I have Taoism and can understand other worlds

Chapter 696 Jiangling County Affairs
The group followed the constables into the city.

The city wall of Jiangling County is high and thick, and the bluish-gray bricks are soaked through by rainwater, turning them dark in color.

The city gate was crowded with people, mostly emaciated disaster victims, who lined up in long queues in front of several soup kitchens. The damp smell of earth mingled with the aroma of thin rice porridge, filling the air.

The head constable led Jiang Wen and the others through the crowd. The streets inside the city were slightly more orderly than those outside, but most shops were closed and locked, giving the city a desolate feel.

The county government office was located in the east of the city, with stone lions standing silently in front of its black lacquered gate. Upon hearing that someone from the Tai Shen Palace had arrived, a plump middle-aged man dressed in the robes of a seventh-rank official hurried out to greet him, surrounded by a group of yamen runners.

This man had a ruddy complexion, quite unlike the pale-faced people outside the city.

His forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat, whether from anxiety or fear, it was hard to tell. His gaze met Jiang Wen's briefly before he looked away, and he quickly bowed and said in a slightly hurried voice, "This humble official is Zhou Fu, the magistrate of Jiangling County. I was unaware of the arrival of the immortal, and I have failed to greet you properly. Please forgive me!"

“Magistrate Zhou, there’s no need for such formalities.” Jiang Wen said calmly, subtly observing Zhou Fu’s overly plump waist and the barely noticeable dark red marks under his fingernails.

A hint of mockery flashed in his eyes, then his expression softened: "We were just passing through Jiangling County and wanted to take a look."

Zhou Fu repeatedly agreed, then stepped aside to invite the group into the flower hall, and hurriedly ordered the preparation of a banquet.

"Immortal, you have traveled a long way and have had a long journey. I have prepared some simple wine and food to express my gratitude. I hope you will not find it offensive."

Before long, the food and wine were served. In this year of famine, the feast was not a delicacy, but it still contained plenty of fish and meat, making it quite eye-catching. Zhou Fu personally poured the wine, his manner attentive.

After drinking a few cups, Jiang Wen put down his wine cup and looked at Zhou Fu: "Magistrate Zhou, I witnessed a sacrificial ceremony by the Canglang River today."

Zhou Fu's hand holding the wine pot trembled slightly, and the wine almost spilled.

He chuckled dryly, put down the wine pot, and his face instantly contorted with sorrow and helplessness. He sighed deeply, "Now that the immortal has seen it, I dare not conceal it. This matter, this truth, is a thorn in my side, tormenting me day and night, but I had no choice but to do it!"

He began to recount in a somber tone: "About a year ago, the sky over Zhongzhou suddenly turned pitch black, lasting for several hours. Then, a stream of fire fell from the sky, no ordinary fire. As it landed, it burned the mountains, forests, and fields outside the city to the ground, killing and injuring countless people. But misfortune never comes singly. The Canglang River then inexplicably swelled, its turbid waves reaching the sky. All the remaining fields and villages downstream were submerged. Jiangling County was utterly destroyed!"

The magistrate pounded his chest, appearing heartbroken.

"As the magistrate of Jiangling County, I was heartbroken to see such a tragic scene. I tried everything I could, opening granaries to provide disaster relief, organizing laborers to dredge the waterways, and even sending people to the prefecture to invite the masters of Tai Shen Palace to quell the disaster. But the messengers reported back that Tai Shen Palace was closed, its disciples were nowhere to be found, and the prefecture was in chaos, with no one able to help Jiangling!"

Having said that, Zhou Fu picked up his wine cup and took a big gulp, continuing, "Just when I was at my wit's end, one night I had a dream. In the dream, I saw a divine being standing on the waves of the Canglang River, surrounded by water vapor, making it impossible to see his face, but I could feel his profound majesty. He claimed to be the river god of this place, saying that due to the strange celestial phenomena, the turbulent earth veins, and the unrest in his divine palace, he had sent down disasters as a warning. If we want to quell the unrest, we must offer a young, unmarried woman of her prime as a sacrifice and throw her into the river on the first day of each month, only then can we ensure the peace of Jiangling; otherwise, the city will surely be destroyed!"

"When I awoke, I was filled with surprise and doubt. At first, I did not believe it, but after that, the river did indeed calm down a little. However, in less than half a month, the waves rose again, and the momentum was even stronger."

"Your humble servant is truly terrified! For the sake of all the people in the city, I had no choice but to follow the divine revelation in my dream and seek out that sorceress to conduct the sacrifice. Strangely enough, since the sacrifice, although the river has not completely calmed down, it has no longer flooded and caused disasters. I know that this matter is against the will of Heaven, and I cannot sleep at night whenever I think about it."

"But...but there's really no other way!"

At this point, Zhou Fu covered his face with his sleeve, his voice choked with emotion, looking like a loyal and virtuous man who had been wronged and forced to compromise. Jiang Wen listened quietly, his fingers unconsciously tracing the rim of his cup.

Zhou Fu's words seemed sincere on the surface, but the faint yet lingering demonic aura emanating from him, as well as the subtle flicker in his eyes, convinced Jiang Wen that this man was not telling the whole truth.

He didn't immediately reveal the truth, but simply said, "I see. If what the magistrate said is true, then it is indeed due to the circumstances."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Fu felt a great weight lifted from his shoulders. He quickly wiped his eyes and exclaimed repeatedly, "Immortal, you are wise! Immortal, you are wise!"

After the banquet, Zhou Fu personally arranged for Jiang Wen and the other two to stay in a quiet guest room in the back garden of the county government office, and then repeatedly took his leave.

The door closed, and Jiang Wen flicked his sleeve, a faint light flashing, instantly isolating the sounds from inside and outside.

"Master, Zhou Fu is clearly suspicious!" Dan Chen immediately spoke up, his brows furrowed. "He's not telling the truth, and there's an unsettling aura about him. If I'm not mistaken, he's definitely hiding something."

Jiang Wen nodded: "I already know. He has a wisp of demonic blood energy hidden in his body. Although he tried his best to conceal it, he could not hide it from my divine sense. This blood is cold and filthy, and cannot be possessed by ordinary spirits. His true form must be an evil creature with considerable cultivation."

"Then why is the real person..." Dan Chen asked, puzzled.

“We’ll just wait,” Jiang Wen said with a smile, but a sharp glint appeared in his eyes. “He’s nothing but a puppet being manipulated; killing him would be pointless. Keeping him alive is the only way to find the evil entity behind him. Exposing him now would only alert the enemy. If that evil entity escapes, it would be worse.”

"I see, I understand now," Dan Chen said with a sigh of relief.

Jiang Wen nodded, not saying anything more to Dan Chen, and turned to Jiang Su, who was carrying a child, and said, "This county is densely populated and has a mixed atmosphere. You should sense it and see where there is any unusual evil energy gathering in Jiangling County?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Su released the girl, allowing her to fall into Jiang Wen's arms.

She closed her eyes and concentrated, exuding an indescribable ethereal aura, like a deity enjoying incense offerings in a temple, solemn and majestic.

Her divine sense spread out silently like mercury, sweeping across the county government office, through the streets and alleys, and across countless households. Jiangling County was a large county with over a million households and a thriving population, comparable to a prefecture. At this moment, the auras of countless living beings were reflected in her heart and mind like countless grains of sand in a galaxy.

After a short while, Jiang Su slowly opened her eyes, a strange light flashing in her clear, cold eyes.

She raised her hand and pointed to the west of the city: "West of the city, Rouge Lane, thirty feet underground. There is a thick, foul stench that has formed a hidden nest, and its aura is the same as the blood aura on that county magistrate's body."

Jiang had already inquired about Jiangling County, so he naturally knew what Rouge Lane was. It was a famous brothel in Jiangling County, a place of revelry and debauchery after nightfall.

A glint flashed in his eyes, and a smile appeared on his face: "They certainly know how to choose a place, hiding in such a noisy place, using the turbid air of the mortal world to cover up their demonic aura. Very well, tonight we will go and investigate, and see what kind of monster this so-called river god is, daring to stir up trouble here and eat people."

(End of this chapter)