Chapter 39: The Situation Changes

Although it was very foul-smelling inside, after being ventilated for a long time, the odor became much weaker.

The people from the Demon Suppression Bureau all went down for a look and carried up a strange object, blackish-red in color, resembling a jar.

They then placed that jar onto a carriage.

It seemed they had no intention of letting the four Spirit Hunters from Yulin County examine it.

Li Lin and the others were not particularly curious either.

Out here in the wilderness, curiosity could become one of the greatest causes of death.

After the Demon Suppression Bureau busied themselves for a while, Zhang Minsheng walked over, clasped his fists, and said, “This unexpected discovery was all thanks to Patrol Hunter Li’s clue. Once we return to Yulin County City, I will certainly request credit for your contribution.”

“Commander Zhang is too polite. This is the duty of us Spirit Hunters.”

“Hahaha, Patrol Hunter Li is truly an interesting fellow.”

After laughing a few times, Zhang Minsheng turned and left.

It seemed that this so-called request for credit was merely lip service.

Su Huafang smiled as he watched Zhang Minsheng’s retreating figure, then asked, “Should we go take a look? Though there probably isn’t much left inside.”

“You can always infer something from traces and clues.”

Bai Liwei stood up.

“I’m also curious about what’s down there.”

The four arrived at the entrance to the secret passage.

The rotten stench was even stronger.

However, the four did not go down together.

They split into two groups of two.

One group remained above to keep watch.

Li Lin and Su Huafang went down first.

Both had cloths wrapped over their noses and mouths, but the stench still assaulted their heads.

Holding a torch, Su Huafang illuminated the cellar.

Under the firelight, everything inside could be seen at a glance.

Several skeletons lay collapsed on the ground.

Behind them stood a wall embedded with iron shackles.

Clearly, this had been a place used for private torture.

Judging from the tattered clothing beside the skeletons and the structure of their pelvises, all of the people who had become these skeletons had been women while alive.

Li Lin frowned.

He could already guess what this place had been used for.

The pitiful women captured by the soldiers of this military town for venting their desires.

Seeing Li Lin’s expression, Su Huafang softly said, “You can tell from their clothing that they weren’t women of our Han people. They were southern barbarians. No need to be too upset. What I’m curious about is the connection between those southern barbarian women and the artifact that was carried up.”

Li Lin suddenly understood.

At this time, foreigners possessed no human rights.

To the Han people of this era, whether eastern barbarians, western tribes, southern barbarians, or northern tribes, anyone not registered in their household system was not considered human.

Li Lin rubbed his forehead and then looked around.

Other than the skeletons and some bloodstains, there was nothing else here.

So he put on the mask.

As expected, he discovered something.

The innermost wall was emitting a mass of black qi.

Li Lin put away the mask and pointed toward the inner wall.

Su Huafang immediately understood and began searching nearby.

It had to be said that the experience of an old veteran was invaluable.

Very quickly, he found the mechanism for a hidden door near one of the shackles.

With a gentle twist, a crack appeared in the wall.

The two pushed it open for a look, then immediately closed it again.

The reason was simple.

There was a great deal of money inside.

Gold and silver were piled all over the floor.

It was a sight that lifted the spirit.

The two exchanged a glance, nodded, restored everything to its original state, and walked back out.

The other two were just about to go down.

Su Huafang stopped them and said, “There’s nothing worth seeing down there. No need to go.”

After speaking, he gave a slight wink.

The two immediately took the hint and did not insist on going down.

Instead, the four gathered together again in a corner.

The four continued eating dry rations around a small campfire.

The people from the Demon Suppression Bureau were rather noisy.

The two groups were far apart, so they probably could not overhear any whispers here.

Unable to hold back, Zhao Hao asked, “What did you find down there?”

“Something good. We’ll keep it hidden for now and split it together later,” Su Huafang whispered.

Zhao Hao and Bai Liwei both nodded lightly.

Then no one spoke further.

Time quickly passed until deep into the night.

After the people from the Demon Suppression Bureau had finished making noise, they began resting and assigned personnel to stand watch.

The Spirit Hunters naturally did the same.

None of the four wanted to entrust their lives to the Demon Suppression Bureau.

Li Lin took the first watch.

The moon was bright and the stars sparse.

The other three sat with their eyes closed, resting.

Having nothing to do, Li Lin took out the mask and put it on again.

He merely wanted to study it and see whether it possessed any other functions.

But with a casual glance, he saw that there were two True Lords near the altar.

One was the red-furred, human-faced baboon.

The other was... a man with a bare upper body, but with more than a dozen women’s faces growing across his body.

Moreover, this man’s body was exceptionally huge.

The two True Lords were conversing and had not noticed Li Lin watching them.

Li Lin immediately removed the mask and put it away.

His heart was tense.

Then he gently woke the other three.

“What is it?”

The three almost simultaneously opened their eyes and vigilantly surveyed their surroundings.

Yet they found nothing unusual.

Li Lin whispered, “There are two True Lords.”

“I only saw one,” Zhao Hao whispered back.

Li Lin continued, “The other one... can only be seen while wearing the mask.”

The eyes of the three immediately sharpened.

“What does that True Lord look like?”

“Very strange.”

Li Lin lowered his voice.

“It looks like a man, but it has more than a dozen women’s faces on its body. The two True Lords were talking just now. I don’t know what they were saying.”

Fear suddenly appeared on Zhao Hao’s face.

He immediately said, “Run! We can’t stay any longer!”

As soon as he finished speaking, he sprang to his feet and ran.

Li Lin and the other two were stunned for a moment before immediately following after him.

The actions of the four attracted the attention of the Demon Suppression Bureau’s night watchman.

The man shouted, “Why are you running? What happened!”

His voice was extremely loud and immediately woke everyone.

Zhang Minsheng leaped up from his half-reclining position.

Looking at the four men who had already reached the city wall, his face darkened.

Then he watched as the four Spirit Hunters jumped off the wall without hesitation.

“They run pretty fast.”

He snorted and then said, “Make your move.”

Screams rang out.

Several members of the Demon Suppression Bureau were immediately stabbed in the back.

The dead stared at their familiar colleagues in disbelief before slowly collapsing.

Zhang Zuoqing walked over.

“Commander, should I bring them back?”

“Of course.”

Zhang Minsheng smiled.

“Without them, how are we supposed to pin the blame on that old bastard Huang Yan?”

Zhang Zuoqing chuckled.

Avoiding the blood on the ground, he took a few steps and leaped onto the city wall before also jumping down.

Meanwhile, on Li Lin’s side, the four had jumped down from the wall.

The other three landed with elegant movements.

Only Li Lin dropped like a lead weight and smashed into the ground.

His legs went numb.

Before landing, he had protected himself with yin energy, barely managing to absorb the impact.

The other three looked at him with strange expressions.

“Patrol Hunter Li, when we get back to the county city, I’ll give you a handwritten copy of a lightness skill.”

Zhao Hao laughed loudly.

“I truly didn’t expect that you don’t know any qinggong.”

Li Lin excitedly asked, “Really?”

Just as Zhao Hao was about to speak, a voice sounded from behind them.

“You’re not going back.”

A figure drifted down from the air.

At the same time, his fingers flicked repeatedly.

Several talismans fell before the four, forming a long wall of fire.

The wall of fire looked ordinary, yet it was distinctly strange.

Approaching it caused the yin energy inside one’s body to fluctuate.

The person who landed was none other than Zhang Zuoqing of the Demon Suppression Bureau.

“This is troublesome.”

Su Huafang looked as though he were facing a formidable enemy.

“This guy’s talisman arts can target yin energy. We Spirit Hunters are countered by him.”

Zhang Zuoqing slowly walked forward, wearing a smug expression.

“What Spirit Hunters? You’re nothing more than a group of shamans greedily coveting the yin energy of ghosts and monsters. Using primordial qi to cultivate oneself is the true broad and righteous path.”

The expressions of Su Huafang and the other two turned ugly.

It felt as though he had struck a sore spot.

But Li Lin’s eyes shone with excitement.

Because he saw a line of text.

【Talismans +1】

A new ability had appeared.