After all, the Painted Skins are not the real masters of Jing'an City.
Even though they used their power to close streets and patrol the city, there were still many loopholes.
The moment Zhou Yuan saw the introduction of the Skin of the God of Town, he fled through the East City Gate and left Jing'an City, where humans and ghosts lived together.
He didn't even bring a carriage or a horse, and ran towards the military fort relying solely on his maximum level walking skill.
On the way, he removed the prop 【Painted Skin Rogue】, restored his original appearance, and returned to the military camp before dusk.
To his surprise, the military camp was under complete martial law, and even military attachés like him were subject to inspection.
"Please ask Jing'an to prick your blood for a body test. The knife is thin and sharp, and it won't hurt. Please don't make it difficult for us brothers."
Zhou Yuan took the exquisite dagger and took a look. It was a secret weapon with information annotations 【Evil-breaking Short Blade】.
He followed his instructions and cut a knife on his left forearm and right upper arm, and bright red blood flowed out.
"Identity verification, please enter the camp, Jing'an."
An old gatekeeper wiped the blood off the dagger with his hand, put it in his mouth to taste it, and then let Zhou Yuan enter the camp.
This is great. It completely blocks the Painted Skins' way to sneak into the military camp. Captain Jing'an really knows something.
"Where is Zhou Yuan, the governor of Jing'an? The captain wants to see you."
Zhou Yuan had just walked into the Captain's Mansion, about to report to Captain Jing'an to cancel his leave, when he saw the Captain's personal soldiers looking for him everywhere.
"Zhou Yuan is here, brothers, please lead the way."
Led by a group of personal soldiers, Zhou Yuan once again entered the Jing'an Commandery of the Captain.
The stern-faced captain sat upright in his seat and signaled his guards to bring a chair for Zhou Yuan.
"Zhou Yuan, why did you suddenly return to the camp? Maybe you're tired of playing in the city."
As soon as Zhou Yuan saw this, he knew that the Jing'an Army probably had spies in the city, otherwise there would be no need for a captain of the army to chat with him about trivial matters in the city.
Therefore, he decided to bring out some practical information and see what Captain Jing'an wanted to hear.
"Captain, I have encountered a series of unusual incidents since entering the city three days ago. I dare not stay any longer, so I am leaving the city and returning to the camp to report to you, Captain."
"What's the matter? Tell me about it."
"Reporting to the Captain, Yuan wandered around without incident on the first day he entered the city. On the second day, he was picked on by a scoundrel when he was leaving Sima Mansion. He then led him into a dark alley and planned to teach him a lesson.
I didn't expect those scoundrels to be evil. I cut their skin with my knife, but no blood or flesh was seen. I killed them and got four pieces of skin."
"On the third day, Yuan Ben wanted to return to the camp immediately to report the unusual situation. There was another vengeful ghost in the home of the military commander Cai Cheng, and he had to help.
The military commander used the psychic fluid to help me open my eyes. I saw three ghosts pulling and harming people, so we drove them away with the blood of the evil spirits and saved Miss Manning from the Zhang Mansion.
Bang, bang, bang...
Captain Jing'an kept tapping the table with his index finger until he finished listening to Zhou Yuan's report. Only then did he force a smile onto his cold face.
"Every word you said is true. You are truly a loyal and brave man. You have never lied to me."
"Zhou Yuan, don't think that the camp is monitoring you. It's the provincial government's spies who have been hiding in Jing'an City.
They saw you lead the scoundrel into the dark alley, and they also saw you go into Zhang's house to deal with the ghost plague."
“This is not to monitor you, a newly promoted military officer, but to observe the Military Sima Mansion.
The ghosts in the city are good at hiding among the people. Cai Cheng from the Military Commandery has a close relationship with me, so the ghosts will definitely monitor him, and the spies will also dig out ghosts by observing him."
The ghost plague in Jing'an City did not happen quickly, but rather expanded over the years.
They may be well hidden in the early stages, but as their numbers increase, they will always reveal some flaws.
In fact, the Jing'an Captain and the provincial governor have already set their sights on them, but have not yet taken action as they are still in the stage of investigation and screening.
"Captain, the ghosts in the city are moving in groups, and I'm afraid there are quite a few of them.
Why not dispatch soldiers into the city to investigate and eliminate all the hidden demons?"
"Zhou Yuan, the ghosts in the city are very good at hiding, making it difficult to find them.
Forcing them by bloodletting is a very bad idea. If you force them too hard and leave them no chance of survival, they will only cause greater trouble.
Right now they are still in hiding, and as long as they are hiding they will be timid and restrained, and the damage they can cause will be limited."
"I see. Thank you, Captain, for clarifying this."
"Oh, Captain, the military commander Cai Cheng gifted me the martial art 【Three Talents Pile】, and I was fortunate enough to comprehend the Three Talents Seal recorded therein.
I've used this seal twice to repel demons, but after using it a few times, I feel a bit powerless and tired. I don't know why."
Since there really were spies from the provincial government in the city, Zhou Yuan no longer hid it and directly displayed the Three Talents Seal, a martial art that relied on enlightenment.
Otherwise, it is difficult to explain why a warrior could easily drive away the ghost without any obvious injuries himself.
"Thank you for saying that, otherwise I wouldn't know how to offer this bottle of Qi-boosting ointment to you."
Upon hearing Zhou Yuan's question, Captain Jing'an's stiff fake smile finally faded, becoming more sincere.
He pulled out a bottle of ointment from under the table and threw it to Zhou Yuan. It seemed that he had prepared it long ago.
If Zhou Yuan did not reveal the secret, he would not only not get the ointment, but also lose the trust of Captain Jing'an.
"Zhou Yuan, you of the Divine Arms and Black Armor fought bloody battles to support me, protecting my comrades and guarding my brothers.
You can tell me anything you want to say. If you don’t want to tell me, I won’t ask any more questions.”
"From the moment I granted you my official position, you should have understood that I am not only your superior, but also your support.
Although our Jing'an Army cannot be considered as a unified whole, those above the rank of Du Bo share the same honor and disgrace. If you are humiliated and injured, the camp will not ignore it.
The camp has issued orders, the court has issued commands, and neither you nor I need to complain. Just pick up your bow and sword and kill the enemy."
"Use the Three Talents Seal less in the future. It uses the spirit to draw Qi and blood for attack. Using it too much will inevitably lead to Qi and blood depletion.
After you go back, take one spoonful of the Qi-boosting paste each morning, noon, and evening for three consecutive days. This will be enough to replenish your lost Qi and blood."
Zhou Yuan clutched the 【Qi-boosting Paste】 with information about it, and couldn't help but marvel at Captain Jing'an's magnanimity.
Is this the benefit of having power? Is this the method used by the Jing'an Captain to unite the military officers? They are really treating them like death squads.
"The two stages of Sancai Posture, attracting spirits and sensing qi, have stumped countless brave generals in the army. I never thought you would master them.
Now, place your seal in place and gather your energy. Let me see how well your Three Talents Seal is prepared."
Zhou Yuan didn't refuse after hearing this. He raised his palm and formed a seal, giving the hard wooden chair a heavy blow.
Bang···
Wood chips flew everywhere, and the sturdy wooden military chair was broken into pieces. The huge force even caused the broken wood to explode and scatter.
Captain Jing'an was somewhat incredulous when he saw Zhou Yuan gather his energy and strength in an instant and easily knock down the wooden chair.
"How did you practice this seal? How can you release it at will without brewing or concentrating the energy?"
"Isn't the Three Talents Seal like this? Doesn't the martial arts atlas state that one should use the mind to guide the qi? Naturally, one should follow the heart and let the qi flow where the heart leads."
"..., I didn't expect you to have a talent for Qi training.
Don't be complacent, practice martial arts diligently, and when the imperial court begins the spiritual examination, your talent may be rewarded."
"Yuan, thank you for your guidance, Captain."
Only after Zhou Yuan left did Captain Jing'an let out a deep sigh.
“There are so many talented people in the world, I never thought that there would be dragons in the countryside.
Fortunately, he is my man. With this friendship, he will be my warrior if he is not chosen, and my helper if he is chosen."