Water Ink Panel: Starting with Bow Technique to Hunt the Sun and Patrol the Skies

As the days went by, news that Zheng Yuanqiu had given the Fourth Group one month to investigate the demon began to spread within the Guardian Martial Department.

A tense atmosphere enveloped the entire Fourth Group.

Some officers from good backgrounds started to maneuver secretly to protect their jobs, trying to get transferred to other groups as a way of self-preservation.

"Brother Li, I heard everything's arranged on your side?" A grey-clad officer lowered his voice, leaned closer to his companion, eyes filled with urgency and envy.

The officer called Brother Li paused slightly in his movements, a hint of imperceptible pride flashed in his eyes as he said with a helpless smile, "Spent quite a bit of silver, just got it done."

"Could you point a way for us brothers over here? We've been with Shen's group for so many days, and still can't find a decent clue. If we stay under him, we'll definitely be implicated, need to jump ship."

"One slot, one person, it's not that easy. I also spent this much to get it done." Brother Li held up five fingers to indicate.

The grey-clad officer was slightly stunned: "Five hundred taels?"

Brother Li nodded with a grim expression.

The two fell into a brief silence.

After a while, the grey-clad officer suddenly had a brainwave and said, "Brother Li, our Lord Chief Officer values money as much as his life. What if we gather some among us and give it to him, maybe he'll let us off?"

"Hard to say, but I think it might work. When things go wrong for Shen, we can shove the blame onto him, and Lord Chief Officer might not bother with us small fry."

"Then I'll go ask the brothers, see who'd be willing to join."

"If you decide to, you have to act quickly. Otherwise, in a few days, this might provoke Lord Chief Officer's displeasure, and you'll not even have a chance to give your silver away."

"I understand."

...

Shen Qing was not deaf to these thoughts among his subordinates, but he had no intention of stopping them.

If the sky wants to rain and the mother wants to remarry, let them be.

What mattered was the quality, not the quantity, of soldiers.

He had more important things to do.

"Alright, done here. Let's check the next place." Shen Qing said to Ji Youwu.

At this point, even the usually mild-tempered Ji Youwu couldn't hold back, and said anxiously, "Lord officer, we've been searching for clues everywhere for these days, already looked for twenty-eight days, and found nothing. Lord Chief Officer decreed we must apprehend the demon within a month, and the deadline is almost upon us!"

Shen Qing stopped and asked, "Do you have any good ideas?"

"Lord Chief Officer has a fondness for beauties and money. Lord officer, why not prepare some money and a beautiful concubine for him? Maybe there's hope." Explore new worlds at empire

"In short, offering money and women?"

Ji Youwu hurriedly replied, "It may sound unpleasant, but it's indeed a good plan."

"No need for that. Let's just focus on the investigation, almost there."

Ji thought extremely puzzled by Shen Qing's calm demeanor: "What do you mean it's almost here?"

Shen Qing didn't explain much, but it was then he seemed to sense something, a joyful look appearing on his face.

His mind stirred, and a drop of ink fell from the void, spreading in his view.

[Skill: Hunting Scripture (Entry Level)]

[Progress: 500/500 points]

[Status: Upgradeable]

[Note: The path of hunting is vast and profound, reaching the extreme, all things can be hunted. Having practiced diligently, applying the principles of the Hunting Scripture, you can awaken the skill 'Tracking,' and no prey can escape your eyes.]

Over the days of investigation, Shen Qing unexpectedly found that the slow progress of the [Hunting Scripture] skill was rapidly advancing.

At this moment, it dawned on him that demon hunting was indeed a part of his hunting journey.

Once he understood this, he was no longer in a hurry, so he stayed focused on the investigation while improving his hunting skill and martial arts cultivation.

The days passed busily.

Unbeknownst to him, after advancing the [Nine Revolutions Mysterious Skill] to the Seventh Transformation, even the [Hunting Scripture] skill had reached the breaking point.

Shen Qing didn't hesitate and chose to advance.

[Skill: Hunting Scripture (Skillfully)]

[Progress: 0/600 points]

[Status: Not Upgradeable]

[Note: Through long-term diligent practice and application, you have mastered the skill 'Tracking.' Every path leaves a trace, and when you use this skill, no matter how much time has passed, the trace of the prey's activity will automatically appear before you, escaping nowhere.]

Shen Qing felt a rush of excitement in his heart and hurriedly steadied himself.

In the next moment, an avalanche of hunting memories surged into his mind.

In just a moment, it seemed as if Shen Qing had hunted through countless years, and his understanding of hunting had reached a profound level.

After a while, Shen Qing exhaled deeply, allowing his muddled mind to gradually regain clarity.

Confidence spread across his face as he mounted his horse, "Onward!"

Ji Youwu shouted, "Lord officer, where are you going?"

"To where Xi Shaoqin met his demise."

Hearing this, Ji Youwu nearly lost his composure.

It was Shen Qing's second time at the place where Xi Shaoqin died, and he was already familiar with the route.

He quickly rode to an alley behind an inn at Tian Dou Square.

Xi Shaoqin had died in this alley.

Shen Qing sat atop his horse, looking down at the alley.

[Tracking] was activated.

With a thought, every inch of the alley's stone walls came alive in his vision.

On the walls, the faint traces usually hidden in dust and shadows now lit up like stars, forming a disjointed yet patterned trail of footprints.

Some of these footprints were distinguishable, others faded and faint, as if they would disappear with a gentle wipe.

A surge of indescribable excitement rose in Shen Qing's heart.

He could truly see them.

These small footprints stretched from the walls to the rooftops, threading through the narrow, deep alley, clearly not human.

"It's definitely that demon; after so many days, there's finally a result."

"Whoa!"

Ji Youwu arrived on his horse from behind.

His growing bewilderment at Shen Qing's actions only deepened his pessimism about his own fate.

"Lord officer..."

Shen Qing suddenly turned, smiling, "You came just in time. Come demon hunting with me!"

"Ah!" Ji Youwu's face turned even more ghastly.

Crazy, he had definitely lost it.

With no clues at all, where would they catch the demon, how would they catch the demon?

Shen Qing didn't seem to offer him any explanation.

He lightly pulled the reins, following the direction indicated by the footprints in a hurry.

Ji Youwu followed hopelessly.

In Shen Qing's vision, the deeper they tracked, the denser the footprints became.

Finally, they ended abruptly inside a residential house.

"After all these days, finally caught you."

Shen Qing's heart raced, anticipation, and tension surged within him.

Ignoring the gaze of people around him and Ji Youwu, he dismounted, drew the dagger from his waist, held it in his hand, and stopped in front of the main door.

Suddenly, he kicked the door open.

"Guardian Martial Department is hunting demons, bystanders stay clear!"