The eagle carried Zhou Yao as it spread its wings and soared through the sky at tremendous speed. In the time it took an incense stick to burn, it had traveled a great distance. Before long, it entered a new region. Below lay Thorn City Prefecture, the provincial seat of the Southwestern Province.
Thorn City Prefecture · A residence
An official happened to look up from the main courtyard. Seeing a black speck pass high overhead, he thought little of it, merely remarking, "In a place like this, even the birds are so robust."
The official had keen eyesight and could tell that the eagle was enormous. He did not know whether it was an ordinary bird or one that had awakened its intelligence, and a trace of concern rose within him.
Of late, manifestations of divine power had occurred frequently throughout the land, and the Southwestern Province was no exception.
It was not only the beings worshipped in certain Divine Shrines that manifested their powers, but also Demon Ghosts and other spirits.
Not long ago, in a town near the mountains more than a hundred li from the provincial capital, a spirit had even tried to forcibly take a beautiful woman as its concubine.
A mountain monster, which had cultivated into a spirit heaven knew how long ago, had taken a fancy to the daughter of a wealthy merchant in the town and wanted her for its concubine.
Though the merchant was merely one of the wealthiest men in a small town and counted for little at the commandery or county level, his family had no trouble finding his daughter a husband. Besides, the girl was beautiful, and he had long intended to marry her into a family of higher standing. How could he possibly favor some spirit that