The next morning.
As Zhou Yi walked along the street, he heard people gossiping around him.
Normal people were oblivious to the demonic aura that was present everywhere between heaven and earth. But things like a dragon’s humming and the tail of a Thunder Fox were perceivable to the naked senses.
There was nothing special going on in the capital. For many middle-class people who were disengaged from work, their biggest entertainment was gossip.
Zhou Yi however, absolutely despised gossip. He overheard people secretly spreading a rumor saying that the demon suppressed by the imperial palace had escaped.
As soon as he stepped into the Resource Division, he immediately felt that there was a depressing ambiance all around. His colleagues, who were usually giggling and laughing around, were all solemnly doing their work. Even Li Xun, who always had a hippy smile on his face, was also deep in seriousness at this moment.
Zhou Yi walked over to the Five Internal Organs Section and found Zhang Cheng copying books.
In the last year, Zhang Cheng had barely picked up his calligraphy brush.
The depressing mood of the Resource Division seemed to have emanated from Zhang Cheng. His age-worn face was so gloomy that it was almost about to freeze.
Since he was at the upper-third-grade Mind Refining Stage, the aura Zhang Cheng subconsciously exuded could easily affect the outside world.
“Good morning, Brother Zhang.”
“Mmn—”
Zhang Cheng let out an enigmatic hum.
Since he was given a cold shoulder, Zhou Yi began concentrating on book copying.
With both of them on duty, daily chores were settled before noon. Zhang Cheng sat on his chair contemplating while Zhou Yi continued copying Taoist scriptures.
“Brother Zhang, did you hear what happened last night?”
Zhou Yi had held the question to himself for half the day, but he could not help himself and opened his mouth eventually.
This was by no means gossiping. He was just curious about Zhang Cheng’s views on this matter.
“The rumors are already shaking the sky itself. Who hasn’t heard it?”
Zhang Cheng said enigmatically, “They are already bullying us at our doorstep and looking at us like we’re some kind of joke. Sooner or later, we’ll be treated as a joke.”
Zhou Yi did not know who Zhang Cheng was satirizing, but he was most probably targeting the more than a hundred officials of the imperial court, masters of Buddhism, the City God, the Earth God, or some sort.
The Nine-tailed Fox may be powerful, but when it came to entities that could go on a rampage in Luojing, the only entity that was qualified to do so was probably the Immortal Fox of Greenhill.
Zhang Cheng continued working on a few more sentences. After a few minutes, he started feeling better, and he began muttering to himself again.
“I can’t stand this city anymore. There aren’t any good people left…”
“But I can’t bear to part with those little ladies of Spring Breeze Court…”
“Those at Wuzhou have thinner waists, but unfortunately, that son of a b*tch is at the Longchuan Academy…”
Older people always tend to talk to themselves.
From Zhou Yi’s perspective, Zhang Cheng was just a lonely old man. Zhou Yi had never heard of Zhang Cheng talking about his family, and he had always regarded Spring Breeze Court as his own family.
“…If people ask me: what is life? My answer will be: life is just another name for Yin and Yang…”
Zhou Yi blocked his words and paid no attention to the old man. Instead, he focused focused on his scripture copying.
Given how much a treasure the capital city was, Zhou Yi could definitely not part with the place.
Recently, his understanding of scriptures had become more and more profound, and he had gained a lot of new insights into the Taoist way of life and cultivation.
Qi Refining was under the Physical Path, while Mind Refining was under the Spirit Path. When combined, one could attain a state of perfection.
This was what was written on the Taoist scripture. Zhou Yi chose to believe in it for the time being, albeit with a skeptical attitude. After all, with the Demon Handbook in his possession, he would not necessarily have to walk the same path as the Taoist immortals.
Trust a book, but not all of its contents.
Zhou Yi clocked out and returned to the Tongfu Inn.
On one side of Tongfu Inn, there was a new sign: Zhou’s Secret Fried Chicken.
As the original location for Fried Chicken the shop was usually full of customers and bustling with noise.
Today, however, the shop was exceptionally quiet. Zhou Yi walked inside and discovered that there were about eight youngsters wearing traditional Chinese clothes who had surrounded a young girl.
The little girl was very cute. She had exquisite facial features, crescent eyebrows, and braids that looked like a ram’s horns. If she were to exist in his previous life, she would definitely become the Nation’s Daughter.
“What is she doing here?”
Zhou Yi frowned for a moment before quickly catching himself. He went behind the counter and observed them in secret.
The girl was the Nine-tailed Fox, Hu Jiuying.
“Told you so! This shop’s fried chicken is especially tender.”
The leader of the group of youngsters had a bloody nose and a swollen face, and his right leg was also limping a little. He boasted, “This is where the city’s fried chicken originated from. The Dashun Restaurant, Taibai Restaurant and whatnot, those are just copycats!”
“Mmm, yummy! Delicious!”
On the table occupied by Hu Jiuying alone, there were more than a dozen large plates. Some were full, some were empty, but all of them were for fried chicken of different flavors.
The youngsters in traditional Chinese clothing were standing at the side, serving her cautiously. With a single eye gesture, they would pass her food immediately.
“You’re really like a fairy who descended from heaven. You’re a one-of-a-kind that is out of this world… you’re so beautiful that you put the flowers to shame, a belle of unrivaled beauty…”
The leader of the group of youngsters racked his brains trying to think of other words to impress her. Unfortunately, as he did not read much during usual days, he went out of ideas after just a couple of phrases.
Seeing that Hu Jiuying was happily eating, he got a flash of inspiration and thought of a new trick.
“Shopkeeper, come over here!”
With a Taoist scripture in his hands, Zhou Yi replied without even lifting his head, “Anything I can help you with?”
“Hmm? A person of arts! That explains his cockiness!”
The young man limped to the counter, rapped his fist on the table and said, “Do you know who I am?”
“No, I don’t.”
Spirit light flashed across Zhou Yi’s eyes as he subconsciously unleashed the Spirit Eye Technique.
Having been with the Demon Slaying Department and mingling around Zhang Cheng for a long time, he felt that the capital was a place where dragons and tigers were hiding[1]. Even a beggar squatting at a door and chewing on chicken bones might be an expert at upper-third-grade.
The results were in. Uncondensed energy and blood, mottled Qi; an ordinary person who was not even a ninth-grade.
Zhou Yi relaxed a little. It seemed that he was just an ordinary dude. He continued to look at him with the Qi Inspection technique.
Dudes in the capital typically exuded a golden aura mixed with a brown-greyish aura of dejectedness which signified the decline of one’s family fortune.
But a cloud of chaotic mist was hovering above the young man’s head. A faint aura was billowing within the cloud, and it was difficult to observe it clearly, even with the Qi Inspection Technique.
“Interesting. A magical item that conceals one’s fortune!”
Zhou Yi was intrigued. He concentrated his magic power on his eyes. A wisp of golden light flickered, and he managed to break through the chaotic mist.
A black snake python was coiled on top of the young man’s head, wicked and vicious. Seemingly sensing Zhou Yi’s prying eyes, it swayed its tail restlessly and made hissing noises.
A person whose Qi became a python would be struck by extreme poverty in times of peace, and yet, would become a valiant hero in times of chaos.
Thud thud thud!
Seeing that Zhou Yi was spacing out, the young man yelled louder and knocked on the counter. “I’m the son of the Dragon General, Xu Ye. Ever heard of my name?”
“Xu Ye? Of course.”
Zhou Yi’s eyes were deep as he revealed a strange smile.
“Hahaha, your name surely is prestigious, Brother Ye.”
“You’re right. I’m one of Luojing’s Four Great Scourges!”
“What Four Great Scourges? Brother Ye is the scourge itself. The other three are just harmful pests.”
“But that doesn’t make you greater than milady. You still have to serve her, don’t you? Don’t do that yourself, milady, leave it to me!”
The few other youngsters in traditional Chinese clothes could not help but laugh.
But Xu Ye was not angry. In fact, he seemed to be beaming with pride.
“Now, do you know how powerful I am?”
“Yes. How can I help you, Young Master Xu?”
Although he had been using the Qi Inspection Technique to inspect people for more than ten years, this was the first time that he saw a person’s fortune taking on a specific form.
The saying of fortune had existed since ancient times, and it could be roughly divided into Fate and Destiny.
Fate was decided by heaven, Destiny was determined by oneself, and the two would influence each other.
Fortune was not a definite thing. Growth, decline, rise, and fall would change someone’s fortune, at all times.
Even those who disrespected ghosts and deities believed in the existence of fortune. They would lament: “when I am lucky, I get all the help from the sky and the earth, but when I am unlucky, I have no freedom even though I am a hero.”
Everyone’s fortune varied in strength. Innate fortune would determine one’s starting point and acquired fortune would affect one’s growth and decline.
Sometimes, there were people whose fortune was very unique. If their fortune for a certain aspect was extremely potent, it would materialize and form into shape.
Having one’s Qi turning into a python was one example.
Unaware that Zhou Yi had seen right through him, Xu Ye continued speaking loudly and arrogantly. “The cook said that the secret recipe for fried chicken was created by you. Offer it to our lady over here and I will take your shop under my wing.”
“Tell me why you are with her, and I’ll give you the secret recipe.”
When Zhou Yi spoke, he secretly used the Confusion Technique, and Xu Ye, who had no Cultivation Base, was immediately affected by it.
Xu Ye’s eyes glossed over and he spoke without actually meaning to: “Milady is so beautiful, my eyes are thirsty for her…”
“Xu Ye, let’s go to the next shop. The fried chicken here has a strange smell. I don’t like it!” Hu Jiuying’s voice was clear. It immediately awakened Xu Ye from his state of confusion. Hu Jiuying stood up and left the inn, followed by the group of men.
Xu Ye was completely oblivious to what had happened. But since everything he did was influenced by Hu Jiuying’s preference, he quickly ran after the group.
***
[1] Dragon and tigers refer to powerful individuals.