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"Gu Qingfeng of the Gu family!" "Suspected to be a warrior in the Marrow Cleansing Realm!" "His origins are unknown. He founded the Gu family in Baishi City ten years ago and has always been low-key. A few months ago, he successively exterminated the Qin family's Iron Bone Gang and other forces, unifying the entire Baishi Road." "And not long ago, he went to Qingyang Sect and killed the Qingyang Patriarch—"
All the information about the Gu family and Gu Qingfeng was now in Lu Wenxuan's hands. After a moment, he pinched the paper with his five fingers, turning it into powder that dissipated.
At this time, there was another person in the study of the Evil Suppression Bureau.
"It seems Guangyang Prefecture hasn't seen a warrior at the Marrow Cleansing Realm for a long time. Moreover, according to the news, the head of the Gu family is not too old. He isn't even forty, yet he's already entered the Marrow Cleansing Realm. With his talent, if he has the right inheritance, he might reach the realm of Internal Organ Refining. Though the chance of achieving Grandmaster status is slim, if he reaches the Internal Organ Refining Realm, he'd be a significant asset."
The person speaking was Jiang Qin, a deputy commander of Guangyang Prefecture's Evil Suppression Division. Lu Wenxuan remained indifferent.
"It won't be easy to subdue this person. From the intelligence gathered, he's arrogant and ruthless. He doesn't seem like someone willing to bow down easily. It'll be difficult to convince him to serve under the Evil Suppression Division."
"Humph, no matter how strong he is, he's only at the Marrow Cleansing Realm. Does he really think destroying the Qingyang Sect makes him invincible?" Jiang Qin sneered, his face full of disdain. "We've dealt with proud warriors before. Whether through threats or bribes, they all eventually knelt and served as dogs for the Evil Suppression Division."
"The martial arts sects and noble families control the top martial arts. If the Evil Suppression Division offers a unique skill at the Internal Organ Refining level, I doubt he could resist. Even if he isn't interested in martial arts, no one can refuse the technique of refining evil into their body."
At this, Jiang Qin's eyes flashed coldly, and murderous intent filled his face.
"If the Gu family refuses, then we'll destroy them. After all, this world is ruled by sorcerers. He's just a warrior, not a sorcerer. He may have killed the Qingyang Patriarch and destroyed the Qingyang Sect, but I'm sure that's stirred dissatisfaction among many forces. Even if the Evil Suppression Division destroys the Gu family, I doubt anyone will say anything. And once the Gu family is gone, the territory formerly controlled by the Qingyang Sect will fall into our hands."
The Qingyang Sect had stood in Guangyang Prefecture for centuries, its influence deeply rooted. If the Evil Suppression Division could support a faction to take over their territory, it would be a great advantage. If the Qingyang Sect still existed, the Division wouldn't act rashly. Although the Qingyang Sect could be destroyed easily, the aftermath wouldn't be minor.
The Evil Suppression Division was under the imperial court in name, but in reality, more than one power influenced the world. Many ancient families and sects even made the imperial court wary.
The Qingyang Sect was a sect of sorcerers, and attacking them without cause would provoke consequences. But the Gu family was different. They were a family of warriors with no sorcerers in charge.
In today's world, sorcerers truly stood at the top, and warriors, despite their might, were only admired by the common folk. Before real sorcerers, warriors were insignificant. So, while the Evil Suppression Division couldn't attack the Qingyang Sect without reason, attacking the Gu family wouldn't be a problem.
Hearing this, Lu Wenxuan pondered for a moment and nodded. "I'll leave this matter to you. Also, there's been movement from the evil spirit that vanished in Lin County ten years ago. If we find and suppress it, our Evil Suppression Division will gain a powerful new asset."
"That evil creature... its strength can't be fully restored after all these years, can it?" Jiang Qin's expression grew serious. Many powerful figures had fought the evil spirit back then, sacrificing the blood of entire counties to forge forbidden weapons, yet the Division still suffered heavy losses.
Rumors said both sides had suffered equally, but in reality, almost all of the Evil Suppression Division's strongest were killed, save for one commander at the Soul Control Realm, who returned with a forbidden weapon—though he soon died as the evil spirit within him revived. Fortunately, it was suppressed before causing unrest.
Since then, the evil spirit had vanished, and the Division's investigations had turned up nothing. Now that Lu Wenxuan mentioned its return, Jiang Qin was naturally alarmed. At its peak, the creature was a disaster-level threat, beyond the power of a sorcerer at the Spirit Control Realm.
Lu Wenxuan said, "Though we didn't seal the creature back then, it was gravely injured. Over the years, it has acted covertly, with no major massacres. Without human blood to nourish it, its recovery must be slow. If we suppress it, it will be a major achievement."
"According to reports, the evil spirit has been spotted near Qingyang Sect. Go investigate. If you find something, great. If not, so be it."
Lu Wenxuan's orders fell, and Jiang Qin nodded slightly. It would be best if they could subdue the Gu family and enlist their help to track the evil spirit. If not, destroying the Gu family and supporting another faction would serve just as well.
The timing was perfect: the Qingyang Sect had been destroyed, and other forces hadn't yet moved in. If the Evil Suppression Division acted quickly, they could seize control of Qingyang's territory.
——
As the Evil Suppression Division prepared to act, many forces in Guangyang Prefecture turned their attention to Baishidao. For a time, the world seethed with undercurrents.
Yet, Gu Qingfeng paid little attention to these developments. He was focused on his cultivation, steadily enhancing his strength.
By destroying the Qingyang Sect, Gu Qingfeng had obtained several powerful martial arts, especially techniques for tempering the body. Mastering these would enhance his power significantly, even if he didn't break through to a new realm.
Now that he had reached the Internal Organ Refining Realm, many of the martial arts that had once seemed difficult were now trivial in his eyes. Perhaps due to his obsessive nature, Gu Qingfeng first spent several days perfecting his lower-level martial arts before moving on to more advanced ones.