Xuan Qing rose to his feet, his gaze firming. Now that he had figured it out, he would go and do it.
Since this was the Red Dust Heart Inquiry, how could he possibly manage without tempering himself in the mortal world? There was no use staying in the herb garden and thinking himself in circles.
He looked at Dugu Bo. "Old Poison, I'm leaving this place in your hands. I'll see you again in a year or two."
Dugu Bo bowed solemnly. "You have nothing to worry about, Young Master. As long as the herb garden stands, I'll stand with it. Unless I'm dead, no one will get in."
Xuan Qing nodded. He trusted Dugu Bo. With the Blood Swan Kiss here, even a whole crowd of Titled Douluo wouldn't get the better of him.
He turned to Zi JI. "Let's go. We'll start at the border and travel little by little. No need to rush. We'll take our time and look around."
Zi JI agreed, and the two left the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, flying toward the border of the Heaven Dou Empire.
This time, they didn't go to any big cities. They deliberately sought out remote places; the smaller and more isolated the villages and towns, the more likely they were to be their destination.
Three days later, the two arrived at a small border village. It wasn't large, with only a few dozen households.
The houses were made of rammed earth and looked terribly poor.
Xuan Qing found the village chief, a gaunt old man, and held out a Gold Soul Coin.
"Elder, I'd like to rent a room for a month. Is this enough?"
The village chief's eyes went wide. He had barely seen a Gold Soul Coin a handful of times in his life; he usually used Copper Soul Coins.
"More than enough! Much more than enough! You can stay as long as you like, honored guest."
He cleared out the side room of his own home and cleaned it until it was spotless. It was simple, but it kept out the wind and rain.
Xuan Qing and Zi JI settled in.
Life was peaceful. Each day, they wandered around and chatted with the villagers.
The villagers were all simple and honest. Though the village was poor, everyone was kind.
The children played in the mud at the village entrance, while the old folk sat outside their homes, basking in the sun.
Xuan Qing liked this atmosphere. He helped the villagers with their chores, fetching water, chopping wood, whatever needed doing. At first, the villagers hardly dared ask him for help.
But as they got to know each other, it all began to feel natural.
Zi JI also tried to help. She was clumsy, but earnest, and she began to understand why Xuan Qing had wanted to come here.
More than twenty days passed in the blink of an eye. Just as Xuan Qing began to think the trip would be a peaceful one, trouble arrived.
That afternoon, a squad of soldiers came to the village. They wore the standard armor of the Heaven Dou Empire, and there were about thirty of them.
The centurion at their head sat astride a horse, swaggering with arrogance. At a wave of his hand, the soldiers charged into the village.
"Everyone, gather up! By order of the lord, we're conducting a census. Anyone who disobeys will be executed!"
The villagers were terrified. They gathered at the entrance, trembling. The children hid behind the adults, and some were so frightened that they burst into tears.
Xuan Qing and Zi JI stood quietly beneath the eaves of a distant house and watched. Zi JI wanted to strike at once, but Xuan Qing stopped her.
"Let's watch a little longer."
The centurion took out a ledger and pretended to check it. Then his expression suddenly darkened, and he pointed at several able-bodied villagers.
"You lot are suspected of colluding with spies from the Star Luo Empire! Seize them!"
The villagers were dumbfounded. They had never even left the village. How could they know any spies?
"My lord, we've been framed!"
One villager dropped to his knees and cried out, "We're just ordinary farmers! We've never even left the village!"
The centurion sneered. "Framed? If I say you're guilty, then you're guilty! Take them away!"
The soldiers swarmed forward and bound the villagers hand and foot. Men and women, young and old—more than twenty people in all were seized.
Xuan Qing's eyes narrowed. He understood now. They had come to seize slaves, pinning some fabricated crime on the villagers so they could haul them away.
This sort of thing was common at the border. With the two empires meeting there, order was chaotic. The city lord and the auction house colluded, making a fortune with hardly any effort.
The villagers cried and begged, but it was useless. The soldiers kicked and beat them as they dragged them away.
Xuan Qing didn't move. He stood there watching until the soldiers had taken everyone and the village fell silent once more.
Xuan Qing returned to the house. Zi JI followed him in and asked quietly:
"Senior, are we really not going to save them?"
Though she hadn't lived with Xuan Qing for long, she had gradually developed human feelings. She was no longer the bloodthirsty beast she had once been.
If this had been the old her, she would have been delighted to see as many humans die as possible.
Xuan Qing's voice was cold as ice.
"We'll save them, of course. But not now. We need to get to the bottom of this first, then take them all down in one fell swoop."
He sent Zi JI to gather information. With her abilities, slipping into the city lord's residence would be as easy as lifting a finger.
Zi JI returned that very night, her expression grim. She had clearly uncovered quite a lot.
"Senior, I found out everything. The city lord and the Heaven Dou Auction House are in cahoots. They specifically target border villagers and take them as slaves."
"The soldiers are the city lord's private troops, disguised as imperial forces. Every time they seize people, they accuse them of treason."
"The captives are sent to the auction house. The men are forced into hard labor, while the women... meet an even worse fate."
Zi JI paused. "I also found the ledger. It records the dates, numbers, and prices of every transaction."
"The villagers who were captured are all locked in the dungeon. They're safe for now, but they'll be shipped out in a few days."
Xuan Qing nodded. He had a clear idea of the situation now.
He walked to the window and picked up a piece of wood left over from chopping firewood a few days earlier.
He took out a small knife and began whittling. Zi JI watched Xiao Qing curiously, but he gave no explanation. After an hour of focused carving, the wood had become a mask.
It was a hideous Nuomask, with a blue-green face, bared fangs, and a vicious glare. It looked terrifying.
Xuan Qing put on the mask, leaving only his eyes exposed, then stood and rolled his wrists.
"Let's go to the city lord's residence. First we'll free the captives, then settle the score."
Zi JI nodded. The two left the village without a sound and flew toward the city.
The city lord's residence was about thirty miles away. For Zi JI, they reached it in the blink of an eye.
The two slipped into the city lord's residence without alerting anyone. Xuan Qing sent Zi JI to free the captives in the dungeon while he went to find the city lord.
"Senior, you're going alone..."
"It's fine. He's only a Soul King city lord. I can handle him. Go on, and be quick."
Zi JI asked no more questions. She turned and disappeared, while Xuan Qing headed for the main courtyard.
The city lord was in his study, speaking with a middle-aged man dressed in fine clothes. The man was an outside manager for the auction house, and the two were dividing the spoils.
The manager said with a smile:
"This batch is good quality, especially those young women. One of them even has the signs of a mutated Martial Soul. She'll fetch a fine price."
The city lord smiled as well.
"Of course. The women at the border may be rough around the edges, but they've still got good foundations."
The two were chatting merrily when the door was suddenly kicked open. Xuan Qing walked in, his mask looking all the more hideous and terrifying in the candlelight.
"Who's there?!"
The two were startled and sprang to their feet.
Xuan Qing said nothing. He walked toward them step by step, Soul Power surging as three Soul Rings appeared.
One yellow, one purple, and one black—a bizarre combination. The city lord and the manager's expressions changed. A Soul Elder?
But that Soul Ring Configuration... something was wrong!
The city lord forced himself to stay calm and spoke.
"Who are you, sir? What business do you have breaking into the city lord's residence in the dead of night?"
Xuan Qing ignored them and charged straight at the two, moving so fast that he became a blur. His fist slammed into the city lord's face.
The city lord was a Soul King, after all, and reacted quickly. He dodged to the side while releasing his Martial Soul: a gigantic rhinoceros. Five Soul Rings appeared, two yellow and three purple.
The manager moved too. His Martial Soul was a venomous snake, and four Soul Rings appeared, three yellow and one purple.
The two worked together, one defending while the other attacked.
Xuan Qing remained calm and activated his first Soul Skill. A light rain began to fall inside the study.
As the rain soaked them, their Soul Power began to drain. The city lord's expression changed drastically.
"What kind of Soul Skill is this?"
Xuan Qing seized the opening and pressed his attack, activating his second and third Soul Skills at the same time. His attributes surged.
His fist struck the city lord in the chest. The man's defenses were strong, but they couldn't withstand that punch.
Crack! The grating sound of breaking bones rang out. Blood spewed from the city lord's mouth as he flew backward and crashed through the bookshelf.
The manager tried to run, but Xuan Qing kicked him in the leg. His shinbone snapped, and he crashed to the ground with a scream.
Xuan Qing walked over and gathered two streams of Soul Power in his hands, sending them straight into their dantians.
Pfft!
Both men's Soul Power was crippled, and they spat out blood in unison.
Zi JI returned just then, holding the ledger. "Senior, I've freed everyone and got the equipment too."
"Let's go to the city gate."
Before you continue