Yun Qingxue never expected that Hua Yin would actually bring her to the home of the first victim, Scholar Zhao.
The place was quite close to the residence of Old Niu and his wife. The courtyard was small, with three rooms inside. The furniture in the house was simple.
In just a few days, a layer of dust had already settled on the tables.
Perhaps because someone had died here, as soon as Yun Qingxue stepped inside, she reflexively felt a strong scent of blood assault her nose.
At this moment, the morning sun had risen, and the sky outside was clear and bright. The sunlight bathed the ground in warmth and radiance.
Yet, standing inside the house, Yun Qingxue felt a chill. There was something eerie about the place that unsettled her.
She took a deep breath, suppressing the discomfort in her heart, and reassured herself, *”It’s all just in my head!”*
Hua Yin glanced around the room, seemingly noticing her unease. “That demon not only devours people but also consumes their souls. Any living being it kills leaves no trace of their spirit behind. So, though Scholar Zhao died tragically, he didn’t even get the chance to become a ghost. There’s no need for you to be afraid.”
“I’m not afraid!” she retorted, though she couldn’t shake the discomfort.
Hua Yin quickly surveyed the house—a central hall with two bedrooms on either side.
He pushed open the door to one of the bedrooms and immediately spotted dried bloodstains on the floor. Scholar Zhao must have been staying in this room before his death.
“I’ll rest here. You take the other one,” Hua Yin said, stepping into the bedroom where Scholar Zhao had lived. The bedding on the bed was still spread out as if untouched.
After Scholar Zhao’s death, only a few cultivators had come to inspect the house, and no one had visited since.
Yun Qingxue also noticed the bloodstains in the room Hua Yin had chosen. She smiled faintly before turning and pushing open the door to the other bedroom.
She thought that aside from his somewhat expressionless face, Hua Yin had quite a few redeeming qualities. At the very least, his actions over the past few days and the occasional care he showed her made him seem like he wasn’t a bad person—for now.
But… after being betrayed by Zhou Dao, the person she had trusted most in her past life, Yun Qingxue had grown more guarded. Even if Hua Yin didn’t seem like a villain, she still kept her defenses up.
After settling in temporarily, Hua Yin and Yun Qingxue each stayed in their respective rooms.
As noon approached, faint cries drifted in from outside, accompanied by the mournful sounds of suona, sheng, and gongs. The music was sorrowful and desolate. It seemed that Old Niu and his wife had returned, and the neighbors were helping to hold a funeral for Niu Erbiao.
Though their son had been eaten by a monster, the elderly couple had still bought a coffin. They placed some of Niu Erbiao’s clothes inside, intending to bury him in a symbolic grave.
The funeral lasted three days. Since the city gates were still sealed, Niu Erbiao’s coffin couldn’t be transported out of town yet.
During those three days, while the Niu family was busy with the funeral, the entire town of Shanggu was gripped by fear.
The monster had already claimed two lives, and no one knew who would be next. Everyone was on edge. As a result, the once-bustling streets of the town became desolate, with people hurrying about anxiously.
Three days later, just past noon.
The Niu household had fallen silent. Despite the bright daylight, the town was eerily quiet. Then, the barrier at the eastern city gate suddenly lifted.
All the cultivators and officials in the town gathered at the eastern gate, standing respectfully as a grand and luxurious carriage slowly approached from the distant road.
The carriage was strange.
Though it appeared to move slowly, in the blink of an eye, it would suddenly advance a great distance.
Thus, in just a short time, the carriage arrived at the city gate.
“Welcome, Grand State Preceptor,” the assembled crowd greeted with a bow as the carriage door opened.
An elderly man in a blue Daoist robe stepped down, his hair and beard completely white.
Though thin, the old man was vigorous, his demeanor exuding an otherworldly aura.
Following him, a handsome man with sharp brows and bright eyes descended from the carriage.
The man’s black hair was tied back with a purple ribbon, and he wore a crimson court robe embroidered with a coiling dragon. A fine white jade pendant hung at his waist, and his refined features carried an air of scholarly grace.
“Your humble servants greet Prince Ning!” The town officials recognized the man and immediately bowed. The cultivators followed suit, paying their respects as well.
In this world, though cultivators were revered by mortals, as long as they had not yet ascended, they remained subjects of the imperial family. Thus, no matter how powerful they were, they were still under the rule of the human emperor, who held the Emperor’s Decree.
“No need for formalities,” Prince Ning said with a faint smile, waving off the courtesies.
“How is the situation in the town?” Grand State Preceptor Chenqing asked the cultivators after the greetings.
“Reporting to the Grand State Preceptor, the demon has claimed three lives—two commoners and one female cultivator—and injured four of our own,” the most capable male cultivator in the welcoming party replied solemnly.
“Has the demon struck again in the past three days?” Chenqing pressed.
“No,” the cultivator answered, though his brows furrowed. “But I suspect it will emerge soon.”
“Hmm.” Chenqing nodded and began performing calculations with his fingers, his expression grave. Everyone watched him intently, not daring to blink.
After two encounters, the cultivators in the town had truly felt the demon’s power. Now that the most revered Grand State Preceptor of the human cultivators had personally come to Shanggu, those who had suffered placed all their hopes on him to lead them in subduing the demon.
After a while, Chenqing turned to Prince Ning. “Your Highness, perhaps we should enter the city first. We can discuss the matter of the demon inside.”
“Very well,” Prince Ning agreed.
The welcoming party escorted the two into the city, heading toward the local government office.
However, shortly after entering the city, Chenqing suddenly ordered everyone to halt. He turned toward an inconspicuous alley by the roadside, his eyes sharpening as he resumed his rapid finger calculations.
The crowd was puzzled but remained silent, not daring to disturb him.
Once Chenqing finished, the same male cultivator from earlier stepped forward again. “Grand State Preceptor, the third house on the left in this alley belongs to Scholar Zhao, the first victim.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Chenqing strode swiftly into the alley.
Assuming the Grand State Preceptor intended to inspect the scene, the others followed.
When they reached Scholar Zhao’s house, someone immediately pushed open the courtyard gate. Chenqing and Prince Ning entered the yard, one after the other.
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