Chapter 15 The Missing Persons Case

South of Qinghe County, behind an abandoned temple.

A group of demon-suppressing envoys gathered here, led by the junior flag officer Chen Biao.

Chen Biao squatted on the ground, carefully examining the corpse on the ground, which was the body of Manager Wang from the "Fulai Inn".

The body lay on its back on the ground, its eyes wide open and pupils dilated, indicating that it must have seen something terrifying before it died and was frightened.

Chen Biao carefully examined the body and found no other obvious external injuries except for two very small holes on the neck.

"His life essence has been completely drained." Chen Biao gently pressed the corpse's arm with his hand; the skin was shriveled. "The body appears intact, but all the vital energy within has dissipated."

Chen Biao immediately stood up and glanced around.

The earth god temple was dilapidated and overgrown with weeds. The place was remote and quiet, making it a perfect place for murder.

There were no signs of a struggle at the scene. It seems that Manager Wang walked here, was attacked, and died here.

"Boss, there's something here." Another demon-suppressing envoy spotted a small clump of grayish-white powder in the grass a few steps away.

Chen Biao walked over, picked up a bit of powder, and sniffed it lightly, his brows furrowing: "Bone powder? It's mineral powder mixed with some kind of attribute, like the residue of some kind of formation or ritual."

Things are getting more complicated.

If it is only demons harming people, then follow the demonic aura to find them.

However, if it involves evil magic or sorcerers, their motives and purposes become difficult to fathom.

"Record everything in detail, take powder samples and seal them," Chen Biao ordered. "Expand the search area and see if there are any other traces. Also, find out why Manager Wang came here last night, who he saw, and if there was anything unusual."

"yes!"

……

In the following days, the atmosphere in Qinghe County became much more tense.

One disappearance after another occurred in the city, and even a bizarre murder occurred. Although the county government and the Demon Suppression Division tried their best to cover it up, the news still got out.

The owner of the "Fulai Inn" died a violent death. He was a well-known businessman who had run an inn in the city for more than ten years. He died mysteriously behind an abandoned local temple, and his death was so bizarre that it sent chills down people's spines.

Rumors spread like wildfire.

Some say it's a vengeful ghost seeking revenge, while others say it's a demon entering the city.

The people in the city were filled with fear and unease.

As night fell, every household closed their doors and windows tightly, and the once bustling night market became deserted, with only the sound of the night watchman's clapper echoing in the empty streets.

Inside the government office.

Shen Lian and Li Hu also heard the news.

The recent disappearances in Qinghe County have caused quite a stir, and there have even been a number of bizarre murders. Even with the county government and the Demon Suppression Bureau working together, they have not been able to find any clues.

"Brother Lian, what do you think it will be this time? Will it be even more powerful than the 'Ghoul Eater' from last time?" Li Hu asked with some worry.

After breaking through to the Body Tempering Realm, his confidence increased considerably, but he still felt lingering fear when demons were mentioned.

Shen Lian shook his head and said, "Chen Xiaoqi and the others have been making frequent moves these past few days. It seems that this matter is probably much more troublesome than the 'Ghoul Eater' incident."

Li Hu leaned closer and said, "When I went to the dining hall this morning, I heard from several official demon-suppressing envoys that the deceased's essence and blood seemed to have been drained by something, leaving only two tiny pores on the surface of his body. Even the coroner from the county government couldn't figure out what caused it."

"His essence and blood have been drained?" Shen Lian frowned slightly.

He had learned in Mr. Zhou's demon identification class that there are quite a few demons that can suck blood essence, but most of them will leave obvious bite marks.

It is indeed very rare to find one that leaves only two tiny holes like this.

"Brother Lian, do you think this might be something even more sinister than demons?" Li Hu asked. "I've heard that some people who practice evil arts use the essence and blood of living people to hone their skills."

Shen Lian said in a deep voice, "We can't rule out that possibility. It's precisely at times like these that we need to improve our strength. We've only recently started learning the 'Wave-Slaying Style,' so we need to practice diligently and improve our swordsmanship as quickly as possible. When it really comes time for us to go into battle, every bit of strength we have increases our chances of survival."

Li Hu nodded emphatically: "I understand. I will practice even harder from now on."

Shen Lian lay on the bed with his hands behind his head, looking at the dark night sky outside the window, but his heart was restless.

Qinghe County seems to have become less safe.

"I must become stronger," Shen Lian thought to himself.

In the days that followed, Shen Lian and Li Hu trained even harder.

During the day, the wind howled through the air on the training ground as everyone diligently practiced the "Tiger-Taming Stance" and the first two moves of the "Demon-Taming Blade Technique," especially the newly learned "Wave-Slicing Style," with each person striving to master the essence of the three consecutive slashes as quickly as possible.

Shen Lian has combined the "Mountain Splitting Style" and the "Wave Slicing Style" with his own advantages, and the power of his swordsmanship is multiplied when combined with his footwork.

Every night, Qinghe County becomes unusually quiet.

The sound of the night watchman's clapper was exceptionally clear, and even the occasional barking of a dog could keep one on edge.

That night, the moon was dark and the wind was high.

Two watchmen, carrying lanterns and striking their clappers, walked cautiously.

"Old Zhang, have you heard? Manager Wang of 'Fulai Inn' died a truly gruesome death..." the younger night watchman said, his voice trembling.

Since the series of murders in the city, their line of work has become filled with anxiety and fear.

"Shut up! Don't talk about this at night," the older watchman scolded, quickening his pace involuntarily.

A gust of cold wind blew by, and the flame inside the lantern flickered a few times, almost going out.

The two of them felt a sudden tightness in their chests and abruptly stopped in their tracks.

At the corner of the alley ahead, there stood a blurry black figure, its face obscured, motionless.

"Who...who's there?" the older watchman shouted, mustering his courage.

The young watchman's legs went weak: "Uncle Zhang, let's take a detour..."

The older night watchman also felt a chill run down his spine, nodded, and the two slowly backed away.

The moment they turned around, the dark figure moved with astonishing speed.

"what!"

"what!"

Two screams rang out simultaneously, the lantern rolled to the ground, the flame inside was extinguished instantly, and the alley returned to silence.

A moment later, a whooshing sound rang out.

Chen Biao appeared at the alley entrance, his face solemn, his long knife gripped tightly in his hand. He had rushed over immediately after receiving an urgent message from a nearby sentry.

The air still smelled of blood, and there was a chilling atmosphere.

He examined the scene and found almost no signs of a struggle, only some messy footprints and some grayish-white powder.

"Too late again..." Chen Biao gritted his teeth and said, "Send orders to seal off all nearby streets and conduct a thorough search. It shouldn't have gone far."

Inside the Demon Suppression Division, alarm bells rang incessantly.

Many of the Demon Suppressors who had already rested were urgently awakened, and even a group of trainee Demon Suppressors were also startled awake and rushed to the training ground to assemble.

Zhao Shan stood with his hands behind his back, his expression extremely stern.

"I just received an urgent report! Two night watchmen have been murdered in a dark alley in the south of the city, the method is the same as the previous case!" Zhao Shan's voice echoed throughout the training ground. "The demons are rampant, we cannot let them get away! All trainee demon suppressors, stay in the headquarters and increase vigilance! Official demon suppressors, come with me to reinforce Chen Biao!"

"yes!"

Zhao Shan immediately led the Demon Suppression Envoy to arrest the perpetrator.

As Shen Lian watched Zhao Shan lead a large group of men galloping out, his heart was filled with turmoil.

Tonight is destined to be a sleepless night.