The Court has a special organization known as the Demon Exorcism Association.

Only those recognized by the Demon Exorcism Association are qualified to become true Exorcists.

A Neutralizing Force Cultivation is the bare minimum to become an Exorcist.

Anyone below the level of Neutralizing Force isn’t even qualified to be an Exorcist.

But that made sense.

After all, Exorcists mostly face Demons and Monsters. Without the power of Neutralizing Force, it would be a suicide mission.

Demons, Monsters, and Spirit Monsters were, at a minimum, more powerful than the average Neutralizing Force Martial Artist.

Even Exorcists who were Neutralizing Force Martial Artists mostly operated in groups of three to five, splitting the bounties.

"These people are willing to die for money. Aren’t they afraid of getting themselves killed here?" Baili Yanran sneered.

Shen Ye, who was standing beside her, gazed at the numerous figures in the inn and said coolly, "This is how Exorcists make their living. Naturally, they wouldn’t miss an opportunity like this. It’s advantageous for us, too."

"Let’s go. With so many Exorcists gathered here, we’re bound to get some information."

With that, Shen Ye started walking toward the inn.

Fang Xing and Baili Yanran followed him into the Jinhu Inn.

The inn was a chaotic scene, filled with a clamor of voices.

All sorts of voices could be heard, but cutting through the noise, one could generally make out that everyone was discussing the Demons and Monsters.

Jinhu Town was the source of the demonic plague; it was the first place the Demons and Monsters had appeared.

A quick scan revealed some empty seats. The three of them went to a table by the window and sat down.

As soon as they were seated, a young waiter in a gray uniform approached with a practiced smile.

"What can I get for you folks?"

"A pot of tea to start, and a few of your best dishes," Shen Ye said.

The waiter nodded. Just as he was turning to leave, Baili Yanran stopped him.

"Do you have any rooms left?"

The waiter turned to Baili Yanran, his smile widening. "We do, but only two of our best rooms are left."

"Two is enough. We’ll take them," Shen Ye said.

Hearing this, the waiter looked at Shen Ye. "Sir, because of the current situation, one of our best rooms costs five taels of silver per day."

"Five taels..." Shen Ye frowned.

The waiter looked at the three of them and explained, "Sirs, the situation isn’t what it used to be. Our inn has guards on duty. I can guarantee that if you stay here, you won’t be disturbed."

"Book them for now."

Shen Ye didn’t waste any more words and tossed a piece of silver to the waiter.

The waiter caught the silver, bit it lightly, and immediately beamed. "You got it, sirs! I’ll go get everything ready for you."

A little while later, a pot of tea arrived, soon followed by several hot dishes.

Just as the three were about to pick up their chopsticks, a man with a scar on his face approached their table, a wide smile plastered on his face.

"You three must be from out of town. May I ask your names?"

the scar-faced man asked with a grin.

"Who are you?" Shen Ye looked up at the man, his expression cool.

The scar-faced man chuckled and produced a palm-sized, square copper medal. "Allow me to introduce myself. I’m an Exorcist. You can just call me Old Jin."

’A copper medal... a Third Level Demon Exorcist.’

Seeing the copper medal he presented, the three of them immediately understood.

A Copper Medal Demon Exorcist had just barely met the qualifications.

They weren’t exceptionally strong, but in an ordinary place, they would be considered a master in their own right.

But in a place swarming with Exorcists like this, a Copper Medal Demon Exorcist was utterly unremarkable.

"I presume you three are here because of the demon plague. There are a few more of us. If you don’t mind, perhaps we could cooperate."

the scar-faced man said with a smile.

Hearing this, Shen Ye watched the Exorcist before him, his face unreadable.

"From the sound of it, you’re quite familiar with the demon situation here?"

The scar-faced man smiled and nodded. "Of course. We wouldn’t have dared to come here if we weren’t somewhat confident."

"Oh?"

Shen Ye raised an eyebrow. "Then tell me what you know."

"Heh, you’ll have to agree to cooperate first," the scar-faced man chuckled.

"Cooperate..." A faint smile touched Shen Ye’s lips as he looked at Fang Xing and Baili Yanran. "Are you two interested?"

"Bringing them along would just be carrying dead weight. I’m not interested," Baili Yanran said coolly.

"Neither am I," Fang Xing added.

Hearing this, the scar-faced man’s expression froze, and his face visibly darkened.

But just as he was about to speak, an invisible pressure suddenly washed over him, enveloping his entire body.

It felt as if an immense boulder was pressing down on him, and the scar-faced man’s expression changed drastically.

"True Qi Realm!"

Feeling the invisible pressure emanating from Shen Ye, the scar-faced man’s face turned pale.

"I... I meant no offense. I just wanted to cooperate," the scar-faced man said hastily.

Shen Ye began to eat, saying casually, "No need to be nervous. Just tell me everything you know about the demon situation."

The scar-faced man swallowed hard and nodded. "From what I know, the Demons and Monsters are likely on Lake Heart Island right now. People from the Supreme Profound Upper Sect are preparing to head there tomorrow morning. Their target is a Great Demon on the island. Many people have already answered their call and are preparing to go to Lake Heart Island with them."

"My group and I... we just planned to follow along and pick off some of the weaker Demons and Monsters for bounty. I... that’s all I know."

The scar-faced man fearfully relayed everything he knew.

Upon hearing the scar-faced man’s words, Fang Xing, Shen Ye, and Baili Yanran couldn’t help but exchange a glance.

’No wonder so many masters have gathered here. This is the influence of the Supreme Profound Upper Sect.’

Lake Heart Island!

An island deep within Dongting Lake.