The personnel who had previously escorted Chu Lingguang all the way from Baiyang County to Qingzhou Prefecture were from the three shifts of government constables.
Chu Lingguang saw the woman’s Identity Token, which read: Official Yang Lijun of Mazhou Prefecture.
Mazhou Prefecture was Mr. Du’s territory.
Chaojiang City was right next to Mazhou Prefecture. ’Is she returning to Mazhou Prefecture to report on her mission?’ he wondered.
"My lord, it’s you."
After presenting her Identity Token and providing the relevant documentation, Yang Lijun looked up and saw Chu Lingguang.
She looked astonished.
’I clearly left the post station during the night, long before Chu Lingguang. How did he get here first? Even with the trouble I ran into, there’s no way he should have been able to beat me here.’
’Could it be...?’
She instinctively clutched the wooden box to her chest.
Chu Lingguang saw an arc of yellow light in the forest outside the post station. He released a Spiritual Sense Fluctuation, spreading it over the forest.
Ever since his cultivation broke through to the True Martial Realm, the range of Chu Lingguang’s Spiritual Sense had also expanded significantly.
Previously, he could only cover Liu Family Gully, but now his Spiritual Sense could cover the distance from Liu Family Gully to Zhang Family Gully, and even encompass the Martial Arts Hall and the entire Wine Street.
Zhang Xuan had said that his Sea of Consciousness Power surpassed Yun Hong’s.
Yun Hong was an Outer Disciple of Yuanchu Mountain, whose strength had likely already reached the Qi Refining Realm. One could only imagine how powerful Chu Lingguang’s Sea of Consciousness Power was.
WHOOSH!
A gaze from the forest met Chu Lingguang’s, then it quickly transformed into a silver phantom and vanished from the range of his Spiritual Sense.
’What was that?’
Astonished, Chu Lingguang glanced again at Yang Lijun’s injuries. Only then did he realize they weren’t from a sword. They looked as if they had been caused by a long-range Wind Blade.
"Follow me,"
he said, turning and heading for his room.
Clutching the wooden box tightly, Yang Lijun saw that Chu Lingguang was staying in a room reserved only for officials of the Senior Fifth Grade.
She was still quite surprised.
’For someone as young as Chu Lingguang to have a rank higher than a Chief Official, even equal to a Commander—that’s equivalent to being the lord of a city.’
"Were your injuries caused by a Humanoid Wolf Demon?" Chu Lingguang asked.
"How could you know that, my lord?" Yang Lijun asked warily.
"You don’t need to be so tense. I’m not interested in the item you’re carrying. I’ve just never seen a Wolf Demon before, and I’m curious why one would dare to enter human territory and follow you all this way."
Chu Lingguang knew that Martial Arts flourished in the Great Yuan Dynasty. Ordinary demons and monsters didn’t dare set foot in human territory. Even the Demon Beasts from the Hundred Thousand Mountains were kept in check by heavily fortified cities along the thousands of miles of mountain ranges.
The Great Yuan had also established the Demon Suppression Bureau and the Beast Taming Sect.
Every year, members of these groups were tasked with slaying demons and devils.
He had already learned that Yan Zhen, Qin Yu, and Hu Yanlin all served in the Demon Suppression Bureau.
The danger of serving in the Demon Suppression Bureau or the Beast Taming Sect was even greater than that of guarding Black Bear Island and facing down pirates and Sea Demons.
Although many people were desperate to build their careers and earn a chance to cultivate at Yuanchu Mountain, few chose to join the Demon Suppression Bureau immediately after earning an official title.
They usually tempered themselves in a local position for a few years to advance their cultivation. Only when they found their path to promotion blocked would they join the Demon Suppression Bureau or the Beast Taming Sect, betting their lives for a chance at a brighter future.
"Well... May I ask your name, my lord?"
Yang Lijun hadn’t expected Chu Lingguang to be able to detect the Wolf Demon.
"I am Chu Lingguang. I was the Captain of South Sea Black Bear Island, and I am now on my way to take up my new post at Wolf Valley Pass."
Chu Lingguang presented his Identity Token.
"What? You’re Chu Lingguang? This humble official greets you, my lord."
Yang Lijun was completely taken aback and said excitedly, "I was stationed in Yunchuan City for three years. Mr. Du and the Commandery Princess treated me well. I heard from the Commandery Princess about what happened with you at the Imperial City Hunting Ground and with Master Guo at the National Border."
"Mr. Du has done me a great service. If your business concerns him or the Commandery Princess, I can certainly help," said Chu Lingguang.
"To tell you the truth, Lord Chu, the contents of this wooden box are indeed bound for Yunchuan City. Mr. Du has already sent the four Mo Shan brothers to rendezvous with me. If nothing goes wrong, I should be able to meet them at the next post station."
"But..."
Yang Lijun trailed off, looking at Chu Lingguang.
"But you’re worried you won’t make it to the next post station, where you’re supposed to meet my four sworn brothers," Chu Lingguang said, voicing her thoughts.
"Please, Lord Chu, I need your help."
Yang Lijun pleaded, falling to her knees.
"Since this is something Mr. Du wants, and my four sworn brothers are coming to receive it, I can’t possibly stand idly by. First, tell me everything that happened on your journey, especially about the strength of that Wolf Demon."
Chu Lingguang was extremely curious about it.
’Yang Lijun is an Official from Mazhou Prefecture. Why would she cross several prefectures to appear here in Chishui Prefecture? And what exactly is in that wooden box?’
’It seems very important, so why entrust its transport to a mere Official?’
"As you wish, Lord Chu..."
Yang Lijun then told Chu Lingguang most of what had happened to her over the past few days. As for what was inside the wooden box, she did not say.
Chu Lingguang knew better than to press her for details.
He learned from Yang Lijun that several different groups were after the wooden box, and the Wolf Demon was just one of them.
He had a faint sense that whatever was in the wooden box was a thorny issue. If one of the pursuers hadn’t been a Wolf Demon, he might not have been so quick to get involved.
Before he’d entered imperial service, Guo Wei had warned him: the court was a dark place rife with factional infighting and Princes scrambling for power. The slightest misstep could lead to a fall beyond redemption.