likely be no way to resist them.

But Gu Jinzhao knew what was going on.

The Zhao family can't touch him.

Because some people didn't want to see him die.

For example, the King of Zhenbei, and the Underworld Cult.

If the Zhao family were to actually harm him, it would ruin their grand plan...

Chapter 102, First Day on Duty: Slaying the Boss with a Sword (3K)

Minghe Charity Estate, ten feet underground, hides a secret world.

This place was originally a private treasure vault set up by a powerful eunuch of the previous dynasty. After being abandoned for a hundred years, it was accidentally discovered by Liu Wuyan and his two companions, who then quietly transformed it into their dwelling.

Seven eternal lamps are embedded in the dome, their eerie green flames flickering erratically.

At this moment, Chen Qiqiao, dressed as a scholar, sat cross-legged on a futon, his eyes closed as he practiced breathing exercises, with a faint gray-white aura flowing around his body.

Liu Wuyan leaned against him, the black veil that she never wore on her face was now removed, revealing a face as pale as paper, yet exceptionally beautiful: "This time, we killed five White Tiger Guards. I wonder if this will attract the true powerhouses of the Supervisory Bureau."

A glint flashed in Chen Qiqiao's greyish-white eyes, and a mocking smile curled at the corner of his mouth: "No matter how hard those lackeys of the Demon Suppression Division rack their brains, they would never have guessed that not only did we not flee thousands of miles away, but we were hiding right below the scene of the crime!"

"Even if a commander of the Demon Suppression Division were to come in person, as long as he did not understand the mysteries of the formation, he would not be able to decipher the secrets of my [Sun-Shielding Banner]."

The 【Sun-Shielding Banner】 was a spiritual-grade magic artifact that he obtained from a dangerous secret realm in his early years. It can not only conceal one's figure and confuse one's aura, but also generate illusion arrays, and can be transformed into a killing array when necessary.

It was with this precious banner that the three of them were able to evade the pursuit of the Demon Suppression Division on several occasions, and even ambush and kill the White Tiger Guards.

Chen San, crouching in the shadows of the corner, grinned. The baby-mouth-shaped growth on his left palm opened and closed, spitting out wisps of sweet-smelling fungus: "Didn't that man in black robes say..."

“All the White Tiger Guards who come to hunt us down are just offering themselves up as blood essence.”

"As for the experts from the Military Supervisory Office, if they really wanted to come, they should have arrived long ago. Why wait until now?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Wuyan and Chen Qiqiao exchanged a smile, their expressions softening slightly.

A few days ago, a mysterious man in black robes found them and said that as long as they collected enough cultivators' essence blood, he could change their identities and completely get rid of the pursuit of the Demon Suppression Division.

The three men didn't believe it if it was just empty talk.

Only when the other party produced a [Blood Spirit Contract], demanding that both parties sign it with their blood, and then burned it on the spot to invalidate it, did they begin to believe it to a certain extent.

The Blood Spirit Pact is a soul contract. After both parties sign the contract by dripping their blood, their souls will be branded with a Blood Spirit Mark.

Once the terms of the contract are violated, the soul will be eroded until it collapses.

Although this contract only applies to cultivators below the sixth rank, it is by no means something that ordinary cultivators can easily produce.

Therefore, it can be inferred that there is likely a powerful force behind that man in black robes.

Chen Qiqiao was cautious by nature. Just in case, he secretly activated the [Sun-Shielding Flag] to create an illusion, pretending to burn the Blood Spirit Contract that had lost its spiritual light.

The real contract, however, was quietly hidden by him.

This item is irrefutable proof of the transaction between the two parties. If the matter falls into the hands of the Demon Suppression Bureau in the future, it may be used to exchange for a chance of survival.

Chen San licked his dry lips, a fierce glint in his eyes: "I just wonder when the next batch of essence blood will be delivered to my lips..."

Before the words were finished—

Boom!!

The boulders, carrying soil, poured down like a torrential rain, and the three eternal lamps on the dome went out in response.

A domineering crimson sword beam cleaved through the dust and pierced into the underground cave, accompanied by a cold shout: "Kun shifts, Xun wind rises, the illusion array is broken!"

Gu Jinzhao's figure shot in like lightning, his divine thoughts transmitting rapidly: "Wang Han and Ma Xu attack Chen San, Jiang Tinglan and Shao Baxing kill Liu Wuyan, and hand over Chen Qiqiao to me!"

Before Chen San could react, Wang Han and Ma Xu crashed down like meteorites, their blades flashing like bolts of lightning, slashing straight at his vital points.

In his haste, the mycelium in his palm surged forward to meet the attack, but it was completely burned away by the scorching blade light, hissing as it went.

Almost at the same instant, Chen Qiqiao was about to activate the [Sun-Shielding Banner] to form a killing formation when a figure rushed towards him!

The crimson sword light, like a dragon emerging from the abyss, pierced straight at his face, forcing him to first activate the protective light shield of the Sun-Shielding Banner.

With a loud clang, the light shield trembled violently, and ripples surged wildly.

However, the opponent's sword strikes were relentless, each strike faster than the last, like a sudden storm, causing the light shield to flicker and cracks to appear.

Just as the ripples of the light shield reached their peak, Gu Jinzhao clenched his left fist and suddenly unleashed a powerful punch!

The force of the punch was fierce and unparalleled, even carrying the sound of wind and thunder.

Chen Qiqiao's pupils shrank abruptly. Before he could react, he and the Sun-Shielding Banner were slammed into the stone wall behind him by the punch, sending rubble flying everywhere.

He groaned, his blood surging, and he tried to muster his spiritual power to get up and fight again, but suddenly a blazing sword light appeared before his eyes.

This sword strike, as brilliant as the rising sun, tore through the last defense of the Sun-Shielding Banner and pierced his chest with unparalleled precision!

Chen Qi coughed up a mouthful of blood, and tried to struggle with his secret technique, but his neck was already tightly gripped by a hand like an iron clamp.

Immediately, his vital energy and spirit began to flow uncontrollably and wildly, surging towards the other's palm like a river bursting its banks.

"Seize the Yuan... Demon..."

Before he could utter the last two words, his body visibly withered away, but the life force in his head remained intact.

Gu Jinchao cut off his head and took out a palm-sized mutton-fat jade pot and a crimson paper contract with a dark, blood-red glow from his pocket.

The jade pot is a container for storing essence blood, and this crimson paper contract is the [Blood Spirit Contract] that was not burned. It clearly states the contents of the transaction and bears the imprint of the essence blood of both parties.

Following this line of investigation, it won't be difficult to uncover the man in black robes behind the scenes.

The man in black robes was a seventh-rank retainer of the Zhao family.

After killing Chen Qiqiao, Gu Jinchao destroyed the body to cover up the crime, took the [Sun-Shielding Flag], and did not make any further moves.

With the combined strength of Jiang Tinglan and her three companions, dealing with the remaining two would be more than enough.

As expected, a short while later, Chen San and Liu Wuyan were both killed and their heads were cut off.

When dealing with demonic cultivators, the Demon Suppression Division has always adhered to the policy of "killing without questioning." Afterwards, either the corpse is brought back or the head is presented, and merits are recorded and rewards are given.

Thus, the Gengjin group achieved a resounding victory in their first battle, a truly perfect outcome.

Wang Han, Ma Xu, and Shao Baxing looked at each other, still feeling dazed: "This... is it over?"

Normally, tracking down the evil cultivators would take time, and planning a siege would require even more meticulous preparation, making a fierce battle almost inevitable.

Who would have thought that less than a day had passed since we set off?

If future cases are handled this swiftly, wouldn't merits accumulate very quickly?

Thinking of this, the three of them stared intently at the calico cat that had just jumped down from the cave entrance, their eyes filled with eagerness.

Only Jiang Tinglan glanced at Gu Jinzhao without leaving a trace, her eyes deep and intense.

Gu Jinzhao picked up the calico cat, his expression solemn: "Regarding the matter of Little Fox, I hope everyone will keep quiet."

He could have claimed to be an expert in divination, but if word got out, it would inevitably cause unnecessary trouble.

After all, he had already demonstrated his swordsmanship and martial arts at the Six Sects Heroes Gathering. If he were to add the Heavenly Mandate Path, it would be too shocking.

Wang Han and the other two exchanged glances, all revealing knowing smiles: "Don't worry, team leader! From now on, Xiao Li will be a secret of our Gengjin team, and no outsiders will know about her."

Ma Xu, all smiles, stepped forward and flattered, "Little Sister Li, just tell me what you'd like to eat in the future!"

Before the words were even finished, the calico cat's eyes lit up, and it began listing its favorite dishes with its paws: "I want steamed bear paw, roast duck, eight-treasure gourd chicken, braised chicken leg with soy sauce, braised pork knuckle with rock sugar, honey-glazed ham..."

Ma Xu's smile instantly froze on his face.

……

It was nearly dusk when Minghe returned to the military commandhouse from the Yizhuang.

Jiang Tinglan and the others went back to their duty room to rest and wait for their shift to end.

Gu Jinzhao then walked alone to the area of ​​the general's duty room, found the room with the nameplate "Zhao Jinbei" hanging above the door, and knocked lightly with his finger.

"Enter."

A deep, steady voice came from inside the room as someone pushed open the door and entered.

Zhao Jinbei was slightly surprised to see him: "What is it?"

If I remember correctly, the Gengjin Group should be busy chasing Chen Qiqiao and the others right now, so how could they have time to come here?

Gu Jinzhao bowed and said calmly, "Reporting to Commander Zhao, those three evil cultivators have been killed by the Gengjin Group."

Zhao Jinbei was taken aback: "So fast?"

According to his original plan, the Gengjin group should first find Chen San's whereabouts, and then follow the clues to find Liu Wuyan and Chen Qiqiao.

With Gu Jinzhao and Jiang Tinglan's cultivation levels, killing the three of them would not be difficult.

Then he could report to the Zhao family that Gu Jinzhao had forced the details of the transaction out of the evil cultivator and that he intended to investigate further.

To prevent the matter from being exposed, the Zhao family will naturally take action to deal with Gu Jinzhao and his party.

In this way, the scheme of using someone else to do the dirty work is accomplished.

Gu Jinchao appeared humble and did not take credit: "It was all thanks to the concerted efforts of my colleagues."

He paused for a moment, then took out the mutton-fat jade pot and the crimson Blood Spirit Contract from his bosom and placed them on the table.

"What's inside the jade pot is the essence and blood extracted by the evil cultivator."

"According to the Blood Spirit Contract, Chen Qiqiao and the others were hired by someone to attack the White Tiger Guards."

"If we simply ask the astronomers of the Imperial Observatory to use the [Qi Observation Technique] to trace the essence and blood aura left on this contract, it will not be difficult to find out the mastermind behind it."

Chen Qiqiao failed to destroy the Blood Spirit Contract?

How could the offerings and arrangements be so negligent!

Zhao Jinbei's heart sank slightly, but his face remained calm as he nodded in praise, "Well done."