Everyone's gaze focused on one point.

A few concealed mountain patrols flashed a hint of deeper meaning in their eyes.

— Inside the cage was a monster.

The Valley Master stroked his white beard, slowly rising from the master's chair, and surveyed the crowd, saying, "Today, I am grateful for your presence at the banquet. Originally, the birthday banquet was scheduled for the evening, but since you all are skilled in the Skill of Casting, I have specially invited you to witness a secret."

With that, the Valley Master waved his sleeve towards the disciple standing beside him.

The disciple understood and stepped forward, taking out a dark iron stone.

The moment True Qi was infused, the iron stone underwent a sudden transformation.

The cat demon in the cage suddenly howled in pain, curling up into a corner as if in great anguish.

In an instant, metal spikes protruded from the cat demon's bones, and its body rapidly disintegrated, finally falling to the ground, lifeless.

The scene was brutal and bloody, but the evil aura on this creature was dense, clearly the kind of monster with bloodstained hands, so no one was moved.

The Valley Master looked up and asked, "Gentlemen, did you see something unusual?"

With these words, the room fell silent.

The Valley Master also remained silent, patiently waiting.

After a moment, a man raised his hand and said, "There is a weapon inside this demon's body."

Others did not speak, clearly agreeing with the man's observation.

The Valley Master nodded: "Indeed, there is a weapon inside this demon."

"Before you came here, you went through the blacksmith shop's assessment and know that Casting Valley is researching weapon-casting with demon blood; this monster in front of you is the research成果."

"Three days ago, I sent disciples to release a batch of immature weapons, activated by demon blood, which automatically seek out monsters and slay them. This is the only survivor, found and brought here by a disciple."

Upon hearing this, the man who had just spoken showed surprise in his eyes, as if he couldn't believe what he had just heard.

Automated monster seeking.

Just these four words were enough to cause a stir among the seated guests.

To the casting people of Lingzhou, this technique seemed almost like a fantasy.

Hearing this, Qin An's lips slightly curled up, and he thought to himself, interesting.

If this truly automated monster seeking is feasible, the Valley Master only needs to submit this achievement to the Evil Extermination Bureau, which would reward him handsomely.

It might even propel Casting Valley to become the top power in Lingzhou. Why conduct it here secretly?

Huang Man had communicated with Qin An before and knew that the Valley Master spoke many falsehoods.

But with the current situation so unclear, she remained silent.

The Valley Master saw the silence among the crowd and continued, "The birthday banquet is in the evening, and those attending the birthday feast will arrive at the evening banquet."

"I have asked you here earlier to seek a response from you."

"If you are willing to stay in Casting Valley after the banquet to participate in the casting and address any shortcomings, your names shall go down in history."

With this announcement, the silence in the room deepened.

After a long while, one man stood up and cupped his hands in apology.

"Sorry, Valley Master, I do not wish to be involved in this matter."

The Valley Master slightly furrowed his brow but said nothing.

The man continued, "Casting with blood is a taboo in the casting lineage. Even if it uses pseudo-god demon blood, a taboo is still a taboo."

"I cannot agree."

The Valley Master shook his head: "If that's the case, after attending the evening banquet, you may leave on your own."

The man nodded, said no more, and slowly sat back down.

Following that, many expressed their thoughts in succession.

Some were willing to join, while others were not.

The Valley Master was very magnanimous, thanking those willing to join, and he invited those unwilling to still attend the evening banquet.

Qin An also made his stance known.

He, like several of the mountain patrols present, expressed willingness to join the plan.

Once everyone expressed their intentions, the Valley Master sent someone to serve breakfast.

After the morning banquet ended, the Valley Master seemed a bit fatigued and took his leave.

...

Qin An and Huang Man left the Reception Hall, walking along the mountain path of Casting Valley.

Huang Man whispered, "What is his ultimate scheme?"

According to information they previously received, the Valley Master knew the involvement of the mountain patrols, and even released that madman to divert attention.

But to blatantly show his intentions seems too peculiar.

Qin An kept walking, and upon hearing Huang Man, he turned his head and said, "Whatever trick he's selling, once the evening banquet concludes, everything will be clear."

Huang Man slightly furrowed her Liu Mei: "Aren't you curious at all? If any crisis occurs during the banquet, it could end disastrously."

Qin An placed his hand on the sword sheath: "What's the use of curiosity? Given the little information we have now, it boils down to two choices."

"One is to draw the sword and kill the Valley Master just now."

"The other is to watch and wait, to see the bigger scheme behind it."

"It's clear everyone chose the second option; if there's truly a pseudo-god involved, the second choice will yield more."

Huang Man pondered briefly, realizing Qin An's reasoning was indeed correct.

Certainly, they could have slain the Valley Master earlier, but how would they uncover the matters behind it?

If the Valley Master were killed, and the clues were cut off, it might only bring more trouble later on.

Leaving the root of the problem unresolved can lead to future calamities.

They, as mountain patrols, are meant to root out the problem completely.

Qin An halted and said, "By the way, use the bronze token to contact our allies, tell them to keep pretending to be distracted by the madman. I suspect the madman will make a move after the banquet."

Huang Man replied, exasperated, "Why don't you contact them yourself?"

She felt that since forming an alliance with Qin An, she seemed to have become his subordinate.

They're both mountain patrols, so why should she handle all these trivial tasks?

Qin An offered no response, turning to head to his room.

Huang Man, with no alternative, stomped her foot angrily and followed behind in a huff.

Once they returned to their room, Huang Man immediately used the bronze token to contact every reachable mountain patrol and relay their situation.

As for why to inform them now, Huang Man asked Qin An, who answered simply.

To maximize benefits.

They hadn't informed them earlier to avoid alerting the enemy.

After all, they had not yet formed an alliance, and everyone looked after their interests.

They were also competitors.

Now that they understand the opponent's movement, with the evening banquet approaching, there's no fear of alerting the enemy anymore.

As for what constitutes maximum benefit.

Qin An felt that as long as others wouldn't really get distracted by looking for that madman, it would be alright as long as they didn't hold back.

Inside the bronze plaque, echoes resounded.

Whether they are really willing to follow Qin An's words, Qin An didn't know.

Qin An only knew that he needed to say these words.

As for if they really make things difficult by focusing on that madman, it's beyond his control.

...

Time passed, and night gradually descended.

In the distance, a few clouds illuminated by the setting sun drifted across the sky.

Led by disciples of Casting Valley, Qin An and Huang Man made their way to the location of the evening banquet.

Ahead was a massive open space where all who attended the birthday feast had already gathered.

The open space was filled with round tables and stools, each table adorned with various delicacies.

Qin An and Huang Man, being honored guests, were seated at the tables towards the front.

The bronze plaque in his arms occasionally vibrated, Qin An knew this was a sign of the arrival of a Mountain Patrol.

The master's chair had long been placed out, standing beside the head table at the front.

From time to time, disciples passed by those attending the feast, handing out a piece of casting material.

Qin An also received an additional piece of casting material here.

He looked down at the item in his hand, his lips slightly upturned.

"Truly generous indeed."

The metal before him was neither gold nor iron, its hardness and purity were exceptionally terrifying.

If placed within the black knife, it would surely elevate the black knife's purity to a higher level.

Earlier, Casting Valley had declared that everyone attending the feast would receive a piece of casting material.

Now they were fulfilling that claim.

Everyone received casting materials and beamed with joy.

It was at this moment that the sound of footsteps drew the attention of the crowd.

The Valley Master, white-haired and bearded, dressed in ceremonial clothing, was led by disciples to the master's chair.

Without any wasteful words, the moment he sat down, he waved his hand and said.

"The evening banquet begins."

Then, disciples of Casting Valley began placing plates of delicacies onto the tables.

After the last dish was placed, everyone started using their chopsticks.

However, some people did not move at all, only pretending to fiddle with the delicacies on their plates.

The Valley Master picked up a dish, placed it in his mouth, and spoke calmly.

"Since you're here, you should eat a bit."

"You didn't eat in the morning, nor in the evening, just gnawing on those broken rations. Is the life of a Mountain Patrol so bitter?"

These words silenced the room.

The Jianghu people who had been happily eating instinctively froze in place.

Soon, many eyes fell upon those who hadn't lifted their chopsticks.

Qin An slightly raised an eyebrow.

He hadn't expected the Valley Master to reveal their identities so openly.

Among them, there were dozens of Mountain Patrol Bronze Generals, each at the level of Jade Bone Realm Perfection.

Having joined the Mountain Patrol, they had experienced countless corpse battles, making them far superior to ordinary Jade Bone experts.

One of the men no longer concealed himself and drew the double daggers from his waist, throwing them at the Valley Master.

Originally intending to follow the clues further, but now that it was exposed, they could only resort to the first plan.

Qin An frowned deeply.

He had a nagging suspicion that there were other issues at play.

But now that a Mountain Patrol member had made a move, the scene transformed drastically.

If they didn't act now, they might fall behind, diminishing their accomplishments.

Many of the Mountain Patrol Bronze Generals drew their weapons, ready to confront the unfolding changes.

At that moment, an anomaly appeared.

The double daggers hit the Valley Master's chest, producing a clanking sound, as though striking a piece of steel.

The Valley Master glanced at the hole in his clothing, then tore his upper garment.

Though originally an old man with white hair and beard, when his garments were torn, his exposed upper body shocked everyone.

The Valley Master's upper body lacked human flesh but gleamed with a metallic color.

Everything visible was composed of metal.

The Valley Master made a move, and disciples of Casting Valley similarly tore away their clothes.

Their bodies revealed the same metallic hue as the Valley Master's.

At this point, a person skilled in the art of casting shouted out.

"You're mad! Merging casted things into your body will only cause you to lose your life for no good reason!"

The Valley Master sneered slightly: "Flesh is ultimately a shackle; only by abandoning it can one reach the ultimate strength."

"I extended considerable dignity in the morning, yet you Mountain Patrol dogs don't recognize discretion. If that's the case, none of you leave alive."

With those words, every banquet attendee suddenly clasped their abdomen, groaning in pain.

Soon, these people became expressionless, as if controlled, sprinting into the hall behind the Valley Master.

In no time, they were gone.

"There's something wrong with the food, lucky we didn't eat it."

Huang Man realized what had happened.

After arriving at Casting Valley, they hadn't consumed any food or tea but lived off dry rations.

The other Mountain Patrol Bronze Generals did the same.

Now seeing these people's state, it was clear they had been controlled after consuming the food.

Clanking sounds filled the air, as the Mountain Patrol battled the people of Casting Valley.

As Huang Man turned to make a move, she felt a weight on her shoulder.

She turned, only to see Qin An holding her shoulder.

A voice echoed beside Huang Man's ear.

"A series of counter-strategies, interesting; they can handle it. Let's head somewhere."

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