49: There is a shocking experiment hidden inside!

Li Dong returned to the Demon Suppression Division outpost and, without even stopping for a drink of water, immediately turned into the usually inconspicuous communication room.

This place was a mixed bag; it was fine for relaying ordinary messages, but for matters concerning the peculiar spice in the mine, special methods were required.

Following the pre-arranged method with Zhang Wu, he used an encrypted rune sequence to concisely transmit his discovery—the abandoned mine, the strengthened Cave Demon Spiders, and the crucial wisp of special spice scent, originating from Mu Shi County.

After completing all of this, he felt a chill down his spine, not from exhaustion, but from the sinister nature of the matter.

Not long after, Zhang Wu's reply came back through the same clandestine channel, and its content was even more explosive than Li Dong had anticipated.

Even through the rune transmission, Zhang Wu's tone conveyed a sense of shock and gravity.

His secret investigation in Mu Shi County had indeed uncovered some fragments of information!

The trusted aide who had been by Zhao Zhen's side and carried the same spice scent was recently found to have had several extremely secretive and unusual contacts with the Prefecture!

Two clues converged perfectly at the point of the "special spice"!

Across a vast distance, Li Dong and Zhang Wu almost simultaneously reached a chilling conclusion: the demon unrest in Mu Shi County and certain abnormal activities of demons in the Prefecture were very likely orchestrated by the same force, or rather, the same mastermind! And that special spice was the key medium they used to control demons and execute their schemes!

Zhang Wu admitted in his message that his investigation in Mu Shi County had hit a wall.

All the clues, when traced to their end, were like kites with broken strings, vaguely pointing towards the Prefecture but without any tangible evidence to grasp.

The small pond of the county town was clearly no longer capable of holding this big fish.

He almost imperatively suggested, no, he demanded that Li Dong must find a way to continue digging deeper within the Prefecture Demon Suppression Division.

Zhang Wu promised that he would gather all possible information in Mu Shi County as Li Dong's backup.

Investigate! It must be thoroughly investigated!

Li Dong's mind was as clear as a mirror; this was not just to fulfill Zhang Wu's request, but also for himself.

That "Transcendence Rank" slot had already made him an eyesore to certain individuals, and now he had stumbled upon this shocking secret that potentially involved controlling Prefecture demons, practically piling on new and old grudges.

If he didn't unearth these rats hiding in the dark, Li Dong wouldn't even be able to gain a foothold in the Prefecture, let alone live peacefully until the New Recruit Camp ended. Investigating this conspiracy had to become his primary goal in the Prefecture, without exception!

How to investigate? Forcing his way in was definitely not an option; strategy was needed. The Demon Suppression Division's mission System and merit point System were the best cover and tools.

Gaining strength required merit points; obtaining higher-Rank permissions and information also required merit points. As long as he had enough merit points, he could access more confidential information and legitimately undertake missions in those "sensitive" areas.

In the following days, Li Dong was like a changed man.

He no longer focused solely on missions with high merit points, but instead began selectively browsing the mission board.

His attention focused on missions whose descriptions mentioned "abnormal demon activity," "exploration of abandoned areas," "source of unknown scent," or those geographically close to the previously abandoned mine. He intended to follow the trail of the spice to uncover the bigger picture behind it.

Of course, Lin Fan and his group weren't idle either. After losing Face at the training grounds last time, while they didn't dare to openly act, their covert ostracism and suppression never ceased.

In the mission hall, Manager Liu, who was on good terms with the Lin family, even had his targeting written all over his Face.

Every time Li Dong went to accept a mission, Manager Liu would either deliberately delay him or try every possible means to give him garbage missions with few merit points, a lot of trouble, and far from suspicious areas outside the city, attempting to restrict his scope of activity and keep him away from places that might contain clues.

"Li Dong, this mission to exterminate rats in the East City granary, though it doesn't offer many merit points, is safe and suitable for you," Manager Liu said with a fake smile, handing over a mission slip.

Li Dong didn't even look at the mission slip; his finger directly pointed at another mission: "Manager Liu, I think this mission, 'Patrol the West City Mass Grave, investigate the cause of recent abnormal Yin Qi fluctuations,' is more suitable for me. According to regulations, new recruits can prioritize missions that match their abilities based on their strength and willingness. This mission is marked as 'Low' in danger Rank, which is perfect."

He once again brought out the "Demon Suppression Division New Recruit Camp Management Regulations," having memorized the clauses better than Manager Liu, that old fox.

Manager Liu's mouth twitched. Seeing Li Dong's serious demeanor as he cited the regulations, he felt that all his cunning combined couldn't match this kid's.

Damn it, this kid was practically using rules as a weapon!

What else could he say? He could only watch helplessly as Li Dong tore off the mission he originally didn't want to give. Lin Fan and the others, seeing this scene from afar, were furious; this Li Dong was simply unyielding and slippery!

The West City Mass Grave, filled with dense Yin Qi, was indeed not a good place.

Li Dong patrolled here for a few days, and although he didn't find the special spice scent, he wasn't entirely without Harvest. While dealing with a few wandering vengeful spirits, he unexpectedly encountered an experienced Demon Suppression Guard who was collecting Yin-attributed Materials there.

This Demon Suppression Guard appeared to be around forty or fifty years old, with a steady aura and a strength of at least the Late Foundation Establishment Stage.

Seeing Li Dong, a new recruit, daring to come to such a place alone and deftly dealing with vengeful spirits, he couldn't help but take a few extra glances. Li Dong seized the opportunity to approach and ask for guidance, subtly mentioning the strengthened Cave Demon Spiders he had encountered in the abandoned mine outside the city.

Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, Demon Subjugation Guard Wang's expression subtly changed, then quickly returned to calm, though his attitude became even more cautious.

"That abnormal demon activity in the mine you mentioned... hmm, I've heard rumors."

He spoke vaguely, seemingly unwilling to elaborate, "Some things are not for you new recruits to inquire about. I can only remind you of one thing: the Demon Suppression Division is a very deep pool, and some places, some things, are best left untouched. It is said... it might be related to certain... undisclosed experiments within the Division."

Experiments? Experiments within the Demon Suppression Division? Using that special spice? Controlling demons?

Demon Subjugation Guard Wang's few scattered but highly informative words resonated like thunder in Li Dong's heart! He instantly connected these fragmented pieces of information with his previous conjectures: special spice, strengthened demons, the connection between Mu Shi County and the Prefecture, the faction behind Lin Fan, within the Demon Suppression Division... This pool was even deeper than he had imagined! This was no longer just a simple factional struggle; it might even involve some gray areas, or even forbidden projects, within the Demon Suppression Division itself!

No wonder the spice could flow from Mu Shi County to the Prefecture; no wonder Lin Fan and his group cared so much about that recommendation slot. Behind it all, there was likely a vast chain of interests utilizing Demon Suppression Division resources for illegal experiments and even controlling demons!

Li Dong felt as if he had inadvertently stepped into the center of a massive whirlpool. He now had to be even more careful and absolutely could not expose his intention to investigate this matter. Before he possessed sufficient strength and trump cards, any rash action could bring about a deadly disaster.

He cupped his hands towards Demon Subjugation Guard Wang in gratitude, his Face still showing the earnest, ambitious new recruit striving for merit points, as if his previous question was merely casual.

"Senior Wang's advice is well-taken; Junior has noted it. It seems I still need to take on more missions and improve my strength; that is the Righteous Path."

Demon Subjugation Guard Wang nodded noncommittally, then turned to continue collecting his Materials, no longer paying attention to Li Dong.

Li Dong turned and left the mass grave, his steps steady, but his heart was already in turmoil.

He had to continue his disguise, continue accumulating his merit points, and accept his missions, just like a true "Merit Point fanatic." Only then could he secretly gather more clues, slowly piecing together the truth of this shocking conspiracy.

Returning to the mission hall, his gaze once again swept over the mission board, just as he saw Manager Liu arranging another lucrative patrol mission for Lin Fan's team.

Li Dong ignored that side and walked directly to the registration desk, submitting the completed mass grave mission voucher to exchange for the corresponding merit points.

"Next mission," Li Dong said, pointing to a mission on the board marked "South City Abandoned Dyeing Workshop Area, investigate the source of the unusual smell," "I'll take this one."