Late at night, after returning to the small courtyard in the north of the city, Chen Yuan took off his black clothes, as well as the protective mirror, hand crossbow, and lime powder inside.

These were all things Chen Yuan had prepared in the past few days, especially the crossbow arrow on his wrist, which was coated with venom. It took Chen Yuan a lot of effort to get this thing.

It cost him nearly two taels of silver.

No choice, survival comes first.

He only had one life, and once it's gone, it's truly gone!

Chen Yuan had already calculated that once Song Laoliu's three Tiger Bone Pills arrived, Chen Yuan would be able to cover his entire body with golden paint within a few days, reaching the perfection of Skin Refining.

After that, he would be able to step into the Blood Refining stage, so that he could have some self-protection in Ping'an County.

Ping'an County was a small county town, with few experts. Head Constable Huang Xing's Bone Refining cultivation was enough to be considered an expert. Counting all of Ping'an County, Chen Yuan felt that he couldn't find ten Bone Refining warriors.

Because warrior cultivation consumed a lot of resources. Like the Blood Refining yamen runners in the county yamen, each was over thirty years old, and the Bone Refining level required even more resources to pile up.

And resources required a lot of silver.

A single Tiger Bone Pill cost ten taels of silver. Although it was one of the top pills for Foundation Establishment, even a pill that was one level weaker would cost five taels of silver.

And silver was hard currency. Chen Yuan, as a yamen runner, earned less than two taels of silver a month, including side income, and that was before daily expenses.

Therefore, people who could enter the martial path needed to have a solid family background to afford it.

That night, Chen Yuan thought a lot. It was the first time he had relaxed since coming to this extraordinary world...

Having been in this world for more than half a month, Chen Yuan spent the first half of his time looking for a golden finger, and the second half working hard after finding the opportunity guided by the golden finger.

Every day, besides practicing the saber, he was cultivating, or patrolling as his duty as a yamen runner...

Such days were plain, unadorned, and boring.

If he didn't have the help of the golden finger, Chen Yuan might have been content with mediocrity. Of course, it was more likely that he would resolutely embark on the martial path.

It's just that the growth process would be many times more difficult than it is now.

The Vajra Glazed Body, this body refining divine art, was something Chen Yuan could only look up to.

And he could only practice the most widely circulated body refining technique.

Although it was also a body refining technique, it was the most rudimentary technique in the world, not only slow to cultivate, but also very ordinary in strength.

The only advantage might be that it was easy to get started with, suitable for grassroots yamen runners to practice.

Chen Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly, as if he saw his hometown in the dark, that blue planet, where his family, friends, and concerns were...

Just as Chen Yuan widened his eyes, wanting to see more clearly, a huge, black altar appeared before his eyes.

It was engraved with blood-colored patterns, and some corners were missing, containing a faint light.

Chen Yuan sat up abruptly from the bed. It was dawn!

......

......

County Yamen.

"Why were we called here in such a hurry today? What happened?"

Chen Yuan leaned closer to the old yamen runner beside him and asked in a low voice.

This morning, Chen Yuan was about to have breakfast at Zhou's Steamed Bun Shop. He hadn't finished yet, and was whispering sweet nothings to Xiao Fang.

A Bai Yi (low-level runner) hurriedly told him that Head Constable urgently ordered all idle yamen runners, including those on leave, to assemble. Chen Yuan didn't dare to delay and rushed to the county yamen.

After that, Chen Yuan saw more than twenty yamen runners and nearly a hundred Bai Yi standing at the entrance of the constable's office, their faces very solemn.

This was a big event, a bigger event than the previous arrest of the wanted criminal Iron Hand.

The old yamen runner glanced around. Seeing that the Head Constable had not yet arrived, he whispered to Chen Yuan:

"It is said that the order came from the Prefectural Yamen. Some demonic cultivators may have escaped into the County Yamen."

"Really?"

Chen Yuan was shocked. Demonic cultivators were people the imperial court was fully wanted for. They used any means to cultivate, refining blood pills and collecting souls.

They even incited the people to rebel.

Qingzhou had been turbulent in recent years because of the chaos caused by some demonic cultivators.

From the first day Chen Yuan entered the County Yamen, veteran yamen runners had warned him about the dangers of demonic cultivators.

The old yamen runner shook his head:

"I don't know if it's true or not. Lao Ma said it, but it's very likely. The County Yamen had this formation a few years ago, but you weren't here then so you don't know."

"How was it resolved last time? Aren't demonic cultivators said to be very evil? If we yamen runners..."

Chen Yuan suddenly closed his mouth before he could finish speaking.

He stared straight ahead.

The team of hundreds of people was silent, and the discussion stopped.

Because Head Constable Huang Xing walked up with a middle-aged man in a red official robe.

The middle-aged man was thin, with a long, narrow face and a wisp of beard hanging from his jaw. He had a faint air of majesty that made the yamen runners lower their heads unconsciously.

County Commandant, Li Mingqi!

With the cultivation of the Meridian Condensation Realm, he was the strongest in Ping'an County Yamen, a seventh-rank official, and Head Constable Huang Xing's direct superior.

The Great Jin Dynasty, and even the entire world, valued martial arts. If there were no strong warriors to suppress it at the grassroots level, it would not be stable.

Therefore, the County Magistrate was in charge of political affairs and people's livelihood, and the County Commandant was in charge of security and catching thieves. One governed with words and one with weapons, controlling the entire county.

It was equivalent to the current Director of Public Security, and Head Constable Huang Xing was equivalent to the Captain of the Criminal Investigation Brigade.

Although the County Magistrate was a third-rank official, the power of the County Commandant was no less than that of the County Magistrate.

Li Mingqi walked to the center of the crowd, Head Constable Huang Xing half a step behind, his face solemn.

"Not long ago, the Prefectural Yamen annihilated a group of demonic thieves from the Unborn Teachings, but there are still remnants left, and they may even have escaped into Ping'an County."

"The Prefect has ordered that all demonic remnants must be eradicated."

"Therefore, this official has decided to thoroughly investigate the entire county. If anyone finds traces of Unborn Teaching remnants, once verified, there will be a generous reward. If anyone kills an Unborn Teaching thief, there will be a generous reward."

"But if anyone knows but does not report, or retreats in fear of the enemy, they will also be severely punished!"

County Commandant Li Mingqi stood with his hands behind his back and said in a solemn voice.

"Yes, your subordinate obeys!"

The voices of hundreds of people were a bit chaotic.

"Head Constable Huang..."

Li Mingqi called out lightly.

"Your subordinate is here." Huang Xing stepped forward and bowed slightly.

"These people will be assigned by you. Even the Tingxiang (townships) below the county town cannot be spared. These demonic thieves are very cunning and have a high probability of hiding there."

"Yes, your subordinate understands."

Li Mingqi nodded slightly, swept his gaze over the yamen runners, turned and left quickly, as if he had something urgent to do.

Chen Yuan watched Li Mingqi leave with a calm expression. When his gaze swept over just now, Chen Yuan could feel it pause on him for a moment.

Huang Xing took a deep breath and began to assign tasks:

"Chen Yuan, Zhao Ning, you two take seven Bai Yi to Ping'an Town..."

——————

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