Chapter 78 Jiangxin Island

The next day, the Demon Suppression Division.

Inside the courtyard, two figures clashed, the sound of long swords striking each other ringing out. The two fighting were Shen Lian and Li Hu.

Since the "Rookie Showdown," Li Hu has felt that his own strength is insufficient and that there is a huge gap between him and Shen Lian, Lin Feng, and others.

Shen Lian has made it into the top ten of the "New Talent Competition" and has already earned the opportunity to directly enter the Demon Suppression Division of Qingzhou Prefecture. It won't be long before he goes to the Demon Suppression Division of Qingzhou Prefecture, which is not comparable to the Demon Suppression Division of Qinghe County.

He naturally wanted to seize this opportunity to get some guidance from Shen Lian so that his own strength could be improved.

After a while, Shen Lian and Li Hu sheathed their swords and stood there.

Li Hu was panting heavily, his flying fish robe soaked with sweat, while Shen Lian looked calm and collected.

Shen Lian is now at the fifth level of the Heavenly Realm, and his combat strength has reached 54-70.

Li Hu smiled wryly and said, "Brother Lian, your strength has improved too fast. I remember when you participated in the 'Rising Star Competition,' you were only at the fourth level of the Heavenly Realm, and now you have already broken through to the fifth level."

Shen Lian laughed and said, "The Demon Suppression Division of Qingzhou Prefecture is full of geniuses. If I don't intensify my cultivation, I'll only be at the bottom if I go there."

Li Hu nodded slightly.

Just as Shen Lian said, the Demon Suppression Division of Qingzhou Prefecture is full of geniuses, and there are many outstanding talents. If you don't cultivate diligently, you will definitely be left behind.

A demon-suppressing envoy rushed over.

"Senior Brother Shen, the Commander-in-Chief summons you to the council hall, saying there has been an important discovery."

Shen Lian, with a solemn expression, set off with Li Hu towards the council hall.

Inside the council chamber.

Zhao Shan, Chen Biao, Sun Yan and others had all arrived. The atmosphere was somewhat solemn. Old Xu stood in the center, holding the charred wooden plaque that Shen Lian had brought back from the Dragon King Temple yesterday.

"Commander-in-Chief!"

Shen Lian strode into the council hall and clasped his hands in greeting to Zhao Shan.

Zhao Shan gestured for Shen Lian to sit down: "Old Xu, please continue."

Old Xu placed the wooden plaque on the table and said in a deep voice, "I studied the patterns on this wooden plaque all night last night. Although most of it was burned, the remaining parts still vaguely show that it is a snake coiled around an ancient cauldron."

Chen Biao frowned and said, "A snake coiled around an ancient cauldron? What organization's symbol is that?"

Old Xu said, "This is the symbol of the 'Witchcraft Cult'."

These words startled everyone present.

The "Witchcraft Cult" is an evil cult in the southern border region. This cult is skilled in manipulating people's minds with witchcraft and sorcery, and there are even rumors that this cult controls secret methods passed down by other races.

Zhao Shan's face darkened. "Could the matter of the 'Xiao Stone' be related to the 'Witchcraft Cult'?"

Old Xu nodded and said, "The totem on this is exactly the same as the 'Witchcraft Cult' tokens that the Demon Suppression Division has seized in the past. Moreover, the 'Witchcraft Cult's' scriptures do indeed record the 'Bloodline Transformation Technique'."

Zhao Shan stood up, looking at the hanging map: "Southern Xinjiang is eight hundred li away. Why would members of the 'Witchcraft Cult' appear in Qinghe County? And why would they release the demon stones?"

Old Xu stroked his beard and slowly said, "According to the secret files of the Demon Suppression Bureau, thirty years ago, the 'Witchcraft Cult' attempted to infiltrate the north, but was wiped out once by the Demon Suppression Bureau of Qingzhou Prefecture in conjunction with various counties. Its remaining forces retreated to the southern border and have been operating in secret for years. If they really are making a comeback, their purpose is probably not as simple as just creating a few monsters."

Shen Lian pondered, "Three months ago, the Xiao Stone was released. After Shi Yong completely mutated, he began hunting his own kind. If he successfully devours nine people and transforms into a true 'Water Xiao,' what will happen? Elder Xu, are there any records of Water Xiao's special abilities in ancient texts?"

Old Xu opened a yellowed book. "Besides their tough scales and excellent swimming skills, water demons also possess a special talent called 'Tide Manipulation.' Adult water demons can cause aquatic anomalies and create huge waves. If this technique is used at the confluence of rivers, it is enough to breach dikes and flood towns."

Zhao Shan's pupils contracted: "Qinghe County is bordered by the Qinglong River to the south and the moat to the west. If the river embankment is destroyed..."

"The entire Qinghe County will be turned into a swamp," Sun Yan continued.

Chen Biao slammed his fist on the table: "These 'Witchcraft Cult' lunatics, do they want to flood Qinghe County?"

Shen Lian said sharply, "I'm afraid their purpose is even greater: to create chaos, incite panic, and achieve some other goal amidst the confusion."

Zhao Shan immediately ordered: "Sun Yan, you take men to patrol the Qinglong River embankment immediately, and increase manpower to guard it day and night. Chen Biao, you are in charge of the city's security, and strictly prevent anyone from taking advantage of the chaos to cause trouble. Shen Lian, Chen Yun, and the others, you continue to investigate the whereabouts of that itinerant doctor, and be sure to find him before he takes action again."

"Your subordinates obey," the crowd replied in unison.

Sun Yan immediately gathered ten Demon Suppression Envoys, strode out of the council hall, and headed straight for the Qinglong River.

Chen Biao also led his men away hastily, arranging patrols and security within the city.

Shen Lian and the others left the council hall.

Li Hu looked at Shen Lian and asked, "Brother Lian, where are we going now?"

"Fishing village!"

Shen Lian's gaze sharpened. The itinerant doctor had appeared in the fishing village before, and there was no guarantee that he wouldn't reappear.

After changing into casual clothes, the group hurried to the fishing village.

After Shen Lian and his group arrived, they did not disturb the villagers. They did not act as demon slayers to avoid alerting the enemy.

"This is the fishing village? It doesn't look like anything special," Li Hu said.

Chen Yun cautioned, "Don't let your guard down. That itinerant doctor appeared in the fishing village before, and he might appear again now. We don't know his strength yet, so we must be careful to avoid being ambushed."

Shen Lian had Li Hu and Wang Lin change into fishermen's clothes and blend in with the dockworkers. He and Chen Yun had previously checked out the fishing village, and many people there knew them. Since Li Hu and Wang Lin hadn't appeared in the village, they could blend in without attracting attention and make it easier to investigate the situation secretly.

As the sun gradually set, the work on the docks slowed down, and the workers sat in twos and threes on the shore to rest, taking out their dry rations and eating them with the river water.

"Have you heard? The Demon Suppression Bureau came to the village again a few days ago, apparently looking for something," an old boatman with a wrinkled face said in a low voice.

The younger man next to him chimed in, "That was all because of Shi Yong's affair. How did a perfectly normal person become a man-eating monster?"

"I think we've angered a water ghost." Another dark-skinned man spat. "My dad said that many people drowned in the Qinglong River in the past, and it's full of resentment."

Li Hu squatted to the side, casually interjecting, "Didn't a doctor come here the other day? I heard he was quite effective, so why didn't he treat Shi Yong?"

The old boatman glanced at him, and seeing he was a stranger, became somewhat wary: "Where are you from? Why are you asking that?"

Li Hu smiled憨厚ly: "I'm from Lijia Village upstream. I'm here looking for work. My mother isn't in good health, and I heard there's a miracle doctor here, so I wanted to ask him about him."

The old boatman's expression softened slightly as he said, "That doctor came two months ago and stayed at the Dragon King Temple for a few days. He claims to be a miracle doctor, but I find him quite sinister. After Shi Yong consulted him, he became even more erratic."

"How is it so evil?" Wang Lin also came over.

"He doesn't charge for his medical treatments, only asking for strange and unusual things, like hair, nails, and sometimes a drop of blood," the old boatman said in a low voice. "Shi Ergou from the village had his cough treated by him. The doctor took a drop of his blood and dripped it onto a blue stone, and the stone actually started smoking!"

Li Hu and Wang Lin exchanged a glance, a chill running down their spines.

That itinerant doctor was indeed somewhat strange; his methods were unlike those of a normal doctor.

After spending some time at the dock, Li Hu and Wang Lin left.

A short while later, the two found Shen Lian and Chen Yun and told them the information they had obtained from the dockworkers.

Chen Yun frowned and said, "This method is indeed bizarre."

Shen Lian pondered for a moment and said, "That itinerant doctor taking people's blood is most likely a test to see if the person is suitable for being modified by the 'Xiao Stone'. Shi Yong and Zhang Laosan probably underwent this kind of test before they mutated."

"Senior Brother Shen, what should we do now?" Chen Yun asked.

Shen Lian pondered, "Li Hu and Wang Lin will continue to stake out the dock to see if they can find out more about that doctor. Junior Sister Chen and I will go and investigate the details of Shi Ergou and Xiao Cui. We'll split up."

The four split up and acted separately.

The lights in the fishing village were scattered.

Shen Lian and Chen Yun arrived at Shi Ergou's house.

Shi Ergou was a young man in his early twenties, with dark skin and a strong physique. He was sitting on the doorstep mending fishing nets.

"And you two are..." Shi Ergou raised his head and looked at Shen Lian and Chen Yun.

"We are from the Demon Suppression Division," Chen Yun said.

Shi Ergou exclaimed in surprise, "Are you two officials from the Demon Suppression Division?"

Shen Lian nodded: "We want to ask you about that itinerant doctor."

Shi Ergou put down his fishing net and got up to invite the two men into the house. The house was very simple, but it was very clean, and there were several dried fish skins hanging on the wall.

"Sir, I've said everything I needed to say," Shi Ergou said nervously.

Chen Yun smiled and said, "Don't be nervous. We just want to know some details. What were the specific circumstances under which the doctor took your blood?"

Shi Ergou recalled: "That day I had a bad cough and heard that a doctor had come to the village entrance, so I went to see him. He took my pulse and said that I had 'cold water entering my lungs'. Then he took out a palm-sized blue stone and asked me to drip a drop of blood on it."

"Did you use it?" Shen Lian asked.

"It was dripped on." Shi Ergou nodded. "After the blood was dripped on, a wisp of blue smoke rose from the stone, and it smelled very strange, like rotting seaweed. The doctor stared at the stone for a long time, and finally shook his head, saying that I was fine, and prescribed some common herbs."

Shen Lian pressed further, "What color is the stone after it smokes?"

Shi Ergou frowned and thought for a moment: "Dark red, like the color of congealed blood."

Chen Yun looked at Shen Lian and said, "This is different from Shi Yong and the others' situation."

Shen Lian already had a guess in his mind.

The itinerant doctor was testing bloodline compatibility. Only suitable individuals would be chosen for bloodline transformation, and his entire body was covered in bluish-black scales.

The two asked for more details, but Shi Ergou couldn't recall anything else.

After leaving Shi Ergou's house, Shen Lian and Chen Yun went to Xiao Cui's house.

Xiao Cui is already married. Her father, Shi Dachui, is a blacksmith. When he saw Shen Lian and Chen Yun arrive, he became nervous after learning their identities.

"Sir, will Xiao Cui be alright?" Shi Dachui was a burly man, but his face was full of worry.

Chen Yun reassured her, "Since Xiao Cui is alright, she shouldn't be affected. We just want to know what happened during the doctor's consultation."

Shi Dachui was slightly relieved: "That doctor came to us on his own initiative, saying that Xiao Cui's face was pale and that she might have a hidden illness. Xiao Cui was indeed feeling unwell for the past few days, so I had him examine her. He also had Xiao Cui drip her blood onto a stone, and the stone emitted a pale white smoke. The doctor examined it and said that she was fine, and prescribed some medicine to replenish her qi and blood."

Shen Lian noted down these details, and then left Shi Dachui's house with Chen Yun.

The group returned to their agreed meeting point.

Half an incense stick's time later, Li Hu and Wang Lin returned.

"Found something else?" Shen Lian asked.

Li Hu lowered his voice and said, "We found out that before the doctor left the fishing village, he asked several old people about 'Jiangxin Island'."

"That deserted island in the middle of the Qinglong River?" Chen Yun asked, frowning.

Wang Lin nodded and said, "That's right. The old folks say there used to be a temple on that island, but it collapsed and no one has been there since. They say there are unclean things on the island."

Shen Lian's eyes sharpened: "It seems that the doctor's next target is very likely that Jiangxin Island. Let's return to the Demon Suppression Division to report. If the doctor is indeed on Jiangxin Island, we need to formulate a detailed capture plan."

The four rode back to the Demon Suppression Division.

After listening to the report, Zhao Shan frowned deeply: "Jiangxin Island, that place is indeed haunted. Thirty years ago, the Demon Suppression Division wiped out a group of river bandits there. It is said that the bandit leader cursed before he died, wishing that the Qinglong River would be stained with blood for a hundred miles. Later, the temple on the island collapsed, and no one dared to go to the island again."

Sun Yan said, "Commander, if that doctor is really on the island, there are probably already arrangements made there. If we go there rashly, we might be ambushed."

Chen Biao nodded: "Why don't we send spies to the island secretly to investigate first?"

Zhao Shan pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "Sun Yan, take a group of people and set off tomorrow morning to land on the island in the middle of the river and check on the situation there."

Jiangxin Island is a small island in the middle of the Qinglong River. Since the Demon Suppression Division wiped out the river bandits on it, Jiangxin Island has been completely abandoned.

At this moment, the itinerant doctor actually inquired about the island in the middle of the river.

It's obvious that they have ulterior motives.

Inside the government office.

Shen Lian and Li Hu lay on the bed, both feeling exhausted after a full day of investigation.

Li Hu asked, "Brother Lian, what exactly do you think the 'Witchcraft Cult' wants by showing up?"

Shen Lian pondered, "The 'Witchcraft Cult' is skilled at controlling people with witchcraft. They also have all sorts of bizarre methods. They released demon stones, causing many people to undergo strange changes. I'm worried that they did this in order to control these people and carry out killings."

Li Hu exclaimed in shock, "How could they be so ruthless? Aren't they afraid that our Demon Suppression Division will wipe them out?"

Shen Lian said, "The 'Witchcraft Cult' is quite powerful. Since they dare to do this, they must be fearless. We absolutely cannot let their plan succeed. Tomorrow we will go to Jiangxin Island to investigate the situation. Perhaps we will find something."

Li Hu rolled over and asked, "Brother Lian, what do you think there might be on the island?"

Shen Lian deduced, "I suspect that Jiangxin Island is where they set up the ritual. The 'Witchcraft Cult' values ​​secrecy and tradition, and they need an undisturbed place to set up their core. Jiangxin Island, surrounded by water and abandoned for many years, is the perfect choice. Commander Sun will investigate tomorrow; we must prepare for the worst."

Li Hu was horrified.

If what Shen Lian said is true, tomorrow will probably be a fierce battle.

……

The following morning, Sun Yan gathered a dozen or so skilled demon-suppressing envoys, including several experts in stealth and reconnaissance, and prepared to travel by small boat to the island in the middle of the river.

Zhao Shan personally escorted everyone to the dock, repeatedly instructing them before their departure: "Focus on reconnaissance, do not venture too deep, and if you discover anything unusual, retreat immediately and do not linger in battle."

"Rest assured, Commander, I understand." Sun Yan clasped his hands in acceptance of the order.

The group boarded two speedboats and rowed towards the island in the middle of the river.

Sun Yan stood at the bow of the boat, looking at the island in the middle of the river ahead.

The morning mist shrouded the river surface, and the Qinglong River flowed gently, creating a very tranquil scene.

"Sun Xiaoqi, something's not right with this fog. Usually at this time, the fog on the river would have dissipated long ago," a seasoned demon-suppressing envoy whispered.

Sun Yan narrowed his eyes slightly.

indeed!

The closer you get to the island in the middle of the river, the thicker the fog becomes, and visibility is extremely low.

He raised his hand to signal the boat to slow down, and the sound of the oars cutting through the water subsided.

"Everyone on high alert."

Sun Yan lowered his voice and said, "Feng Qi, you take three people and go around from the west side. I and the others will approach from the front. Everyone be careful and don't let your guard down."

The two speedboats separated like fish, silently gliding into the thick fog.

Sun Yan's ship slowly approached the island in the middle of the river, its bow lightly touching the sand. He raised his hand to signal, and several demon-suppressing envoys jumped off the ship.

Shen Lian looked ahead.

The island in the middle of the river was larger than I had imagined, with dense trees and a thick layer of fallen leaves covering the ground.

Sun Yan squatted down and lightly touched the ground with his fingers: "Everyone, watch your step. There are signs that the soil has been disturbed. Someone was here not long ago."

A thick fog enveloped the entire island, reducing visibility to less than ten feet.