Demons in Mist Mountain

A single identity token and the words "kill without mercy" instantly made the City Guard Army soldier's face change. Holding Lin Baichuan's token in both hands, he felt as though it were scalding hot, cold sweat pouring down his back.

The three words "Demon Suppression Division" carried too much weight. Even if Lin Baichuan was merely a Demon Slayer Guard, he was not someone a mere county City Guard Army soldier could afford to offend. He truly felt like weeping without tears, cursing inwardly without end.

Damn it, if you were a Demon Slayer Guard from the Demon Suppression Division, you should have said so earlier! Why hide it away? Deliberately setting a trap for law enforcement, were you?

"So it is my lord, a Demon Slayer Guard from the Demon Suppression Division. This... this is a misunderstanding. Please, come in..."

The City Guard Army soldier's mouth twitched repeatedly. He hurriedly returned the token to Lin Baichuan, then shouted at his companions behind him, "What are you standing there for? Move aside and let my lord pass..."

Lin Baichuan did not make things difficult for the City Guard Army soldiers. Taking back his token, he gave the man a meaningful look and asked in a deep voice, "You said demons wreaked havoc outside the city at night. Is that true?"

"This..."

The City Guard Army soldier froze, then hurriedly said, "My lord, I truly wasn't lying to you. During this period, demons really have been causing trouble outside the city. Several villages have suffered, and there have even been strange occurrences within the city.

"I heard the demons came out of Mist Mountain..."

"Out of Mist Mountain."

Lin Baichuan's eyes narrowed, a sharp gleam flashing within them. It seemed Mist Mountain was far from simple if demons had emerged from it to plague Fengle County. Perhaps tonight, he could wait by the stump for a hare.

But after considering it, Lin Baichuan dismissed the idea. Fengle County was neither large nor small. Who knew where those demons might appear? It would be more practical to enter Mist Mountain directly tomorrow morning and investigate.

Putting away his identity token, Lin Baichuan did not leave. Instead, he continued asking, "I heard a constable from Fengle County came out of Mist Mountain alive. Is that true?"

"Reporting to my lord, it is indeed true."

The City Guard Army soldier hurriedly answered, "His name is Du Feng, an ordinary constable from the county yamen. About a month ago, he entered Mist Mountain with a team to investigate the situation. In the end, he was the only one to come out alive, but Du Feng had already gone mad..."

"Do you know where he lives?" Lin Baichuan asked in a deep voice.

"I do. He lives in Qiaotou Ward."

The man glanced at Lin Baichuan and hurriedly added, "If my lord wishes to see Du Feng, I can lead the way."

"Mm."

Lin Baichuan nodded in satisfaction. It had to be said that although this fellow bullied the weak and feared the strong, he knew how to read the situation. Then again, without some skill at bending with the wind, he would never have been assigned to collect entry fees at the city gate.

He swept his gaze over the man and asked in a deep voice, "What is your name?"

"My lord, this humble one is called Wu De..."

Wu De responded with a fawning smile.

"Wu De... Heh heh, a fine name!"

The corner of Lin Baichuan's mouth twitched. He did not know whether this world had homophonic puns, but Wu De—without virtue—combined with what he had been doing, truly complemented each other perfectly.

"Lead the way!"

Lin Baichuan waved a hand and spoke in a deep voice.

"Of course, my lord, this way..."

After answering, Wu De immediately led Lin Baichuan into Fengle County. Man and horse, one ahead and one behind, they crossed more than half the county city before finally arriving at the Qiaotou Ward Wu De had mentioned, stopping before a somewhat dilapidated little courtyard.

"My lord, this is Du Feng's Household. He was his parents' only son. I heard they spent a considerable amount of savings to send their only child into service at the county yamen. Who would have thought that in less than two years, he would end up like this? Alas... fate makes fools of men."

Wu De sighed, then strode forward and knocked on the courtyard gate.

Knock, knock, knock...

After three knocks, the battered courtyard gate creaked open a crack. An old man in a coarse linen short shirt, his face full of wrinkles, poked his head out. He looked warily and timidly at Lin Baichuan and Wu De, saying in a trembling voice, "So it is a lord from the City Guard Army. I-I wonder what business you have?"

"Old Man Du, this is a Demon Slayer Guard from the Demon Suppression Division. He has come specifically to see your Du Feng." Wu De's expression tightened as he said in a deep voice, "Open the gate and let us in."

"The Demon Suppression Division!"

Upon hearing those three words, Old Man Du's entire body trembled, and the fear on his face deepened. The Demon Suppression Division had accumulated a mighty prestige throughout the Great Xia Dynasty. Ordinary people both respected and feared it.

However, after only a brief hesitation, Old Man Du directly opened the courtyard gate.

Though he deeply revered and feared the Demon Suppression Division, he also knew that its Demon Slayer Guards would not harm ordinary common folk like them.

"Old sir, there is no need to be afraid. I merely came to take a look at your son." Lin Baichuan spoke in a deep voice, dismounted, and clasped his hands toward Old Man Du before entering the courtyard.

The courtyard was not large and appeared to have some age to it, but it had been cleaned spotlessly and kept in perfect order. It was clear that the Household owners knew how to live diligently and frugally.

The moment Lin Baichuan entered, his gaze swept across the courtyard before landing on a young man squatting on the ground in one corner, playing with a piece of wood.

If he had not guessed wrongly, this person should be Du Feng.

At that moment, Du Feng was sitting flat on the ground, constantly banging a piece of wood in his hand while muttering to himself. His eyes were bloodshot, and his face was filled with panic and terror. Clearly, he had suffered a horrifying fright, and his mind had already broken.

"My lord, this is my son. He has been like this ever since coming out of Mist Mountain."

Old Man Du approached and said tremblingly, "It has been over a month. Every day, he repeats the same sentence, saying there are demons in Mist Mountain."

"There truly are demons!"

Lin Baichuan's gaze turned sharp. After speaking in a deep voice, he turned and left.

He could now confirm that demons dwelled within Mist Mountain, because he sensed a faint trace of Demonic Aura from Du Feng. The reason Du Feng had gone mad was not merely because he had been frightened. Demonic Aura had entered his body as well, eroding his mind.

He had initially wondered whether he could learn something from Du Feng's mouth, but now it seemed unnecessary. Asking would be futile; in Du Feng's state, nothing useful could be drawn from him. Still, this trip had not been wasted. At the very least, he could confirm that demons truly existed in Mist Mountain.

Moreover, this demon was not weak.

Although the Demonic Aura on Du Feng was faint, its quality was extremely high.

The more powerful the demon, the higher the quality of its Demonic Aura. This had been an immutable law since ancient times.

As Lin Baichuan turned and reached the courtyard gate, he suddenly stopped again. He took out a one-hundred-tael silver note and handed it to Old Man Du. "Take this money to the apothecary and get several doses of medicine to calm the mind, nourish the soul, ward off evil, and dispel Baleful Intent. As long as the Demonic Aura in his body can be removed, there is still a strong hope that he can recover."

"Many thanks, my lord..."

Old Man Du froze. After tremblingly accepting the silver, he dropped to his knees before Lin Baichuan with a bang, tears filling his eyes.