"Hyah!"
With a flick of his long whip, Erhu sent the carriage steadily onto the road.
Wang Lang did not sit inside the carriage, instead walking alongside it.
They happened to pass by an estate.
It was Liu Manor.
At this moment, Liu Manor's gates stood wide open, and many yamen runners from the City Lord's Mansion were coming and going through the courtyard.
Some carried chests, some moved furniture, while another group was clearing away the piles of mangled flesh in the yard.
Wang Lang recognized the burly man leading the group in the courtyard.
He was one of the two Body Tempering Realm guards beside City Lord Zhou, apparently surnamed Chen.
Guard Chen was currently directing the yamen runners as they registered and packed away Liu Manor's valuables one by one.
Wang Lang watched for a while and understood.
The Liu family had been wiped out by demons, and they were now inventorying its property.
According to the laws of the Limitless Dynasty, ownerless property was to be handled by the authorities. But how it was handled left plenty of room for maneuver.
Judging by this display, it was hard to say whether City Lord Zhou would swallow the estate whole and stuff the Liu family's wealth into his own coffers.
As for what he would say when reporting it to the prefectural government, that was another matter entirely.
Wang Lang shook his head.
This City Lord Zhou had not moved while the Changle Gang was around, nor had he shown much concern for the common folk. Yet when it came to dealing with ownerless property, he was remarkably eager.
Still, Wang Lang could not be bothered to interfere. He did not know whether the Liu family had any distant relatives, but even if they did, they likely would not dare contend with the city lord.
Just as he was about to continue on his way, Guard Chen spotted him from the courtyard and hurried over, cupping his fists. "Young Master Wang!"
Wang Lang gave a slight nod.
Guard Chen said, "Are you leaving the city, Young Master? Thank you so much for stepping in last night."
"No need to be polite." Wang Lang replied indifferently, "Eliminating demons and suppressing evil is simply my duty."
Guard Chen hesitated, then lowered his voice. "Young Master, City Lord Zhou ordered me to clear this place out... Do you think there is anything improper about it?"
Wang Lang glanced at him.
This guard was rather interesting. He had actually come to ask for Wang Lang's opinion.
But on second thought, Wang Lang understood. The strength he had displayed last night had made these government people take notice.
They were testing his attitude.
"Just handle it according to the law." After saying that, Wang Lang spoke no further and turned to leave.
Guard Chen remained where he was, mulling over those words. Only after a long while did he turn and return to the courtyard.
The carriage continued onward.
Yet Wang Lang felt somewhat reflective.
The Liu family had counted as a wealthy household in Qinglin City, with riches beyond measure. Now that the entire family was dead, all that wealth would merely benefit others.
People often put wealth first, but if one's life was gone, what use was wealth?
"Nothing in this world can be taken away; only karma follows one's body."
"So in these little days of ours, eat when it is time to eat, drink when it is time to drink. Living each day well is what matters most."
"Young Master, there's a tea stall ahead. Shall we rest our feet?" Erhu's voice interrupted his thoughts.
Wang Lang looked up and saw a crude tea stall by the official road. He nodded.
The tea stall owner was an old man in his fifties. Seeing customers arrive, he greeted them warmly.
Wang Lang ordered a pot of coarse tea, while Erhu carefully parked the carriage and gave the horses some water.
"You're a cultivator, aren't you, Young Master?" the old man asked as he poured the tea.
Wang Lang looked at him.
The old man smiled. "I've been selling tea beside this official road for twenty years. I've seen all kinds of people."
"With bearing like yours, Young Master, you are most likely an accomplished cultivator."
He paused, then added:
"I heard demons caused trouble in the city last night and were slain by several great masters. Do you know anything about it, Young Master?"
Wang Lang nodded. "I heard a little."
"That was a tremendous merit!" the old man sighed. "Common folk like us fear demons and ghosts most of all."
"The authorities cannot handle them, so we can only place our hopes in great masters like you."
Wang Lang took a sip of tea and said nothing.
The old man did not mind and continued on his own. "But then again, in these times, there are many demons, and just as many wicked people."
"A while ago, famine struck Qi Family Village to the west. I heard several wealthy village households clamped down on their grain stores tighter than a sealed jar."
"Not only did they refuse to spare even a grain of rice for relief, they drove the price of rice sky-high, forcing several families with nowhere left to turn to sell their sons and daughters."
"Ah, if you ask me, people like that are demons too."
Erhu, listening nearby, could not help interjecting, "The authorities do nothing?"
"Do something? How?" The old man shook his head.
"That village falls under Black Stone City. I heard those wealthy families have all sorts of tangled connections with important people in the city."
"Rumor has it the village chief submitted petitions several times, but in the end, there was never any response."
Wang Lang listened silently and said nothing.
It was not that his heart had gone cold. He simply knew he could not manage it all.
There were too many injustices under heaven.
All he could do was go take a look that night. If it proved true, then he would kill the guilty and distribute the grain.
After resting for about a quarter of an hour, the two continued on their journey.
The latter half of the road was fairly quiet. Erhu focused on driving, while Wang Lang considered his arrangements after returning.
When the sun climbed higher, they finally arrived at Listening Waves Mountain Manor.
Erhu helped carry the belongings into the courtyard. Wang Lang paid him ten taels of silver, then gave him another two. "You've worked hard."
Erhu repeatedly waved his hands. "Young Master, you've given too much!"
"Take it." Wang Lang left no room for refusal.
Only then did Erhu accept it with profuse thanks and drive away in the carriage.
Wang Lang pushed open the courtyard gate. Before he could speak, a streak of white darted from the house and pounced straight at him.
"Langzi! You're finally back!"
The newcomer was none other than Su Yao, the little fox with snow-white fur all over her body.
She had thought Wang Lang would be gone for several days. She had never expected him to return so quickly.
Su Yao clung to Wang Lang's leg, sniffing hard. "Langzi, you smell so good! Did you hide something delicious?"
Wang Lang laughed and began untying the bundle.
When he took out the first roast chicken, Su Yao's eyes went wide.
Wang Lang tore off a drumstick for her. She held it in both front paws and ate until her mouth gleamed with grease, mumbling as she ate:
"Mmm... delicious... So this is roast chicken!! It's even tastier than Mother said..."
Wang Lang went into the hall and sat down, pouring himself a cup of water. "What else did your mother say was delicious?"
"So many things!" Having finished the drumstick, the fox began attacking a chicken wing.
"Mother said there was West Lake vinegar fish, prairie roast lamb, East Sea prawns...
She said that when she traveled the world in those days, she tasted food from all four corners. Only after she became pregnant with me did she settle down in the Cloudmist Mountain Range."
"Oh, right, how was last night? Were the demons powerful?"
After finishing one roast chicken, Su Yao licked her paws with lingering satisfaction.
Wang Lang gave her a brief account.
When she heard there had been three Second-Order Demons, Su Yao clicked her tongue.
"That dangerous? Good thing I didn't go and drag you down!"
Wang Lang could not be bothered with her and continued.
When she heard about City Lord Zhou swallowing the Liu family's estate whole, Su Yao snorted disdainfully.
"Humans are so hypocritical! When us Demon Race folk rob someone, we rob them openly. Unlike you people, who still need an excuse about handling things according to the law."
"So you are part of the Demon Race."
"So what?" Su Yao lifted her chin. "At least I'm honest! I also like to right wrongs and uphold justice on Heaven's behalf. I'm a good demon!!"
Wang Lang pushed the other roast chicken toward her. "Eat."
Su Yao pounced on it in delight, then suddenly remembered something and looked up to ask:
"What are you planning to do next? Continue cultivating in seclusion?"
Wang Lang thought for a moment. "Hurry up and eat. Once you're done, I'll take you to right wrongs."
Before you continue