"About where are the places where the demons appeared?"
"East of Qingcheng, roughly twenty li away." Zhu Huan replied.
Then, without waiting for Wei Qing to speak, he continued, "My lord, if you want to investigate the village, it would be better to go tomorrow."
"It is already late, and our vision is limited at night. That would only make dealing with the demons more difficult."
"If we go during the day, with the sun high overhead, they should be easier to deal with."
"All right."
Wei Qing did not reject Zhu Huan's suggestion.
It was not that dealing with demons was actually easier during the day.
Strictly speaking, demons were not afraid of the blazing sunlight.
The reason people felt that demons grew far stronger at night
was purely that human vision was limited after dark, creating a psychological illusion under the influence of the environment.
During the day, when his vision was unaffected, that illusion would vanish without a trace.
The holographic imaging capabilities of the system's map left Wei Qing with no such concerns.
The reason he agreed to Zhu Huan's suggestion
was that, after confirming his judgment, he needed to make some preparations.
Soon.
After politely declining Fang Youting's request that he stay at Fang Manor, Zhu Huan arranged for Wei Qing to stay at the finest inn in Qingcheng.
"Lord Wei, get a good night's rest. I'll come to receive you tomorrow."
"Sorry for the trouble, Constable Zhu."
"You're too kind, Lord Wei. This subordinate will take his leave!"
After Zhu Huan left, Wei Qing rose and went downstairs to the counter on the inn's first floor.
"Night Owl Guard Zhang Zhidong pays his respects to Lord Wei."
The innkeeper clasped his hands in salute.
"You know me?"
"How could the Night Owl Guard not have heard that the Heavenly Realm Division had sent you here to eliminate demons? I had originally planned to pay you a visit."
"I never expected you to check into my humble establishment directly."
Zhang Zhidong said with a smile.
"Does the Night Snack Guard have any new information about the demons' whereabouts?"
"Three days ago, the Night Owl Guard investigating Yandang Mountain reported that some commoners had heard strange cries carrying for several li. But when the Night Owl Guard investigated again, they found nothing unusual."
"That same night, at the third watch in the Black Mist Wasteland, an eerie blood-colored light erupted from the fog. It lasted for half an hour. The Night Owl Guard sent a Mechanical Flame Sparrow to scout the way, but when it returned, a standard Ink Blade from the Heavenly Realm Division was stuck in its body."
Wei Qing's gaze sharpened, and a cold glint surged through his eyes.
Information about Yandang Mountain and the Black Mist Wasteland immediately surfaced in his mind.
Yandang Mountain was a hundred meters high and stretched a hundred li from north to south. It marked the boundary between Jizhou and Youzhou.
In the third year of Mingxing, the Heavenly Realm Divisions of Jizhou and Youzhou had joined forces to kill a Third-Rank Great Demon and clear out Yandang Mountain.
The Black Mist Wasteland was shrouded in dense fog all year round. No one who entered had ever come back out.
Some people had seen demons roaming within it, but this had never been confirmed.
"I understand."
"Bring me a pot of Black Jade Dew."
"Yes."
As he spoke, Zhang Zhidong pressed beneath the counter. With a click, a hidden compartment sprang open, and he took out a red medicinal bottle and handed it to Wei Qing.
After accepting the bottle, Wei Qing turned and returned to his room.
The night passed without incident.
It was only faintly dawn when Wei Qing woke.
Ever since he had begun practicing martial arts, he had developed the habit of rising early.
Suddenly.
His ears twitched. Then he rose and opened the door.
Zhu Huan, who had been about to knock, froze for a moment, but quickly recovered.
"Good morning, Lord Wei!"
"Good morning, Constable Zhu. Come in."
As he spoke, Wei Qing had already walked over and sat down at the table.
"I figured you probably hadn't eaten yet, my lord, so I specially brought some of Qingcheng's local snacks. Please give them a try."
As he spoke, Zhu Huan opened three oil-paper packets.
The instant the packets opened, steam wrapped in fragrance surged toward them.
Zhu Huan introduced them: "These three are the Golden Canary, Four-Flavor Glutinous Rice Cake, and Cloud Mushroom Pastry."
"Let's eat together."
"I've already eaten, my lord. Please, go ahead."
"Then I won't stand on ceremony."
Wei Qing first ate a Cloud Mushroom Pastry. Its crisp shell gave a soft crack.
As he chewed, the fragrance of scallions mingled with the cloud mushroom juices infused with pork cracklings and exploded across his mouth.
His eyes lit up at once.
After finishing the Cloud Mushroom Pastry in two or three bites, he picked up a piece of Four-Flavor Glutinous Rice Cake and took a gentle bite.
The sweetness of chestnuts.
The salty spiciness of cured meat.
The fresh fragrance of lotus leaves.
The four flavors blended together perfectly. Combined with the distinctive chewiness of glutinous rice, they made Wei Qing unable to stop himself from giving a thumbs-up.
"This flavor is in no way inferior to Longxing Zhai's Three-Flavor Longxing Cake in the imperial capital."
"I'm glad you like it, my lord."
After eating two pieces of Four-Flavor Glutinous Rice Cake, Wei Qing finally picked up the Golden Canary.
At the first bite, meat juices carrying a fruity, woody fragrance flooded his mouth, while pine nuts, diced bamboo shoots, and other ingredients filled its center.
Wei Qing smiled faintly and turned to ask, "Constable Zhu, what do you make of these demons?"
"Well... forgive my limited experience, but I haven't the slightest clue about these demons yet."
Clap, clap.
After patting his hands, Wei Qing rose. "In that case, take me to Longdong Village first."
"Yes."
With Zhu Huan leading the way, the twenty-li journey on horseback was not particularly far.
On the road, Wei Qing casually asked, "I wonder whether this incident has greatly affected the villagers of those villages?"
Zhu Huan could not help shaking his head and sighing. "It certainly has. Many of the villagers have temporarily left their villages and gone to stay with relatives."
"Those who work in Qingcheng rented cheap inns in the city and settled there temporarily."
"For those without work who wanted to leave the villages, Lord Fang also arranged places for them to stay for the time being."
"Oh? Lord Fang truly cares about the people."
"Lord Fang is indeed a good official. For fifteen years, he has exhausted himself trying to govern Qingcheng well and give the people a better life. More than half his hair has turned white."
"Even more admirable is that, in the face of rampaging demons, Lord Fang has always chosen to remain in Qingcheng and actively dealt with the aftermath they caused."
"I know that. Wherever demons wreak havoc, the magistrates are replaced one after another."
"An official like Lord Fang, a true parent to the people... I can't say there are none, but at least I haven't encountered one yet."
Whenever he spoke of Fang Youting, admiration filled Zhu Huan's face.
Hearing this, Wei Qing gave a faint nod.
Finding an official who could persist for more than ten years in the face of demons
was no easier than winning five million in the lottery.
At least in his memories, there was no such person in the Heavenly Realm Division's archives.
Before long.
The two arrived at Longdong Village.
The golden wheat fields by the village entrance were empty, with not a single person harvesting the crops.
It was clearly harvest season, yet the entire place seemed lifeless.
"My lord, Longdong Village is just ahead."
Zhu Huan pointed toward rows of commoner houses a hundred meters away and spoke in a deep voice.
Four constables were stationed at the village entrance. Their faces were tense, and they kept glancing back into the village as though afraid some terrifying thing might come rushing out.
"Constable Zhu is here."
"Constable Zhu."
Seeing Zhu Huan arrive, the four instantly seemed to find their backbone and called out excitedly.
"This is Lord Wei Qing of the Heavenly Realm Division. He has come this time to deal with that demon."
The Heavenly Realm Division.
When the constables heard this, a trace of awe immediately appeared in their eyes. "Greetings, Lord Wei."