Inside Qing Shui City

Daytime in Qing Shui County was utterly normal. Old Zhao, with only Ming Shu and a horse accompanying them, along with simple baggage, slowly walked through the county's city gate.

Other belongings and luggage were left in the carriage, watched over by Little Zhao, at a safer camp elsewhere.

Qing Shui County, it was said, had a population of over a hundred thousand, both inside and out.

This was indicative of its prosperity.

Following the nearby Qingshui River south, one could sail to the Azure Dragon Great River. Along the Qingshui River, docks and ports had been built for loading and unloading cargo and passengers.

Some northbound cargo would arrive by water at the Qing Shui County docks, where it would then be transferred to land transport heading north.

A bustling hub for the exchange and distribution of goods from north and south.

Ming Shu was still repeatedly recalling the precautions Second Senior Brother Kirin and Chong Li had instructed them to take before they came.

They might encounter Demon Beast Spirits, so they had to remain vigilant around any small animals. They had already encountered Ghost Spirits before; Ming Shu could see them himself, so he had to be more aware of this danger than Old Zhao. As for Demonic Spirits, if they met one, they should just run. Ming Shu's current strength did not allow him to act recklessly.

Qing Shui County's walls were built of rammed earth, standing twenty-five feet high, fifteen feet wide at the top, and thirty feet wide at the base. The perimeter was over nine li, with four city gates—east, south, west, and north—each equipped with a barbican.

Barbicans were usually located to the side of the city gate, enhancing defense by creating winding entrances and exits. Barbicans could be equipped with defensive facilities such as arrow towers, portcullises, and crenellations to further strengthen their defenses.

A corner tower was built at each of the four corners of the city wall, with guards stationed atop them.

Conversely, the guard at the city gate seemed quite lax.

One would think that head taxes and transit taxes should be a considerable source of income, so why weren't they collecting it?

Old Zhao was dressed as an old servant, leading the horse. Ming Shu, as a young master, sat on the horse, leisurely observing the city environment.

The city was very noisy. After entering through the west city gate, they walked onto a main street lined with shops, bustling with people, a continuous stream.

Various shouts could be heard incessantly. Donkey carts and ox carts laden with goods formed long queues.

Walking along the main street within the city, they could still see several taller buildings, such as the Confucian Temple, the Martial Temple, the County Office, and the City God Temple, all very conspicuous. The two of them simply browsed through several main streets.

On every street and alley, they could see several thugs, ruffians, and hoodlums loitering at key intersections, seemingly idle.

They looked like they had nothing to do, yet they diligently stayed in place without wandering around.

Although Qing Shui County appeared lax on the surface, it was actually on alert internally, even under strict guard.

They had observed everything visible during the day, and for now, they hadn't found much. They could only wait for the night.

Old Zhao led the horse and found an inn near the city gate. The two of them booked a superior room to rest first.

They had wandered for most of the day and tried several special local snacks in Qing Shui County. He looked like a young master out for a scenic tour.

And because he was still young, he hadn't yet gone to the pleasure houses for a good time.

Having endured three years in the Cold Palace, Ming Shu's frail body looked even smaller than that of a thirteen-year-old boy.

His complexion had only recently begun to recover slowly.

Otherwise, he would have had to pose as a sickly young master.

As night fell, lights flickered on in every house on the streets and alleys of Qing Shui County, and at the same time, a strange aura began to permeate the air.

The inn where Ming Shu and Old Zhao were staying, although close to the outer city wall, was also near a bustling avenue. Standing on the upper floor, they could overlook the surroundings and observe the movements in the vicinity.

Tonight, Qing Shui County seemed quite normal? Old Zhao couldn't discern anything amiss. There were plenty of strange places within the imperial palace; he had seen a lot over the years.

There were many outsiders in and around Qing Shui County: merchants, travelers, scholars, peddlers, and even people from various factions traveling north and south, gathering and relaying information.

If the problem didn't erupt, in the long run, things should remain more or less the same, right?

He had already cast himself as bait; would the water start to get muddier first?

The bustling night market had also opened. The street vendors had changed shifts, and the tall restaurants were only moderately lively. The liveliest places were undoubtedly those around the pleasure houses.

Ming Shu vaguely saw wisps of strange energy rising from there and spreading outwards.

The earthly atmosphere was being swallowed and assimilated.

Was this the Qi observation technique of sorcerers that Chong Li mentioned? What use could it have?

The small pagoda on Ming Shu's body was also simply disguised. Ordinary people possessed by Demonic Spirits would not easily detect it unless they came close.

If the two parties got too close, they would be able to sense the unusual Demonic Spirit aura on each other.

Chong Li had intentionally placed a few "obvious" disguises on him, specifically to test the hidden enemies and see if they would be unable to resist and attack Ming Shu directly.

"Let's go!" Ming Shu silently wrote down the number and characteristics of the unusual individuals he had observed from his window tonight in his Fate Book.

The thugs and ruffians were wandering around in small groups, seemingly aimlessly, as if patrolling something. The number was abnormal.

Many household guards became vigilant as soon as night fell and the lamps were lit.

Several prominent households in the city were faintly protected by a divine light.

These few were the targets he intended to visit.

As for the brothels, gambling dens, and slums, those were places he needed to stay away from.

Based on the information he had previously obtained from a Ghost Spirit, there was a forbidden area for raising ghosts deep underground in a brothel; another was located deep underground in a large gambling house.

In fact, Chong Li and Ren Yuan had also entered the city. They had deliberately followed behind Ming Shu and his servant, allowing the enemy to discover them and assume they were important figures.

Without actual status, one can hint indirectly, put on airs, pretend, create an aura, and contrast to make the other party guess and imagine on their own.

Two third-tier masters, their strength could only be considered passable. However, one was a sorcerer, and the other a demon hunter. Moreover, both were demon hunters possessing demon spirits, which immediately set them apart.

Ming Shu and the others were actually disguised very well and wouldn't attract much attention in a short period. But with the tails they had behind them, the pressure kept mounting. At the same time, the appearance of three demon spirits in the city would attract more hidden scrutiny.

Old Zhao had just gone out for a casual stroll, only within the inn, to check on his horses, when he received a message on a small piece of paper halfway there.

It was from a confidant of Earl Ying, a prominent figure in the east of the city. His ancestors were the Duke of England, but the lineage had declined somewhat by this generation.

Among the places Ming Shu had just seen, there were grand courtyards faintly protected by a treasure's light, and Earl Ying's residence was one of them.

Judging by the situation, they weren't enemies for now. They could go and gather information first, to see who was a friend and who was an enemy.

Although demon hunters had entered the city to scout before, they hadn't found much useful information. Was the bait not big enough?

Ming Shu walked directly to the gate of Earl Ying's residence. Old Zhao gently knocked, and immediately a servant opened a crack in the gate and let them in.

Earl Ying was a middle-aged man in his fifties, showing no signs of old age. He had a robust physique and a heroic bearing, clearly a master of martial arts.

His presence was imposing.

He got straight to the point, already aware of Ming Shu's identity as a废王子 (waste prince).

It seemed they had been waiting specifically for him.

"King Chu has safely headed south. The new Emperor cannot catch him. The Daoist Sect will provide protection in the south. The rest is to wait for uprisings across the land to respond to King Chu's call and jointly resist the new Emperor who murdered his father and usurped the throne."

Earl Ying must have gone mad. King Chu was far in the south, and his actions here were useless.

But fortunately, he wasn't in a hurry to act; instead, he wanted to win over more people to join their grand cause.

They weren't the only force in this city. Agents from the north had been operating in the city for many years and also wanted to stir up trouble for the Great Jin Immortal Dynasty.

They had a basis for cooperation for now, but they were also competitors. Therefore, the atmosphere in the city was very strange.

Multiple parties were entangled.

A delicate balance had been reached.