CHAPTER 163: CHAPTER 153: ADVANCEMENT, BUTCHER

The courtyard was as silent as a needle drop.

Several gazes sharp as knives pierced through Xiyun, causing cold sweat to trickle down his forehead.

As he wiped his brow with his fingertip, he felt his knuckles trembling slightly.

Had he delayed speaking for another moment, the decisive golden blades of the Jinzhou Guards might have already cleaved that Pseudo-God in two.

The consequences of their wrath redirected at him would be unimaginable.

Yang Quanfeng’s voice was as cold as iron: "Do not delay any longer, quickly explain in detail how to unravel the grievances plaguing the Pseudo-God."

Once these words were out, Xiyun realized he shouldn’t stall any further, hurriedly putting down his right hand that was wiping the sweat.

"To resolve the grievances in one’s heart, one can transform them into motivation."

"Your esteemed selves can release it and suppress it simultaneously."

"Then, using my identity as a fellow Pseudo-God, I can resolve the grievances within my heart, turning them into motivation, thereby thoroughly unraveling them."

Upon hearing this, Yang Quanfeng frowned slightly.

He understood that there must be some truth in Xiyun’s words, but he did not grasp the mystery and rationale behind it.

The Evil Extermination Bureau has always focused on executing rather than teaching, and such a method of unraveling isn’t their forte.

Qin An tapped the knife sheath lightly with his finger, immediately drawing the attention of several Jinzhou Guards.

Yang Quanfeng asked, "Qin An, do you have any insights?"

When he spoke, he was conversing with Qin An as an equal; after all, according to the hierarchy of the Patrol Guard, a Patrol Silver Guard holds the status of a Jinzhou Guard.

Since this mission and the Pseudo-God were brought back by Qin An, even though the Jinzhou Guards were handling the matter, they had to heed Qin An’s suggestions.

Qin An’s eyes flashed slightly, and he raised his eyes, saying, "Why not give it a try? If it turns out ineffective, it’s not too late to execute it then."

Once these words were spoken, numerous Jinzhou Guards nodded in unison, finding Qin An’s words reasonable.

At most, it would only take a bit more time.

The decision was already made, and everyone exchanged glances, refraining from speaking further.

Yang Quanfeng lifted a huge hammer imbued with Wind and Thunder Power, crashing it towards the chains on the coffin.

The chains vibrated violently, only taking a few breaths of time before breaking bit by bit.

At the instant the chain shattered with a sound, a torrential Evil Qi surged through the courtyard like a breached dam.

The pitch-black coffin lid slowly opened, and a pale hand white as snow reached out from the coffin’s edge.

The gaps in the coffin grew wider, and after another few breaths of time, the coffin was completely pushed open by this pale, delicate hand.

At this moment, Qin An already had his hand on the sword hilt of Hanxing, with the blade drawn more than three inches out of the sheath.

He raised his gaze, taking in the scene within the coffin with his eyes.

Within the coffin, the Evil Qi rolled like ocean waves.

In the icy Evil Qi, a woman in a goose-yellow dress stood quietly amidst the Evil Qi, her raven-black hair cascading to her waist.

Her eyes were tightly shut, her long eyelashes trembled like butterfly wings, as if she were on the verge of waking up.

As the eyelashes fluttered, the Evil Qi transformed from clarity to chaos, seeming uncontrollable.

At this time, several Jinzhou Guards simultaneously placed their hands on the coffin, channeling True Qi into it.

The terrifying Evil Qi was instantly suppressed, the icy breath as cold as ocean waves gradually dissipating.

Yang Quanfeng turned his head and said harshly, "What are you still waiting for? Get to it!"

Xiyun nodded repeatedly, not daring to delay, then raised his fingers and made a virtual point.

The Pseudo-God’s aura transformed into a stream of light following the finger, merging into the brow of the woman in the coffin.

Subsequently, the woman’s Evil Qi became more turbulent.

Yet amidst the raging Evil Qi, a hint of clarity seemed to be gradually enlarging.

Qin An sat in the chair, not moving an inch, but his hands never left the sword Hanxing at his waist, ready to strike and slay the Pseudo-God before him at any moment.

After another few breaths, the woman in the coffin finally opened her eyes.

Between her eyes lay a calmness and clarity akin to a lake, with no trace of Evil Qi surfacing.

Xiyun’s face turned extremely pale, slowly retracting his hand, only then exhaling a breath: "Esteemed sirs, fortunately, I did not fail my duties, all the grievances within her have transformed into motivation. She is no longer a malicious Pseudo-God, but a benevolent one capable of sheltering others."

Yang Quanfeng released his grip from the coffin, nodding slightly: "Then that’s good."

They could also sense the aura on the woman, knowing that this Pseudo-God no longer harbored a murderous intent.

Subsequently, the remaining Jinzhou Guards all retreated together.

The clarity in the woman’s eyes turned to confusion, and then morphed into a trace of pain.

"Father is gone."

Her voice was like the song of an oriole, crisp yet carrying a few threads of sorrow.

Qin An tapped his finger on the knife sheath, saying, "How much longer do you plan to stay in the coffin?"

Only then did the woman react, lightly stepping out of the coffin, and giving a slight bow to those around her: "I am Huang Yue, greetings to all the sirs."

Her voice was as if pearls dropped on a jade plate, yet it could not conceal the sorrow.

Wan Ziqing spoke coldly: "Why did the Demon Hall harm your father? What involvement do they have with the Blood Frenzy Elixir in the black market?"

Now that this Pseudo-God before them had regained clarity, they also needed to pry some information from her.

Particularly the true purpose behind the Demon Hall’s production of Blood Frenzy Elixir in the black market.

Surely, it was more than just using the Blood Frenzy Elixir to elevate the power of demons, or they wouldn’t have laid such elaborate plans.

The Elder Monkey of the Demon Hall was the smartest strategist of the entire Demon Hall, exceptionally outstanding in intelligence, surely with backup plans.

When Huang Yue heard mention of the black market, the grief in her eyes intensified.

She could have transformed into a vicious Pseudo-God, but had long since turned her inner grievances into motivation, and this very motivation was to witness the downfall of the Demon Hall.

Huang Yue suppressed the sorrow in her eyes, gently parting her red lips: "Esteemed sirs, are the people here reliable?"

What she was about to disclose would be a matter of utmost importance, hence she needed to ensure the reliability of those around.

Yang Quanfeng’s gaze swept around, finally signaling to Xiyun: "Go on, find a State Official, they’ll have arrangements for you."

"The affair of Celestial Rain Village was due to the wrongdoing of those villagers. Those villagers will face appropriate punishment, ensuring that your past contributions to humanity are not overlooked."

The Evil Extermination Bureau naturally based their actions on evidence, Xiyun considered as a benevolent Pseudo-God had indeed contributed significantly to Celestial Rain Village, and future arrangements would be made accordingly.

Xiyun knew very well that on the surface, they were arranging him, but in fact, it was also to temporarily keep him away from certain secrets.

He was just a minor Pseudo-God, at most with the strength of the Jade Bone Realm, so he understood that some secrets were not meant for him to hear.

Hearing these secrets would come with a serious price.

Thinking of this, Xiyun quickly bowed and left the small courtyard.

After Xiyun left, Wan Ziqing continued to speak.

"These people are trustworthy now, you can reveal the complete plans of the Demon Hall."

Huang Yue nodded slightly, gritting his teeth, a hint of hatred flashing in his eyes: "They use the black market as a cover to conceal the refining of the Blood Frenzy Elixir, their purpose is related to the Demon Transformation Pool."

Upon hearing this, the various Jinzhou officials exchanged glances, each seeing a hint of surprise in the other’s eyes.

They knew that this was far from simple.

Qin An, who had communicated with the former owner of the black market not long ago, already knew about the connection between the Blood Frenzy Elixir and the Demon Transformation Pool, so he wasn’t too surprised.

What he wanted to know now was, what was the follow-up plan?

Huang Yue paused briefly and continued, "The Demon Transformation Pool can turn ordinary animals into Body Storage Realm monsters. If a large number of Body Storage Realm monsters consume the Blood Frenzy Elixir, they can temporarily transform into Jade Bone Realm monsters."

"If there were endless Blood Frenzy Elixirs, it would be equivalent to having endless Jade Bone Realm monsters, putting Lingzhou in unimaginable danger."

Every word was like a nail driving into the hearts of the Jinzhou officers.

Yang Quanfeng slammed his hand on the table, which cracked with a sound, unable to suppress the chill in his heart: "If they succeed, Lingzhou will be completely destroyed."

An endless number of Body Storage Realm monsters alone could cause significant turmoil.

The reach of the Evil Extermination Bureau’s arm, no matter how long, was ultimately limited; they couldn’t cover every inch of Lingzhou.

If these Body Storage Realm monsters were to consume the Blood Frenzy Elixir again, bringing their strength close to the Jade Bone Realm, the havoc they would wreak would sweep across Lingzhou like a storm.

At that time, not to mention the Evil Extermination Bureau, even every piece of Lingzhou wouldn’t be spared.

Huang Yue clenched his fists: "That’s right, all of you must be cautious. If anything like the black market occurs again, we will face countless monsters that have consumed the Blood Frenzy Elixir."

Wan Ziqing decisively stood up and said: "This crisis needs to be reported immediately to the Prefecture for them to decide."

The rest of the Jinzhou officers nodded, agreeing with Wan Ziqing’s suggestion.

The matter was too significant, beyond the authority of the Jinzhou officers to decide.

All decisions had to be handed over to the Prefecture.

If situations like the black market emerge a few more times, Lingzhou’s destruction will be inevitable, and they would bear infamy for eternity.

As the matter was clarified, no one stayed any longer.

Huang Yue was naturally taken away by Jinzhou officials for further handling.

Qin An had heard all the secrets, and there was a heavy expression on his brow.

The Demon Hall couldn’t sit still recently, and the crisis of Lingzhou had already shown signs.

What plans Elder Monkey of the Demon Hall might have next was uncertain.

Qin An sat alone in the chair, moonlight poured down like water, flowing on his scabbard like a galaxy.

The conspiracy of the Demon Hall had shown its clues, and the most urgent task was to quickly break through to the seventh-level Butcher Realm, mastering the Ice Flame Heart-breaking Technique and Weak Water Three Blades.

Only with strong personal strength can one cope with the impending crisis.

Yang Quanfeng didn’t linger, nor did he continue to talk with the Jinzhou officers, but left the courtyard together with Wan Ziqing.

They were headed for the Tongzhou Prefecture.

After leaving the courtyard, Qin An returned to his own room.

It was already late at night, and he didn’t linger outside, holding the handle of the Cold Star, he lay down and fell into a deep sleep.

...

The next morning, golden light shone in through the window, casting a golden shade.

Dust floated in the sunlight.

Qin An woke up early, first went out for breakfast, and then headed to a nearby butcher shop on the street.

Recently, he didn’t plan to take on any tasks.

Firstly, he wanted to upgrade his butcher profession to the seventh-level, merging the Ice Flame Heart-breaking Technique with the Weak Water Three Blades.

Secondly, he wanted to see how the Prefecture would handle the matter regarding Huang Yue.

Once he upgraded his butcher profession to the seventh-level, Qin An would take on the mountain patrol tasks to continue enhancing his strength.

In front of the butcher’s stall.

A robust butcher was diligently cutting pork.

Noticing Qin An approaching, the butcher instinctively looked up, showing a hint of confusion.

"I wonder what business brings this gentleman to my humble shop?"

Since he was moving around in Lingzhou, Qin An naturally had his waist badge hanging at his side.

Combined with his black attire and the long knife at his waist, his identity was obvious.

Qin An briefly explained his intentions and then took out silver coins, placing them on the counter.

With the backing of identity and silver coins, the butcher readily agreed.

Qin An, holding the butcher’s sharp knife, replaced the butcher’s position, and skillfully went about the slaughtering duties in the shop.

He himself was from a butcher’s background, having made a living with this skill in Ding County.

Having not butchered for a long time, he felt a bit nostalgic.

From morning until nonstop slaughtering in the afternoon, his proficiency had increased slightly.

At this moment, night had fallen.

The fiery red of the sunset spread like a burning cloud across the sky.

Qin An inserted the sharp knife into the counter, made a few exchanges with the butcher, and said he’d return the next day, then walked towards the Evil Extermination Bureau.

On his way back, the distant sunset grew darker.

Until the moonlight broke through the clouds, Qin An paused not far from the Evil Extermination Bureau.

A familiar figure slowly emerged from the shadows ahead.