Chapter 69

Klang—

A loud crash shattered all the raindrops around it.

The malevolent entity and the state's suppressive artifact clashed head-on, neither gaining the upper hand.

This was the malevolent entity's full state.

But at this state, Mr. Gao could no longer control it well.

Ma Tianshou was shaken by that sword strike, his hands going numb, and he involuntarily dropped the guillotine blade.

Crack!

The guillotine blade fell, and the mysterious rule-force restraining the ten-zhang malevolent entity vanished with it.

The ten-zhang malevolent entity galloped forward—

Ma Tianshou could barely match the malevolent entity only by relying on the "Dog-Head Guillotine"; the situation was clearly dire for all of the Purification Office personnel!

Yan Lao fell dozens of zhang away, yet still flicked his abacus beads at lightning speed.

He sought to calculate a path to survival.

This was not meaningless; Yan Lao had just found it strange: the malevolent entity was so powerful, yet why, during his last calculation, had the future been merely obscure—not outright failure or death?

"There must still be a glimmer of hope!"

…

Xu Yuan, seeing the ten-zhang malevolent entity, was stunned: could there really be such a terrifying malevolent entity hidden within the county?

That shouldn't be possible.

Xu Yuan suddenly grew anxious: his stepmother hadn't returned yet!

Should he go look for her, in case she encountered danger…

But Xu Yuan quickly forced himself to calm down.

His stepmother was stronger than him; if she truly faced danger, his presence wouldn't help.

In this chaotic situation, if he went out searching for her, she'd return home to find him gone and go out looking for him instead.

That would be foolish.

Xu Yuan's face wore a solemn expression; he stood beneath the eaves, staring fixedly toward the county office.

…

The ten-zhang malevolent entity charged forward, raising its massive iron sword high!

Ma Tianshou rapidly wrote eighteen "Strength" talismans and affixed them all to his back, then raised his official seal above his head, and lifted the guillotine blade once more with both hands.

Klang!

The malevolent entity struck the guillotine blade again; this time, the old lord trembled all over but managed to hold his ground—yet no one knew how much longer he could endure.

Yan Lao calculated furiously, surpassing his usual level by far.

"I've calculated it!" Yan Lao stared in shock, turning his head toward River Worker Alley, muttering in disbelief: "The only path to survival… lies in River Worker Alley… is it that boy?"

Yan Lao scrambled to his feet and sprinted toward River Worker Alley.

When the three-year-old child transformed into the ten-zhang malevolent entity, his abilities shifted, and the county office's seals dissolved accordingly.

By the time Yan Lao reached the mouth of River Worker Alley, Ma Tianshou had already clashed twice more with the ten-zhang malevolent entity.

Yan Lao was about to rush into the alley when a slightly hunched figure blocked his path.

Yan Lao turned aside, but found he couldn't circumvent her.

No matter how he moved, she stood firmly before him.

Yan Lao forced patience, clasped his fists: "Madam, are you a senior of Xu Yuan's household?"

Aunt Wang gave no quarter: "Don't try to flatter me. Go back where you came from. Today, you won't lay eyes on Ah Yuan."

Yan Lao, desperate: "I am a Seventh-Rank Method cultivator, proficient in the calculation method—I would never miscalculate. The glimmer of hope rests on Xu Yuan…"

Aunt Wang cut him off: "That's your glimmer of hope, not ours. It has nothing to do with Ah Yuan."

"I've calculated it—Xu Yuan won't be in danger."

"I don't believe you," Aunt Wang refused to yield. "In weather like this, with a monster this terrifying, you want our Ah Yuan to save you? You overestimate him. Go back."

"You!" Yan Lao, furious, flicked his abacus beads: "Madam, if you insist, I'll have to apologize for the intrusion!"

Aunt Wang's gaze turned icy: "I'm just an old woman from River Worker Alley, insignificant—no one can say I've offended you. But you won't pass."

Aunt Wang reached into her own belly, pulled out a heart, and hurled it at Yan Lao.

Boom—

A roaring sea of fire erupted amid the torrential rain!

The rain did not extinguish a single flame.

Yan Lao's abacus immediately caught fire!

His hands burned searingly hot; he cried out in pain as the abacus dropped into the pooled water.

"Leave now, or next time I'll burn your eyebrows off!"

"Aunt Wang." A voice suddenly came from within the alley.

Aunt Wang didn't move her body, but her head twisted fully backward—Xu Yuan stepped out from the alley, holding an umbrella.

"Why did you come out?" Aunt Wang fretted.

Her heartfire flared further; Yan Lao shrieked and staggered back, his eyebrows charred away!

Xu Yuan smiled: "Aunt Wang, I know you care for me. But let me speak with Yan Lao."

"What's there to talk about!" Aunt Wang had barely spoken when Shen the Elder emerged, pipe in mouth, hunched over: "Have you forgotten what Laozu said? Children's affairs are for the children to decide."

Aunt Wang glared at Shen the Elder, then reluctantly stepped aside.

Yan Lao rejoiced, rushing forward to speak quickly to Xu Yuan: "I offer you the position of Mountain-Carrying Captain of the Purification Office—you'll enter at the same rank as Fu Jingyu."

Fu Jingyu was a student of Ma Tianshou; the Fu family of Linzhou was a prominent clan, with ancestors who had served as Grand Secretaries, and now boasted one Minister and one Prefect—he had worked diligently in the Purification Office for five years to earn his current post!

Yan Lao, still fearing he couldn't sway Xu Yuan, added further: "If you still think it's insufficient, afterward I can recommend you to the Elder Lord for a higher-ranking Inspector position."

This time, Xu Yuan did not haggle; he asked: "If I refuse, you will surely die?"

"Not only will we die without fail—look at that anomaly—" Yan Lao pointed backward toward the county yamen: "Chen Liangxuan has already lost control; not many will remain alive in the entire county!"

Xu Yuan asked again: "What exactly do they intend to do?"

Yan Lao, desperate and with no time for circumlocution, laid it all out: "Over the years, Qiao Ziaang has fed countless blood offerings into Ghost Wushan. We lack exact numbers, but there are at least three hundred!"

Sending so many living people inside cannot possibly be merely for 'befriending evil spirits.'

And such a mass disappearance cannot be concealed by Qiao Ziaang alone—a lowly literary cultivator and minor provincial graduate—or even by Chen Liangxuan; Chen Liangxuan was exiled to Nanjing three years ago—he lacks such power.

The mastermind behind them must be a powerful noble from the Northern Capital!

We have a premonition—this will be a monumental case!"

Xu Yuan gritted his teeth hard and said: "I accept."

Yan Lao rejoiced: "Let's go quickly!"

Aunt Wang panicked: "Uncle Shen!"

The old man had somehow appeared between Xu Yuan and Yan Lao, standing with his back to Yan Lao and facing Xu Yuan: "Why did you agree?"

"If the Purification Office falls, Chen Liangxuan and his master won't spare me!" Xu Yuan replied succinctly.

He came out to meet Yan Lao precisely because he had finally understood this.

Xu Yuan did not want to spend his life hiding in Riverwork Alley—and if that noble from the Northern Capital refused to let go, he would bring disaster upon Riverwork Alley!

Uncle Shen took a puff of his pipe, then stepped aside: "Go."

Xu Yuan then remembered something—he rushed back inside, slung his matchlock on his shoulder, and hurried off with Yan Lao.

Aunt Wang tried to stop them, but Uncle Shen rebuked: "I see that Yuan-boy understands better than you do—you must stop treating him like a child!"

Aunt Wang paid no heed: "You old thing won't care for the child, yet you make up excuses! Get out of my way!"

Aunt Wang chased after the two, and Uncle Shen lifted his foot—intending to trip her—but ultimately did not extend it.

"Use your judgment—you're not like Mao Lao Si; if you act recklessly outside the alley, you may never return!" Uncle Shen shouted, then burst into violent coughing, taking several deep puffs of his pipe to suppress it.

But Aunt Wang ignored him entirely, vanishing into the rain.

(End of Chapter)