"Master Wuji, please sit!"
The County Magistrate forced himself to suppress the fear in his heart, making sure his outstretched hand did not tremble, a smile ever-present on his face, as he spoke to Bai Wuji.
Bai Wuji sat down with a slight smile.
A small servant from the government office stepped forward to serve tea to Bai Wuji.
The servant had also witnessed Bai Wuji ruthlessly kill the Prefecture City Constable that day, his hands trembling uncontrollably.
The more he trembled, the more he feared that Bai Wuji would be displeased and kill him.
Thinking of this, he trembled even more.
After shakily serving the tea to Bai Wuji, the servant slowly withdrew, only heaving a long sigh of relief once he was far away, only then realizing that his close-fitting clothes on his back were completely soaked.
The County Magistrate also sat down, with the steward standing by his side for company.
"I wonder what brings Master Wuji here today?" The County Magistrate forced a smile.
Bai Wuji casually let his gaze fall on the face of the County Magistrate, who instantly felt as though his life and death were now in Bai Wuji's hands.
"I want County Magistrate Zhan to find someone for me," Bai Wuji said.
"I wonder who Master Wuji would like me to find?" The County Magistrate spoke, guessing Bai Wuji's intentions.
"I'm looking for a martial artist of at least the 'Fourth Blood Bone Forging' level, whose power is domineering and who is proficient in techniques such as the Heart Shattering Palm and Seven Injuries Fist," Bai Wuji replied.
Upon hearing this, the County Magistrate's heart trembled, knowing Bai Wuji wanted him to find the warrior who had killed three Hall Masters of the White Lotus Sect.
'Hmph, in any case, I'm also looking for this warrior, so we'll search with you.'
'Once found, I'll secretly have this warrior eliminate you.'
As the County Magistrate was thinking this, Bai Wuji's gaze suddenly turned fierce, saying:
"County Magistrate Zhan, in one month, please provide me with the whereabouts of this person."
"If not, then your family..."
"Heh heh."
Bai Wuji chuckled sinisterly, then stood up, flicked his sleeve, and casually walked out of the government office.
With the efforts of both the White Lotus Sect and the government, he refused to believe they couldn't find this mysterious martial artist.
Once outside the government office, a carriage awaited Bai Wuji.
The driver was none other than Bai Wuji's close confidant, Zeng Shiyong.
After Bai Wuji got into the carriage, he said to Zeng Shiyong:
"That mysterious person took several crates of medicinal materials, they must find a place to store them."
"Shiyong, send some more White Lotus Sect disciples to search various places in Jade Water City and its surroundings for those crates of medicinal materials."
"Yes, Altar Master."
Zeng Shiyong agreed, then flicked the horsewhip and sped off in a cloud of dust.
...
At this moment, inside the government office.
After being threatened by Bai Wuji, County Magistrate Zhan Qingtian's face was ashen.
In fact, when Bai Wuji left, he had considered having all the constables in the government office attack Bai Wuji while he was alone.
But he quickly pressed down on this thought.
Because he feared that even if all the constables could defeat Bai Wuji, they couldn't hold him down.
If Bai Wuji escaped, today he and his family might all perish at Bai Wuji's hands.
"Call Lin Qi over here."
Zhan Qingtian's lips trembled slightly as he spoke to the steward.
In a while, the constable named "Lin Qi" came over.
Lin Qi was a thirty-something constable, a Three Blood Martial Artist, clever and smooth in his dealings.
Zhan Qingtian looked at Lin Qi and immediately said:
"Lin Qi, go to the finance office in a moment, collect five hundred taels in silver notes, then go to my home and get five hundred taels more, then ride a fast horse to the Prefecture City to manage things, tell them what's happening here, and ask them to quickly send a capable constable, someone who can kill Bai Wuji, down here!"
"Yes!" Lin Qi accepted the command and left.
One month isn't likely to be enough to find that mysterious martial artist.
Zhan Qingtian felt that by then Bai Wuji would really kill him and his family, so he pinned his hopes on the capable constables from the Prefecture City.
After Lin Qi left, the steward asked Zhan Qingtian:
"Sir, should we now tell the people in the class to find that mysterious martial artist?"
Zhan Qingtian nodded, "Go instruct them."
After being threatened about his family, Zhan Qingtian was anxious and angry, now feeling very unwell, finding it even difficult to stand.
The steward then whispered to Zhan Qingtian:
"County Magistrate, if we do find that mysterious martial artist, should we cooperate with them or hand them over to Bai Wuji?"
With his heart on his family, Zhan Qingtian momentarily lost the ability to think, turning to the steward:
"What do you think, Steward?"
The steward stroked his goatee and said in a low voice:
"If the Prefecture City Constables come down in time, we should ally with them and the mysterious martial artist to attack the White Lotus Sect together."
"If the Prefecture City Constables don't come, we should hand the mysterious martial artist over first."
Zhan Qingtian nodded upon hearing this, thinking that it could only be this way.
...
Night, Cyan Flower Mountain.
Su Que was eating horse and tiger meat while reading the "Red Fiend Technique" secret manual.
The tiger had stepped on the dense beast traps he had set up in order to eat his horse.
After the tiger was heavily injured, it still wanted to eat the horse, but got kicked to death by the horse's hooves.
Su Que came to the place where his horse was tied at night and saw the bleeding horse and a dead tiger.
Hence, he roasted and ate both the horse and the tiger.
Now his appetite was so large that he could finish both a horse and a tiger.
After finishing the horse and tiger meat, he also finished reading the "Red Fiend Technique".
By the fire of the barbecue, he began to brew the "Blood-Shocking Soup" for tonight and tomorrow morning.
Once it was finished, after drinking the medicinal soup, he began cultivating the "Red Fiend Technique".
According to the "Red Fiend Technique" secret manual, cultivating it would generate "Red Fiend True Qi" in the heart meridians.
"Red Fiend True Qi" is a type of True Qi associated with the Fire Element.
If "Red Fiend True Qi" is initiated, the True Qi will have a slightly elevated temperature.
When the "Red Fiend True Qi" reaches a certain realm, the True Qi becomes scalding.
When it strikes someone's body, it can burn their skin, and if poured into their meridians, it burns them.
When "Red Fiend True Qi" is cultivated to a deeper level, the True Qi carries "Fire Poison".
If poured into the opponent's meridians and not dissolved in time, their meridians and body would constantly sustain burns.
The "Red Fiend Technique" is considered an Evil Technique not only due to the sinister nature of "Red Fiend True Qi", but also because cultivating it causes great damage to the heart.
Noticing this damage to the heart, Su Que remembered that among the medicinal formulas he obtained from Jing Sha's training room were "Heart Supplement Powder", "Strengthening Pill", and "Heart-Protecting Soup".
It seems these formulas were collected by Jing Sha to repair the damage the "Red Fiend Technique" inflicted upon his heart.
"I don't need medicine to remedy the damage."
"The side effects of the Red Fiend Technique reverse, my heart won't be damaged but will become even stronger."
"However, if I have enough medicinal materials, I can also brew these three medicines to further strengthen my heart."
"A stronger heart means more strength, and my Qi Blood will circulate even more vigorously!"