Demon Traces

Morning, at the gates of Xiangyun County.

Yang Xiao led his horse, with four young Yamen Runners following behind him—Zhao Tieniu, Sun Ming, Zhou Qiang, and Zhou Gang.

All four had accompanied Yang Xiao on his last patrol to Wang Village. By now, they were utterly convinced of his abilities.

When they heard he was going to Li Family Hamlet, they had come to join him without hesitation.

"Head Constable Yang, are we going to Li Family Hamlet today?" Zhao Tieniu asked.

"Yes." Yang Xiao nodded. "People have gone missing there. It's serious."

Sun Ming blinked. Recalling Yang Xiao's display of might, he said with some disdain, "I heard Constable Li Tie has been stationed there for three months and still hasn't solved it. What a useless fool."

The brothers Zhou Qiang and Zhou Gang followed behind them in silence.

Yang Xiao swung into the saddle, cutting their chatter short.

"Let's go."

The four mounted their horses and followed Yang Xiao along the official road toward the northern outskirts.

Li Family Hamlet lay about thirty li north of Xiangyun County.

They rode quickly.

About an hour later, Yang Xiao made out the outline of a village in the distance.

"That's Li Family Hamlet." Zhao Tieniu pointed ahead.

Yang Xiao narrowed his eyes and studied the village.

It was fairly large, with roughly a hundred households. Its houses stood in orderly clusters at the foot of a mountain.

Farmland and woods surrounded it. It looked no different from any other village.

They rode on and soon reached the village entrance.

Several villagers were working along the road there.

At the sight of Yang Xiao's party, they stopped what they were doing and looked at him.

Yang Xiao noticed something in their eyes that they could not quite conceal.

It was not respect for officials, but... distance.

"The way they're looking at us seems a little strange," Sun Ming whispered.

Yang Xiao did not answer. He was puzzled too.

The villagers' reaction was indeed odd.

Ordinarily, when villagers saw Yamen Runners and Head Constables from the County Yamen, they might not show much respect, but they should not be so distant.

Yet these villagers' gazes were flat and utterly numb.

"Head Constable Yang is here!"

A familiar voice rang out.

Yang Xiao looked up and saw Li Tie walking out of the village with a smile.

"Thanks for making the trip, thanks for making the trip." Li Tie stepped forward and patted Yang Xiao on the shoulder. "You've come such a long way. Get some rest first."

"There's no rush."

Yang Xiao said, "First, tell me what's going on."

"Ah, all right." Li Tie's expression faltered, as though he had not expected Yang Xiao to be so conscientious.

"Let's go to the Runner Guardroom. I'll fill you in there."

Li Tie led Yang Xiao and the others into the village.

They arrived at a house in the village with a sign reading "Runner Guardroom" hanging by its door.

Li Tie pushed the door open. Several Yamen Runners were resting inside.

"On your feet. Greet Head Constable Yang," Li Tie called.

The Yamen Runners rose and saluted Yang Xiao.

"Head Constable Yang."

Yang Xiao nodded, his gaze passing over them.

There were eight or nine of them, ranging from the Body Forging 4th Layer to the Body Forging 6th Layer.

They were not particularly strong, but they could handle ordinary Demons.

"Head Constable Yang, sit down and rest a moment." Li Tie showed him to a seat, then began explaining the situation.

"The disappearances in Li Family Hamlet started three months ago."

"At first, chickens, ducks, and livestock went missing. We thought wild animals were responsible and paid it little mind. Then cattle and horses began to vanish too, and we started taking it seriously."

"We sent men to patrol and investigate, but found no clues."

"And then... people started disappearing."

Li Tie sighed, weariness showing on his face.

"Fifteen villagers have gone missing so far."

"No sign of them alive or dead. We can't even find their bodies."

Yang Xiao frowned slightly. "Were there any traces at the scenes?"

"No." Li Tie shook his head. "No signs of a struggle. The missing people seemed to have vanished into thin air."

"We suspect a Demon, but we haven't found any trace of one."

"I've had the Yamen Runners patrol and investigate by day while I kept watch at night."

"But I can't manage it all alone. Working day and night without a break has worn me down."

Yang Xiao listened, turning it over in his mind.

No signs of a struggle, people vanishing into thin air...

It did sound like a Demon's work.

But what kind of Demon could do that?

"Any clues about the Demon?" Yang Xiao asked.

"None."

Yang Xiao nodded and thought for a moment before asking another question.

"Constable Li, how are the patrols arranged each day?"

"I usually split the Yamen Runners into two groups, one to patrol by day and one to keep watch at night." Li Tie folded his arms. "I'm generally here both day and night, though I occasionally return to the County Yamen to report in."

"Now that you're here, Head Constable Yang, you can take some of the burden off me."

"All right." Yang Xiao nodded.

Li Tie rose and headed for the door. "I'll find you a room first. In a little while, come patrol with us and get to know the area."

"You've had a long journey, so you needn't patrol tonight."

Yang Xiao nodded without saying anything.

Li Tie led Yang Xiao and the others to a house on the south side of the village.

Yang Xiao stepped inside and looked around.

The room was small but fairly clean, with several beds and some simple tables and chairs.

That afternoon, Li Tie took Yang Xiao and his four companions around the village to familiarize them with the area.

"This is the eastern part of the village. Most of the missing people lived around here." Li Tie pointed to several houses.

"This is the western part. A few households here keep cattle and horses. This was also where livestock first went missing."

"The north side borders the mountain forest. We suspect the Demon may have come out of the mountains. Many villagers nearby have already moved away." Li Tie pointed into the distance but did not go farther.

Yang Xiao listened while observing their surroundings.

The village's layout was simple, with a hundred or so households spread across the foot of the mountain.

Farmland and woods surrounded it, and the northern edge bordered the mountain forest.

If a Demon came out of the mountains, it could certainly enter the village.

But strangely, since the disappearances began, the villagers had largely stopped leaving the village, yet people still went missing regularly.

Could that mean the Demon was already hiding in the village?

Yang Xiao considered the possibility but kept it to himself.

They continued wandering through the village while Li Tie described each area in detail.

Judging by how carefully he explained everything, nothing seemed amiss about him.

The sky gradually darkened. As the sun set, dusk settled over the village.

"It's getting late. I've arranged a meal. Would you care to join us, Head Constable Yang?" Li Tie asked with a smile.

Yang Xiao was about to reply when his brow suddenly furrowed.

A faint scent reached his nose.

It was... Demonic Qi!