Chapter 47: Forgot Something

When Qi Wu first encountered the old hunter, there were several other households nearby that appeared normal, but they were all transformed victims of the tiger demon.

After the tiger demon was subdued, its chang'gui victims were thrown into disarray and confusion. Some suggested going down the mountain, while others insisted on remaining hidden, leading to much indecision.

As they were arguing, the three individuals appeared and apprehended all of them. The moment Meng Jingzhou subtly released a hint of pure Yang energy, the chang'gui collapsed to the ground, howling in agony.

"There's no need to keep so many; two will suffice to impersonate demonic cultivators," Lu Yang stated dispassionately. He felt no sympathy for these chang'gui, who had willingly aided the tiger demon.

They wouldn't have become chang'gui if they hadn't agreed to the tiger demon's demands.

They deserved to die.

Lu Yang attempted to acquire ghost servants but found he still couldn't; he could only project his own ethereal soul.

"Man Gu, this is on you."

Without further ado, Man Gu kept two of the chang'gui who had been travelers and cleanly obliterated the rest.

Using the hunter chang'gui would easily reveal their hand to the demonic sect, suggesting they had killed the tiger demon. Traveler chang'gui, however, carried significantly less risk.

"Absorb," Man Gu commanded, drawing the two traveler chang'gui, one male and one female, into his body.

This was part of the art of ghost manipulation: integrating spirits into one's body to summon them for combat when needed.

On their way to Yanjiang Commandery, the three encountered Qi Wu and his group, who were still aimlessly wandering the mountain forest.

It was still raining, and since Qi Wu's group didn't know the way, they naturally couldn't find the path down the mountain.

"Our benefactors!" Qi Wu and his companions cried out, overjoyed to see Lu Yang and his group, as if they had found a lifeline.

"Your boundless generosity is something we shall never forget!"

"The mountain god has revealed himself!"

"We will forever remember this life-saving grace!"

They poured out their heartfelt gratitude to the three, speaking over each other in their earnestness.

As Lu Yang watched the rescued individuals and listened to their sincere words of thanks, the gloom in his heart gradually lifted, and he no longer dwelled on the skeletons in the cave.

"We cultivators must always walk the righteous path; no thanks are necessary," Meng Jingzhou declared with a serious expression, clarifying his stance that saving lives was simply his duty, not a means to gain gratitude.

Man Gu observed Meng Jingzhou's righteous demeanor, thinking that he truly lived up to his role model, handling matters with such composure — a feat Man Gu knew he himself couldn't achieve.

Lu Yang didn't even need to observe Meng Jingzhou to know the fellow was putting on an act, surely bursting with delight internally, probably beyond ecstatic.

And why did he know? Because Lu Yang himself now wore a similar expression of righteousness.

By the time they delivered the merchants to Yanjiang Commandery, dawn was faintly breaking. The torrential rain that had fallen all night had finally ceased, and a faint rainbow arched across the sky.

"Say, did we forget something?" Meng Jingzhou mused, a nagging feeling that they had overlooked something.

"I don't think we forgot anything," Lu Yang replied, counting their three figures and noting that with three minds present, nothing should have been lost.

"It just feels like something's missing, but never mind, I won't dwell on it."

...

In Qinghuai Commandery, a carriage stood in the inn's backyard, where the old horse leisurely munched on the feed Meng Jingzhou had left for it.

"Why hasn't that Meng boy come for me yet? This feed won't last much longer. Didn't he say the task would be done in five or six days?"

The old horse was a rare demonic beast, thus it couldn't subsist on common horse feed. It required spirit-infused feed that Meng Jingzhou had painstakingly acquired at a high price.

The old horse snorted, smacked its lips, and, feeling bored, happened to glance over at a small, snow-white mare in the adjacent stall.

...

Upon entering the city, the three haphazardly chose a teahouse, ordered a pot of tea and a few plates of pastries, and began to strategize their next move.

"Yanjiang Commandery is enormous; how are we supposed to find this Qin Yuanhao? Should we ask the local authorities for assistance?" Man Gu asked, frowning.

Yanjiang Commandery wasn't a major cultivation hub, and its population ranked lower than other prefectures. It was so unremarkable on maps that less detailed versions didn't even show it. Nevertheless, Yanjiang Commandery still boasted a population of two million, making the search for one individual akin to finding a needle in a haystack—an incredibly daunting task.

Lu Yang waved a dismissive hand. "That's not advisable. The demonic sect has been hidden here for an unknown duration, and the powers they're entangled with are deeply rooted. It's entirely possible they have local government support."

Man Gu didn't grasp Lu Yang's point. "Isn't the demonic sect universally condemned? Why would the authorities assist them?"

Without Lu Yang needing to respond, Meng Jingzhou, who was intimately familiar with such matters, explained: "Precisely because the demonic sect is universally condemned, the Great Xia Dynasty added 'number of demons eradicated' as a performance metric for local officials. The more demonic figures an official eliminates, and the higher their cultivation, the greater the official's political achievements."

"Consider this: the demonic sect could easily strike a deal with the prefect, regularly supplying him with demonic figures, in exchange for the prefect's promise not to expose the sect's whereabouts."

What Meng Jingzhou spoke of wasn't mere speculation, but a stark reality recounted firsthand by his own relatives who held official positions.

His elders had spoken of how Emperor Xia had purged countless groups, yet some always managed to slip through the net.

Some in the imperial court had proposed removing this performance metric, but the Prime Minister had prevented it. While the metric remained, most officials diligently eradicated demonic cultivators, though a minority colluded with them. If the metric were abolished, there would be no guarantee how many officials would still bother to painstakingly seek out traces of the demonic sect.

All in all, the existence of this performance metric proved to be more beneficial than detrimental.

Meng Jingzhou's words completely overturned Man Gu's preconceptions; he had never imagined such a scenario before.

Lu Yang weighed in, "The chances of the prefect colluding with the demonic sect are slim, but we should always prepare for the worst-case scenario."

"If the prefect and the demonic sect truly are working together, then revealing our intentions to him would naturally lead him to hand over Qin Yuanhao to avoid exposure. However, once the entire Yanjiang branch receives word, they'll go into hiding, causing us to miss our chance to infiltrate the demonic sect. This would be a case of losing sight of the bigger picture for a minor gain, which is highly inadvisable."

"For now, our best course is not to reveal our identities. We should first search for Qin Yuanhao ourselves; if we can't find him, then it won't be too late to seek help from the authorities."

Man Gu nodded, acknowledging the logic in their reasoning.

"Then how do we draw out Qin Yuanhao?" Many thoughts flickered through Man Gu's mind, but he dismissed them all as flawed and ineffective.

Posting flyers or public notices was certainly out; it would be far too conspicuous.

Inquiring for information in the black market? If Qin Yuanhao learned someone was looking for him, he would simply go into hiding. Worse, he might even lead the demonic sect in an ambush, leaving them in a passive and vulnerable position. That wouldn't work.

Man Gu wondered what brilliant strategies Brother Lu and Brother Meng had devised.

Lu Yang had already devised a plan on their way down the mountain. He chuckled, "Do you know that, unlike us righteous sects, those who wander the martial world value their 'face' above all else?"

"Especially members of the demonic sect; they equate 'face' with status. To them, having their 'face' struck is worse than death."

"Therefore, we need to widely publicize Qin Yuanhao as a benevolent individual, someone who constantly engages in good deeds instead of his actual duties. Once this rumor spreads throughout Yanjiang Commandery, and everyone in the demonic sect hears that 'Qin Yuanhao is a good person,' he will feel so utterly humiliated that he'll be forced to reveal himself!"

"This will be our opportunity!"

Meng Jingzhou summarized it succinctly: "Essentially, we're making up lies and causing mischief."

Coincidentally, Meng Jingzhou was a natural at this, having mastered the art without formal instruction.

Man Gu's eyes widened in understanding. This was indeed a brilliant idea: if they couldn't find Qin Yuanhao, they would simply force him to show himself.

However, what did he mean by "unlike us righteous sects, those who wander the martial world value their 'face' above all else"?