Luohe Village!

Lu Changsheng and Yue Shulan exchanged a few more words before parting ways.

When he returned to his courtyard, Fang Qing had already prepared breakfast.

The two of them sat on the stone chairs in the courtyard, waiting for him.

When Fang Qing saw Lu Changsheng return, her eyes lit up. She hurriedly rose with Fang Tao and went to greet him.

Lu Changsheng walked over to the stone table and sat down, his expression freezing when he saw the lavish spread before him.

Chicken, duck, fish, and meat of every kind filled the table, along with a pot of fine wine.

"What day is it today?"

He was rather surprised.

Though they ate meat at every meal these days, he had never seen such a sumptuous feast.

"We still haven't had a housewarming feast."

Fang Qing smiled sweetly and poured Lu Changsheng a cup of wine.

She had never dreamed of living such good days.

Some of their former neighbors could barely afford even bran and husks, while they ate meat every day. This was one of the benefits Lu Changsheng had brought them as a martial artist.

Lu Changsheng did not stand on ceremony and invited the two of them to eat.

Cup after cup, he drank whatever was offered without refusing.

Even Fang Qing drank quite a bit, her face flushed crimson and utterly captivating.

After several rounds of wine.

Fang Qing suddenly let out a soft sigh. "Prices in the county town have gone mad these days. Refugees come into the city every day seeking shelter. I heard the world outside is becoming more and more unsettled..."

"Changsheng, when you go out to carry out missions, you must be extra careful..."

She treasured this hard-won life dearly and knew that all of it had been brought to her by Lu Changsheng.

"Mm..."

Lu Changsheng smiled and nodded.

"I'll give you more silver later. Buy more daily necessities and stockpile them."

He was not short on silver anyway.

The three of them ate the family feast to their hearts' content.

Night had fallen, still and silent as water.

Lu Changsheng sat in a chair in his bedroom, reading a book.

It recorded many strange people and extraordinary events from Changping County, and he had borrowed it from the Demon Suppression Department's offices.

He had always kept up the habit of reading, and his understanding of the world had grown ever more thorough.

Countless demons, evil spirits, and bizarre entities hid among mankind, keeping him from ever lowering his guard.

Luohe Village was called a village, but in truth, it was no different from a small town.

The settlement was simply too large, with several thousand inhabitants.

Located more than a hundred li east of the county town, it lay backed by mountains and beside water, a place that nurtured its people well.

In the afternoon.

A handsome young man walked leisurely toward the village with his hands clasped behind his back, looking carefree and unrestrained.

It was Lu Changsheng.

After half a day of travel, he had finally reached Luohe Village.

He raised his head and looked ahead.

Thatched cottages stood everywhere, wisps of cooking smoke curling into the air. The whole village appeared peaceful and harmonious.

A long street ran from one end of the village straight to the other.

As Lu Changsheng entered the village, crowds flowed along both sides of the street, making the place exceptionally lively.

There was even an eerie sense of peace.

Before long, Lu Changsheng casually found an inn in the center of the village.

Three gilded characters, "Yuelai Inn," hung above its doorway.

He stepped inside.

"Honored guest, what a rare visitor. This way, please..."

A man dressed like a black-clad attendant hurried forward, his face full of obsequious smiles.

Lu Changsheng found a window seat and ordered some food and wine.

Not long afterward, the waiter carried over the dishes and wine.

"Has anything strange happened in the village lately?"

Lu Changsheng smiled and casually placed a tael of silver on the table.

As an inn waiter, this man was often among the best-informed.

Lu Changsheng did not beat around the bush and asked directly.

"This... the village has always been very peaceful..."

The waiter paused, his eyes brimming with temptation as he looked at the silver on the table.

He did not know what Lu Changsheng wanted to ask about.

So he began racking his brains for anything he could remember.

"A few days ago, Wang Dafu from the end of the village was caught sneaking around with Aunt Li next door..."

"Madam Zhao at the village entrance couldn't bear the loneliness and was with her own younger brother-in-law in the kitchen..."

The waiter transformed into a master detective, wracking his brains to recount every strange tale he could think of.

For that tael of silver, he was truly giving it everything he had.

"Anything else?"

Lu Changsheng asked again, expressionless.

The waiter was stunned. He had not expected all that explosive news to still leave Lu Changsheng unsatisfied.

Just as he was about to give up, an idea suddenly struck him.

"Some time ago, I heard that several martial artists came to the village looking for treasure. Does that count as something strange?"

"Oh?"

Lu Changsheng's gaze shifted slightly, and his interest was piqued.

"Tell me about it, and this silver will be yours."

Before long, the waiter told Lu Changsheng every detail of the matter, then happily left with the silver.

Lu Changsheng also came to understand the origin and course of events.

According to the waiter, half a year ago, lights had flashed through the night in a small valley several li outside the village.

Word spread that there was treasure in the valley, attracting some martial artists to search for it.

Later, when nothing unusual was found for a long time, the matter gradually faded away.

Only occasionally would someone still refuse to give up and come investigate.

Lu Changsheng ate his dishes as he pondered.

There was something suspicious about this matter.

He did not believe that such a small mountain village possessed any treasure.

Who had spread this rumor? That required investigation as well. And what had been their purpose?

Now that he had doubts, he decided to begin here and investigate thoroughly.