The ink on the paper is still fresh, detailing Qin An's numerous exploits in Lingzhou.

From rising in Ding County and annihilating all demon creatures, to indirectly obliterating the Fire Crow Race and Ten Thousand Mouse Cave in Lingzhou City, and repeatedly thwarting the demon hall's schemes.

Each event, when singled out, would be enough to shake the entire Lingzhou.

Yet all these things happened to Qin An.

Gao Lingyu clenched the crumpled paper ball in her hand, her fair knuckles slightly pale, deep in thought.

She suddenly understood Qin An's previous reluctance.

With such remarkable achievements, the demon hall must have already marked him as their top target.

If Qin An were to truly join them, they'd soon be exposed to the demon hall's watchful eyes.

"No wonder the provincial capital didn't let him join..."

Gao Lingyu sighed softly, crumpling the paper into a ball, "Well, with that being the case, I won't force him to help anymore."

The second elder hesitated for a moment and said, "On my way back just now, I saw Qin An riding a swift horse, heading north of Lingzhou, but I don't know what he's up to..."

Gao Lingyu came back to her senses, her gaze flickered slightly, recalling the fleeting array fluctuation.

"Just as I sensed the array, Qin An left Lingzhou. That array must have been set up by Qin An, but I don't know exactly what kind of array it is."

Two events aligning so perfectly must be related.

With this in mind, Gao Lingyu gently gathered her skirt, her curiosity gradually rising.

But with the urgent task of the Demon Transformation Pool at hand, she had to suppress her curiosity.

"Rest for a moment, then we'll leave Lingzhou City and search the wilderness for the tracks of the Demon Transformation Pool."

Gao Lingyu made up her mind and said no more.

"Yes!"

The second elder agreed and then respectfully left the room.

The room fell into silence, leaving Gao Lingyu to examine the contents on the paper.

As the candle flickered, Gao Lingyu burned the paper, her cold voice slowly resonating within the room.

"Once the matter of the Demon Transformation Pool is concluded, I must have a proper conversation with him."

"Such an extraordinarily talented person, if he ever has the opportunity to step out of Lingzhou, it could benefit the Profound Celestial Array Gate."

At this moment, Gao Lingyu's dissatisfaction with Qin An completely vanished, instead giving rise to a sense of kinship.

...

The official road stretched beneath a cloudless sky.

Occasionally, carriages passed by, their wheels leaving tracks on the road.

A fine swift horse galloped past the carriages, kicking up dust as it went.

Qin An, dressed in black, changed his aura and appearance with a human skin mask when he left the city, even tucking the silver badge at his waist into his pocket.

Guided by the array, the location of the Earth Vein Crystal was a hundred miles away from Lingzhou.

If Qin An were a provincial official, it would be impossible for him to leave the city.

However, a mountain patroller is different, without so many restrictions.

He pressed forward, passing two or three county towns, until he reached the last one and finally tightened the reins.

The horse neighed, releasing a puff of white vapor from its nostrils.

Qin An gripped the reins, scrutinizing the county town ahead, squinting slightly.

The town wasn't large, and the gates had the words Huaiyun County written on them.

Though belonging to Lingzhou, it lay quite a distance away.

The dilapidated gates made it clear the town wasn't affluent.

Under the mottled gates, a few constables were yawning as they screened pedestrians.

After a brief contemplation, Qin An dismounted, leading the horse toward the gate.

The constable on the left was engrossed in a casual conversation.

As Qin An approached, he overheard the constables' discussion.

"Went to the pleasure boat again last night, why do you look so lackluster?"

"The girls there truly excel in enchanting skills; my old bones couldn't bear it."

"I almost spent all my salary, but it was well worth it; now I dread facing the nagging wife at home."

Amidst the chatter, the constable on the left noticed Qin An drawing near, putting an end to the conversation and stepping forward.

"Name, origin!"

Among the ordinary folk, only Qin An's attire stood out as extraordinary.

Even in black clothes, Qin An's aura remained undiminished, prompting the constable's inquiry.

"Jianghu man, just passing through."

Qin An took some broken pieces of silver from his waist pouch, handing them to the constable.

These social tactics were something he had become very familiar with during his time in Ding County.

The further the county is from Lingzhou, the more one needs these yellow and white objects.

Too little wouldn't catch the constable's eye; too much would cause trouble.

Just the right amount avoids plenty of hassles.

As they say, King Yama may be easy to meet, but his little devils are hard to deal with.

Qin An came for the Earth Vein Crystal, and naturally wanted to avoid unnecessary troubles.

The constable, pleased with the weight, flashed a satisfied smile, "Tonight's pleasure boat visit is sorted."

After briefly questioning him, the constable impatiently waved Qin An toward the town.

Qin An led his horse into Huaiyun County.

Upon entering, he found that this remote small county was much like Ding County.

The roads layered with dust, strewn with various vendors and shops.

Poorly dressed townsfolk gazed with dull and listless eyes.

With demon creatures and pseudo-gods causing chaos, and Daqian in turmoil, if not for the Evil Extermination Bureau, these people would be living even harsher lives.

Just surviving was no easy feat.

After surveying the surroundings, Qin An found a lodging and asked the inn's assistant to tend to his horse, then followed his intuition toward the location of the Earth Vein Crystal.

...

During this, Qin An wound through several streets, moving farther from the town's center.

Eventually, he halted at a lakeside.

Sunlight covered the lake surface with a golden sheen.

A pleasure boat quietly rested under the willows, its prow adorned with two silk lanterns gently swayed by the evening breeze, casting orange spots on the bluestone.

Newly hung jasmine garlands along the ship's side glistened with moisture, mingling sweet fragrance with the lake's aquatic scent.

Such pleasure boats are the abodes of courtesans, where they live and entertain, offering both artistry and companionship. Called "flower boats" or "painted barges," they lure clients with their performances.

Qin An hadn't expected that this small Huaiyun County could boast such diversions.

Waterborne joys surpass those on land.

The gentle rise and fall with the water had its own unique charm.

At this moment, it was still daytime. The railings by the shore were tightly closed, evidently not yet ready to invite guests, with only a few people passing by.

The array guided Qin An to this lake.

But Qin An sensed something unusual here.

Evil Qi.

A faint trace of Evil Qi rose from this lake.

If an ordinary Jianghu person passed by, they would surely not notice it because this Evil Qi was exceedingly thin.

But Qin An had dealt with too many monsters, with traces of monster blood on his hands as numerous as ox hair.

No matter how deeply concealed it was, Qin An could still sense it.

"There is a monster or Pseudo-God here, this journey won't be simple."

Qin An squinted his eyes, thinking to himself.

The earth meridian crystal was right here, along with the emergence of Evil Qi. Qin An would never believe it could end simply when the two converged.

At this time, a commoner passed by. Seeing Qin An hesitating by the shore, he rolled his eyes and approached stealthily.

"Young brother, are you an outsider?"

Upon hearing the voice, Qin An turned his head, glanced at him, and nodded, "Yes."

The passerby was around forty, short in stature, with a crafty and sneaky look.

"I'm Wu San, a well-known informant in the city."

Wu San patted his chest, "Did you come to Huaiyun County to experience the flower boat after hearing its fame?"

Qin An rubbed his chin, took some silver out of his money pouch, and tossed it to Wu San, "I want all the information about this flower boat."

From the previous exchange, Qin An learned Wu San's identity.

Every county has some idlers, and Wu San was one such person.

They usually earned a living by selling information, and that information was naturally sold to outsiders.

The earth meridian crystal appeared here, and there was Evil Qi. Combined with Qin An's cautious nature, he naturally wanted to clarify the flower boat's origins.

Now that Wu San had come over, it was merely a matter of spending a little silver money, which could save a lot of trouble.

Wu San weighed the silver in his hand. It was the first time he encountered someone so generous and quickly said, "This flower boat has only recently opened."

"It seems a wealthy merchant came to Huaiyun County and set up the flower boat here."

"The girls inside are of top quality, and combined with the taste of the water, business is very good."

"But it's not the time now. Only after dark, when the flower boat's bow hangs a red lantern, can one enter to enjoy it."

He spoke a lot in one breath because the other party had been very generous.

Qin An pondered for a moment, then turned and walked toward the nearby street.

Wu San thought Qin An would ask more but didn't expect him to leave directly.

Even though he was puzzled, Wu San didn't say a word.

"As long as there's money, it's fine."

With that thought, Wu San pocketed the silver and quickly left the shoreline.

...

After leaving, Qin An found a place to eat on the adjacent street, eating while thinking.

"The appearance of a flower boat here must be unusual."

"Might as well wait a bit."

The earth meridian crystal was indeed here, but it was too early to act now.

Qin An decided to wait until the evening to check again.

After finishing his meal, Qin An wandered around the flower boat area.

To his surprise, many people with foreign accents were idling around, just like him.

Among them were Jianghu people.

"It seems the flower boat's reputation is quite impressive."

To attract so many people to the remote Huaiyun County, Qin An found himself increasingly intrigued by the flower boat.

...

Time passed, and before long, the sun set.

The evening glow was fiery red, soon swallowed by darkness.

In the sky, a crescent moon hung like a hook, its bright glow casting a silver frost over the shimmering lake surface.

By the shore, a hunched-over man was nodding and bowing, ushering guests onto the flower boat.

The flower boat, lifeless during the day, had transformed.

A red lantern hung high at the bow, its dim red glow adding a touch of ambiguity to the calm lake.

Qin An was in the crowd, moving with them toward the shore, occasionally glancing at the lanterns on the flower boat.

Since the lanterns were lit, the faint Evil Qi had become slightly more pronounced.

Although still not easy to detect, such subtle changes could not escape Qin An's eyes.

Many people wanted to set foot on the flower boat, but the traffic was swift.

In the time it takes for one incense stick to burn, Qin An had reached the hunched man's location.

The hunched man bowed with a fawning smile, "Sir, boarding the flower boat requires a silver coin as an entrance fee. Once inside, if you meet a girl you fancy, you'll have to pay extra."

"Today, the courtesan is also here, but the highest bidder wins."

"If you fancy the same lady as someone else, it also goes to the highest bidder."

In just a few sentences, the hunched man clearly explained the rules.

Qin An nodded slightly, took out a silver coin, tossed it to the man, and then stepped aboard.

Stepping onto the boat brought an uncomfortable swaying sensation.

Even if the flower boat was anchored, it remained slightly unsteady.

This gentle rocking seemed like an alternative kind of charm.

The flower boat had three levels, each with many rooms.

In front of each room stood a girl dressed in light gauze.

As Qin An entered the interior of the flower boat, his gaze swept over, and he slightly furrowed his brows.

With this sweep, he noted that each girl's appearance was indeed superior.

Not to mention this remote Huaiyun County, even in Lingzhou, it would be considered an excellent place for entertainment.

However, Qin An noticed that the girls' graceful figures beneath the gauze were shrouded in a mysterious aura.

"To indulge with them would be more harm than good."

As he thought this, Qin An happened to pass by a room.

The girl outside the room's eyes lit up slightly, and her figure swayed as she approached Qin An, her voice soft and inviting.

"Sir, would you like to come inside and chat?"

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