Chapter 433: Recognized (4/10, Autumn Subscription)

Finally, our turn!

Fang Yue's heart leapt; the queue soon began to undergo the guards' inspection.

The questions were actually fairly brief—name, where from, what business.

But testing for any signs of Possession took quite a bit of time.

Unlike Gu Yue Cun, where a crude Ghost-Testing Talisman was all it took.

Qingsi County's check for Possession used several methods, run in Synchronize.

The Ghost-Testing Jade: its jade aperture aligned with the eye, emitting a faint fluorescence, scanning as it swept.

The Ghost-Testing Incense: a huge burner, set right beside them, the incense burning without pause.

The Ghost-Testing Bell: called a bell, but in practice just two small iron rods, struck together to make a sound, then the feedback determined the situation.

Fang Yue had a clear conscience, so he naturally accepted the inspection without a care.

Everything else was fine, but when the Ghost-Testing Jade scanned Fang Yue's eyes, the faint fluorescence seemed to suddenly deepen, a faint red glow flickering into view—then in an instant it returned to normal.

The tester froze for a beat, staring at Fang Yue with a puzzled look.

"The rest of you go ahead. You—stay where you are."

Eh?

Eh eh eh?

Fang Yue's heart gave a sudden lurch.

What's going on? Have I been Possessed??

For some reason, the first thing that flashed through Fang Yue's mind was the earlier incident—after taking the 【Fierce Yuan Pill】, black blood had streamed from his eyes, as if he were turning into something uncanny.

Could it be because of that?! And so the Ghost-Testing Jade judged him as possibly Possessed?

If not, why would it be the eyes of all things, and not some other part?

Fang Yue watched anxiously as they went to consult the white-robed Lord Dou, who was sitting in focused contemplation, idly toying with a 【Fire-Pattern Token】.

In no time at all, Lord Dou looked up at Fang Yue, tucked away the 【Fire-Pattern Token】, and walked over to stand before him.

"Don't resist, or you'll be treated as a Possession case and cut down on the spot."

He uttered the line coldly, then reached out to grab Fang Yue's right hand.

But the moment his hand was halfway extended, his eyelid suddenly twitched.

"A curse?!"

Eh? So it's a curse issue?

Fang Yue was stunned as well.

Then it seems I was overthinking it.

Fang Yue's heart settled.

Lord Dou, meanwhile, gave Fang Yue a complicated look.

"A complex curse even I can't see through—looks like he hasn't long to live. Let him through, just have someone keep an eye on his movements."

The guards, who had been watching Fang Yue with wary eyes, instantly softened their gazes.

Poor guy.

One even patted Fang Yue on the shoulder.

"Little brother, try to take it easy. Whatever you want to do, go do it. If you like some girl, be bold about it… And if you can't bear it anymore, you can come find us at the Qing Division. Our blades are fast, very professional—won't hurt a bit."

Fang Yue:???

I'm not dead yet, alright!

Besides, this curse hasn't actually caused any trouble so far—though it does carry the rather ominous name 【Wuyu】, which is enough to give one the creeps.

Just as they were talking, someone from behind suddenly cried out in panic: "Lord—Lord Dou! Lord Dou! A head—a head!"

A head?

Fang Yue turned to look, and saw it was Jing Yan, who was holding Lord Han, being inspected—Xiao Xuedou was yapping away beside him too.

"A head? What's there to make a fuss about over a head?"

Lord Dou frowned slightly. At worst, these people were just a vicious lot—kill them on the spot, no need to get this worked up.

But when Lord Dou went over and saw Lord Han's head blinking at him, he was instantly dumbfounded.

"You… you—are you a man or a ghost?"

"I'm Han Bai, Han Bai of Gu Yue Cun. The Green-Robed of Qingsi County—is he still 【Tian Lian】? No, he should be dead by now. In any case, Qingsi County's records should have my identity on file."

"Han Bai? Han Bai… Han… wait—?!"

Lord Dou was muttering to himself when he suddenly seemed to remember something. His face changed drastically, his pupils contracting sharply. His demeanor shifted entirely, and he hurriedly bowed his head respectfully: "Gu Yue Cun—could you be that legendary Lord Han?"

Lord Han?

Who's that?

The other guards looked somewhat bewildered.

Lord Han's sphere of influence was limited after all.

In Gu Yue Cun, everyone knew him, but even there Lord Han rarely had to act.

With no actual feats on record, villages farther afield knew even less.

Only villages nearby knew Lord Han's fearsome reputation.

By the time word reached Qingsi County, his fame was even lower—though… that was only true for the lower ranks.

Anyone in the upper circles, once their position rose, more or less knew that Gu Yue Cun had a half-step Rain-Rank powerhouse holding the fort!

"Legend or not, I don't know, but I am indeed Han Bai of Gu Yue Cun."

Lord Dou instantly became even more respectful.

Although he didn't know why that living legend had ended up in such a state, a half-step Rain-rank legend was not someone he could try to imitate.

He immediately said respectfully, "Lord Han may enter Qingsi County at any time; no procedures are required."

"That works out well then. Jing Yan, let's go."

"Yes, yes."

Watching Lord Han's head being carried inside by Jing Yan to rendezvous with Fang Yue, with a big-headed little dog trotting along beneath, Lord Dou felt something was off about the whole scene.

After a pause, he said, "Lord Han, I will report your entry into Qingsi County to the Lords of Green Garment. I hope you can understand."

"No matter."

Lord Han was like a face-recognition VIP card.

And the top-tier kind at that.

What should have been a long inspection process suddenly sped up the moment they learned Lord Han was leading the group; every procedure was simplified as much as possible.

Under Lord Dou's respectful send-off, Fang Yue and the others entered Qingsi County smoothly.

The interior enclosed by the city walls was unexpectedly prosperous.

Antique-styled houses stood everywhere; the streets bustled with people, foot traffic extremely heavy. Small stalls hawked food, drink, and all manner of goods. Women in relatively light clothing stood at shop entrances, pulling passing customers inside.

Taking in this noisy yet rustic atmosphere, Fang Yue felt a kind of illusion of being inside Along the River During the Qingming Festival.

The atmosphere of Along the River During the Qingming Festival and the mood displayed by the scene before him shared quite a few similarities.

Voices rose in a hubbub — what a lively scene.

"Xiao Ye, what's wrong?"

Seeing Fang Yue spacing out, Lin Ling asked curiously.

"Nothing."

Coming back to himself, that atmosphere was still there, only now it felt as if he too had become a figure within the painting, blending into it.

"Let's find lodging first, then go to the Green Office to handle matters."

Lord Han instructed, then lowered his voice and said, "Being recognized by the Green Office guards is not good news.

If they learn I've lost my strength, there could be trouble.

I had thought about avoiding the inspection, but that's unrealistic. Qingsi County's screening is extremely thorough; a strengthless me, and you all, have no ability to pull that off.

That's why I entered the city openly and confidently, planning to intimidate them with my old reputation — but I must stay as mysterious as possible and minimize contact with others."

Fang Yue was taken aback: "Why would the Green Office cause Lord Han trouble?"

(End of chapter)