Shopping in Du City

What was frightening in this world was not merely demons and monsters. Sometimes, the human heart was even more frightening than demons and monsters.

On their return journey, they passed through a certain village. Government runners forcibly took grain from the farmers' homes, calling it grain tax. An old man knelt on the ground and wailed, while a young child with dry, yellow hair hid behind him in terror, staring at the grain...

When men were conscripted, Poor Village had no young, able-bodied men in sight. When grain was levied, the women and children were sallow and gaunt. The poor at the bottom of society lived bitter lives.

The old man's callused hands clutched the grain sack, unwilling to let go. The little girl burst into loud sobs as a government runner viciously raised his whip and struck. Coarse cloth tore apart, and bloody welts bloomed red across the old man's back. Heartbroken for her grandfather, the child threw herself forward, using her tiny body to block the whip. The villagers stepped forward one after another to plead for mercy. The old man's son had been conscripted three years ago and had never returned, while his daughter-in-law had died early from exhaustion. That little grain was the food keeping grandfather and granddaughter alive.

Xu Ling wanted to intervene, but Yang Mu stopped her. As Chunyang Disciples, they had to avoid suspicion of currying favor with the people, lest they clash with secular imperial power. Bai Yujun had no such concerns.

The horse neighed and reared up.

The government runners hurriedly backed away in fright. Then they saw the two Chunyang cultivators seated on horseback beside her and realized that the one scaring them was merely a young girl.

"Exempt them from the grain tax," Bai Yujun said flatly.

This matter had nothing much to do with a snake in the first place. She simply could not stand the sight of it.

"An immortal? We collect taxes according to the law. If we fail to collect them, the officials above will punish us. Please forgive us, Immortal," replied a minor clerk among the runners.

It was not strange that the clerk dared to directly contradict Bai Yujun, who looked like a cultivator of Chunyang Palace. Everyone knew that Chunyang cultivators ignored worldly affairs and devoted themselves to cultivation. So long as one did not practice Evil Arts or commit evil, they would not meddle. For the sake of their reputation, even if one occasionally talked back to them, nothing would happen. They were unlike cultivators from other sects, who killed people at the slightest disagreement. To put it bluntly, they had been spoiled by indulgence.

Bai Yujun stared curiously at the clerk and discovered that not only was he unafraid, he was even letting his lecherous gaze wander over her.

"Two choices. First, I kill all of you. Second, get lost immediately."

The government runners froze, then abruptly remembered that cultivators did not have to pay with their lives for killing. Once they came to their senses, they stumbled away at once. Bai Yujun curled her lip. It seemed the law of the jungle was more useful after all.

The commoners came forward one after another to thank her, but Bai Yujun said nothing and rode away directly.

She looked at the somewhat hesitant Yang Mu and Xu Ling.

"If anyone brings up today's matter later, say that I did it."

After a pause, she added another sentence.

"The true demons are not appearances, but hearts."

Bai Yujun understood history. The number of people truly killed by demons was only so many. In contrast, human persecution and the so-called struggle for supremacy under heaven had caused millions upon millions of deaths, even the extermination of entire clans. The demons in human hearts were more terrifying than spirits and monsters.

Still, that had nothing to do with a snake. Those were all human matters.

That evening, they returned to their station. Their senior brother and the others, who had gone out to subjugate demons and eliminate evil, had yet to return. Xu Ling yawned and went back to her room to sleep, while Yang Mu, as always, seized every moment to cultivate.

Sometimes Bai Yujun felt that Xu Ling must surely be a heaven-blessed prodigy. Lazy and foolish every day, her cultivation was not much worse than diligent Yang Mu's.

Bai Yujun was a snake and did not need to sleep every day. Alone in the rear courtyard beneath the moonlit night, she practiced playing the flute. Unfortunately, this refined pastime drove the White Snake, who excelled at hunting and killing, nearly mad. Once again, she swung the flute and smashed it viciously...

Crack~

Inside the room, Yang Mu shook his head.

"Three left."

The next day, those who had gone out still had not returned.

After discussing it, the two humans and one snake decided to stroll around Du City, buy some snacks, and watch street performances. They left as soon as they decided, informed the temple keeper, and ambled down the mountain.

"Fragrant pears~ Sweet, fragrant pears~"

"Flatbread~ Fresh from the oven flatbread~ Delicious, and it cures illness too~"

Of course, amid that leisurely clamor were also voices of those who could not afford to eat.

"Sir... please spare some money for food..."

Du City was bustling. Merchant caravans came and went in an endless stream, and thriving commerce had created a prosperous city. To avoid drawing attention, Bai Yujun and Xu Ling bought gauze veils to cover their mouths and noses, at least reducing the swarms of frivolous butterflies and bees who fancied themselves elegant young gentlemen.

Bai Yujun, Yang Mu, and Xu Ling looked no older than fifteen. Bai Yujun in particular was petite, only around one and a half meters tall. The two beauties held candied hawthorns, eating as they chattered away, though most of the time Xu Ling was talking to herself.

In ancient times, fifteen-year-olds might already have children one or two years old. There were truly not many who could come out and stroll about idly.

As they wandered around, Bai Yujun had no intention of straying far from Yang Mu and Xu Ling. These days, there were far too many cultivators constantly thinking of subjugating demons and eliminating evil. Never mind whether their motives were genuine; without anyone to watch over her, how could she, with only the cultivation of a snake spirit, face those cultivators? It would be awkward if she were beaten to death, made into dried snake, and sold as Chinese medicine to patients for dispelling wind, driving out evil, and curing rheumatism.

Speak of the devil, and the devil arrived.

On the street, a young man carrying a black cudgel hurried along with his head lowered, holding a compass and repeatedly turning left and right.

As he walked, he discovered that the needle had stopped moving. Looking up, he found that it pointed at a girl in white. Then, he flawlessly performed the full set of moves and slogans expected of a demon slayer.

"Hey! In broad daylight, how dare you, fiend, enter the city! Do not harm innocent lives! Why have you not surrendered at once!"

With a swish, he drew the Black Iron Cudgel and pointed it straight at Bai Yujun.

"..."

Bai Yujun held her candied hawthorn, speechless.

She had not expected someone to come knocking so quickly, seeking to subjugate demons and eliminate evil. Weren't there very few people capable of seeing through one's aura? Looking more closely at the compass, she immediately understood. Magic Tools came in every strange and bizarre variety; there would always be some particularly odd ones.

Seeing that the young man's cultivation was not high, Bai Yujun stopped Yang Mu and Xu Ling. Her eyes rolled, and she came up with a wicked idea.

The candied hawthorn fell to the ground. She wrapped her arms around herself, her face filled with terror as she whimpered and sobbed, looking every inch a delicate young lady frightened out of her wits...

Yang Mu's mouth twitched. He moved two steps away, afraid people would think he was her accomplice. Xu Ling stared blankly; in her eyes, there was no way a fierce snake could make such a terrified expression.

The young man froze, somewhat unable to make sense of it.

Every time he had encountered a monster before, it had been fierce and vicious, followed by a fight. Why had he met one that was so timid?

At once, what had been demon subjugation turned into a burly man bullying a respectable young woman in the street.

There had never been any shortage of righteous people in the world, especially when the one being bullied was a delicate young lady. Immediately, many men and even scholars, their sense of justice bursting forth, surrounded him. Even the older sisters and aunties stood at a distance, pointing and criticizing the young man.

"What? You want to bully her because she's pretty? Try bullying me!" One burly man could not stand the sight.

"You speak of broad daylight yourself? I am acquainted with Judicial Commissioner Zhang of the yamen. I will certainly drag you, you violent bandit, before the authorities!" A scholar spoke with righteous severity.

"Outrageous! Absolutely outrageous! I've seen plenty of people like you! A lustful wretch!" A merchant shouted in rebuke.

The situation changed too quickly. The demon slayer, who had thought he would receive everyone's support, clearly had never experienced such a scene. Surrounded by a crowd and pelted with cabbages and stones, he cut a miserable figure.

"Listen to me... Ouch... That is a demon..."

The onlookers did not buy it.

"What demon? Clearly, you fancy her beauty and want to molest her. Take this!"

In the noisy chaos, no one noticed Bai Yujun and the other two slip away in a flash, vanishing without a trace. After running some distance, Bai Yujun and Xu Ling laughed uproariously, while Yang Mu's thousand-year iceberg face twitched uncontrollably.