Chapter 150: Swallow Soldiers

Although it was the middle of the night and every household kept their doors tightly shut, Ye Sansi still noticed something different from before. He found it strange that the streets were devoid of corpses and the smell of blood. Though this was a good thing, he could not help but be on his guard.

Ye Sansi advanced with caution, yet not a single armored guard was patrolling the city. In puzzlement, Ye Sansi made his way to a blacksmith's workshop.

A fire glowed inside the house, and the blacksmith slowly opened the door. Upon seeing Ye Sansi, he quickly peered around to check the surroundings. Seeing no one, he hurriedly pulled Ye Sansi into the workshop and closed the door.

The blacksmith bowed and asked, "Young Hero Ye, what has happened?"

"Senior, has anything major recently occurred in Juanzhou City? Looking down from the air, I sensed that the demonic aura is much weaker than before. Is Wei Feiliang no longer in the city?"

"Then who is in control of Juanzhou now?"

"A prefect named Zhang holds the city. He is afraid of death, so he dares not commit evil deeds and treats the common people quite well. He is much better than that Wei Feiliang."

Ye Sansi nodded and said, "Then his life can be spared. I originally intended to come to Juanzhou City to wipe out another batch of the armored army, but now I suppose I must let it go."

The blacksmith invited Ye Sansi to sit down and hurriedly said, "Young Hero Ye, you have come just in time. We, the Sword God Sect, received news that Wei Feiliang intends to make a move against the Liu Family Manor. We have already dispatched members to rush there and report the news, though I do not know if we will be in time."

Ye Sansi waved his hand and smiled, saying, "No need to worry. Over a hundred black-clad assassins did indeed infiltrate the Liu Family Manor, but they were completely annihilated. Manor Lord Liu is already aware of Wei Feiliang's wolfish ambitions and has begun arming his disciples to prepare for a full-scale defense. Thank you for your concern, Sword God Sect."

The blacksmith continued, "The Liu Family Manor is a renowned righteous faction in this world, and our Sword God Sect naturally pays attention to such matters. By the way, there are no longer any of the Wei family's armored troops in this city. After you slaughtered all the armor-clad soldiers in the city last time, Wei Feiliang relocated his royal capital and established it in Xizhou City..."

Ye Sansi smiled and said, "If it is an act of benevolence, I will naturally do my utmost, but why exactly is this happening?"

"Young Hero Ye will understand once you arrive there. This is a map to Bingyan City." With that, the blacksmith retrieved a map from the cabinet and handed it to Ye Sansi.

A glance at the map showed that the direction was easy to find: leave Juanzhou and head directly south. Ye Sansi smiled and said, "You folks in the Sword God Sect are truly boundless in your magical powers. How did you know I would come looking for you, and even draw such a detailed map? You truly possess heaven-reaching abilities."

Realizing the purpose of Ye Sansi's trip, the blacksmith hurriedly said, "Wei Feiliang has dispatched his main forces elsewhere, leaving very few in Xizhou City. If Young Hero Ye goes there, the gains will be minimal. Better to listen to a word from this humble one and let me direct you to a much better destination."

"Senior, please speak."

"I have heard that to the south lies a city named Bingyan, where a catastrophic calamity is unfolding. It is inconvenient for our Sword God Sect to intervene directly. Can Young Hero Ye accomplish this task?"

"Enough said, Senior. If Wei Feiliang makes any moves, inform the Liu Family Manor. Thank you for your trouble. I will naturally accomplish the task you have entrusted to me. Farewell!"

"Young Hero Ye, take care on your journey."

Ye Sansi stepped out of the workshop door and looked around, finding no one. After walking two hundred paces down the street, he summoned his sword and soared into the sky. Now that he knew the Wei family's iron army was not in the city, there was no need to be overly cautious in his movements.

The blacksmith scratched his head and smiled, saying, "To not deceive Young Hero Ye, this map was indeed drawn specifically for you. Members at various outposts each hold a copy, just waiting for Young Hero Ye to arrive and present it. This task truly requires your unique abilities."

The blacksmith was rather honest and made no concealment. Ye Sansi did not get angry either; instead, he accepted it gladly and smiled, saying, "Very well, since the Sword God Sect thinks highly of me, I will take on this errand. I only hope that, as you say, this matter will benefit the common people."

The blacksmith bowed and said, "Naturally, naturally."

Ye Sansi looked at Liu Lingshuang, smiling with doting affection, and said, "Shuang'er, you are the only one who loves to play. I promise you that once this matter is properly handled, I will spend all the remaining time taking you to play and have fun."

"Wonderful! Hehe, Sansi, you are the best." Liu Lingshuang laughed happily.

Ao Li smiled and said, "Brother Ye, wherever you wish to go, I shall accompany you."

Upon reuniting with their companions, Li Taiyi hurriedly asked, "Brother Sansi, what is the situation down below? Can we engage in battle?"

Ye Sansi waved his hand and smiled, saying, "There is no longer any of the Wei family's army in this city. A prefect surnamed Zhang rules it, and he is not unkind to the common people, so there is no need for us to punish them. However, we have received a commission from the Sword God Sect to handle matters in another city..."

Liu Lingshuang happily said, "Splendid! We can go play in a fresh place. Otherwise, once we return to Fangcun Immortal Island, we will lose the lively bustle of the mortal world. Sansi, you must take me out for some good fun these next ten-odd days."

Within an hour, following the drawn map, Ye Sansi located Bingyan City.

At first glance, the city showed no unusual portents. The more it appeared this way, the more cautious Ye Sansi became. He told the others, "Let us land outside the city first. When dawn breaks, we will enter the city to inquire about the situation. The Sword God Sect is truly something—they hand out tasks without making things clear, forcing us to investigate ourselves and causing quite a bit of trouble."

Li Taiyi smiled and said, "Brother Sansi, this is for the best. Investigating it yourself will surely make things clearer. The Sword God Sect's failure to spell it out directly is also a recognition of Brother Sansi's strength. We will certainly be able to accomplish this task."

Ye Sansi nodded and marched toward Bingyan City. Whatever could draw the attention of the Sword God Sect could not be trivial. If it truly turned out to be some demonic entity running amok, slaying it would also count as completing a trial task.

Along the way, the wind blew fiercely, and everyone remained silent. Ye Sansi had things on his mind, wondering if Lin Nian'er had now attained godhood and was far away in the celestial realm, and whether he should tell her the news of his marriage with Lingshuang.

There was another matter as well: the Heavenly Emperor had promised to give Lin Youzhi an accounting, though he did not know what form it would take. Once the affair at Bingyan City was settled, he must return to Qingyang City—first to fetch his father, and second to visit Prefect Lin and inform him that Nian'er was well, so as not to worry him.

Amidst these worries, the sky gradually brightened; it was time to set off.

Ye Sansi stood up, and the others all awoke. Ao Li was the first to step forward, saying, "Brother Ye, I sense danger in this city. Why don't I go in first to scout out the reality of the situation? I am a dragon; if I encounter danger, I can at best transform into my beast form and escape. Last night, I saw the worried look on your face and knew the matter was not simple. I am most suited to be the vanguard."

Hearing Ao Li's words, Ye Sansi was deeply moved. This black dragon had known him for less than a day, yet dared to risk his life to protect him. But how could Ye Sansi let him walk into danger alone? He smiled and said, "No need. We have never been to this city before, so it is very unfamiliar. Feeling some worry is quite normal. Let us enter the city together and look out for one another; that is not a bad thing."

The group flew on their swords away from Bingyan City, landed on the side of a commercial road, and sat cross-legged to rest.

Ye Sansi remained preoccupied, feeling that Bingyan City was far too strange and far too silent. Though it was night, the complete lack of candlelight defied reason. Ordinary common people could be excused, but even the prefectural government office should not be so austere.

Demons and monsters did not frighten Ye Sansi; at worst, it was a fight to the death. But the city was eerily quiet, which was terrifying. He himself would be fine, but he feared that Taiyi and Lingshuang might encounter danger.

When it came to dealing with worldly formalities, Li Taiyi was the most adept. He cupped his fists in a bow and said, "Official, we are going to a distant place to visit relatives and need to purchase some generous gifts. This Bingyan City is the only nearby place with such goods, so we wish to enter the city to make purchases. We hope you, good sir, can grant us passage."

The guard remained expressionless, stepped to the side, and signaled that they were allowed to pass. The group bowed in thanks and entered the city. Liu Lingshuang smiled and said, "These guards certainly know the rules and are quite imposing—much better than the ones in Lingzhou City."

Ye Sansi frowned, sensing something amiss. He spoke in a soft voice, "Shuang'er, do not lower your guard. These guards are highly abnormal. Later, let us find an inn to sit for a while, but do not drink the tea indiscriminately. I will inspect it first and take the opportunity to ask about the affairs of this city."

Ao Li nodded and said, "If we encounter any danger, I will stay behind to cover the rear while you escape on your own. Do not worry about my safety; demons under ten thousand years of cultivation cannot destroy me anytime soon."

Ye Sansi agreed and walked toward Bingyan City. One hundred paces from the city gates, he saw the guards: their eyes were dull, their brows tightly furrowed, and they stared straight ahead. In this posture, they looked extremely imposing.

The group walked slowly closer, and a guard stretched out his palm to stop them, asking, "Who goes there?"

The waiter served a pot of tea and teacups, then withdrew. They were the only table of guests in the inn, and it was exceptionally quiet. Ye Sansi poured the tea into a bowl, sniffed it, and nodded; only then did the others dare to drink.

After drinking a few bowls, Ye Sansi called the waiter over and asked, "Why is this city so silent? I see that the shops in this inn are wide open, but business is desolate—how do you make a living? And are there no outsiders entering the city?"

To Ye Sansi's inquiry, the waiter gave no answer, only staring blankly and repeating that he did not know. Li Taiyi stood up and said, "You have not been in this city for just a day or two. How can you not know what has happened? Or are you trying to conceal something?"

Everyone nodded in agreement. This city was truly bizarre: shops lined both sides of the streets, yet very few people patronized them, and the passing common people did not speak. Although such a large city housed quite a few residents, it gave the overwhelming impression of a dead city—it was deeply chilling.

The group found an inn. Upon seeing them, the waiter stepped forward, wiped down the tables and chairs, and asked, "What can I get for you honored guests?"

Ye Sansi said, "A pot of tea."

"Brother Sansi, what is strange?"

"There is no demonic aura in this city. Is my cultivation still too shallow to detect the whereabouts of this major demon, or..."

Before his voice faded, Ye Sansi used the Eight Treasures Formula to detect a subtle demonic breath. The malevolent demon was likely hiding within that estate yamen. With a glance from Ye Sansi, Li Taiyi slashed out with his sword. The waiter suffered the sword strike, transformed into mud, and scattered across the ground.

If it were an ordinary person, facing Li Taiyi's angry rebuke, they would either be frightened and beg for mercy or fly into an angry rage. Yet the waiter retained his previous expression, repeatedly saying he did not know, leaving the group with no further recourse.

Ye Sansi stood up, executed the Eight Treasures Formula, and found no obvious clues. However, with the citizens of the city acting so abnormal, the situation was unquestionably complicated. Ye Sansi gathered the divine power within his body, executed the Eight Treasures Formula once more, and golden light radiated from his eyes.

"Indeed, the citizens of this city are all creations of spellcraft. There is not a single real person in the place where we stand; this is a dead city. It seems this entire spectacle has been constructed by a malevolent entity, but strangely..."

The innkeeper showed no sign of terror, staring blankly at the group without the slightest thought of escape. Liu Lingshuang drew her Spirit-Governing Fire-Musket, aimed, and fired a shot, turning the innkeeper into mud as well.

Ye Sansi said, "Exercise caution in all things. Stay close behind me as we search for the demon's hiding place."