Master of Kaidan
Chapter 256 This World is Poisonous, Right?

Chapter 256: Chapter 256 This World is Poisonous, Right?

While Old Li and Feng Xue were chatting leisurely, the perimeter of the inn had already been surrounded by government troops. The attire of these soldiers was significantly different from the government officials often depicted in costume dramas. Although they were not clad in armor, their clothing was clearly styled for ease of movement in combat rather than for ceremonial uniformity.

Each soldier held a crossbow that was already cocked in their hands, and they displayed a certain level of shooting awareness, suggesting they were trained for multiple shots.

Feng Xue turned her head to look back and noticed that the shop’s attendants had vanished without trace at some point, leaving only a few sparse customers who were still eating, seemingly unaware that a group of government troops had arrived outside.

It didn’t need to be said; it was obviously the attendants who had "alerted" them.

"Is there something toxic about this world?" Old Li, who had traveled far and wide over the years, had never before seen such a hypersensitive government, and even Feng Xue, who was "leaving home" for the first time, was not surprised. She was even pondering whether she should go to this world’s Dragon Field to seek enlightenment.

Although both of them were confused by the current situation, neither showed any sign of fear. Feng Xue was no longer the novice she once was, and Old Li, as an experienced hand, certainly still had plenty of cards up his sleeve despite his waning strength.

The two of them continued to eat their meals in a leisurely manner. After about fifteen minutes, seemingly growing impatient with waiting, a man who appeared to be in his thirties or forties, dressed in relatively lightweight clothing, walked into the inn.

He carried no weapons, his temples bulged high, and his knuckles were worn smooth. Careful observation revealed a subtle gap between his clothes and his body, an obvious sign that he had cultivated from the external to the internal and had stimulated his Gang Qi to the extreme.

"This man is very wary," Feng Xue noted, observing the man’s way of walking and mentally formulating a plan. She took the initiative to strike up a conversation, asking,

"May I inquire who you are, sir?"

"I’m a tributor with the Demon Extermination Department from Qingyuan County of Si State Prefecture. May I know the identities of both of you?" he asked, his hands clasped in a salute, but he only mentioned his office, not his name. Feng Xue, hearing this, raised her eyebrows and replied,

"I am but a wandering individual in the Jianghu, passing by this treasure land. Why has my presence warranted such a spectacle?"

Hearing Feng Xue speak in such a manner, the man’s expression turned strange, not tense or serious, but rather an annoyed "do you think I’m a fool?" kind of anger.

However, being a public official and quite experienced, he did not press further but said,

"If you two do not wish to disclose your identities, then I won’t pry further. However, since you’re unwilling to present a travel pass, we must still conduct a routine inspection."

Upon hearing this, Feng Xue glanced at Old Li, who nodded slightly and said,

"When in Rome, do as the Romans do. If such regulations exist here, we are naturally willing to comply. May I inquire whether we are to go to the county office or have the inspection done right here?"

No sooner had he spoken than the man’s expression grew even more peculiar. Feng Xue immediately understood that this regulation was probably not just "local" but standard across the entire state or even the nation.

However, the reason for the man’s expression was much simpler than he had imagined because—

"We’ll naturally head to the Medical Office."

...

Half an hour later, the tributor of the Demon Extermination Department looked at the Medical Officer before him and asked, "What are the results?"

"Reporting to your honor, no tattoos were found on their bodies, their skin color is uniform without any Stains; the backs of their heads are smooth with no scars, indicating no traces of the Soul Parasite; their eyes are clear, without any Evil Spots..."

The Medical Officer listed a string of examination results, and the tributor’s spirit relaxed slightly and said,

"So, they are not members of the Demon Sect?"

"We can only say they do not match any known characteristics of Demon Sect members," the Medical Officer replied cautiously, before adding,

"Neither of them shows traces of external martial arts cultivation, but their vitality is strong, their pulse steady, and their physique robust. However..."

"However, what?" the tributor, whose nerves had just relaxed, tensed up again, and the Medical Officer said unhurriedly,

"The younger one seems to be in good standing, with balanced and harmonious Inner Strength, having reached the Transformation Realm. Even if not at the Grandmaster Realm, he is not far off. As for the other, although his Inner Strength has some depth, it’s just ordinary Breathing Energy, clearly at odds with the level of cultivation he has shown. I suspect that..."

"Speak plainly," the tributor urged.

"I suspect his primary Cultivation Technique might be Spiritual Power."

"!!!" The tributor’s expression turned strange upon hearing this, as if someone on the street had seen a man with a queue (traditional Chinese braid) asking everyone, "Is the Qing Dynasty over?".

"Do people still dare to cultivate Spiritual Power in this day and age?" he exclaimed incredulously, to which the Medical Officer responded feelingly,

"Indeed, who would think otherwise? The Cultivation Techniques practiced by the two individuals differ greatly from the mainstream methods of today, conveying a sense of ’focus on spirit and intent rather than force’, which is somewhat similar to the ’Mystical Heart Sect’ that was eradicated over two hundred years ago."

"Are you suggesting that these two may be descendants of some hermetic Sect that has reentered the world?" the tributor couldn’t help but feel a sense of witnessing history. Although such events were not so rare as to be nonexistent, they were certainly extremely low probability.

"At least, I can’t think of any other possibility—even members of the Demon Sect wouldn’t be foolish enough to engage in such a poor Disguise," said the Medical Officer. He then paused, finding his own words a bit absolute, and added,

"Of course, there’s also the possibility that they are intentionally exploiting our mindset."

...

"Oh?" Feng Xue, who had just undergone a full-body examination, held a cup of clear tea and suddenly changed expression, turning to look at Old Li and noticed that he was looking back at her. After a brief silence, Old Li spoke first,

"What label have you gathered?"

"[Disciple Emerged from a Hidden Sect]." Feng Xue didn’t bother to hide it, and Old Li nodded in agreement,

"Same here."

"It seems we’ve passed this round," Feng Xue said helplessly, shaking her head and lightly tugging at her collar,

"Speaking of which, why do they even check the back of the head during a physical examination here?"

"Probably looking for traces of certain Cultivation Techniques? Some Martial Arts, once practiced, can cause bodily deformities, such as a protruding back of the head or elbows that bend backward. Maybe this world has similar Evil Skills," Old Li speculated based on his experience. Feng Xue thought of a character from a novel with a sunken brow and nodded in agreement. Just as he was about to say something else, the door was suddenly pushed open; the tributor they had met before walked in with two officials who looked like civil servants.

"Although I do not know where the two of you hailed from, since you have passed the physical examination, I will not inquire further. As for the travel passes, I can take the liberty of assisting the two of you in obtaining them. However, the current state of the world is not what it once was, so I advise you to leave Qingyuan as soon as possible."

There was no doubt that the tributor was issuing a polite order to leave. Feng Xue glanced at Old Li, and seeing that he did not speak, she could only nod and respond,

"We appreciate your help, sir."