Chapter 178: Guard Against Villains, Not Gentlemen

The next day, Li Lin set out from Yulin County with over a hundred and twenty men.

The detailed personnel allocation is as follows.

One hundred village soldiers, seventy sword-and-shield troops, and thirty archers were under the command of Deputy Commandant Su Bei.

Twenty government office runners were under the command of the newly appointed constable Xiao Chunzhu.

Also accompanying them were two new Hunting Spirits: Zhao Xiaohu and Bai Bufen.

One could say nearly everyone here was Li Lin’s trusted confidant or loyal subordinate.

As the village soldiers marched, by nightfall the hundred-plus men clustered together, their combined blood qi deterring any wilderness horrors from approaching.

Yet for safety’s sake, Li Lin scattered a ring of Defense Powder around the perimeter.

He could now make this himself, and the cost had dropped significantly—it was cheap.

Then Li Lin summoned Zhao Xiaohu, Bai Bufen, Xiao Chunzhu, and Su Bei into his tent.

“Each of you take a bottle of Boiling Blood Pill.”

Li Lin distributed four bottles of Boiling Blood Pills.

Zhao Xiaohu uncapped his bottle, inhaled the scent, felt a warm surge through his body, and said, “Brother Lin, what kind of pill is this? I’ve never heard of it.”

Li Lin publicly had two elixirs well known in Yulin County.

Strong Body Pills and Youth-Preserving Pills.

These were also the main source of the Li family’s income.

Especially the Youth-Preserving Pills—any woman with a bit of silver wanted to buy a few to take.

Huang Qing had become the most influential woman in Yulin County’s “ladies’ circle,” unmatched in status and voice, thanks to these pills.

The others stared at Li Lin.

Li Lin smiled and explained, “Boiling Blood Pills—a family-secret elixir. I’ve only just recently managed to brew them. They temporarily boost your blood qi and enhance your martial skill, but the effect lasts only about fifteen minutes. You can take several in succession, but never more than five.”

Everyone’s eyes lit up.

Temporary enhancement of blood qi meant a de facto boost in strength. Though time-limited, it could be the decisive factor in a critical moment—perhaps even save your life.

Bai Bufen uncapped his bottle, saw at least twenty to thirty pills inside, dropped one into his mouth.

Instantly his face flushed crimson, he leapt aside, drew two short knives, and began slashing wildly.

Whistling blades cut through the air.

Clearly, Bai Bufen’s strength now far exceeded his usual level.

Zhao Xiaohu and the others watched, delighted, then immediately tucked their porcelain bottles away.

“Thank you, County Magistrate,” Xiao Chunzhu bowed in gratitude.

Su Bei followed suit.

After a while, Bai Bufen returned, his crimson hue faded, but sweat drenched his forehead.

“Phew… that felt amazing. My limbs are a bit weak, but otherwise no ill effects—side effects are practically nonexistent.” Bai Bufen bowed respectfully. “No wonder you’re the County Magistrate, Li Lin—your alchemy would earn you an imperial summons the moment you set foot in Jingcheng.”

The current Emperor practiced alchemy and cultivation, actively recruiting those skilled in elixir-making.

“Become a eunuch?” Li Lin laughed. “I couldn’t bear to leave my wives and concubines behind.”

Everyone burst into laughter.

Five more days passed, and they finally reached the western outskirts of Jincheng.

But upon arrival, they found a small encampment already established.

A large banner flew the character “Gao.”

“That must be the Beiliu County village soldiers,” Su Bei said beside Li Lin. “They’re closer to Jincheng, so arriving earlier is normal.”

Li Lin nodded and waved his hand. “Set up camp here.”

The village soldiers began erecting a makeshift encampment.

At that moment, several men emerged from the neighboring camp.

Li Lin, accompanied by Xiao Chunzhu, stepped forward to meet them.

The two parties met, bowed, and smiled.

Li Lin remembered this man—he’d seen him half a year ago, riding a chestnut stallion with village soldiers along the main road, returning from Feirong County.

Back then, to avoid conflict, Li Lin had hidden himself.

That was over half a year ago.

The man grinned. “I’m Gao Haiya, County Magistrate of Beiliu. And you must be the Yulin County Magistrate?”

“Yes. Li Lin, Yulin County Magistrate.”

“Pleasure to meet you,” Gao Haiya said, striding forward in his magistrate’s robes, laughing heartily. “I’ve heard tales in Beiliu—Yulin has a handsome magistrate who married the daughter of Prefect Huang and masters alchemy.”

Li Lin smiled. “Just neighbors being kind. Your blood qi is exceptionally robust—you must be a Seventh Rank martial cultivator.”

“Hahahaha! Sharp eyes, Magistrate Li!” Gao Haiya beamed. “I’ve trained since childhood; my only claim to fame is this hard-won martial skill. Since we’ve both arrived, let’s discuss our next moves!”

“Agreed,” Li Lin said.

“The Prefect ordered us to merge, then sweep the Luofeng Ridge from east and west,” Gao Haiya asked, studying Li Lin. “Which side would you prefer to start with?”

“Whichever you choose.”

“Then I’ll take the east.”

“Fine.” Gao Haiya paused, then asked, “I heard you’re a Hunting Spirit. What rank?”

“Eighth Rank!” Li Lin smiled.

“Do you have any extra Hunting Spirits to spare?”

“I brought others, but none to spare.”

Gao Haiya sighed. “You’ve probably heard—Beiliu recently suffered a disaster. All our Hunting Spirits perished. New recruits haven’t arrived yet. Could you lend us one or two?”

Li Lin hesitated. “We’re stretched thin ourselves—all our Hunting Spirits are young.”

“Then forget it,” Gao Haiya said, squinting with a smile. “I’ll return to my camp. Rest well, Magistrate Li. We split at dawn.”

“Agreed!”

Gao Haiya turned and left.

Back at his own camp, the makeshift encampment was complete. Li Lin sat cross-legged in his tent.

Xiao Chunzhu stood and said, “That County Magistrate Gao… something’s off.”

“What’s off?”

“His blood qi is too intense—it’s unnatural,” Xiao Chunzhu explained. “A Seventh Rank martial cultivator should be refining blood qi into primordial energy. But he’s still pushing blood qi alone, with zero signs of refinement. It feels like he’s practicing dark arts.”

“What happens when blood qi becomes excessively yang?”

“Usually, he’ll go mad from internal chaos,” Xiao Chunzhu shrugged. “Extreme yang cannot endure alone… even the most yang martial arts of Fomen require Buddhist teachings to suppress and neutralize excess yang energy.”

Li Lin nodded, understanding. Then he said, “I wonder how Beiliu plans to eliminate horrors without any Hunting Spirits… Did they bring out a True Lord?”

Xiao Chunzhu fell silent.

He knew well the ways of martial sects and cultivation.

But matters involving horrors were the domain of Hunting Spirits.

Li Lin frowned. If they truly brought a ritual altar to summon a True Lord, it would be an effective solution.

But… if Gao Haiya harbored ill intent, that True Lord on the altar would be a dangerous complication.

One in a thousand risks are worse than a thousand certainties.

Better prepare now—guard against villains, not gentlemen.

(End of Chapter)