Chapter 50: Change of Circumstances

After leaving the Huang residence, Li Lin felt a pang of melancholy.

He could live off his wife’s wealth now.

But should he really do it?

He thought for only two seconds before Huang Qing’s face and figure appeared before him.

And her shy, adorable expression.

Definitely worth it.

He could eat this soft meal.

Still, he wasn’t in a hurry—let things unfold naturally.

Carrying a strange emotion, he arrived at the county office and saw Zhao Xiaohu.

The boy held a red tassel spear in his left hand and a burlap sack in his right, filled with blood rice.

He looked extremely proud.

Then he spotted Li Lin and ran over with his load: “Brother Lin, are we going home now?”

Li Lin glanced at the sky and said, “Too late—we’ll stay overnight in the county town.”

“Really?” Zhao Xiaohu exclaimed excitedly. “I heard the county town’s night is lively, unlike our village.”

“It is lively,” Li Lin smiled. “But we won’t stroll around—we’ll just sleep here.”

Oh.

Zhao Xiaohu looked disappointed.

Li Lin couldn’t help it—the only lively place at night was the commercial street.

Why was it lively? Because it was a brothel district.

A few elegant brothels served as money pits, drawing crowds and noise along the entire street.

Zhao Xiaohu was still young; taking him to such a decadent place wasn’t right.

So Li Lin brought him back to his new home here.

A three-court mansion, its plaque now bearing the words “Li Residence.”

Li Lin knocked on the door; soon it opened, and Zhang Afu exclaimed in delight: “Master, you’re back!”

Li Lin nodded and pointed to Zhao Xiaohu: “This is my brother—call him Xiaohu.”

“Sir Hu!” Zhang Afu bowed.

There was no choice—Zhao Xiaohu’s appearance was wildly deceptive.

Zhang Afu genuinely believed Xiaohu was a fierce warrior, an adult.

Zhao Xiaohu, seeing this for the first time, awkwardly returned the bow.

Then they entered the courtyard, and Zhao Xiaohu looked left and right, astonished and envious.

“Brother Lin, is this your new house?”

“Yes.”

“How much did it cost?”

“A lot.”

“I’m a Spirit Hunter now—can I live in a house like this someday?”

“Of course you can.”

Zhao Xiaohu’s eyes burned with fervor as he began dreaming of his future.

Li Lin wasn’t lying—most Spirit Hunters earned faster as their strength grew.

Zhao Xiaohu had average talent, but seemed to possess some special ability—he advanced in blood qi quickly.

His future achievements wouldn’t be low.

Zhang Afu had already hired a cook; the food wasn’t exceptional, but far better than the four girls could manage.

After eating their fill, Zhao Xiaohu was assigned to a guest room.

He stared at the spacious room, touched the clean, soft bedding, and his determination to become a powerful Spirit Hunter—to repay his parents and Brother Lin—grew stronger.

As Zhao Xiaohu slept soundly, someone shook his body.

He woke, rubbed his eyes, and looked at the figure by the bed: “Brother Lin, what’s wrong?”

“Don’t you feel it? Such a heavy aura of resentment.”

Zhao Xiaohu sensed for a moment, then shook his head: “There’s resentment over there.”

He pointed in a direction.

“Come on—grab your spear and come with me.”

“Okay!” Zhao Xiaohu perked up.

They left with their spears; Zhang Afu, experienced now, sat behind the door dozing, waiting for his masters to return.

After greeting the patrol militia, Li Lin and Zhao Xiaohu climbed the city wall.

There, they found many others already gathered.

Su Huafang, Zhao Hao, and two unfamiliar local Spirit Hunters.

In short, every Spirit Hunter in the county had come.

All of them stared grimly at the lake ahead.

Li Lin looked too, then drew a sharp breath.

Zhao Xiaohu clapped a hand over his mouth, silent.

On the lake floated a great apparition.

How big? Li Lin estimated—at least three stories tall.

“Human face, tiger body, wings on its back—and this large?” Li Lin frowned. “What kind of apparition is this?”

“It’s the Taowu Zhenjun of Yuecheng,” Su Huafang whispered. “But why is it here?”

Every Spirit Hunter present carried that same question.

It was night—how could the Taowu Zhenjun of Yuecheng appear here? Who was guarding Yuecheng then?

Bai Liwei crossed his arms: “With the Four Marvels Zhenjun present, this one couldn’t enter. I only fear Yuecheng is in grave danger.”

As they spoke, the Taowu Zhenjun dove into the lake; soon the surface churned, waves rising one after another, each higher than the last.

Not long after, the Taowu Zhenjun dragged up a massive fish apparition.

The resentment Li Lin had sensed earlier in the lake must have come from this fish.

Its back bore a large black tumor; its front face was neither human nor fish; behind its huge fins grew limbs—utterly grotesque.

The Taowu Zhenjun tore the fish apparition apart with brute force; the entire county echoed with its screams.

The Taowu Zhenjun opened its jaws and bit down—half the fish vanished.

Soon, it swallowed the entire fish, then glanced toward the county, flapped its wings, and departed.

The resentment faded, then vanished.

Bai Liwei said: “We must see the County Magistrate now.”

Everyone nodded.

At the county office, Huang Yan sat already in the courtroom.

The fish apparition’s death screams had terrified the entire county.

Huang Yan had been woken too—he came to the courtroom to wait, knowing the Spirit Hunters would come soon.

“What caused that scream?” Huang Yan asked.

Bai Zhiwei recounted everything that had just happened.

Huang Yan listened, face grim. He rose and paced back and forth, then said: “Yuecheng has likely fallen. Without restraint, the Taowu Zhenjun appeared near our county. This is dire—Yuecheng is one of the southern empire’s key defenses. But why was no beacon fire lit?”

Everyone understood the gravity.

No beacon fire meant either Yuecheng fell too fast to send word—or… there was a traitor.

Huang Qi stepped out from the back hall, bowed: “My Lord, permit me to lead troops to patrol the border towns.”

“You’re not going to Jincheng?”

“At a time like this, other matters must wait.”

“Good.” Huang Yan nodded. “As Assistant Prefect, I authorize you to take one hundred archers and three hundred militia, travel via Bobai Town to Dongxing Military Town, and join General Tang Qibian to defend the southeastern barrier of Jin Commandery.”

Huang Qi nodded and turned to leave.

Then Huang Yan looked at the Spirit Hunters: “As for you all, return to your posts. Monitor your local Zhenjun for anomalies. Do not leave without orders.”

The Spirit Hunters stiffened—Huang Yan’s order carried far more meaning than it seemed.

“Li Xunshou, stay. I have urgent matters to discuss with you. The rest may go.”

(End of Chapter)