Chapter 185: The Howling of the White Wind

Inside the room, Li Heng frowned upon hearing this.

He was merely passing through to rest, yet trouble sought him out on its own?

With a slight shift of thought, he simply replied, "Not here."

Outside the door, Master Hong's expression stiffened involuntarily upon hearing this. Not here? What a joke; if you weren't here, how could you answer me? It was simply an insult to his intelligence.

It seemed this Demon Exorcist had no intention of seeing him at all.

He remained silent for a moment, then spoke again.

"It is not that this official wishes to disturb the Demon Exorcist's rest, but a major event has occurred in Baifeng County. Some time ago, I reported it to the County Government Demon Suppression Division, but no news returned—it was like a mud ox entering the sea."

"I have been hoping for stars and moons during this time, and now you have finally arrived. Therefore, this official is overjoyed and has come specifically to meet you; I ask that the Demon Exorcist please do not take offense."

Li Heng heard this and gave another lazy response.

"What does that have to do with me? I am not from the Prefecture, just passing through to rest. Why bother me? Be gone."

With a movement of his mind, his Great Sun Divine Intent surged forth, sealing the room.

So what if a major event occurred?

He was nothing more than a passerby. Besides, even if a major event occurred that was worth his attention, it would have to wait until he finished resting.

Outside the room, this Master Hong stiffened upon hearing this.

I certainly know you are not from the Prefecture!

But I came specifically to find you.

He continued to speak.

However, after saying quite a lot, there was still no response. Sensing slightly with his spirit, he realized the room had been sealed.

Heh, so what if it's sealed? I will go downstairs and wait!

I do not believe you will not come out.

Master Hong snorted coldly in his heart and headed straight downstairs.

After a long while, the sky was filled with stars; night had fallen.

Li Heng slowly opened his eyes, the fatigue of his spirit already swept away. At this moment, Kong Que, who had long since woken up and finished resting, was beside him, observing him with great curiosity.

"What, is there a flower on my face?" he laughed.

"No, I just think Master is handsome and good-looking."

Kong Que answered obediently.

Li Heng smiled slightly upon hearing this. "You girl certainly have a good eye. Alright, since we have rested, let's go out for a stroll, and after that, we will continue to the Prefecture."

For an existence of his level, there was no distinction between day and night.

He lifted the Great Sun Divine Intent seal within the room.

Accompanied by the creaking of the door, Li Heng and his companion stepped out of the room. They heard the sound of wind howling outside the inn, yet the inn's lamps did not flicker in the slightest, remaining bright.

Li Heng's expression was natural as he went down to the second floor, only to find the lobby on the first floor full of people; however, no one was drinking or playing finger-guessing games, and the atmosphere felt somewhat oppressive.

The reason, naturally, was this County Magistrate Hong in the center of the lobby.

The men and drinkers nearby felt somewhat depressed.

What kind of madness had this County Magistrate Hong caught?

On a night when the White Wind howled, it was one thing not to stay at home, but he had even run to this inn, and he wasn't drinking any wine or eating anything, just sitting there quietly.

It made them afraid to drink heartily or eat meat heartily.

County Magistrate Hong, who had been lost in thought, saw Li Heng and his companion and, upon seeing the Demon Suppression Division uniform on Li Heng, could not help but be overjoyed.

"This Demon Exorcist, have you rested well? How should I address you?"

He stood up, bowed to the two of them, and said with a smile.

Li Heng frowned slightly upon hearing this; this County Magistrate hadn't left yet?

"Speak, what exactly has happened? Is it worth a dignified County Magistrate coming to wait for a lowly Demon Exorcist like me?"

A County Magistrate should be of the same rank as the Division Chief of a county-level Demon Suppression Division. Therefore, even if he were from the County Government Demon Suppression Division, normally it would not be worth such obsequiousness from a County Magistrate.

"Good, worthy of being a person from the Demon Suppression Division, straightforward and quick-spoken."

Master Hong's expression turned solemn, and he bowed once more.

"However, you must have perceived this matter as well; it concerns the sound of the wind outside the room. This wind shares the same name as this county, called White Wind, and it has begun to blow at night in recent times."

"If anyone is exposed to the White Wind at night, within the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, they will go missing and vanish, evaporating from the human world. Even when day comes, no one can find them, no one can seek them out."

"But it is strange to say."

"This White Wind only blows outdoors and will not invade the indoors at all. Even if you are in a dilapidated temple where the wind blows through the whole hall, as long as you stay inside the temple, you will not be touched by this White Wind."

As he spoke, this County Magistrate Hong walked to the front door of the inn, pushed and pulled with his large hands, and opened the door directly, allowing everyone in the inn to clearly see the vast, white, howling wind outside.

But it was just as he had said.

These winds did not blow into the inn at all.

He turned to look at Li Heng, his expression becoming even more solemn, and bowed deeply. "I ask that this Demon Exorcist resolve the matter of the White Wind and save the ten thousand people of Baifeng County from fire and water. I, Hong Zhong, implore you..."

Li Heng looked at the strange scene before him and raised an eyebrow.

He spoke indifferently, "Not interested."

Hong Zhong was astonished upon hearing this. "Why is that?"

"This White Wind clearly has its own rules. As long as you don't go out at night and don't stay outdoors, nothing will happen. It clearly just wants you to sleep peacefully; isn't that quite good?"

Li Heng replied casually.

If there were no Weird or demons, there would be no Source Power, so he was too lazy to take action.

Although there might be Weird or demons behind this White Wind incident, that would require a great deal of trouble and investigation. He was in a hurry to get to the Prefecture; he didn't have that much spare time.

Hong Zhong was anxious and hurriedly spoke up.

"At first, this White Wind only blew for one hour at night, but as time passed, it now blows throughout the entire night."

"Therefore, there is no guarantee it won't start blowing during the day as well, never-ending. In that case, all the commoners would have to stay at home during the day, exhausting their supplies, and would simply starve to death."

Li Heng heard this and looked thoughtful; so that was it?

"It seems you, this County Magistrate, are quite attentive; you even know how to care for the commoners?" He smiled slightly, looking at Hong Zhong with amusement.

Hong Zhong's expression was solemn, "It is only right for one such as me to do so."

"Truly beautiful words, but unfortunately, I refuse."

Li Heng said with a smile.

"I have already said it before, the two of us are not from the Prefecture, and we are currently on our way there. How about this: once I arrive at the Prefecture, I will mention the situation here."

Hong Zhong fell silent upon hearing this and bowed to Li Heng once more.

"The Prefecture is Remote, and I fear Baifeng County cannot wait. Although I do not know your name, as a Demon Exorcist of the Demon Suppression Division, do you have the heart to let these commoners sink deep into fire and water?"

Li Heng's gaze was leisurely; had he actually learned to use Morality as a weapon?

"It seems you really want to keep me here."

He spoke softly, looking at Hong Zhong with a smile, then, without waiting for a reply, he directly pulled Kong Que, stepped out of the inn, and walked into this vast White Wind.

At this moment, cold sweat broke out on Hong Zhong's back, and he felt terrified in his heart.

Could it be that this Demon Exorcist from Bei'an City had discovered the truth? That shouldn't be possible, or was it just a lucky guess? Various thoughts flashed through his mind, but they all eventually settled into calm as he watched the White Wind outside.

However, stepping into the White Wind was equivalent to courting death.

You don't want to stay, but you'll have to, you greenhorn!

He gave a cold smile, then his expression returned to normal, and he turned to look at the shopkeeper at the counter, "Shopkeeper, the White Wind is too strong at night, I'm afraid I can't go back; hurry and prepare some wine, meat, and dishes for me..."

"Master, this wind is actually truly white."

The two walked along the street where the White Wind was howling; Kong Que looked around with curiosity, incomparably surprised. Originally, wind was formless, imageless, and colorless, but now it had turned white.

Li Heng smiled slightly; this wind was indeed interesting.

It wasn't wind on a snowy day, with wind mixed with white snowflakes, but a truly, purely white wind—it had been stained with color.

The time of one incense stick had arrived.

The street that had been blowing with White Wind suddenly filled with hazy mist. The mist rolled continuously, surging toward Li Heng and his companion, trying to submerge them and make them disappear into the mist.

Clearly, this must be the truth behind the disappearances.

This couldn't help but give Li Heng a sense of déjà vu; it looked particularly like the White Strange Mist. However, sensing with his mind, these mists were not nearly as Weird or Terror-inducing as the White Strange Mist.

It was more like a weakened version of the White Strange Mist.

Yet, judging by the aura, they were not related at all.

The mist was about to submerge them; Li Heng's mind stirred slightly, and a ray of Great Sun Dharma Image radiance appeared, illuminating the surroundings, and these mists instantly dissolved away.

The two returned to the street where the White Wind was howling.

Li Heng was somewhat disappointed; is that it?

Soon, the time of another incense stick passed.

The mist surged again, rushing toward them.

This time, Li Heng did not use the Great Sun Radiance; he did nothing at all, but instead smiled and said, "Kong Que, are you afraid?"

"I am not afraid, with you here, Master."

Kong Que said softly.

In her heart, Li Heng, who could destroy the entire Ten Thousand Demon Ridge with his own strength and trigger the Heavenly Punishment of the Yin World, was already her god.

With a god by her side, what did she, as a believer, have to fear?

"Then let's go into this mist and play around."

As soon as he finished speaking, the two were submerged and covered by the mist.

Thus, Li Heng evaporated from the human world and went missing forever... as if.

In reality, after the two were submerged and covered by the mist, the mist became thin again, no longer thickly obstructing their vision, but becoming like morning mist, leaving the surroundings hazy.

And the surroundings were still the street where Li Heng had been.

Is this Silent Hill, having entered the inner World?

Li Heng was slightly surprised.

When he was covered by the mist just now, he could clearly perceive spatial fluctuations appearing around him, and then the two moved from the Present World level to a level very similar to the Present World.

Similar to the Present World Reflection encountered in Bei'an City back then...

Being wrapped by the mist would bring one here.

Then it seems all these missing people would appear here?

He pondered slightly in his heart, not in a hurry; this place was too close to the Present World, and he could break through the Void with a single punch to return to the Present World, posing no threat to him at all.

"Candied haws, selling candied haws..."

A melodious, somewhat rhythmic voice suddenly rang out.

In front of Li Heng and his companion, at the end of the street within their line of sight, a figure gradually emerged, holding something unknown, slowly walking toward them, with a *pala* sound of monotonous footsteps.

"The weather is dry, beware of fire and candles..."

Then, behind Li Heng, a dull sound of a gong rang out, accompanied by hoarse and Strange words, and another figure emerged, walking toward Li Heng and his companion from the other side of the street.

"Kong Que, which side do you think we should choose?"

Seeing this, Li Heng smiled slightly.