Chapter 63: The Exorcist Bureau Commander
Chapter 63: The Exorcist Bureau Commander
"Gu Qingfeng of the Gu Family!"
"Suspected to be a Bone Washing Realm martial artist!"
"Unknown origins. Founded the Gu Family in White Stone City ten years ago. Has always been low-profile, but recently eliminated the Qin Family, Iron Bone Gang, and other forces, unifying the entire White Stone Region."
"Then, not long ago, he went to Qingyang Sect and slew the old patriarch—"
All the information about the Gu Family and Gu Qingfeng now lay in Lu Wenxuan's hands.
A moment later.
Lu Wenxuan clenched his fingers, and the paper crumbled into dust and vanished.
At that moment.
In the study of the Exorcist Bureau, another person was present.
"It's been a long time since a Bone Washing Realm martial artist has appeared in Guangyang Prefecture. According to the information, the head of the Gu Family is not that old, not even in his forties, and has already reached the Bone Washing Realm. With his talent, if he has the right lineage, he might even reach the Viscera Refinement Realm one day. Even if he doesn't become a Grandmaster, he would still be a significant asset."
The speaker was Jiang Qin, a deputy commander of the Guangyang Prefecture Exorcist Bureau.
Lu Wenxuan's expression remained cold.
"Subduing this person won't be easy. The information we gathered shows that he is proud and ruthless, not the type to bow down easily. Making him serve the Exorcist Bureau won't be simple."
"Hmph, no matter how strong he is, he's still just a Bone Washing Realm martial artist. Does he really think that by destroying Qingyang Sect, he can become invincible?"
Jiang Qin sneered, his face filled with disdain.
"We've encountered proud martial artists before. Whether through threats or inducements, they all end up kneeling for the Exorcist Bureau.
"Top martial arts techniques are strictly controlled by the various sects and noble families. If the Exorcist Bureau offers him Viscera Refinement level techniques, I don't believe he could resist.
"Even if he isn't tempted by martial arts, the method of purging evil into the body is something no one can refuse."
As he spoke, Jiang Qin's eyes flashed with a cold light, and his face was filled with a killing aura.
"If the Gu Family truly refuses, then we'll just destroy them. This world ultimately belongs to the sorcerers.
"He's just a non-sorcerer martial artist who killed Qingyang's old patriarch and destroyed Qingyang Sect, which has surely angered many other forces.
"Even if the Exorcist Bureau directly moves to destroy the Gu Family, no one will say anything. If we destroy the Gu Family, the territories previously controlled by Qingyang Sect will fall into our hands."
Qingyang Sect had stood in Guangyang Prefecture for hundreds of years, with deep roots. Supporting a new force to take over Qingyang Sect's territory would be a good move.
If Qingyang Sect were still around, the Exorcist Bureau wouldn't act rashly.
After all, destroying Qingyang Sect might be easy, but the troubles that follow would be significant.
The Exorcist Bureau is nominally under the jurisdiction of the court, but in the current world, the court is not the only voice.
Many ancient noble families and sects are even feared by the court.
Qingyang Sect is a sorcerer sect.
One move could set off a chain reaction.
With the Exorcist Bureau's current status, there must be a reason to act against Qingyang Sect.
But the Gu Family is different.
The Gu Family is a martial artist family with no sorcerers.
In the current world, sorcerers are the true rulers at the top. Martial artists are only revered by ordinary people. In the eyes of true sorcerers, martial artists are just that.
So.
The Evil Suppression Bureau couldn't justifiably target the Qingyang Sect without a reason, but dealing with the Gu family wouldn't be much of an issue.
Upon hearing this, Lu Wenxuan pondered for a moment before nodding.
"Then I'll leave this matter to you. Additionally, the malevolent spirit that disappeared in the neighboring county ten years ago seems to be showing some signs of activity. If you can locate and suppress it, the Evil Suppression Bureau will gain another powerful ally!"
"Has that malevolent spirit fully recovered its strength over the years?"
Jiang Qin's expression turned grave.
Back then, the Evil Suppression Bureau had deployed many powerful individuals to deal with that malevolent spirit, even sacrificing the lives of several county towns to consecrate forbidden weapons. Despite these efforts, the Bureau suffered heavy losses.
It was a pyrrhic victory.
That was the public story.
In reality, almost all of the powerful individuals sent to suppress the malevolent spirit perished. Only one Spirit Master, who was severely injured, managed to return to the Bureau with the forbidden weapon. However, he didn't survive for long. The malevolent spirit within him resurfaced, but fortunately, it was suppressed by the Bureau's other powerful members, preventing any major unrest.
Since then, the malevolent spirit had vanished without a trace. The Bureau's numerous investigations had yielded nothing.
Now, Lu Wenxuan's mention of the spirit's activity came as a shock to Jiang Qin.
At its peak, that malevolent spirit was a Calamity-level entity, far beyond the capabilities of a Spirit Master to handle.
Lu Wenxuan continued, "Although the malevolent spirit wasn't sealed by the Evil Suppression Bureau, it suffered severe injuries. Over the years, it has acted covertly, with minimal reports of large-scale killings. Without the nourishment of human blood and flesh, its recovery has been limited. If we can suppress it, it will be a significant achievement."
"According to the information, the malevolent spirit has been spotted in the area around the Qingyang Sect. Since you are heading there, you can investigate. It would be best if we can find it, but if not, that's also acceptable."
Lu Wenxuan concluded.
Jiang Qin nodded slightly.
If he could bring the Gu family under control and have them help find the malevolent spirit, that would be ideal. If not, he would eliminate the Gu family and support another force to serve the Evil Suppression Bureau. With the Qingyang Sect already destroyed and no other major powers intervening, the Bureau could quickly take control of the territory.
---
Meanwhile, as the Evil Suppression Bureau made its move, various forces in Guangyang Prefecture turned their attention to the Baitashi Dao.
For a time, the martial world was filled with hidden currents.
Gu Qingfeng, however, paid little attention to these matters. He was currently dedicating himself to intense cultivation, quietly enhancing his strength.
The destruction of the Qingyang Sect had yielded many powerful martial techniques, particularly those that refined the body. If he could master them all, even if it didn't lead to a breakthrough in his cultivation, it would significantly improve his overall strength.
Having recently advanced to the Viscera Refinement stage, Gu Qingfeng's martial prowess was far beyond what it once was. Many techniques that were previously difficult to master were now within his grasp.
Perhaps driven by a perfectionist streak, Gu Qingfeng spent several days refining the few lower-tier martial techniques he possessed to their peak before moving on to the more advanced techniques.
(End of Chapter)
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