Chapter 10: Mountain and Marsh Trail

Both sides of the coin feature an embossed flying kite. The copper coin is greenish, making the kite an Azure Kite.

"Yes, these Decrees of the Realm are categorized by color," Huyang Shanze suddenly recalled. "Wait, this Azure Kite coin isn't yours!"

The white-robed youth interrupted, "I lent it to Mr. Sha."

Huyang Shanze spoke slowly and deliberately. The gray-clad man showed a hint of impatience: "Since you're out, I have a question for you. Answer quickly, and I'll leave quickly."

"Ask away."

A Shanze is a mountain god, and in some places, they are given a more common name: Tu Di Gong (Local Earth God).

Places where spiritual energy converges and life thrives will gradually give birth to a Shanze. If consecrated by a human emperor, a Shanze gains the ability to harness and wield primal energy, thereby governing a particular region of land and water.

Should the empire vanish or the consecration expire, the Shanze's primal energy will also wane, eventually returning them to a wild state.

Although Huyang Shanze had once been consecrated by the Kite Kingdom, it didn't even have a mountain god temple. The main reason was that it had slept soundly for years, neglecting the mundane affairs of its territory. Local creatures, having their pleas ignored, gradually ceased to acknowledge its existence.

However, it had to respond to the summons of the gray-clad man before them.

Huyang Shanze was still a bit grumpy from being woken up, but reason told it that the person before them was not to be easily offended.

"Forty or fifty days ago, a sand leopard came here. I need you to find its whereabouts," the gray-clad man stated straightforwardly. "That creature only nests in the Western Mountains; it should be rare around here."

"A sand leopard? Hmm—" Huyang Shanze drew out the sound. "Let me see."

The two waited silently for over fifteen minutes.

Suddenly, a small deer emerged from the bushes, showing no fear, and even tilted its head at them.

Huyang Shanze said, "Follow it."

The deer turned and ran, and the two men followed immediately.

After crossing two mountain peaks, the small deer headed towards a cliff, finally stopping at the edge of a steep boulder.

"The sand leopard came here?" The white-robed youth squatted down and found several dark smudges on the stone.

"Bloodstains, but they are very old."

The small deer extended its head directly over the edge of the large boulder.

"Did it jump down?"

The small deer nodded.

Strange. A severely wounded sand leopard escaped all the way here, so why would it then jump off a cliff to its death? The two exchanged a glance, then descended along the side of the cliff, climbing down to the bottom of the gorge.

The air here was damp and cool, much cooler than on the mountain, and the vegetation was accordingly denser. The two searched the gorge floor for a while but found no leopard carcass.

The white-robed youth looked up at the cliff. "It was already severely wounded; it couldn't have survived a fall from such a height." There were no large trees below the cliff, so there was no way for leaves or vines to cushion the sand leopard's fall. "Huyang Shanze, is it still in the mountain?"

"You want to find its whereabouts? I'll show you," a tree next to them spoke, this time a beech tree. "It's not in the mountain."

A mountain breeze swept through, creating small whirlwinds on the ground. As twigs, leaves, and dirt swirled, they surprisingly formed shapes.

The shapes molded by the wind from mud and leaves, in addition to a leopard, included a creature with four limbs!

The white-robed youth looked twice, very surprised. "Besides the sand leopard, did a... person fall from the cliff too?"

These two figures lay motionless on the ground.

"Killed each other?" The white-robed youth frowned. "Then where are the bodies?"

Soon, two more whirlwinds arose, molding new shapes in the wind.

"Two people came and were... killed?" The white-robed youth's expression changed. "Ah, I see. No wonder my two subordinates never returned!"

"Then another group of people came, lifted these two bodies... separately, and carried them away?"

The white-robed youth tried to discern them carefully, but unfortunately, the shapes formed from mud and leaves were best described as "dust-covered and indistinct." They were simply blurry masses, barely recognizable as human figures, making it impossible to distinguish their faces.

"Who were these people, and where did they come from?"

He asked twice, before the beech tree finally answered in a muffled voice:

"I don't know. Too much time has passed, and all traces have faded. Only the wind spirits remember this much."

The gray-clad man was not discouraged. He took over the conversation: "At least you know which direction they went after leaving Gourd Mountain?"

The beech tree brought two branches together, pointing in one direction.

It was the direction they had come from—

"Blackwater City?" A sharp glint flashed in the white-robed youth's eyes. "I knew it. The missing guards from Donglai Manor must have found a lead."

But even though they had traced the path this far, they had only found a vague direction. Blackwater City was not particularly large, but it wasn't small either.

"They went to Blackwater City? That makes things easier," the gray-clad man smiled. "The most direct method is often the most effective."

The mountain forest grew quiet, and Huyang Shanze departed.

After the two had walked over a hundred paces towards Blackwater City, the gray-clad man paused slightly, and suddenly raised his hand, emitting a beam of white light.

A sharp cry came from the forest about ten zhang away, followed by the flapping sound of wings.

The two followed the sound, and found bloodstains beginning to appear under a large tree.

The blood spots on the ground were not obvious, but fortunately, the white-robed youth was skilled in tracking. After walking another fifteen or sixteen zhang, they found a goshawk lying on the ground. It was larger than a common eagle, with its wings and abdomen pierced through.

The blood flowing from its wounds had already turned dark green.

"Ever since we left Blackwater City, I've felt like we were being watched," the white-robed youth said, "and it turns out it was just a minor demon." He stepped forward, placing the tip of his foot on the goshawk's neck. "Who sent you?"

The goshawk gasped for breath, its beak open.

"Speak," the white-robed youth increased the pressure. "Otherwise, the poison will enter your heart, and you'll surely die within fifteen minutes!"

The goshawk cried out in pain, and indeed spoke: "If I tell the truth, will you let me go?"

"Of course," the white-robed youth chuckled. "How could a magnificent swan argue with a mere sparrow?"

The goshawk immediately said, "I'm just a mercenary. I was just resting with my eyes closed at the Red Mountain Tavern, when someone suddenly came in and asked me to follow your movements and report back."

"What was that person's background?"

"I don't know. I just take money and do the job!"

The gray-clad man suddenly said, "Don't listen to its nonsense. This is a domesticated demon!"

A domesticated demon, of course, has a master.

The white-robed youth's gaze sharpened, and he pressed his foot down, saying nothing more:

"Speak!"

The next morning, as the He family was still having their meal, a servant rushed in to report:

"Two guests have arrived, claiming to be under the command of General Zhenbei of Xunzhou!"

He Lingchuan's heart skipped a beat, and he looked at his father. He Chunhua was also slightly taken aback, his expression hardening slightly. "Please escort them to Suhong Hall for tea."

Suhong Hall was where the master of the He manor received guests, suitable for small gatherings.

He stood up, and nodded at He Lingchuan. "Lingchuan, come with me."

He Yue and Madam Ying were both a little surprised.

Why would the master meet guests from Xunzhou, and bring along his eldest son?

One of the most convenient powers of being the head of a family was that one didn't need to explain one's actions. He Chunhua said nothing more, and simply led the butler and He Lingchuan towards the main hall.