In a secret chamber of the Lu Family, a Lu family disciple was furious, slamming a bronze incense burner heavily, causing ashes to fall like snowflakes, scorching a burnt spot on the copy of the "Immortal Dynasty Laws."

He gritted his teeth and said, "What a 'Feeding Spirit Root'! The Five Thunders Demon Suppression Talisman, which our Lu family painstakingly forged over three hundred years, has now become nothing but a scrap of paper!"

Even though the Lu Family of South Zhili has always adhered to a principle of not competing or vying, at this moment, the family disciples were quite resentful.

The Lu Family has long been on good terms with Dragon Tiger Mountain, acquiring many methods of demon subjugation and exorcism from them. In secret, they have always engaged in capturing demons to aid their cultivation. Now, the Court's sudden promulgation of the Immortal Dynasty Laws undeniably shook the foundations of the Lu Family's cultivation.

Situations similar to the Lu Family's were not uncommon in the Great Yu Dynasty.

As the first ray of dawn pierced through the heavy lead clouds over Jinling City like a sharp sword, Xu Qing's official sedan was slowly passing by the entrance of Wuyi Lane.

A gentle breeze brushed by, and the sedan curtain moved automatically without wind, revealing seven newly hung white lanterns at the end of the alley... in the direction of the Yan Family.

These petty thugs, fearing Xu Qing's power, dared not confront him directly, so they devised these supernatural tricks in an attempt to intimidate Xu Qing's trusted aides.

Upon learning of this, Xu Qing did not choose to appease Yan Shan and his family but went straight to the Duke Wei Mansion. Duke Wei also resides in Wuyi Lane, making him somewhat of a neighbor to Xu Qing.

…

…

In the quiet and deep backyard of the Duke Wei Mansion, a secret chamber was concealed within.

Inside the secret chamber, eighteen Merfolk Oil Lamps radiated a gentle and mysterious light, reflecting on the copy of the "Immortal Dynasty Laws."

Xu Qing stood in front of the desk, his fingertip gently tapping on the three words "Feeding Spirit Root," with strands of Tai Chu Demon Qi seeping from his fingertip, transforming into chains that slowly wrapped the copy into the shape of a scroll.

He slightly raised his head, looking at Duke Wei, and spoke, "Does Your Lordship know that the word 'Feeding' can have two interpretations?"

"What does Young Protector Xu mean..." Duke Wei's gaze was tightly fixed on the Spirit Fruit on the desk, observing the purple patterns dancing on its skin, producing a strange resonance with his increasingly weakening heart veins.

He was startled, sensing keenly that this Spirit Fruit was no ordinary item and must have an extraordinary origin.

Xu Qing slightly narrowed his eyes, subtly sliding out a gold-inscribed roster from his sleeve, opening to the title page, boldly displaying the Mystic Bird Seal of the Demon Hunting Bureau.

He slowly said, "Last month, the Zhang family of Jianghuai hunted three Mountain Demons, using the outdated armor-piercing crossbows eliminated by the Ministry of Industry—such an outflow of military equipment, the Ministry of War and the Five Cities Military Department under Your Lordship's command are hard to escape blame for."

Saying this, he flipped to a certain page, revealing the designs for the new pleasure boat purchased by the Zhang Family on the Qinhuai River, with carvings on the body remarkably similar to the armor of the Imperial Mausoleum Guard.

Upon hearing this, Duke Wei couldn't help but sweat from his forehead. It was at this moment he suddenly noticed the tassel of the Weiyang Sword at Xu Qing's waist, which clearly appeared to be reworked from the tassel of his own son's personal jade pendant.

He instantly realized why he recently kept smelling the scent of Wutong leaves in his son's room.

Both items were made from the leaves of the Wutong Tree, which Xu Gongming has always treasured dearly.

"The Princely Heir is increasingly valued by Xu Liushou." The chief steward, Yan Fu, thought to himself.

"Tomorrow, have Your Lordship gather all the major families and say..." Xu Qing spoke as he gently pushed the Spirit Fruit across the desk, bringing it before Duke Wei, continuing, "The Demon Hunting Bureau is going to auction the first batch of 'Demon Suppression Orders,' holders can obtain this year's…"

…

…

Three days later, at the auction organized jointly by the Yingtian Prefecture Demon Hunting Bureau and the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, dark undercurrents surged under the glazed dome.

At the auction site, the atmosphere was tense and heated, with representatives from all factions gathered there.

The elder dispatched by Dragon Tiger Mountain kept a close eye on the "Demon Suppression Order" on the exhibition stage, with thunder patterns in his palm constantly flickering, evidently very excited.

As it turned out, the Beidou Formation Diagram on the back of the token was crucial to Dragon Tiger Mountain's demon-hunting quota this year, and this token could very likely determine whether Dragon Tiger Mountain could successfully complete their task in this year's demon-hunting operations.

When the bidding reached the eighth round, the head of the Jianghuai great salt smuggler Zhang family suddenly raised a gold-plated box, opening the box to reveal three hundred Spirit Fruits instantly causing a stir throughout the audience.

The crowd marveled at the grand gesture of the head of the Zhang family.

"What a grand gesture by the head of the Zhang family." Xu Qing's voice leisurely drifted from a private room on the second floor, with the silhouette of Duke Wei faintly visible on the window screen.

Xu Qing slightly frowned, then lightly clapped his hands.

It was at this moment that a commotion suddenly came from outside the auction hall.

A group of black-robed cultivators crashed open the doors, carrying a blood-stained iron cage.

Within the cage, a pitiable six-tailed fox with snow-white fur was imprisoned.

"Reporting to Young Protector!" The leading cultivator quickly displayed the Lao Mountain jade token, loudly announcing, "Someone has privately set up a Demon Prison on Maoshan, using boys and girls to feed Demon Beasts!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Qing's face instantly darkened, and a vast swell of Tai Chu Demon Qi instantly emanated from him, like a surging tide enveloping the entire venue.

The entire auction hall was instantly shrouded in a powerful and imposing aura. Everyone present felt the oppressive force of this power and dared not even breathe loudly.

Xu Qing's Tai Chu Demon Qi surged like an angry dragon, instantly coagulating into eighteen ink-black shackles, lifting the Zhang family's head into the air at lightning speed, suspending him beneath the glazed dome.

The shackles subtly glowed with strange runes, as if conveying endless majesty and retribution.

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