Although Chen Jing was puzzled as to why his master had only opened the door now, he did not ask. After following his master into the house, he immediately said, "I have new information about the blood sacrifice."

"The flying corpse demon is a coughing disease, not an evil spirit. The purpose of the blood sacrifice is not to appease the demon, but to appease this disease. It causes many people to cough up blood, thereby achieving ulterior motives!"

The expert walked into the room: "Where did you learn this news?"

He seemed completely unsurprised.

Chen Jing followed the expert: "When I got home, I saw Uncle Zhang coughing, so I took him to the hospital. Dr. Mei told me this during our conversation."

The expert didn't turn around: "Hmm, it's good that you discovered this information, but it still doesn't solve the fundamental problem. It's just that the purpose of the blood sacrifice has changed to the purpose of sacrificing flying corpses."

Chen Jing thought about the scene he saw when he asked the source of darkness "what is the truth about the blood sacrifice", gritted his teeth, and felt that he should not hide this information.

Even though this might expose his deepest secret about the source of darkness, Chen Jing still chose to trust the experts.

Chen Jing said, "I had a dream before, and the news about the flying corpse ghost reminded me of that dream."

Then, Chen Jing recounted what he had seen: "In my dream, I saw a crowd of people coughing, a white-clad boy descending a purple rain curtain from a building with a Xie Zhi sculpture, and a book bound by chains, the chains stained with blood red and the book stained with purple light."

The expert suddenly turned around, almost startling Chen Jing. It was one of the few times Chen Jing had seen the expert's eyes so sharp and so piercing.

Time seemed to stand still for a moment because of this.

Immediately, his sharp edge subsided, and his expression returned to calm.

"You saw it in a dream? Is that why you're in such a hurry to find me?"

"Hmm." Chen Jing nodded, looking slightly uneasy.

“You did the right thing,” the expert said. “Go and investigate places in the city where there might be xiezhi sculptures right now, such as the city government in the Chickbird District. Go there and take a look. I’ll go investigate another place. Be careful, and your safety is the most important thing.”

"This is a war. You are a scout. A scout's goal is not to eliminate the enemy, but to obtain information and preserve yourself. Do not be reckless, and do not over-rely on your stealth abilities."

As he spoke, the expert hurriedly walked towards the door, and Chen Jing quickly followed.

"And one more thing," the expert paused, then said, "You go first, I'll follow later."

Chen Jing hummed in agreement and was about to leave when the expert called him back.

"Also, be careful of flesh and blood, and be careful of feng shui."

Chen Jing responded, and just as he lifted his foot, the expert spoke again.

"Be careful of wind, rain, and unusual weather; be careful of pregnant women and overweight people."

Although Chen Jing didn't know why, he nodded and looked at the expert: "Is there anything else I need to be careful about?"

"Come back alive." The expert's expression was serious.

...

The fledgling area, near the city government.

Because of Chen Jing's underworld gang token, no one in the city guards stopped him, and no one even asked him what he was doing.

This allowed Chen Jing to search freely in this area.

Ash City is divided into four districts, forming a layered structure that encloses the city from the inside out. The outermost districts are the High Wall District and the Eggshell District. The High Wall District is where the city guards are stationed and the prison is located. The Eggshell District is the home of most ordinary people. Further in is the Chick District, which is the territory of the wealthy. The Chick District has many buildings for leisure and entertainment, and the rich and powerful also settle here. Further in is the Ship District, also known as the Hope District, which is the general name for the docks and surrounding areas.

The Chick Zone and the Eggshell Zone are two completely different worlds, or even two different eras. The houses in the Eggshell Zone are generally low, and there are even many thatched huts. But when Chen Jing arrived in the Chick Zone, it was as if he had returned to the urban-rural fringe area before his transmigration. There were many reinforced concrete buildings, including high-rise buildings and detached houses.

The roads here are smooth, unlike the Eggshell District where most roads are gravel or dirt, and unlike the Eggshell District where only the main roads are smooth and wide. Here, you can even see sparse streetlights on both sides.

The municipal government is located between the fledgling area and the ship area, quite close to each other. Standing on the municipal government building and looking towards the ship area through the thin mist, one can occasionally see the giant ship belonging to Black Hand Lu Gang faintly in the distance.

Because Chen Jing saw the Xie Zhi sculpture in the Source of Darkness, and the Xie Zhi is a symbol of law and justice, Chen Jing first went to this administrative area to see if he could find such an architectural sculpture.

Ash City certainly has laws, and most of its regulations follow those of the former Song Dynasty. Like other cities in the former Song Dynasty, Ash City has a city lord and a city council. The city lord of Ash City is a man named Liu Hua.

When Chen Jing arrived, it was still morning. By almost noon, he still hadn't found the Xie Zhi sculpture on that building.

Although he hadn't slept all night, Chen Jing didn't feel tired; on the contrary, he felt like he had inexhaustible energy. He bought a flatbread and a cup of soy milk from a roadside stall in the fledgling area. After a quick meal, Chen Jing mustered his energy and prepared to search further inside.

"Could it be in the city hall?" Chen Jing thought. "Possibly. I've never been there before. It's supposed to be the highest-ranking administrative building in Ash City."

His next destination was the city government building.

Chen Jing walked on, and even when he reached the building area, the guards let him through without asking any questions because of his token. This made Chen Jing think to himself, "If I were an assassin, I could probably forge a token and walk straight to City Lord Liu Hua's office!"

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!