The next morning.

In the Demon Bureau Clinic, Yuzhou City.

"What miraculous elixir did you take? The effect is amazing."

Anian lifted the bandage from Zhao Wanqing's hand and found that the knife wound, which had once been deep enough to see the bone, was now eighty percent healed.

Zhao Wanqing replied with a slightly strange expression, "I took a pill... a potion refined by a senior."

"Stretch out your hand, let me check your pulse."

Anian didn't really care what pill Zhao Wanqing had taken, as long as it hadn't killed her.

Hearing this, Zhao Wanqing placed her hand on the table.

Anian placed her small hand on Zhao Wanqing's wrist, and after a while, she looked at Zhao Wanqing with a peculiar gaze:

"Did you suffer a severe internal injury not long ago?"

Zhao Wanqing frowned slightly, "Yes, why?"

"The pulse is a bit strange, it seems to have healed a bit too quickly, probably due to the potion you took," Anian said lightly, lifting her hand.

"You're fine, recovering quite fast, and there's no sign of poisoning. Just rest well for a while, and you'll be back to your lively self."

"Thank you..."

Before Zhao Wanqing could finish speaking, someone called from outside the door,

"Captain Zhao, there's someone named Chu Xingchen asking for you at the door."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Wanqing quickly stood up and said apologetically, "Sorry, I have to go."

Anian watched Zhao Wanqing's hurried figure and shouted loudly, "Don't forget to rest well for a while!"

Otherwise, she'd end up back here lying down, and it would still be her own hard work.

Unfortunately, Zhao Wanqing did not respond to Anian's reminder.

——————

Zhao Wanqing hurriedly walked out of the Demon Suppression Bureau's gate and saw Chu Xingchen standing under a tree not far away. She quickly walked over.

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Chu Xingchen was the first to ask, "Did you report the situation of that village to the Demon Suppression Bureau?"

"I did, and it's being expedited."

"Expedited? How long?"

Zhao Wanqing smiled wryly, "About half a month or so."

"That's quite urgent. So now what? Do you plan to continue investigating on your own?" Chu Xingchen looked at Zhao Wanqing and said, "Even if you don't investigate, the promised spirit stones can't be less."

The investigation had to continue, after all, by the time the half-month process was over, the people would have long gone.

Zhao Wanqing asked in a puzzled tone, "Of course I have to investigate, but why didn't the person with me yesterday come?"

"You mean Li Xingtian?" Chu Xingchen said with a strange tone, "You spent four hundred spirit stones and still plan to hire a few more people?"

Zhao Wanqing quickly replied, "No, it's just that Brother Li is very capable."

After all, that sword strike was simply too stunning in Zhao Wanqing's eyes, not something that should belong to the Foundation Establishment Stage.

Moreover, he remained very calm throughout the investigation process.

Chu Xingchen didn't pursue the question further, and with a serious expression, he said:

"Alright, do you have any targets now?"

Zhao Wanqing was left speechless.

The Foundation Establishment peak evil cultivator from yesterday was probably left by that group of evil cultivators to check on the Demon Suppression Bureau's investigation progress and adjust their plans.

Moreover, that evil cultivator wasn't killed by Li Xingtian, so they might have already been alerted.

If they continued with the previous plan, they might just be played around by that group of evil cultivators, always coming up empty-handed.

The direction of the investigation probably needed to change to keep up with those evil cultivators.

But that's easier said than done, as the clues were already very scarce.

Chu Xingchen smiled and suggested, "If you have no ideas, why not come with me?"

Zhao Wanqing looked at Chu Xingchen in surprise, hesitated for a moment, and then nodded in agreement.

Since there were no leads, the one recommended by Yaoqin should be reliable. It wouldn't hurt to see if this senior had any good ideas.

Moreover, as Li Xingtian's master, this senior should be even more meticulous than his disciple.

Seeing Zhao Wanqing nod in agreement, Chu Xingchen turned and walked towards the outskirts of Yuzhou City, saying with a smile:

"Actually, solving a case isn't always difficult. You have to see the essence through the surface, don't get stuck on fixed clues, and use your imagination."

Zhao Wanqing frowned slightly at his words. They made sense, but using imagination also had to be based on some reality, otherwise, it would just be daydreaming.

Chu Xingchen glanced at Zhao Wanqing's silent demeanor and understood that she didn't really take his words to heart.

But it didn't matter, soon Zhao Wanqing would understand what it meant to take a different path.

From the south of Yuzhou City, the Yuzhou River connects to the inland and extends to the coast, making waterway transportation very developed.

In such terrain, smuggling is the most lucrative business.

Ordinary merchants smuggle private salt, hoard grain to drive up prices, while those with higher status deal in foreign antiques and exotic items.

But it's not just ordinary people who smuggle.

Cultivators do too, after all, they don't cultivate immortality just to deliver packages, and traveling by boat isn't exactly slow either.

Many cultivators with poor talent but who still pursue the immortal path also smuggle herbs, pills, or some things that can't be shown in public, to earn some spirit stones.

Everything in the world is about supply and demand; if someone needs it, someone will sell it.

Calling these people evil cultivators might be an exaggeration, but they are certainly not good people either.

They can be considered in a gray area.

As an official of Zhao Wanqing's level, she naturally wouldn't care about gray areas. She has her hands full dealing with evil cultivators and beasts, let alone catching those bottom-tier shameless cultivators.

Moreover, those bottom-tier cultivators aren't united; they form their own groups and protect their own small territories, unable to stir up much trouble.

But what Zhao Wanqing might not know is that those who can protect their small territories in such places might not be the strongest, but they are definitely the most well-informed.

If Zhao Wanqing understood the characteristics of this area, she wouldn't be showing such an expression now.

Chu Xingchen and Zhao Wanqing were currently standing at a remote offloading dock of the Canal Gang.

Not far away, someone was moving large cargo boxes on an old cargo ship.

Zhao Wanqing frowned at the shabby dock in front of her, where several Qi Refining cultivators were holding broken knives and glaring at her unfriendly.

She really didn't understand the point of coming here, did he want her to arrest these bottom-tier cultivators smuggling goods?

The dock guard spoke in an unfriendly tone to the two of them:

"What are you here for?"

Chu Xingchen gestured, "Show them your waist token as the Squad Leader of the Demon Suppression Bureau."

Although she didn't understand the purpose of coming here, Zhao Wanqing cooperated and took out the waist token of the Demon Suppression Bureau from her waist.

Without Zhao Wanqing needing to speak, Chu Xingchen stepped forward and said:

"Demon Suppression Bureau on official business, call your boss out for questioning."

"Oh, it's the officials, please wait, I'll go call them."

Seeing the waist token, the dock guard lost his previous sharpness and quickly nodded and bowed.

The waist token of the Demon Suppression Bureau was particularly useful here.

After all, these people didn't have the courage of evil cultivators who were willing to risk their lives. They were essentially businessmen and naturally wouldn't dare to attack people from the Demon Suppression Bureau.

Thus, they could be easily handled by the Demon Suppression Bureau.

Soon, a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator, adorned in gold and silver, hurried over, speaking in a very humble tone:

"Officials, our small business here hasn't broken any laws. If you want to arrest someone, go to the dock next door and catch Pockmarked Wang the Second! That guy is involved in human trafficking!"

"And he also engages in usury, forcing good women into prostitution, his crimes are outrageous!"

"That guy is truly a villain, if you want to catch him, I'm willing to lead the way for you two officials!"