Chapter 10

The truth behind the rampant demonic beings was known to the two of them.

There was a demon cultivator known as Xi Xia, the number one great demon in the southwestern region of Jin State. She had a son who was recently killed.

The murderer was none other than the personal disciple of the Chancellor of Sinan Prefecture.

The cause of the incident was rather cliché, all because of a woman whom both men had their eyes on. Out of jealousy, the Chancellor's disciple set a trap, framing Xi Xia's son for harming the people of Jin State and violating the "Fifty-Li Agreement," and then killed him outright.

The so-called "Fifty-Li Agreement" was a pact made between humans and demons to end their endless slaughter.

Within fifty li of human settlements, towns, villages, and official roads, as well as some bodies of water, demons were not allowed to approach. If they trespassed, humans could kill them without any conditions. Similarly, if humans ventured beyond the fifty-li boundary, demons could attack them without any consequences.

The boundary was marked, and no one was allowed to cross it, which was called the Demon Realm.

Between the boundaries, the land was inhabited by humans, which was called the Human World.

In short, everyone maintained a certain safe distance and living space.

Of course, both sides did not completely isolate themselves. They could negotiate on detailed issues, and with the other party's permission, they could freely interact.

Due to the long-term contact between humans and demons, the profession of "Demon Solver" was born, with Yu Qi being one of them. Demon Solvers, who understood demons, could create items to target or heal demon cultivators.

Given the status of Xi Xia's son, obtaining permission to enter the human world was not a problem, but he could not randomly kill innocent people. The Chancellor's disciple accused him of violating the "Fifty-Li Agreement."

The death of her son was a deep-seated grudge for Xi Xia, and she naturally demanded that Sina Prefecture hand over the murderer.

But who was the Chancellor of Sina Prefecture? The emperor of Jin State bestowed him the title of National Master and the honorific "Earth Mother," making him one of the few semi-immortal experts in the world.

How could he hand over his personal disciple to an old demon for execution? Where would the face of Earth Mother and Sina Prefecture be?

Sina Prefecture continued to use the excuse that Xi Xia's son violated the "Fifty-Li Agreement."

This excuse might work on the weak, but a great demon would not buy it. She directly incited chaos among demon cultivators to pressure them.

It was said that Xi Xia offered ten "Nieling Pills" as a reward, with ten candidates' heads worth one Nieling Pill.

Nieling Pills were not ordinary items, each worth ten million taels of silver.

The cultivation levels of True Warrior, Mystic Scholar, and Semi-Immortal were also applied to some professions to distinguish their skill levels. For example, the refining abilities of Demon Solvers were divided into Martial, Mystic, and Immortal levels. Nieling Pills could only be refined by Demon Solvers with Immortal-level abilities, and even Yu Qi, a Mystic-level Demon Solver, could not refine them.

For many demon cultivators, becoming a demon after gaining intelligence from animals was a matter of chance, and it did not guarantee that their offspring could also become demons. However, Nieling Pills could open the intelligence of animals, allowing them to understand and enter the cultivation stage.

Nieling Pills were highly tempting to many demon cultivators, and some wealthy people even gave them to their pets.

One Nieling Pill for ten candidates' heads.

In other words, one candidate's head was worth one million taels of silver. If someone could not collect ten heads, they could gather them from others.

The court and Sina Prefecture were trying to keep the news under wraps. If it spread, the temptation of one million taels of silver for a candidate's head would not only attract demon cultivators but also others. The temptation of so much money was significant.

Xi Xia's actions were not just about exchanging a hundred heads for ten Nieling Pills.

Fortunately, both sides were still relatively restrained.

Xi Xia only targeted the authorities and did not massacre ordinary people, otherwise, the consequences would be catastrophic.

Sina Prefecture also knew that justice was on their side and did not act recklessly, maintaining a defensive stance.

Yu Qi cautiously asked, "Does the大人 want us to participate in the escort?"

Lu Jigui laughed, "The two of you don't need to worry. I just want to borrow your reputations to reassure the candidates."

Di Cang asked, "Does the大人 mean the candidates already know about the demonic chaos?"

Lu Jigui smiled, "These days, how many small families can afford to raise scholars? Most who pass the local exams are from noble families. They might not know what Sina Prefecture did, but they will not be fooled about the news of the incident. I ordered the state to keep it quiet, but it's useless."

Di Cang nodded in understanding.

Yu Qi frowned and said, "I just came from Youjiao Port. There are some things the大人 should prepare for."

Di Cang looked at him curiously, and Lu Jigui said, "Please, tell me more."

Yu Qi said, "Youjiao Cliff has issued a public task, requiring three 'Fire Crickets.'"

Youjiao Port had a steep cliff, where the founder of the port lived and controlled the rules. Over time, the cliff became known as Youjiao Cliff.

Youjiao Cliff would periodically issue reward tasks, which were only given to the merchants in Youjiao Port.

The timing of the tasks was unpredictable, sometimes several times a year, sometimes not for years. The nature of the tasks was also unpredictable. Youjiao Cliff did not force the merchants to complete them, and there were no penalties for not accepting them.

However, completing the tasks would earn a reward.

The reward was a reasonable request to Youjiao Cliff.

As long as the request was not excessive, Youjiao Cliff would grant it.

The reward was limited to Youjiao Port, and Youjiao Cliff did not interfere with external matters.

As for the process of completing the tasks, as long as it did not violate the rules of Youjiao Port, Youjiao Cliff would not intervene.

Lu Jigui was puzzled, "Fire Crickets? What are they?"

Di Cang looked puzzled, clearly not knowing either.

Yu Qi said, "When the task was announced, many were confused. It's normal not to know, as Youjiao Port is a place where rare items are traded. If even the major merchants in Youjiao Port couldn't provide it, it must be extremely rare.

Many searched through ancient texts to understand what it was. It's a small creature similar to a cricket that lives in volcanic regions, very rare. No one knows why Youjiao Cliff wants it, but the fact that it lives deep underground makes it difficult to obtain.

According to ancient texts, it's like a fire spirit, and its habits are not well-documented. Does the大人 know where the Fire Crickets were found?"

Lu Jigui chuckled, "That's a tough question. I don't delve into such matters. Could it be in our state?"

Yu Qi answered, "Not in our state, but near it, in the Ancient Tomb Wasteland!"

The room fell silent. Everyone was familiar with the name, as it was indeed near their state.

The name "Ancient Tomb" was related to graves.

Legend has it that long ago, giants served the immortals as their laborers. For unknown reasons, they all perished. Later, a large number of giant skeletons were discovered in a place, which became known as the Ancient Tomb Wasteland.

"Living in volcanic regions..." Di Cang mused, "After the discovery of the giants' tomb, people dug for clues to immortality. Even an entire army once excavated the area. The Ancient Tomb Wasteland has many underground tunnels, making it a likely place to find Fire Crickets. The ancient texts probably recorded the discovery due to its geographical advantage."

Lu Jigui stood up, not concerned with this. He walked to one side of the pavilion, pulled a rope, and a curtain dropped, blocking the light.

It was not a curtain but a large map of Jin State. Lu Jigui stared at the map, frowning.

Di Cang and Yu Qi also stood up and walked to the map, finding the Ancient Tomb Wasteland near their state.

The wasteland was vast, about the size of a state, but due to its unique environment, no human settlements had formed there.

Studying the map, Lu Jigui pointed to three intersecting lines within the wasteland, "The Ancient Tomb has three roads leading to surrounding states. The southwestern road to the northeast is the shortest route from our state to the capital."

Hearing the concern in his voice, Di Cang asked, "Is the大人 worried that the merchants from Youjiao Port might take advantage of the situation and harm our candidates?"

Lu Jigui replied, "The two of you should be more aware of the possibility than I am."

Yu Qi sighed, "That's exactly what I'm worried about. The date for escorting the candidates is approaching, and those doing the task in Youjiao Port should have reached the Ancient Tomb. The temptation offered by Xi Xia is significant, and it's hard to ensure they won't take advantage. For safety, it might be best to take a detour."