Return to the Mountains
Lancheng has fertile soil and water, and the people have enough food and clothing. It has been harmonious and stable for many years without any problems.
This peace was broken three months ago when the first murder occurred in the city.
It was a fishmongering family in an alley in the south of the city. Late at night the previous day, the neighbors heard gusts of cold wind outside and initially thought the weather had changed.
Someone put on his coat and went to the yard, ready to take the clothes washed during the day into the house. As soon as he opened the door, he saw a large cloud of black fog covering the area between several doors.
It was a strange phenomenon, and no one dared to go out to check at this time. The man didn't even take his clothes, but went back in with his body huddled up, and closed all the doors and windows inside and out.
The next day, he learned that someone had died in the alley, but he did not dare tell anyone about the strange vision he had seen.
The family's door was wide open early in the morning, and a passing neighbor noticed a male corpse lying in the middle of the yard.
The male corpse's right eye had been gouged out, and blood had flowed down most of his face, already solidifying on the ground.
After inspecting the scene, the officers and soldiers did not find any signs of intrusion. The body was taken back to the government office, and after an autopsy by the coroner, it was found that there were no wounds on other parts of the body.
In other words, this person may have died from the pain of having his eyeballs gouged out.
At first, everyone thought it was just an ordinary murder case, just a little brutal. Until a few days later, the same murder occurred in another family, and the circumstances were exactly the same.
When he heard that the murder had occurred, there were also changes in the celestial phenomena. The neighbor who had concealed the truth before then told about the scene he had seen that night.
Once the people in the city figured it out, they realized that it had nothing to do with humans, but was actually caused by an evil spirit, and the demon only liked to dig out people's eyes.
However, there was no connection between the two victims, so it became extremely difficult to know the monster's next target. As a result, everyone in the city was in danger, and those who had some connections at home had already left the city to seek refuge in advance.
Knowing that the crime was committed at night, the city guards stepped up their nightly patrols, but it was still impossible to cover every corner of the city.
This happened two or three more times, and when the guards rushed over, the building was already empty.
The Lord of Lan City was helpless and could only send people to nearby towns to post notices, looking for experts who could exorcise demons, hoping to solve the current urgent problem.
Otherwise, there will always be a long sword hanging over the heads of the people in the city, which will never be a problem.
Ding Can had seen the notice while traveling, and he wanted to test whether the skills he learned from his master were good enough. If he could really take this opportunity to eliminate the monster, it would be the best answer he could give to his master.
After she listened to the tea stall owner's explanation of the whole story, she had almost finished her food.
He slung the bamboo umbrella on the bench over his shoulder, threw down a few copper coins, and stood up: "Thanks, boss. I'll be leaving now."
"Since you're new here, I know you're not familiar with the weather here. It won't rain for the next two months at this time of year."
"My elders at home helped prepare this for emergencies. See you again if you're lucky."
Ding Can waved her hand and walked towards Lancheng with her small bag. What she was carrying was not an ordinary bamboo umbrella, but a magic weapon cast by her master for her when she was very young and had just started to learn Taoism.
It looks no different from the ordinary bamboo-handled oil-paper umbrellas that can be bought on the market, but in fact there is a formation inside.
She had no talent for magic. After studying it for so many years, she had only mastered the basics. Her abilities were only good enough to scare away some wandering ghosts and newly-emerged plant spirits.
But with the bamboo umbrella, the magic she casts can be multiplied. Unless the magic is particularly advanced, it is impossible to figure out her details.
This is the capital that her master gave her to save her life.
Ding Can found a kind-looking woman on the road and walked with her to the gate of Lancheng. On the way, he read the recruitment notice again.
I just arrived, and there is only this notice in front of me. It is not difficult to guess that if I want to pass the level, I have to get rid of the monster that is causing trouble, or at least know the reason why the monster is hurting people.
The outline of the entire city can be seen in the distance. It looks majestic and magnificent. It must be an economically developed city.
In this dynasty, monsters often appeared, and there were also many people who practiced Taoism and sought the truth. She was also curious about what kind of people she would meet later.
"Girl, keep going along this main road in the city. You will come across a guard post along the way. Show the notice to those officials and someone will take you to the City Lord's Mansion. I have something important to attend to, so I can't accompany you."
Ding Can raised his hand and tucked a strand of hair that had fallen from the woman's ear behind her ear. With a flick of his fingertips, the wisp of black smoke lingering at the back of her head dissipated silently.
"Thank you, Auntie. Please go ahead and do your work. It's getting late. We need to find a place to stay before noon."
Just now on the official road, she noticed that this woman was possessed by an evil spirit. Although her body looked strong, her expression was tired, and she had been affected.
After I went up to chat with her, I found out that she was here to look for her relatives. Because the distance was far, she left her hometown in the middle of the night.
I guess it’s because it’s late at night that I’m haunted by the ghosts wandering outside.
Ding Can walked forward briskly according to the direction she said. It was a busy time and there were many pedestrians on the street.
Just now the tea stall owner said that everyone here was in danger, but she didn't see that from the scene before her. She just felt that the people lived and worked in peace and contentment, and the whole place was thriving.
Apart from that, it seems that only when passing through some side alleys and streets can one see more patrols. Could it be because monsters only act at night?
Suppressing the doubts in her heart, she walked a little further and saw the officers and soldiers that the aunt had mentioned before.
"Young man, I'm going to the City Lord's Mansion. Please lead the way."
"What are you doing at the City Lord's Mansion..." The officer was halfway through his words when he saw the notice in her hand and looked at her face again. "You are here to catch monsters too. How old are you?"
It's not that her appearance is deceptive, it's mainly because of the setting of this copy. She was picked up in the mountains when she was very young and followed her master to practice for more than ten years. Now she is only fifteen or sixteen years old.
So her appearance has regressed a few years, and she really looks like a little girl.
"Taoism is ever-changing. How do you know that my appearance is not a deliberate illusion? Maybe I am an old woman of one hundred or eighty years old, with a face full of wrinkles and white hair."
As she spoke, she even hunched over.
The officer looked him up and down in surprise, and he actually believed him a little bit. He almost went to help him up: "You, you really are?"
Ding Can straightened his back again: "I'm kidding you. Hurry up and lead the way. The monster causing chaos in the city needs to be dealt with quickly, right?"
"You!" The officers and soldiers rolled their eyes, but they were too busy to argue with her. After all, they had received the task from above. Anyone who dared to reveal the notice would be taken to the City Lord's Mansion. It didn't matter whether they had real skills or not. They would have their own way to judge them when the time came.
They have been stationed here these days specifically for this matter. Many people from all walks of life have been brought here, and there are also many people who want to pass themselves off as the real ones and were kicked out of the City Lord's Mansion.
He was too lazy to bother with other matters and just wanted to send the person there first.
However, Ding Can didn't expect that this place was actually quite some distance away from the City Lord's Mansion. After walking around two or three streets, he saw some people gathering at the end of the alley to burn paper money.
It was not a special day, and those people were not wearing mourning clothes. Their faces looked solemn, which seemed to have some strange meaning. It did not look like they were commemorating their relatives and friends.
"Why did you stop?" Seeing that she hadn't caught up, the officer took two steps back to look over. "There have been a lot of strange things happening in the city lately. I guess she's trying to seek protection from her ancestors."
Ding Can pulled the corner of his mouth into a smile and secretly memorized the location of the alley: "Well, let's go first."
After a while, I finally saw the gate of the City Lord's Mansion.
The City Lord's Mansion is on a wider street, but it is a bit remote, so there are not many pedestrians walking in front of the door. It is huge, and the main gate looks much higher than that of ordinary houses.
"It's just ahead. Just go there on your own. Someone from the City Lord's Mansion will come out to guide you."
Ding Can walked up the stairs, explained his purpose to the person guarding the door, waited outside for a while, and saw the man coming out with a sword.
She stood tall and straight, with her hair crown sticking up high. She looked like a martial artist. She stepped forward and bowed first. "I am Qin Ran, the deputy envoy who usually follows the city lord. May I know your name, young lady?"
"Ding Can, just call me Xiao Ding."
Qin Ran nodded and extended his hand to invite her to come forward: "Miss Ding, please come in with me."
Ding Can stepped over the threshold and followed Qin Ran inside. The mansion was indeed very large. As soon as he entered, he saw many servants cleaning the courtyard.
When outsiders came in, no one looked up curiously; everyone was focused on their own work.
She noticed that Qin Ran didn't show any extra emotion when he saw her. The look in his eyes was very friendly, neither humble nor arrogant, and he didn't show any sign of thinking that his skills were not good enough, so she couldn't help but ask.
"Deputy Envoy Qin, you were quite calm when you saw me. Unlike others, you didn't immediately suspect that I was here to defraud people."
"Don't judge a person by appearance. Since you have the courage to remove the notice, I naturally believe in your skills." Qin Ran led her around to a corridor. "There is a courtyard specially prepared for guests in the mansion. Some masters who have visited before are already staying there."
"Really? Then when we meet them later, I'll need the deputy envoy to introduce them to us."
Qin Ran nodded: "Of course, the guests are all like-minded people, so I think we should be able to chat well."
Ding Can turned and walked onto the cobblestone road. The moment she stepped into the corridor, although the sun was still shining brightly, she suddenly felt a chill all over her body, as if something was lurking in the dark.
But since there are many talented and ambitious people living in the City Lord's Mansion, how could they not notice such obvious abnormalities?
"Wait a minute." She stopped and grabbed Qin Ran's arm to stop him.
Qin Ran didn't struggle, but turned his head and said humbly, "Miss Ding, is there something wrong?"
Ding Can removed his hand: "There is something dirty in your house."
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