Chapter 5

Half a month later.

At the edge of Yuanning City's gate, a disheveled figure gradually approached, it was Qiu Yan, who had just come down from the mountain.

He walked toward the city gate, but before he could reach it, he was stopped by the guards.

"Stop!" The guard, holding a long stick, shouted, "Refugees who have encountered bandits are not allowed to enter the city. Go to the refugee tents in the south and register your name; you can get a bowl of porridge."

"Refugees who have encountered bandits?" Qiu Yan was taken aback, a look of contemplation flashed in his eyes as he straightened up and bowed, "Sir, I am a student returning from a trip. On the way, I was robbed by bandits, and all my belongings were taken. I managed to return after much hardship."

"A student returning from a trip?" The guard was surprised, "Not from the southern village?"

At the mention of "southern village," Qiu Yan narrowed his eyes slightly and shook his head, "No."

The guard sized him up from head to toe. Although Qiu Yan was dressed in tattered clothes and covered in dust, a closer look revealed clear eyes and a tall, straight posture, so the guard believed him to some extent but still asked according to procedure, "Do you have any proof?"

"Yes," Qiu Yan nodded, "My uncle is a steward in the Pan family's household. If you send someone to ask, they will know."

"A steward in the Pan family?" The guard inhaled sharply, then said with a gentle expression, "Since it's the Pan family, it must be true. I'll send someone to escort you." He turned his head and called out, and a man came over, listened to the guard's instructions, and then led Qiu Yan into the city.

As he entered the city, the blue robe Qiu Yan was holding trembled slightly, and a look of surprise flashed across his face.

The guide was a ruffian from the city, skilled at reading people's expressions. He chatted and laughed all the way, treating Qiu Yan like an old friend. They soon arrived at a large mansion.

High walls and a large courtyard, with a red-painted gate and a sign hanging above it, bearing two large characters —

Pan Mansion.

"We've arrived. Please call out the steward, so I can report back," the guide said.

Qiu Yan nodded. He knew this man was an informant. The guard, bound by duty, could not leave his post, so he sent someone to escort Qiu Yan, ostensibly as a guard but actually to monitor him and prevent any deceit.

At that moment, a voice came from the side of the road. Qiu Yan's face lit up with joy, and he turned to say, "Cousin, what a coincidence, I just ran into you."

A man of about thirty, wearing a straight robe and slightly hunched, with a respectful expression, was talking to a boy of about fifteen or sixteen.

Hearing Qiu Yan's words, the man had not yet responded, but the boy, seeing the two people blocking the entrance, frowned and said with displeasure, "Who are you? Blocking the entrance to my house?" He glanced at Qiu Yan, his face showing disgust, "Go beg somewhere else! Blocking here, you'll dirty the steps, watch out for your dog legs!"

"This boy, what arrogance!"

Qiu Yan's eyelids twitched. The other party's condescending tone made him quite unhappy. In both his past and present life, he had rarely been scolded to his face. However, thinking about his current appearance, his mood gradually calmed.

"This boy, though young, has a domineering air, probably due to being spoiled."

The guide, Wang Qiao'er, bowed and said with a smile, "Young Master Pan, I am Wang Qiao'er, greeting you. I am here to escort this young man, who says he is related to the steward in your household..."

"Which steward?" Young Master Pan's expression softened slightly as he saw Wang Qiao'er bow, then he looked at Qiu Yan again, "There are so many stewards in the household..."

At this moment, the man beside him stepped forward and asked uncertainly, "Could it be Cousin Qiu Yan?"

As soon as these words were spoken, Wang Qiao'er's eyes darted, and he remembered the name.

Young Master Pan turned his head and glanced at him, "Liu Yue, do you know this person?"

Liu Yue, the man, carefully examined Qiu Yan, and the more he looked, the more he recognized him. Just as he was about to speak, Qiu Yan stepped forward to greet him.

"Is he really your relative? How did he end up like this?" Young Master Pan's expression grew even more displeased. He waved his hand, "Alright, take him back to your house quickly. Don't block here, or it will tarnish the reputation of the Pan family!"

"Yes! Yes! We'll go, we'll go. I hope Young Master doesn't mind. My cousin has had some family troubles recently..." He was about to explain, but Young Master Pan had no interest in listening and urged Liu Yue to take him away.

Although Liu Yue was not a slave of the Pan family, he was a long-term worker, and his father also worked in the household. His family depended on the Pan family, so he dared not disobey and led Qiu Yan away meekly.

Wang Qiao'er, seeing this, greeted Young Master Pan again and then left.

He walked quickly and returned to the city gate in about half the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. The guard saw him and smiled, "From your appearance, the boy didn't lie, but to be safe, we still need to report his name and check his household registration to know his recent movements."

Beside him, a gray-clad clerk held a paper and pen.

"Sir Li is right, but the boy is slippery. I tried to get him to reveal his name on the way, but he didn't. Fortunately, I found a loophole at the end..."

"Enough talk," Sir Li interrupted, "Just give me the name."

"Yes, the person is called... called... ugh..." Wang Qiao'er, who had been smiling, opened his mouth but couldn't say the name, finally looking distressed and trying to remember.

"What's wrong? What's his name?" Sir Li, the guard, became impatient.

"This..." Wang Qiao'er laughed bitterly, "I forgot!"

"Forgot in just a moment? Useless!" Sir Li raised his hand and slapped Wang Qiao'er's face.

The clear sound echoed, and Wang Qiao'er repeatedly begged for mercy, "Sir Li, don't be angry, don't be angry!" As he spoke, he backed away. In the distance, other ruffians gathered, all called by the guards to help, and they laughed at the scene.

Wang Qiao'er took a few steps back, lowered his head, and a look of resentment appeared in his eyes.

However, no one noticed that a white light in his left ear was gradually fading.

...

"Fortunately, I had prepared in advance and sent a thread of divine power. To erase memory, with my current abilities, is impossible, but to confuse surface memory and create gaps is not difficult."

Qiu Yan was now at Liu Yue's house.

Liu Yue's house was a courtyard with one gate and three rooms, forming a single enclosed space. Qiu Yan held a small basin and washed himself in a corner. After half a month of travel, even though his physical strength had improved and he felt no fatigue, he was still covered in dust and dirt. After washing, he felt refreshed.

After a simple wash, he changed into coarse clothes and carefully held the blue robe, which still contained his true self.

"However, this is just a temporary solution. The guards at the gate actually intercepted refugees, and it seems they are targeting the southern villages. If my guess is correct, it's likely that..."

After tidying up, Qiu Yan's aunt and sister-in-law had already prepared a simple meal and called him to sit down.

"The current plan is to first enhance my strength and then investigate the roots of the Tongshan King. To enhance my strength, besides finding the methods of cultivation mentioned by the crow demon, the simplest way is through the divine path."

While eating, Qiu Yan's gaze fell on the blue robe on the table.

"The divine path seems mysterious, but after being a mountain god for decades, I have some insights. What I lack is the power of incense and wishes. I can't return to Mianyuan Mountain for now, and even if I could, the dilapidated position of the mountain god would not accumulate much divine power, barely enough to protect myself, let alone enhance my strength. I must find a way to open a new situation. When I entered the city, I clearly felt..."

Qiu Yan was deep in thought when he suddenly heard hurried footsteps outside the door.

"Yan, you really came back? Thank heaven..."

The voice came, and a man over fifty entered the room.

The man was wearing a dark blue robe, the hem slightly turned up, probably because he had walked quickly.

As soon as he entered, he saw Qiu Yan eating and rushed over.

Qiu Yan stood up, about to bow, but before he could steady himself, the man was already in front of him, patting his shoulder hard. He examined Qiu Yan carefully and nodded repeatedly, "It's really you, Yan, it's really you!"

"Father, I told you, my cousin is fine..." Liu Yue, outside the door, stepped in, complaining.

"You can stay calm?" The old man turned to scold him, "I heard that bandits invaded the border, and several villages in the south were massacred. I thought Yan had also fallen victim to the bandits. Now that he has returned safely, how can I stay calm?"

This old man was Qiu Yan's uncle, Liu Huai.

On the other side, Qiu Yan also caught a crucial piece of information from the old man's words —

"Bandits invaded the border? Clearly, it was demons who massacred the villages and ate the people. Why is it now described as bandits invading the border? Where did these bandits come from?"