81: The storm is coming and new challenges are here!

Li Dong had been truly riding high in the Prefecture Demon Suppression Division recently.

Those who used to call him "Li Dong" or "Brother Li" now, eight out of ten, respectfully addressed him as "Centurion Li."

"Centurion Li, good morning! Your complexion, your Cultivation must have advanced again, right?" A familiar squad leader greeted him with a beaming smile.

"Centurion Li, this new blade technique I've been practicing, do you have time to give me some pointers?" A young man who had recently joined the Division looked at him with admiration.

Li Dong usually just nodded, or simply replied, "You're too kind," or "Later, if I have time."

He didn't have that much free time to deal with these people.

However, this feeling of being highly regarded wasn't bad.

At least, no one dared to treat him as a greenhorn who could be easily manipulated anymore.

This day, after he finished handling a few miscellaneous tasks within his Centurion authority, he went to the Surveillance Division to find Inspector Zhou.

"Old Zhou, the Lin Yunzhi case, still no breakthrough?" Li Dong asked directly.

Inspector Zhou's eyes were deeply sunken, and the tea on his desk had gone completely cold; clearly, he hadn't slept much again last night.

"Sigh, don't even mention it."

He waved his hand, his voice a bit hoarse, "Although Lin Xiaotian is suspended, aren't all those under him slippery old foxes? Deeply entrenched, mutually shielding each other. As for Commander Luo... although he hasn't directly interfered, his influence is still there, who would dare not give him some Face? The investigation is like walking in a mud pit, every step is arduous."

"Is there no other way?" Li Dong frowned.

Inspector Zhou gave a bitter smile: "A way? Unless we can uproot his connections in the capital, it's difficult in Qingzhou Prefecture! I've already heard rumors that I'm 'neglecting my duties,' focusing on internal matters, and I'm afraid it won't be long before I'm transferred to some insignificant department to retire."

"They dare?!" Li Dong's eyes turned cold.

"What's there not to dare?" Inspector Zhou sighed, "All I can do now is try to solidify the evidence I have, dragging it out one day at a time." He looked at Li Dong, "You, kid, are riding high now, but don't be careless. These people are ruthless and capable of anything."

Li Dong grunted in acknowledgment, but his heart was far from calm. This water was murkier than he had anticipated.

Leaving the Surveillance Division, Li Dong went straight back to his Cultivation room. Sitting cross-legged, with his five centers facing the sky, the Cultivation Technique formed by the Fusion of the Purple Firmament Divine Lightning Body Tempering Art and the Heavenly Pill Sky-Rending Demon Suppression Seal operated on its own. The authority of a newly promoted Centurion allowed him access to more Cultivation resources, coupled with the Medicinal Pills he had exchanged for earlier, he felt the Spiritual Qi in his body surge like a rushing river, getting closer and closer to the threshold of the Late Foundation Establishment Stage. Especially the growth of his Spirituality, which made his perception of the Spiritual Qi between heaven and earth even more acute.

"Soon, it will be soon," he thought to himself.

While the improvement in strength was good, the investigation into the Soul-Devouring Demon Flower remained difficult. He used his Centurion authority to access relevant files in the archives, but the results were either vague or completely blank, as if an invisible hand was obstructing his deeper inquiry.

"Centurion Li, the in-depth information regarding the 'Soul-Devouring Demon Flower' is classified as 'Class A Top Secret' and requires a special warrant at the Commander level to access." The Old Executive of the archives accompanied him with a smiling Face, his attitude respectful, but the meaning of his words was unequivocal.

"Not enough authority again?" Li Dong muttered to himself. It seemed that the Centurion identity was still insufficient for this matter.

Just as he was getting a headache, he received an encrypted message from Zhang Wu in Mu Shi County.

"Brother Li, the strange occurrences you asked me to look out for are happening here in Mu Shi County too! In several remote villages, people have been mysteriously disappearing recently, with no trace of them alive or dead. I also heard that someone saw a strange flower that emits red light in the deep mountains, somewhat similar to the Soul-Devouring Demon Flower you described! This matter is sinister!"

Li Dong's brows furrowed even tighter after reading the message. "Mu Shi County too? Could it be that this thing isn't just in one place in the Prefecture?" He immediately replied, telling Zhang Wu to be careful and not to take risks easily.

It seemed that this whole affair was bigger and involved a wider scope than he had imagined.

"It seems that relying solely on this strength in the Prefecture, it will be difficult to dig out the mastermind," Li Dong paced in his room, his gaze directed out the window. The waters of the Prefecture were already deep enough, but according to Inspector Zhou, the real storm was still in the capital.

"Either leave Qingzhou Prefecture, or... find a stronger backer?" He recalled Inspector Zhou's previous suggestion. But when had he, Li Dong, ever learned to escape?

"No, I must take the initiative!"

Just as Li Dong was pondering his next move, wondering if he should risk investigating those suspicious Soul-Devouring Demon Flower cultivation sites, an urgent knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.

"Centurion Li! Urgent order from the Prefecture Commander's Office!" A slightly nervous voice of a Demon Suppression Guard came from outside the door.

"Urgent order?" Li Dong's heart stirred, and he opened the door.

A Demon Suppression Guard dressed in the uniform of the Commander's Office, holding a document sealed with wax, looked solemn: "Centurion Li, an urgent secret transfer order from the Demon Suppression Headquarters, please review it immediately!"

"Demon Suppression Headquarters? From the capital?" Li Dong took the secret transfer order; it felt heavy in his hand. This was truly... wishing for something and getting it? No, it should be fearing something and having it come true.

He waved away the Demon Suppression Guard, closed the door, took a deep breath, and broke the wax seal.

Unfolding the document, the handwriting on it was vigorous and powerful, but its content made his pupils contract slightly.

"...By this, Centurion Li Dong of the Qingzhou Prefecture Demon Suppression Division is specially transferred to immediately depart for the capital's Demon Suppression Headquarters to participate in a 'Special Selection,' without delay. By Imperial Order."

"Special Selection?" Li Dong murmured to himself, "What kind of selection is so mysterious? And an order directly from the capital to a small Centurion like me?"

His gaze slowly moved to the signature and seal at the end of the document.

Issuer — Deputy Commander He Tianzheng of the Demon Suppression Headquarters.

"He Tianzheng..." Li Dong mumbled the name, and suddenly, the System's cold notification sound rang out without warning in his mind.

"Warning: Key character information detected. Deputy Commander He Tianzheng is closely associated with Commander Luo Yi's faction in Qingzhou Prefecture. According to data analysis, both have common interest protectors in the capital."

Li Dong's fingers, holding the secret transfer order, tightened unconsciously, and the tough paper crinkled slightly in his grip.

"Heh," a cold arc formed at the corner of his mouth, "Luo Yi's man? Is this... a Hongmen Banquet, or is it truly a pie falling from the sky?"

He walked to the window, looking towards the distant capital, his eyes becoming profound.

"A storm is brewing... It seems someone can't sit still. Good, it saves me the trouble of finding you all one by one."

"The capital... Special Selection? I'd like to see what tricks you're up to!"