Deep in the canyon, a thin mist swirled around.

When the graceful woman stopped Qin An, the corner of her lips held a barely perceptible smile, and her voice wrapped around his ears like silk threads.

Qin An's gaze slightly hardened.

He had initially thought she had come to form an alliance, but unexpectedly, she was here to sell information.

After a brief consideration, Qin An asked, "What's the price?"

Though there was fierce competition among the patrol guards, there was an iron rule—tasks could be contested, but not sabotaged.

The same applied to the selling of information, which must be genuine.

If anyone dared to trample this rule, they would surely become the target of everyone.

So Qin An was quite curious about what information this colleague had.

The graceful woman's eyes sparkled, with red lips like they were dipped in cinnabar: "One demon core, and I'll reveal all the information I've gathered."

Qin An rubbed the scabbard of the Hanxing sword: "Too expensive."

The graceful woman shook her head: "There's value in expense."

After speaking, she suddenly took half a step forward, a subtle fragrance wafting from her sleeves, her breath like orchids.

"So, will you take it or not?"

To take or not to take, that was the question.

Qin An very much wanted it, but he didn't have any extra demon cores.

The only demon core he had was already absorbed by him.

But the information was right in front of him, and he was somewhat tempted.

"What about credit?" Qin An asked.

The graceful woman stepped back: "That won't do, a patrol guard's life... isn't as lasting as the mist in this canyon."

Though harsh, it was the truth.

Even among ordinary patrol guards, let alone those in the Gui Cang Realm, one's life was not in their own hands.

Perhaps one moment enjoying leisure, the next gone due to a mission.

Qin An walked forward: "In that case, I won't take it."

He had no demon core, and she was unwilling to sell on credit, so there was no need to continue the conversation.

Rather than waste time here, it was better to gather the intelligence himself.

Yet, before Qin An could take two steps forward, the graceful woman once again blocked his path.

Qin An furrowed his brow: "What is the meaning of this?"

Since she was unwilling to sell or offer credit, stopping him meant she was an adversary.

The graceful woman squinted her eyes: "You've just entered Gui Cang."

Qin An did not respond.

The graceful woman continued: "Built your foundation with five Yang Elixirs?"

At these words, the Hanxing sword unsheathed three inches, its killing intent slicing through the mist.

The fact that he used five Yang Elixirs to forge his foundation was a secret known to few.

The woman before him could discern it, surely possessing some unique skill.

With internal investigations ongoing, Qin An needed to be extra cautious.

The graceful woman sensed Qin An's killing intent and took a step back: "Don't be agitated, Lingzhou is full of talents, and among the patrol silver guards, there are three with perfect foundations like yours."

"Coincidentally, they are all on this mission."

Qin An did not relax his grip on the Hanxing sword: "Get to the point."

The graceful woman curiously asked: "I'm Cheng Hong, skilled in the Qi Observation Skill, and adept with a short blade. What's your name?"

Qin An replied indifferently: "Surname Qin."

"Surname Qin..."

Cheng Hong muttered to herself, then suddenly her expression changed: "Qin An?"

"The Qin An who's being hunted by all the demons of Lingzhou with a bounty?"

Qin An said coldly: "You know a lot."

Cheng Hong giggled, holding a finger to her lips: "I'm skilled in Qi Observation and like collecting all sorts of information, so of course, I know."

"After the Battle of Fengshan, the patrol guards circulated your nickname..."

A nickname?

Qin An frowned and asked: "What nickname?"

At Fengshan, he had interacted with Guo Jinfa and knew that a nickname was essential for traversing Jianghu, a testament of the Jianghu people's recognition.

But he hadn't expected that so shortly after, a new nickname would be bestowed upon him.

Cheng Hong lightly tapped her lips with her finger, making a silent gesture: "Demon-Slaying Saber."

"It's long been spreading, saying you spend your life slaying demons, with masterful saber skills, thus the nickname Demon-Slaying Saber."

Qin An thought for a moment and said: "Unremarkable."

The name, whose choice he didn't know, was quite poor.

But it was still better than Guo Jinfa's "Old Smokepipe."

He joined the patrol guards partly for reputation, to counter the internal investigations.

Getting a nickname like Demon-Slaying Saber was still acceptable.

Seeing Qin An's indifferent attitude, Cheng Hong beamed: "I'll give you the information for free, how about that?"

Qin An raised an eyebrow: "Why?"

She had just been unwilling to offer credit, yet now she was willing to give it for free, which was unexpected for Qin An.

Cheng Hong giggled: "Those who forge a supreme foundation with five Yang Elixirs, if not dead, will transform into a dragon. I love betting on emerging dragons."

This statement was rather straightforward, but Qin An also appreciated straightforward people.

The world is bustling for profit, people across the world scurry for gain.

If upon first meeting an instant connection was formed, that only happened in books.

Qin An shook his head: "No."

Cheng Hong was stunned, and as she watched Qin An prepare to leave, she stopped him: "Why?"

Qin An said calmly: "The free ones are the most expensive."

Just like in his previous life, those games advertised as free were more costly than the ones with fees.

If that held true for games, it certainly did for Cheng Hong's information.

Cheng Hong said helplessly: "How about this, you and I form an alliance, I offer you information, and you take me along with you."

She hadn't expected Qin An to reject her so decisively.

Qin An paused, then after some consideration, said: "What can you offer?"

At this point, he was no longer a newcomer to the patrol guards; he had to prioritize benefits at all times.

If it was an alliance, it had to demonstrate the other party's value; otherwise, bringing along a burden would just be a waste of time.

Cheng Hong pointed to herself, the short blade in her palm reflecting silver flowers: "First, information, second, I'm skilled in Qi Observation, able to assess someone's strength and background at a glance, lastly, I'm also in the Gui Cang, my combat power is decent."

At this point, Cheng Hong felt rather speechless.

If she were to ally with someone else, they would most likely accept happily, but with Qin An, it seemed she had to prove her worth like a commodity.

But Cheng Hong also understood, stating things clearly was beneficial to both parties.

She valued Qin An for his supreme foundation forged with five Yang Elixirs, and Qin An needed something from her as well, otherwise even if they allied, Cheng Hong would not feel secure.

Qin An nodded and said: "Alright."

After weighing Cheng Hong's words carefully, Qin An found them feasible.

He could gather information, had someone skilled in Qi Observation, and gained an additional ally.

Moreover, this mission included three patrol silver guards with perfect foundations; Qin An was curious to know their identity.

Cheng Hong just so happened to fill these gaps.

Given this, forming an alliance was fine.

Cheng Hong looked around, parting her red lips slightly, "Let's find a quiet place where I can share the information with you."

Qin An nodded slightly and then followed behind Cheng Hong.

Soon, the two of them found a secluded corner.

After organizing her thoughts, Cheng Hong spoke softly, "There are mainly two pieces of information; the first is that the black market has been selling a dan medicine called the Demon Blood Elixir recently."

"It's claimed that the Demon Blood Elixir, made from the fresh blood of demons, can significantly boost a practitioner's cultivation."

Qin An furrowed his brows and said, "Demon blood? There's definitely something unusual here."

All patrol silver guards involved in the mission knew that the black market was now controlled by demons.

In that case, why would demons sell the Demon Blood Elixir made from their kind?

Cheng Hong nodded slightly and then shared the second piece of information: "The black market has recently opened a new brothel called Xunfang Building, which is extraordinarily popular, with courtesans personally selecting patrons to enter the chambers at regular intervals."

Xunfang Building, and a courtesan?

Qin An rubbed his chin, "Opening such a venue under these circumstances is not a trivial matter."

Considering the current situation, a brothel opening in the black market and having good business clearly indicated issues.

Cheng Hong asked, "What do you plan to do next?"

She had shared all the information; now it depended on how Qin An would handle it.

After a brief thought, Qin An said, "I'll first take a look at the Demon Blood Elixir."

Since they had to investigate, it made sense to start with the first piece of information.

Hearing this, Cheng Hong said, "I'll take you there."

With that, Cheng Hong led Qin An out onto the street.

...

The street was bustling, people passing by frequently, stopping at street stalls.

After crossing a few streets, Cheng Hong and Qin An finally arrived at a somewhat lively stall.

Several people gathered, seemingly very interested in the items on display.

The silver badge on Qin An's chest trembled slightly as he exchanged a glance with these bystanders, both sides tacitly diverting their gaze.

"Colleagues."

It seemed these colleagues had also come after hearing the rumors.

The man at the stall wore a black robe, obscuring his appearance.

Upon closer inspection, Qin An saw several blood-red pills displayed on the stall.

He stepped forward, picked one up, and asked, "How much, and what are the effects?"

The man in the black robe, eyes cloudy, rasped, "One demon essence for a Demon Blood Elixir, can rapidly enhance one's power."

Qin An squinted his eyes, brought the Demon Blood Elixir to his nose, then placed it back on the stall, "Too expensive."

He turned and headed into the alleyway.

Despite her confusion, Cheng Hong quietly followed Qin An as he left.

Having formed an alliance, mutual trust was essential.

Cheng Hong knew Qin An must have discovered something, but the location was unsuitable for discussion.

Once they reached a secluded spot, Cheng Hong immediately inquired.

"Did you find anything?"

"Its effects are genuine, but the side effects are numerous."

Qin An's eyes scanned the depths of the alley, "Those who consume it will find their internal energies becoming increasingly agitated, the agitation worsening over time until they become mad."

Mad?

Cheng Hong was taken aback, "What purpose do the demons have in doing this?"

Qin An shook his head, "I don't know."

As a sixth-level Pill Master, he discerned the effects of the Demon Blood Elixir, but the subsequent intentions were unclear.

But this wasn't a major issue.

There was still a brothel to investigate.

With this in mind, Qin An's eyes, sharp like an eagle's, shot toward the distant, brightly-lit pavilion, "Let's go to Xunfang Building."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Hong nodded, "Okay."

With clues about to surface, the two didn't linger and headed to Xunfang Building.

...

Xunfang Building was built according to the terrain of the canyon.

Red lanterns hung high from the eaves, swaying in the breeze.

The candlelight, filtered through translucent silk lampshades, cast a blood-like glow on the carved door frame.

A few figures leaned against the second-floor railing.

The light silk garments were lifted by the evening breeze, revealing embroidered shoes adorned with silver bells.

The mixed scent of cosmetics and alcohol wafted from the half-open carved window.

A peddler's shout to sell flowers was interrupted by the drifting sound of a pipa from above.

The air of luxury was unmistakable.

Having arrived in Daqian, Qin An found himself in a brothel for the first time.

When he was a butcher, he couldn't afford to visit such places nor wanted to catch diseases.

After joining the Evil Extermination Bureau, he lost interest.

Spending time in a brothel seemed less thrilling compared to slaying demons.

At this moment, Cheng Hong slightly adjusted herself, and with the effect of the Human Skin Mask, she transformed into the appearance of a distinguished young gentleman.

Qin An shook his head, "A bit too handsome."

Cheng Hong smiled slightly, "If we're visiting a brothel, we must match the atmosphere."

Qin An said nothing, heading inside.

As soon as they entered, a short hunchbacked man welcomed them obsequiously.

"Gentlemen, have you come because you heard today is the courtesan's performance, hoping to try your luck?"

Qin An raised an eyebrow, "Yes."

He hadn't expected to encounter the courtesan recruiting patrons into the chambers by chance.

But it was just as well; he needed clues.

"Please, follow me, gentlemen."

The man bowed, leading Qin An and Cheng Hong to a seat.

During this time, the silver badge on Qin An's chest chimed dozens of times.

Amid the loud milieu, there were several fellow colleagues hiding in plain sight.

After sitting down, the table was laid with various delicacies.

Cheng Hong did not move.

Qin An's fingers brushed over the delicately placed pastries, lightly tapping the table, "Ha... no wonder business is booming, given these mind-bending drugs."

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