Chapter 137: Martial Law Across the City

After registering his information, Li Heng left directly.

Wang Donglai watched the back of Li Heng as he departed, muttering to himself, "Is this really going to work?" After thinking it over, he still felt it was better to be safe, and regardless of how busy he was, he ran off to report it.

It was better to let the Division Chief know about this matter first.

Leaving the Inner City and passing the Inner City gate, Li Heng raised his eyebrows in surprise. Because that Xing Yong was, for the first time ever, not guarding the gate here; could it be that he had run off to the Outer City gate?

He arrived at the Outer City, where there were few pedestrians on the streets.

At some intersections and along the alleys, there were still people from gangs standing there, glaring fiercely at the pedestrians, with some yamen runners from the County Government standing nearby, responsible for maintaining order.

What is this, officials and bandits being one big happy family?

Li Heng couldn't help but shake his head and smile. Of course, he understood that Bei'an City was so large and the County Government had only so much manpower; they certainly needed those underworld gangs to assist them in order to fully suppress the entire city.

"Buy your things and hurry home, don't come out!"

Seeing a certain pedestrian wandering around on the street, a yamen runner scolded. The gang members nearby revealed even more ferocious expressions, scaring that pedestrian into speeding up as he ran toward home.

Withdrawing his focus, he continued walking toward the city gate.

Although the entire city was under martial law and the common people were all required to stay at home and not go out at will, for Li Heng, it was smooth sailing. When the yamen runners and gang members saw Li Heng's attire and the Token at his waist, they didn't even dare to breathe loudly, letting him pass directly.

He arrived at the city gate.

Unsurprisingly, there were heavy troops guarding this place.

On the city walls, there were people patrolling at all times, walking incessantly. Below the city gate, quite a few martial artists and cultivators had gathered, among whom the highest in cultivation were even at the True Qi Realm, standing by at all times.

This was likely the full force that Bei'an City could muster.

Although the efficiency was high right now and they could mobilize so many personnel to stand guard, looking very reassuring, Li Heng knew this was only temporary. As long as the external danger was slightly resolved and did not threaten Bei'an City, this level of martial law would dissipate in a few days.

Or even if the situation became untenable.

Don't be surprised, the first ones to run would be these garrison soldiers!

Standing before the city gate, Li Heng could faintly hear some martial artists complaining that their Gang Leader had dragged them up early in the morning, and how their hall master was exploiting them.

Right now, it was only strong on paper.

He shook his head slightly, flashed his Demon Suppression Division Token, passed the Array inspection, and intended to walk out of the city.

"Brother Li, are you going out of the city?"

Suddenly.

A garrison soldier standing on one side outside the city gate called out to Li Heng.

Li Heng turned his head to look; it was indeed that professional city-gate guard, Xing Yong. At this moment, Xing Yong was wearing refined iron armor and holding a refined iron spear; he could truly be called armored and armed.

His sturdy and mighty physique, combined with his Blood Exchange Realm cultivation, made his Qi and Blood surge like a blast furnace; he really stood there like an iron tower. This presence was something even the few True Qi Realm experts beside him couldn't compare to.

If this were in the ancient times of Earth, he would be Li Yuanba reborn!

"Constable Xing, I thought you were at the Inner City gate."

Li Heng said with a faint smile.

Xing Yong showed an awkward smile. "With the massive changes occurring outside the city, the defense of the Outer City is even more important. However, one more of me doesn't make much difference, and one less doesn't either; there are already several True Qi Realm Grandmasters right here."

"It is dangerous outside the city now. I wonder where Brother Li is going? I have been guarding the gate here all morning and have heard some news that might be of some help to Brother Li."

"I am intending to head to Lanyue Creek."

Lanyue Creek was relatively close to Bei'an City, and at the same time, he was interested in that massive Ancient Residence that had smashed into Lanyue Creek, curious about what exactly existed inside.

And as luck would have it.

That Grave Mountain, covered in vermilion coffins, was also in that direction.

"Lanyue Creek!"

Hearing these three words, Xing Yong was suddenly startled.

"You cannot go to that place; people died there just this morning!"

The commotion of their conversation drew the attention of other garrison soldiers, who cast their gazes toward the two of them one after another, wearing strange expressions. Was there actually still someone who would go to that Ghost Place now?

Could it be that this person from the Demon Suppression Division hadn't received the news?

"What's strange about people dying?"

"Brother Li, you don't know. It is indeed not strange for people to die; in the current situation, it wouldn't be surprising if an entire village died. But the ones who died at Lanyue Creek this morning were a hall master from the Money Gang and a Chief Constable from our County Government; both of them were at the True Qi Realm."

Xing Yong said in a deep voice, his eyes revealing horror.

"Two True Qi Realm experts died; that is indeed very dangerous."

Li Heng nodded.

There were actually not many True Qi Realm experts in Bei'an City, but now two had died at once, so for ordinary martial artists and cultivators like Xing Yong, Lanyue Creek was indeed a Forbidden Zone that one absolutely must not enter.

Once one entered, it was no different from seeking death.

But that was only for them.

"Many thanks for the warning, Constable Xing. Then I shall be off; farewell."

Li Heng did not intend to get entangled with anyone further. After thanking him, he left directly, which left Xing Yong stunned; it wasn't until Li Heng's figure had completely receded into the distance that he reacted.

He couldn't quite understand.

You clearly know it's dangerous, so why do you still dare to go?

"Come on, come on, place your bets."

"Betting on whether this Demon Exorcist can come back alive, location Lanyue Creek, bet big or bet small?" A Bone Refining martial artist who was a gambler by trade. He had been watching coldly from the sidelines just now, but now, not fearing a big scene, he directly called for everyone to place bets.

"Zhang Xiaoliu, aren't you afraid that guy is just bluffing? In reality, he isn't going to Lanyue Creek at all." Another Bone Refining martial artist teased, and the others also nodded in agreement.

"It doesn't matter where such a hotheaded youth goes."

That gambler Zhang Xiaoliu waved his hand, which immediately made many people's eyes light up. That was true; the Demon Exorcist was very young, so his cultivation likely wasn't very high, and he was such a hothead.

Looking at the deteriorating situation outside the city, even someone at the Blood Exchange Realm could die if they weren't careful, let alone a hotheaded youth like this? Those Weird demons that had run out from who knows where wouldn't care if you were afraid of death or not.

"Alright, I'm interested now, I bet he dies!"

After leaving the city, Li Heng hurried toward Lanyue Creek.

The Yin energy outside the city made him feel faintly alarmed. The concentration of this Yin energy was several times greater than yesterday, and it was still growing rapidly. No wonder it would erupt one day and undergo a mutation; it would be a miracle if it didn't evolve into a Ghost Domain!

If the Yin energy continued to be this dense, let alone ordinary people, even those Body Tempering and Bone Refining martial artists would not be able to leave the city; once they went out, they would be eroded by the Yin energy and die instantly.

Only those in the Blood Exchange Realm could rely on their Qi and Blood furnace to forcefully endure it.

Of course, enduring it for too long would still lead to death.

Walking on the small path leading to Lanyue Creek, he released his consciousness to sense his surroundings and discovered that there was actually a Lanzhuang Gang ahead. The Yin energy was so dense that it had formed a Ghost Domain, with many Resentful Souls wandering within it.

He frowned; this place was too close to Bei'an City.

It seemed he would have to clear it out while he was at it.

Upon arriving at this Lanzhuang Gang Ghost Domain, Li Heng discovered over a dozen fresh corpses on the ground; they all appeared to be commoners in simple clothing, and some goods and carrying poles were scattered on the ground.

It was clear they had wanted to enter the city early to sell their goods, only to meet this disaster.

A Ghost Domain Yin Land, no living person should approach.

Li Heng did not perform Visualization of Yin energy to transform into a Living Dead Ghost. Therefore, when he broke into this place, the Resentful Souls wandering here noticed him and surged toward him one after another. The appearance of some of these Resentful Souls was exactly the same as the corpses on the ground...

A wisp of Sun True Fire flew out, instantly burning all the Resentful Souls in this place to nothing, not even leaving a trace of ash, and his Source Power increased by fifty points.

He shook his head slightly and sighed; a Great Tribulation for living beings.

He looked at this Lanzhuang Gang; there were no tombstones, only ghastly white bones exposed outside the mounds of earth, along with some tattered straw mats. However, this was not strange; where would poor people get the money to buy coffins?

He was just about to throw a punch, wanting to blast this Ghost Domain apart.

At this moment, a sudden change occurred. A hole that rippled and shifted like the surface of water appeared in front of him; it was only the size of a fist at first, then it expanded violently, and a wedding procession slowly walked out from within the hole, followed immediately by the sound of festive trumpets.

This wedding procession was twelve people in size.

In the front, a pair of golden boy and jade girl scattered flowers to clear the path; behind them were five musicians blowing trumpets, their faces heavily made up in only red and white colors; further back were three burly men in white clothes beating gongs and drums. Finally, there was a carriage, with an old woman driving it, and the bride was clearly inside the carriage cabin.

Li Heng was slightly stunned, then revealed a smile, and immediately performed Visualization of Yin energy to transform into a Living Dead Ghost. This was a wedding from the Underworld, so he had to be a bit more "Underworld" himself.

"Who are you? Why are you here?"

The old woman driving the carriage saw Li Heng blocking the front of the entire procession and let out a hoarse voice; as her pale and withered face twitched, she looked somewhat angry.

"What business is it of yours that I am eating here?"

Li Heng answered indifferently.

Eating? The old woman was slightly stunned. She looked around and saw that there was not a single Resentful Soul in this Lanzhuang Gang Ghost Domain. She understood immediately, then revealed a cold sneer and spoke with a shriek.

"I was wondering where those little ghosts went? So they were eaten by you? Do you know that this Ghost Domain was opened by my master to connect to the Yin Path to welcome the bride?"

"Where did this ignorant little ghost come from, daring to cause trouble?"

"Kill him, don't delay the auspicious hour."

The old woman waved her hand, and the golden boy and jade girl who had been scattering flowers, the musicians blowing trumpets, and the burly men beating gongs and drums instantly stopped their actions and charged directly at Li Heng, kicking up gusts of Yin wind.

This group of Weirds doesn't listen to Reason?

Li Heng felt helpless in his heart. Forget it, he couldn't get angry; he still had to teach these Weirds what Reason was. Immediately, his mind stirred, he performed Visualization of the Boundless Earth, stomped his foot, and the Weirds charging at him instantly shattered.

Source Power +50.

What? How is this possible?

The old woman was greatly shocked, but before she could make a move, a wisp of Sun True Fire had already drifted in front of her, only a hair's breadth away, ready to ignite her at any moment.

The old woman froze instantly, not daring to act rashly at all. After all, she was not one of those Puppets; she still valued her life and knew she had kicked an incredible iron plate.

"Alright, now you should understand a bit of Reason."

"Speak, where do you come from, and where are you going?"

Li Heng said indifferently.