Hunting God Era

Chapter 181 First, find the biggest one.
Pan Zhengyang was taken aback by the inexplicable words, but then he realized what they meant and exhaled a puff of smoke. “Good ambition. Every disinfection worker should have this kind of ambition. Go for it.”

He didn't take Li Ye's words seriously.

As for eradication thirty years from now, we can only say that we are working hard on it, and no one has yet been able to completely eliminate sects.

After leaving the office, Li Ye reached the fifth floor and looked at Lu Zhao, who had followed him there. "So, we're getting started already?"

Lu Zhao was taken aback. "Director Li, I'll come again tomorrow."

"No need, let's get started right away now that we're here."

Li Ye glanced at the ordinary desk and said, "We don't need to replace this for now. With my current record, there's nothing I can replace. Let's use this for now."

As he spoke, he walked to his seat and sat down, gesturing for Lu Zhao to sit opposite him. Seeing this young man who seemed only a few years older than him, he said:

"Tell me, what do you think?"

“Talk to them one by one.”

Lu Zhao said, "In the end, we are martial artists in the real world. Director Pan's reputation is also very useful, but your reputation is even better. Find them and talk to them one by one. If we also use force, we can eventually get information about the Six Ghosts Sect."

This isn't even considered being overly conservative; they didn't think about the potential consequences.

However, there are still limitations in thinking.
"We'll do as you say. You can compile the list yourself, and after dinner tonight, I'll take you out for a walk to digest your food."

Li Ye laughed and said, "But you don't need to find a few first. Pick the biggest one, the most annoying one, preferably one with a criminal record."

Lu Zhao frowned. A martial arts force wouldn't be of much use. No matter how great Li Ye's reputation was, it might not be enough to truly intimidate anyone.

But seeing that he had lost interest, he had no choice but to take his leave and go back to organize his materials.

That evening, at a high-end restaurant in Yangcheng, Pan Zhengyang hosted a welcome dinner for Li Ye. All the team leaders were present, and a large round table that could accommodate about twenty people was specially arranged.

"This restaurant specializes in high-end ingredients, mainly because they have a unique skill in preparing them. They do it very well. You should try it."

Pan Zhengyang sat in the main seat, with Li Ye and Lu Zhao on his left and right. He introduced the dishes that were served and then waved to his servants to bring a bottle of wine in a jar.

"You're an adult now, you can drink, right? This is good stuff. I got it from the old man. It's wine made from a mountain tiger that had become a spirit. It's said to have the effects of boosting virility, strengthening the body, and nourishing health."

Li Ye smiled and nodded, "Then let's have a little."

He was an adult, and a seasoned veteran in his past life, so he had no resistance.

Besides, this isn't the kind of baijiu that burns your throat. In the tradition of drinking in China, the ancient techniques have been preserved, resulting in a very pleasant taste.

Moreover, it's a highly nutritious food, so there's no reason to refuse it.

During the banquet, the captains gradually relaxed and began to talk about interesting things happening around them.

"Just last month, in the area I was patrolling, a beautiful ghost appeared. Tsk tsk, her figure was really good, but she was also really deadly."

A captain said, "The main point isn't the seductive ghost, but the man who was bewitched. He's also a martial artist. When we found him, he was about to attack the ghost, shouting, 'I won't bother the police, and you shouldn't bother the security either.' If we had found him quickly, he'd probably be a dried-up corpse by now."

The alluring ghost is a classic type of ghost, with a thousand faces and no distinction between male and female. It depends on the person being bewitched and can conjure up the most impulsive and desire-inducing appearance in their eyes.

Mostly found in entertainment venues, they exist all over the world, including China, though in number they are fewer than those abroad.

In fact, the appearance of a beautiful ghost in China itself represents a kind of signal.

"It's time to make changes."

Before Li Ye could speak, Pan Zhengyang said, "Last month, you were in charge of Danxia District, right? Shouldn't you be making some rectifications?"

"We've already made them rectify it, that's all."

The captain sighed, "Director Pan, those martial artists are backed by the Wu family. They said they would cooperate, and they did try, but the results are still not very good."

As he spoke, he looked at another captain, "Old Zhou, you're also in Danxia this month, right? What's the story?"

The captain, known as Old Zhou, took a sip of his drink and said:
"Same here. Besides the 'beautiful ghost,' we also discovered the 'painted skin,' 'sexual demon,' and 'troublemaker.' Even though the place has been rectified, there are still many demons there."

Painted Skin is an old demon, no need to say more.

Sex demons are parasitic demons that are indiscriminate in gender and even indiscriminate in their connection to animals. They reside within the brains of living beings, inducing impulses that lead them to commit incomprehensible acts in broad daylight.

As for the 'troublemaker,' it is a modern demon, non-human, a kind of wandering ghost that often attaches itself to people's backs, doing things like taking advantage, harassing, and stealing. It also appears in crowded places, causing misunderstandings.

It's not very harmful, but it is a signal in itself.

Once it appears, it means that the security and social atmosphere of that area, or even that region, must be properly addressed.

"If there are too many demons, we'll keep eliminating them. I refuse to believe it!"

A hot-tempered captain shouted, "If we act any more violently, I refuse to believe those martial artists aren't afraid!"

"It has nothing to do with those martial artists who are in the public eye."

Lu Zhao calmly said, "The Wu family is still behind it. Last time, Director Pan investigated a batch of their 'small altar ghost' goods from who-knows-where, which led to them coming to blows with Director Pan. They don't dare to do anything openly, but they've definitely been condoning it behind the scenes."

Upon hearing this, Li Ye looked over. "Little Altar Ghost?"

"Yin Tongzi" (陰童子).

Pan Zhengyang said in a deep voice, "You know that, right?"

Li Ye nodded.

According to records, Yin Tongzi is the lingering resentment of a dead infant. Because it covets the beauty of a home, it parasitizes people and brings them good fortune, allowing them to obtain what they desire.

However, the Yin Child is not a god. It comes at a price. It is obtained from the family through sacrifices, usually blood sacrifices. The more it asks for, the higher the price of the blood sacrifice. Even if nothing is asked for, its very existence, if left unchecked, will cause the family to fall into poverty.

It is a harmful demon.

The solution is quite simple.
move place!

The Yin Child will only choose a home to live in once. Once it moves out and there is no human presence, it will disperse on its own within a few years.

Of course, this excludes those with wicked intentions. If a Yin Child is sacrificed through blood sacrifice, it will lock onto a single person, rendering moving house useless.

"The Little Altar Ghost is a demon created by humans. It is a method popular in the southeastern countries. It belongs to evil magic. By paying a price, people can change their luck for a short period of time so as to achieve what they want."

Pan Zhengyang said with a headache, "It's taboo in China, but not abroad. Some ordinary people are desperate and want to use this to change their luck, so they pay a lot of money to buy it, which naturally leads to the emergence of this channel."

Li Ye nodded thoughtfully; this was a clever use of demonic magic.

Besides being born from resentment, naturally occurring, or derived from the demon realm, demons can also be created through evil magic. The Locust God Cult is an example of such evil magic.

"Where there is demand, there is a market. There will always be people willing to take risks. Last time I caught this batch of goods, they washed their hands of it and pushed the blame onto their subordinates."

Pan Zhengyang said, "Also, Wu Jianshen is at the third realm, the Earthly Origin realm."

That's the key point.

A martial artist at the Earthly Origin Realm of the Third Realm is worthy of respect in the Divine Continent. Or rather, the most common top-tier martial artist in the mortal realm is at the Opening Origin Realm of the Third Realm.

As for the Four Realms, they are essentially behind-the-scenes bosses, rarely making a move or taking action.

According to Old Master Wang, these people from the four realms are actually required to abide by the laws of the Divine Continent and have reached an agreement with the higher-ups. Unless there is a specific reason, such as dealing with powerful demons, they are not allowed to take action.

This has led to the current situation where, despite engaging in worldly affairs, the current government is still supporting its own representatives.

Pan Zhengyang's dilemma lies here.

That's because the other party is shifting the blame.
No.

He couldn't beat them.

"That's it."

The captain sighed, "People like us don't even have the right to meet them. We tell our subordinates, and they do as we say, but that's just treating the symptoms, not the root cause. It doesn't solve the problem."

This is the current state of disinfection across the entire region.

You accuse them of committing crimes, they shirk responsibility, you ask them to cooperate, and they cooperate nonetheless—they shut down when necessary, and make necessary adjustments when required. But you just can't solve the problem.

Especially now, it's clear that someone is trying to oppose their disinfection efforts.

It's not really that bad, and it won't lead to large-scale demonic pollution, but it does increase the workload and is disgusting.

If not handled properly, the disinfection department will suffer casualties.

"There's no goods. They were destroyed long ago. How dare he show his face to me?"

Pan Zhengyang didn't care. "Keep investigating. Go ahead and handle things in Danxia District. I'll see who really suffers!"

Even though he couldn't beat them, Pan Zhengyang wasn't afraid. Although he was only at the Human Rank, his combat strength was not to be underestimated; he could hold his own against someone at the Earth Rank.

Li Ye smiled and shook his head.

It seems it's the same everywhere.

He was once approached by a martial artist, after all, there are no rules for extermination.
Ultimately, it comes down to force.

He was somewhat surprised that an ordinary person would buy a small jar of ghosts.

But if you think about it carefully, it seems normal.

Humans and demons have always coexisted. It's not that only martial artists can recognize demons. Since ordinary people can also recognize them, some people will take precautions, but others will go astray.

This is also something that needs to be prevented.

Disinfection is not just about preventing demons; sometimes people also need to take precautions.

The captain's words were like a floodgate opening, and several captains, emboldened by alcohol, began to pour out their grievances.

“I actually ran into that young master of the Wu family a few days ago. Damn it, I went over to ask him, and he asked me who I was. He said I wasn’t qualified to talk to him unless I was the bureau chief. There was a woman next to him, who seemed to be the little princess of the An family in Yangcheng. I know her reputation; she likes to torture people.”

"Several martial artists were crippled by that woman, yet she still acts all innocent and virtuous. I asked her about it, but she spoke to me like it was charity. I'm so angry."

"Director Pan, when can we go back to how things were thirty years ago?"

"Don't say that."

Another captain said, "Director Pan has done a good job. At least not just any Tom, Dick, or Harry can ignore us. Those are local tyrants. Besides, there are always a few young masters and misses from the families of local tyrants who don't know their manners."

As he spoke, he glanced at Li Ye, a hint of envy in his eyes.

Small places have their advantages.

Everyone knows that in Ningjiang, which is under Li Ye's control, not a single martial artist dares to speak loudly.

No matter what level a disinfection worker is at, once they put on this skin, they become like the ancient imperial guards, inspiring fear and trepidation in even the most valiant warriors.

After sharing their grievances, the banquet continued. Besides talking about the demons and their impoverished circumstances, Li Ye also heard a few interesting stories.

After all, work and life aren't about constantly outwitting and fighting with a few family members; most of the time is spent dealing with demons.

Li Ye listened attentively as he accepted toasts from others.

An ordinary man, unable to find a wife, took a doll as his wife. One day, he accidentally punctured the air in the doll, but the doll miraculously returned to normal and questioned him about why it had punctured.
Upon inquiry, it was learned that this was a doll that had been through many hands, tainted with too many auras. After being randomly sold and resold, it had somehow become a demon.

There are also those who are fans of celebrities. A signed poster of a star has been forwarded countless times. It has become a "fairy in the painting" when placed at home. It often appears in people's dreams to make love and absorb their life force.

In most versions, the person is found to have inhaled too much vital energy, and after realizing something is wrong, they investigate and discover a demon.

But this time, Li Ye heard a different version.

The reason the victim reported the case was because the fairy in the painting did not make love to her in her dream, so she was angry and reported the case.

She specially spent a lot of money to buy the "Fairy in the Painting," and after investigating, she found that the person's vital energy hadn't changed at all; the "Fairy in the Painting" was actually resisting her.
By the way, the person involved is a Snorlax weighing around 200 pounds.

These demons are generally considered to be 'object spirits', meaning that objects, after being used for a long time, develop demonic intelligence. They are the least harmful, and some can even help people.

But a demon is still a demon, driven by its own nature. Even the most benevolent demon will one day harm people. In their hearts, there is no resistance, no concept of that.

However, it still gave Li Ye a refreshing feeling. Big places and small places are really different. Where he lived, there wouldn't be so many strange things.

Just as the atmosphere was calming down, a voice suddenly rang out from outside.

"What do you mean 'full'? If it's full, why don't you clear people out? Do you even know who I am? I have to make a reservation to come here. I prefer this private room; I like big ones!"

boom!
The door was pushed open.

"Get out of here, all of you! I've got my eye on this place!"

Several young men strode in, the one in the lead holding his head high as if everyone owed him money. He had just finished speaking when he saw Pan Zhengyang, who was standing at the head of the group, and he was stunned.

But soon, his expression returned to normal, and he smiled and said, "Isn't this Director Pan? Taking his subordinates out for a team building activity? My father has been talking about you, saying he wants to get together with you sometime. Alright, I won't bother you any longer, you guys enjoy your meal."

He turned to the others and joked:

"Let's go, let's go. The pest control department is having a team-building event here. They're not here to fight demons, they're here to eat. No wonder the security has been bad lately. Hahaha, what bad luck, let's go somewhere else!"

Pan Zhengyang's face darkened, and he was about to lash out when Lu Zhao whispered:
"Wu Meng, the eldest son of the Wu family."

He looked at Li Ye, "Director Li, if you need to digest your food in the evening, their place is the biggest."

Whoosh!
No sooner had he finished speaking than a figure flashed in front of the man, and with a thud, Wu Meng fell to the ground.

"Perfect timing, we've almost finished eating, it's time to get to work."

Li Ye stepped on his head with one foot, looked around at the others, and said, "Don't leave, question them one by one."

(End of this chapter)