A guard, pale-faced and stumbling, came sprinting over. The sheer terror in his eyes was impossible to conceal, and even his voice shook violently as he fell to one knee with a thud to report:
“Young Master! We have thoroughly searched the entire Black Wind Stronghold! There is not a single sign of life in the stronghold—it is completely dead... Even the livestock and animals in the courtyard are all gone. We couldn't even find a single living chicken!”
These words exploded like a clap of thunder in everyone's ears.
Mu Qiu's pupils contracted sharply, and his anxious eyes were instantly filled with shock and disbelief.
His body swayed violently, his legs uncontrollably stumbling back half a step. He clenched his fists so hard that his knuckles turned white and the veins on the back of his hands bulged.
His heart sank completely.
The massive Black Wind Stronghold, which ruled over the mountains and forests with countless bandits... did not have a single survivor?
A chill rushed up from the soles of his feet, spreading throughout his entire body. Mu Qiu suppressed the surging panic in his heart and demanded in a low, tense, and raspy voice:
“What about the corpses? Are there any signs of a struggle or traces of blood in the stronghold?”
His mind was filled with doubts.
Although the four people they had just met possessed deep and unfathomable auras, two of them were delicate women.
No matter how powerful they were, it should have been impossible for them to slaughter the entire stronghold so cleanly without leaving a single trace behind.
There should at least be signs of a fierce battle and remaining corpses.
Another guard ran over in a hurry, trembling all over as he shook his head in absolute terror.
“Replying to the Young Master... there are no traces at all.”
“The entire stronghold is completely intact, with orderly houses and clean courtyards. There are no signs of fighting, no blood, and no mess from a struggle.”
“In the chief's hall, half-eaten cooked meat and leftover strong liquor are still sitting on the table. There are clear bite marks on the meat, the wine is still warm, and the stove in the kitchen is still lit.”
“It's clear that they were in the middle of eating when they suddenly left without warning, or... suddenly died.”
What was truly bone-chilling was this bizarre sense of normalcy.
With no struggle, no resistance, and no attempt to flee, the hundreds of people in the stronghold had vanished into thin air, as if they had been erased from existence.
Just then, another guard rushed out of the inner courtyard, his breathing in complete disarray as he shouted in panic:
“Young Master! This is bad! We've searched all the storehouses and guest rooms. All the wealth and valuables accumulated by the bandits have vanished into thin air—not a single coin is left!”
Mu Qiu's brow furrowed sharply.
A robbery?
With a sinking heart, he strode into the main storehouse.
The sight before him caused his gentle expression to crack bit by bit, and the anxiety and solemnity in his eyes erupted completely.
The entire room was completely empty, excessively clean.
Forget gold, silver, and treasures; there wasn't even a trace of loose silver, copper coins, or anything of value. Even the wooden chests used to store them were gone.
It was truly so clean that if a mouse wandered in, it would starve to death empty-handed.
If it were just an ordinary raid and slaughter, there would surely be oversights and remnants left behind.
But such an extremely clean, flawless, and silent annihilation of everyone...
A strong sense of unease gripped his mind.
He had never cared about the lives of the people in the Black Wind Stronghold, but that crucial item stored in the stronghold must not be lost!
With burning anxiety in his heart, Mu Qiu suddenly looked up and barked at the guards in a tight, sharp voice:
“Everyone, disperse and search again! Dig three feet into the ground if you have to! These bandits deserved to die, but that specific item must not be lost! We must find it!”
That was the Tiger Tally used to command the three armies. These bandits had captured the direct son of Great General Qiu, yet they had still been gloating.
The one in the imperial city simply hadn't found the time to deal with them yet. Otherwise, the moment they received the news, they would have been annihilated.
As night approached, they were still searching.
“How is it?”
He looked at everyone, but they all shook their heads.
The Black Wind Stronghold was too large. If someone wanted to hide a tiny Tiger Tally, it would be as easy as turning over a hand. Searching like this, they would definitely never find it.
Mu Qiu cast a reluctant glance back at the desolate Black Wind Stronghold, then led his men down the mountain.
Thinking of those four, he suspected they must know the truth. As for whether they were the ones who killed everyone...
His expression darkened.
Jiang Lu walked to the center of the county seat. A massive peach tree shaded the pathway, with stone benches underneath for people to rest.
It was currently spring, and the peach blossoms were in full bloom, with lush and dense foliage.
Waves of floral fragrance drifted over. Jiang Lu looked up and sent a wisp of dense wood spiritual energy toward it.
“I wonder what brings the immortal here. Is there something you require?”
Its voice carried a hint of haziness; it truly had only just gained consciousness.
“You have lived here for so long. In recent months, have you sensed any terrifying or unpleasant aura on the humans passing through here?”
An aura?
It tried to understand what Jiang Lu meant. It hadn't sensed any such aura!
No, wait, it seemed there was.
“Yes, a very terrifying aura. There were... about three of them.”
Three?
Jiang Lu realized that all eleven figures of the demonic cultivators had indeed been here.
As for whether there were any that slipped through the net, that could be dealt with later.
“Do you know where they went?”
“I do. I heard gossip from my other kin... Ah, no, I mean, I received news that they went to the coast.”
The coast. It seemed they had gone to another territory.
Now that she knew, she had a clear idea of what to do. She would wait a bit longer; there was no rush.
Those who could be enticed by demonic cultivators were bound to have dirty hands to some degree. When the time came, she would sweep them all up in one go.
“What else did they say?”
Jiang Lu was rather curious about the gossip the peach tree spirit spoke of.
“But the Spirit Turtle in the east said that power from another world has seeped in, completely disrupting the workings of this world. It will be even harder for us to cultivate in the future.”
“The orchid in the west said that a few days ago, it seemed some person's son went missing, and a very important item was lost as well. A lot of troops have been searching for it recently, and she was almost trampled to death.”
“Let me think, what was it called... Oh, right, a Tiger Tally.”
“The white snake also said that the people in the martial hall in the county seat have been acting very paranoid. Many people have been entering and leaving. It's only because our place doesn't have a curfew; otherwise, they would have been arrested long ago.”
“Also, people passing by who stop to rest under me will share some gossip. For example, the tailor lady up ahead—her son is terrible at studying, and out of the three children she gave birth to, only her daughter likes to read.”
“Lately, many people have been saying that prices are rising and chaotic times are coming. Some of the commoners are already preparing to flee for their lives.”
It was rare for anyone to talk to the peach tree spirit, so she was extremely happy and spilled all the gossip she knew.
Jiang Lu listened, nodding in response, giving her plenty of validation.
“I'll be leaving now. I'll stay here for a few days; you can call for me if you need anything.”
Jiang Lu merged a drop of Wood Spiritual Liquid into the peach tree's trunk as thanks for the information.
“Okay~”
She looked up at her surroundings. The moon hung high in the sky, and the distant lights were beginning to dim. Unknowingly, so much time had passed.
Then, she turned and walked back to the inn.
Rate on N.U.
