My Martial Arts Level Never Drops

Chapter 465: Chapter 211: Tributor

But when they saw their attire, the few Black Armored Soldiers gave a slight bow and then looked away.

After a moment of surprise, a few Inner Sect Disciples hurried over to pay their respects. ”Greetings, Senior Brother Qin. Greetings, Senior Sister Wen.”

They all recognized Qin Fang and Wen Suxin.

...As for Qin Fang, who in the entire Heavenly Gang Wuji Sect didn’t know him by now?

As for Wen Suxin, a veteran True Inheritance disciple of the Guiyuan Lineage... though she wasn’t a Hall Master’s True Inheritance, many people still recognized her.

Qin Fang and Wen Suxin nodded slightly, then walked into the Sacrificial Hall.

The interior of the Sacrificial Hall was not decorated like a traditional Government Office. Instead, it more closely resembled the Scripture Pavilion. Many disciples were busy organizing various scrolls, while others were writing and drawing.

When someone noticed Qin Fang and Wen Suxin enter, there was a moment of surprise before people quickly rose to their feet to pay their respects. ”Greetings, Senior Brother Qin, Senior Sister Wen.”

Once the first person greeted them, the others heard the stir and quickly put down their work to offer their own respectful greetings. ”Greetings, Senior Brother Qin, Senior Sister Wen.”

Qin Fang glanced around and nodded slightly. ”Alright, carry on with your work. Don’t mind us.”

Hearing this, the disciples bowed again before resuming their work.

”Senior Brother Qin, Senior Sister Wen.”

A soft voice sounded beside them.

Qin Fang turned his head, a smile appearing on his face. ”Ah, it’s Su Nian...”

It was indeed Su Nian of the Celestial Martial Lineage.

Su Nian offered a faint smile and said, ”Senior Brother, Senior Sister, the Sacrificial Hall Chief Steward’s office is on the third floor. Please, follow me. Senior Brother Yun is upstairs... There are still a few things to go over for the handover.”

The two were taken aback for a moment, but they nodded and followed Su Nian up to the third floor, entering a room filled with bookshelves.

The furnishings inside were relatively simple. Aside from the bookshelves, there was just a wooden table with a few things on it.

Yun Guanyu, whom they hadn’t seen in a long time, was looking through some scrolls on the table.

He only looked up when he heard the door open.

”Senior Brother Yun, Senior Brother Qin and Senior Sister Wen from the Guiyuan Lineage are here to take over your duties.”

Su Nian quickly reminded him in a low voice.

”Senior Brother Yun.”

Qin Fang cupped his fists.

Senior Sister Wen also bowed slightly. ”Greetings, Senior Brother Yun.”

Yun Guanyu had a look of confusion on his face. ”Guiyuan Lineage... Change of shift... What change of shift?”

Su Nian was exasperated...

Qin Fang and Wen Suxin also said nothing.

”...In other words, Senior Brother Yun, you can return to the Sect...”

Su Nian sighed softly.

’...Senior Brother Yun’s memory is getting worse and worse.’

’...He’s even forgotten what the changing of shifts is all about.’

”Return... to the Sect?”

Yun Guanyu stroked his chin, deep in thought.

Qin Fang: ”...”

’...Don’t tell me he’s even forgotten what the Sect is?’

Su Nian turned to Qin Fang and Senior Sister Wen with a helpless, apologetic look. ”I’m sorry, Senior Brother, Senior Sister... Senior Brother Yun’s condition...”

Wen Suxin looked at Yun Guanyu and sighed. ”I know. Alas, ever since that incident...”

She paused for a moment, then asked with some concern, ”Master Li...”

Su Nian’s eyes dimmed. ”Master Li hasn’t recovered either...”

Wen Suxin sighed softly and gently patted Su Nian’s shoulder.

Su Nian collected herself and gave Senior Sister Wen a grateful, forced smile before saying, ”Let’s begin the handover... Senior Brother Yun just does whatever comes to mind. He only showed up today because I reminded him about the handover. Normally... I’m the one who handles all these matters.”

Su Nian led the two of them over to a bookshelf and began the handover.

The handover consisted mostly of recent cases for the Sacrificial Hall that had yet to be processed.

And most of these matters were related to the Extraordinary.

”Senior Brother Qin, Senior Sister Wen, these are the backlogged case files that are either pending or require follow-up reviews.” Su Nian took a neat stack of scrolls from the bookshelf, placed them on a nearby side table, and opened them one by one to explain.

”This one is the most urgent.”

She pulled out a scroll tied with red silk thread. ”Linbo County, on the East Shore of Great Cloud Marsh. Starting a month ago, fishermen from the lakeside villages began to disappear one after another. Later, mutilated remains were found by the water, apparently torn apart and devoured by some immense force... The local government constables initially thought it was a wild beast and organized a village militia to patrol, but they lost several men. Survivors claimed to have seen a huge dark shadow under the water that could breathe a frosty mist and freeze water into ice. The County Yamen reported it to the Prefecture Government Office, which determined it was no ordinary beast and thus submitted the case to our Sacrificial Hall, requesting a Tributor be dispatched to handle it. The preliminary assessment is that it’s at least a Water Demon that has entered the Extraordinary realm, and it may have already made a lair...”

Qin Fang took the scroll. Inside were some crude sketches and a few autopsy reports.

...This reminded him of the time his senior brother went to Fishermen’s to investigate.

...The scenes from that day seemed to flash before his eyes, but his senior brother...

A hint of sorrow surfaced in his eyes as he stared blankly at the autopsy report in his hands.

Su Nian and Senior Sister Wen continued with the handover.

The Court managed civil affairs, laws, taxes, and routine public order.

But once a matter involved demons, devils, ghosts, monsters, Evil Cultivators, or other unnatural entities... or any calamity that defied common sense, the Sect’s assistance was required.

And there was no shortage of such matters.

For example, in Mang City, there were signs of what looked like corpses reanimating in an ancient tomb, and the tomb keeper’s entire family had died mysteriously...

In West River County, merchant caravans had been disappearing one after another on the main road for the past three months, leaving behind non-human tracks and a lingering, foul stench...

And there were other scattered reports of strange phenomena from local areas, whose authenticity could not be verified...

These were all recent matters that had just arrived at the Sacrificial Hall and hadn’t been handled yet.

Qin Fang looked them over one by one. ’I can’t believe a single prefecture has this many ’Extraordinary’ incidents.’

”There’s one more case, and it’s near Lanyang City...” Su Nian said as she took out the final scroll.

”It’s on Cuiping Island, seventy li outside Lanyang City. There are two adjacent villages there, one called Xiaoyang Village and the other Liuxi Village.”

Su Nian unfurled the scroll and said grimly, ”About ten days ago, during the night, those two villages... along with every person and animal in them, vanished without a trace.”

Qin Fang and Wen Suxin were both stunned.

Their brows furrowed deeply.