79: Chapter 79 Ghost Ink Master

Over the next few days, Jiang Hanzhou spent his days treating the wounded in the military camp and returned to the temporary residence arranged by the Li Family at night to meditate and Cultivate.

The condition of the wounded soldiers in the camp gradually stabilized. After receiving timely treatment and care with Medicinal Pill, most of those seriously injured were able to save their lives, but the sequelae caused by the erosion of Devilish Qi still required long-term care, and might even affect their martial Dao Foundation.

As for the progress of Guo Yanlin refining the "filth-guiding talisman," sporadic news occasionally leaked out from the inner circle of the Li Family.

It was said that progress was smooth. Under the mysterious techniques of Daoist Master Guo, the heart blood and flesh of the demon had initially achieved Fusion with several rare medicinal herbs, forming a kind of dark red viscous paste that possessed a strange aura yet contained hidden vitality.

Li Chongshan went to the refining site personally almost every day, hope and anxiety intertwined in his eyes.

Everyone's attention seemed to be focused on that unformed "filth-guiding talisman" and whether Li Jingming could be saved because of it.

Jiang Hanzhou watched coldly from the sidelines, but the trace of unease in his heart grew stronger and stronger.

On the evening of the seventh day, the wounded in the camp had been mostly treated, and most of the physicians received notification that they could leave.

Jiang Hanzhou also packed up his medicine chest, preparing to leave the military camp with the others, return to the Li Residence to collect his payment, and then go back to his Jishi Hall.

However, just as their group reached the camp entrance and was about to step through that heavy iron gate—

"Woo—woo—woo—" A low and urgent horn blast sounded from deep within the military camp without any warning!

That was not the daily routine signal, but a war horn representing the highest state of alert and emergency mobilization!

"What is going on?" "What happened?" "Could it be that the sea bandits are attacking?"

The physicians looked at each other in dismay, stopped in their tracks, and looked back with uncertainty and suspicion.

They saw that the military camp, which had been orderly just moments ago, instantly became like an exploded hornet's nest!

Squads of fully armed, armored soldiers rushed out from their barracks, quickly forming ranks amidst the stern shouts of officers, and gathered towards the drill ground in the center of the camp.

The sound of hooves thundered as dozens of elite scouts rushed out from the direction of the stables, charging out of the camp gate like lightning, galloping away in different directions, kicking up clouds of dust.

The air was filled with an extremely tense and murderous aura.

"All unauthorized personnel, retreat back into the camp! No one is allowed to leave without permission!" The officer guarding the gate had an ashen face; he drew his saber with a swish and shouted sternly.

The soldiers behind him also raised their long halberds in unison, the blades flashing with cold light under the setting sun, blocking the exit.

Jiang Hanzhou and the others were intimidated by this sudden aura of warfare and involuntarily took a few steps back.

"Sir, what is happening? We are just physicians, and we were just about to leave…" an old physician asked, bracing his courage.

The officer ignored him completely, only staring fixedly at the direction inside the camp. The veins on the back of his hand holding the saber were bulging, and in his eyes, besides severity, there was actually a trace of... shock, anger, and horror that was difficult to hide.

What on earth had happened? What could make a military camp instantly enter the highest state of combat readiness?

Jiang Hanzhou's heart slowly sank. He vaguely guessed that it was probably related to that feeling of unease in his heart.

Just then, a flurry of rapid hoofbeats came from deep within the military camp.

Several guards dressed in Li Family attire, but with fierce auras and obviously not low cultivation levels, were escorting a Li Family steward who was pale as paper, covered in blood, and even missing an arm, as they rushed toward the camp gate like madmen.

The one-armed steward spotted the physicians blocked at the gate, especially some faces he had seen at the Li Residence, and as if grasping a straw, he shrieked:

"Stop them! Do not let a single one leave! Quick! Go report to the Prefectural Governors Mansion! Report to the Naval Yamen! Guo Yanlin is the Ghost Ink Venerable of the Ten Thousand Gu Sect! He killed the Eldest Young Master Li! He stole the demon's flesh and blood! The Head of the Li Family is pursuing him!"

As soon as these words were spoken, it was like a bolt from the blue, striking everyone on the head!

The physicians were instantly dumbstruck, their minds going blank.

Guo Yanlin... killed the Eldest Young Master Li? Stole the demon's flesh and blood?

That Daoist master with an immortal demeanor, who pointed out the illness and offered a method of salvation... was a member of the Ten Thousand Gu Sect?

"You... what did you say?" a physician asked, his voice trembling in disbelief.

The one-armed steward could no longer spare the time to explain, and shouted at the guard officer:

"Quick! Seal the entire city! Block all the docks! That thief just escaped not long ago, he probably hasn't gone far! He is seriously injured and cannot get away!"

The officer's expression changed drastically. He immediately turned around and roared to his deputy: "Pass the order! Seal all camp gates! No one is allowed to enter or leave without my order! Send a fast horse to report to the Prefectural Governors Mansion and the Naval Yamen!"

The order was passed down rapidly, and the entire military camp was completely in an uproar.

Jiang Hanzhou stood in the crowd, listening to the incoherent yet information-heavy shrieks of the one-armed steward, piecing together the outline of the event, his heart turning icy cold.

As expected... Guo Yanlin, no, he should be called—Ghost Ink Venerable. An expert from the Ten Thousand Gu Sect.

From the beginning, this was a trap. Using Li Jingming as bait to mobilize the power of the Li Family and even Donghai Prefecture to hunt down that demon.

And his goal, from beginning to end, was the corpse, bones, and blood of that demon!

Using the name of refining the "filth-guiding talisman" to obtain the most essential parts of the demon, and then... killing people to seize the treasure, and fleeing thousands of miles away.

What a deep scheme, what a ruthless plot!

"What about the Head of the Li Family? How is the Head of the Li Family?" someone asked urgently.

Upon hearing this, the one-armed steward's eyes filled with deep-seated hatred and lingering fear: "The Head of the Li Family... the Head of the Li Family was locked in a fierce battle with that thief. That thief suddenly attacked, using secret Gu techniques to ambush him, and also detonated the not-yet-fully-formed 'filth-guiding talisman,' which had astonishing power... Although the Head of the Li Family severely injured the thief on the spot and severed one of his arms, he himself was also injured by the Gu poison and the explosion, and now... he is in seclusion to force out the poison and heal."

His voice choked with sobs: "The Eldest Young Master Li... The Eldest Young Master Li had his entire essence and blood drained by him using evil arts, and together with that Gu that had not yet been drawn out, he was refined into a blood pill and fed to a natal Gu that the thief had raised himself... There is nothing left of his body!"

Nothing left of his body! Everyone gasped, their whole bodies turning cold. What a vicious method!

Jiang Hanzhou closed his eyes, and the figure of Li Chongshan, with his fiery red hair and mountain-like presence, appeared in his mind. A Dragon Elephant expert of the Dragon Fetus Realm had actually been calculated and severely injured... This Ghost Ink Venerable's strength and schemes were likely far beyond expectations.

"In which direction did that thief flee?" the officer asked urgently.

"West... the western sea area! He seized a fast boat! But the boat was damaged by the Head of the Li Family, so he surely cannot have gone far!" the one-armed steward hissed.

The officer immediately ordered for naval fast boats to be mobilized, coordinating with the forces of the Li Family, Zhou Family, and Wang Family to head out to sea and pursue him.

Inside and outside the military camp, it was complete chaos. Jiang Hanzhou silently retreated to the edge of the crowd, watching all of this with cold eyes.