Chapter 87

PS: I'm not feeling well today, so I went to the hospital for a check-up. Here's the first update, and the second one will follow a bit later.

As Xia Hou Jianke left, the rain gradually subsided. After waiting for about half an hour, although the sky was still overcast, it was possible to set off.

"Brother Ning, the rain has stopped. Let's set off now." Chu Ci invited Ning Cai Chen to travel together, so they could look out for each other along the way.

"Where are you heading, Brother Chu?" Ning Cai Chen, seeing a seemingly decent person, naturally wanted to get closer. He bowed and agreed, then asked about Chu Ci's itinerary.

"To Beiguo, and then directly to Jinhua City." According to "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio," there is no place called Beiguo Town. The original text mentions "heading to Jinhua, reaching Beiguo, and unpacking at the Lanruo Temple," which means passing by Jinhua, reaching the northern outskirts, and resting at a place called Lanruo Temple. Chu Ci, following the description in "Strange Tales," added his own speculation, which coincidentally matched Ning Cai Chen's itinerary.

"Brother Chu, you're heading the same way as me. I'm going to Beiguo to collect debts and then returning to my home in Jinhua. If Brother Chu doesn't mind, you can rest at my home for a couple of days." Ning Cai Chen was straightforward and didn't doubt Chu Ci's intentions. This was the straightforwardness and honesty of gentlemen in ancient times, a rare stream of purity in a murky world. It's no wonder Nie Xiaoqian fell for Ning Cai Chen, such a noble and upright gentleman that even a female ghost would be pleased to see.

Ning Cai Chen picked up the frame, shook it with great care, and water dripped from the cloth bag, splashing all over the ground. If he went to collect debts like this, he would probably return empty-handed, and the path to Lanruo Temple would be his fate. Of course, Chu Ci wasn't lusting after Nie Xiaoqian's beauty, so he needed to probe Ning Cai Chen's intentions in advance.

"Brother Ning, you have a noble appearance, not an ordinary person. In the future, when you rise to high office, you will surely have a life of luxury and many wives and concubines."

"Ah, that's not true, Brother Chu. I am a descendant of a sage. If I can serve the people, I will do so diligently for the country and the people. As for wives and concubines, I will never take a second wife in my life." Ning Cai Chen, as Chu Ci expected, was indeed a young man with principles, ambition, and integrity, especially the last part, which means he would never marry a second woman.

When these words were spoken, Chu Ci felt a chill down his spine. "Zhenzi, forget it, Weilan, what are you looking at?"

Chu Ci gave Weilan a look, and she seemed to react, retracting her beautiful ice-blue eyes. Then Chu Ci gave Zhenzi a look, promising to comfort her that night, successfully resolving the second problem.

Since that's the case, I'll give you a hand.

While chatting with Ning Cai Chen, Chu Ci secretly placed his hand on the frame, activating alchemy to easily remove the excess water and restore the blurred ledger.

Thus, they arrived at Beiguo Town, and Chu Ci parted ways with Ning Cai Chen, agreeing to set off together early the next morning. Ning Cai Chen went to collect debts, while Chu Ci took Weilan and Zhenzi to appreciate the rare ancient customs and folkways.

Beiguo Town was small, with few residents. The people on the streets looked haggard, with pale faces, and beggars were everywhere. Perhaps only the thugs and the fierce-looking constables had a bit of vitality, or rather, a menacing aura.

Chu Ci was not very familiar with the ghost and monster lore in the mysterious world. Even Zhenzi focused more on the immense mental power that came with a strong soul, so none of them had any experience with sorcery or black magic. They were unaware that the town was already covered by the demonic aura of the tree demon, which, when at its peak, could devour the lifeblood of thousands, greatly enhancing its power. At present, except for the bloodthirsty thugs and the fierce constables, everyone else was affected by the demonic aura, leading to a state of lethargy and causing the town to be even more chaotic, with fights, thefts, and robberies everywhere.

As soon as Chu Ci entered Beiguo Town, he encountered two children pretending to play, brushing past him and feeling his pockets and waist where people usually keep their money. Chu Ci didn't care about their motives and gave each of them a hidden blow, making their hands numb for the next three days as a warning.

But this meticulous approach made others think Chu Ci was easy to bully. With Weilan and Zhenzi being rare beauties, several thugs immediately blocked their path, leering at them with lustful eyes.

"Such beauties are rare to see." The bald thug at the front directly bypassed Chu Ci, reaching out to touch Weilan's chin, and his companions immediately laughed and whistled.

"Harassing women and children in broad daylight, death." In this treacherous world, if one's fists aren't strong enough, one can only be bullied. Officials bully the people, ghosts bully humans, and scoundrels are everywhere. To ensure peace for the next few days, Chu Ci chose to use force. He lunged forward, appearing in front of the bald thug in a flash. His right hand formed a claw, slashing directly at the thug's throat. A faint black and white glow emanated from his palm, and as soon as it touched the thug's throat, it easily crushed his larynx.

The bald thug's mouth bulged and caved in, spitting blood and collapsing on the ground.

This shocked the remaining thugs. They usually only engaged in fights and brawls, never daring to cause a death, maintaining a delicate balance with the authorities. The constables were too lazy to lock these people up, wasting food. They never expected that a routine harassment would result in their leader being killed.

"Murder! Help! Catch the murderer!" The news of the murder quickly spread, and the town was in chaos. The constables, who were always looking for opportunities to earn rewards, couldn't resist. The murderer was right in front of them, and capturing him meant a reward.

From all directions, several constables rushed over, shouting, "Don't run!"

Chu Ci sighed, fumbled in his pocket, and used alchemy to synthesize over a hundred taels of silver. Then he approached the constable in charge, "Sir, I didn't kill out of malice. This scoundrel was harassing my sister in broad daylight with foul language, and I couldn't help but get angry and kill him." As he spoke, he slipped several dozen taels of silver into the constable's hand.

"I see. Be more careful next time, and don't kill anyone." The constable's attitude immediately changed, and he kindly advised Chu Ci, asking a few casual questions about his background without even verifying them. With a wave of his hand, two constables dragged the corpse away and left.

After all, in any dynasty, a woman's chastity was highly valued. So even though Chu Ci's explanation was a bit forced, if taken to court, a bit more silver would ensure his release.

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