65 - Little Peasant Wife

Shen Lu Man, seeing the expression of helplessness on her face, attempted to comfort her several times. It was only after assuring her that there was no earthquake that she finally relaxed and began to walk forward slowly. Observing that Jing Ao Xue still appeared pale, Shen Lu Man suggested they rest for a while in the Lingbian Village before heading to the mountain stronghold to find Liang Sheng Rong. However, Jing Ao Xue replied, "No, there's this ominous feeling I just can't shake off. I sense something big is going to happen. Given our current lack of strength, we should deal with Liang Sheng Rong quickly and return home as soon as possible." Seeing her resolve, Shen Lu Man refrained from further persuasion and supported her as they headed toward the nearby mountains of Lingbian Village. The term "stronghold" often refers to a bandit fortress built by taking advantage of the mountainous terrain. Here, despite the numerous mountains, the only one with signs of human habitation was the one that was difficult to defend and even harder to attack. It was quite a conspicuous existence. Jing Ao Xue was curious why the authorities hadn't intervened. Shen Lu Man happened to know about this and explained to her. It turned out that while the stronghold was indeed a bandit fortress, it was not of significant scale and had connections with officials in the court. Despite its recent establishment, it had never committed murder and only targeted ships from other countries. Consequently, the authorities turned a blind eye, choosing to ignore the situation. Thus, this stronghold managed to survive for several years without any government intervention. After hearing this, Jing Ao Xue remarked sarcastically, "Having powerful patrons provides a shelter indeed. The ancients didn't deceive me. Since this stronghold colludes with the authorities, let's avoid causing a big scene. We just need to quietly take care of Liang Sheng Rong and then promptly return to the village." Shen Lu Man nodded, and under the dim sky, the two of them took a secluded and difficult path up the mountain. Chapter 42: Protection As the night darkened, various factions started to move. Aunt Lan looked at the downtrodden Liang family's courtyard. No one would have guessed that she, a distinguished devil leader, would humble herself to become a mere concubine in a human household. It was only by lowering her status that she could obtain genuine benefits. Had she not fooled that woman for years? However, she couldn't linger here any longer. Fortunately, her goals had been achieved, and this identity was no longer useful. It's time to proceed with the next phase of her plan. She curved her lips into a seductive smile and asked, "Xiao Cui, is everything in order?" Xiao Cui replied respectfully, "Reporting to Your Excellency, everything has been arranged. We ensured that self-righteous woman won't find a single clue." Aunt Lan's eyes shimmered with allure as she cast a faint glance at her, saying, "Oh, that's good. It's just a pity I won't be able to see her exasperated face in person. Imagining her investigating for years only to come up empty-handed and bewildered gives me joy to live a few more good years." Xiao Cui frowned slightly and said, "Your Excellency, you..." "Enough. I'm aware of my fate, but even at the end, I'll drag her down with me as a companion to the grave. Hmph! Let's go!" With that, she turned and boarded the carriage. Xiao Cui cast a fire spell, reducing the house and everything within, including the unconscious people, to ashes. The carriage gradually moved away and vanished at the end of the street just as a group of people in black arrived late. The young woman leading them wore a grim expression and said, "Send people to put out the fire immediately. I'll report back to the Guo Shi." The people in black acknowledged, and the young woman returned to the dock. She leaped up to the top of the tower ship, which had been arranged like a gazebo. A man and a woman were playing chess there. The man was scholarly and handsome, appearing youthful despite being over forty, he looked no older than twenty-seven or twenty-eight. The girl opposite him was incredibly beautiful, seeming almost otherworldly. She wore a silver luminous dress, and with every slight movement, the dress refracted a gentle silver light. Her features were exquisite, with an air of purity and transcendence, and an unapproachable aura. Currently, she held a white chess piece and stated, "She escaped." As if she had witnessed it herself, her tone was utterly certain. The black-clad girl lowered her head, reporting, "To report, Guo Shi, she escaped!" The girl known as Guo Shi sighed softly, a hint of melancholy crossing her brow. The man opposite her chuckled, saying, "She’s just a fugitive, not worth the Guo Shi's concern." Guo Shi replied, "Wen Yao, don't underestimate this woman. In the world of cultivation, she was once a demon everyone's hands itched to eliminate. Tricks like extracting yin to replenish yang are mere child's play to her. Now, there's unrest in this area, and the discovery of female corpses by the authorities, dead in such a way... I'm worried..." Her male companion, Liu Wen Yao, an influential court official, laughed, "Guo Shi need not fret over this. I will send someone to investigate." Guo Shi nodded, her expression softening slightly, though traces of worry remained. Someone downstairs announced, "Governor Sir, Scholar Han has urgent news to report." It took Liu Wen Yao a moment to remember who Scholar Han was, realizing it was due to him that this situation involved the Guo Shi. Initially, he only intended to return home to visit relatives but encountered a case halfway. Downstream on the river, a fisherman had retrieved a shriveled female corpse far more shocking than those that had been removed from the Guo Shi's residence. He immediately recognized that this matter connected to another realm, the cultivation world, and disembarked to investigate personally. And there was Scholar Han, frowning on the side, analyzing and deducing the age of the female corpse. Following these clues, it was determined the corpse was, in fact, a young girl who had gone missing recently. Everyone was taken aback, and Liu Wen Yao furrowed his brow, not expecting the matter to be so severe. Despite the presence of corrupt officials protecting each other and the rarity of loyal officials, such concealment was truly rare. With so many people missing and the local chaos, yet not a whisper was heard by the court, such concealing officials truly displayed great prowess. With a cold laugh, he, driven by various considerations, personally took up the investigation and reported it to the Guo Shi by messenger pigeon. Being close to Guo Shi, he was aware she had a nemesis in the mortal world. Sure enough, the demon marks unique to her nemesis were found on the corpse. He anticipated Guo Shi would take this seriously but hadn't expected her personal involvement, leading to today's situation. In recent days, he had come to appreciate Scholar Han's genuine talent and resourcefulness, seeing in him ambition reminiscent of his own from twenty years ago. Consequently, he developed a genuine affection for talent and even contemplated taking Scholar Han back to the capital after this affair, to aid him in his official pages post-exam, becoming a valued assistant. At this moment, hearing the servant's report, he bid farewell to the Guo Shi and went downstairs to meet Scholar Han himself. Upon his departure, Guo Shi's expression turned icy, coldly stating, "That vile woman actually remains hidden within this country. Why have I never been able to uncover her whereabouts?" The black-clad girl indifferently reported, "She disguised herself as a girl from a flower house, caught by a local wealthy merchant who took her as a third concubine. It’s said she hardly ever steps outside, leading an extremely obedient life." "Ha! She devalues herself to the point of giving up her identity as a cultivator just to stay alive! Have you discovered any more information?" The black-clad girl continued, "The house was destroyed by her magic fire, and everyone inside perished. However..." "However what?" Guo Shi asked impatiently. The black-clad girl hesitated, then said, "It's said the master of that house, the man she married, left in haste this morning, driving a carriage out of town and has yet to return. Hence, he should still be alive." Guo Shi coldly ordered, "Investigate immediately. That wretched woman is ruthless; she wouldn't spare him for mere marital affection. She must have some scheme waiting for me! Hmph! I don't need to personally act to learn what tricks she plans to play. Leave the other matters to Liu Wen Yao; you focus on tracking that man's whereabouts." The black-clad girl acknowledged the orders and swiftly vanished in the blink of an eye. Meanwhile, Liu Wen Yao sat in the chair below, smiling at the young man with refined features before him, saying, "You mentioned you had something to report earlier?" Scholar Han nodded, "Reporting to the Governor, following days of investigations, tracing those pitiful, abandoned corpses led me to their origin—a site within Lingbian Village not far from here." Liu Wen Yao's eyes widened, "Are you certain?" Scholar Han replied steadily, "I'm eighty percent certain. In fact, this morning, I sent someone to inquire, and the villagers mentioned a peculiar meat scent drifting from the town every night. They found it odd but thought nothing of it, assuming someone was simply cooking." "This has been the case for over a month, and though reported to authorities, it was dismissed lightly due to bribes from the Lingbian Village stronghold." "Upon further investigation, I discovered this so-called stronghold is actually a den of thieves. This further convinced me of something amiss, prompting me to report the matter urgently to you, Governor, for your judgment." His explanation was logical, and Liu Wen Yao, no mere idle official, immediately sensed something wrong. He stood and instructed his subordinates, "Immediately mobilize personnel from the yamen to investigate the Lingbian Village stronghold!" Once his subordinates withdrew with the orders, Liu Wen Yao turned back to Scholar Han with a beaming smile, commenting, "Truly, you are a remarkably talented youth, surpassing even the young me." Upon hearing this, Scholar Han felt a shiver internally but knelt, saying, "It is our duty as scholars to alleviate burdens for the Governor. Your benevolence shines like the sun and moon, while I am like a mere flickering candle." Pleased, Liu Wen Yao narrowed his eyes with satisfaction, walked over, and said, "Ah, I'm merely offering praise. No need to take it so seriously. You young folks are too sensitive. In the end, it's still inexperience." Though displeased internally, Scholar Han nodded repeatedly on the surface. Increasingly satisfied, Liu Wen Yao smiled and said, "Stand up. Your outstanding talent is truly impressive. How about this: once this matter concludes, accompany me back to the capital to prepare for the imperial exam." Overwhelmed with joy, Scholar Han expressed his gratitude with several kowtows. Hearing Liu Wen Yao's hearty laughter as he ascended the stairs, Scholar Han composedly rose, seemingly unfazed, and left with a calm smile. Liu Wen Yao reported this to the Guo Shi, who smiled and remarked, "This Scholar Han is indeed a rare asset. Have you truly taken a liking to his potential?" Liu Wen Yao, familiar with the Guo Shi's nature, knew that her celestial appearance was merely a facade. In truth, her methods were not much better than those of the demoness. Disdain filled his heart, and he was unwilling to let the promising right-hand man he had found become just another tool for the Guo Shi to exploit at will. So, he said, "Scholar Han is truly a rare and talented individual. While I am getting on in years, and though I have the Guo Shi's miraculous elixirs to thank for maintaining a youthful appearance, my vigor is no longer what it once was. It is crucial to groom a suitable successor to help shoulder the burdens for the Guo Shi before my time is up."