51: Are you in the center of a vortex without knowing it?

Time is like sand slipping through fingers, impossible to grasp. But Merit Points (Merit Points), if you're willing to work hard for them, are a tangible increase that you can see.

Li Dong spent more time in the mission hall and on his way to execute missions than he did sleeping in his dorm.

His Merit Points soared like a rocket, quickly breaking through a new threshold.

Along with that came an increase in his authority. Before, he could only take on minor, errand-boy tasks. Now, he could access some more core missions and peruse files he previously had no right to see.

Of course, these so-called “core” tasks were only relatively so; the true secrets probably required climbing even higher.

But for Li Dong, this was already a huge step forward. He was like a greedy sponge, frantically absorbing all information about the Prefecture Demon Suppression Division.

He began to consciously choose missions that required teamwork, especially those that required cooperation with Senior Demon Suppression Guards.

Being a lone wolf was cool, but it led to information isolation. These old hands who had been in the Prefecture Demon Suppression Division for many years always let slip some useful information, even if it was just a few words, which could piece together valuable clues.

One day, he accepted a mission to “Patrol the Eastern District’s Abandoned Workshops for Energy Anomalies.” His partner was a Demon Suppression Guard named Old Sun. He was in the Late Foundation Establishment Stage, looked about fifty years old, had thinning hair, and always carried an air of “seeing through the world” on his face. He was said to be a famously good-natured person in the Division, never competing or fighting with anyone, a typical neutral party.

The mission location was remote, and they had time to kill on the way. Li Dong casually mentioned that the Yao Beasts seemed restless lately, with anomalies appearing in several areas.

Old Sun took a puff from his dry pipe, slowly exhaling a smoke ring: “Yao Beasts, when have they ever been peaceful? It’s just that lately… things have indeed been a bit strange.”

“Strange?” Li Dong’s heart stirred, but his expression remained calm, “Senior Sun, how so?”

Old Sun glanced at him, a hint of complexity flashing in his cloudy eyes, as if weighing something. He didn’t answer directly, instead changing the subject: “Little Li, you’re truly formidable. You haven’t been in the Division long, yet you’ve accumulated so many Merit Points. You’re much fiercer than us old guys back in the day.”

“Senior, you flatter me. I’m just a slow learner trying to get ahead, doing more missions to get familiar with things.” Li Dong replied modestly, but his mind was pondering Old Sun’s reaction.

It seemed this old hand had something on his mind but wasn’t willing to speak easily.

Upon arriving at the abandoned workshop, the two split up to inspect. The place was filled with a strange smell of rust and dust, and occasionally a chilly wind would blow through, making a mournful sound. Li Dong carefully inspected every corner, while also not giving up on talking to Old Sun.

“Senior Sun, you’ve been in the Division for so many years and are very knowledgeable. I heard… our Division used to conduct some… well, rather special research projects?” Li Dong tried to make his tone sound purely curious.

Old Sun, who was inspecting a damaged machine, paused his movements.

He turned around and gave Li Dong a deep look, a look that made Li Dong’s heart skip a beat.

“Special research?” Old Sun’s voice deepened slightly, “Little Li, some things are better left unknown. Just focus on your missions, accumulate your Merit Points, and don’t ask around unnecessarily.”

With that, he ignored Li Dong and continued his inspection.

But Li Dong’s heart was stirred by his vague words, creating a huge wave of emotion!

There was something to it!

Old Sun definitely knew something! And, judging by his tone, this so-called “special research” was probably not something that could be openly discussed, and it might even be… very dangerous!

Didn’t this align with his previous conjectures? The strengthened demonic spiders in the mine, that damn special spice, Senior Wang’s hesitant “unpublicized experiment” in the mass grave, and now Old Sun’s cryptic warning… a line was becoming clearer and clearer!

Someone within the Demon Suppression Division was indeed conducting Forbidden Experiments! Using that spice to control or even strengthen Yao Beasts!

Li Dong felt as if he had touched the tip of a huge iceberg; the part beneath the surface was terrifyingly massive.

He didn’t press further, knowing that asking more would only arouse deeper suspicion from the other party. But Old Sun’s meaningful glance was like a thorn in his heart.

This old man definitely knew some inside information. But why wouldn’t he dare to speak? Was he afraid of getting into trouble? Or… were the forces involved so powerful that even an old veteran like him, in the Late Foundation Establishment Stage, felt afraid?

If it was the latter, then this water… was unfathomably deep.

These guys conducting secret research had terrifying power! To be able to suppress those in the know within the Demon Suppression Division and keep them silent, what level of person would that be? A Centurion? A Chiliarch? Or even higher?

The more Li Dong thought about it, the more his scalp tingled. His current strength was like a small shrimp encountering a whale compared to them.

Over the next few days, Li Dong became even more cautious. He continued to frantically complete missions, improving his strength and Merit Points, while secretly observing everything around him.

Lin Fan and his group were still up to no good. Zhao and Sun would occasionally appear near the mission hall or the training grounds, staring at him with cold, sinister eyes. But as Li Dong’s Merit Points and authority increased, it became increasingly difficult for them to casually pick fights or trip him up as before.

Manager Liu still tried to obstruct his missions, but Li Dong was now clear about the rules. Each time, he picked missions that met the regulations and offered good rewards, leaving Manager Liu speechless and only able to watch him take the mission plaques.

“Brother Fan, this kid’s wings are hard now! He’s slippery, we can’t catch him doing anything wrong!” The follower named Zhao complained to Lin Fan again, his tone full of frustration.

Lin Fan’s face was grim; he didn’t say anything. He also felt that Li Dong was a tough nut to crack now, and their old methods no longer worked. They had to come up with something more ruthless and more covert. But he vaguely felt that things were not that simple; Li Dong always seemed to be able to stay within the rules, making them unable to exert their strength.

Li Dong had no time to pay attention to their “eye contact.” What he felt now was a more subtle, yet more unsettling pressure.

This pressure didn’t come from overt opponents like Lin Fan, but from… a higher place.

It was an indescribable feeling. It was as if a pair of eyes were secretly watching him.

It wasn’t because of his displayed Cultivation talent, as there were geniuses even greater than him. This attention felt more like… because the places he had recently visited and the clues he had found were step by step approaching a certain forbidden zone.

Could it be that he had already been targeted by those conducting “secret research”?

Damn it! No way! He was just a small Foundation Establishment Stage - Early Phase cultivator!

【Ding! Detected that the host’s recent activity trajectory highly overlaps with multiple known abnormal energy fluctuation areas!】

【Ding! Warning! The host’s current behavior pattern has triggered a high-level attention threshold. Please act cautiously and pay attention to safety!】

【Ding! Hint: The host is approaching the edge of a core secret area…】

The System prompts that suddenly rang in his mind, a series of warnings and hints, made Li Dong’s heart clench sharply!

Holy crap! The System was even sounding an alarm!

This was no longer just a feeling; it was confirmed! He was really being watched! And from the System’s message, he was already close to poking a tiger’s backside!

He had always thought he had just accidentally stepped into the muddy waters between the Lin Fan faction and the possibly existing “experiment faction.” Now it seemed, damn it, he wasn’t on the edge of the muddy water at all, but had unknowingly swum to the very center of the whirlpool!

No wonder he had felt something was off lately; it turned out that his every move might have been under surveillance!

These people were more cunning than a hornet’s nest! His meager skill in playing stealth in front of them was like showing off a big sword in front of Guan Yu or wielding an axe at Lu Ban’s door!

A huge sense of crisis instantly enveloped him, more intensely than any time before.

No! He couldn’t continue investigating in such a methodical way! Since the other party had already noticed him, the next step might very well be to silence him!

He must speed up!

Either, before the danger fully erupts, find enough evidence to overturn the table and expose these rats hiding in the gutters!

Or, find a strong enough backer, an ally who could protect him and had the ability and willingness to resist this dark force with him!

Evidence… what he had in hand were only some powder samples, some conjectures, and the vague attitudes of a few informed individuals. These things were simply not enough to bring down a massive force capable of conducting Forbidden Experiments within the Demon Suppression Division.

Allies… Centurion Zhang Wu was far away in Mu Shi County, beyond reach. On the Prefecture side, what about Manager Zhou, who seemed relatively fair? Was his strength and status sufficient? Could he be trusted? What about the cryptic Old Sun? Don’t even hope. As for Centurion Zhang Wu’s superior? His background was unclear; what if he was one of their people?

After much thought, it seemed he could only rely on himself!

Improve his strength! He must improve his strength as quickly as possible!

Only if he was strong enough, strong enough to make those hiding in the shadows not dare to act rashly, would he have room to maneuver and a chance to survive!

Li Dong clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white.

He immediately changed his strategy, no longer deliberately taking on missions that clearly pointed to “spice” or “anomalies,” but instead began to choose missions that were more difficult, offered more generous rewards, but seemed to have little connection to previous clues.

He needed Merit Points, a large amount of Merit Points, to exchange for Cultivation resources and break through the Bottleneck of the Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment!

At the same time, he also needed to hone his combat skills through more difficult missions.

He was like a trapped beast forced to the edge of a cliff; either he jumped off and died, or… he carved out a bloody path!

One day, Li Dong had just returned from a mission to eliminate a mutated Yao Beast, covered in blood and with Evil Qi still lingering, and headed straight to the Merit Point exchange office.

“I want to exchange for three ‘Condensing Yuan Pills’ and one ‘Clear Heart Jade Talisman’.” He placed his identity token and enough Merit Points on the counter.

The attendant responsible for the exchange glanced at him, then at the rapidly changing Merit Point numbers on his token, and quickly retrieved the items, handing them to him.

Li Dong took the Medicinal Pills and the jade talisman, turned and left, preparing to return to his dorm for immediate secluded Cultivation.

Just as he reached the door, he was stopped by someone.

It was Manager Zhou.

“Li Dong.” Manager Zhou’s face was expressionless; he simply handed over a scroll, “There’s an urgent mission assigned to you.”