I Can Devour Spirits

The gatekeeper of Yuan Shun Escort Agency, Ma Wentao, immediately ran to the back courtyard of the Escort Agency to inform Ruan Fengshan after Duan Rong and Xiao Yu entered the agency.

Upon hearing this, Ruan Fengshan immediately instructed the guards in the back courtyard to do their best to stop Duan Rong and Xiao Yu. But if they really couldn’t stop them, they should not fight and just let them in.

Then he summoned four or five capable secret agents and instructed them to follow Duan Rong and Xiao Yu from a distance to always determine the general scope of their activities.

After setting up these arrangements, Ruan Fengshan immediately went into the sealed warehouse in the rear courtyard, following the secret passage mechanism of the sealed warehouse, he entered the mandala secret room expanded beside the warehouse over the past three years.

Inside the mandala secret room, there were statues of the Five-Tongued Gods and an altar.

Ruan Fengshan hurriedly passed through the mandala secret room, activated a hidden mechanism on the stone wall, and the stone wall before him trembled slightly. With a rumbling sound, a stone gate opened.

Ruan Fengshan stepped over the stone gate and walked into the secret passage; he reached into a spot inside the passage and twisted it, causing the stone gate behind him to close with another rumbling sound.

Inside the candle-lit secret passage, Ruan Fengshan’s face was sullen as he marched forward. This passage led to the County Government Office and connected to another secret room beneath the courtyard there.

Ruan Fengshan was the Squad Leader of the Filthy Blood Sect’s Xianggu Sub-Branch.

Though Sun Qian was ostensibly the County Magistrate of Xianggu County, he too was a member of the Filthy Blood Sect, and the Yuan Yang Hall had ordered him to make Xianggu County into an impregnable stronghold.

Initially, they worked separately, but Sun Qian, being a newcomer, couldn’t truly understand the deeper aspects of Xianggu County, where he greatly needed the help of Ruan Fengshan, the local figure.

So, from the second year on, the two began to cooperate together.

No one knew how many conspiracies they discussed, staying up all night in that relatively small secret room beneath the County Government Office.

At the time, it was the afternoon, the time between Shen and You hours, and Sun Qian was sitting there reviewing documents.

His eye sockets were deeply sunken, and the exhaustion etched onto his face seemed to penetrate deep into his bones.

Over the past three years, he managed both the Filthy Blood Sect’s affairs and the government duties of the County Government Office, resulting in him becoming considerably thinner.

Yet fortunately, he had the competent assistance of Ruan Fengshan, and despite the hardships of the past three years, he essentially managed to assemble his team. Nowadays, virtually everywhere in Xianggu County had the influence of the Filthy Blood Sect. His efforts over the past three years had not been in vain.

Sun Qian was looking at a document from the Governor’s Office concerning the pressuring of counties to pay taxes and grain levies. He rubbed his temples and took a sip of ginseng tea when suddenly a tinkling bell sound came from a cabinet in the corner.

Frowning, Sun Qian wondered why Ruan Fengshan had come looking for him in the secret room during daylight hours. Could something have happened?

Sun Qian closed the document, got up with difficulty, turned around the screen behind him, and went to his bed.

Sun Qian reached down to a spot beneath the side of the bed and twisted gently. With a click, the bed’s middle rose up.

Sun Qian lifted the bedding and reached down through a hole in the center of the bed.

After Sun Qian disappeared, the bed board returned to its original state.

In the small secret room beneath the courtyard, Ruan Fengshan sat on a simple wooden chair, his expression fluctuating.

Not long after he sounded the bell, footsteps could be heard at the stairs in the secret room.

Soon, a figure emerged from the shadow of the stairs, it was the exhausted Sun Qian.

Descending the stairs, Sun Qian looked at Ruan Fengshan and abruptly asked, "What’s the matter? Why are you looking for me at this time?"

Both men were efficient and when discussing matters usually went straight to the point, seldom indulging in pleasantries.

"Elder brother!" Ruan Fengshan stood up immediately upon seeing Sun Qian, clasped his fists, and called out, then said, "Duan Rong and Xiao Yu are back!"

"Duan Rong? Xiao Yu?" Sun Qian’s brows furrowed deeply.

Though the incident with Xiao Zongting happened half a month ago, Ruan Fengshan had already informed Sun Qian that he had a daughter named Xiao Yu and a disciple named Duan Rong, who were registered sect disciples.

Ruan Fengshan said, "Yes. They just entered Xianggu County this afternoon."

"Can their identities be confirmed? Are they outer disciples or dismissed registered disciples?" Sun Qian walked heavily to a wooden chair, sat down, and asked.

Ruan Fengshan replied, "There’s no definite news yet."

"Based on your understanding of them, what do you think?" Sun Qian looked at Ruan Fengshan and asked.

After a moment of contemplation, Ruan Fengshan said, "As for Xiao Yu, perhaps not, but the one named Duan Rong should be able to advance to becoming an outer disciple."

Ruan Fengshan naturally based his opinion on Duan Rong’s cultivation talent; within just a year, from being a servant disciple, he reached the Great Success Realm of Inner Breath. His mind flashed back to the stunning battle at the Talent Selection Conference three years ago, in front of the County Government Office between Duan Rong and Tao Rong!

Upon hearing this, the fatigue in Sun Qian’s brows seemed even more pronounced. If they were dismissed registered disciples, it would be better to surround and kill them.

If they were outer disciples, it would be more troublesome.

If a newly advanced outer disciple returned home and was killed, it might trigger a thorough investigation by the sect.

The Hall Master of Yuan Yang Hall, Ge Qinglei, commanded him to make Xianggu County into an impregnable stronghold. In three years, this place has only begun to take shape, requiring much further enhancement, far from being exposed.