Tao Qian acted as a bystander, completely ignoring the constable's announcement.
His gaze was firmly locked onto the wanted posters on the board, tagged as suspects such as river and sea bandits and rebels, which Tao Qian directly disregarded.
For the former, he had no way of identifying them; for the latter, Tao Qian actually hoped they would succeed in escaping.
The reason Tao Qian suddenly garnered the inspiration to choose these wanted criminals as his real-world targets was that he had a chance to find them.
The prerequisite was that they had to be Cultivators.
Just like yesterday at the Seeking Immortal Pier, when Hong Heihu and his son appeared, Tao Qian had already sensed them.
To some extent, Tao Qian's sensing ability
could be described as a type of "Extraordinary Radar," albeit with limited range.
Tao Qian's plan was to first memorize them and then roam around the county.
Should any brutally vicious Heterodox Mages infiltrate, Tao Qian would detect them beforehand.
At that time, depending on the difference in strength between the two parties, Tao Qian would decide whether to intervene or not.
While it might seem somewhat cowardly, Tao Qian felt that it was only logical for him, as a newcomer in the Cultivation World and amidst the approaching dark and chaotic times, to survive in whatever way possible.
In an instant of thought, Tao Qian had already excluded mortal bandits.
What he observed and remembered were all extremely sinful Heterodox individuals who showed extraordinary and mysterious traits.
"Yuan He, thirty years old, seven feet two inches tall, from Cangwu, characteristically deep-eyed and with a bristly beard, often masquerades as a Taoist claiming to be skilled in 'Summoning Heavenly Girl Skill,' deceiving wealthy households to give money, then summoning a heavenly girl to fulfill the deal; in reality, he is proficient in illusions, the so-called heavenly girl is nothing but straw clothing filled with pig meat and pigskin."
"Whoever spots this man and reports him will be rewarded ten silver coins, and whoever captures him will be rewarded one hundred silver coins."
Just the first Mage on the wanted list startled Tao Qian.
The explanation was crude yet easy to understand.
To summarize, there was a Mage proficient in illusions who could make people believe they were engaging with a "Heavenly Girl," but in reality, you were provided with a crude pig meat doll to deceive you out of your money.
At first, Tao Qian was shocked, then the reward money caught his eye.
"A hundred silver coins, sheesh, is he really worth that much?"
Unsurprisingly, Tao Qian was very tempted.
Even though he had earned quite a bit in the morning through magazine girls and vulgar banned books,
who would think silver coins too many?
If he indeed successfully captured this Evil Cultivator, he wouldn't need to personally claim the reward since there were already agents for that aspect, so there was no need to worry about exposing his identity.
Of course, to entice him to act,
it had to be those truly wicked Evil Cultivators, and additionally, their Cultivation and skills must be weaker than his. Thankfully, in these aspects, Tao Qian had ways of verification, preventing any tragic misjudgments.
With a resolved thought, Tao Qian's gaze sharpened, and he continued scanning further down.
"Ruan Du'er, twenty years old, approximately six feet one inch tall, a local from Southern Yue, although thin yet robust like a beast, cultivated a called 'Water Beast Technique' Evil Technique, capable of growing gills, fins, etc., and hiding underwater for days... This person relies on this technique to hide in rivers, ports, mountain streams, often dragging people into the water, drowning and then consuming them, extremely cruel, no longer human but a beast."
"Should you spot this person, do not alarm others but report quietly, reward twenty silver coins."
"If a Righteous Cultivator captures him, rewards two hundred silver coins."
"Water Monkey Mage?"
Tao Qian couldn't help but comment.
The bounty had increased again, but this time, Tao Qian found it quite justified.
At first glance, this Heterodox Mage known as "Ruan Du'er" didn't seem very strong.
But upon detailed analysis, one would know that this person must be very difficult to deal with.
According to the description in the Nameless Secret Manual, this type of Cultivator who practiced water-related Evil Techniques and liked to eat humans, definitely had extraordinary hiding skills; slippery and cruel.
If one was careless and got dragged into the water, even if one was a level higher, it would be hard to escape the fate of being eaten.
To capture such a Mage, one would need to call upon a Mage of the same level who could restrain him; otherwise, it would be extremely difficult.
"I possess the Power of Bo Dragon, which just happens to restrain this guy. If I encounter him, there's a chance for me to intervene,"
Tao Qian muttered.
Continuing to look down, one after another, vile and wicked Heterodox individuals appeared in Tao Qian's view.
"Wang Hanshui, forty years old, approximately seven feet one inch tall, an Evil Person hailing from the Miasma-infested lands of the South, born deformed, rumored to have swallowed his two brothers while still in his mother's womb, resulting in a meat lump on each shoulder, stumbled upon Evil Technique inheritance in the Miasma Forest, became a bandit after achieving Cultivation, self-proclaims as 'Three-headed Monarch,' naturally cruel, fond of eating people, indulges in lust, rapes, and plunders, does all sorts of evil."
"This person has joined the Devil God Chaos Army but does not obey orders, often loots privately and retreats back to the Chaos Army when in danger, truly despicable."
"If you spot this person, whoever reports it will be rewarded eighty silver coins."
"If a Righteous Cultivist captures him, reward five hundred silver coins."
...
"Zheng Dabiao, thirty years old, approximately six feet three inches tall, from Fumin Province, learned Evil Techniques from a strange person in his youth, and received an Exotic Treasure 'Red Line Gourd,' seemingly also lost his sanity because of it, went mad overnight, used the gourd to collect the life essence of his entire family and consumed it."
"This person self-proclaims as Gourd Immortal, in reality, a Demon, has joined the Devil God Chaos Army."
"If you spot this person, whoever reports it, reward one hundred silver coins."
"If you capture him, reward eight hundred silver coins."
...
"Dong Shang, forty years old, approximately six feet four inches tall, an unknown origin, rabbit-like face and rat-like eyes, a large black mole on the corner of his mouth, proficient in mesmerizing, hiding, and slaughtering three Exotic Skills, commonly targets pregnant women during the day, sneaks in at night using Evil Techniques to mesmerize the pregnant women and their families, making them willingly obey without awareness, then he uses a knife to cut open the abdomen to take the infant for his Cultivation of Evil Techniques."
"This person is a newcomer in the rebel army 'White Lotus Sect,' extremely wicked, deserving of Heavenly Punishment."
"If you spot this person, whoever reports it, reward one hundred silver coins."
"Capture the offender, reward five hundred silver coins."
"Selling Chestnut Woman, age unknown, origin unknown, only known to appear as a stooped old woman with white hair and bark-like skin. This person seems to move like a spirit, possibly possessing an exotic skill that allows her to travel a thousand miles in a day. She is usually seen holding a basket of chestnuts, blocking the official or smaller paths, and sometimes she even ventures into the market streets of towns selling her chestnuts."
"If someone inquires, this old venomous woman invariably refuses to accept silver coins, coercing customers to trade their lifespan, organs, and such for her chestnuts. If they refuse, she forcibly feeds them the chestnuts, which are highly poisonous, and the consumers die instantly."
"This old venomous woman is also a part of the new White Lotus Sect of the rebel army, her sins are grievous and unforgivable."
"If you spot this person, and report the news, the reward is eighty silver coins."
"Capture the offender, reward five hundred silver coins."
Cruel, inhuman practitioners of heterodoxy, one after another, caught Tao Qian's eye.
Not only did this broaden Tao Qian's horizons, but it also left him feeling somewhat oppressed.
Among the onlookers, many could confirm the sins of these Evil Cultivators; some could even recount specific details such as time, place, and characters involved, being relatives of the victims, they were essentially witnesses to the events.
Tao Qian silently listened for a while and made some judgments:
Most of the Evil Cultivators posted on this notice board were associated with the "Devil God Army," a rebel migrant army which initially had a sense of justice but gradually degenerated into something inhumane.
It's no exaggeration to say that individuals like Ruan Du'er and Dong Shang were no longer human, they could only be described as demons.
Regrettably, the world of cultivation seemed to lack the concepts of heavenly retribution.
Humans, had to rely on themselves.
Not all those who rebelled, like the original body that Tao Qian possessed, could be termed "heroes."
Nearly ten minutes later, Tao Qian blinked, making sure he had memorized every one of the Evil Cultivators.
After pondering for a few seconds, Tao Qian turned around, departing the crowd to head towards the poorest and most chaotic part of the south city.
Such dark, heterodox demon people and questionable mages would choose Seeking Immortal South City, a mix of dragons and snakes, as their hiding spot.
Unfortunately, as Tao Qian wandered around the area, engulfed in various foul smells, he discovered nothing.
Not a single devil mage or practitioner, Tao Qian could not start his hunt as he had hoped.
Given there was nothing else to do and since all his new stock was sold out, he did not plan to return to the bookstore.
For the entire afternoon, Tao Qian continuously visited places like the docks, temple fairs, butcher streets, flower alleys, and old districts, which were somewhat complex.
Tao Qian thought that if there really were various devil mages infiltrating Seeking Immortal County,
he should have some gains from this trip.
However, unfortunately, he still came up empty-handed.
He couldn't find a single devil person, nor could he stumble upon any Cultivation Secret Manuals or Extraordinary Treasures.
To others, the reclusive skinny scholar seemed like a vagabond of Seeking Immortal County for the afternoon, and they wondered what serious illness he had caught again.
Tao Qian did not care about the gaze of others, he just felt disappointed as he headed back towards Vegetable Market Street.
At the same time, he lamented inwardly:
"It seems that cultivation and transcendent matters are not as close to ordinary people as I imagined."
"Perhaps, today is not the day for finding treasures, maybe tomorrow will present better opportunities."
As Tao Qian pondered this, he arrived at the wealthy sector of Seeking Immortal County.
Known as East Street, the area was dotted with various rich estates and buildings like Western-style churches and bell towers constructed by Westerners.
Even the homes of high officials like the county magistrate were located here.
This area should be the least likely to encounter Heterodox demons.
Yet as Tao Qian approached the area, his extraordinarily acute "Extraordinary Perception" was triggered the next moment.
Simultaneously, his face involuntarily showed a look of surprise.
A thrilling sensation!
That familiar thrilling sensation surged through Tao Qian's mind, not just one but a full four waves.
And they were all clustered together, right ahead, around the street corner.
Tao Qian, with his head slightly lowered and pretending nothing was amiss, continued to walk forward, resisting the urge to sweep his gaze toward them.
"What's this?"
"I walked around all afternoon without any results, and now suddenly, in an instant, I come across a whole nest?"
"No, wait a bit longer, my perception can only judge that they are cultivators or transcendent people, but it can't determine if they're Heterodox demons."
"Even if they match the warrant, I can't be totally sure their evil deeds are real, what if I am wrong?"
"To confirm, I still need to see with my own eyes, or touch them."
With these thoughts flashing through his mind, Tao Qian had already adjusted his posture.
Perfectly playing the role of a scholar returning home, gently shaking his head as if reciting poetry.
Soon, Tao Qian approached the area.
Pretending to glance there casually.
In the next second, Tao Qian clearly saw his target.
His face showed no anomaly, but his mind whirled, matching up as many as four warrants in the blink of an eye.