Chapter 157

Zhou Fang asked curiously, 'What major event happened?'

The youth said, 'It's said that a disciple of the Ba Wang Sect was pursuing someone, but ended up dying in our Yangzhou City!'

Many disciples from the legendary great sects have arrived, investigating the murderer, and our City Lord lives in constant anxiety, as if walking on thin ice.

Zhou Fang gasped, 'A major sect disciple died here? How did they die?'

The youth shook his head, 'I'm not exactly sure, but his five viscera and six bowels were eaten by something; I heard... it was eaten by a monster called Heng Xian!'

Heng Xian silently cursed, 'Damn, I've become a monster.'

However, a major sect disciple died here, his five viscera?

I remember that day the capital of Sang Guo was in chaos; Heizei used his underlings' little demons to block that big hand, then he fled, while those Red Silver demons likely survived and scattered everywhere.

Did some demons escape here?

That's fine; they're busy hunting demons, leaving me more at ease, and with the Heavenly Hexagram helping conceal my tracks, I'm not afraid of being discovered.

Zhou Fang and the youth had finished chatting, and they brought Heng Xian onward to the Escort Bureau, worrying along the way: 'Our Yangzhou City might be in turmoil; those major sect disciples aren't scary, but having demons is. To be honest, I've traveled south and north for years, but I've rarely seen demons.'

Heng Xian said indifferently, 'Don't be nervous; maybe the demons have already left.'

Zhou Fang shook his head, 'You're not a cultivator, you don't understand; they say the great sect's experts have calculated that the demons are still hiding in the city,'

Those demons are good at changing, full of tricks; they might turn into someone among us... you... aren't you a demon in disguise?

Having said that, she gave Heng Xian a tense look.

Heng Xian said solemnly, 'Actually, I am Heng Xian!'

"Pfft—hahaha!" Zhou Fang laughed, slapping his shoulder, "Stop joking, Little Clerk; if that Heng Xian looked as handsome and refined as you, I'd throw myself at him right away!"

Heng Xian followed with a laugh.

The two walked and talked, and soon arrived at the 'Zhenyuan Escort Bureau.'

The Escort Bureau is located in the eastern affluent district, covering a vast area, with an imposing and magnificent façade; two rows of guards stand sternly, making it look less like an escort bureau and more like a government office.

Zhou Fang proudly introduced, 'Our Zhenyuan Escort Bureau may not be among the four great clans, but in Yangzhou City it's a well-known signboard, famously known as the West Factory and East Escort!'

Heng Xian casually asked, 'West Factory?'

Zhou Fang said, 'It's the West City River Dock; a group of water transport laborers founded a Sea-Land Factory, full of masters, standing equal to our Zhenyuan Escort Bureau!'

Heng Xian showed no interest, nodding.

The two entered through a side gate into the escort bureau's large courtyard with eight entrances and exits; the front three sections are the bureau's offices, the east wing houses servants and clerks, and the west wing houses the escort masters.

The inner three sections constitute the master's private residence.

Zhou Fang brought Heng Xian into the east wing's courtyard, placed him in a corner room, and told him about his daily work and meals before leaving.

The room isn't large but is fairly clean; opening the rear window reveals a bamboo grove, though it leads to the master's inner courtyard in the rear three sections.

Having just returned with nothing to do, Heng Xian tossed aside 'Dog Egg,' closed the door, sat cross-legged, and began cultivating the Ziwei Eight Wastelands Sword God Dao.

Compared to ordinary cultivators, his progress is swift; having broken through to the sixth layer of the Qi Sea Realm a month ago, it's now fully stabilized, and consuming inner elixirs and herbs should soon allow him to breakthrough to the seventh layer of the Qi Sea Realm.

One cycle of heavenly circulation after another...

Heng Xian opened his eyes; outside it was already dark, and in the night the escort bureau's inner and outer courts were clearly distinct—outside noisy, inside very quiet.

Gou Dan hung upside down by the window, dazed; seeing him wake up, it let out a sharp squeak and threw over a piece of braised pork trotter, stolen from somewhere.

Heng Xian took it, indicated he wouldn't eat, threw it back, opened the door and went out.

Outside in the courtyard, a few lit oil lamps burned; to the left, three burly helpers were playing xiangqi; to the right, four or five servant women were mending shoe soles.

By the water well opposite, a group of adolescent maidservants were laughing and horsing around while washing clothes.

A rustic farmhouse scene, very down-to-earth.

Seeing him, the crowd was somewhat timid and dared not speak, but one of the escorts who had returned with Heng Xian laughed and said, "Don't be afraid, everyone; this is our new escort secretary, Mr. Murong!"

Then the crowd relaxed a bit and greeted in unison, "Mr. Murong!"

Heng Xian nodded and said, "Hello, please take care of me as I'm new here."

After saying that, he felt somewhat moved; in this world, cultivation is supreme, and scholars are very lowly, on par with servants!

The escort helper laughed, "Mr. Murong, you must have slept through dinner; the dining hall should still have some food now, or else you'll go hungry later."

"I was just about to go eat!" Heng Xian headed toward the dining hall so as not to stand out.

The dining hall wasn't far; it was in the front three courtyards.

Heng Xian ate a bit casually, then leisurely made his way back, watching the passing escorts and servants, and suddenly felt that living reclusively in the city was quite nice.

At that moment he reached the junction between the inner residence and the eastern courtyard; the way to the inner residence was blocked by a stone tablet.

Heng Xian glanced at it casually and was startled; he saw a strange pattern on it, a pattern he had seen in the Tianyuan Sect, belonging to a relatively sophisticated spirit‑gathering array.

Such a small escort bureau actually has something like this?

He glanced at the inner residence, then immediately opened the Heavenly Hexagram of Xuan Huang and said, "Help me divine a hexagram—what is this pattern on the stone tablet?"

The hexagram answer: 【Wood‑Fire Spirit Array, existing for three hundred years; it gathers the fire‑spirit qi from all directions to nurture the Yi Fire True Herb!】

Heng Xian was somewhat surprised: "Does this spirit herb need three hundred years to nurture? It's so precious!"

The hexagram answer: 【This medicinal herb matures every three hundred years; there is one deep in this residence, about to mature; cultivators who use it to refine pills can raise their realm.】

With the host's cultivation, refining and taking the pill can directly break through to the eighth layer of the Qi Hai Realm.】

Is that possible?

Heng Xian's heart involuntarily throbbed.

Just then, a senior maid emerged from the inner residence, wearing heavy makeup, a beauty spot at the corner of her mouth, looking rather alluring; seeing him dazed, she snapped, "Who are you, sneaking about like a thief?"

Heng Xian pointed at himself in surprise, "You think I… look like a thief?"

As for looks, that won't do.

The maid gave him a once‑over, pursed her lips, and said, "Hmm, you're not bad‑looking, but what good is that? You're just a clerk‑servant, aren't you? This isn't a place for you to be looking around."

"That makes sense," Heng Xian replied with a light chuckle, making as if to leave.

Just then, another person came from behind, feather fan and silk headscarf in hand, quite the suave fellow.

The heavily made-up maidservant, upon seeing him, immediately broke into a smile and went forward: "Young Master Xu!"

Young Master Xu chuckled: "Ah, it's Qingmei. What's happened?"

The maid pointed at Heng Xian: "That servant is sneaking around, standing before the gate tablet and looking inside!"

Young Master Xu glanced at Heng Xian, his face turning cold, and said: "So it's you, and you claim to have read the sages' books, yet you know nothing of etiquette and rank? What are you up to? Spying on the master's household—low and base; I'll go tell the escort captain about this."

This reaction was somewhat over the top, mainly because that day Heng Xian's mention of a bunch of classic texts had irritated him—after all, he himself wasn't even qualified to read them.

Heng Xian pinched his chin, narrowed his eyes, and said: "You two have something going on!"

(End of chapter)