Fish Market.
There was an incessant stream of horses and carriages, and the place was buzzing with activity. It felt like everyone across the entire county had gathered here.
Zhou Yi and Hu Jiuying hid among the clouds in the sky and looked down.
“So, this is what you came up with?”
“Well, the Great Sage isn’t against it, right?”
Hu Jiuying pursed her lips and chuckled. Thousand-year-old vixens were the best at toying with the human heart.
Zhou Yi’s eyes were indifferent. He was looking at an official carriage.
“Those who try to test humanity will eventually fall into the abyss of humanity!”
The official carriage was located in the middle of the fish market. The merchants and people passing by were all avoiding it.
Two children, a girl, and a boy, ran around the carriage while laughing cheerfully.
“Eh? Who are you?”
All of a sudden, the boy noticed a three or four-year-old girl gazing at the carriage not far away.
“I don’t know.” The little girl looked confused.
“Are you lost? Stand here and don’t move! Dad, daddy, a little girl is lost.”
The boy beckoned and shouted towards the distance. Feng Zhen, who was talking with merchants, hurried over when he heard the boy as he was afraid that someone might be doing human trafficking in Fuzhou.
Human trafficking was a massive crime in Great Qian, equivalent to banditry, robbing, and corruption. Not only would one be sentenced to death, but their wife and family members would also be exiled if they were unaware of their crimes, and if they knew, they would be punished as an accomplice.
When Feng Zhen saw the little girl, he asked in a soft voice, “Little girl, what is your name? Where does your family live? Did you come here with them?”
“My house is at the capital’s Zhengping Subdivision. I don’t remember who my family is.”
The little girl was Feng Ling’er, who had transformed into the appearance she had before she was imprisoned. She looked at Feng Zhen with a complicated expression, and no matter hard she tried, the word daddy could not seem to come out of her mouth.
“A child from the capital abducted all the way this far. The county will look into this and find the perpetrator, lest someone else falls victim again.”
Feng Zhen was enraged. He summoned a group of guards, “Old Qi, call some guards and hire a carriage to escort this little girl home. All expenses will be reimbursed by the state office.”
The Chief Guard responded immediately and led Feng Ling’er away with a few people.
As Feng Zhen gazed at Feng Ling’er’s receding figure, tears suddenly fell from his eyes.
Provost Yan, who had come when he heard the commotion, asked, “Why are you crying, my Lord?”
“I’m fine, some sand got into my eyes.”
Feng Zhen rubbed his eyes and asked out of the blue, “Old Yan, if someone commits an evil act and then does a thousand good acts, will they offset each other?”
“Impossible! If good and evil can offset each other, what will be the use of the law? If hellions or despicable merchants committed harm, does it mean they won’t be arrested if they donated gold for philanthropy?”
Provost Yan was a disciple of the School of Legalism, and what was more, he was from the most radical business division. He believed in the usage of heavy punishment to prevent crime.
Anyone who committed crimes would be investigated and dealt with strictly. When all criminals were executed, it was only a matter of time before Great Qian would be free from evil.
Feng Zhen nodded gently in agreement but he could not help but sigh.
Feng Ling’er performed an illusion in the middle of the journey, showing that she met her family who came to find her and shook away the guards to join Zhou Yi.
“Sir, my wish has been fulfilled. After I go the Greenhills, I don’t know how many years it would be until I’d get to come back.”
Feng Ling’er took out a jade piece the size of a palm that had a Sweet Osmanthus and a jade rabbit carved on it. It was very beautiful.
“This is the Bright Moon Gem that was once my mother’s. It can gather the essence of the sun and moon and has a rather magical effect when used to make tea. I’m giving it to you as a memento. If you have anything in the future, you can send someone to Greenhill and get me, and I’ll answer your call no matter the cost.”
Zhou Yi took the jade piece and waved his hand, “Go. Your journey up ahead is a lengthy one, and your fate is uncertain. I hope you remember what you told me.”
Feng Ling’er kowtowed to Zhou Yi three times, morphed back into fox form, and leaped into Hu Jiuying’s arms.
“Farewell, Great Sage. May we meet again!”
As soon as Hu Jiuying finished speaking, her tail seemingly caught fire as she morphed into escaping light and vanished into the horizon.
Zhou Yi gently stroked the Bright Moon Gem, and a gust of shady and cool Qi rushed into his body. After encountering his magic power, it melted like ice and snow and turned into Yin Spiritual Qi.
If ordinary people were to remain in contact with the Bright Moon Gem for extended periods of time, their flesh and soul would become overwhelmed by Yin energy and in the few years, they would kick the bucket.
Feng Zhen had high cheekbones and a protruding forehead, a sign that one would bring ill fortune upon their wife. Men with such manifestations would lose their wives during middle age and live a dreary life in old age.
The rain that fell in the capital back then incited mass bounties on the demons, and Feng Ling’er’s mother was not the only one who died from collateral damage. Causalities overlapped and intertwined, and Zhou Yi happened to get caught in one.
The more powerful a cultivator, the more they had to be restrained.
They could randomly cast a spell and cause mountains to fall and the earth to split. From such events, there could be a single person who would lose his family in the landslides that happen. He would then chance upon a miraculous encounter and embark on a journey of vengeance.
How could one live longer?
Only by dragging out such an existence!
Zhou Yi took a look in the direction of the Greenhills, He morphed into escaping light, and vanished into the sky.
“May we never meet again and put an end to this cycle of karma…”
…
Tongfu Inn.
After Zhou Yi returned, he found a luxurious carriage parked at the entrance of the inn.
Innkeeper Bai, who had been away for a month, was accompanying an elder was wearing traditional Chinese clothes and tasting Zhou’s Secret Fried Chicken.
Zhou Yi greeted him. “You’re back, Mr. Bai. Did you find your son?”
“Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Zhou. I did find my son. He’s at the police station right now.”
Innkeeper Bai then introduced the man with him. “This is my father. He made this trip to the capital just to meet you.”
The old man was already on his feet and had one of his fists cupped in the other hand, “I am Bai Xingye from the Yuzhou Prefecture. The fried chicken recipe you came up with is really tasty.”
“I’m Zhou Yi from Hengyang. It’s just regular fried food, but I’m glad you like it, Mr. Bai.”
Bai Xingye took out a bandar’s note, “Thank you for taking care of the inn, Mr. Zhou. This is a little token from me. It’s not much, but I hope you accept it.”
Zhou Yi was stunned for a moment. Who would give cash on a first meeting? Were all ancients so sensible and self-sacrificing?
“Need not for the courtesy, Mr. Bai. I just only read books at your door for a couple of days. I never even took down the ‘full’ sign.”
“I insist that you take it, Mr. Zhou. Please do me this favor.”
Bai Xingye bowed slightly and offered it with both hands.
“Interesting…”
Zhou Yi did some calculations with his fingers, and everything immediately came to light. He reached out and took the bandar’s note. “In that case, I thank you, Mr. Bai.”
After speaking, he immediately left and returned to the guest room upstairs.
Innkeeper Bai whispered, “Father, Mr. Zhou may just be a small officer at the Demon Slaying Department, but his status is extraordinary. Why don’t you make friends with him?”
“Not just extraordinary, he’s beyond extraordinary!”
Bai Xingye sighed. “If I had met Mr. Zhou 20 years ago, I would welcome him to my home with the heartiest of hellos and give him the best treatment.
“But things are different now. Our family’s business is prosperous, and we are in no shortage of wealth. We even have someone with the local police station. I guess people may consider us a noble family.”
“When a family is in decline, you must be generous and make friends with all kinds of people so that you can mount a comeback as soon as possible. When you’re prospering, you must be stingy, and you must have less communication with the top dogs and aces so that you can remain stable and wealthy for a long time!”
Bai Xingye said earnestly, “The Demon Slaying Department… do you know what kind of place that is? Those are people that the Bai Family shouldn’t mess around with. One mistake, and our clan might perish.”
Innkeeper Bai was enlightened, “So you gave Mr. Zhou a thousand dollars to thank him for looking after our inn. But isn’t that a little too much though?”
“Not just for looking after our inn. Don’t forget this fried chicken!”
Bai Xingye sighed. “Dealing with strange people is the most tiring thing. If you give less, you will seem insincere, but if you give too much, they will look down upon you, and resentment will be born out of thin air…”
“You’re wise, father!”
Innkeeper Bai suddenly understood why his father was able to prosper from scratch. One could only say that he put a lot of thought into dealing with interpersonal relationships.
On the second floor of the inn.
Zhou Yi could hear Bai Xingye’s speech, word for word.
“Looks like I’m out of their favor.”
Zhou Yi was not angry. What Bai Xingye said was entirely correct. Besides, he did give him a lot of money.
In the world of immortals, buddhas, and demons, ordinary people were in a difficult situation, and they must have the wisdom to survive.
“1,000 dollars. If I add my savings and what I’ve earned from selling the books… I can buy a home with a courtyard.
“Since they don’t like me, why should I stay here and bother them?”
“The world seeks immortals, but make things difficult for them when they are right in front of them…”