Corpse

"Hall Master Qin, perhaps you should worry more about your own assessment results."

"I heard the Apprentice Demon Suppressors recruited under your batch are all utterly ordinary too. Shall I transfer a few to you?"

He Chunlin joked with a smile.

Xiao Tianci, standing beside him, also took a sip of tea, unable to hide the smile on his face.

"Hmph... No need. Fine talents and precious jades can emerge under my command as well."

Qin Ruobing's expression immediately tightened.

For the past three years, she had consistently ranked at the bottom in the assessments. For someone as prideful as her, it was rather humiliating.

Having only recently taken office, the Apprentice Demon Suppressors under her command were all exceedingly ordinary, and they had suffered the greatest losses. Naturally, she could not compare to the other two Deputy Hall Masters.

He Chunlin and the other man merely smiled faintly and stopped provoking her.

The great hall soon returned to silence.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

Over those three days, Lu Changsheng had continuously controlled the Exotic Beast to explore the underground river, and he had gained something from it.

His Source Energy Points had risen to twenty once more.

However, looking at the still-grayed-out plus sign behind Iron Cloth Shirt, he knew he was still far from having enough to deduce the martial art.

Today was the day of departure, so Lu Changsheng rose early.

Fang Qing and Fang Tao had also been waiting in the courtyard since dawn.

When Fang Qing saw Lu Changsheng emerge, joy lit up her face.

Holding several sets of clothes, she walked toward him with graceful steps.

"Take these clothes with you to wear on the road. You must be very careful when you go out."

Her voice was exceptionally gentle, her eyes shimmering.

She looked like a tender wife seeing her husband off on a journey.

"My sister stayed up all night making these," Fang Tao added from the side.

Fang Qing's face reddened at once, making her all the more captivating.

"Thank you, Sister-in-law Qing. While I'm away, the two of you should stay home."

Lu Changsheng smiled slightly, accepted the clothes from her hands, then passed them and headed out of the courtyard.

Even after Lu Changsheng had gone far away, Fang Qing and Fang Tao continued to silently watch his retreating figure.

"Sis, do you like Brother Lu?"

"What nonsense are you talking about?!"

Fang Qing's face instantly turned as red as a ripe apple, and she hurried into the bedroom.

Only after reaching the bedside did her restless heart gradually calm.

After a long while, she let out a soft sigh.

As a widow said to bring ruin upon her husband, she was no longer worthy of Lu Changsheng, who now held an official position.

That Lu Changsheng still remembered their old bond after rising in the world was already a blessing beyond measure for the two of them. They naturally did not dare hope for anything more.

Lu Changsheng proceeded along the streets. Under the reverent gazes of the common folk on both sides, he soon arrived at a secluded place in the east of the city.

This was precisely the location displayed on the mission token.

By the time he arrived, four figures were already standing there.

Three men and one woman, all brimming with vitality and bearing striking presence.

Lu Changsheng stared at one of the sinister-looking men, his expression freezing.

It was actually Li Yunhua.

Enemies truly met on a narrow road. He had never expected them to be assigned to the same mission.

This trip to Yunxi Village is likely to be quite interesting.

He sneered inwardly.

Seeing Lu Changsheng arrive, Li Yunhua was first startled, then burst into a hearty laugh. "Haha... Brother Lu, you've finally arrived. Let's set off at once."

His tone was remarkably familiar, as though they had been close friends for years.

At the same time, Li Yunhua was overjoyed inside. He had not expected Lu Changsheng to walk right into his trap. This time, he would see how the man died.

Naturally, he was not foolish enough to reveal his hostility outright. Instead, he put on an exceedingly warm and friendly manner.

If Lu Changsheng were to "accidentally" perish later, then it would have nothing to do with him.

"Many days have passed, yet Brother Li remains as impressive as ever."

Lu Changsheng smiled as well, as refreshing as a spring breeze.

He naturally understood Li Yunhua's intentions and began playing along.

Both men harbored the same plan.

They immediately began addressing each other as brothers, and the scene became exceedingly harmonious.

Even the other three looked at them strangely, not expecting the two to be so familiar.

After exchanging a few simple words, the group set off.

They passed through the city gates and hurried toward the lands beyond the city.

This was the first time Lu Changsheng had ever left the city in all his life, and everything outside felt fresh to him.

Weeds grew everywhere, while even the official road was battered and crumbling. There was not a single person on the road, and the place seemed desolate and lonely, leaving him somewhat disappointed.

As they walked and talked, Lu Changsheng gradually became acquainted with the others.

The only woman was named Yue Shulan. She was tall and carried herself with a valiant, heroic air.

The other two men wore yellow robes and had resolute features. Both were descendants of prominent families and were close to Li Yunhua.

These three were clearly one faction, with Li Yunhua at their head.

Gradually, Yue Shulan also noticed that something was strange between Lu Changsheng and Li Yunhua. They seemed cordial on the surface but at odds beneath it, so she deliberately began drawing closer to Lu Changsheng.

She could not squeeze into the circle of family clans anyway, so there was no point wasting her effort.

Lu Changsheng did not reject her. Before long, the two became familiar as well.

For a time, the entire group split into two camps.

Half an hour later.

The group had moved far from the county seat, and the road became increasingly difficult to travel.

No wonder none of them had chosen to ride horses.

Fortunately, they all possessed martial cultivation, so their speed was still not slow.

After hurrying along the road until afternoon, they arrived at the edge of a dilapidated village.

The surroundings were utterly barren. Several dead trees stood atop earthen slopes, and the occasional caw of a crow rang out, making the place especially eerie.

A nearly dried-up river ran through the village, giving off a strong stench.

Yunxi Village was a remote settlement several dozen li east of Changping County. It had only about a thousand residents and scarcely a few mu of fertile land, so most of its people lived in poverty.

Yet over the past half year, strange incidents had occurred one after another.

Villagers had repeatedly died inexplicably in their homes, each death gruesome beyond compare.

With the village chief driven to his wits' end, he had reported the matter to the authorities.

When Lu Changsheng and his party passed between the dilapidated thatched huts on both sides and arrived before a somewhat decent courtyard, its owner had long since received word and was waiting outside.

At that moment, a large crowd of villagers gathered around them. Most were extremely thin, with traces of fear still lingering on their faces.

At the front of the courtyard, an elderly man in green robes walked toward Lu Changsheng and the others.

"This old man is Old Man Sun, village chief of Yunxi Village. May I ask if you esteemed sirs are officers from the county's Demon Suppression Department?"

"This old man has already prepared food and drink."

The elderly man in green smiled and bowed deeply, keeping his posture exceedingly humble.

"There is no need for food. Take us directly to the site of the incidents."

Li Yunhua spoke first, his expression calm.

As martial artists, they had enjoyed every sort of delicacy. Everyone only wanted to complete the mission as quickly as possible and return to the county seat.

This place was far too run-down and reeked everywhere, making them deeply uncomfortable.

Old Man Sun paused, then forced out a smile. "Then please follow this old man, esteemed sirs."

He led the way toward a small hill to the side.

Lu Changsheng and the others followed close behind.

Before long, the group arrived before a ruined courtyard.

Even before approaching, they could smell a thick stench of decay that was revolting beyond measure.

Li Yunhua and the others frowned and quickly entered.

The moment they stepped inside, they saw a row of corpses lying on wooden boards beneath white cloths.

There were ten in total, packed tightly together. The stench of decay came from here.

The weather had been gradually turning colder. These corpses must have been dead for many days to smell so foul.

"These are all the people in the village who died mysteriously over the past month. This old man did not dare move them carelessly..."

Old Man Sun looked at the corpses before him, his face filled with terror.

Hearing this, Lu Changsheng slowly approached the corpse furthest to the right.

He lifted the white cloth.

A male corpse with a deathly pale face lay on the wooden board. Its eyes bulged wide, as if it had been frightened to death alive. It was exceptionally bizarre.

"Have you discovered any other unusual occurrences recently? How long has it been since the first person died?"

He looked at Old Man Sun and spoke evenly.

Upon hearing this, Old Man Sun's gaze drifted, as though he were struggling to recall.

After a moment, he finally said in a low voice, "It has already been three months since the first person met with misfortune. After that, more and more people began dying..."

"As for other abnormalities, there do not seem to have been any. The village has always been very peaceful. It was only recently that this calamity happened."

Lu Changsheng's expression shifted slightly. "Why did you not report it to the authorities earlier?"

Thud...

Old Man Sun dropped to his knees in fright, his eyes filled with panic.

"I, I..."

He was so anxious that he began stammering, unable to force out a complete sentence.

"Enough. No more nonsense. Leave for now."

Li Yunhua waved a hand, impatiently dismissing him from the area.

They were all shrewd people. How could they fail to understand what the village chief was thinking?

He had merely feared that it would affect his position as village chief, so he chose to conceal the matter. Only when it grew too serious to suppress, coupled with the fact that the Wicked Spirit could take his life at any moment, had the pressure from all sides forced him to report it.