69: How can you be so crazy as to want to cause chaos in the state?

The Prefecture City exploded.

It wasn't a literal explosion, but a destructive muffled roar from deep underground, followed by a thick, inky black smoke, mixed with an indescribable smell of either blood or decay, and that damned "demon-attracting incense" scent, shooting straight into the sky.

Li Dong, crouching in the drainage System, felt the entire ground shaking.

Rumbling sounds constantly came from above, along with the noise of something collapsing.

The smell of "demon-attracting incense" was more than ten times stronger than what he had smelled in the mine, almost solidifying into a physical form.

A System notification exploded in his mind: "Warning! High concentration of 'demon-attracting incense' is spreading! Prolonged exposure by the host carries the risk of being targeted by low-level demons!"

Li Dong ignored it. Instead, he poked his head out, cautiously observing the situation outside.

As expected, the city was in chaos.

He could hear shouts of surprise and screams from a distance, as well as the gongs and drums of the Demon Suppression Division assembling.

Many low-level demons, normally hidden in dark corners, barely surviving on weak Demonic Qi, now behaved like mice sniffing catnip, becoming restless.

Some minor demons even uncontrollably rushed out of their hiding places, causing a wave of confusion in the city.

The Demon Suppression Division reacted quickly. A large number of Demon Suppression Guards began patrolling the streets, instantly raising the tension to an unbearable level.

"Tsk, this commotion should be enough to give the Lin family a hard time," Li Dong muttered to himself. He knew that his explosion had caused a huge mess, but only this way could he drag the Lin family out of the shadows.

Meanwhile, at the Lin family mansion.

Lin Yunzhi rushed like a madman to the ruins of the secret warehouse. Everything before his eyes made his head buzz. The ground had collapsed, black smoke billowed, and the familiar smell of "demon-attracting incense" was so strong it made him unable to open his eyes.

"Young Master! The warehouse... the warehouse is completely destroyed!" A Lin family steward, covered in ash, reported tremblingly.

Lin Yunzhi said nothing, just stared intently at the ruins, his teeth grinding audibly.

It was over, everything was over.

The warehouse not only contained a large number of Materials for experiments and semi-finished products, but also those illicit ledgers and lists.

Although he had kept a copy of the core ledger, most of the evidence was stored in the warehouse.

The leakage of "demon-attracting incense," the restless demons, the Demon Suppression Division on high alert throughout the city... all of these pointed to the Lin family, and to the Earth Abyss incident!

This time, even if Commander Luo wanted to protect him, he couldn't!

Would the Lin family's centuries-old foundation be destroyed in his hands?

No! It couldn't be like this!

A hint of madness flashed in Lin Yunzhi's eyes. Since it was already irreversible, he would stir the waters even muddier! Make things even bigger! Big enough to cover up the truth of the destroyed warehouse!

He quickly calculated in his mind.

Although most of the warehouse was destroyed, a batch of newly developed enhanced demon attraction incense was separately stored in a reinforced secret room and should not have been completely annihilated. The power of that item far exceeded ordinary demon-attracting incense; it was used to... used to detonate that "Soul-Devouring Demon Flower"!

"Someone!" Lin Yunzhi's voice was hoarse like a broken gong. "Go find that batch of 'potent demon attraction incense'! Quick!"

He wanted to create an unprecedented demon riot!

Turn the Prefecture City into a purgatory!

This way, people would only care about how to survive; who would bother to investigate a destroyed warehouse?

Who would still think about the truth of the Earth Abyss incident?

He could even pin the blame on some "insane demon"!

A cornered dog? Heh, he would jump higher, and bite harder!

Li Dong, after exiting the drainage System, found a hidden spot to hide. He processed the information in his mind while scanning the surrounding environment with the System's [Environmental Analysis] function.

"System, something seems off outside the city?" He frowned, feeling that besides the demon-attracting incense from within the city, there was an even denser, more concentrated aura from a distance.

The System replied: "Analyzing environment... An abnormally high concentration of 'demon-attracting incense' accumulation zone detected in the southwest direction outside the Prefecture City. Accompanied by detected signs of widespread low-level and Middle Stage demon restlessness, with abnormally increased activity frequency."

"Outside the city?" Li Dong was startled. Shouldn't Lin Yunzhi be busy dealing with matters inside the city? Why would he go outside to do this?

He immediately pulled out the [Core Ledger] and the [Soul-Devouring Demon Flower] map he had copied from the Lin family warehouse.

"System, analyze the purpose of this batch of 'potent demon attraction incense'." He pointed to the records in the ledger regarding this new type of incense.

The System analyzed: "Analyzing... 'Potent demon attraction incense', the latest result of the Lin family's Forbidden Experiment. Its main components are high-purity demon-attracting incense, demon essence blood, and various special minerals. Its effect is not simply to attract demons, but rather... to catalyze and detonate the energy within specific demon plants or demon cores."

The System continued: "Combined with the distribution map of the 'Soul-Devouring Demon Flower' secret cultivation base and the key stages of the 'Artificial Dao Body' project mentioned in the ledger, the 'potent demon attraction incense' is highly likely to be used to detonate the full potential of the 'Soul-Devouring Demon Flower'!"

"Detonate the 'Soul-Devouring Demon Flower'?" Li Dong felt his scalp tingle. That thing was something even the "Doctor" regarded as a treasure, saying it could create an "Artificial Dao Body"!

The System warned: "Warning! According to System's deduction, once the 'Soul-Devouring Demon Flower' is detonated by the 'potent demon attraction incense', the intensity of the Demonic Qi it releases will far exceed the Late Foundation Establishment Stage, very likely reaching the Golden Core Stage, or even higher! At that time, it will trigger a large-scale demon riot, and the Prefecture City will face devastating destruction!"

"Golden Core Stage?! Devastating destruction?!" Li Dong gasped, drawing a cold breath. This was not a cornered dog; this was trying to drag the entire Prefecture City to its grave!

Lin Yunzhi, that madman!

Li Dong's head buzzed. He knew the Lin family was insane, but he didn't expect them to go this far. Creating a demon riot that would cover the entire Prefecture City? Countless innocent commoners and Cultivators would die!

"No." He made a decision almost immediately. No matter what, he couldn't let this happen.

Even if he exposed himself, even if he faced immense difficulties afterward, he couldn't just watch the Prefecture City turn into a demon's paradise. This was a responsibility, and more importantly... as a Demon Suppression Guard, as a human, it was a bottom line he could not abandon.

But just then, his communication jade slip on his waist lit up. It was Inspector Zhou.

Connecting the jade slip, Inspector Zhou's anxious voice came through: "Li Dong! Are you... are you alright? The city exploded! That secret warehouse of the Lin family! Was it you?"

"Never mind that for now," Li Dong interrupted him. "Inspector Zhou, what's your situation like?"

"I... I'm not doing well either." Inspector Zhou sighed. "Commander Luo has started to exert pressure. He's put out word that the explosion of the Lin family warehouse was a frame-up by other forces in the city, a conspiracy against Deputy Commander Lin. He told our inspection System to stop 'unwarranted harassment' of the Lin family, otherwise... we'd face the consequences."

"He's going to completely protect the Lin family." Li Dong felt a chill rise from his feet. Luo Yi was indeed the Lin family's backer, and even more powerful than he had imagined.

"Yes." Inspector Zhou gave a bitter laugh. "He even hinted that if we continue to investigate, it would be going against the entire Demon Suppression Division, and... and against the higher-ups. Many of my subordinates are starting to back down."

"I understand, be careful." Li Dong hung up the jade slip. Pressure, immense pressure. From the Lin family, from Luo Yi, and even from within the entire Demon Suppression Division System.

It wasn't over. Immediately after, Zhang Wu's message also came.

"Brother Li! Have you heard? Something big happened in the Prefecture City!"

Zhang Wu's voice carried a hint of panic. "I'm having trouble here too! That merchant caravan we previously investigated, which had ties to the Lin family, I just tried to investigate it further and was warned! The other party was very strong, directly cutting off all my leads, and even threatened me that if I continued to investigate, they would... make me disappear!"

"Even your side has been affected?" Li Dong clenched his fist. The Lin family's reach was truly long, or rather, Luo Yi's reach was truly long! They were trying to cut off everyone who might trace back to the Lin family!

Zhang Wu was one of his few allies, and now he was targeted too. Inspector Zhou's side, under Luo Yi's pressure, probably wouldn't last much longer. And he himself... although Lin Yunzhi misjudged the mine attacker, after the warehouse explosion, his identity as "Mu Feng" must have been largely exposed, it's just that the Lin family hasn't reacted or had time to deal with it.

Isolated and helpless. With wolves ahead and pursuers behind.

What should he do?

Should he continue to lay low, use the ledgers and maps in his hand, and try to contact the capital, or contact the upright high-ranking officials in the Demon Suppression Division? But this would take time, and the risk was enormous. If the information was intercepted, he would undoubtedly die, and the Lin family and Luo Yi would have time to destroy more evidence.

Or... should he risk stopping this impending demon riot? This could immediately strike the Lin family and save countless people. But by doing so, his identity as "Mu Feng," a Cultivator in the Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment, would be completely exposed. If Luo Yi personally made a move, could he escape? Even if he could escape, how much of a stir could a "Mu Feng" cause? His true identity, Li Dong, couldn't be exposed so easily.

Li Dong felt like he was standing on the edge of a cliff, caught between a rock and a hard place.

"Damn it, what kind of situation is this?" He couldn't help but curse, feeling so annoyed he wanted to smash the Demon Suppression Ruler in his hand.

"Stop... or hide..."

He looked towards the southwest outside the city, where Demonic Qi was visibly gathering, and the sky seemed to be pressed down by an invisible black cloud. Lin Yunzhi had already begun to act.

Time was running out.

The System's cold warning echoed in his ears like a death knell: "Warning! Demonic Qi concentration in the southwest area outside the city continues to rise! Energy fluctuations of 'potent demon attraction incense' detected to be strengthening!"

Li Dong took a deep breath, suppressing the irritation and fear in his heart.

"Hiding my identity is to better strike them," he muttered to himself. "But if I just watch so many people die... then what's the point of striking them?!"

He closed his eyes, and images flashed through his mind: the innocents tortured to death in the mine, the mutated and twisted demons in the Earth Abyss, the Cultivator bodies soaking in glass jars in the Lin family's warehouse... "Beasts! None of you will escape!"

He suddenly opened his eyes, a fierce glint flashing within them.

To hell with Luo Yi or not Luo Yi, to hell with exposure or not exposure!

This Prefecture City, he had to manage it!

He took out the Mystic Iron Demon Suppressing Ruler, feeling the cold touch from the ruler's body, which was the power to suppress all evil.

"System, where is the nearest Demon Suppression Division outpost in the southwest area outside the city?" he asked.

The System scanned: "Scanning... The nearest outpost is five li to the southwest, stationed personnel: one Late Qi Refining Stage Demon Suppression Guard, two Middle Stage Qi Refining Stage, five Early Stage Qi Refining Stage."

"These few people..." Li Dong sneered inwardly. This small force would only be sending themselves to their deaths. Lin Yunzhi choosing that location must have been premeditated.

He no longer hesitated, put away the Demon Suppression Ruler, and with a flash of his figure, sped towards the southwest outside the city.

At the same time, in a hidden valley southwest of Prefecture City.

Lin Yunzhi stood on the hillside, watching his subordinates place incense burners, each inscribed with runes, in various corners of the valley. Faint grayish-purple smoke rose from the burners, and the nauseating smell of enhanced demon attraction incense in the air grew stronger.

His face held a pathological excitement.

"Young Master Lin, everything is set." A subordinate stepped forward to report.

"Very good." Lin Yunzhi nodded, looking into the depths of the valley, where a huge, twisted black plant, the "Soul-Devouring Demon Flower," could be vaguely seen.

"Just wait, when the demon flower is catalyzed, when the demons rush into Prefecture City, the whole world will know that the Lin family... is not to be trifled with!"

His eyes gleamed with madness.

Above Prefecture City, the gathering Demonic Qi grew denser, like a volcano about to erupt, stiflingly oppressive. A huge crisis was quietly descending.

Li Dong raced across the wilderness outside the city, feeling the increasingly close Demonic Qi ahead, and that familiar, hated smell of "demon-attracting incense."

He knew he had stepped into the eye of the storm.