Zhuge Jian returned to Water Buffalo County, organizing the paperwork on his desk. He wasn't happy with his position there and had long planned to resign as the county inspector. However, he wanted to leave everything in good order for his successor to smoothly take over the county's affairs.
"Sir, I've gathered all the information about the incidents near Yellow Slope Village and the life of Talisman Master Chen Yin. I've organized the documents," said a clerk who quickly entered the study, handing over the papers. "Sir, Yellow Slope Village is under the jurisdiction of New Township County, not ours. Getting involved in their matters could complicate things."
"I understand. You may leave now," Zhuge Jian replied, waving him off. He then added, "Don't mention this to anyone, not even if the county magistrate asks."
The clerk left, and Zhuge Jian opened the documents to read. His eyebrows furrowed tighter and tighter, like two ropes tangled into an unbreakable knot.
"This little Yellow Slope Village has so many incidents nearby, and so many experts have gone missing?" he thought, drawing a sharp breath. Each event near Yellow Slope Village would be considered a major case if it happened in Water Buffalo County!
Just the missing persons cases alone numbered over ten, and all those who disappeared were notable figures!
"Li Xian from Spring City, He Qinghe from Danjiang, the second young lady of the Zhao family, Lin Feishuang from the Lin family, Xiao Zhu from the Nascent Soul Stage..."
Zhuge Jian felt a chill run down his spine. These people had all gone missing in the past two years.
"There's a rumor of a True King's Tomb in Heavenly Yang Mountain. These people were likely drawn there to explore and seek treasures but ended up disappearing. Exploring and treasure hunting often lead to many deaths, especially in a place like the True King's Tomb, which is likely full of danger. So it's not too surprising. The only issue is, why have so many disappeared in the past two years when it wasn't like this before?"
His eyes flickered with thought.
"The recent surge in disappearances suggests a ruthless killer in the Yellow Slope Village area, eliminating all the experts who come here! Could it be Talisman Master Chen Yin? Does he really have the power to kill so many experts? Is his goal to monopolize the treasures of the True King's Tomb?"
He continued reading. According to the information, Chen Yin from Yellow Slope Village was an ordinary talisman master who made a living by drawing and selling talismans, living quietly without any unusual behavior.
He had a son named Chen Tang, who went to the provincial capital to make a living and rarely returned.
Chen Yin also had a grandson who had been dead for a long time but suddenly came back to life two years ago, mischievous and annoying to both gods and ghosts...
Zhuge Jian's eyes widened as he read it several times to make sure he hadn't misread.
The document indeed stated that Chen Yin's grandson, Chen Tang's son, had been dead for a long time and suddenly came back to life!
"In the countryside, there's often strange and eerie stuff, usually involving evil spirits possessing bodies!" Zhuge Jian muttered, trying to calm himself. "Evil entities are ranked as evil, curse, demon, disaster, and calamity. The one possessing Chen Yin's grandson is likely at the evil or curse level, far from reaching the demon level, not yet a threat. So, the disappearances in the past two years are probably related to Chen Yin's grandson."
He continued reading: "Chen Yin's grandson is named Chen Shi. Hmm, Chen Shi, Chen... Honest?!"
Zhuge Jian was shocked, almost dropping the document.
This Chen Shi was clearly the young Honest who killed Li Xiaoding and eight others, also the one who retrieved the bones of three children for their families!
"I wondered why I hadn't heard of anyone with the surname Honest; turns out he's a Chen, related to Chen Yin!"
Zhuge Jian felt a chill on his scalp, yet he also found it strange. If Chen Shi's resurrection was due to possession by an evil spirit, then the villagers of Yellow Slope should have been devoured by him long ago.
Not just Yellow Slope Village, but all the nearby villages and towns would have been wiped out!
Yet, Chen Shi seemed kind-hearted, clearly not possessed by an evil spirit.
He slowly sat down, picked up the document, and continued reading.
"The villagers of Yellow Slope say Chen Yin died half a month ago... Chen Yin also died?!"
He paused, took a breath, and continued, "The day after his burial, Chen Yin's corpse rose from the coffin, eating candles, sniffing incense, and sleeping in the coffin. Since then, livestock in the village often died, drained of blood. The villagers believed he had become a corpse spirit, calling him a zombie..."
Zhuge Jian felt his scalp tingle; this Chen Yin was the real curse!
He steadied himself. If Chen Yin was possessed by an evil spirit or became a corpse spirit, not just livestock, but the villagers of Yellow Slope would have been devoured long ago!
"In half a month, this zombie could have eaten everything within ten miles. His first target would be Chen Shi, so why hasn't he attacked?"
Zhuge Jian couldn't figure it out. "Is it because Chen Shi is also a zombie? Or are they both possessed by curses, so there's no conflict between grandfather and grandson? But Chen Shi seems alive, not a zombie. Then it must be a curse, yet his actions don't match a curse..."
This grandfather-grandson pair was too strange, as if each had many secrets.
"The disappearances over the past two years are likely related to this odd grandfather-grandson duo. Those who disappeared often came from powerful families, who surely won't let it go."
The provincial capital of New Township Province had another name: Imperial City!
Imperial City, what does that name signify?
Daring to mess with the powerful of the Imperial City was incredibly bold!
Zhuge Jian placed his resignation on the desk, ready to leave, but then turned back.
"Those who act for justice are not criminals."
He lit a fire and burned the document about the Chen family, muttering to himself, "Whether or not the grandfather and grandson are involved in the disappearances, Chen Shi is a person who acts for justice."
He turned and left.
"If this place doesn't welcome me, there are other places that will! This inspector position, this county office, I don't need to stay!"
Water Buffalo County Magistrate Li Kefa looked grim as he tore Zhuge Jian's resignation to pieces, coldly saying, "Zhuge Jian is just a dog raised by my Li family, thinking he's someone important. If he doesn't want to work, there are plenty who do!"
He immediately ordered a new inspector to be recruited. Applicants flooded in from Water Buffalo County and even from other neighboring counties, all hoping for a government job.
Li Kefa selected a new inspector from the many candidates, a man named Qu Ji.
Qu Ji immediately led the Water Buffalo County officers to investigate. Before long, they discovered that on the day Li Xiaoding was killed, Talisman Master Chen Yin was selling talismans in Rock Cliff Village.
An officer said, "Master Qu, Inspector Zhuge said the talisman master who killed Young Master Li was short, about five feet tall, but this Chen Yin is very tall, clearly not the killer."
Qu Ji sneered, "Is Zhuge Jian the inspector, or am I? There was no other talisman master in Rock Cliff Village at the time, just him. If it wasn't him, who else could it be?"
He reported to Li Kefa, who gathered officers and Li family experts, about fifty people, and headed straight for Yellow Slope Village.
However, Water Buffalo County was over a hundred miles from Yellow Slope Village, requiring a detour around the mountain. Despite hurrying, they found nightfall approaching before reaching the village.
"Sir, the countryside is different from the county town; there are many evil things around here. It's not wise to travel at night," an old officer quickly advised.
Qu Ji laughed, "Nonsense. We have thirty-four scholars and seventeen graduates, all at the Divine Fetus Stage, and even experts at the Transformation Stage. With Master Li personally leading us, no mere evil spirit or curse would dare approach without being melted by our divine light!"
Li Kefa, eager for revenge, said, "Keep going!"
The officers and Li family experts continued, the moonlight enchanting, white mist rising in the mountains and forests.
Then, a baby's cry came from the woods, not far away.
Li Kefa frowned slightly.
Qu Ji ordered, "Li Ying, go check it out."
An officer named Li Ying activated his Divine Altar and Divine Fetus, a lantern-like glow behind his head illuminating the path ahead.
He prepared his spells, cautiously following the cries into the forest.
After a while, Li Ying's voice called out, "Sir, there are many abandoned babies in the woods!"
Li Kefa and the others were slightly taken aback.
"About a dozen babies!" Li Ying shouted.
"A dozen babies?" Everyone was startled.
Abandoned babies weren't uncommon in the countryside. Some were born to unmarried girls who got rid of them to avoid shame; others were unwanted girls due to preference for boys, or families too poor to raise them, leaving them to be given away or abandoned.
But dumping a dozen babies at once was unheard of!
Qu Ji immediately ordered a dozen more people, "Heaven has a heart for life, and it's rare for us to encounter this. Go help Li Ying bring those babies over."
"Sir, could there be something strange?"
"Just go!"
The dozen officers followed the cries.
Qu Ji praised, "Sir, saving a dozen babies shows your compassion. When word spreads, people will praise you across the land."
Li Kefa managed a rare smile. Since his son Li Xiaoding's death, it was the first time he felt a bit of joy.
Saving one baby wouldn't cause a stir in the Western New Bull Continent, but rescuing a dozen at night in the countryside was legendary enough to spread far and wide, letting everyone know of Li Kefa's good deed!
"The Li family will surely recognize my actions and promote me. I'm still young; I can remarry and have more sons."
As he thought this, Li Ying's voice called out, "Sir, we need more people!"
The officers who went to assist also called out, "Sir, there are even more children here!"
The crying in the forest grew louder, from what seemed like a dozen babies to the cries of thirty or forty.
Li Kefa felt a jolt, sensing something was off.
But the moonlight was so enchanting tonight, unlike the bright lights of the city, it was truly a sight to behold.
He felt a bit dazed.
Qu Ji also frowned, "Sir, something seems wrong..."
Li Kefa shook his head, clearing the moonlight's influence, and quietly ordered, "Prepare your spells, use the Midnight Demon-Slaying Sword! Wait for my command!"
The Midnight Demon-Slaying Sword was a spell from the Heavenly Heart True Qi Technique, condensing True Qi and divine light into an invisible sword energy, a set of six forms, a must-learn for scholars.
Everyone prepared their spells, the air in front of them vibrating slightly, though the sword wasn't visible.
Qu Ji shouted, "Li Ying, bring the children over first, and we'll help!"
Li Ying complied, and soon the sound of footsteps came from the forest, the crying growing closer. In the moonlight, shadows moved among the trees, and after a while, a dozen figures emerged from the forest—Li Ying and the officers, each holding a baby.
Li Ying and the others stopped a few steps out of the forest, not approaching, only urging them to help rescue the children in the woods.
Li Kefa and Qu Ji were skeptical.
Qu Ji called out, "Bring the children here first!"
Li Ying and the others didn't move, only urging them to go into the forest to save the babies.
Qu Ji was about to speak again when Li Kefa instructed, "Master Qu, go check it out. I feel something's not right."
Qu Ji reluctantly approached. The officers holding babies waved him over, their movements stiff, saying, "Master Qu, hurry and save the children!"
Qu Ji moved closer, his heart pounding, finding the officers increasingly strange. Suddenly, he stopped, shouting, "Li Ying, bring the children..."
Before he could finish, a loud noise erupted from the forest. A four-legged creature rose, its necks long and thin like hair, ending in baby-like heads, crying out.
Many of these baby heads were in the arms of Li Ying and the officers, now rising with the long necks from their arms.
The creature let out a deep, loud cry:
"Save the children!"
Hundreds of baby heads cried in unison, reaching out for Qu Ji.
And the officers, now without babies, suddenly deflated, becoming mere human skins!
Only moments ago, they had been laughing and talking, but they had been consumed by the creature, their skins inflated to mimic walking and talking!