Chapter 39

While Gui Bu Gui seemed to have anticipated that Wu Mian would send him to the Prefectural Office, he gave a bitter laugh and said nothing, which was taken as tacit acceptance.

Although he did not know what the old man in front of him intended to do in the Prefectural Office, since Wu Mian had drawn the line, Boss Zhao had to respond. Otherwise, it would be uncertain who would end up with the two gold cakes. However, this posed a challenge for Boss Zhao. Not to mention now, even back then, the Prefectural Office was not a place one could enter and leave at will. It would not be easy to get Gui Bu Gui inside.

After thinking for a long time, Boss Zhao still could not come up with a solution. He could only inwardly curse: These freeloaders, couldn't they have taken a few more steps? There were several restaurants ahead, why did they come to me? As Boss Zhao muttered to himself, a light suddenly appeared in his eyes, and he said to Gui Bu Gui, "There is a way to get you in..."

That evening, the guards at the city gate found a ragged old man shivering in the cold wind. Normally, the guards would have ignored him, but with the order to secretly capture outsiders, and given that the old man did not look like he had many years left, they decided to take him in.

That night, Gui Bu Gui and about a dozen others were temporarily detained in the jail west of the city. The next morning, Gui Bu Gui and about twenty others were driven out of the jail and escorted by soldiers to the Prefectural Office.

When they arrived, there were already five or six dead bodies on the ground in the Prefectural Office. The bodies were bloody and mutilated, and some were incomplete, with pieces carried out in baskets. The few people who had been arrested with Gui Bu Gui were terrified at the sight.

At this moment, the main gate of the Prefectural Office opened, and the guards at the gate pushed Gui Bu Gui and the others inside. As his feet crossed the threshold, a faint gas seemed to seep into his body through his pores, filling him with an indescribable sensation.

After Gui Bu Gui and the others entered, they found that the entire Prefectural Office was shrouded in a thin mist, which became thicker the further they went inside. However, this mist seemed visible only to Gui Bu Gui, while the others looked around in fear.

At this moment, footsteps were heard from inside the hall, and a thin, gaunt man appeared before them. Without any pleasantries, the man said, "I am the steward here, Wu Zhen..."

With Wu Mian not around, Gui Bu Gui's old habit of being insolent resurfaced. He grinned at Wu Zhen and said, "Since it's come to this, we might as well find a place to wait for death. What else is there to manage?"

Wu Zhen raised his eyes to look at Gui Bu Gui, gave a cold laugh, and said, "Let me explain the rules. After you enter, each pair of you will be assigned a room. Your food and lodging will be provided for. During the day, you can move freely within the Prefectural Office, but you must report any unusual events to me immediately. Every evening, a lottery will be held, and the one who draws the shortest stick will be offered to the gods that night. If the offering is not completed by midnight, a second lottery will be held, and the next person will continue the offering."

After saying this, Wu Zhen's gaze swept over Gui Bu Gui's face and then looked at the others, saying, "Familiarize yourselves with the place. In an hour, come to the front hall for breakfast." He then looked at the gate, sighed, and continued, "Since you're here, accept your fate. Don't even think about leaving. You've seen the guards outside; if you step out of the Prefectural Office, their arrows will turn you into a hedgehog. Life inside the Prefectural Office isn't as bad as you think. As long as you stay alive, you'll have food and shelter, and you won't have to struggle for a living outside."

After saying this, Wu Zhen ignored Gui Bu Gui and the others and left. The few people behind Gui Bu Gui stayed where they were, looking around in fear and not daring to move. Only the old man, once Wu Zhen was out of sight, slipped away unnoticed and walked down the left corridor.

Since entering the Prefectural Office, Gui Bu Gui had not noticed anything unusual except for the thin mist. The original builder of the Prefectural Office was a master, and the yin and yang energies were well-balanced, showing no signs of evil. However, the mist puzzled Gui Bu Gui. When it touched his skin, it caused a slight tingling sensation, but nothing more. He vaguely remembered reading about such a mist in a book long ago, but with so many books he had read, he could not recall the source.

The mist became thicker as he walked forward. After a short while, it began to take on a more solid form. Uncertain of what lay ahead, Gui Bu Gui hesitated about whether to continue. Suddenly, a voice came from a corner, "Oh, you still dare to go forward. I thought your courage had been eaten by a dog, but it seems you still have some left."

When the voice suddenly sounded, Gui Bu Gui turned, ready to run. But upon recognizing the sarcastic tone, he stopped. He sighed heavily and turned back, giving a bitter smile to the corner, "Couldn't you have shown yourself earlier? If something had really happened on the way, I wouldn't have been able to handle it."

Wu Mian emerged from the corner, ignoring Gui Bu Gui's complaint. He looked around and then said to the old man, "Have you noticed anything?"

Gui Bu Gui shook his head and said, "Apart from the mist, there are no signs of evil. Even the mist doesn't seem to be of that nature." He sighed again, paused, and continued, "Just wandering around isn't going to help. Let's explore the area. Where is the location of the old man's map?"

Wu Mian glanced at Gui Bu Gui and said, "The map only points to a location behind the residence. Given the style of your Great Master, would he have clearly marked the location of the map?" He paused, took a deep breath, and said with some frustration, "He has never clearly marked the map before..."

After saying this, the old and young man sighed in unison and continued towards the back of the residence, where the mist was thicker. They circled the back of the residence several times but found nothing unusual. Just as they were about to return to the front hall to ask some of the old residents about recent ghostly activities, two people emerged from the western wing. Their sleepy eyes indicated they had just woken up and were heading to the front hall for breakfast.

Despite his age, Gui Bu Gui had no qualms about lowering himself. He approached them with a smile and quickly struck up a conversation. The taller one was named Gao Renyi, and the shorter one was named Su Qiu. Su Qiu was originally a prisoner in the jail of Liaoxi Prefecture. He was brought to the Prefectural Office just two days before his release. His luck was good, and he had not been chosen for the offering in nearly a month.

Gao Renyi's luck was even better. He was one of the few old residents of the Prefectural Office, besides the steward Wu Zhen. He had originally been a stable hand, taking care of the animals. His good fortune had kept him safe while others met their end. He and Wu Zhen continued to enjoy good food and drink, and Gao Renyi even had the illusion that he would never be chosen for the offering, making his life quite comfortable.