Hired Help

"Over the past few days, the city must have arrested quite a few monsters and people, right?" "Plenty lost their minds and broke the law, and plenty looted amid the chaos. Some even seized the chance to commit murder." Wu Jinsong called to a waiter for a bowl of tea. "The magistrate's office is practically bursting at the seams with people reporting crimes, and the bailiffs are run ragged. Would you believe it? A young boy was eaten by his family's own pig. By the time the constables arrived, only half his body was left." "By the way, where did you go to receive the Emperor's Flowing Dew?" "Northeast out of the city, far beyond the outskirts." He Lingchuan cupped his fists toward him. "Speaking of which, I must thank the Grand Preceptor for his guidance." Had Grand Preceptor Sha not informed him in advance, his harvest this time would never have been so great. Wu Jinsong smiled. "I'll pass along the word. By the way, did you happen to reach the Three Hearts Plain? In the center, there are three interconnected lakes." The Three Hearts Plain? He Lingchuan's heart skipped a beat. The very place where he gathered the Emperor's Flowing Dew was the Three Hearts Plain! "I rode over a hundred li to the northeast and wasn't certain where I was, only that it was wide open—though there were indeed large lakes." He Lingchuan asked gravely, "Did something happen?" "The mountain spirit of the Three Hearts Plain is dead," Wu Jinsong said. "The Grand Preceptor received word that the unrest among the monsters on the Three Hearts Plain didn't stop after the Emperor's Flowing Dew ended. Instead, it escalated. Not only were foreign diplomatic missions injured, but nearby villages and towns were also swept up in the turmoil. Over two hundred casualties, and farmland was trampled flat. "When all this mayhem broke out, Fufeng City dispatched people to investigate. The first intelligence report just came in, stating that the local mountain spirit is dead. With no one to keep the monsters and beast packs in check, and with their ferocity stoked by the Emperor's Flowing Dew, they've been running amok." "Even the mountain spirit is dead?" He Lingchuan showed slight surprise. It seemed the struggle on the night the Emperor's Flowing Dew descended had been exceptionally vicious—even the mountain spirit had been wiped out. Could one of the monsters that died by Three Hearts Lake have been the local mountain spirit? "The strange thing is, it only died on the second night after the Emperor's Flowing Dew fell." Wu Jinsong took a sip of tea. "Even the Grand Preceptor found it unbelievable that the mountain spirit of the Three Hearts Plain could actually be killed by some human or monster." "What was so special about it?" "It had an extraordinary number of avatars," Wu Jinsong said. "The mountain spirit of the Three Hearts Plain was quite unusual. It wasn't a common tiger, wolf, lion, or tree spirit, but a kind of man-eating fungus!" He Lingchuan's hand froze as he lifted his cup. "Fungus? You mean mushrooms?" It couldn't be that much of a coincidence, could it? "Something like that. I haven't seen it in person either. I only know it had countless avatars spread across every corner of the forest, so killing it was next to impossible. The authorities only conferred the title of mountain spirit upon it because of its extraordinary innate talent. Supposedly, on the Three Hearts Plain, even the fiercest monsters didn't dare provoke it, fearing it would settle scores later." "Then how did they confirm it died?" "Word has it that on that night, all several dozen avatars of the man-eating fungus detonated at once. I suppose you could say not even a trace remained," Wu Jinsong said seriously. "An entity capable of blowing it apart in one fell swoop, located barely a hundred li from Fufeng City, yet we have no idea who or what it is. The government offices are quite uneasy." Wu Jinsong sighed. "This burst of Emperor's Flowing Dew happened right before our king's birthday, which is a blessing and a curse. Ever since the mountain spirit of the Three Hearts Plain died, the monster hordes there have run riot. I hear that of the dozen or so delegations arriving to congratulate our king, four suffered injuries over those two nights. The Grand Preceptor has been frantic these past few days, dealing with all these matters." The "entity of unknown origin" smiled. "The fighting was indeed fierce; all sorts of fiends and monsters crawled out of the woodwork. But how did the delegations get caught up in it?" "What's so strange about that? Delegations have monsters in them too." Wu Jinsong shrugged. "Monsters simply have lower resistance to the Emperor's Flowing Dew than humans do." He Lingchuan shook his head. "Looks like it wasn't easy for me to make it back alive." "Survive a catastrophe, and good fortune follows." Wu Jinsong stood up. "I just dropped by to see if you were back. I have duties to attend to, but I'll come find you for drinks tomorrow evening." "Thank you for checking in." Once Wu Jinsong departed, He Lingchuan raised his hand and ordered a plate of braised donkey meat in sauce. Hadn't people said the braised donkey meat here was famous? He might as well have a taste. So the monster that ambushed him in the cave a few days ago was the mountain spirit of the Three Hearts Plain? A dignified mountain spirit, showing no martial virtue whatsoever. Still, He Lingchuan understood very well that a mountain spirit was a monster at heart; it needed to feed and possessed no human empathy. The man-eating fungus had accepted the conferment from Fufeng City merely to keep mountain fiends and wild beasts in line under ordinary circumstances. On a momentous occasion like the arrival of Emperor's Flowing Dew, it naturally looked out for itself first. That also explained why it had been able to track He Lingchuan down and ambush him so accurately. Having become the mountain spirit, it kept tabs on many occurrences within its territory. Perhaps it had noticed He Lingchuan reaping a rich harvest on Three Hearts Lake, could not resist the temptation, and made its move. Who said a mycelial mat had to have morals? The scouts sent out by Fufeng City assumed some mighty expert had stepped in to blow apart dozens of the mountain spirit's avatars at once. In truth, it had simply failed to withstand the sheer power of the Emperor's Flowing Dew. Even with dozens of avatars, the mountain spirit couldn't endure it. Thinking back on this sent a wave of lingering dread through He Lingchuan. He was beginning to realize what had happened. Most likely, the piece of Emperor's Flowing Dew he used for refining had been too massive, its quality too pure—which had nearly cost him his life. In this day and age, Emperor's Flowing Dew was exceedingly rare. When Helian Chen prescribed the formula, he certainly hadn't anticipated that He Lingchuan would obtain such an exquisite specimen. Had the mountain spirit not played the good Samaritan to the very end, sorrow would have long since followed extreme joy. However, even though the lion's share of the dew's power had been shunted onto the man-eating fungus, the dew naturally possessed slow-releasing properties. Over the coming months, the gentle power of heaven-and-earth spiritual energy would gradually seep out and release, fueling He Lingchuan's cultivation. After this lesson, he wouldn't dare get greedy again. Furthermore, why were those people looking for him? He only believed half of what Fu Shan had said. Four or five days had passed since the Emperor's Flowing Dew erupted. Anyone who obtained such a spiritual treasure of heaven and earth would refine and consume it as quickly as possible; chasing after it now made little sense. Formulas like the Hundred Virtues Pill—capable of refining Emperor's Flowing Dew into an adjuvant for long-term consumption—were rare in the world, as Helian Chen had confirmed. Therefore, that group pursuing him relentlessly wasn't doing so for the Emperor's Flowing Dew. What did they want? He Lingchuan left the inn. As soon as he turned his head, he spotted the crow perched on the opposite rooftop. The damn thing still hadn't given up. A surge of hostility rose in his chest: If a tiger doesn't show its fangs, people take it for a sick cat. After a moment's thought, He Lingchuan headed toward the marketplace. The crow stayed aloft in the sky, trailing him all the way. However, the market was filled with low workshops and winding corridors. With its view obstructed by buildings, it only knew He Lingchuan had entered a low-roofed house; what he did inside remained a mystery. It didn't dare draw close to inspect. He wasn't the only human operating on the Three Hearts Plain that night, and the bandit who snatched the Emperor's Flowing Dew paste had been wearing a mask. Yet the more the crow looked at his back, the more familiar he seemed. It felt certain it hadn't followed the wrong person. It had to keep a close eye on this guy! Before long, He Lingchuan emerged carrying a basket on his arm. It was covered with a cloth, preventing the crow from seeing what was inside. Afterward, He Lingchuan returned to his inn, shut the doors and windows tight, and didn't show his face again. Fearing he might slip away in secret, the crow descended to the inn's roof so it could watch both the front entrance and the back courtyard for any suspicious figures heading out. …… The crow kept watch for four hours, until night fell. He Lingchuan's room door remained tightly closed, as if he were asleep inside. The crow mentally counted the hours. Once the night deepened a bit more, those people would make their move. From beside the courtyard, a sharp squeak suddenly rang out, giving the crow a start. It turned out two guests had pushed their door open and come out, arms slung over each other's shoulders, laughing loudly as they walked. The crow ruffled its feathers in irritation. Its attention was diverted by this minor incident, and the squeaking door masked a faint, abnormal sound behind it. A dark shadow had been lying in ambush behind it for a long time. Taking advantage of its distraction, the shadow lunged forward, pinning one of its wings down. The crow started in fright. With a forward pounce, the shadow bit down squarely onto the back of its neck! *Flap, flap, flap!* The crow beat its wings frantically, trying to break free. Suddenly, two more shadows darted out from behind the rooftop, swarming it together—one biting a leg, the other a wing—pinning it down hard against the roof tiles. Only then did the crow see clearly that its ambushers were three cats! One large and two small, all with black bodies and white paws, looking as though they had been cast from the very same mold. The big cat was a monster, nearly the size of a village cur, wielding overwhelming strength against the crow. Desperate, the crow squawked in panic, "Let go, let go! Whatever that man's paying you, I'll pay double!" However, the cat monster possessed professional integrity. Completely ignoring the plea, it tore open the crow's windpipe in two quick snaps. When it came to catching birds, they were professionals. The two little kittens coveted its meat, but the big cat wouldn't allow them to eat it. Clenching the prey in its jaws, it leapt onto He Lingchuan's windowsill and gave two scratches with its paw. Hearing the signal, the window opened immediately. Seeing the crow's carcass, He Lingchuan couldn't help giving the cat monster a thumbs-up. "Brilliant!" To dispose of the eyes on the roof so effortlessly—truly, nature always provided one thing to conquer another. The cat deposited its prey on the windowsill and let out a meow. *Mission accomplished. Where's the payment?* The other two kittens quickly followed down as well, signaling that they had put in work and deserved equal pay for equal work. He Lingchuan promptly brought out a bulging parcel of dried minnows from the room, showing it to the cat monster first. "All finger-length stream fish from the river east of the city, sun-dried without any salt." Beside the dried fish sat a gold ingot. Not bad; this employer was quite generous. The cat monster nodded in satisfaction. He Lingchuan hung the parcel around its neck and gave them the crow's corpse as well. With a leap, the three black cats vaulted onto the roof and vanished into the night. Yet He Lingchuan knew they hadn't left; their hiring agreement covered more than just this. He closed the doors and windows again, circled along the corridor to the room directly opposite, and pushed the door open. This room was also rented by him, but under the name of one of the caravan hands. Looking out from here, he had an ideal vantage point to watch his old room. He poked a small hole in the window paper, pulled up a chair before the window, and sat with his saber cradled in his arms. The eyeball spider had already overheard that he might be receiving another wave of visitors tonight. The night deepened; the moon tilted, and the world fell silent. Only the katydids chirped in the straw pile downstairs. Dawn was just an hour away. This was precisely when people slept their soundest. He Lingchuan's ears twitched. Suddenly, he heard two short, sharp crow calls coming from outside the inn.