I was careless...
Chen Qing secretly became wary, realizing that until he had fully grown up, he still needed to keep the Ghost Child with him at all times; it was too dangerous.
If this woman has any ill intentions, there's really nothing I can do!
"You don't believe in God, young lady?" Chen Qing calmed herself down and asked with a smile.
"There are no gods in this world!" the woman in white said coldly. "If there were gods, where would they be when humanity has been persecuted by demons for thousands of years?"
"And that will be available from now on," Chen Qing said with a smile.
"Playing tricks!" the woman sneered, her pupils displaying a strange pattern that suddenly flashed with blue light as she looked at the three wolf heads at the city gate.
Second-Degree Spirit Eye?
Chen Qing narrowed his eyes slightly. This woman was quite talented. Judging from her age, she was only around fifteen or sixteen years old, yet she had managed to open her Second-Degree Spirit Eye. Among the ancient sorcerers he had created, she was considered a genius.
"Um?"
The woman in white was stunned. Even with her Second-Degree Spirit Eye activated, she still couldn't see anything unusual about the wolf head on the city gate.
I can't see even the slightest fluctuation of spiritual energy. Could it be some kind of high-level demon?
Or perhaps it's Artifact Demon?
That's not right either...
The woman recalled the feeling she had when the white wolf appeared. She had seen Artifact Demon use their powers before, and they always gave off a chilling feeling. But the white wolf was different. From the moment it displayed its supernatural powers, it did not make her feel uncomfortable at all.
This feeling was even more comfortable than the techniques used by these practitioners.
After all, the power of sorcerers also originates from demons, and when they use it, it still makes people feel very uncomfortable. This is why many people have a sense of respect and distance towards sorcerers, as the power of demons is inherently malevolent towards humans.
But the white wolf was different...
What exactly is it?
Just then, he saw Chen Qing already walking down the city wall, and immediately frowned. "Stop, I haven't even asked my question yet..."
He froze at this point!
She felt an extremely terrifying chill creep down her back, so terrifying that she didn't even dare to turn around!
What do you want to ask?
The voice behind her was childish and asked gently, but the oppressive tone caused the woman in white to instantly break out in a sweat.
She didn't even dare to activate the spell, because her instincts told her that doing so... would kill her!
" Nezha, come down!" Chen Qing turned around, frowned, and waved.
Nezha snorted and glanced at the female sorcerer, then jumped down. Because he was wearing armor and a mask, and because of his petite body, he looked adorably silly when he jumped down.
But the sorceress felt no attraction whatsoever.
Who is that?
Even with her Second-Degree Spirit Eye, she couldn't see any spiritual energy fluctuations on the other person, nor could she discern their bloodline. However... she was certain that this little guy was extremely terrifying, even more terrifying than some of the duke-level monsters she had encountered!
"Etc..."
"Is there anything else, young lady?" Chen Qing frowned. If it weren't for the fact that the other person was a woman and she had no ill intentions, she would have already had Nezha beat her up!
"Who exactly are you? Why have you come to Liuzhou?" the woman in white asked, mustering her courage.
"I am Chen Qing, the Prefect of Liuzhou. This is my jurisdiction. As for you, young lady, you have entered the city wall without permission, which is a violation. I will let it go this time, but if you do it again, I will pursue the matter. Since you are a sorcerer, who is your teacher? Didn't he teach you any manners?"
With the Ghost Child nearby, Chen Qing, emboldened, directly inquired about its origins.
"So you are Chen Qing..." The woman in white nodded thoughtfully, "Just as Wei Gongcheng said, you are not a simple person."
Do you know Old Wei?
"My master Mu Hongqing, has sent his disciple, Chen Ying, to assist you in stabilizing Liuzhou. I look forward to your guidance in the future!"
Oh dear, is this still my front door?
Chen Qing immediately smiled, "So you're actually a disciple of the Jiangnan Provincial Education Commissioner? What a misunderstanding! Since you were sent by Lord Mu, I hope you'll give me your guidance in the future!"
After returning the gift, Chen Qing asked again, "Miss, you just mentioned Old Wei. Did he come with you?"
"Yes..." Chen Ying resumed her cold expression and said calmly, " Chen Ying is here on my master's orders to escort General Wei... and also to meet your beautiful concubine!"
Chen Qing: "..."
Ah, that guy's here too...
--
"Come on, let's have a drink first!"
After closing the gates and finishing their shift at night, the soldier nicknamed Maozi, without even taking off his armor, excitedly found Gu Bei and they went together to the only restaurant still open in Liuzhou City, ordering a table full of snacks to go with drinks.
The restaurant was run by Ma Erniang. Ever since Chen Qing announced the tax exemption policy and large merchants started bringing their employees into the city one after another, Ma Erniang had been thinking about opening a shop.
Now that no one is competing for her business and there are no taxes, it's the perfect time for her to make money.
Sure enough, although Ma Erniang's cooking skills were only so-so, people still need to eat, and now that she was the only restaurant there, business was booming. If Maozi hadn't had someone make a reservation in advance, he and Gu Bei wouldn't have been able to get a table.
"It's been two years since we last met, hasn't it? You're really heartless, leaving your wife in the countryside for two years without even going back to see her once. Come on, drink a penalty shot first!"
Gu Bei nodded without hesitation, downing his drink in one gulp. He inhaled deeply and said, "I'm drowning in debt from last year, how dare I go back? If I bring the creditors over too, how will that mother and daughter survive?"
"And you? How did you become a city guard?" Gu Bei asked, squinting.
You can't become a city guard in Jiangnan without connections. Gu Bei been in the martial arts world for so long, but he doesn't know anyone who can recommend him. How could this Maozi, a hunter, get such a lucrative job?
Even if Liuzhou City has declined now, it's not his turn.
And what happened with that skill just now?
"Ugh, wait a minute, let me take this armor off... Ugh, it's damn heavy..."
Maozi had drunk some wine, and his face was flushed, clearly feeling hot. He immediately got up, took off his armor, and put it on the ground not far away with a thud. Gu Bei's eyelids twitched. This armor was of good quality; judging by its weight, it must weigh at least forty pounds!
Suppressing his surprise, Gu Bei tentatively asked, "Oh, so you know it's heavy? When you jumped from that high city gate, I thought your armor was fake..."
"Hehe, buddy, this armor of mine is the real deal!" Maozi laughed smugly.
"A genuine jumper could actually jump from that height?" Gu Bei squinted and asked, "Wouldn't his legs break?"
"Hehe!" Maozi poured himself a glass of wine. "You're still as cunning as ever. If you want to find out, just ask. Why are you being so secretive?"
Seeing the other party's response, Gu Bei asked seriously, "What exactly is the deal with those so-called gate gods at the city gate?"
"Actually, I can't really explain it," Maozi said, hiccuping. "We've only been city guards for a day or two, and it was the restaurant owner who recommended us. As for those door gods you mentioned..."
The Maozi looked around and whispered, "It really exists!"
nonsense...
Gu Bei rolled his eyes. So many people saw it during the day, of course it really exists. The key question is, what exactly is it?
"I've traveled all over the country for so many years, and I've never heard of any door gods!"
"I've never heard of that either..." Maozi shook his head and said, "But that's what the adults said. As long as we become gatekeepers and believe in the gate god, the gate god will grant us power."
"At first, I really didn't believe it. If the salary they offered hadn't been so generous, I would have thought this new Lord Chen was out of his mind. But as you've seen..."
Maozi put down her glass and said quietly, "It's true, and this is the second time, including yesterday!"
"Whenever anything unclean gets close, the door god will appear, and we gatekeepers will receive a blessing. That feeling is fucking divine! Not only are we filled with power, but we can also control the surrounding wind and make ourselves float. Isn't that amazing?"
Gu Bei was shocked upon hearing this. He stared at Maozi, dumbfounded, and said, "So... you went from knowing nothing to having this ability in just one day?"
"Yeah, all in one day!" Maozi patted his chest and laughed, "Weren't you impressive just now? But let me tell you, yesterday, the first time we used it, we weren't familiar with it, and we were all flustered and covered in dust. What you see today is the result of a whole day of practice."
Gu Bei: "..."
If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would have truly believed the other person was talking nonsense.
Judging from the skills he displayed that afternoon, many martial arts practitioners might not have that level of skill even after twenty years of training. He himself was considered to have considerable external martial arts skills, and in the past, few people in the escort business could last three rounds against him. However, he did not believe he had the ability to cut off the water ghost's head with a single blow.
one day?
Are you kidding me?
Are you serious?
Shopkeeper He rushed back to Whitewater County overnight, immediately reported to the person in charge of Rongsheng Branch in Liuzhou.
The shopkeeper was stunned for a long time after hearing Shopkeeper He's description and couldn't react.
If it weren't for the Shopkeeper He was so reliable, he would have thought the other party had lost their mind.
"Then... then can the door gods identify water ghosts?"
"Not only that!" Shopkeeper He exclaimed, "Those city gate guards weren't just temporary ragtag soldiers; they were all elite troops, each one highly skilled. They took care of the dozen or so water ghosts like cutting melons and vegetables. It seems the imperial court's support is quite substantial!"
"Hiss... Is this for real?" The head of the household rubbed his fingers together. "I've been sailing all these years, and I've never heard of any kind of guardian spirit that can identify water ghosts. If such a thing existed, why would there be so many accidents in the port cities of Jiangnan?"
"I don't understand either..." Shopkeeper He sighed, "If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes today, I wouldn't believe it either."
The head of the household fell silent upon hearing this. If it were true, the entire maritime business community would likely be thrown into turmoil!
"Do we still have the land deed for our shop in Liuzhou?"
"We haven't had a chance to make a move yet!" Shopkeeper He hurriedly said.
"Alright, immediately send a message by carrier pigeon to Song San, who is in charge of buying and selling properties. Under no circumstances should he sell the land deeds. You personally go to the market and check with Hundred Trades and Dongsheng shops to see if they are selling shops in Liuzhou City. If they are, buy them all!"
"Yes!"
"The same goes for real estate. Go contact those Liuzhou people who have already moved out and ask if they're willing to sell their houses. Try to buy them back at a lower price!"
"Your management is brilliant!" Shopkeeper He rubbed his hands together and smiled, just as he had thought before he came.
But then he said, "Isn't the master coming with me to collect the bedding?"
"I'm not going." The head of the household rubbed the jade wrench in his hand and said quietly, "I want to go and see for myself what's going on with those gatekeepers in Liuzhou City!"
Thank you for the generous donation from "The Helmsman Who Is Not Online." Thank you for reading! This book gains another helmsman, thank you!
Thank you for reading. My account number is 140729211246054. I forgot my account number. I'll wait for your donation. Thank you.
Mofang got a new phone, and some donation information from the author's assistant has been lost. Please forgive me if I've missed any reader's name. Thank you all for your support!