Chapter 27: Seeing Through the Enemy's True Form

The so-called Soul-Seeking Method is a bizarre spell that controls the target's spirit and consciousness, placing them in a state where their soul is unguarded, thus forcing them to answer whatever is asked.

Not many people know this spell, but as a sixty-something-year-old Spirit Hunter, it is no surprise that Xu Sainian knows some strange and peculiar techniques.

But this proposal was immediately opposed by the vast majority.

"Patrol Commander Xu, you should also understand the drawbacks of the Soul-Seeking Method; we cannot accept this proposal."

The Soul-Seeking Art is indeed effective for forced confessions, but its side effects are also obvious, causing damage to the target's soul.

Soul damage can be light or severe.

For martial artists, spirit injury at most impairs intelligence; their entire cultivation power remains intact.

But for Spirit Hunters, it is different.

Spirit Hunters must not only strengthen their vital energy but also nurture their Yin Qi and study spells.

And the soul is directly related to the talent for learning spells.

Like Li Lin, who is just at the starting point, having only learned the Yin-Nourishing Heart Sutra and not yet reached the stage of learning spells; if his soul is damaged, learning spells again will be difficult.

He would have to 'switch professions' to become a martial artist.

Seeing everyone oppose him, Xu Saifeng said helplessly, "But it is obvious that there is a traitor among us; if we do not find him, every single one of us will be unable to sleep or eat in peace, fearing that the moment we turn around, we will meet a violent death."

Everyone fell silent, after all, what Xu Saifeng said made sense.

Xu Saifeng continued, "My Soul-Seeking Art has reached the peak of mastery; as long as I am careful, it will not harm anyone's soul."

Everyone listened quietly.

At this moment, a Spirit Hunter about the same age as Xu Saifeng stepped forward: "Old Xu, I trust you; use it on me first."

"Haha, Old Ji, thank you." Seeing someone support him, Xu Saifeng smiled very happily.

'Old Ji' walked up to Xu Hanfeng with a natural and relaxed expression: "Begin."

Xu Saifeng raised his right hand; on the tip of his index finger, he held a black Qi sphere the size of a chicken egg, slowly pointing it toward 'Old Ji's' third eye.

Li Lin watched with great curiosity; he wanted to see what a spell was actually like.

But at this very moment, he suddenly noticed a 'text' appearing in the lower right corner of his vision.

【Nether Fetus Profound Treasury +1】

Li Lin's eyes widened slightly.

Wait... isn't the Nether Fetus Profound Treasury the Wraith Womb Secret Rite!

How does Xu Saifeng know such an evil and sinister spell?

And he intends to use it on a person, and on a man at that!

In that instant, a storm of thoughts erupted in Li Lin's mind.

In less than a single breath, he understood everything.

He gripped his spear with both hands and swept it violently across the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

At the same time, Li Lin leaped backward, shouting, "That is not the Soul-Seeking Art; Xu Saifeng is not right!"

By shouting that one sentence, he had already done his utmost.

How many survive depends entirely on their own fate.

He dared not stay; after shouting that sentence, he would be the prime suspect. If he did not run, he would suffer the worst fate, because he could not explain why he knew Xu Saifeng was suspicious; if he could not explain it, then he himself would be the problem.

After landing, Li Lin turned and sprinted, instantly bursting out of the formation.

The white jade pendant at his waist blazed with red light, and the whispering sounds that made one's scalp crawl already filled his ears.

At this moment, he saw a large tree ahead with a dense canopy.

He threw his spear upward, embedding it in the canopy, then used both hands and feet; in less than two breaths, he climbed to the canopy, retrieved his spear, and crouched on a relatively stable branch.

At the same time, he draped the Veil of Concealment over himself.

The red light on the white jade pendant vanished instantly.

All these actions took no more than four breaths.

Inside the formation, Xu Saifeng and others waved their sleeves to disperse the dust, only to find that Li Lin's tracks had already vanished before their eyes.

At this moment, everyone stood further apart from one another.

Xu Saifeng's face grew stern: "Absurd; I, an old man, have absolutely no intention of harming anyone."

Yet at this moment, no one fully believed him.

Even 'Old Ji', who had just spoken, retreated several steps.

The atmosphere was unusually oppressive.

After a long silence, Xu Saifeng sighed lightly: "I do not understand; clearly, I have stayed in Yulin County town the longest, clearly I have worked with you all for a very long time without any friction, so why do you believe a young man who has been in the profession for less than half a year, yet refuse to trust me!"

The scene was very quiet.

Bai Bufeng looked left and right, instinctively retreating behind his eldest uncle.

Hearing these words, everyone's suspicion of Xu Saifeng deepened further.

Bai Liwei said, "If Patrol Commander Li stood here and accused you, we would treat it as mere nonsense. But he saw you use a spell, his face changed drastically, he immediately fled, and did not forget to warn us; that meaning is different."

Xu Saifeng frowned: "Is there such a reasoning?"

"Moreover, Patrol Commander Li has only been in the profession for half a year." Bai Liwei snorted: "He has no roots or power behind him, and his conduct is clean. He has never even been to Bobai Town, so it is impossible for him to commit the act of killing soldiers in a military town. But you... Patrol Commander Xu, you know too many and too varied things; this place was chosen by you; if you wanted to make arrangements, it would be too easy."

As he finished speaking, the ten Spirit Hunters surrounding them had already encircled Xu Saifeng.

"I did not expect my plan to be thwarted consecutively by a young brat." Xu Saifeng no longer pretended; he said with a smile, "Otherwise, you should all be in the military town by now, turned into white bones, rather than still being here, barking at me."

Bai Liwei frowned and asked, "Why?"

"Rest assured, I will tell you all the reason, but only after I have subdued you all."

Bai Liwei was very puzzled: "Patrol Commander Xu, you are only one person; we have twelve here; how can you win!"

"If I were still an eighth-rank Spirit Hunter, I certainly could not defeat you." Xu Saifeng said with a smile: "Now I am seventh-rank."

As he spoke, his clothes rustled without wind, as if a current of Qi were emanating from within his body.

But Zhou Liwei and the others showed no sign of fear: "Hiding one's true realm isn't normal? Nowadays, who doesn't keep a trump card up their sleeve?"

Having said that, Zhou Liwei and the others continued to shrink the encirclement.

Xu Saifeng smiled smugly: "Besides, who told you I'm alone?"

Zhou Liwei and the others' expressions changed drastically.

At this moment, perched on the treetops not far from the cave, Li Lin crouched, watching a group of black-clad figures pass below.

Leading the way was a fat man waving a paper fan.

Each of them wore a white jade token at their waist, emitting a red glow.

Bringing up the rear was Old Hou.

Things had become even more troublesome.

Li Lin reached out, covering his nose to prevent making even the slightest sound, not even the sound of breathing.

After a while, the sounds of combat erupted, and several familiar figures burst out of the formation.

At the same time, the white jade tokens on their bodies flared with intense red light.

Several more people gave chase.

Li Lin waited a while, and once the people had moved far away, he jumped down from the treetops and crouched, crawling forward.

Not long after, he reached the outer perimeter of the cave and heard voices of people conversing.

"Once Li Xunshou returns to the county town, he will surely report to the County Magistrate. By then, even if the imperial court sends experts down, you still won't escape."

"That brat Li Lin won't get away." Xu Saifeng's voice carried a smug smile: "I still have a Liu Ren Directional Banner. As long as he is within a hundred li, finding him will be effortless. Moreover, once this technique enters the body, it generates yin Qi that corrodes. He is a Spirit Hunter who has only just entered the profession half a year ago; naturally, he cannot withstand it. In less than the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the yin Qi will assault his heart, and his entire body's blood will turn cold, leading to death. Hahaha!"

(End of this chapter)