Chapter 28: Burning

The next day, at noon.

The sun above was scorching, the moment when yang energy peaked in the day. Even the thin mist around Heishui Town seemed to dissipate slightly.

On the main road, several fine horses galloped swiftly.

“The enemies we face this time, besides the Black Wind General, are also Loopers!”

Wu Ming reined in his horse before the boundary stone of Heishui Town, speaking thoughtfully, “A few newbies are nothing to fear; now most are either dead, injured, or scattered like wind-blown clouds. Only Tu Yanghao and Zheng Qian remain— one is a martial artist of innate talent, the other cultivates Taoist techniques. They must not be underestimated…”

Recalling the previous encounter, although he had succeeded through surprise attack, it was only because of the unexpected. Both he and Zheng Qian had mutual caution and held back their ultimate moves; his eyes darkened at the thought.

At this point, he had mostly figured out his allies’ strengths. Ling Guhong was a swordsman whose martial prowess was roughly equivalent to innate level, matching Tu Yanghao’s strength.

Shan Lan was somewhat inferior in martial skill but had other hidden cards— likely having exchanged for powerful talismans, magical artifacts, or some obscure minor techniques.

Unfortunately, Looper-exchanged martial arts and techniques could not be shared among each other. Wu Ming himself looked down upon such methods that had techniques but no underlying Dao.

The remaining one was Lin Qizhi, articulate, quick-minded, and possessing an elegant demeanor, but his Confucian righteous energy wasn’t even enough to be considered significant in a small city, practically useless.

“What a pity… If this Lin Qizhi were a great Confucian scholar, having gained fame across a whole district, this matter would have been simple. A small town’s evil god wouldn’t even withstand a shout, and even if it had a magical domain, it would be shattered…”

“Overall, even with Shan Lan’s hidden cards, plus the extra help from Lin Qizhi, we might barely manage to deal with Zheng Qian. Then there’s still the Black Wind General and its elite monsters and ghost soldiers under command. Am I supposed to handle them all alone?”

Wu Ming’s face remained expressionless, somewhat regretful.

Back then, if he had stayed briefly in Heishui Town, or even visited the local land god’s temple, perhaps he could have received an antagonist mission.

Thinking about Zhang Zhengyi’s value of one thousand five hundred points, and even Wu Hong being worth five hundred minor merits, Wu Ming couldn’t help but drool. Not to mention the many high-ranking officials within the city like the Six Departments, clerks, and vice-county magistrates—if they could all be eliminated at once, the reward would surely be extremely generous!

Of course, Wu Ming wasn’t foolish. He understood that greater rewards meant greater risks.

The human authority forces of Heitai County were terrifying enough, not to mention the presence of the Heitai City God himself. It wouldn’t be easy for Zheng Qian and others to assassinate even one or two targets.

“The best-case scenario is that these two are still in the county seat, where they can look for opportunities to assassinate county magistrate or patrol inspector, causing chaos…”

“Now that Tu Yanghao has been severely injured by me, even if he uses techniques for healing, his combat effectiveness must have decreased somewhat. The longer this drags on, the more likely the Black Wind General will refine the divine position and ascend as a true god… Once it succeeds, that will be our doom. We can’t afford to delay any further!”

Wu Ming glanced at the few people around him. Seeing that Shan Lan and others all wore solemn expressions, he knew they understood the logic as well. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have come together. He silently nodded.

…

“Illustrious heroes, we have already made the necessary arrangements as instructed!”

At this moment, two constables dressed in black approached from the town, bowing respectfully.

Wu Ming looked closely and saw one of them was anxious and gloomy, while the other had a square, solemn face exuding an upright aura. It was clear at a glance that these were unlucky and marginalized members of the official bureau—if not, they wouldn’t have been assigned this task.

“Excellent! Even the emperor does not neglect his soldiers; we won’t shortchange you either…”

Wu Ming had recently pulled off a heist and could still play the role of a wealthy patron. He quickly took out two small ingots, each weighing five taels, and rewarded one to each man. This immediately brought a slight gleam of joy to the previously gloomy face, while the other declined twice before reluctantly accepting, saying, “We are here to protect the people, not for the reward!”

Wu Ming could immediately tell from his words that this man was sincere and a practical person.

If not for his sharp edges and inability to fit in, he wouldn’t have been pushed into this position. Wu Ming asked for their names and learned that the upright one was named Zhao Zhu, and the one ahead was called Wang Er, both being official constables with proper government appointments.

In reality, such dangerous and deadly tasks were usually handled by unofficial assistants or hangers-on. However, this time the county magistrate had issued orders, and even the head constable’s refusal was the limit; others had no choice but to participate.

Without further words, they proceeded directly to the outskirts of the town, where they saw a land god temple. The grand gate was wide open, the temple grounds neat and tidy, even with incense smoke curling, yet there was an eerie chill in the air.

Several elderly men emerged after worship, and upon seeing Wu Ming’s group, their expressions changed dramatically.

“Hmph… Even this god has people worshipping him!”

Lin Qizhi, upon seeing this, trembled visibly, while Wu Ming’s face remained expressionless, his eyes flashing with a dark gleam.

The land god was a deity of blessings and virtue, receiving worship from the people and offerings of incense.

But evil gods could disrupt the underworld, releasing ghosts and spreading fear, thereby gaining reverence and sacrificial offerings as well! In fact, this method could be even more effective!

In Heishui Town, there must be many who offered sacrifices merely for self-preservation! Gaining power through strength—this was an undeniable truth! As for that unfortunate original land god, how many people would still remember him?

“Fortunately, we arrived early. Otherwise, with the help of these prayers and wishes, refining the divine position might have been accomplished in an instant!”

Wu Ming waved his hand: “Go!”

“Wait… What are you doing?”

Several old men, fearful, yet stepped forward to block the way.

“Acting as henchmen for an evil god—pitiable indeed! Get out of the way!”

But Wu Ming didn’t even look, lashing out with two whip strokes, instantly causing the group to flee with their heads tucked between their legs.

At this time, a crowd of townspeople gathered around, their faces expressionless, their lifeless eyes seemingly filled with hostility and expectation.

Wu Ming sneered coldly, pulling out a document from his chest and unfolding it, loudly proclaiming, “…Investigation reveals that the land god of Heishui Town has harmed the townspeople, causing great suffering. Therefore, it is specially ordered to destroy this temple!!!”

This document bore the official seal of the county magistrate, square and imposing, now exuding an indescribable force.

As soon as he finished speaking, there was a thunderous boom, as if a distant rumble echoed in the void, followed by a faint roar, then silence.

“It’s noon now, and we carry the county magistrate’s order. If the opponent were merely a demon, that would be one thing, but since it has seized the land god’s position, there will be complications!”

Wu Ming, confident in his plan, continued, “Zhao Zhu, Wang Er! What are you hesitating for? Go seal the temple!”

Wang Er hesitated slightly, but Zhao Zhu immediately stepped forward in response.

“Wait… This is the land god’s temple; it cannot be sealed… cannot be sealed…”

At this moment, an old man shouted, “If it’s sealed, the god will be angry, and none of us will escape! Attack together!”

Instantly, the crowd surged forward, emotions running high.

Seeing this, Wu Ming’s sneer deepened.

One man rises to power while three shrink in fear. In times of crisis, everyone hopes to hide their heads and let others take risks or sacrifice themselves, never realizing that everyone else is doing the same, thus being controlled and forced to give up their interests.

And once this becomes habitual, people will rush to protect the system out of fear that instability might cause even greater losses. How tragic!

“This is the county magistrate’s order; do you all wish to rebel?”

Ling Guhong’s figure flickered, appearing before the old man, lightly tapping the back of his neck with his finger. The old man’s eyes rolled back, and he immediately fainted.

Ling understood well that at this moment, the only wise course was swift and decisive action. Otherwise, if things dragged on, a small group facing the entire town’s “public opinion” would be unwise.

“Step back!”

The people’s hearts are like iron, the law like a furnace. The people fear officials—this has always been a constant.

With the ringleader swiftly subdued, the townspeople hesitated and dared not advance further against the county’s official constables.

“Hmph! False worship harms people!”

Seeing this, Zhao Zhu snorted coldly, glancing at the statue inside the land god temple. He noticed a faint shimmer of light, which made his heart tremble slightly. He steadied himself and strode forward, not entering the temple but directly sealing the doors with two red-sealed notices, each bearing a bright crimson seal, clearly visible.

“Mission accomplished!”

Seeing this, Wu Ming finally laughed heartily, “Shan Lan, Ling Guhong, quickly join me in burning down this temple!”

The land god temple, receiving worship, might possess a magical domain. Ordinary ghosts and monsters would not dare emerge in daylight at noon, but within the domain, things might be different—this was a revelation from the Heitai City God.

However, sealing the temple directly and burning it down would ensure that no matter how many monsters or traps were inside, they would all be reduced to dust!

“I’ve been ready for a while!”

Shan Lan smiled, taking out a water bag with Ling Guhong, quickly splashing it onto the temple walls, then lighting a match and throwing it onto the temple.

Whoosh!

Terrifying flames immediately rose. It turned out the water bags contained oil, not water.

The raging fire, with its crimson glow, was accompanied by screams and the stench of burning flesh, who knows how many creatures were inside.

“Is it… really over?”

Lin Qizhi couldn’t quite believe it, “If it was this easy, why didn’t someone do it before we arrived…”

“Ordinary small demons and ghosts are certainly finished, but the Black Wind General definitely won’t be that simple!”

Wu Ming, however, smiled bitterly, “Not to mention… even if we kill the Black Wind General, there will be retaliation from Heishan Jun, with widespread consequences. That’s why Heitai County dares not act rashly. But we are different!”

Lin Qizhi suddenly seemed to understand.

He knew they were all outsiders, with no roots here, naturally unafraid of retaliation.

However, such an extreme method probably hadn’t even crossed the county magistrate’s mind?

Lin Qizhi turned his head and indeed saw that Wang Er and Zhao Zhu also wore stunned expressions, clearly not expecting Wu Ming and the others to act so decisively and ruthlessly once they had made their move.

“Squeak!”

Suddenly, amidst the roaring flames, a loud noise erupted. The two burning doors flew outward, revealing a large, fuzzy black shadow behind them. It had sharp fangs and claws, a long tail ablaze, and its body was enveloped in a strange, mysterious light of black and white.

As soon as this beast emerged, the flames around it extinguished instantly. Its cup-sized green eyes glared at Wu Ming’s group with hatred, and it suddenly spoke in a human voice: “You fools have ruined my grand plan. How dare you!”

“Is it the land god?”

“A monster… a monster!”

A group of people were immediately terrified: “So our land god was actually a rat… a rat demon?”