Chapter 7

Ping Qianru: "... ..."

Every year, there are several million non-natural deaths across the country, with suicides alone accounting for two to three hundred thousand. In a place like Yong'an City, there are over one thousand unidentified corpses each year. Even if the so-called 'thousand living sacrifices' is an accurate figure, if these one thousand deceased individuals are dispersed across various locations, you would not be able to discern any issues from the statistical data, not to mention the missing persons.

Sheng Lingyuan shook his head: "I see you are not very old. If it were an ordinary little demon, it probably wouldn't have awakened its intelligence yet, but you have already fully transformed and your true form is unrecognizable. You must be a naturally born spiritual being. Before the internal strife among your demon clan, almost all the innate spiritual beings were gone, and losing one is a loss indeed. What a pity, let's go."

The director of the ancient book restoration department, Dr. Wang, called to say that the relevant records of the Yinchen ritual are for reference only. They do not have sufficient research materials, making it difficult to verify the authenticity of many aspects, and it is uncertain whether there are elements of legend involved.

This mischievous little spirit was just brandishing a sword and shouting for battle, and now, with the fire on the iron chain still smoldering, he wipes his face and comes over with a smile, acting as if nothing happened and trying to get close.

Xiao Zheng nodded and said to Xuan Ji: "Can you take a picture of the 'Gloomy Ritual' text that you saw? The more complete, the better. I will have someone compare it with the images and investigate separately; there must be some clues!"

Sheng Lingyuan smiled and said, "It is nearly half past the Dog Hour."

The front-line leader of the Chi Yuan Branch said, "There are still three mutated trees in the Grand Canyon that have not been found. I would like to confirm with you whether you mean for them to leave that group of monsters alone and just withdraw like this"

Before Director Xiao could speak, the phone went "click" and disconnected

The fire on the iron chains binding the demon has become quite weak, nearly extinguished several times, only to stand up again unsteadily.

Xuanji: "... ..."

Xuanji exerted effort to move her numb lips, forcing out a few words with a smile that did not reach her eyes: "A few words."

At 8:30, the Chiyuan Branch Bureau swiftly began to inspect all hotels near the scenic area, submitting all visitor information registered in the past six months to the headquarters database for a thorough comparison with case file records

I believe that generally, those lesser little tyrants only need to find a hill and slaughter a sheep, without making such a big fuss. Someone like you, who requires a 'thousand living beings' to be invited... well, you are indeed extraordinary and must have a significant background.

He activated the speakerphone, and this one sentence from Xuanji stirred up a thousand waves

Xuanji brushed the frost off her eyelashes, staring at the demon before her with whom she was in a standoff, her mind racing rapidly

All is silent, with not a sound from the birds; even the autumn insects lie still in the earth, not daring to move.

Director Xiao, the heads from various regions have all taken their positions

"Leader, leader..." Lao Luo was trembling, unable to utter a complete sentence, his mouth filled with the sound of "ding ding ding," reminiscent of the school bell. He bravely handed the phone to him, saying, "Director Xiao!"

We ... ...

Director Xiao, if the perpetrator of this act secretly commits murder, it would not be difficult to hide the body for a month, and the Public Security Bureau may not have even received a report of the incident

Isn't that a global scale? Director Xiao, this is even more like searching for a needle in a haystack

The door to the lounge at www.hetushu.com has been blown open, and at this moment, the sound of the television can be faintly heard in the hallway, with the closing theme of the news broadcast playing—this indicates that it is at least 7:30.

The face of contemporary technology cannot be so easily lost, so Xuan Ji cursed under her breath while nonchalantly letting her phone fly back into the inner pocket of his chest, attempting to prolong the life of this device with her body heat

Sheng Lingyuan understood the words "once" and "not long-term". He narrowed his eyes slightly—this little brat actually tried to play him, how bold.

"No," Xuanji said, "as long as there is a sacrificial text, it is sufficient. As long as the sacrificial text is written correctly, it is effective not only nationwide but even if you were to commit murder and offer a sacrifice in Antarctica, it would still hold validity. This matter does not require a visa; it is as simple as swiping a credit card."

Why

Inform Director Huang that there is an urgent situation. I will arrive at his office early tomorrow for an inspection. All field personnel at Chiyuan Grand Canyon are to gather at the hospital. I will take responsibility for any consequences. Lao Xuan, you—

Xuanji: "Summon a great demon who can only accomplish one task for himself. Based on my experience, the request is most likely for revenge, with a nine out of ten chance. Consider this: if this person can kill a thousand people within thirty days without anyone noticing, then for him, murder is probably as easy as chopping vegetables. Why would he need to go through such a roundabout way to eliminate someone? What could his true objective be?"

Is it like this?" Sheng Lingyuan suddenly leaned forward, and the iron chains binding him tightened abruptly, producing a melodious clinking sound. A dark, ominous incantation suddenly crawled out from his collar, spreading along his neck to his face, starkly contrasting in black and white. His handsome face instantly took on a ghostly aura. At the entrance, Old Luo's legs went weak, and with a "thud," he knelt down. Sheng Lingyuan did not even glance at him, merely waving his hand dismissively, "No need for formalities—since the incantation allows me to return to the mortal realm, it naturally imposes some constraints on me. Having finally seen the light of day again, why should I risk my life to defy it? It is merely a wish of a mortal, a trivial matter."

Xuanji previously did not know whether he had engaged in pyramid schemes, yet he praised them without changing his expression: "Their identities as commoners are certainly not important, whether you remember them or not is irrelevant, but isn't your demeanor and eloquence evident? I am not blind."

Director Xiao, Director Huang called to ask what is going on and requested you to go over and give a briefing

Xiao Zheng: "What a terrible metaphor you have!"

The two spoke almost in unison

The leader... cough cough cough... The cool moisture in the family lounge seemed to be spreading out, and taking a deep breath from afar felt like a cold knife scraping from the throat all the way to the lungs. Ping Qian, unable to get any closer even from ten meters away from the door, could hardly imagine what situation Xuan Ji was in inside.

In the mid-autumn of October, the days grow shorter with each passing day. The streetlights outside have already been lit, yet the humidity is becoming increasingly dense. The entire Chiyuan Grand Canyon has been engulfed in a vast fog, and those streetlights that originally formed a long line are now struggling in the thick mist, faint and flickering like elusive fireflies.

Xiao Zheng suddenly paused

In another forty-five minutes, at a quarter past nine, Ping Qian rushed over like a streak of smoke, clutching her laptop.

It is now past 7 PM, with less than five hours remaining until "the stroke of midnight"

"What kind of breed is this, with such thick skin?" he thought to himself, "Is it a carp?"

The art of the Yinchen ritual is a means of communication between heaven and earth. Since I have been awakened by this person, there must be a connection between us; otherwise, his blood would not flow into my coffin. Sheng Lingyuan replied leisurely, Moreover, as for status and identity, they are merely empty titles before me, which I can hardly remember.

It cannot be without reason; this rascal must have been involved in something and has come into contact with the Anomaly Control Bureau, checking all your case files. Xuan Ji said, "Moreover, the Shadowed Ritual is not a trick performed by street vendors. You elite 'field agents' in the Security Department have never even heard of it. Does the practitioner have a 100% guarantee of success? If they were that impressive, they wouldn't need to be so indirect—I believe he must be near Chiyuan.

Having finished, he rolled his eyes and fainted

Ping Qianru: "Help: I feel that my son is no longer my son."

Director Xiao, the data has been retrieved, but it cannot be checked

Xuan Ji kicked Lao Luo awake: "Take a picture of the text on the wall and send it to Director Xiao. Don't waste time, there is no time left—Lao Xiao, listen to me, summoning this demon is a one-time event, not a long-term contract..."

Xuanji continued sincerely, saying: "In our market economy era, there are generally many ways to solve problems. Those who resort to sorcery at the slightest disagreement are usually foolish individuals with a few screws loose... Ahem, delusional people. By responding to such individuals' summons, you lose your dignity... Isn't that beneath your status?"

Lao Luo mustered his courage to run over and deliver a phone to Xuan Ji. Just as he reached the door, he overheard this sentence and quickly took a fast-acting heart-saving pill from his pocket, thinking to himself: "I am going blind"

The Chiyuan Scenic Area, due to its proximity to the Grand Canyon, is under strict supervision by the relevant authorities. Communication has been established with the local public security organs, and all visitors must purchase tickets with their identification cards to enter. All surrounding hotels and tourist charter services are under unified management

Sheng Lingyuan's robe was already soaked in blood, and he leisurely leaned against the burning chains, his posture relaxed, watching the little demon in front of him whose expressions changed as quickly as turning the pages of a book, with a half-smile on his face

This... cough, senior.

Xuan Ji heard Ping Qianru's voice, which was filled with tears, speaking incoherently: "Can you come out... sob... Director Xiao and the others found a... a forum post that was just posted and then deleted... Director Xuan, can you say something? I'm scared..."

Sheng Lingyuan's smile deepened a little, and without saying a word, she watched him perform

Note: The pangolin is referred to as "Lingli".

Xuanji took a deep breath and said slowly, "Don't rush to howl, there is still breath left, what post? Read it."

As he looked up, he encountered the curious gaze of the demon. The demon was very interested in this lively "small box." Although the conversations inside were chaotic and the speech was rapid, making it difficult for him to understand most of it, he still listened with great interest. When it fell silent, he curiously asked, "Not chatting anymore? Have you come up with a plan?"

Xiao Zheng San's three corpses were in a furious uproar: "If they are not going to help, then so be it; why add to the chaos!"

At this moment, Xiao Zheng no longer had time to question why Xuan Ji, who claimed to be a good youth advocating the Five Virtues and Four Beauties, was so knowledgeable about the ancient and obscure sorcery. He turned to Xuan Ji on the other end of the phone and asked: "In your understanding, does 'living sacrifice' have any geographical restrictions? For example, is there a limit on how many kilometers it cannot be away from the sacrificial site?"

In the family lounge, Xuanji's phone suddenly went black—it's too cold, this device has malfunctioned due to low temperatures

What happened? I thought you had become a martyr! What... my phone froze... I really... alright, when you come back, I will buy you a new box!" Xiao Zheng strode into the conference room.

The Bureau of Abnormal Control

Xuanji's eye twitched at the corner