Capítulo 97: Chapter 97: Strange Events in Liaoju Prefecture

If this had happened in the cultivation world, it would only be possible in a top-tier sect with an abundance of spiritual energy.

But now, this tiny sect, tucked away in a remote corner of the mortal world, had achieved such progress.

No one would believe it if you told them...

Liao Pantao could only sigh internally, as there was no one he could share this with. He found himself growing increasingly eager about the future of this sect he had joined by chance.

Several days passed.

Lin Xiao began diligently joining the others in the cultivation chamber for training every day. Occasionally, late at night when he grew weary of his training, he would ponder over cultivation methods and spells.

From time to time, he would find an open space to practice the Cloud Sword Technique he had created. Although the system had conveniently implanted the technique into his mind, Lin Xiao still felt the need to practice it himself from start to finish to truly feel like he had mastered it.

Moreover, he planned to teach this sword technique to the rest of the sect members eventually. If he wasn't familiar with it and ended up embarrassing himself in front of everyone, that would be quite a humiliation.

So, practicing the sword technique personally was absolutely necessary!

While life in the impoverished and secluded Shushui Village remained peaceful, far away in the provincial capital of Hufang Province—Liaoju Prefecture—a strange situation was unfolding in the yamen. The prefectural magistrate, Tong Shuzheng, was hosting an important guest in his residence.

In the spacious hall of the yamen, only two people were present, with all the servants dismissed. One was Tong Shuzheng, the prefect of Liaoju Prefecture. The other, sitting rather casually in the guest seat, appeared to be in his late twenties or early thirties. He lazily leaned back in his chair, lightly tapping the lid of his teacup against the cup, creating a rhythmic "tap-tap" sound.

Magistrate Tong Shuzheng was cautiously attending to him, almost fawning over him with deference.

"I didn't expect that shortly after I sent a request for assistance to Shangyang Sect, a revered immortal would arrive so swiftly. Your presence truly brings glory to this humble yamen—"

"But, may I ask, honored immortal, what is your esteemed name? So that I may remember this encounter and boast to others that I had the honor of meeting an immortal as noble as yourself."

The flattery from Tong Shuzheng pleased the so-called "immortal" greatly. With a satisfied smile, he glanced at Tong Shuzheng and, with a hint of pride, said, "You can drop the 'immortal' title for me; I'm not quite worthy of that. If my master hears about it, I'll be in trouble. My name is Jin Nanhuan, call me whatever you like."

Jin Nanhuan then continued, "So, what's the situation here? What kind of trouble made you seek help from us at Shangyang Sect?"

Hearing this, Tong Shuzheng quickly stood up and bowed to Jin Nanhuan. "My name is Tong Shuzheng, and it is truly my great fortune to make your acquaintance, Immortal Jin."

Then, he sat back down and began explaining the situation. "I believe you may have already received some information from the document we sent to your sect…" But realizing that Jin Nanhuan probably hadn't even glanced at the official letter, he swiftly corrected himself. "Let me explain the details. To be frank, some strange occurrences have been happening in Liaoju Prefecture recently."

Jin Nanhuan couldn't help but scoff inwardly. What kind of strange occurrences could happen in the mundane world? Probably just some exaggerated tales of ghosts or minor disturbances caused by small, newly enlightened demons. Such trivial matters wouldn't normally concern cultivators. If it weren't for his current bottleneck in advancing to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment and his need for resources to break through, he wouldn't have bothered with these mundane affairs.

Despite his thoughts, Jin Nanhuan maintained a composed expression, pretending to be interested. "Oh? Tell me more."

Seeing that Jin Nanhuan was taking an interest, Tong Shuzheng breathed a small sigh of relief and continued. "Thank you for listening, Immortal Jin. Here's what has been happening. In recent months, several children have gone missing in the prefecture. These children range from one year old to about eleven or twelve."

"At first, I suspected it was the work of kidnappers, so I increased patrols and strengthened security at the city gates. However, it had no effect—children kept disappearing. To date, the official records show that dozens of families have lost their children."

Tong Shuzheng sighed before continuing. "Then, at the beginning of this month, several citizens reported hearing the cries of children near the dense forest on the southern outskirts of the city. Night watchmen who passed by also claimed to have heard children crying in the night."

"So, I gathered my men and led an investigation into the forest, but…"

He shook his head and sighed again. "We searched every inch of that forest, but found nothing."

Hearing this, Jin Nanhuan raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Is that so?"

Dozens of missing children—only those officially recorded, not counting others who may not have been reported. This could be a serious matter, especially considering the fact that Liaoju Prefecture was under Shangyang Sect's jurisdiction. These missing children might be the future parents of their sect's disciples. This matter was significant indeed.

If he could resolve this issue, he would surely reap many rewards upon returning to the sect...

With that in mind, Jin Nanhuan became more serious, sitting up straight and awaiting the rest of Tong Shuzheng's explanation.

Tong Shuzheng, seemingly unaware of Jin Nanhuan's change in demeanor, continued. "Although we found no one, we still suspect that the missing children are hidden somewhere in that forest. That's why we took the liberty of requesting assistance from your esteemed sect."

"What makes you so certain?" Although Jin Nanhuan already guessed that the children were likely hidden in the forest, he still asked the question.

Tong Shuzheng called out to his attendant from a distance, "Bring the evidence forward!"

The well-prepared attendant immediately brought forward a wooden tray, which was placed on a side table before quickly retreating. Jin Nanhuan saw two shoes of different sizes and styles on the tray, both clearly belonging to children around seven or eight years old.

"These were found in the forest?" Jin Nanhuan asked.

Tong Shuzheng nodded. "These are the only things we found after thoroughly searching the forest. We had the families of the missing children identify them, and they confirmed that the shoes belonged to two of the missing children."

Jin Nanhuan rubbed his chin thoughtfully before saying, "Take me to the forest. I want to see for myself what kind of scoundrels dare to cause trouble in Shangyang Sect's territory!"

Seeing Jin Nanhuan's enthusiasm, Tong Shuzheng was eager to comply. He immediately stood up and bowed deeply. "Thank you, Immortal Jin, for your assistance! I will make the arrangements right away!"

With that, he turned to give orders to his servants, preparing for the journey to the forest.