Upon arriving in Yanling City, Chu Wei arranged for Wen Wen to stay at a hotel exclusively for visiting demon hunters. The establishment boasted superior surroundings and attentive service, far exceeding any lodging Wen Wen might have found himself.
More importantly, his accommodation and meals were entirely free!
As they parted ways, Wen Wen requested the phone number for the Yanling City Hunter Association from Chu Wei. He anticipated causing some disruption in Yanling City and might occasionally require someone to clean up after him.
Overall, Wen Wen had only one primary objective in Yanling City: to rescue the young man held captive by the Blood of Blasphemy. This young man possessed qualities Wen Wen found promising, and he intended to recruit him as a Containment Officer.
However, beyond this, Wen Wen also planned to pursue other activities in Yanling City. Yanling City, unlike Furonghe City, had a normal density of monsters, presenting Wen Wen with an untapped field ripe for exploration and enjoyment.
After finishing dinner, Wen Wen informed the Yanling City Association and departed from the hotel. Demon hunters operating in cities outside their jurisdiction were required to report any activities involving supernatural powers to the local Hunter Association. While this was not a strict mandate for roaming hunters, Wen Wen was not yet a roaming hunter and thus needed to file reports for his actions. He had requested permission from the Yanling City Hunter Association to hunt ghosts, and the association had granted his request. Similar to the situation in Furonghe City, many of the ghosts here could only be dealt with collectively.
Of course, venturing out to hunt ghosts was merely a cover for Wen Wen’s true objective. He intended to investigate the situation at Lishui Villa, which served as the regional headquarters for the Blood of Blasphemy in the Huafu District. He was not preparing to infiltrate the enemy stronghold alone. Although his strength was nearing the Assimilation Realm, such power was insufficient against a branch of the Blood of Blasphemy. Therefore, he planned only to observe the situation discreetly, without revealing his true intentions.
While capturing ghosts was a secondary objective, Wen Wen did not intend to merely go through the motions. He wanted to craft beads that condensed ghost energy. These beads could be used to cultivate his own ghosts and also sold for profit. Relying solely on hunting monsters for demon coins was proving too slow. Thus, Wen Wen intended to sell items on the Hunter Association's website. He had researched there and discovered that the beads he created were known as "Resentful Soul Beads," which were exceptionally difficult to form naturally. Consequently, Wen Wen planned to market Resentful Soul Beads as his primary product.
Lishui Villa was situated beside Lishui Lake on the outskirts of Yanling City, serving as a venue for the exchange among Yanling City's dignitaries and influential figures. It was bustling with activity both day and night. During the day, they would visit to relax and discuss trade; at night, many came to learn foreign languages.
Wen Wen parked his car by the lakeside and gazed at Lishui Villa across the water, a slight sigh escaping him. Who would have imagined that such a high-end establishment was the stronghold of madmen like those from the Blood of Blasphemy? However, among the cities in Dongshan Province, Yanling City had always been a region with low supernatural activity, a fact for which the Yanling City demon hunter teams had even received commendations. It seemed even the madmen of the Blood of Blasphemy understood the wisdom of "a rabbit not eating the grass by its burrow."
As he mustemplated this, Wen Wen's body stiffened slightly. He continued to admire the scenery of Lishui Villa for a moment before averting his gaze. For a fleeting instant, Wen Wen had sensed someone watching him, but upon closer examination, the presence vanished without a trace. To be spied upon from across the lake was unnerving. Fortunately, he hadn't disguised himself and infiltrated their lair. It was understandable; Lishui Villa was the headquarters of the Blood of Blasphemy in the Huafu District, and any unfamiliar supernatural being approaching it would surely attract their attention.
Precisely because he knew the area would be heavily guarded, Wen Wen had only come to observe from a distance under the pretext of driving away ghosts, yet he had still been detected. He took a deep breath and walked along the lakeshore to a long pavilion built beside the water. This pavilion was called Lishui Pavilion, and it was usually frequented by tourists. However, recently, people had been frequently falling into the lake nearby, their bodies never recovered. The Yanling City Hunter Association had detected ghost energy in the vicinity, suspecting the presence of water ghosts, but had been unable to capture them.
At this, Wen Wen produced his Containment Officer badge. A map of the terrain within a fifty-meter radius silently appeared before him. As expected, a blurry shadow existed within the lake water. This was likely the water ghost inhabiting the lake. However, judging by its color, this water ghost appeared exceptionally weak, unlikely to even startle someone, let alone drag them into the water to drown.
Of course, Wen Wen was not particularly concerned about the ghost's capabilities. About thirty meters away from him, a figure far more conspicuous than the ghost was hiding behind a tree, watching Wen Wen ominously. Based on the color displayed by the figure, it possessed disaster-level strength, though Wen Wen was uncertain if it was a monster or a supernatural being. Even on the terrain map, its presence flickered in and out of visibility. Without a detection artifact like the Containment Officer badge, Wen Wen would not have been able to see this individual.
However, Wen Wen acted as if he hadn't noticed. He continued with his own tasks. That individual was likely an operative placed outside by the Blood of Blasphemy. If Wen Wen were to attack, it would signal to the Blood of Blasphemy that he had discovered their stronghold, and he doubted he could escape safely. Therefore, Wen Wen sat directly on a rock by the lakeside, extending his feet into the water and casually swinging them back and forth.
"You know, the scenery here is truly quite lovely." A gentle breeze rippled the lake's surface, reflecting the shimmering waves under the moonlight. The croaking of frogs and insects along the bank produced a pleasant symphony. Wen Wen admired the view for a while. The lake remained undisturbed, and the ghost still drifted aimlessly in the water, seemingly unaware of Wen Wen's presence.
"That's odd. Low-level ghosts are typically simple-minded creatures, acting on instinct. With me being here alone, they should have attacked. Have they detected me as a supernatural being?" Wen Wen had employed a simple method of concealing his aura. It was utterly impossible to approach the stronghold of the Blood of Blasphemy using this, but such a minor ghost shouldn't have been able to detect him.
"No, that's not right either. This ghost's aura is so weak it's less palpable than the fish in the lake. How could it possibly detect me?"
"...Wait a minute, aren't the fish in this lake a bit too palpable?"
Wen Wen finally pinpointed the issue. He took out his Hundred Flavors Cup, scooped some lake water, and swirled it. The lake water within transformed into blood. Then, Wen Wen poured this blood, thick with a fishy scent, into the lake. Moments later, the fish shoals in the lake stirred. A giant catfish, over three meters long, stealthily approached Wen Wen from the lakebed.
Of course, while the catfish believed itself to be very hidden, and indeed it was quite concealed, Wen Wen could clearly see it on the terrain map. This catfish differed from ordinary ones; its stout body was covered in scars, and its barbels were as long as its body. The barbels silently emerged from the water, entwined around Wen Wen's feet, and directly dragged him into the lake. Its movements were incredibly practiced, indicating it had performed this action countless times, making it appear like a simple accidental fall to any ordinary observer.
After Wen Wen was submerged, violent splashes erupted on the lake's surface, as if a fierce struggle was taking place. Then, gradually, the surface returned to calm.