With his mood shifting, Ge Xian granted the pretty young woman's wish and lavishly praised her skill at cleaning the house.
But the way he praised her made the pretty young woman feel quite miserable.
"Luckily, Sister Bai turned back from the brink back then. Otherwise, I'd have to do all this cleaning myself."
"I'm nowhere near that capable. Even the legendary Li Chen Spell probably only works about as well as this."
Hearing those two remarks, the Broom Spirit couldn't help feeling both embarrassed and indignant.
She wanted nothing more than to tear that wanton young man's mouth apart. He really knew how to bring up the one thing she didn't want to hear, didn't he?
Was that really me turning back from the brink? I just couldn't beat the Four Demonesses, so I never made it into bed.
The pretty young woman was about to retort when she suddenly saw that, after returning home, Ge Xian had pondered for only a few moments before starting to pack his belongings. From the looks of it, he seemed to have caused some terrible disaster and was preparing to flee.
Unable to hold back, she asked outright, "What are you doing? Where are you planning to go?"
Ge Xian kept packing as he quickly replied, "I haven't decided yet, but I probably can't stay in Qiantang County. I'll head to the provincial capital first... If that doesn't work, I'll go to Dadu. As long as I find somewhere peaceful, I can always scrape together enough to eat."
His actions were only natural. Not long ago, he had personally overheard more than one sordid scandal and horrifying conspiracy.
Those melodramatic romances were one thing. What mattered most was the terrifying fact that the Demon County Magistrate intended to sell off Qiantang County. The county folk all thought that although Lu Hualong had some vicious habits, he was still a good official at heart. He'd just advanced to a new realm and was already handing out benefits to the whole county.
Who could have guessed that the benefits were a ruse, and that the real plan was to fatten up a batch of pigs before selling them off?
Ge Xian didn't want to be a pig raised for its meat. Besides, he really had committed crimes.
Eavesdropping on the County Magistrate and his wife's private affairs!
Deceiving the County Magistrate's Wife and playing with her feelings!
Killing the maid from the magistrate's household!
Any one of those was enough to warrant the death penalty.
As Ge Xian packed, the pretty young woman suddenly began pacing around. She stopped here, wandered there, looking shy and hesitant, as if she wanted to speak but couldn't. Gradually, her face took on the resentful sorrow of someone in love but unable to have the one she wanted. If anyone had been watching, they would surely have branded the Young Peddler a heartless cad.
At first, Ge Xian couldn't make sense of it. But he soon understood, and couldn't help laughing.
Then he stepped forward and solemnly picked up the broom tied with the Seven-Colored Silk Thread—the pretty young woman's Soul Residence—and prepared to hang it on his Peddler's Pole. At the same time, he deliberately asked her, "I, Ge, will likely have to travel far to avoid trouble. Sister Bai, would you be willing to come along?"
It sounded like a tease, but Ge Xian was entirely serious.
Since arriving in this world, everything he had seen was a horrifying demon wearing human skin, and every Cultivation Path seemed more terrifying than the last.
Compared to them, this "Broom Spirit" was rather proper and charming.
She also had the sort of style he had encountered in Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio in his previous life. Keeping her by his side lifted his spirits somewhat.
Seeing that she'd achieved her goal and wouldn't be abandoned, the pretty young woman broke into a radiant smile and was about to say something.
Suddenly!
Both she and Ge Xian sensed something, and their expressions shifted.
Without waiting for Ge Xian to speak, the pretty young woman turned back into a wandering spirit and floated into the broom.
Ge Xian frowned and looked beyond the small courtyard. A clear sense of something reached him: uninvited guests were at the door, and there was more than one.
Almost at once, someone pounded on the courtyard gate. A domineering, rough voice rang out with the blows. "Ge Xian, come out! The County Magistrate has ordered the recruitment of every peddler and itinerant merchant in the city..."
When Ge Xian first sensed the visitors—several powerful "jiangshi"—he thought his troubles had caught up with him. He was already planning to vault the wall and flee, even if it meant a struggle.
Hearing the shout, he stopped.
He hurried to open the gate, pretending he had just woken up. He yawned repeatedly, threw on an outer robe, and went out to meet them.
Sure enough, three jiangshi stood outside, dressed in constables' uniforms and armed with long sabers. Their baleful auras were palpable as they impatiently pounded on the gate. When they saw Ge Xian hurry over, they didn't waste a word and went straight to their orders:
"You're Ge Xian, one of the peddlers registered in Qiantang County."
"By order of the County Magistrate, you've been recruited into the Qiantang Propaganda Team. Today, you'll go with the other peddlers and itinerant merchants to the towns, villages, and counties around Qiantang, or to wherever the wandering refugees gather, and tell them about the County Magistrate's kind new policies and benevolence."
"You'll also direct them to come to Qiantang County and settle down."
"You'll set out once every day. The pay is generous, with both money and grain."
Hearing this, Ge Xian's thoughts raced, and he immediately recalled the secret conspiracy he had overheard the night before.
With just a couple of thoughts, he guessed the reason.
"Lu Hualong, you shameless, greedy bastard. Deciding to sell off all of Qiantang County wasn't ruthless enough for you?"
"He still thinks it's not enough. Not enough pigs in the pen, so he'll round up wild ones too? He's organizing a propaganda team to recruit people from other counties, towns, and villages—even the wandering refugees who've practically turned into savages."
"And I, Ge, was already thinking about running. Now I've been press-ganged?"
Ge Xian cursed inwardly, but his face showed no hint of it. He stalled the three jiangshi constables, saying he had heard the order and would join the others in a little while.
But they immediately rejected him. The jiangshi leading them cursed bluntly, "Why all the chatter? Pick up your Peddler's Pole and set out at once. The Propaganda Team is waiting on the main street. If you waste time, I'll peel the skin off that pretty little face of yours and eat every last bite of your fresh, tender flesh."
As he was being cursed at, Ge Xian was already wondering whether to make a move against the three jiangshi and buy himself time to escape.
But at that very moment, something suddenly struck his senses.
The direction of Willow Oriole Alley!
A terrifying aura erupted. Thick Fox Qi gathered into a faintly visible Demonic Qi Pillar that shot into the sky.
In a daze, he seemed to hear an extremely shrill, savage fox's cry, steeped in fury, echoing from far away.
Ge Xian wasn't the only one to sense it. The three jiangshi in front of him felt it too. They exchanged glances, each seeing fear in the other's eyes.
And just then, the Young Peddler before them—who had been dragging his feet a moment earlier—seemed to have been frightened by their scolding. He hurriedly bowed his head and agreed, then quickly returned inside to fetch his Peddler's Pole.
As Ge Xian turned to pick up his pole, he immediately heard the jiangshi behind him talking:
"Did you sense that? Something seems to have happened over in Willow Oriole Alley."
"I wonder which fool offended the Mistress and made her so furious."
"Tsk, tsk. Looks like the Master won't dare go to Willow Oriole Alley for fun. If the Mistress catches him while she's this angry, he'll be in for a real treat."
The three jiangshi constables had no idea what Yelü Yuyan in Willow Oriole Alley was raging about.
Ge Xian, of course, knew. After all, he was the one who'd caused the trouble.
As it happened, Ge Xian's escape from Fox Brothel Alley the night before had been an extremely lucky accident.
If Lu Hualong hadn't arrived, there was almost no chance he could have gotten away.
Lu Hualong had drained most of Yelü Yuyan's energy and lust, leaving her temporarily uninterested in Ge Xian. She'd sent him off to wash up, intending to eat him the next day.
How could she have guessed that the Dragon Girl, who seemed to have shallow cultivation and a reckless disposition, was actually a wanton Young Peddler in disguise—and that this fellow possessed the rare talent of Charm Power?
A series of maneuvers!
He'd successfully escaped the demon's clutches.
Having escaped Fox Brothel Alley alone through Charm Power, Ge Xian's title of Male Daji was entirely deserved.
Yelü Yuyan's furious howls now meant that she must have discovered Chun Niang's corpse and realized that the Dragon Girl she'd captured the night before had escaped. That was what had enraged her.
It wasn't that she felt sorry for the Fox Whore called Chun Niang. She was just furious because she'd lost face.
Next, she would likely send her subordinates out—or perhaps cast a spell herself to capture the Dragon Girl.
Ge Xian was certain that he hadn't left any traces the night before. He'd been careful and cautious, not even keeping up his good habit of "searching corpses," to ensure that he carried no unusual scent whatsoever.
But better safe than sorry. It was best to lie low for now.
So he stopped struggling, obediently went back inside to pick up his Peddler's Pole, and followed the three jiangshi constables toward the main street.
On the way, Ge Xian could faintly hear the neighbors and county folk talking in hushed voices.
The battle yesterday had revealed Lu Hualong's vicious, demonic body. Although he had later announced his kind new policies, he still couldn't stop people from panicking.
Especially after that most horrifying sight: swarms of Gu worms crawling out of the children's bodies.
"Papa, Mama, Nuannuan hurts so much. I'm so hungry."
"Waaah, are there still bugs inside me? I'm scared."
"Can I stop eating those pretty grains tomorrow? There... there are bugs inside."
"Good girl, we won't eat them. We'll never eat them again."
"Dear, should we flee to Renhe County? They exploit people there too, but at least we'd stay alive..."
Ge Xian could hear them, and so could the jiangshi constables.
Strangely, they showed no anger. They merely scoffed together. "Fools. Give it less than half an hour, and they'll all change their tune and thank our master from the bottom of their hearts."
As if to prove them right, only a few breaths later, lively commotion broke out all across Qiantang County. Then cheers rang out through every ward, neighborhood, and alley.
Why?
Once again, the immensely strong jiangshi went door to door, beating drums and gongs. But this time, they weren't there to demand people's flesh or feed them Taisui Grains.
They were handing out real food—and even money.
Southerners, Han people, rich households, and common folk alike all received substantial benefits.
Everyone got their share!
The whole city rejoiced!
Before even half an hour had passed, Ge Xian had witnessed Lu Hualong's epithet change from "Thigh-cutting Magistrate" to "Benevolent Magistrate."
The county folk who had planned to flee Qiantang the moment its gates opened that day all changed their minds, without exception.
They now believed that in this chaotic world, where human lives were as cheap as grass, the Qiantang County governed by Lu Hualong was a paradise on earth.
If Ge Xian hadn't known the truth behind it all, he might have believed the same after witnessing those scenes.
Unfortunately, he knew, and could only find the whole thing absurd beyond words.
He lowered his eyes and could do nothing but wait in silence.
Several dozen breaths passed. No danger came for him, and no demon fox appeared.
At once, he breathed a great sigh of relief. He understood that he had made it through last night's ordeal.
Though now he had another ordeal to face.
As they made their way to the main street, Ge Xian saw other peddlers and itinerant merchants being escorted forward by jiangshi constables. Their numbers continued to grow, and soon they had indeed assembled a sizeable Propaganda Team made up entirely of peddlers, itinerant merchants, and a few stallholders skilled at hawking their wares.
Unlike the joyful county folk, every member of the Propaganda Team wore a worried expression.
They looked less like they were going to praise the County Magistrate's virtues and more like they were heading to the execution ground to be beheaded.
Ge Xian understood why.
There was no other reason: the danger was simply too great.
The original owner's memories contained a clear warning: anywhere people didn't gather—whether remote wastelands, deep mountain valleys, hidden forests, or marshes—could be filled with lying demons, wandering vengeful ghosts, or all sorts of inexplicable, indescribable horrors. Any one of them could easily take a person's life.
Even places where people lived couldn't be called particularly safe. At least there was one more layer of protection.
The jiangshi constables had made it plain. The Propaganda Team was to gather the refugees scattered across the lands beyond Qiantang County, which meant they'd have to go to every sort of place.
The dangers they'd face were impossible to count.
They might set out alive at dawn and return as corpses by dusk. That would be nothing unusual.
Unlike them, Ge Xian wasn't all that worried. His Supernatural Perception was active, and it gave him an astonishing response:
"Good heavens!"
"One, two, three... There are dozens of extraordinary auras at the Dao Entry Realm, all entirely different and with their own origins, hidden in the shadows."
"Lu Hualong really knows how to do business. He understands the value of sustainable development. He organized a Propaganda Team, and even gave them a Guard Team."
"And those two jiangshi at the front..."
As his thoughts raced, Ge Xian looked toward the front of the Propaganda Team.
They appeared to be two more constable jiangshi, but they were clearly a rank above the others. From their introductions, he learned that they were called Zhang Buzu and Zhao Wuyou. Back when they were human, they had been Lu Hualong's trusted lieutenants. After becoming jiangshi, they had gained extraordinary powers and truly entered the Dao.
Once the team had assembled, the two jiangshi saw how frightened the peddlers and itinerant merchants were.
They exchanged glances and gave a mocking laugh, then addressed the crowd:
"Don't panic. You all belong to our master. Even beyond Qiantang County, what other demons could possibly eat you?"
"Brothers, show yourselves. Put these peddlers at ease."
"Otherwise, when they start shouting about our master's merits later, they might not even have the strength to raise their voices."
Before they'd even finished speaking, the two of them transformed right there in broad daylight.
Two different stinks burst forth, rank and foul. Amid the roiling Ghost Mist, the one on the left—Zhang Buzu—grew to more than ten feet tall. His flesh swelled, and his belly sprang open like a huge sack of meat. His gaping mouth hung down to his chest, jagged ghost teeth filling its depths, as though it could stuff in any kind of flesh. He was clearly a Gluttonous Ghoul.
On the right, Zhao Wuyou also grew to more than ten feet tall, but his flesh shriveled against his bones, and bone spurs jutted out all over. His ghostly eyes blazed with a fierce red light. His mouth seemed like a Bottomless Pit, filled with a hunger for food. He was a Starved Ghost.
Ge Xian, who had already sensed something of their nature, was startled:
"I've heard that cultivation is difficult for the Ghost Clan. It's easy for humans to turn into wandering spirits or vengeful ghosts, but the conditions for becoming a powerful, unusual kind of ghost are extremely harsh."
"I wonder what resources Lu Hualong spent to cultivate these two Abnormal Ghosts..."
Ge Xian was only mildly startled, but the other peddlers and itinerant merchants were horrified.
Some of them were so flustered that they couldn't help trying to flee.
But in the next instant, ripples spread through the air around the Propaganda Team. One by one, figures appeared, each with an uncanny look. They were all clearly no longer human, and some showed signs of Demonic Transformation.
Ge Xian also put on a frightened expression. While pretending to be flustered, he swiftly scanned them, taking a good look at every one of the dozens of cultivators, each of them utterly different from the others.
His horizons broadened, and he came to a fresh conclusion. He couldn't help sighing:
"County Magistrate Lu Hualong really is a remarkable man."
"He knew that even if he and his wife sold Qiantang County, they might not have enough backing, so he dragged the county's wealthiest households and gentry into it too."
"The ruling class is raising pigs together and selling the city together. He really knows how to play the game."
Before you continue