At the commandery governor's banquet, the dishes had been laid out in full, but not a trace of celebration hung in the air.
Zhou Chengye and a group of officials attended the guests, every one of them frowning. Silence weighed over the table. No one touched their chopsticks, and the lively spirit of past banquets was nowhere to be found.
Li Xuancang sat at the head of the table, taking in everyone's expressions. He understood.
He set down his wine cup and spoke in a low voice, getting straight to the point.
"By Captain Du's order, I have come to Blessed Abundance Commandery to root out the Evil Cultivators. Tell me freely: what is the situation within the commandery?"
At his words, everyone's faces grew even grimmer. Worry showed plainly in their expressions, and sighs rose from every seat.
Zhou Chengye's hand trembled slightly around his wine cup. Grief and helplessness filled his face as he slowly spoke.
"General, you may not know, but in recent days Blessed Abundance Commandery has become a living hell."
"A band of Evil Cultivators with mysterious whereabouts suddenly appeared in our territory. Their methods are utterly cruel and depraved. They have slaughtered more than a dozen villages on the outskirts, sparing no one—not men, women, old, or young."
As he spoke, Zhou Chengye's eyes betrayed his fear, and even his body trembled.
"What's more terrifying is that these Evil Cultivators didn't just kill people. They drained every last drop of blood from all their victims, leaving only shriveled corpses scattered across the ground. The resentment was so thick it surged into the heavens. It was a ghastly sight..."
A commandery adjutant stood and added, his face full of fury,
"That's not all. These Evil Cultivators have secretly colluded with Demons, conspiring together to wreak