"Over a month ago, reports began to surface of people disappearing in the mountains. When soone ca to report it to the Yan, I initially thought it was rely the work of so Fierce Beast, so I dispatched a few n to investigate." Chang Cai continued, "It was only after those Governnt Officials sent to investigate the situation also went missing that I realized sothing was seriously wrong. However, without being completely certain it was the work of Demon Evils, I specifically recruited a few Jianghu experts to accompany a larger group of Governnt Officials into the mountains, hoping to uncover the truth. But—"
At this point, an uncontrollable trace of fear appeared on Chang Cai’s greasy face.
"Everyone who entered the mountains vanished into thin air, leaving no trace behind. That’s when I beca certain that Demon Evils were present in the mountains. Otherwise, re Fierce Beasts could never have caused so many people to disappear like that."
Ordinary Fierce Beasts... no matter how strong, there’s a limit. Anyone who has reached the Pulse Condensation Realm would have almost no fear of any Fierce Beast. Not to ntion, those who entered the mountains weren’t rely a few experts at the Pulse Condensation Realm. Furthermore, a large number of Governnt Officials accompanied them. Even if there were many Fierce Beasts in the mountains, let alone an absence of them, they would have stood no chance against such a group.
Upon hearing Chang Cai’s words, Shen Changqing silently nodded. What Chang Cai said was not significantly different from what he had read in the dossier. Due to the ti difference in the reports, he needed to reconfirm the information with Chang Cai to check for any inconsistencies with the dossier records.
Afterward, Shen Changqing asked, "Has there been any unusual activity in the mountains since you reported this to the Demon-Subduing Division?"
"As soon as I reported to the Demon-Subduing Division, I issued a notice prohibiting unauthorized entry into the mountains. However, most of the people living around this mountain rely on it for their livelihood. Despite the Yan’s explicit orders, so still ventured inside. Yesterday, another hunter went into the mountains and failed to return. This morning, villagers ca to report it, and I was temporarily unable to offer a solution."
Chang Cai sighed, his face etched with helplessness. As the County Magistrate of Qutai County, such a serious problem arising within my jurisdiction is an unavoidable responsibility. If the Demon Evil problem isn’t resolved, setting aside other concerns, the plight of the villagers who depend on the mountain alone poses a significant challenge. If that happens, Qutai County will descend into turmoil, spelling great trouble for .
After a silent sigh, Chang Cai’s expression seed to revive. "Fortunately, Lord Shen has arrived! With Lord Shen’s intervention, I believe the Demon Evil in the mountains won’t be able to harm any more villagers."
A Heaven Rank Demon Hunter! That signifies the strength of soone at the Grandmaster Realm. It must be understood that even Earth Rank Demon Hunters are Grandmaster-level powerhouses; a Heaven Rank Demon Hunter, a tier above, would be in the late stages of the Grandmaster Realm at the very least. Even though Shen Changqing looked young, in Chang Cai’s eyes now, he was rely skilled in the art of preserving youth. So experts possessed imnse strength, and their age couldn’t always be judged by their appearance. Shen Changqing’s every action, in particular, exuded an extraordinary temperant, which further confird Chang Cai’s suspicions.
"Lord Chang, do you have ti now?" Shen Changqing asked.
"Yes, I do."
"Then please accompany this official to take a look."
Shen Changqing stood up. He didn’t want to waste ti; if the issue could be resolved, he preferred to do so as quickly as possible. There were still so many Demon Evils waiting for him in South Nether Prefecture. Now that the situation in the Heavenly Realm had concluded, the various Demon-Subduing Divisions might be able to spare so manpower. If the pace of eradicating Demon Evils quickened, there might not be many left for him.
Upon hearing this, Chang Cai nodded. "If Lord Shen is going now, I will naturally accompany you. Soone!"
With a loud shout, a Governnt Official imdiately entered.
"What are your orders, Lord?"
"I will imdiately head to Fengqiu Mountain," Chang Cai commanded. "Inform everyone that apart from those who must remain on duty at the Yan, all others will accompany and Lord Shen."
The Governnt Official bowed deeply and took his leave. Only after the man left did Chang Cai turn to Shen Changqing, a smile on his face. "Lord Shen, when dealing with Demon Evils, it’s better to have more people. If nothing else, having more hands to assist Lord Shen will make things much more convenient."
"Lord Chang can decide as he sees fit," Shen Changqing replied without further comnt. How Chang Cai chose to proceed was his own business and had little to do with him.
In less than an hour, everyone from the Yan had assembled. At a glance, there were dozens of Governnt Officials. Standing beside them were several other individuals, both old and young. With just a casual glance, Shen Changqing could tell that these few people possessed considerable strength; in the Jianghu, they would be considered experts at the Pulse Condensation Realm.
Chang Cai explained, "Lord Shen, the previous batch of Governnt Officials disappeared in Fengqiu Mountain, so these are all newly recruited. The others are so Jianghu experts I have managed to recruit. If it were an ordinary Demon Evil, they might be able to handle it. But the Demon Evil in Fengqiu Mountain is not so simple." As he spoke the last words, Chang Cai sighed deeply again.
All he wanted was to serve peacefully as the County Magistrate of Qutai County. He held little hope for advancing his career, but he didn’t want to lose his current position either. To maintain stability in Qutai County, he had even specially recruited a batch of Jianghu experts. Ordinarily, any minor Demon Evils causing trouble were dealt with by the Yan’s own strength. But alas, the Demon Evil this ti was not comparable to the usual ones. They hadn’t even caught a glimpse of it, yet a large number of people had already perished. Chang Cai now only hoped that this Demon Evil could be dealt with quickly; otherwise, he wouldn’t find any peace of mind.
Glancing at those people, Shen Changqing withdrew his gaze. "Lord Chang, your foresight is comndable. It’s evident that Qutai County has indeed been quite stable in the past." As he spoke, his gaze landed on Chang Cai’s round belly.
Such corpulence was indeed rare. Among all the County Magistrates and Magistrates he had encountered, Chang Cai seed to be living the most comfortably.
Sensing Shen Changqing’s gaze, Chang Cai gave an embarrassed smile. "Lord Shen, you jest. Let’s not waste any more ti and head directly to Fengqiu Mountain!"
***
Fengqiu Mountain, a continuous range stretching for hundreds of miles, was ho to many birds and beasts. Villagers commonly entered the mountain to hunt. Over ti, so hunters and villagers ca to rely on the mountain for their livelihood, managing to solve so of their daily life problems. However, since rumors of a Demon Evil causing disturbances in the mountain spread, far fewer people ventured into Fengqiu Mountain. Nevertheless, so still risked entering, but very few ever ca out again.
A group of people was heading towards Fengqiu Mountain. Their considerable number had attracted so attention from the villagers.
"Those seem to be the Yan officials from Qutai County!"
"Yes, that’s right! The one in front is Lord Chang, the County Magistrate."
"The Yan has sent people! It looks like they’re going to deal with the Demon Evil in the mountain—"
The villagers discussed in low voices, a distinct look of relief on each face. If the Demon Evil in the mountain could be dealt with, it would be good news for everyone.
An elder sighed, "I just hope the officials can quickly take care of that Demon Evil; otherwise, our troubles will be significant!"
"Indeed, we haven’t been able to go into the mountain for many days. If this continues, our whole families will starve."
"Alas, I heard that Lin’s third son went in yesterday and still hasn’t co out. I fear his chances are slim."
So sighed heavily. When talking about Fengqiu Mountain, fear involuntarily erged on their faces.
Listening to the villagers’ words, Shen Changqing looked towards the mountain range in front of him. In his view, Fengqiu Mountain before them was not small at all. Looking as far as the eye could see, one simply couldn’t find the end of the mountain ranges on either side. If Demon Evils were hiding there, they certainly wouldn’t be easy to find.
Beside him, Chang Cai said solemnly, "It is rumored that many years ago, a Phoenix settled in these mountains, which is why this range was nad Fengqiu Mountain. Fengqiu Mountain spans hundreds of miles; if soone unfamiliar with the mountain’s environnt were to enter rashly, they could easily get lost within."
"According to what Lord Chang is saying, is it possible that those who disappeared might have also gotten lost in the mountain?" Shen Changqing asked, listening to Chang Cai while carefully scrutinizing Fengqiu Mountain.
A Phoenix settlent... such things were re rumors. Often, the nas of mountains and places originated from so-called legends. As these legends spread and were embellished, more people ca to believe them. He always harbored a degree of skepticism about things he had never personally witnessed. However, considering that powerful Fierce Beasts like Tiankui existed in the world, the actual existence of a Phoenix wasn’t entirely impossible.
Chang Cai said, "Impossible. Those who have gone missing are hunters from the nearby areas, very familiar with Fengqiu Mountain’s layout; they surely couldn’t have gotten trapped in the mountain. Moreover, so many people entered Fengqiu Mountain last ti; even if soone truly did get lost, by walking consistently in one direction, they could still have exited Fengqiu Mountain. So many people, and now not a single one to be seen. If it’s not the work of a Demon Evil, what else could it be?"
No matter how vast Fengqiu Mountain was, it might trap one or two people, but it definitely couldn’t trap an entire group. In Chang Cai’s view, this was clear evidence of a Demon Evil’s disturbances.
Hearing this, Shen Changqing nodded slightly. He had only asked casually; at this stage, it was almost certain that a Demon Evil indeed resided within Fengqiu Mountain.
However, Fengqiu Mountain was vast. Standing outside it, he couldn’t detect any Yin Evil Aura. This indicated that the Demon Evil in Fengqiu Mountain was definitely not on the periphery but was more likely deep within its interior.
After studying the mountain range before him for a mont, Shen Changqing said gravely, "The Demon Evil’s whereabouts are unknown. I will enter the mountain to investigate alone. Lord Chang, you and your n should remain here as backup, in case of unforeseen circumstances."
"Lord Shen, you don’t need us to accompany you inside?" Chang Cai was astonished. He had brought so many people, thinking that they would all enter the mountain together.
Shen Changqing looked at the assembled n and shook his head. "There’s no need. Just wait here."
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