I Can Extract Divine Power

Chapter 461: Chapter 172: Academy, Spirit Recovery Level 6

On the wide, quiet official road, aside from the birds that occasionally flew by, there was only a gentle breeze.

All the constables stood at attention, their expressions exceedingly grim.

Each man gripped his long saber tightly, the veins on the back of his hand faintly visible, a sign of their exertion.

"Feige Building. It was actually the Feige Building."

When Dongfang Li uttered that name, a grave look filled the eyes of the many constables. Clearly, those two words made them all feel incredibly tense.

As constables from a Prefecture-level City, their status was naturally far higher than those from the counties.

If they were to visit a County Magistrate’s Office, even the County Magistrate would have to welcome them with a smile, not daring to cause any trouble.

And yet, despite all this, they still felt a deep sense of dread upon hearing the name "Feige Building."

The Chief Constable said, "Lord Dongfang, should we ask the Observatory to step in?"

The Feige Building was one of the Demonic Forces in Nanxing Prefecture, and a rather well-known one at that.

The reason for this was simple: the Feige Building’s operations were far too stealthy.

They operated like highwaymen, just like common mountain bandits. The difference was that while ordinary bandits might rob a few wealthy men, the Feige Building specialized in targeting people of the Jianghu.

After the abduction, they would demand a ransom, which naturally consisted of various treasures.

Whether they released their captive after the ransom was paid depended entirely on their mood.

This Demonic Force was utterly notorious.

However, they were masters of Concealing Techniques, making them incredibly difficult to find. What’s more, the Feige Building had a Daoist Sect expert proficient in Divination, which made using Divination Techniques against them nearly impossible.

If not for these factors, the Feige Building would have been wiped out long ago.

Dongfang Li’s expression was grim. After a long moment of thought, he asked, "Was a ransom note left behind?"

If they’re highwaymen, they must have left some way to be contacted.

The Chief Constable looked at the constable who had brought the Token and snapped, "Well? Out with it!"

The constable wiped the sweat from his forehead and gave a wry smile. "No note was left. It seems they were hired by someone else for this job."

The Feige Building’s highway robbery business was extensive. They even took on jobs for others, charging a fee in treasures, of course.

Dongfang Li surveyed the devastation on the ground. After much consideration, he sighed and said, "We’re heading back."

The Chief Constable was taken aback.

Dongfang Li pointed at the carriage on the ground. "Leave a team here to secure the scene. When we get back, we’ll ask Lord Shen to handle this. They’re the professionals."

They had no leads, and the constables he’d brought weren’t specialists. Their only option was to seek help from Shen Bai.

Dongfang Li was a man who valued rules, but he also knew that when things were this urgent, rules could be bent.

As soon as the words left his mouth, the Chief Constable immediately carried out the order.

After leaving a team behind to secure the scene, Dongfang Li led the rest of his men toward Nanxing Prefecture.

Soon, the official road fell quiet again, leaving only a team of constables standing guard vigilantly.

...

「In a hidden location.」

A massive grotto, shrouded in dim light.

Rows of torches lined the edges of the grotto, serving as the only source of light.

In the wide open space, an enormous chair stood not far ahead.

The chair was carved from stone, and upon it sat a burly, middle-aged man.

The man’s body was a mass of bulging muscle. Every inch of his exposed skin, from the shoulders down, was covered in a dense network of scars.

A jar of wine sat beside him.

The burly man took a swig, his body radiating the aura of the Mid-stage Void Transformation Realm. He then glanced toward the ground before him.

On the ground, a white-haired old man knelt trembling, his hands bound behind his back.

"So this is the master Surveyor from Xuanjing City you captured?" The burly man wiped some spilled wine from his chin and asked.

Below him stood several hundred men, each holding a weapon.

One of the shifty-eyed men heard this and immediately stepped forward. "Yes, Lord," he said respectfully. "The client just wanted us to capture him. They’ll be here to pick him up in about three days."

The Lord nodded and took another swig of wine. "Ma San," he said, "you think there’s any chance we could extort a little extra? After all, this old man’s Guards caused us considerable losses."

The shifty-eyed Ma San nodded. "We could do that. But how about we scout for some intel first? If he knows about something valuable, we could go look for it ourselves."

Although the Feige Building’s main business was highway robbery, they dabbled in all sorts of other things. One could say their operations were quite chaotic.

Hearing this, the Lord tossed the wine jar to Ma San and walked toward the white-haired old man. "What’s your name? What brings you here?"

The white-haired old man, who had been trembling uncontrollably, immediately answered, "My name is Fan Kai. I’m a Surveyor. I came here under orders from Lord Dongfang to survey a mineral deposit."

"A mineral deposit?"

Hearing this, the Lord’s eyes lit up. "Is it a big one?"

Fan Kai quickly said, "Very big! Sir, please let me go. I’ll put in a good word for you with Lord Dongfang. I guarantee you’ll be fine."

’He felt so wretched.’

’He had thought this would be a simple favor, a chance to enjoy the beautiful scenery of Nanxing Prefecture, treating it like a vacation.’

’But he never, ever expected to be captured and tied up here like a hostage.’

’Honestly, Fan Kai was just support personnel. He really wasn’t good at fighting.’

’Now that he’d fallen into a den of wolves, Fan Kai felt his future was bleak, and his chances of survival were far too slim.’

’His only hope now was that they would let him go out of respect for Dongfang Li. After all, Dongfang Li was the Prefect.’