Start practicing from Mr. Fox

Chapter 128 Prefectural Affairs, Village Road

"Thank you so much, Master Chen!"

Zheng Yuan thanked him repeatedly, and the constables beside him breathed a sigh of relief.

Although they had borrowed talented people from the academy and found evil weapons such as ghost-head knives and pig-slaughtering knives, the ghosts and monsters in Ruyi Village would not harm people maliciously.

However, they were not good at dealing with ghosts and monsters, and they only went there because of the town's requirements. Now that they had the opportunity not to go, they were naturally grateful.

Then, feeling embarrassed, they exchanged a glance and looked at Chen Ji.

"Sir, are you going over there? Do you know what you need to take with you? There are many of us, so we can deliver it to you."

"I'll go alone; I don't need to bring anything."

After Chen Ji finished speaking, he seemed to remember something else.

They were probably worried about how to explain things to Li Pingyun when they got back, so they thought for a moment and smiled slightly.

"Alright, I don't know how to get there anyway, so I'll go with you."

"Thank you, Taoist Priest!"

The constables bowed and thanked them, their eyes filled with gratitude.

Zheng Yuan immediately turned over and gave up his horse, taking another yamen runner's horse instead.

Seeing that the old man still wanted to ride a donkey, another yamen runner dismounted and helped the old man ride over together.

"My donkey!"

The old man cried out urgently.

The bailiff waved his hand impatiently.

“You old man, how can you not understand? Master Chen is a god-like figure, how could he waste time waiting for you to ride over on your donkey?”

"You come with us, and when we brothers get there, we'll give you the donkey to ride over."

As they spoke, the yamen runner who had just dismounted nodded and took the donkey's reins.

"Don't worry, sir, I know where Ruyi Village is."

"Easy to say, easy to say!"

The old man nodded repeatedly and gripped the saddle tightly.

Chen Ji then instructed the copper toad and the mudfish demon to return to the medicine hall first, before the group rode away.

The sound of horses' hooves kicked up dust, not as fast as Feng Xu's wind-riding speed, but it had its own unique charm.

This was the first time Chen Ji had ridden a horse since he arrived.

It was indeed quite different from watching others ride horses before.

However, it wasn't very comfortable; every jolt when the horse ran was a bit painful.

The scenery on both sides of the road, however, is quite pleasing.

It was an angle I hadn't noticed before when I was in the air.

Not far from the town, you can see wheat fields on both sides.

As the wheat ears sprouted, farmers worked in the fields. They would glance at the officials riding their horses, but would only stand up straight for a few moments before bending down again to tend to the fields.

When you reach a secluded spot in the mountains, the scenery changes completely.

The path was narrow, barely wide enough for a horse-drawn carriage to pass through, and the tracks on the road showed signs of pedestrians and caravans.

The newly grown weeds were all crushed into the ground, and not a single one could be seen on the sides, but they became clearly visible where the road met the dense forest.

Plants are plants, and roads are roads; there is no ambiguity whatsoever.

At first glance, the deep forest was full of shrubs and tall trees. Although the daylight was bright, there was a sense of gloom emanating from it, indicating the presence of demons and ghosts.

Zheng Yuan happened to speak.

"This place is called Leopard Ridge. People who pass by say there is a leopard in the forest that has become a demon, but it doesn't hurt people. It just comes out occasionally to beg for food."

"If you give them food, they will give you something in return. Those who gather firewood and herbs on the mountain have all received this favor, so it is also called the Leopard God."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ji knew that this was a powerful demon.

If we were to meet, we might even have a discussion.

Looking into the forest, he only saw lingering demonic energy and did not sense the presence of the leopard demon, so he shook his head and decided to meet again another day.

Continuing on with the constables, they noticed Zheng Yuan yawning repeatedly and asked him curiously why he was so tired.

Zheng Yuan sighed and began to talk about recent events.

"The Taoist priest is a practitioner, so naturally he does not know our suffering."

“A few days ago, someone from the prefecture came to arrange a task. Although it was not an official document, it was a message personally delivered by the prefect’s steward, which was even more important than an official document.”

"I've been working on this for days with my brothers, and we haven't had a good night's sleep."

Chen Ji raised his eyebrows slightly.

The last time I went to the prison was just before Qingming Festival. Why do I have to make such a fuss?
Zheng Yuan looked around and lowered his voice.

"Originally, the prefect was not allowed to tell others about this matter, but you are no ordinary person. Perhaps in a few days, if we encounter difficulties in our work, the supervising officer will also come to the Taoist priest. Telling him in advance will prevent any trouble."

"The prefect's daughter has gone missing; she is suspected of being abducted by a demon."

"Ok?"

"Taoist Master, don't you believe me?"

"really."

Chen Ji nodded, but doubt still lingered in his eyes.

At this time, ordinary people may not have much ability and may be afraid of demons and ghosts, but it is different in the prefectural city.

According to Miss Bai, the doors are covered with talismans for warding off evil spirits, which are much more effective than the ones Master Xiyun drew last time. They were all brought from the real Grand Temple, and some were even drawn and sent by the Celestial Masters of Kyoto.

Ordinary evil spirits with malicious intent could not possibly enter the city.

Chen Ji explained to Zheng Yuan, and Zheng Yuan nodded in agreement.

"What the Taoist priest said is the same as what the town supervisor said. However, the steward said that it was indeed abducted by demons and ghosts, otherwise it would have been impossible that there would be no trace at all, and even the whole city could be searched without any news."

"Moreover, if someone is kidnapped, there must be other demands, but no one from the prefectural government has sent anything over the past few days."

"Moreover, it's not just the prefect's daughter. It's said that several people have gone missing from the mansion recently, all of them handsome men and women. It seems that they don't care about family background, only appearance. Only demons and ghosts could do such a thing."

Zheng Yuan replied.

"This is indeed strange; it certainly doesn't seem like something a bad person would do."

Chen Ji thought for a moment and replied.

Moreover, he knew about the ghosts who did this.

For example, the Painted Skin Ghost that previously occupied Shuizhen liked to find handsome people to skin.

If such demons and ghosts were to act, it would indeed be quite possible, but there was one thing Chen Ji didn't understand.

If such a demon or ghost truly existed, how did it manage to infiltrate the city?

"If even the Taoist priest doesn't know, then naturally we know even less."

Zheng Yuan shook his head.

"Then what are you going to do?"

"The prefect has instructed all areas to keep a close watch on any unfamiliar people they haven't seen before. If anyone goes missing, report it to the prefectural city immediately, and the prefect will invite a master demon hunter to come and investigate."

"That's right."

"Never mind, this is nothing unusual."

Zheng Yuan sighed again.

"Let alone the large population of the prefectural city, how many people in the town haven't died because of demons and ghosts every year? It's just that this time the abduction was of the prefectural magistrate's daughter. If it were an ordinary person, I'm afraid they wouldn't even be able to issue an official document."

Chen Ji was at a loss for words upon hearing this.

That statement is indeed somewhat true.

Fortunately, there was no need to respond. After crossing a mountain ridge, a village could be seen a little further away.

"That must be Ruyi Village."

Zheng Yuan raised his hand, pointing his whip at the village.

Chen Ji used his Qi Observation Technique and indeed saw a trace of demonic energy, but just as the old man had said, it was not fierce, and he didn't even see any bloodlust.

So he reined in his horse and stopped.

"Let's go see them when they get together."

Before long, the rest of the yamen runners and the villagers of Ruyi Village followed.

"Is this the place you're talking about, sir?"

Chen Ji pointed to the village and asked.

The old man nodded repeatedly.

"That's right, the demon roams freely in the village, but we haven't heard of it causing trouble outside the village."

"Can you get injured while riding a horse?"

"I really didn't know that; everyone in the village walks."

"Then let's go in and take a look." Chen Ji said, then dismounted and handed the reins back to Zheng Yuan.

"We've troubled you, Lord Zheng and your brothers, to bring us here. Now we can go back."

"This……"

Zheng Yuan was taken aback, a moment of hesitation flashed through his mind, and then he clasped his hands in a fist salute.

"What are you saying, Taoist priest? It was one thing before we arrived, but now that we're here, how can we face others if we go back?"

"We are usually unable to deal with demons and ghosts, but today we can learn from the Taoist priest how to deal with them. If we encounter similar situations in the future, we brothers will be able to handle them as well."

"Correct!"

"Zheng is right!"

"Don't worry, Taoist priest. We brought our weapons. They might not be good at killing demons, but they should be able to protect ourselves."

The constables brandished their weapons.

The rope soaked in black dog blood, the gleaming ghost-head knife, and the bamboo slips borrowed from the academy did indeed have some effect in warding off evil spirits.

Chen Ji glanced at them, then looked at Zheng Yuan.

After a moment, he nodded slightly.

"Then you just need to protect the villagers. As for seeing demons and ghosts, just follow my orders."

"Also, this monster mostly plays tricks on people, but has never intentionally hurt anyone. You can put these things away for now to avoid any misunderstandings."

"Listen to what the Taoist priest says."

Zheng Yuan gave the order.

The constables said "yes" and obediently put their things away.

Chen Ji then walked into the town, with the yamen runners protecting the old man and leading his horse behind him.

Even though it's unclear whether the horse can enter the village, it can't be left unattended outside. It should at least be led to a place outside the village where it can be seen.

Soon, the group entered the village.

Unlike some villages where the roads are still dirt tracks, the roads in Ruyi Village are paved with many stone slabs, with gravel filling the gaps, making them quite comfortable to walk on.

Upon entering, one sees many people sitting around the large locust tree at the village entrance.

His eyes lit up when he saw them go in.

"Fourth Uncle, did you invite someone from town?"

"Oh dear, there's hope! Brother Xin also broke his arm this morning, but thankfully it wasn't broken."

The speaker quickly ran over to help the old man.

"How can you run away? Aren't you afraid that monster will cause trouble?"

The old man stared in surprise and asked.

"After Brother Xin fell, the demon seemed to have disappeared and was walking normally again. That's why the villagers gathered together to discuss what to do."

"If you don't come back soon, Fourth Uncle, I'm afraid we'll have to pack our things and go to the outskirts of the village to avoid trouble."

"Nonsense!"

The old man cursed fiercely.

"We can't just abandon what our ancestors left behind and go to hide outside the village. What if these demons follow us? We can hide for a while, but can we hide forever?"

"Don't worry, the deity I've invited this time is the one in town who specializes in exorcising ghosts! It'll definitely work."

After saying this, the villagers introduced Chen Ji.

The villagers knew nothing about demons or ghosts; they only heard that Chen Ji had captured several demons and ghosts and that they were related to a saint, so they all became respectful.

Even the yamen runners couldn't protect them; they all crowded forward, hoping to get a talisman.

"I don't know how to draw talismans."

Chen Ji shook his head, thought for a moment, and then added a sentence.

"Moreover, to be precise, I am not exactly a traditional Taoist priest, but rather a practitioner who has learned some magic arts."

"Can't draw talismans? Then... how does the Taoist priest exorcise ghosts?"

The villagers hesitated and wondered.

"Just capture them directly."

"Isn't that a deity?"

A child in the village called out.

"That's what they say in the stories; immortals don't draw talismans, they just catch ghosts directly."

"That shouldn't be considered true, but let's talk about these things later. Let me first see where the people injured by the demons are."

Before long, a woman was heard grabbing the child and hitting and cursing him.

"You talk too much and upset the gods. If you don't catch the demon, I'll break your legs."

Someone nearby burst into laughter, while others stepped aside to let Chen Ji go over and see the person. They could vaguely hear the voices from before muttering to each other.

"That's not a monster..."

But it was quickly drowned out by the voices of the crowd.

"There's hope!"

"That monster must have known that Master Chen was coming, that's why it ran away!"

Such remarks were heard in my ears.

But his feet didn't slow down at all. Listening to the sounds, Chen Ji had already walked to the tree and saw several people sitting or lying there.

Apart from the two elderly men who accidentally fell, the rest of the injured were young men who still had strength and were able to yell and curse even though they were injured.

"That demon is a spineless coward! If it has the guts, it should come out and face us!"

"Changing course is no skill, you're just taking advantage of me being drunk and falling down."

"Stop it, everyone. Think carefully about how to handle the work these next few days. If we delay the business later, it could lead to big trouble."

……

As he spoke, his gaze fell on Chen Ji, and the constables and villagers behind him instantly became reserved.

The burly man who had spoken last stood up and looked at Chen Ji.

"Are you here to ask me a question? My arm is broken, so I can't perform the proper greeting. Please forgive me."

"Exactly."

Chen Ji nodded and asked them directly how they had fallen and injured themselves, telling them to think it through and explain slowly.

The group thought about it seriously for a while before explaining their reason.

"I was walking on the road when suddenly the road in front of me became twisted and steep. Then my foot slipped, and I felt like I stepped on something and fell. But when I got up, I found that there was nothing there."

"I think I was pretty much the same. When I was drunk, I was dizzy and tripped over something."

"Me too!"

"Is there a problem with the newly paved road?"

"It shouldn't be a problem. What could be wrong with the stones? They were all quarried from the mountains."

Several people spoke in succession, and they were all about the same thing.

"Are they all slippery?"

While they were discussing the reasons, Chen Ji looked at the ground and noticed something. He picked up two stones from the crack and compared them in his hand.

After looking at it for a moment, he raised an eyebrow and asked.

When was this stone-paved road built?

"what?"

The villagers were stunned for a moment before replying.

"It's been more than half a year now, and the villagers have been the ones who went up the mountain to collect stones and built the road themselves."

"Did you encounter anything unusual while quarrying stones?"

“Nothing unusual.”

"When did the first person fall down?"

"It's hard to say, but it was about two weeks ago?"

What did you do back then?

"Nothing was done, just normal road paving."

"Were the stones also quarried from the same place?"