Chapter 10: For the Sake of Lazing Around

Star River County, outskirts…

The evening wind howled coldly.

The trees in the outskirts were swayed by the wind, their shadows flickering, like ghosts crying and wolves howling.

Also blown by the wind were the lanterns…

The lanterns of the morgue…

The lanterns swayed with a scarlet light.

Under the red light, straw mats were neatly placed, on which lay the recently transported corpses, twenty-eight of them.

Each of the corpses was extremely miserable, with only bones left between their legs and waists, their chests and abdomens cut open, their organs all empty, and even their faces were pitted. If it weren’t for the personal ornaments on these corpses that could prove their identity, no one would be able to know the identity of these corpses from their appearance.

At this time, the county captain of Star River County was looking at these corpses with a grave expression.

Although the coroner was still examining them, there was actually no need to check, because these corpses had all died at the hands of ferocious beasts.

And just then, another bailiff hurriedly handed over some information. This was the missing person report from the Chenxiang Pavilion a few days ago, which described in detail the appearance, clothing, and personal ornaments of each person…

The appearance could not be matched, but the personal ornaments could.

The county captain of Star River County squatted down slightly, comparing the document while scanning the corpses.

And just then, footsteps suddenly came from the main gate of the morgue’s front yard.

The county captain of Star River County turned his head and saw an old man with a kind face but sharp eyes stepping in.

“Old Han.” The county captain of Star River County cupped his hands from a distance.

The person who came was none other than the “Eight-Armed Old Man” Han Ba.

The county captain said, “Of the ten people missing from the Chenxiang Pavilion, seven are here, and the other three are probably completely gone.”

Han Ba said, “The rest should be the woodcutters, hunters, and travelers who have recently gone missing in your county, oh, and Old Ma Dan. It’s spring, and he often runs to the mountains to pick flowers to sell in the county town for some pocket money. I didn’t expect him to die too.”

The county captain said, “You seem to be very familiar with them.”

Han Ba said, “This old man is just like you, I’ve been observing the county town for a lifetime. How could this old man not know who comes in and out of the city on a daily basis?”

The county captain snorted, but did not dwell on this, but said, “I listened to you before and suppressed the missing person cases. Today, I can’t suppress them anymore.

Not far from the county gate, two hunter corpses were seen, and a group of people saw them.

The people in the county are not stupid. When they saw this, how could they not understand what happened to the people who had gone missing before?”

Han Ba said, “Where were the bodies found?”

The county captain took out a piece of paper from his bosom and handed it over.

Han Ba opened it and saw that it was marked with small red circles, with serial numbers in the circles, corresponding to the order in which the bodies were found. In the lower left corner, the time of death determined by the coroner was also noted.

The more Han Ba looked, the more solemn his expression became.

The county captain scanned the many people in the morgue, then glanced at the door and said, “Old Han, shall we go for a walk?”

Han Ba nodded.

The two went outside and walked under the gloomy old locust trees of the morgue. Dense shadows fell from above, and a chilling air permeated the place.

The county captain frowned and said, “Your way of doing things is too different from Old Master Ning’s style, isn’t it? Old Master Ning is a great philanthropist of the ten li and eight villages. Even I am in awe of him.

But you… since the first body was found, you have been asking us to conceal it, to condone it, and to wait for more bodies.

This official knows that you hope to grasp the whereabouts of those ferocious beasts more accurately, but these are all living people.”

Han Ba said, “I will remember the people. The Ning residence will help their families, and their lives will not be a problem.”

The county captain’s brows furrowed deeper and he said, “Did Old Master Ning teach you this?”

Han Ba shook his head and said, “Old Master Ning never does such things.”

As he spoke, he added, “You say I concealed information and caused the deaths of many people. But, do you know that we also have to risk our lives? How many of me, and even my brothers, can come back alive?

Gathering as much information about them as possible will increase the chances of success. And if we fail, the entire county town will fall. At that time, it will not be me, but you who will have to face them.”

As he spoke, Han Ba slapped the “map marked with the order of death” heavily into the county captain’s bosom, and then let out a long sigh.

The county captain also stopped talking, but looked into the distance with a somewhat solemn expression and said, “Where did they come from?”

Han Ba said, “This matter has to be asked of a truly capable geomancer or a yin-yang master. I don’t understand either.”

The county captain sighed and said, “We are all relying on Old Master Ning. If it weren’t for Old Master Ning, we would probably be slow to react, and who knows how many more people would have died. Old Han, why do you think they are eating people on the outskirts, one on the left and one on the right?”

Han Ba said, “If this old man were to attack a village, I would first send people to test the village’s strength and see if there are any experts.

One is to send people to scout, and the other is to kill a few people on the outskirts to lure the people in the village out.

Since people have died, they have to send experts, right?

With this test, wouldn’t you be able to tell if you can attack this village? County Captain, do you think this is the logic?”

The county captain said, “Do these ghostly things have brains?”

Han Ba said, “They do.”

As he spoke, he also sighed and said, “Have you heard of the idiom ‘a cornered beast will fight back’? Although they are tigers, Old Master Ning said that they are new here and don’t understand the situation, so… they are testing.”

The county captain said, “Is it over as long as we kill them?”

Han Ba suddenly laughed, laughing up and down, pointing at the county captain and laughing, “Hasn’t the county captain heard of the missing person cases and natural and man-made disasters in the prefecture and various places? Old Master Ning said that everything has just begun.”

The county captain lowered his eyes, a thoughtful look on his face, and then said curiously, “Then how do you fight them?”

Han Ba said, “Don’t ask what you shouldn’t ask.”

The county captain nodded, then shook the “map of the order of death” and said, “Have you noticed?”

Han Ba said, “There is a strange place. People have died all around, but that place is the only one where nothing has happened.

Although it is relatively deep, there should be herb gatherers and the like who go there.

Since nothing has happened, it means that that place is extraordinary. County Captain, please rest assured. When the reinforcements arrive, we will go and check. With this map, we also have a certain understanding of their whereabouts, and it’s time to make a move.”

The county captain showed a curious look.

Han Ba patted him on the shoulder and said, “Get closer to the Ning family, and you will know more.”

After speaking, he turned and left, his figure disappearing into the darkness.

The sky…

was dimly lit.

A carriage was parked near the city gate.

In the carriage, Xiao Jie pleaded, “Young Master, wherever you are going, don’t go.

People have died, many people have died.

Young Master, actually, if it weren’t for me listening to you and helping you conceal it, you wouldn’t have been able to get out at all.

The mistress has always thought that you were playing in those places in the past…”

Ning Xuan grabbed the bundle full of gold and silver and pressed it on Xiao Jie’s long, fair legs, and said, “You have everything with you, what are you afraid of?”

Xiao Jie lifted her legs and clamped his hand with the side of her slippery thighs, not letting him break free. Then she bit her lip, looked at him, and said糯糯, “This servant girl has some new tricks, they are very fun, why don’t you…”

“Tonight.” Ning Xuan pulled his hand out, and then added, “Don’t worry.”

After speaking, he got out of the carriage and left the city.

Ning Xuan actually didn’t want to go.

But he knew that the deaths were very likely related to the “Mountain-Crashing Bear demon.”

The “Mountain-Crashing Bear demon” was nearby, which gave him a great sense of crisis.

He had to figure it out in order to better understand the [Heavenly Demon Record], otherwise he would still be clueless the next time he encountered it.

Lazing around was not waiting to die.

He wanted to laze around, but he didn’t want to wait to die.

Therefore, he had to know what kind of environment and what kind of world he was living in.

He familiarly summoned the Heavenly Demon Record, took the Beast-Slaying Saber, and rushed towards the place where he usually trained.

Just as he was about to reach the waterfall, Ning Xuan suddenly frowned.

He stopped in his tracks.

He felt the invasion of his territory like a wild beast.

“There’s a human smell… no, there are outsiders here.”

Ning Xuan was very familiar with this terrain. He made a few turns and went up to a high ground covered by lush branches and leaves. This high ground was very steep and extremely difficult to climb, but it could overlook the entire waterfall and cliff area.

He climbed up to the high ground, hid behind the leaves, and with a slight glance, he saw dozens of people standing in front of the mountain wall where he practiced every morning. They were wearing armor, holding crossbows, and equipped with sabers and swords, fully armed.

He squinted his eyes, because he recognized some of these people.

They were the guards of the Ning family’s mountain villa, and also the “Eight-Armed Old Man” Han Ba.

He didn’t recognize the rest.

But since they were mixed with Han Ba, they were probably all together.

“They are not enemies, but… I can’t go there either.”

Ning Xuan didn’t want to be discovered.

He decided to change places.

Terrifying claw marks spread upwards, densely covering the hard rock wall, everywhere.

Everyone standing under the cliff felt a strong sense of suffocation.

Many people’s breathing became heavy and rapid, and their faces were either pale or blood-red, filled with fear and a sense of seeing death as a return.

This kind of claw mark…

This kind of density…

The opponent’s physique had reached a level they could not imagine.

Han Ba looked at a yellow-robed Taoist in the center.

The yellow-robed Taoist’s expression was calm, and there were two Taoist boys by his side.

Han Ba looked around and shouted in a low voice, “Spread out, expand the range, and protect the Daoist Master!”

Immediately, a group of people pulled away from each other and spread out a little further.

The yellow-robed Taoist was looking at the claw marks, and after a long time, he said, “This beast is extremely strong. Old Han, I’m afraid this will be a bloody battle of nine deaths and one life.”

Ning Xuan was on his way.

He was changing places.

But as he ran, he suddenly heard strange footsteps.

The footsteps were quickly moving away from him.

Ning Xuan frowned and soon realized that someone had discovered him.

A thought moved in his mind, and he turned and followed the direction of the footsteps.

The footsteps became faster and faster.

His speed also became faster and faster.

Suddenly, the footsteps stopped.

Ning Xuan had already chased to a deep valley covered with vines.

He sensed for a moment and heard a suppressed, low breathing sound, as if panting heavily.

He walked over curiously, stopped behind a hanging vine, stood sideways by the cave, avoiding a direct confrontation, and then raised the Beast-Slaying Saber diagonally and slowly lifted the vine “curtain.”

As soon as the curtain was slightly lifted, a whirlwind rose from within, and a desperate roar was heard.

A black shadow rushed out with a fishy wind, and the vines shattered inch by inch.

Tear!

Bang!

The black, fishy wind was directly pierced through by the Zhan Ma Dao, and then Ning Xuan casually grabbed it with one hand and nailed it to the cliff rock.

Ning Xuan tilted his head and looked curiously at the weak black bear he had pinned.

“Aoo!”

“Aoo aoo aoo!”

The black bear’s eyes flashed with human-like fear, and it let out an angry roar. The melon-seed-like teeth in its mouth were not too dense, and its body was not as terrifying as the bear demon in the nightmare.

Ning Xuan looked at it for a long time and confirmed that this thing was a Mountain-Crashing Bear, but it seemed to be a small demon.

The [Heavenly Demon Record] had really come true, but it was very likely not just one Mountain-Crashing Bear, but a nest, or even a whole mountain, a whole race.

He didn’t know.

Ning Xuan stared at it for a moment, then suddenly pulled out the Beast-Slaying Saber.

The little demon was stunned.

Ning Xuan stabbed it twice more.

The little demon let out a confused and painful wail. Just as it was leaning against the rock wall and preparing to die, the terrifying human suddenly put away his saber, and without saying a word, turned and left.

The little demon hurriedly covered its wound and ran towards a narrow path, rolling and crawling.

Ning Xuan followed.

He hadn’t even discovered this little demon, but this little demon could actually escape in advance. This meant that it was very likely that demons… also had their own demonic techniques.