Chen Xuanze quietly propped himself up, glancing at the companions lying around like corpses, and shook his head.

"It still falls on me. Ah, the capable ones bear more."

After observing for a while and realizing that the tree demon was truly out of commission, with no signs of anyone waking up, he swiftly approached. Stretching his hand, he grabbed the core of the large locust tree, intending to break it with force.

Before exerting any force, the tree core was already in his hand.

"Tree Demon Core, a good material with a calming effect."

Having stashed this item in his bag, Chen Xuanze returned to his previous position. He scraped some blood from Li Gou's mouth and applied it to his face. Then, he lay down on the ground, closing his eyes.

"Reward: Daoist Divination Technique, three years of cultivation."

Lying on the ground with closed eyes, Chen Xuanze's mouth formed a slight upward curve.

Divination Technique: Observe Feng Shui, perceive the terrain of mountains, rivers, and streams, predict auspiciousness or adversity. Requires the use of the Heavenly Eye, and this technique consumes a considerable amount of magical power.

This is interesting! Chen Xuanze decided not to sleep anymore. He got up, activated his magical power, opened his Heavenly Eye, and then practiced the Divination Technique.

Opening his eyes, he looked at the people lying on the ground.

Well, so many different colors.

Zhang Hu, who had supposedly come from Dragon and Tiger Mountain, had clear Qi rising over two meters high. Li Gou, his subordinate, emitted grayish energy about half a meter high.

After observing for a while and understanding the pattern, Zhang Hu practiced Daoism, explaining his clear Qi. Li Gou, being a mortal, had only grayish energy. Most members of the Yellow Team had grayish energy, fitting the characteristics of the Yellow Team.

Ma Baihu surprised Chen Xuanze. His vibrant red aura billowed over three meters high, causing discomfort to Chen Xuanze's eyes.

Finally, he looked at Qianhu Xiao Zhuo. In the midst of the five-meter-high golden aura, two giant snake shadows intertwined. However, the golden color seemed shaky, probably due to injuries.

Then, with a 'hiccup,' Chen Xuanze fainted. He realized he had forgotten about his limited magical power in the moment of excitement. This technique consumed too much magical power.

When the daylight brightened, Xiao Zhuo woke up, feeling quite anxious, thinking he might have died.

Opening his eyes and seeing the sunlight, a sense of happiness surged; being alive was truly good. However, looking around at the people lying on the ground, his happy expression faded into bitterness.

"I wonder how many of these people are still alive. Sigh."

Letting out a long sigh, he got up and sat down, starting to heal.

Chen Xuanze, waking up refreshed from a nap, glanced at the sitting Xiao Zhuo without saying anything, then laid back down.

He couldn't get up now; it would be too obvious. So, he decided to take another nap. By midday, Xiao Zhuo was still healing. Although his external injuries weren't severe, internal injuries were troublesome. Without timely adjustment, hidden ailments might linger.

The people lying on the ground woke up one by one. Chen Xuanze also woke up at the right time. It wasn't intentional on his part; it happened when Li Gou, who had just awakened, was taking deep breaths. His foot was sprained.

The blood he vomited looked severe, but in reality, it was nothing.

When they fainted, the group felt no pain. Now that they were awake, it was another round of groaning and howling.

Some experienced physical pain—broken ribs, fractured arms, sprained ankles.

Some experienced heartache—broken peachwood swords, demon-expelling charms turned into ashes, and various personal belongings. These were all money!

Peachwood swords and demon-expelling charms, except for those provided during the probation period at the Spirit Suppression Office, had to be purchased with money earned from completing tasks.

The allowances from the Spirit Suppression Office for task assignees and the rewards for completing tasks were substantial, covering the expenses incurred during the tasks.

Some people used their resources judiciously; one peachwood sword could last for twenty years.

Xiao Zhuo woke up, and Ma Baihu went over to report, "My lord, five dead, and the count of other injuries hasn't been tallied yet."

Without waiting for Xiao Zhuo to ask, Ma Baihu continued, "Yellow Team Four, three Copper Coins, Yellow Team Two, two Copper Coins."

Xiao Zhuo breathed a sigh of relief, far lower than his estimate, considered quite fortunate under the circumstances.

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Although two skilled individuals from Yellow Team Two died, given the sudden situation, it was understandable.

Liu Baihu from Yellow Team Four wore a gloomy expression, and the color of his face could have been squeezed out. The deceased were all his people.

Originally, Yellow Team Four had fifty-three members, making it the largest group among the four Yellow Teams.

It was said that Lord Wang, the supervisor of the local office, had noticed him. He appreciated Liu Baihu's low casualty rate on tasks. Now, however, he lost five in one go, all of them official Spirit Suppression Guards.

Yellow Team Two had no casualties; Ma Baihu didn't feel embarrassed. He did what he was supposed to do, offering support without any hesitation.

Liu Baihu's miserable state could only be blamed on his bad luck.

After a while, the pain subsided, and the group moved on to the next task—tidying up the aftermath.

At noon, after finishing their meal, the Yellow Team, supported by each other, headed towards the direction of the capital.

Xiao Zhuo didn't leave; he still had to lead the members of Xuan Team to find the true location where the Night Parade of One Hundred Ghosts appeared.

Three more ghosts were found than estimated. These were probably the positions of the three undiscovered deceased, where the real Night Parade of One Hundred Ghosts began.

Chen Xuanze wanted to stay and gain some benefits, but he didn't have a proper reason. He could only support Li Gou, who had sprained his foot, and head towards the capital.

In the evening, at the east gate of the capital, Wang Laojiu had already started arranging the soldiers below to close the city gate. Seeing a group of people approaching from afar, he immediately shouted to stop them.

"Wow, this time is even worse than last time!" Wang Laojiu murmured as he looked at the group of people supporting each other from a distance.

His nephew had returned, and this time he was well-behaved, not uttering a word.

Last time, when he returned home and complained to his elder sister, he not only didn't receive any comfort but also got scolded.

Wang Laojiu's family lived not far from the nouveau riche family killed by the Spirit Suppression Office.

After listening to his elder sister's story, his nephew behaved exceptionally well now.

In this chaotic world, guarding the city gate was a lucrative job. If it weren't for Wang Laojiu's position as a ninth-grade city gate official, how could he afford to own property inside the city?

The group finally reached the east city gate. Ma Baihu, doing things in a straightforward manner, tossed a few pieces of silver to Wang Laojiu, saying, "Brothers, you've worked hard. Go have a drink."

Liu Baihu, with eyes attached to his brain, snorted.

"Just knew you were a guy who buys people's hearts."

Ma Baihu didn't argue with him; the group returned to the Spirit Suppression Office.

After entering the gate, he didn't forget to toss five taels of silver to Chen Xuanze. This was the reward he promised him for dealing with the nightmare ghost.

Regardless of whether Chen Xuanze had only taken a stroll, as long as the result was good, it was enough.

His position as a hundred households was preserved, and this time, there was no Night Parade. He felt satisfied.

Next, the group went to the central court physicians to treat their injuries. Those without injuries could do whatever they wanted.

Ma Baihu and Liu Baihu went to report the situation to Lord Wang, as instructed by Xiao Zhuo before he left.

Night Parade of One Hundred Ghosts was a mission emphasized by Lord Wang. Since Xiao Zhuo hadn't returned yet, the progress had to be reported.

After sending Li Gou back to his room, Chen Xuanze took a shower to wash away the fatigue. Then, he dealt with a hearty meal; he was famished after not eating all afternoon.

Fully fed and hydrated, he returned to his small room, lying down. From his bag, he took out the tree demon's tree core, rubbing it continuously.

This thing, not an ordinary item, could be carved into an accessory to carry around—a great piece.

This trip was thrilling but uneventful, and once again, he survived.

He knew that not every task would be as smooth as this one. The Soul Crossing Scripture and the Demon Slayer Sword Technique he learned happened to be effective this time. For tasks with mismatched techniques, he might hiccup without notice.

Compared to before, he now had a greater assurance of surviving.

Moreover, he gained quite a lot this time, providing him with some advantages for future tasks involving ghosts and demons.

After waking up, instead of going fishing, he strolled around Kyoto.