Chapter 25: Chapter 25: The Second Patrol Mission
The next morning, Li Yuan was summoned and went straight to the station.
The door to the main building was open. Wang De looked up at Li Yuan, then flipped to another page of the document on his desk.
"Sit."
Li Yuan pulled over a chair and sat down. Wang De pushed the document toward him.
"Your patrol duties are being reassigned. This will take effect tomorrow."
Li Yuan took the document and scanned it.
The contents were brief. Due to the steady decline of Loose Cultivators within the marketplace, the pressure on internal patrols had lessened. Meanwhile, Demon Beast activity on the outskirts was on the rise, and the Guard was short-staffed.
Upon approval from the Wang family’s steward, a portion of the Inspectorate’s personnel will be integrated into the outer patrol sequence, coordinating with the Guard to carry out patrol missions on the marketplace’s outskirts.
To put it bluntly, they were pushing the Inspectorate members out.
With a batch of Loose Cultivators gone, disputes in the marketplace had decreased, leaving less work for the Inspectors.
And with the frequent Demon Beast attacks on the outskirts, the Guard was shorthanded, so it was the perfect opportunity to fill the gaps with the surplus Inspectors.
Nominally, they were still part of the Inspectorate, but in reality, they were doing the Guard’s work.
Of course, this was still much better than being directly conscripted by the Guard.
As for compensation, Li Yuan, being a Deputy Captain at the Qi Refining Fourth Level, would receive a monthly subsidy of twelve Spirit Stones, plus an allowance for injury medicine. Since this wasn’t a conscription, it could be stacked with his original monthly salary from the Inspectorate.
Li Yuan read on.
He was assigned to the Third Outer Patrol Group. Their patrol area covered the region from the south of the marketplace to the east of the Spirit Field District, a circuit even farther out than the route he was previously responsible for.
"There will be three others with you this time."
Wang De took a sip of tea.
"Xu Mao and Lin Xiaowu, who both went with you to the Spirit Field District before. They’re cooperative enough. Additionally, the Guard is sending over a captain to lead the team. He’s at the Qi Refining Fourth Level. His surname is He, and his name is He Shou."
’Sending a captain at the Qi Refining Fourth Level means this patrol isn’t just for show.’
"The previous model of patrolling once every three days has been cancelled. This time, it’s a continuous assignment. You’ll patrol during the day and spend the night at an outpost on the outskirts, without returning to the marketplace."
Wang De pulled a simple map out from under the document and pointed to several marked spots on it.
"There are several Guard outposts on the outskirts. Your group will stay at the nearest one, this one to the south. Each outpost has plenty of rooms."
Li Yuan looked at the location of the outpost on the map. It was about three to four li outside the marketplace’s south gate, near a dirt road leading in and out of the marketplace.
"How do we coordinate with the Guard during patrols?"
"The Guard’s patrol squads will take the outer routes, while you take the inner ones. It’s called an inspection, but it’s really just a patrol.
If you encounter a Demon Beast, first determine its grade. You can deal with anything Tier One Low Grade or below on the spot. For Tier One Middle Grade, handle it based on the situation. If you see a Tier One Top Grade, retreat immediately and notify the Guard."
Wang De paused. "The same goes for rogue cultivators."
Li Yuan put away the document and the map, nodding in agreement.
"Gather at the east gate tomorrow afternoon. He Shou will come and meet you there."
Li Yuan stood up and asked another question, "Has the Wang family sent more people?"
Wang De glanced at him but didn’t answer directly.
"The Demon Beasts have been causing a lot of trouble lately, and business in the marketplace has suffered. The Wang family won’t just stand by and watch."
That sentence said it all.
Qinghe Marketplace was a key asset for the Wang family. The harassment from Demon Beasts caused Loose Cultivators to leave and shops to close, directly impacting their income. It was inevitable that the Wang family would send more people to the marketplace.
And his group of Inspectors being pushed to the outskirts was also a move to help the Wang family strengthen their control over the area surrounding the marketplace.
Li Yuan left the station but didn’t head straight back to his residence. Instead, he first turned onto East Street.
At the fork to the south, the old woman who sold pills was still there.
Her stall was as small as ever, with a few porcelain vials arranged neatly on a white cloth.
The old woman was leaning against the base of a wall, resting with her eyes closed. Hearing footsteps, she opened her eyes, saw it was Li Yuan, and sat up a little straighter.
"How many Evil Essence Pills do you have left?" Li Yuan crouched down, getting straight to the point.
"Only four left," the old woman stated, extending a hand.
"I’ll take them all."
Li Yuan took out eight Spirit Stones from his sleeve and placed them neatly on the stall’s cloth.
The old woman’s eyes lit up, but she didn’t immediately reach for the Spirit Stones. Instead, she looked Li Yuan up and down.
"Young man, are you planning to take these long-term?"
"I’ve tried them. The effects are decent."
The old woman furrowed her brow and said,
"It’s not easy to clear out an accumulation of Evil Qi in your body. Pace yourself. Don’t take them all at once."
Li Yuan nodded.
"Thank you for the reminder."
Only then did the old woman sweep the eight Spirit Stones into her sleeve and hand over the four Evil Essence Pills in a small cloth pouch.
Li Yuan took the pouch, felt its weight, and tucked it into his sleeve.
"If your old man refines any more later, save three for me."
"Alright, but I can’t make any promises."
Li Yuan got up and left, walking along East Street toward the east gate.
As he passed a stall run by a Loose Cultivator selling pills, Li Yuan glanced at the items on display. Qi Nourishing Pills, three Spirit Stones each, or three for eight.
’If I can’t get enough from the old woman, I’ll use Qi Nourishing Pills to make up the difference.’
「The following afternoon, outside the marketplace’s east gate.」
When Li Yuan arrived, Xu Mao and Lin Xiaowu were already waiting by the roadside.
Xu Mao seemed to be in better spirits today than last time.
Lin Xiaowu had a small cloth bag on his back and was habitually fiddling with the Magical Artifact at his waist, still looking a bit nervous.
Li Yuan nodded to them. The three of them didn’t say much as they stood by the road and waited.
They didn’t have to wait long before a man walked out from the east gate.
He looked to be in his early thirties, with a medium but sturdy build, a square face, and a ring of bluish stubble on his chin. He wore the uniform of the Guard, a long saber hung at his waist, and his stride was steady and powerful.
He Shou.
He Shou walked up to them, his gaze sweeping from Li Yuan to Xu Mao and Lin Xiaowu before returning to Li Yuan. He cupped his fist in greeting.
"Deputy Li? I’m He Shou, sent over from the Guard."
"Captain He." Li Yuan returned the salute.
He Shou nodded. Without any further pleasantries, he spoke directly.
"Let’s talk on the way. We’re moving out."
The four of them headed south along the dirt road.
He Shou walked at the front, his pace unhurried but steady, his eyes constantly scanning the grass and low bushes on both sides of the road.
After they had walked for a while, He Shou began to speak, his voice not loud and his pace unhurried. It was as if he were making small talk, but the content was pure, hard-earned experience.
"Patrolling the outskirts is different from patrolling inside the marketplace. Inside, you watch people. Out here, you watch for tracks."
He Shou pointed to a small bush by the roadside, its branches bent in one direction.
"Bends like this are from the wind. The branches all lean the same way, nothing to see here. What you need to look for is—"
He Shou pointed ahead. "—when a few branches are snapped in different directions, at about waist height or lower. That most likely means something has pushed its way through the bushes."
He Shou’s tone was casual, but he was conveying a lot of information.
After walking a bit further, He Shou stopped at a patch of the dirt road and crouched down.
"The ground."
Li Yuan crouched down to look.
The dirt road was dry and hard; there were no obvious prints.
He Shou used the end of his scabbard to gently scrape the ground, leaving a shallow mark.
"You can’t see claw prints on dry earth, but you can see impressions."
He Shou pointed to a slightly sunken area on the road. It wasn’t large, looking as if something had pressed down on it.
"This is from a mundane beast. Not heavy enough, so it only leaves a small mark. If a Demon Beast passed through, the depression would be much deeper, and the surrounding earth would show cracks."
He Shou stood up, dusting the dirt from his hands.
"Demon Beast tracks are relatively easy to identify: large size, heavy weight, Spiritual Qi residue. The hard part is rogue cultivators."
At the mention of rogue cultivators, He Shou’s tone grew heavier.
"Rogue cultivators don’t leave claw prints for you to find. You have to look for things that shouldn’t be there. For example, a few sudden footprints on a wild path that no one ever uses, a strip of cloth tied to a tree, or a rock that’s been moved and then put back."
"These don’t necessarily mean rogue cultivators, but anything that feels out of place, note its location and report it when you get back."
Li Yuan committed these details to memory.
He Shou went on to explain various methods for identifying Demon Beast types, such as determining the species from the shape and smell of their droppings, estimating size from the depth and spacing of claw marks, and distinguishing between mundane and Demon Beasts by the fur left on the ground.
Xu Mao listened in silence, nodding occasionally. Lin Xiaowu, on the other hand, had a serious expression, looking as if he wished he could take out a paper and pen to jot it all down.
The four of them walked for about half a shichen before reaching the southern outpost marked on the document.
It was a row of low wooden cabins built against the edge of a small grove. Parts of the cabins’ exteriors were clearly damaged.
He Shou pushed open the door to the first cabin and looked inside. The furnishings were simple: two beds made of wooden planks, a table, and a pile of waterskins and other sundries in the corner.
"We can sleep separately, but since you’re inexperienced for now, we’ll share rooms. Inspector Lin and I will take one, and Deputy Li and Inspector Xu can take the other."
He Shou entered the first room, leaned his long saber against the corner, and sat on the edge of the bed, stretching his neck.
Li Yuan entered the second room and placed his belongings on the other bed.
"Today, we’ll just familiarize ourselves with the route and the environment. The official patrols start tomorrow," He Shou said.
"We’ll do another round this afternoon to memorize the key locations in the area. Tonight, everyone will rest."
The afternoon patrol lasted for more than two shichen. He Shou led the other three on a rough tour of the terrain for several li around the outpost.
He Shou pointed out the main dirt roads, areas with dense thickets, several high points with open views, and two streams where they could get water, telling them all to memorize the locations.
By the time they returned to the outpost, the sky had already darkened.
Li Yuan and Xu Mao entered their room and closed the door.
After exchanging a few words with Xu Mao, they each began their cultivation.
Li Yuan sat on his bed and took out an Evil Essence Pill from his sleeve.
The searing medicinal power flowed through his meridians, and Li Yuan’s Cultivation began to slowly rise.
