Asking the Village Head, First Sight of the Fifth Lady Temple

Li Qingxian looked at the old man, who was dressed in mourning clothes, with a dark bronze complexion, a bitter expression, and sunken eyes.

"My Wang Laoshi, and I'm one of the village heads of Fangyuan Village. Just a few days ago, the village hunters didn't return for days, so we went to look for them. We only found broken bones, and the experienced villagers immediately said it was the work of a demon. Who knew that yesterday, Liu Laosan, who was farming outside the village, also met a tragic end..."

Village head Wang Laoshi explained the whole story.

Wu Jingtian glanced at the crowd and said, "A few people, come with me to open the coffin and examine the body to see what kind of monster it is. Brother Han, you have to come."

Han Anbo nodded.

Wang Laoshi hurriedly said, "The burial is about to take place, and opening the coffin to examine the body would be considered unlucky..."

"The Night Guard's mission is to either retreat or face the enemy!" Wu Jingtian took out his Night Guard badge.

Wang Laoshi nodded helplessly and said, "I'll take the master there. He hasn't been buried yet, so it's better to open it up now than to dig it up and then open it."

The Night Guard followed Wang Laoshi to open the coffin and examine the body before the burial.

Wu Jingtian determined at a glance that it was a wolf demon, and when he asked Han Anbo, Han Anbo confirmed it was.

Ignoring Liu Laosan's family's wailing and desperate attempts to re-nail the coffin, Wu Jingtian frowned and said, "Since the aggrieved party has filed a complaint, we should at least investigate for two days."

Wang Laoshi hurriedly said, "Thank you, Lord Night Guard, thank you, Lord Night Guard. I think it's the middle of the day, and the Night Guard is scorching. Why don't you gentlemen rest in our Fangyuan Village first, and then go find the wolf demon after noon? You gentlemen have come to save our lives, so we will certainly treat you to the best wine and meat."

"No need for wine, a meal of fresh meat and vegetables will suffice," Wu Jingtian.

"Alright. I'll lead the way for you gentlemen."

Led by Wang Laoshi, the Night Guard drove the oxcart towards the village, while the funeral procession behind them followed for a while before returning to the village at a distance.

Ye Han walked to Wu Jingtian's side and whispered, "Boss Wu, I'm a little uneasy. I feel like something's wrong."

"First time hunting a demon, scared?"

"No, it's just that I feel uncomfortable. My intuition is usually very accurate," Ye Han said.

Wu Jingtian nodded and shouted, "Everyone be careful! This monster might be unusual. Even if it enters the village, we must not be careless!"

Everyone agreed.

Ye Han lowered his head and remained silent.

Li Qingxian gave Han Anbo a wink, and the two retreated to the back of the line.

"I trust Ye Han in this matter. Brother Han, do you think there might be problems in the village?" Li Qingxian asked.

Han Anbo hesitated, "It's hard to say. Anything can happen in the territory of Great Qi. Besides, we can't persuade Wu Commandant anyway. We should just be careful."

Li Qingxian then called Yu Ping and whispered, "The three of us need to be careful. Once we're in the village, we shouldn't eat anything or drink any water. Have you all put on your talismans?"

Yu Ping and Han Anbo nodded slightly.

Li Qingxian followed the group forward, feeling that he had forgotten something quite important, but he couldn't remember what it was.

After the group crossed the bridge and climbed over the slope, they saw the farmland below arranged neatly like a grid, with lush, green crops that were pleasing to the eye and instantly uplifting.

In the fields, some farmers, men and women, chatted and laughed, their voices crisp like bells, carried on the wind.

At the end of the farmland lies a village with rows of houses.

Some houses are thatched huts with wooden walls, while others are brick and tile houses. In the very center of the village stands a three-story wooden building painted white, which looks very white from a distance.

Li Qingxian asked, "What is the White Building for?"

Wang Laoshi laughed and said, "That's where Fifth Lady lives."

Just as Li Qingxian was about to ask, Han Anbo tugged at Li Qingxian's sleeve, stopping him with a look, and then said, "Wang Laoshi, tell me about what's going on in the village."

Wang Laoshi turned to look at Han Anbo, smiled slightly, his wrinkled face creased, and said kindly, "The village wasn't very populous, so we built a Fifth Lady Temple. With the Fifth Lady's presence, the village gradually prospered. With more people, there's hope for the future..."

Wang Laoshi chattered on and on about everyday family matters and village trivia.

Li Qingxian asked in a low voice, "Why won't you let me ask?"

Han Anbo said, "This is the rule of the martial world. In the wilderness, if you encounter someone sitting in court, in a temple, or in a mountain, you can't just ask their name. Countless people have ruined their lives because of this."

"I see," Li Qingxian said.

Han Anbo lowered his voice and said, "This building is a little different."

Li Qingxian's heart skipped a beat. He had only asked because he found it strange; what kind of all-white wooden building was that? How depressing!

Li Qingxian frowned and asked in a low voice, "Should we try to persuade Wu Commandant not to enter the village?"

Han Anbo gritted his teeth and said, "I'll do it."

Han Anbo strode forward and whispered to Wu Jingtian, "Wu Commandant, there's a temple in this village. You're in a position of power. I think it's best not to see him."

Wu Jingtian frowned and said, "We need to investigate the wolf demon, so we can't avoid entering the village, just not the White Building. Don't worry, I know. I'll just be careful."

Han Anbo nodded, said no more, and returned to Li Qingxian's side, gently shaking his head.

Li Qingxian sighed and said in a low voice, "Ever since that incident in the West Courtyard of the Imperial Prison, I've been a little afraid... no, I'm afraid of losing my life. Maybe I'm overthinking it."

"Let's take it one step at a time," Han Anbo said.

The group descended the slope and walked along the dirt road towards the village. Halfway there, Ye Han approached and asked in a low voice, "Do you trust me?"

Li Qingxian smiled and said, "What are you saying? If I don't believe you, who else can I believe? I also feel that something is wrong with this place."

"If anything happens, we brothers must work together," Ye Han said.

"Certainly."

The two looked into each other's eyes, their gazes sincere.

The funeral procession behind crossed the bridge and slowly climbed the slope.

As the funeral procession descended the slope, a figure appeared by the riverbank.

Zhou Hen stared at a corner of the roof of the White Building, frowned slightly, secretly channeled his True Essence, and walked on water to cross the river. Suddenly, black mist filled his vision, and countless Demon-Devil rushed over, their shouts shaking the heavens.

Zhou Hen drew his curved sword and awl, and slashed down the Demon-Devil.

The funeral procession suddenly stopped, Liu Laosan's widow slowly turned around, climbed to the top of the slope, and looked towards the river.

Zhou Hen, dressed in black, stood by the river, his hands gripping the hilts of his sword and knife, his head slightly bowed, and his eyes closed.

Strands of True Essence intertwined into white mist, swirling and coiling around his body.

Within a radius of three zhang, the sand and gravel on the ground bounced up and down, making a rustling sound.

Apart from him, there was no one else on the riverbank.

The widow's bright black eyes glanced at Zhou Hen, then she turned and went back.

The twenty-one-man Night Guard squad stopped at the village entrance, having traversed a road surrounded by farmland.

Wang Laoshi instructed a villager to prepare the meal, then smiled and said, "Night Guard, there are several large communal rooms in the village, enough to accommodate all of you gentlemen. Shall we go now?"

Wu Jingtian remained silent, standing at the village entrance.

At the entrance of the village stands an Old Scholar Tree that would take five or six people to encircle, its deep green leaves heavy and casting a large shade.

Under the shade of the trees, six or seven elderly people, enjoying the cool air, fanned themselves with palm-leaf fans and looked over with smiles.

The gravel road ahead was flat and wide. Several women were walking and chatting, carrying wooden basins full of clothes. Three or five children were playing hopscotch in the open space beside the main road.

Wooden houses, mud houses, and brick and stone houses are scattered on both sides. Some houses are brand new, while others are dilapidated and overgrown with weeds, just like any other ordinary village.

At the end of the road, in the center of the village, lies a large courtyard with red walls and a black gate. Three guards dressed in coarse red cloth stand in front of the gate, holding white-tasseled spears and wearing white cloth belts around their waists. They are expressionless and motionless.

The White Building is located in the courtyard.

The courtyard wall was low, and from a distance, one could see twenty-one white lanterns hanging on the third floor of the White Building.

Wu Jingtian looked at Han Anbo.

Han Anbo gently shook his head.

I can't see anything.