The yamen runners and constables sent out by the authorities were all afraid of the monsters in the mountains. Sheng Qingzhi had little choice when it came to these useless subordinates, so he could only send men to blockade the passes and key checkpoints around Four Peaks Mountain, preventing Cheng Zhi from finding a chance to escape. As for Four Peaks Mountain itself, they could only first recall all the constables and yamen runners who had entered the mountain.
He Ping knew this was the right choice. The One-Horned Mountain Demon on Four Peaks Mountain was a three-hundred-year-old monster that had come into its power. When the Demon Race lived to such an age, their intelligence gradually matured, and they would also awaken certain supernatural gifts.
It was still unclear what innate ability the One-Horned Mountain Demon possessed, but apart from cultivators with real skill, ordinary mortals simply could not deal with a Demon Race creature that had come into its power.
In truth, even he would have to use quite a few tricks to face that Mountain Demon, and it would consume a great deal of his vital energy. By that reckoning, it simply wouldn't be worth the effort.
"Looks like Prefect Sheng has been fanning the flames behind the scenes while the rumors have been spreading these past few days. In that case, it's not hard to guess what he's after..."
He Ping's thoughts shifted, and he guessed the truth of the matter. He knew that the repeated moves against the He Family's businesses lately were not only the work of Sheng Jin; there was likely another reason as well. Prefect Sheng intended to teach him a lesson.
(No, the Shengs are suspicious of me too. Cheng Zhi wanted to enter Suian City to assassinate someone, so there must have been someone in the city secretly helping him. That old fox may well have picked up a few clues...)
Alarm bells rang in his mind at once.
If Sheng Qingzhi really had his eye on him, it was a bad sign. In a society ruled by law, naturally, such a matter would require evidence and proper procedure...
But the Great You Dynasty was a typical feudal dynasty. It was just like the ancient dynasties on Earth: officialdom had two mouths, and when it came to devouring people, it never had to spit out the bones.
A local emperor like Sheng Qingzhi, who ruled over Suian City, might not bother with the laws of the court at all.
In other words, for the death of his own son, Sheng Qinghong, the prefect didn't need any clear evidence. Suspicion alone was enough.
That sliver of suspicion was enough to make him consider destroying the entire He Family.
(That is, if I, the head of the He Family, were an ordinary merchant's son, and not a successor of the Immortal Puppet Sect...)
He Ping knew this all too well.
Just then, a servant hurried in from outside.
"Young Master, someone from the prefectural yamen has arrived. They said they wanted to see you."
"Guests from the prefectural yamen? Where are they?"
He Ping asked quickly.
"They're waiting in the outer hall..."
The servant had barely finished speaking when an utterly discourteous voice came from behind him.
"No need to wait. You're He Sheng, the eldest young master of the He Family, right? I was sent by Prefect Sheng."
Suddenly, two figures appeared behind the servant and strode through the doorway one after the other.
He Ping's eye twitched slightly. As soon as the two figures entered, a chill of dread filled the hall.
The two figures who walked in through the flower hall's entrance gleamed from head to toe with a metallic sheen.
Yes, metal. They wore identical outfits, both clad in black armor from head to toe, with sabers at their waists. A cold, murderous aura emanated from them.
"May I ask who the two of you are?"
He Ping's face remained expressionless, but he felt a trace of displeasure. The two men had barged in without waiting to be announced to their host. It was downright rude.
"You're He Ping."
The man in the lead wore a beast-headed helmet. His face was purple-complexioned, his features proper, and his neatly trimmed mustache curled over his lips. Even at rest, his face was imposing.
He and his companion were both clad in full armor. With every step they took, their armor plates shifted with a faint metallic clatter.
The two men entered without even offering a greeting. The Purple-Complexioned Face in the lead looked at He Ping with a hint of scrutiny.
"The prefect sent me to find you. Do you know what for?"
The man's voice was low and hoarse, like stone grinding against sand.
"I do not."
He Ping could see how arrogant and discourteous the man was. He rose from his chair and cupped his hands in greeting.
"You two were sent by the prefect, I presume. If there's something important, please give your orders."
He Ping kept his manner humble and his tone gentle, but he wondered to himself. These two men had barged into the He Mansion without permission, and their armor didn't look like standard military issue. How strange. Why were they dressed in armor? Surely they weren't the prefect's private soldiers...?
He stole a few more glances at their armor. It seemed to be made from a kind of black, gleaming metal. Complex patterns were densely engraved on the dark iron plates, giving the armor a powerful sense of unity, as if the pieces were all one. They were probably some kind of unknown runes, faintly shimmering with light.
"Is this the 'Rune Armor' spoken of in Daoist legends? I can sense the spiritual light of spells. That makes sense... Ordinary black iron infantry armor is already extremely heavy. There's no way someone could wear such heavy armor from head to toe and move so effortlessly. They must have used a spell to lighten it."
He Ping immediately realized that these two men likely had unusual origins.
"Oh, you're a clever one. That saves me some effort."
The man looked him up and down. Seeing how humble He Ping was, he had to abandon some of his original plans. He snorted.
"Listen carefully. The prefect knows that you, the eldest young master of the He Family, intend to get rid of the Mountain Demon on Four Peaks Mountain and open a route for trade to the south. He's giving you a chance this time. Hurry up and gather the men for the 'Mountain Demon Purge,' then join us in the operation."
"Mountain Demon Purge?"
He Ping pretended to look bewildered.
"So that's what this is about. But preparations haven't been completed yet. Could you give me a few more days? I still need to discuss it with the Flying Fish Sect, the Long Wind Society, and the others. Besides..."
"Enough."
The Purple-Complexioned Face waved a hand, cutting him off.
"I'll give you one day at most. Tomorrow, the prefectural yamen will head to Four Peaks Mountain, and your people must come along..."
"This..."
He Ping wore a pensive expression. Only after a moment did he say in a low voice, "The He Family will do everything we can."
"It's not 'everything you can.' It's everything you've got. Do not fail."
The Purple-Complexioned Face sneered.
"You don't get to refuse this. Prefect Sheng said that if anything goes wrong, the He Family won't be doing business in Suian City anymore. Pack up and get out, every last one of you."
With that, the Purple-Complexioned Face turned and left the reception hall with his companion.
"Young Master?"
After the two men had left, He Fusheng stepped forward.
"What exactly is the prefect trying to do?"
"I don't know."
He Ping gave a cold laugh. The pretense fell away, and his sharp gaze gleamed like the edge of a blade.
"That man is shrewd and cunning. He may suspect me, or he may want to use me to put pressure on me... Or perhaps he's already joined forces with He Jin and means to help my uncle take the headship of the family from me. Heh, whichever it is, none of it bodes well for us."
"What should we do, then?"
He Fusheng asked.
"The plan stays the same. We'll just move it up."
He Ping had already made up his mind. He would have to bring the original arrangements forward.
Actually, his earlier scheme had been very discreet, but the execution would have been somewhat fraught, and it still needed a little more time. But going to Four Peaks Mountain to get rid of the Mountain Demon had already been part of his plan. Prefect Sheng's "coercion" had given him an even better opening.
(To be honest, it's like he's fanned the flames and poured oil on them. With things going this way, there's no harm in taking advantage of the momentum and getting it done ahead of schedule...)
"At most, I'll just move up some of the original arrangements."
He Ping sat back down in the rosewood chair. His eyes fell half-shut, as if he were resting with his eyes closed, or perhaps thinking through what to do next.