Chapter 394: White Paper Hat Man

The bearded constable, noticing Lu Yang’s unfamiliarity with Barren State, kindly asked if they were from out of town. He warned them to be careful if they ever encountered someone wearing a white paper hat, explaining that the scoundrel committed crimes everywhere and was extremely cunning.

Both men looked puzzled and asked for clarification.

The bearded constable said indignantly that they had been searching for the person in the white paper hat for a long time but had never managed to catch him. He had seemingly appeared out of nowhere and had been active in Barren State for several years.

He elaborated, "Almost any place you pick in Barren State has been the scene of his crimes. This time, he impersonated the Qingming Inn to operate a shady business. Before that, he incited an accomplice to steal, then deliberately got the accomplice wanted so he could capture them himself and claim the reward. What's truly infuriating is that none of us realized *he* was the one collecting the money!

"The time before last," he continued, "he disguised himself as a corpse and sold himself to a corpse driver. When the driver was preparing to refine the body, it started moving on its own, nearly frightening the driver to illness. Even after the man in the white paper hat had left, the driver remained terrified, convinced it was a reanimated corpse. He chanted minor incantations for several days before finally realizing he had been duped. And another time," the constable added, "the Barbarians reported someone involved in a smuggling operation at the wasteland border—that was him as well!

"That scoundrel will stop at nothing for money!" he exclaimed. "If we could just catch him, we'd all get five extra days off work every year!"

The bearded constable became increasingly agitated as he spoke about the man in the white paper hat. He felt he could literally swallow the man whole if he appeared before them now. Capturing the man in the white paper hat was not merely his personal wish, but the fervent desire of all Barren State.

"There's also something odd about that scoundrel," the constable continued. "On several occasions, he's appeared in two places simultaneously, as if there are two of him. We don't know if he has a twin or something else is going on. And this time," he concluded, "we surrounded the inn, and you two were right at the entrance. Did either of you notice him leave?"

Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou nodded. Given their cultivation levels, the movements of ordinary cultivators, or even master thieves, would not typically escape their perception. The man's ability to escape under these circumstances suggested he possessed extraordinary methods or a cultivation level far beyond anyone's expectations.

"Fairy," Lu Yang asked, "did you notice when the man in the white paper hat made his escape?"

The Immortal Fairy rolled her eyes, finding Lu Yang's question somewhat insulting to her abilities. "He ran west," she replied, "but don't expect the constables to catch him. Even with your combined efforts, it would be futile; his escape technique is quite extraordinary. Furthermore," she added, "even if you managed to catch him, it would likely only be a clone, posing no real harm to him."

Lu Yang was taken aback. For the Immortal Fairy to make such an assessment, the man in the white paper hat was clearly more formidable than he had initially thought.

The bearded constable then instructed the other constables to cordon off the area and search for any clues. "Don't forget to put up the seal!" he shouted.

"Boss," one of his subordinates cautiously asked, "will putting up the seal even work? He tears it down every time."

Given the man's utter disregard for authority, even if a seal was affixed, he would simply tear it down and allow the inn to continue operating.

The bearded constable glared. "Just put it up as I told you," he snapped. "His tearing it down is *his* problem; it'll just add to his list of crimes."

"In that case, we'll take our leave," Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou said, bidding farewell to the bearded constable. Before they left, Lu Yang thoughtfully offered a suggestion: "I had a feeling when the man in the white paper hat escaped; he fled west."

The bearded constable looked at Lu Yang with surprise but offered no further comment.

"Barren State truly lives up to its reputation," Meng Jingzhou mused, "a place of remarkable people and unique happenings. Perhaps I really can find a way to break my curse here." He felt he should travel more, as they had just entered Barren State and already encountered such peculiar events.

"We've been wandering around for half the day and still haven't found a place to settle," Lu Yang reminded Meng Jingzhou, urging him to focus on their immediate concern.

Meng Jingzhou patted the horse's back. "Old Horse," he murmured, "can you find us a village to rest in?"

Old Horse swished its tail, lowered its head to graze on some roadside grass, and then, as if understanding, dutifully pulled the cart towards the nearest village.

Shortly after, Old Horse brought the two men to the nearest village. At its entrance stood a large stone, on which were inscribed the characters "Solid Rock Village."

"Why is it so quiet?" Lu Yang wondered aloud.

The two dismounted, hoping to find lodging for the night. They immediately noticed that every house in the village had its doors closed, with oil lamps lit inside, yet not a single sound emanated from anywhere. Consequently, there was no one on the village roads. In Lu Yang's experience, at this hour and without any entertainment available, villagers usually kept their doors open, visiting neighbors and chatting.

"It's as if they're afraid of something. How strange," Lu Yang murmured, frowning.

Meng Jingzhou chose the house with the largest courtyard and knocked on its door. "Excuse me," he called out, "we'd like to ask for lodging for the night."

A clatter, followed by a creak, sounded from within. The door slowly creaked open, and an old man cautiously peered out, his eyes warily scanning Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou.

"Who are you?" he asked.

Meng Jingzhou offered a warm, practiced smile—one he'd perfected at the barbecue shop. "We are travelers passing through," he explained. "It's late, and we're hoping to find lodging for the night. We would, of course, be happy to pay."

The old man impatiently shooed them away. "Go away, go away!" he snapped. "Solid Rock Village doesn't welcome outsiders. Leave quickly, or the dead will eat you!"

"Eaten by dead bodies?" Meng Jingzhou repeated. "Do you have dead bodies here? My brother and I are cultivators; we can help you get rid of them."

Hearing this, the old man grew even more agitated. "No need!" he exclaimed. "Just leave quickly!" With that, the old man slammed the door shut.

"Hey, that old man is truly unreasonable!" Meng Jingzhou grumbled, finding the elder's behavior peculiar. He had kindly offered to help, only to be driven away.

"Is it because they have female relatives inside, and you couldn't get in?" Lu Yang teased with a mischievous grin.

"Get lost," Meng Jingzhou retorted, waving Lu Yang away as if he were a bothersome fly.

Unwilling to give up, Meng Jingzhou tried knocking on other doors. However, the outcomes were consistent: either they were shooed away, or no one answered at all.

"Not hospitable in the slightest," Meng Jingzhou grumbled.

"So, what now? Should we try another village?" Lu Yang asked.

Meng Jingzhou was reluctant to move again. "It's too much trouble," he said. "I noticed a place at the village entrance, either a temple or an ancestral shrine. It looked quite clean and appeared to still be in use. We could make do there for a night."

"That sounds fine," Lu Yang agreed, also tired of the back-and-forth. They had been rejected at the Qingming Inn, then again in Solid Rock Village. Who knew if the next village would be any different? Rather than continuing this fruitless search, it was better to find a temporary place to stay for the night and investigate the peculiar circumstances in the morning.

The two arrived at the ancestral shrine. Using the Three-Flavored True Fire, Lu Yang lit an oil lamp, and the shrine instantly became bright.

"It's quite clean," Meng Jingzhou observed.

They both bowed towards the spirit tablets. "Our apologies, respected ancestors," Lu Yang said, "but we will be staying here for a night."

At the edge of the village, in the cemetery...

Stones began to tremble, and the earth in the cemetery shifted, as if something beneath was stirring. A withered claw broke through the soil. Then, countless more claws, like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, erupted from the ground...