144: Touching the truth

Although the Little Woman was unclear what was happening, or why a demon would suddenly attack in broad daylight, seeing Lu Ming's serious expression, she instinctively followed him.

Along the way, Lu Ming wondered if it was his imagination, but he noticed that there seemed to be far fewer pedestrians. Compared to when he set out, some vendors had even abandoned their stalls and disappeared.

However, these were not what Lu Ming needed to investigate now. He hurried back to the government office.

The two Demon Slayer Guards on duty at the Demon Suppression Division were astonished to see Lu Ming return from outside. Especially upon seeing the Little Woman following behind Lu Ming, their expressions grew even stranger.

They had originally thought this lord was still resting in his room and didn't know when he had left.

"Gather everyone. We have things to do. If anyone obstructs us, kill them without mercy." Lu Ming naturally understood what the two were thinking, but he couldn't be bothered to explain.

After all, there were more important matters awaiting his attention. That Plague Ghoul was not simple. If Lu Ming hadn't cultivated fire techniques, which happened to restrain it, even a Limit Realm cultivation would likely have struggled to clear the dispersed Plague Qi.

Even if that Plague Ghoul were killed, the diffused Plague Qi would probably be enough to cause another large-scale outbreak in some areas of Xianshui Town.

Although he didn't know who sent that Plague Ghoul, since it dared to appear before him in broad daylight, he naturally wouldn't remain indifferent.

He wanted to let those hidden figures know that since he had arrived, Xianshui Town would not tolerate their insolence.

Seeing Lu Ming's serious expression, the two Demon Slayer Guards knew that their Centurion must have discovered something!

And the information in the Centurion's last sentence was even more significant!

If anyone obstructs us, kill them without mercy!

Who in this government office would dare to obstruct their Demon Suppression Division? And those who could obstruct them were probably only people within the government office itself.

"Yes!" The two quickly responded.

As the assembly horn sounded, the originally silent courtyard suddenly became noisy. Over a hundred Martial Artists, carrying sabers and exuding robust Qi and blood, emerged from their rooms and gathered in front of the main courtyard along the corridors.

"Reporting, sir, out of the 112 people who came this time, excluding Centurion Wu who led a team early this morning, the remaining 105 are all here," a middle-aged Centurion respectfully reported.

Lu Ming nodded slightly. He scanned the neat ranks of solemn-eyed individuals. All present were skilled at slaying demons and monsters. Now, the only one who could command them was Lu Ming, their Centurion. With this force under his command, let alone in Xianshui Town, it would be a force not to be underestimated even in the nearby Tianshi City.

"Report!" Before Lu Ming could speak, a rapid sound of hooves came from outside the courtyard. Wu Lei, still covered in mud, walked in quickly, followed by several Demon Slayer Guards who had gone with him on the mission.

As they entered, a faint smell of blood wafted. It was clear that Wu Lei and the others were not just covered in mud. Wu Lei himself was relatively well, but the several Demon Slayer Guards following behind him all had numerous small and large wounds. Even though they were bandaged, blood could still be seen seeping through the bandages.

Not only Lu Ming but everyone else present also noticed their injuries.

Although they themselves were not injured, they were all colleagues. Someone dared to attack the Demon Suppression Division's forces, and how could this not make them angry?

"How is the situation?" Lu Ming glanced at them, asking indifferently.

"Sir, you guessed correctly. We went to excavate those graves but found that the number of buried remains was incorrect. After verification, the remains of the Centurion who was said to have passed away were not found. Not only that, but we were also ambushed by a group of masked men on our way back. If we hadn't been prepared, we might have truly fallen into their trap," Wu Lei said through gritted teeth.

That group of people had set an ambush on their unavoidable path, not only wearing armor but also using bows and crossbows.

Although the Great Liang Kingdom did not prohibit weapons, there were strict restrictions on armor and bows and crossbows. Especially since this was just a small town, where channels to obtain such items were limited, this further indicated some issues.

Moreover, the bows and crossbows were clearly military-grade, with considerable power, even capable of threatening Initial Realm Martial Artists.

If not for the small number of bows and crossbows and the masked men's mediocre martial arts skills, they might not have made it back.

"Indeed?" Lu Ming's lips curved slightly into a mysterious smile.

After a moment's pause, Lu Ming circulated his True Qi, making his voice audible to everyone.

"Everyone, listen to my command! Wu Lei will be the temporary deputy officer. Gather half the men to come with me. The rest will stay here and secure this place."

"Yes, sir!" Over a hundred people shouted in unison.

The government office in Xianshui Town was not large. Under Lu Ming's command, in less than half an hour, the entire garrison was controlled by the Demon Slayer Guards. The constables and officials within were detained by Lu Ming, gathered and held in one location amidst confusion and fear.

Walking on the road, Wu Lei, in charge of the search, quickly stepped forward. He cupped his hands and said, "Reporting, sir, we have not found any trace of Wu Shude and his son."

Lu Ming did not hide his suspicions and the information he had gathered. After a brief explanation, everyone understood that the government office in Xianshui Town had probably been corrupted long ago, which was why they had found nothing yesterday.

"Understood," Lu Ming nodded slightly. He walked to the main gate, where dozens of horses had already been brought. Lu Ming stepped into the saddle and mounted his horse.

"Depart! Head to the Golden Lotus Temple near Linchun River!" Lu Ming shouted... Linchun River was in the northwest corner of Xianshui Town, not far from it.

Riding at a gallop, in less than the time it takes to brew a pot of tea, a group of over sixty people approached the location of the Golden Lotus Temple.

To avoid alerting the enemy, Lu Ming did not ride directly to the Golden Lotus Temple. Instead, about a thousand meters away from the temple, he led his men to walk the final stretch of the Dao.

The Golden Lotus Temple had only been built for less than a month. Its main body was a temple for worship. After renovation, the bluestone paving of the temple looked brand new and clean. Under the sunlight, the entire temple was quite grand, and a high pagoda, not yet fully constructed, could also be seen within.

But who would have thought that this seemingly magnificent place was filled with darkness? The Golden Lotus Sect was secretly colluding with demons. This crime alone was enough to bring about its downfall.