Investigation and diversion

At the edge of the camp, the atmosphere is completely different.

Several campfires were intentionally separated to form several independent areas.

Ling Feng, along with more than ten of his most elite Asura Guards, stood guard there like silent rocks.

Around their campfire sat or stood about twenty people—artisans and a few Asura Guards. These were the people who had ultimately chosen to step forward and register to leave after the announcement in the Demon Cave's underground hall that "you can leave after collecting your silver."

Ling Feng sat on a smooth stone, a roster spread out in front of him, a charcoal pencil in his hand.

His eyes were sharp as an eagle's, and his face was expressionless, only showing a cold focus.

“Li Erlang?” Ling Feng uttered a name.

A thin, shrewd man with shifty eyes quickly stepped forward: "I...I'm here."

"Place of origin?"

"Hebei Circuit, Cangzhou Prefecture, Liushutun".

When were you abducted to the devil's den?

"Last autumn, during the grain harvest..."

"Detailed account," Ling Feng's voice was flat.

Li Erlang stammered as he recounted his story, speaking quickly but vaguely, his eyes constantly glancing towards the depths of the dense forest, as if searching for an escape route. When asked what specific work he had done in the demon's den and which managers he had met, he became even more hesitant and stammered, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

After listening, Ling Feng lightly drew a small triangle with charcoal next to Li Erlang's name on the roster.

This is marked as "questionable".

He looked up at one of the Shura Guards next to him who was in charge of taking notes.

The other party nodded slightly, indicating that they had noted down all the contradictions.

The screening process for the Asura Guard is equally rigorous.

A Shura Guard named Zhao Wu was called aside by himself.

He was a burly man with a hideous old scar on his face.

"Zhao Wu," Ling Feng asked personally, "how many years have you been in the Guard?"

“Brother Huifeng, two years and four months.”

"Where was the last 'clearing' mission? And with whom did you work?"

Zhao Wu answered fluently: "Three months ago, at the deserted temple outside Qing Shi Town. My partner was Wang Meng, who has... has already died in the line of duty at Black Wind Gorge."

His voice lowered slightly when Wang Meng was mentioned. "Mission target?"

"Three escaped remnants of the 'Bloody Hand' sect."

"The mission code?" Ling Feng suddenly asked.

Without hesitation, Zhao Wu lowered his voice and uttered two words: "'Awakening of Insects', 'Thunder'."

This was the temporary code agreed upon for the mission three months ago.

Ling Feng's gaze softened slightly, and he nodded.

Zhao Wu's resume and details matched perfectly, and his emotions were natural.

However, not everyone is like Zhao Wu.

In another area, a craftsman named Sun Qi displayed unusual composure when questioned.

"Sun Qi?"

"yes."

"Place of origin?"

“Hongzhou, Jiangnan West Circuit”

"When did you enter the demon's lair? Who introduced you?"

“Three years ago, I was kidnapped by a group of bandits and sold into this family after many twists and turns. There was no introduction.” Sun Qi answered clearly and fluently, without any hesitation.

"What role do you play in the Demon Cave?"

"Initially, I was responsible for moving ore, but later, because I knew a few words, I was transferred to the warehouse to do record-keeping."

Who is the warehouse manager?

"There was a steward surnamed Qian, whom everyone called Qian the Rat. He was thin and had half a piece missing from his left ear."

Sun Qi's description was very accurate. The Shura Guard (A) in charge of the interrogation glanced at Ling Feng, who gestured for them to continue.

When was the last time you saw Money Rat?

“Just… just the day before you stormed in. He looked hurried and took several thick books from the storeroom, saying he was going to send them to the inner treasury,” Sun Qi added.

Where is the Imperial Treasury?

“The deepest part of the Demon Cave, near the furnace, is heavily guarded, and we outer treasury members can’t get in.”

The questions all seemed normal, and Sun Qi's answers were impeccable.

But Ling Feng felt something was off. This Sun Qi was too calm.

Even those artisans who chose to leave could not hide their fear or nervousness when faced with questioning from the Asura Guards.

Sun Qi's eyes were as calm as a deep pool, and his tone was completely undisturbed, as if he were reciting a story that had nothing to do with him.

His excessive "normality" seemed unusual among the artisans who had experienced the hellish life in the demon's den.

Just then, something unexpected happened!

In the center of the camp, the boy who had been silently munching on a biscuit suddenly let out a scream of extreme terror!

The cake in his hand fell to the ground, and he sprang up like a startled rabbit, desperately shrinking back. His finger trembled as he pointed in a direction from the artisan screening area, his eyes widened as if they were about to burst, and he made hoarse gasps.

He was pointing to a middle-aged man who was inconspicuous among the artisans and whose registered name was "Wang Laoshi"!

"It's him...it's him! Peel...peel him!!"

The boy used all his strength to squeeze out a few broken syllables.

He was immediately choked by immense fear and began to cough violently.

Shen Hong rushed over and quickly shielded the frightened boy behind her, her wary gaze sweeping over the screening area.

Wang Laoshi's face turned deathly pale instantly!

The moment the boy screamed and pointed at him.

The facade of honesty and humility in his eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a hint of ruthlessness and panic!

He sprang up from the ground, not rushing into the dense forest, but like a venomous snake, he pounced on the nearest Asura Guard on guard duty, a short dagger with a dark blue luster sliding out from his sleeve, aimed straight at the man's throat!

His movements were ruthless and swift, far from those of an ordinary craftsman!

"You're courting death!" Ling Feng roared, his figure shooting out like lightning!

But someone was faster than him!

A cold, aloof figure appeared beside "Wang Laoshi" like a ghost.

It's disgust!

He didn't even draw his knife; he simply pointed his fingers together like a sword and precisely placed them on the inside of "Wang Laoshi's" wrist, which was holding the dagger.

"Crack!" A crisp sound of bone breaking rang out.

"ah--!"

"Wang Laoshi" let out a miserable cry as the short dagger slipped from his hand.

With lightning speed, Shen Yan grabbed his throat with his other hand and lifted him off the ground.

Those deep black eyes now held only a murderous intent that seemed to freeze the world.

"Peeling?"

Chen Yan's voice wasn't loud, but it was like an icicle piercing everyone's eardrums.

"It seems you're no ordinary 'craftsman.' A cruel official from the Demon Cave? Or... a demon calf who escaped the net?"

Wang Laoshi was being choked, his face turning purple, his eyes filled with resentment and despair, but he couldn't speak.

"He is undoubtedly the cruel executioner of the Demon's Den!" someone whispered.

Shen Yan snorted coldly, "Ling Feng, lock him in a dark room. Starting tonight, he'll be kept awake by the hawk."

The entire camp fell into a deathly silence!

Even the crackling of the campfire sounded particularly jarring.

The craftsmen watched this scene in horror.

The Asura Guards instantly drew their swords, their chilling killing intent enveloping the twenty-odd people being screened.

Especially Sun Qi, who was usually so calm, now had an extremely ugly expression.

Ling Zhan appeared next to Shen Yan.

He glanced at "Wang Laoshi," who was being carried like a dead dog, and then coldly looked at the group of people in the screening area.

Finally, his gaze fell on Ling Feng.

"check!"

Ling Zhan's voice rolled through the forest like muffled thunder.

"Dig! Dig out all his accomplices! Especially..."

His gaze was sharp as a knife as he swept over Sun Qi, "Those who acted the most convincingly!"

Ling Feng's eyes flashed with a cold light as he turned to the Asura Guard in charge of Sun Qi.

He shouted sternly, "Take him down! Search him thoroughly! Pry his mouth open!"

Two Asura Guards pounced on Sun Qi like wolves and tigers.

Shen Yan let go, and "Wang Laoshi" fell to the ground like a lump of mud, curling up in pain.

Shen Yan didn't even glance at him.

He simply took out a snow-white silk handkerchief and slowly wiped the fingers that had just choked the other person's throat, as if they had been stained with something extremely filthy.

His gaze swept over the terrified faces at the screening area, finally settling on Ling Zhan.

His voice was calm, yet carried a chilling decisiveness: "I have said before, those with disloyal intentions... it is better to kill the innocent than to let the guilty go free."

He casually tossed the silk handkerchief he had used to wipe his hands into the campfire, where it was instantly consumed by the flames and turned into a wisp of smoke. "Ling Feng, speed up. Xuan Chenzi, Hong'er, keep a close eye on your men. Mr. Yang, we need to keep an even closer watch on our 'windfall'."

Yang Sijian was counting the silver notes and land deeds not far away. Upon hearing this, he immediately closed the box, signaled the Shura Guards beside him to strengthen the guard, and looked at the chaotic screening area with a solemn expression in his eyes.

Wealth is important, but if internal problems aren't eliminated, all the money will just be wasted on others.

Deep in the dense forest, the tranquility of rest was completely shattered.

I loathe that cold-blooded phrase, "Better to kill the innocent than the guilty," which hangs like an invisible hammer over the head of every person with ulterior motives.

The last trace of hesitation in Ling Feng and the Shura Guards' eyes completely disappeared.

All that remains is the cold, ruthless execution of orders.

After all that commotion, the mountain winds had largely swept away the stench of blood from the Qixia'ao campsite, but the chilling atmosphere remained.

Ling Feng directed the Asura Guards to carry out the final cleanup and guard duty.

The rescued artisans were temporarily placed in a relatively safe area and looked after by Xuan Chenzi and Shen Hong.

In the center of the camp, Shen Yan was slowly and meticulously wiping a dark red stain from her slender fingers with a snow-white silk handkerchief.

He frowned slightly, his expression revealing obvious disdain.

It was as if the blood on it wasn't the enemy's, but something filthy.

"Tsk, this taste..."

He murmured something, his voice languidly magnetic, and casually tossed the wiped silk handkerchief into the fire. The flames instantly consumed it, leaving no trace. Only after doing this did he look up, just in time to see Ling Zhan's lips twitch almost imperceptibly—he quickly looked away.

“We need to send Xuan Chenzi and Hong’er to pave the road to Kaoshan Village first,” Ling Zhan said. “The village head is always reliable, so we should let him know first.”

"Um."

Shen Yan responded with a sound of agreement and dusted off non-existent dust from his sleeves.

"Over the years, most of the profits from the village workshops have been used to build roads and schools in the village, which is not bad."

Seeing that he agreed, Ling Zhan immediately gave the order.

"Ling Feng, once you receive Hong'er's message, you shall depart. Kaoshan Village will receive thirty-seven people; the list is here. Make sure you assemble before nightfall for unified arrangements."

"Yes, sir!"

"Leave two men for me to take turns keeping Wang Laoshi occupied tonight. We'll have to pry him open with our tongues and teeth."

Ling Feng clasped his hands in acceptance of the order, took the list, and glanced at the craftsmen waiting to be assigned to different positions.

Most of them are elderly, weak, or have completely broken down mentally.

Aunt Zhang's hunched figure was also among them, seemingly only wanting to live a peaceful life.

A few days later, at Kaoshan Village, in a river bend.

When Ling Feng led the Asura Guards to escort the group to their destination, the scene before them jolted all their weary nerves.

The village has a completely new look!

Most of the houses had newly laid neat blue tiles on the roof, and the doors and windows had been repaired and reinforced, and painted with tung oil, giving them a clean wood color.

The courtyard was flat and clean, without any weeds.

On the open ground in front of the Shen family's old mansion, bags of full grain, bolts of thick cotton cloth, brand-new pots and pans, and even several sets of semi-new farm tools were neatly stacked! The supplies were piled up like mountains, yet in perfect order.

The village head, Li Qingshan, was the leader.

Dozens of villagers from Kaoshan Village, dressed neatly and with healthy, rosy complexions, wore sincere and friendly smiles.

They waited there quietly.

There was no disdain, no fear, only pure compassion and welcome.

Xuan Chenzi, with an air of otherworldly elegance, came out from the Shen family's newly built house, where they hadn't lived for long, and stood there with a smile.

Shen Hong stood quietly a little behind.

His simple blue robe and calm, gentle demeanor were reassuring.

Ling Feng's sharp gaze swept over everything.

His understanding of his master and the people behind him, as well as their operations and execution capabilities, had deepened.

He dismounted swiftly.

Li Qingshan had already strode forward to greet Ling Feng, bowing respectfully yet neither servile nor arrogant.

"Lord Ling, you must be tired from your journey! Everything you need has been prepared according to the instructions of Patriarch Shen and Madam Ling!"

His gaze swept over the fearful artisans behind Ling Feng, and he turned to them in a loud and powerful voice.

"Fellow villagers! You've suffered a long journey! Welcome to Kaoshan Village! From now on, this is your home!"

He turned to the side, his arm pointing forcefully to the newly renovated brickyard, the piled-up supplies, and the fertile river bend fields. “This courtyard, this field, this grain and cloth, are all yours! Settle down and relax! If you need anything, just ask! Kaoshan Village is your support! You are temporarily staying at Ling Niangzi’s old house. Every household has a homestead, and the village will help you build new houses.”

His words were simple yet powerful, carrying a sense of groundedness rooted in the land.

A faint, unbelievable glimmer finally ignited in the artisans' lifeless eyes.

Aunt Zhang was being helped up.

His cloudy eyes were fixed on the neat courtyard and the piles of grain.

His chapped lips trembled violently, a hoarse sob escaped his throat, and tears rolled down his cheeks silently.

Without further ado, Ling Feng stepped forward and solemnly handed the official land deed and the remaining settlement funds to Aunt Zhang, who had been chosen, and two other relatively clear-headed old craftsmen, in front of Li Qingshan and several village elders.

"The lady has said..."

Ling Feng's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears. He deliberately used the title Ling Zhan was more accustomed to, "Live, live well, and for those who died unjustly, see the warmth of human life. This place is your human life. I hope you all take care."

After the handover was completed, Ling Feng bowed respectfully to Li Qingshan and Xuan Chenzi, giving a slight nod as his gaze swept over Shen Hong. Leaving a few Asura Guards to observe and keep watch in the shadows for a while, he turned and mounted his horse without hesitation.

"withdraw!"

As the sound of horses' hooves rose, the Asura Guards swiftly and orderly withdrew.

Leaving behind the tranquility and warmth of Kaoshan Village, and those souls who have finally found their home.

When Ling Feng returned to report, Shen Yan was leaning against a smooth boulder, toying with a brightly colored pheasant feather he had picked from somewhere. The vivid feather twirled between his slender, white fingers, reflecting the firelight and shimmering with iridescent light.

He squinted slightly, his expression languid, as if the recent bloodshed had nothing to do with him.

He was focused solely on the beauty of the feathers.

"Is everything settled?"

Ling Zhan's voice rang out, and she stopped meditating.

"All done."

Ling Feng's words were concise and to the point.

"Li Qingshan handled the situation well; supplies are plentiful, and the artisans have been initially settled. Five people will remain to observe the situation in secret for a period of time."

"Hmm." Ling Zhan sheathed his sword with a crisp click.

Shen Yan lazily lifted his eyelids, looked at Ling Feng, and curled up his lips with his usual cynical smile.

"Thank you for your hard work, Ling Feng. Tsk, these feathers are quite nice. I'll put them in a bottle for that kid Hong'er later; they're much more interesting than his boring books."

Ling Zhan glanced at him but didn't say anything.

Ling Feng had long been accustomed to his "boss's" occasional "refined interests" that were out of place with his status and situation.

He simply stood with his hands at his sides.

“Alright,” Shen Yan stood up and straightened his perfectly wrinkle-free robes. “Everyone has worked hard.”

Those who have settled down have already obtained the warmth of firewood.

And these followers were willing to continue their wanderings with him.

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