Soon, the 27 Lingjing Xingzhe currently stationed at the Nanming branch swiftly gathered at the base of the Security Bureau building, each face glowing with excitement and determination, their eyes blazing with spirited resolve. Before descending to gather, the Chui Du Xizhi delivered to them a concise and clear explanation of the purpose of this assembly—the Sanqing Daozhu has been commissioned by headquarters to inspect the Nanming branch and oversee anti-crime initiatives. Initially, the Lingjing Xingzhe were surprised but not overly enthusiastic. Annual inspections by senior officials were routine; achieving notable results—such as eliminating a few Wugushi practitioners of the Lingneng Hui—was already considered commendable leadership. Most of the time, the officials merely swept away the ordinary, less-resourced factions, maintained a period of relative calm in the city, and allowed the narcotics in nightclubs to fade for ten to fifteen days before returning to their regular duties. That was the nature of border life—geographic conditions shaped the character of local governance, and even the nation itself could not fundamentally alter it. But one sentence from the person in charge of the pursuit shifted the official team's mindset: "Be ready to make sacrifices." This single remark acted as a powerful stimulant, infusing the group with boundless determination and renewed energy. Everyone quickly gathered their weapons and rushed out of the office area, completing the formation in just fifty seconds. As the behind-the-scenes coordinator, Xue Hai Wu Ya, stood by the floor-to-ceiling window watching black executive vehicles depart the public security bureau, she spoke rapidly: "Notify the Public Security Bureau of Yu Hu County to be on standby. Notify Yu Hu County People's Hospital to be on standby. Notify the Yu Hu County Traffic Patrol Brigade. Shut down the road surveillance cameras around the Fang Shi sand mining site in Yu Hu County. Seal off the surrounding roads..." Her assistant relayed the orders while expressing concern: "Is the sand mining site really a stronghold? We're completely unfamiliar with its layout and road network. Without targeted tactical plans or deployments, we're just charging straight in—this is rather...” She took a deep breath and stepped forward with courage: "rather unwise." Captain, we should have issued a warning, and with your professional insight and judgment, you should be able to establish a more stable strategy by the time they arrive at the sand mining site... Before she could finish, Xue Hai Wu Ya interrupted: "It's certainly unwise, but do you think the Third Clearing Dao Master is a rookie? We may not be familiar with him, but anyone who has become an advanced steward must be quite sharp. Even if we concede that the Steward of the Pursuers is a novice—when he was actively engaged on the front lines, you hadn't even joined the team yet—how could the issues you're thinking of be something they wouldn't have anticipated? They're taking this risk precisely because they're confident and have a solid reason. All they need now is to wait for the good news." The assistant fell silent, her concern transforming into anticipation. ... Six outdated executive vehicles formed a procession, speeding through the city streets. The infrastructure of the border city could not compare with that of Songhai. The roads were two-lane, with faded signage and a dusty, less polished appearance. Fortunately, the traffic flow was smooth, avoiding the congestion typical of larger urban centers. Zhang Yuanqing sat in the lead vehicle, scrolling on his phone. The "Wan Zhe Gui Hui" guild group chat. The 60-minute rest period hadn't even started, yet the group chat was already buzzing with activity. Since they'd entered a B-tier instance, everyone's rewards were modest—there wasn't much to discuss. But two real-world events had left the freshly emerged guild members stunned. [Sun Miaomiao: Wow! The Magus Heir has appeared and even captured Ling Jun's cousin, Miao Teng'er! Plus, the delegation from Tianfa has arrived and has been in the instance for several days—yet so many things have happened outside!] [Chang Huaihao: The Magus Heir has appeared? The Magus passed away just one year ago—how could his heir have captured Miao Teng'er?] [Xia Hou Aotian: Since you've genuinely asked, I'll be kind enough to share this—perhaps the Magus Heir has aligned with either the Night Rose or the Tai Men Sect. Capturing Miao Teng'er might be part of securing the Magus's legacy.] [Zhao Chenghuang: How do 】 【Yuan Shǐ Tian Zun: That's what I said.】 Zhang Yuanqing concisely outlined the course of events. 【Zhao Chenghuang: If that's the case, then we're in trouble. Should the magus heir align with the Night Rose, and should Ling Tu secure the magus's legacy, he might well surpass the Master of the Gate.】 【Sun Miao Miao: Over-explaining.】 【Zhao Chenghuang: My grandfather once mentioned that the magus carries something that even the Master holds in high regard.】 Ling Tu specializes in the Yin, being a half-divine. Therefore, he must have inherited a portion of the Yin's primordial fragments. If Ling Tu were to gather all the Yin primordial fragments, leveraging the Yin's natural dominance over the Stars, he would become the strongest nocturnal deity of his time. Zhang Yuanqing sighed without reason, feeling the weight of responsibility pressing heavily on his shoulders. After a few exchanges among the group members, the conversation naturally shifted to Tianfa's visiting delegation. [Zhao Chenghuang: The team leader is called "The Hunter of Monsters," a first-level executive officer from the Ministry of Divine Judgment. I just checked—he's responsible for Europe. I'm not sure why he's here this time. He brings three subordinates: Osmon Halley, Hoover York, and Shazao Charles.] [Red Chicken Brother: Enough, enough! Foreign names are just overwhelming—Japanese and Korean names feel much more appealing to me.] No one paid attention to Red Chicken Brother's complaints as Zhao Chenghuang continued: [Osmon and Hoover are both at the peak of the sixth rank—comparable to the official "Four Princes." This time, we're in for something exciting.] [Sun Miao Miao: Indeed, indeed. It's a pity that Mr. Money has already ascended to the status of Sovereign. Otherwise, we'd have seen him effortlessly defeat elite members of the Ministry of Divine Judgment.] [Zhao Chenghuang: The most elite members of the Ministry of Divine Judgment aren't among the younger generation—they're the veterans. Among them, there are several who can stand alongside Mr. Money, and even some who might surpass him.] Sun Miaomiao: We also have elder generations—today we just rest well and wait for the exchange meeting. I heard that Tianfa is organizing one, and Osmon wants to challenge Fire Prince, to redeem his past disgrace. Rei Asano, a relatively quiet member, remained silent. Do you really think we'll have the chance to interact with Tianfa? Hah! I wouldn't give you even a chance to meet them. Zhang Yuanqing opened the clan panel without hesitation and activated the clan quest. The Lingjing notification echoed in the ears of all members. 【Ping! Lingjing is being generated, please wait...】 【Clan Lingjing is ready.】 【ID: 092 — The Anhui Ghost Market Chronicles.】 【Difficulty Level: A】 【Type: Multiplayer (Death-based)】 【Main Quest: Investigate the anomalies at the Anhui Ghost Market.】 【Note: Non-Lingjing items cannot be brought in.】 【Lingjing 367 Description: In the year 1127, during the Dingxi period, the third year of Baoqing, the Mongols conquered Western Xia and slaughtered civilians over a three-hundred-li stretch. As refugees fled southward, the Anhui Black Market began experiencing a series of strange occurrences—ghostly troops seen marching at night, children going missing, and corpses with no heads knocking on doors It's actually an A-rank instance—according to the spiritual realm introduction, it must be the western Xia's refugees or folk from the martial world at work. Zhang Yuanqing stroked his chin, ignoring the protests from the group members, and immediately activated the instance, adding all the other cultivators at the Saint Realm level besides Xiahou Aotian to the roster. Xiahou Aotian had recently been working as a machine screw-turner at the factory, so Zhang Yuanqing planned to personally take him down to the instance later, and thus excluded him from this list. [Sun Miaomiao: Yuanshǐ Tianzhun, you're a complete fool! I'm still in my pajamas...] [Red Chicken Brother: Are you out of your mind? You're wearing pajamas and still have time to scold me? Oh, you want to enter the instance in your pajamas, huh?] Sun Miaomiao didn't respond—she must have gone to change. Zhao Chenghuang, Tianxia Guihuo, and Xiao Yuan, though full of complaints, saw that it was an A-rank instance and their frustrations gradually eased. Higher difficulty meant higher rewards—exactly what they needed. Zhang Yuanqing remained silent for 60 seconds, then, through the spiritual realm's audio cues, confirmed that they had entered the realm, and only then exhaled in relief. According to the realm's introduction, cases requiring investigation and case handling would always take a considerable amount of time. Now, he could focus on handling the matter at hand. Time flies—over a dozen years now, Li Zhengde has served the Ling Neng Association with unwavering determination and relentless charm, earning the respect and comfort of the association's elders. Starting out as a mere mule delivering poison, he has now grown into the owner of this sand extraction site. The site serves as a facade for the association's operations, functioning as a hidden base for storing poison and facilitating human trafficking. Surrounded by mountains on three sides, the site is remote, where urban surveillance systems are ineffective. Should any crisis arise, the location offers a natural refuge deep within the mountains. Hidden throughout the hills are traps laid by the association, saturated with toxins—so the police officers who dare to come will inevitably find themselves unable to escape. At this moment, Li Zhengde stands outside a green-roofed pavilion, where sharp cries of a young woman and the creaking sounds of a double bed can be heard. It is a Ling Neng Association superpower user engaging in intimacy with a newly arrived female employee. All the individuals recruited by the organization are assigned to the green-roofed dormitories—women in one building, men in another—and thus far, the business has not expanded to include children. Due to its business model—primarily capturing videos of electric shocks and physical abuse, then extorting money from the family members, selling laborers to the Free Federation and the West Continent as slaves, and dispatching them abroad to serve as outlets for their physiological needs—the items can be reused before being sold. Li Zhengde licked his lips, thinking that after the elders enjoyed their share, he’d have a chance to taste the experience himself. Following the sacrifices of the two leaders, "Black Mouse" and "Cockroach," the drug and human trafficking operations at the site ceased, and sand mining activities halted. All personnel were now restricted from leaving, awaiting new leadership. Currently, only three individuals with special abilities remain at the sand mining site: one who is particularly fond of gambling, playing cards with his subordinates in the warehouse; one who enjoys women, spending time in the green-shed dormitory; and one who prefers men, also enjoying male slaves in the green-shed. The senior officer is physically and aesthetically impressive, though he has a strong tendency toward abuse—each man he takes under his wing suffers greatly. For instance, the senior has strict demands on endurance—any performance below ten minutes is considered useless and the person is suspended for abuse, either with whips or electric shock sticks. Those who fall short of twenty minutes are fitted with golden rings and wear them continuously for three days. Only when someone exceeds thirty minutes is the performance deemed satisfactory. Li Zhengde, now in his later years, has grown increasingly frail, and his physical stamina no longer meets the senior's expectations, so he no longer seeks further punishment. At that moment, the activity inside ceases, and then the door of the well-insulated dormitory opens, revealing a young man with a high nose, thin lips, and a cold, composed gaze. Li Zhengde glances subtly inside, catching sight of a figure with gray hair, who gradually fades from view as the door closes. Li Zhengde then turns back, bowing gracefully and raising his thumb in admiration: "High Captain, you're truly outstanding! If only I possessed just one-tenth of your abilities!" The young man of high nose and thin lips responds calmly: "This isn't much. People like us are naturally strong in physical endurance." Li Zhengde sighed with regret: "If only I could become someone like you." The senior officer studied Li Zhengde, then exhaled: "You've always lived too comfortably. Though you've done your share of wrong things, you've always remained content and never lost hope. Without that sense of desperation, you've never thought of seeking revenge—thus, you'll never grow into someone like us." Li Zhengde quickly bowed, nodding vigorously: "Yes, yes, you truly have talent. I'm just a dull, ordinary fish—something that's gone stale and forgotten." The senior officer nodded: "From now on, stay alert. No one is allowed to leave the premises. Anyone spotted sneaking out will be executed on the spot." "Yes!" Li Zhengde replied, his voice tinged with concern. "Senior Officer, this time... is it going to be serious?" "The one known as the 'Pursuer of the Toxic' from the Public Security Bureau has always been a tough nut to crack. Their failure is understandable, but not beyond expectations." The senior officer suddenly chuckled. "After all, this is the territory of the Spiritual Energy Association. The official types—how many years have they gone on pretending?" Could they really go to war with us head-on? It's not even close to year-end—no one's reached the "performance review" season yet. "Besides, this sand mining site has only been operational for two years. We've always operated discreetly, and no one's ever managed to trace us here. By the way, I'll call a few colleagues and we'll go on a patrol up the mountain together." "Yes!" Li Zhengde bowed respectfully. The High Commander glanced at him, then at the young woman in the green pavilion, and licked his lips: "That woman is really lovely. I'll treat you to a night out tonight." Li Zhengde was overjoyed: "Thank you, High Commander, thank you..." Suddenly, he felt a warm, gushing stream of liquid splashing over his head. He looked up in confusion to see the High Commander's chest protruding a hand, blood streaming from it, clutching a fresh, red heart. The High Commander himself stared wide-eyed, stunned, at his own chest.