Chapter 2

In the twenty-second year of Chengyuan, in the autumn, there was a county called Wanshan in the southern part of Nanling in the west, named for the continuous mountains surrounding it. Recently, a rather bizarre incident had occurred within the county, with multiple households reporting that their daughters had been defiled. What was bizarre was that the defiled girls repeatedly denied it. In this era of flourishing Daoism, demons and monsters were not uncommon, and the elders in the city suggested inviting a Daoist master to descend and exorcise the demons.

The county magistrate, who was always most worried about ghostly matters, was now at a loss and reported the matter to the imperial court.

This matter caught the attention of the court, and two Daoist masters were dispatched to investigate. Although these Daoist masters were considered minor cultivators by the major sects, they held significant influence in the mortal world.

After the investigation, it was preliminarily determined that the incident was caused by a demon. Wanshan County then implemented a curfew, with soldiers patrolling every night, which proved effective.

The demons were based in Jizhou's Baiman Mountain, ruled by a Demon Palace, and had never crossed into other regions to cause chaos.

The demon race had its own system. Those without spiritual intelligence were called demons, and they could be found all over the five continents. Those who developed spiritual intelligence and began to cultivate were called demon spirits. Above them were demon kings, who were even more formidable, capable of establishing their own lairs and ruling over thousands of demons, living in great power and pleasure.

One day, a fortune-teller entered Wanshan County. He had a tied-up braid, wore a moon-white Daoist robe and black boots with cloud patterns, was in his early twenties, and held a soul-summoning banner inscribed with: "Heaven knows, earth knows, you know, I know."

In the era of flourishing Daoism, there were countless people who claimed to have some mystical abilities and roamed around deceiving others. The residents of Wanshan County were already used to it. However, such a young man not engaging in a proper livelihood was looked down upon, so no one paid attention to him for a long time.

The young man was not discouraged. As noon approached, he entered a guesthouse. This guesthouse was located on the main street of Wanshan County, connecting the north and south gates. It was a popular spot for merchants, traders, and travelers to dine, hence its name, "North-South Wine Garden."

The North-South Wine Garden was grand in Wanshan County, with three floors. The first floor was a hall, the second floor had elegant seats, and the third floor had private rooms. The owner of the guesthouse was well aware of the human tendency to compare, so he set different levels for different diners, making it a place where all kinds of people mixed.

As soon as he entered, a waiter greeted him with a smile, saying, "Master, please come inside."

According to the law, commoners could only wear gray and white Daoist robes, while black and blue were reserved for true cultivators. Generally, such people had official documents, making them genuine Daoists.

This fortune-teller did not qualify, and the title "Master" was mostly a form of flattery.

The hall was circular, with a dozen or so tables and chairs scattered around, already filled with guests, and the noise was incessant. A spiral staircase led to the second floor, where the view was unobstructed.

Seeing that the hall was full, the waiter apologetically said, "Master, the first floor is already full. Would you like to go to the second floor?"

The fortune-teller nodded indifferently and said, "Then the second floor it is. Bring me some wine, three pounds of cooked beef, and a few of your signature dishes." He then went up to the second floor on his own.

The waiter replied, "Alright, I'll prepare it for you. Please wait a moment." In his heart, he thought, "What a big appetite this person has. I wonder if he can finish it all."

On the second floor, the noise was somewhat reduced. The fortune-teller casually found a seat by the window. The lighting was excellent, and he lifted the curtain to see the bustling street below, with vendors and passersby making a lively scene.

The elegant seats were separated by curtains and screens, which blocked the view but not the conversation. He heard, "Mr. Liang, I heard that there has been a demonic presence in Wanshan County recently?"

At the mention of the demonic presence, the fortune-teller's expression changed slightly, and he listened closely.

"Indeed, it's said that there is a demon hiding in the city that specifically defiles young girls. Now, there are Daoist masters sent by the emperor in the city, and the curfew has been effective. It seems the demon is afraid of the Daoist masters. They are said to be very powerful. If we could have one to protect our household, it would be great."

Mr. Liang sighed slightly and continued, "Mr. Liu, I know your business is wealthy and powerful. I assume you have Daoist masters accompanying you for protection?"

Mr. Liu chuckled and raised his cup to drink, then said, "To be honest, our Liu family business does lack a Daoist master. Unfortunately, these masters are often proud and disdainful of associating with us mortals. It's not easy to invite one."

The two then continued to chat about trivial matters, and the fortune-teller lost interest.

At this moment, the waiter brought the food, filling half the table. He maintained his smile, slightly bowed, and said, "Master, would you mind paying the bill first? It's our house rule..."

The fortune-teller did not want to make things difficult for the waiter and reached into his pocket for some silver.

However, a clear voice said, "Does your wine garden categorize people? Why didn't you ask me for the bill first?"

The two turned to look and saw a young man in a blue Daoist robe with a stern expression and a beautiful woman looking at them. The voice belonged to the young man, who then led the woman over.

The waiter, seeing this person, turned pale with fear and knelt down, trembling, "Master, I didn't know you were a friend of the Master. I didn't mean to offend. I deserve to die."

The young man in the blue robe was an officially recognized Daoist, with a status comparable to a sixth-rank general. If a commoner like the waiter were killed by a Daoist master, the authorities would not intervene, so he was very frightened.

The young man walked over, sat down, and poured himself and the fortune-teller some wine. He raised his cup and said, "Heaven knows, earth knows, you know, I know. What a fine saying. I am Ji Sui Feng, and this is my junior sister Yun Xi. What is your name, sir?"

The fortune-teller said to the waiter, "You can go now. There's nothing for you here."

The waiter, relieved, quickly got up and went downstairs. Ji Sui Feng and Yun Xi watched quietly, as they did not like to make things difficult for mortals.

"Scattered cultivator Su Fu, meeting you, Senior Brother Ji and Senior Sister Yun," the fortune-teller rubbed his face, and in a blink, his appearance changed. He was still in his early twenties, but his face was very handsome and slightly pale.

"A minor illusion, I apologize for the joke," he said, raising his cup and drinking it in one go. His original appearance was impressive, making the two opposite him look at him with renewed interest.

Ji Sui Feng's stern expression softened, and he smiled, "Why do you think we are not scattered cultivators, Brother Su?" Su Fu's illusion had been easily seen through, and it was his impressive demeanor that made Ji Sui Feng deliberately come over to talk. Otherwise, ordinary scattered cultivators would not be worth his attention.

In the Daoist world, there was an unwritten rule that scattered cultivators should address sect disciples of the same level as "Senior Brother" or "Senior Sister," acknowledging their inferiority, regardless of the length of cultivation. Many scattered cultivators were particularly dissatisfied with this.

Yun Xi, with a playful smile, did not speak but took the chopsticks and started eating what Su Fu had ordered, as if she felt no awkwardness.

This woman was about the same age as Su Fu, wearing a pink dress with slightly curly hair. Her face was unadorned, but her skin was snow-white and flawless, a true beauty, though she might already be taken.

Su Fu picked up a piece of beef, chewed it slowly, poured Ji Sui Feng some wine, and smiled, "Senior Brother Ji and Senior Sister Yun are already at the Yinshen realm. At your age, only inner disciples of the Yuxing Sect could achieve this."

He poured himself another cup and smiled bitterly, "I have been on the path for over eight years but am still at the Qi Sensing realm."

Yun Xi's beautiful eyes widened in disbelief, "Stuck at the Qi Sensing realm for eight years?" She then laughed, "Brother Su, you must be joking. If you are at the Qi Sensing realm, how could you discern our cultivation levels?"

"Junior Sister, don't you remember what Master told us? Don't casually inquire about others' secrets," Ji Sui Feng frowned slightly, but there was no sign of displeasure at Su Fu's low cultivation.

Yun Xi pouted, ignoring him, "This senior brother always scolds me. It's no fun."

Su Fu finished his drink and sighed inwardly that the wine was far inferior to what he had in his previous life. He smiled and said, "Actually, there's no need to hide it. My five senses are naturally more acute than others, allowing me to perceive things others cannot. When you two approached, I sensed the presence of Yinshen, so I was confident."

At this moment, a commotion came from downstairs, followed by the sound of armor. A loud voice shouted, "Everyone stay where you are and do not move. This general has received word that the demonic presence causing chaos in the city is hiding here. Everyone will be searched. Anyone who moves will be killed. Do not blame me for not warning you."

As the voice faded, the sound of tables and chairs being pushed aside and porcelain bowls breaking could be heard.

Su Fu curiously rolled up the curtain and looked out. The view from here was directly at the entrance of the guesthouse. He saw two rows of fully armed soldiers outside, all with stern and deadly expressions.

The three looked at each other, all with some questions. However, the mortal soldiers posed no threat to them, so they remained seated, not particularly tense.

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