Eternal Immortal Dynasty: Starting as a Petty Official

The next morning, as dawn broke.

Zhao Xian and the others had already gathered in the backyard, waiting for Chen Yuancheng's instructions.

Last night, Cao Miao sent someone to the county to ask for help.

Seven or eight wealthy young men, along with dozens of servants, disappeared silently into the mountains. Such a major case would surely prompt the county to immediately dispatch officials to assist.

"I pondered this all night. It would be unwise for just a few of us to venture into the depths of the mountains to search." Looking around at everyone, Chen Yuancheng's gaze fell on Cao Miao. "Cao, you will stay here at the village house today. Bo Zhang and I will go ahead to the edge of the mountains to see if we can find any clues."

"We will obey Lord Chen's orders!"

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately spoke solemnly.

After breakfast, Chen Yuancheng led Zhao Xian and others away from the village house with their horses.

Chen Yuancheng and these wealthy young men from the village had been hunting in the surrounding mountains and forests for more than half a month, so they could naturally guess where the missing wealthy young men had gone hunting.

The group leaped onto their horses and galloped away, disappearing into the country lanes in no time.

......

As they sped along, Zhao Xian took the opportunity to recount in detail the unease he had felt during his previous hunt.

Upon hearing this, Chen Yuancheng pondered for a few moments, then said, "Bozhang, we are both Qi Refining cultivators, with clear minds and keen senses."

"Perhaps the unease you felt that day stemmed from the mastermind behind it all!"

After speaking, Chen Yuancheng glanced at Zhao Cheng and the others behind him, already having made up his mind.

"Bo Zhang, take me to the place where you previously hunted wild deer!"

"Bo Zhang obeys!"

Zhao Xian responded and immediately spurred his horse past Chen Yuancheng, heading into the mountains and forests.

A moment later, the group of more than ten people arrived at the place where Zhao Xian had previously hunted wild deer.

Looking around, Chen Yuancheng dismounted and strode forward.

Upon seeing this, Zhao Xian immediately instructed the six guests on foot to guard the horses, and then he and Zhao Cheng and the other three caught up with Chen Yuancheng.

"Bo Zhang, did you shoot a wild deer here that day?"

Pointing to the fallen, withered grass in front of him, Chen Yuancheng asked in a solemn voice.

"This is the place!"

Zhao Xian glanced at the messy withered grass on the ground, then responded solemnly.

Chen Yuancheng nodded slightly, bent down and broke off half a piece of withered grass. Zhao Xian and the others looked over and saw a few dark purple bloodstains on the withered grass.

Chen Yuancheng leaned closer and took a light sniff, then an expression of disbelief appeared on his face.

Seeing this, Zhao Xian also broke off a piece of withered grass stained with blood, lowered his head and sniffed it gently.

In an instant, a cold, eerie, and bloody smell entered my nostrils.

"How strange! It's neither human nor animal energy!"

Zhao Xian immediately looked at Chen Yuancheng and said solemnly.

"This is... ghostly energy!"

Chen Yuancheng responded slowly.

"Ghostly aura!" Upon hearing this, Wang Cong exclaimed in surprise, "Ghosts really exist!"

"Where there are cultivators, there are naturally demons and monsters!"

Chen Yuancheng offered a noncommittal explanation.

"Ghosts mostly live in places with dense yin energy, and can be divided into wandering souls, ghosts, and ghost immortals." Chen Yuancheng looked at Zhao Xian with a hint of doubt on his face. "Even the weakest wandering soul can be comparable to a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator."

"But the ghostly aura clinging to this withered grass is quite faint and weak, seemingly only at the early stage of Qi Refining."

"Mr. Chen, when I was traveling as a merchant, I heard rumors about wandering spirits. Those old peddlers all said that wandering spirits are active at night and hide during the day, absorbing people's yang energy. Their only weakness is that they are afraid of the scorching sun and firelight." Zhao Ji thought for a moment, then stepped forward and whispered, "The bloodstains on this withered grass have been there for more than half a month. Their power has weakened or they have been scorched by the scorching sun."

"Perhaps it's just as Ah-ji said!"

After a moment of contemplation, Chen Yuancheng looked up at Zhao Ji and replied with a smile.

"If they are wandering spirits, then those missing rich kids are probably doomed!"

With a sigh, Chen Yuancheng ordered the men to disperse and search the area, but not to venture too far into the mountains.

It was almost noon when the group returned to their country house.

Upon returning to the country house, several capable attendants were already standing in front of the gate.

"It must be reinforcements from the county!"

Upon seeing this, Chen Yuancheng exclaimed with delight, then dismounted and strode into the house.

"Xu Jun!"

Outside the main hall in the front courtyard, a familiar figure came into the sight of Chen Yuancheng and Zhao Xian; it was Xu Dekun, the son of the Xu family.

"Lord Chen, Lord Zhao, His Majesty has arrived! Quickly, enter the hall and pay your respects!"

Upon their return, Xu Dekun immediately bowed and solemnly said...

Upon hearing this, Chen Yuancheng didn't have time to return the greeting before striding into the hall.

"Greetings to the two lords!"

Two high-ranking officials, wearing official seals, were sitting prominently in the hall. The two immediately bowed.

"Yuancheng, Bozhang, rise quickly!" The leading official immediately waved his sleeve, and a gentle breeze helped the two men to their feet. "Upon receiving the news, the county magistrate immediately ordered me and Lord Liu to lead our subordinates to Wohu Township to investigate this matter!"

The two high-ranking officials in the hall were none other than Cao Chensheng, a county bandit, and Liu Yu, a patrol officer.

"Yuancheng, you and Bozhang went to the mountains to search, did you find any clues?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, when Bo Zhang accompanied me on the hunt, he vaguely sensed that someone was spying on us in the mountains!"

Chen Yuancheng bowed respectfully and replied.

"When we returned to the hunting grounds this time, we indeed found some traces!" At this point, Chen Yuancheng looked around at everyone in the hall, took a small handful of withered grass from his robes, and showed it to them. "The withered grass faintly carries a ghostly aura!"

"Ghostly aura!"

"It's ghostly energy!"

Chen Sheng and Liu Yu both exclaimed in surprise.

"Whoosh!"

Liu Yu was impatient. He reached out and grabbed a small handful of dry grass, which flew into his hand. Then he brought it to his nose and took a light sniff.

"Mr. Chen, you truly possess a ghostly aura!"

After saying that, Liu Yu handed the withered grass to Chen Sheng.

"It is undoubtedly ghostly energy, but it is extremely faint and weak."

After a moment of contemplation, Chen Sheng also fell into deep thought.

Knowing that this county bandit Cao was knowledgeable and highly skilled, Liu Yu and Chen Yuancheng remained silent and waited quietly.

A moment later, Chen Sheng suddenly looked at Zhao Xian, smiled slightly, and said, "Bo Zhang, do you know the origin of the name 'Crouching Tiger Village'?"

"Reporting back to Your Majesty, Bozhang is originally from Wohu Township, so he naturally knows the origin of its name!"

"The name comes from the Crouching Tiger Mountain in the village. My family's residence, Upper Tiger Pavilion, is located on a high point on the mountain, while the neighboring Lower Tiger Pavilion is located on a lower point on the mountain."

Zhao Xian immediately replied without hesitation.

"Bozhang, have you ever heard of tigers roaming the mountains?"

"Of course~"

Zhao Xian blurted out, but then stopped abruptly. A thought flashed through his mind, and he exclaimed in surprise, "What Your Majesty is speaking of—a cougar?"

"Bo Zhang is intelligent!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Sheng smiled and immediately clapped his hands in praise.

"The demon!"

The others exclaimed in unison, then nodded in unison, their faces showing sudden realization.

"The 'Changgui' is a person eaten by a tiger, merely acting as a ward-off for the tiger!" Chen Sheng stroked his beard, surveyed the crowd, his expression solemn. "This ghost is extremely vicious, often luring people to be devoured by tigers!"

"If it truly is the work of a malevolent spirit, then there must be a tiger demon that has become a spirit in the mountains!"

Liu Yu, who was standing to the side, also spoke in a solemn voice.

"Wohu Mountain stretches for only a dozen miles and is a little over a hundred feet high. Although the forests are dense and wild animals roam, it is virtually impossible to raise a tiger demon that has become a spirit!"

After pondering for a few moments, Chen Yuancheng spoke up to question.

"Yuancheng, what place is west of Wohu Mountain?"

"Yunling!"