After two cups of wine, the old clerk became more relaxed.
With a slight flush on his face and a somewhat red, alcohol-flushed nose, he started to complain to Wu Ming.
“Oh? It seems there have been many people lately?”
Wu Ming’s heart stirred slightly.
“Exactly… further east from here is that desolate land of the former dynasty… usually not even a ghost dares to come around. Recently, however, it’s been bizarre—wave after wave of people arriving, demanding food, taking supplies, and making all sorts of requests. It has completely ruined my family’s livelihood this year…”
The old clerk frowned bitterly, then suddenly shivered.
He had kept these thoughts hidden in his heart, not even telling his son. Why had he poured everything out to this unfamiliar official today?
Regretting his words, he forced a smile and said, “I spoke out of turn after drinking, being a crude man. Please forgive my rudeness, my lord.”
“It’s nothing…”
Wu Ming dismissed the old clerk, continuing to eat and drink casually while glancing around. “Isn’t this place supposed to be the designated meeting point mentioned in the Bureau of Strange Affairs’ documents? How come no one has shown up yet?”
Bang!
Whoosh! Whoosh!
As he was thinking, the inn’s main door was kicked open again, letting in a gust of wind and sand.
“What truly desolate and inhospitable land!”
A somewhat sharp voice echoed, delicate and melodious, like a young boy’s unbroken voice or a woman’s tone.
Wu Ming felt slightly surprised, and soon spotted three officials dressed in official uniforms entering. A young nobleman in brocade clothes was covering his nose. His skin was as smooth and lustrous as jade, slightly rosy and delicate.
The previous complaint had clearly come from this person, who was now pulling out a golden-thread embroidered silk handkerchief to wipe his hands, wearing an expression of disdain.
“Disguised as a man? Could it be any more obvious?”
Wu Ming silently commented to himself.
“…”
The old clerk had clearly never seen such an elegant figure before. To him, the girl might have seemed like a jade fairy, leaving him speechless.
“Shan’er! Enough!”
Behind the girl stood a rough-looking middle-aged military officer, followed closely by a young man with a bold and brash appearance.
The officer handed over the official document bearing an official seal to the clerk and directly said, “Quickly prepare food and drink, and three good private rooms! We’ll stay the night here. Tomorrow, I expect to see three fine horses ready!”
“This…”
The thick, stiff paper of the document, the bright red seal, and the dense notes and characters clearly indicated it was genuine. Yet the old clerk still looked troubled: “My lord Captain… I really can’t manage it!”
“Can’t manage it?”
The officer frowned, scanning the surroundings with a cold sneer. “According to regulations, this post station should have three clerks, five assistants, a cook, stable hands, and nine fine horses… Have they all disappeared? And this ox—ha—you must have been renting it out for profit, abusing public resources. What crime does that constitute?”
At these words, the old clerk nearly dropped to his knees: “Mercy, my lord! Mercy!”
“If you want mercy, you know what to do yourself!”
The military captain sneered coldly, then noticed Wu Ming, narrowing his eyes slightly as he sized him up. Unable to discern his background, and not wanting trouble, he went to sit at another table.
“Uncle is truly sharp-eyed! A few words and he scared him half to death…”
The young man flattered him: “Truly worthy of the title ‘Hawk of Lingzhou’!”
Meanwhile, the girl disguised as a man kept glancing curiously at Wu Ming, looking him over with her bright, dark eyes.
“Shan’er, don’t cause trouble!”
Seeing the girl, the captain’s face showed helplessness: “This mission is dangerous. Why did you have to come along?”
“Dad… I’m not weak at all. At least Canghu here can’t beat me!”
The girl pointed at the young man proudly.
Canghu’s face turned red, almost wishing he could find a crack to hide in. It was indeed embarrassing for a grown man to be beaten by a girl.
“Nonsense!”
The captain frowned and scolded: “Your cousin was just letting you win. A few simple spells won’t hold up in battle—once confronted with real military qi, they’ll scatter like mist. What use are they?”
“Dad, I know…”
The girl’s face flushed: “That’s why when I left the mountain this time, I begged my master for a magical treasure!”
“Oh?”
The captain was surprised.
He naturally knew his daughter’s master was a highly accomplished cultivator, with whom his family had a long-standing connection, which was why the master had accepted his daughter as a disciple.
But he hadn’t expected that this time the master would actually bestow a magical treasure upon her descent from the mountain.
“Could it be that the master divined some heavenly omen, foreseeing that I would face grave danger, and thus sent my daughter back to protect me, while also strengthening our bond?”
Precisely because of this thought, the middle-aged man had not refused his daughter’s request to accompany him.
Now hearing that a treasure had indeed been bestowed, his face immediately turned from surprise to concern.
He knew this mission for the Bureau of Strange Affairs would certainly not be simple.
“This esteemed official…”
As he was slowly pondering, the man from the nearby table approached with a smile: “My name is Zheng Jun. I am a Baihu officer from the Bureau of Strange Affairs in Dingzhou. I wonder…”
“You’re a Baihu officer?”
The girl immediately started chattering like a sparrow: “Wow, that’s amazing! My father is only a Qianhu officer, and Canghu here is still just a Zongqi!”
Seeing his daughter act this way, the middle-aged man helplessly covered his eyes.
Especially Canghu, who had been dragged into the conversation without reason, now wore an expression of helpless appeal to the heavens.
“Ah, so you’re a Qianhu officer!”
Wu Ming bowed deeply but did not perform a full prostration, as they were not in the same chain of command and their ranks did not differ by more than three levels. Still, he presented the Yazi token.
Of course, this token bore certain Daoist magical marks to verify the true owner. Unfortunately for them, Wu Ming was able to forge it perfectly, seamlessly.
Just like the Bureau of Strange Affairs Qianhu officer before him, he didn’t detect the deception after inspecting it, and his expression slightly softened: “I’ve met your senior Li Xiong a few times. How is he now? Has he arrived with a team and where is he staying?”
“Commander Li is unwell and couldn’t come…”
Wu Ming answered calmly, skillfully avoiding the traps hidden in Cangying’s words.
“Li Zongyi…”
After a few exchanges, Cangying was largely convinced of Wu Ming’s identity, but couldn’t help feeling a bit resentful and envious of Li Zongyi: “He managed to avoid this mission by such means. I wish I could do the same!”
Of course, he had no idea that Li Zongyi wasn’t pretending to be sick—he was genuinely ill!
“…Therefore, eager to serve the country, I came here alone on horseback. I just don’t understand why the contact point is now deserted…”
Wu Ming said with a hint of regret.
“You arrived just a little late. The elite members of the Bureau of Strange Affairs have already gathered at White Bone Mountain!”
Though the girl had cultivated Daoist techniques and possessed a magical aura, she was still innocent and candid by nature, and had inadvertently revealed crucial information after just a few exchanges.
“White Bone Mountain?!”
Wu Ming’s heart leapt with joy, though he maintained a polite smile and thanked her.
“Wait!”
At this moment, Cangying still had some lingering doubts. He downed another bowl of wine and said, “You’re quite impressive, young man. How about traveling together with me?”
“Huh?”
The girl was startled, and even Canghu beside her was taken aback.
“When traveling, one should never travel with strangers, nor should one share too much too soon… Why is Uncle acting so out of character?”
Canghu was puzzled but saw that Cangying was serious and not just speaking drunkenly, so he held his tongue.
“Travel together? Then I shall accept your kind offer!”
Wu Ming, regardless of the other’s intentions, agreed immediately.
Even if there were countless schemes and plots, he would break through them with sheer strength. Who could stop him?
…
“White Bone Mountain…”
At dawn, four fine horses broke the silence, raising clouds of dust as they rode forth.
Wu Ming gripped the saddle, a puzzled expression on his face: “Why don’t I recall ever hearing this name before? It doesn’t seem to be on the map either…”
Canghu kindly explained, “Shangzhou is in ruins, and even maps are scarce and mostly outdated, centuries old… Naturally, White Bone Mountain isn’t marked. Originally, it was just an unnamed, desolate mountain near Shengjing in Shangzhou. It was only in recent decades that people discovered something strange there—possibly a transformation of malevolent qi. Some even claim to have seen the traces of a white-boned demonic god, hence the name… We only heard about it after asking around for a long time nearby!”
“A white-boned demonic god…”
Wu Ming’s heart stirred. He felt the faint spiritual imprint growing stronger as they traveled, and couldn’t help but feel a bit speechless: “Could it really be this coincidental?”
“I’ve heard about it from my master too!”
Seeing Canghu showing off, the girl immediately leaned over, her face alight with excitement: “I’ve heard from my master too… Back then, King Jie of Shang was tyrannical and suffered heavenly punishment. For hundreds of miles around Shengjing, no grass grew, and many savage beasts appeared, running rampant and causing much death and destruction… Even the creatures born from such malevolent qi are extremely dangerous to cultivators like us…”
“I see!”
Wu Ming smiled and nodded, while silently commenting in his mind: “A dragon’s killing aura mixed with the essence of the Vermilion Bird, carrying the curse of a dynasty. Even ordinary immortals would find it hard to utilize… How dare your master, merely a cultivator at the ‘Zhenren’ level, even consider meddling with it?”
Cangying remained silent, watching his daughter, his nephew, and Wu Ming chatting warmly. Occasionally, a shadow of darkness flickered in his eyes.
Half a day later, a great mountain came into view before them.
“So this is White Bone Mountain? It really is…”
Canghu opened his mouth wide, unable to find words to describe the scene before him.
Wu Ming looked ahead and saw a black mountain occupying most of his vision. Snow seemed to cover its peak, and faint roars echoed from it.
Normally, nothing should grow around Shengjing, but near the foot of the mountain, there were clusters of black shrubs, as dark as iron, with thorny branches and saw-toothed leaves.
“Things reverse when they reach extremes! This must be a gathering point of malevolent qi, yet it paradoxically shows some signs of life!”
Wu Ming nodded approvingly, expanding his spiritual senses. He detected signs of life and even traces of large beasts.
“This mountain is not only the site of the White Bone Demon God legend, but also home to many bone beasts, even fiercer than ordinary wild animals! We must be extremely cautious!”
Cangying’s face turned grave as he warned.
“Bone beasts?”
“Yes, according to what that person said, these bone beasts mostly take the forms of tigers and wolves, with bone armor covering their skin, making them extremely fierce and dangerous!” Canghu said fearfully.
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