Chapter 41: The Desolate God!

"Why has it become so cold?"

Inside the temple, everyone huddled by the fire woke up halfway through the night, suddenly struck by a piercing, eerie chill. Even though there were people keeping watch over the fire and everyone was covered in thick quilts, they simply could not get warm. Even the accompanying bailiffs felt their hands and feet turning numb with cold.

The elderly, the weak, and the women of the Zhang family were shivering uncontrollably beneath their blankets.

"Mother, get up. Eat this."

"What is this?" the old matriarch asked, her voice trembling as she looked at what Zhang Rui had brought over. She was filled with confusion.

Was that red thing, looking like a ruby, meant to be eaten?

"It’s a trinket that Old Man Zeng picked up in the capital years ago. It promotes blood circulation and warms the stomach. Mother, eat one first; it’s very effective against the bitter cold."

"That Old Man Zeng you brought back?" Madam Huang frowned slightly. Zhang Rui had brought two strange people with him this time: an old man and a young girl. The girl was fair and cute; although she didn’t talk much, she had become quite popular in the Zhang household, and the younger sister loved to follow her around. The old man, however, seemed inexplicably sleazy. He always felt like a rat—shifty-eyed and untrustworthy.

"Don't worry, Mother. I’ve tried these myself, and there’s no problem. The doctor said they are excellent supplements. You take one first, and I’ll give one to Father and my little sister as well."

Hearing this, Madam Huang popped the red bead into her mouth. As soon as it touched her tongue, it melted away. A pungent, fishy smell almost made her gag, but the moment it slid down her throat, a wave of warmth instantly dispelled the chill in her body. She felt a comfortable, glowing warmth spread through her limbs.

"Mother, how is it?" Zhang Rui asked.

"Good, very good..." The old matriarch nodded. "Hurry and give one to your father and the others. Goodness, this weather... it’s cold enough to kill someone."

Zhang Rui nodded. What he was feeding his family was the refined essence he had collected in the Painting Market. This substance was extremely yang-oriented and, as he had expected, was highly effective against external malevolent forces.

Ever since he sensed that the man surnamed Yang was "off," he hadn't dared to sleep. Ever since that man returned, the temple—which had been warm—grew colder and colder. The fire had been burning steadily, and the wind and snow outside couldn't have worsened, so it was highly likely that the man surnamed Yang had done something.

"Brother, what is this? Why didn't you bring it out sooner?" Zhang Meng felt warm all over after eating it and beamed with delight.

"There isn't much of this stuff. I originally intended to save it for an emergency," Zhang Rui said, lowering his voice.

He wasn't lying. With such heavy snow, the whole family was traveling to the capital; if they had been forced to camp out in the wilderness, these essences would have been used to save lives. He hadn't expected to be forced to use them here.

"What about Little Yun-Yun?" the fourth sister asked curiously.

She had planned to cuddle the cute little girl to sleep, but when she touched her, the girl felt as cold as an ice cube, so she abandoned the idea. She thought that if her older brother had brought this out earlier, he could have given one to Little Yun-Yun; she didn't want such a small child to catch a cold.

"She went out to relieve herself. She’s with Old Man Zeng, so she’ll be fine." Zhang Rui looked outside, his eyes deep and unreadable.

Murong Yunji had been out for a long time. The man surnamed Yang had long since returned, but she had not. Could there be something out there capable of threatening her? If so, that was truly terrifying.

"You all go back to sleep. We have to be on our way early tomorrow morning."

***

"Oh..." The younger sister nodded obediently. Feeling warm and cozy in her quilt, she soon grew drowsy. The family quickly drifted off to sleep, but Zhang Rui dared not close his eyes. He sat upright, waiting as the time ticked by. Murong Yunji still had not appeared, and his heart sank to the bottom of his chest.

Fortunately, no further abnormalities occurred throughout the night. As the sky lightened outside, the temperature in the temple began to rise, and the unsettling chill gradually faded.

"Goodness, this weather is truly cursed. Old Du, did you manage to sleep last night?"

The voice came from the bailiffs sitting closest to the door. The speaker was a large man with a thick beard named Lin Bao. He was the head of the bailiffs sent by the Youzhou provincial government to protect them, arranged by the Yuichi family. He came from one of the clans affiliated with the Yuichis and served as a centurion in the Youzhou army. It was said that he had served as a scout in the military; not only was he highly skilled in martial arts, but he was also adept at tracking and vigilance. With him leading the way, there shouldn't have been any mishaps.

The man called Old Du shook his head wearily. "The weather last night wasn't normal. I had to circulate my inner energy just to keep my blood flowing; if I had just slept like that, my body wouldn't have held up. Look at those drivers—their lips are frozen blue."

Several drivers rose, feeling weak and listless, their lips dark and their complexions terrifyingly pale. The bailiffs were slightly better off but still looked sluggish. The two centurions, however, were curious: in such freezing weather, how had the Zhang family managed to sleep so soundly?

"Did you sleep well last night?" Zhang Rui walked over.

The two centurions stood up and returned the greeting. "Sir, how about you?"

"It was... passable," Zhang Rui replied indifferently.

The two men probed carefully and discovered that this official, Magistrate Zhang, had a rosy complexion and looked perfectly fine. Not only was he fine, but the people of the Zhang family behind him also looked quite healthy. They were secretly astonished.

After the North Sea incident, the Yuichi family had mobilized their resources to investigate this magistrate thoroughly. Every piece of intelligence suggested that this man named Zhang was a common farm boy. His genealogy went back five generations, all of whom were tillers of the earth. He didn't seem to have any connection to the reclusive families the Yuichis imagined.

Sending them to protect the Zhang family was mostly a test. Based on their observations along the way, this magistrate was exceptionally filial, and his family’s daily behavior was perfectly normal. It seemed they weren't faking it. Perhaps the higher-ups were wrong?

But looking at them now, this family was indeed abnormal. The two of them, both Fourth-Rank martial artists, hadn't been able to sleep because of the cold, yet the entire Zhang family had slept soundly and looked even better for it. Compared to the others, the difference was like night and day.

"What's wrong with you all?" Zhang Rui noticed the extreme weakness of the drivers.

"Master... we don't know either. We feel like we've caught a cold; we have no strength in our bodies."

"Did you sleep last night?" Zhang Rui asked, narrowing his eyes.

"We did..." the two drivers belonging to the Zhang family nodded quickly. "We fell asleep as soon as night fell, but it felt like such a heavy, deep slumber. We almost couldn't get up just now."

Zhang Rui felt a surge of secret relief that he had fed his family the refined essence. Otherwise, they might have ended up in this wretched state. His other servants, his second brother Zhang Yu, his sister-in-law Mei Er, and his wife Madam Luo were still in Fuchuan County. He had expected them to come after settling the family business, but it seemed that once he left today, he would have to send a letter telling them to stay as far away from this route as possible. Or perhaps he should just wait until the third month, when the river ice thawed, and take the waterway instead.

"Everyone, pack up and prepare to leave. We should try to reach the post station early today."

"Understood!" Lin Bao stretched his limbs, his body popping and cracking. He had been eager to leave this wretched place; he had felt something was wrong all night long.

"Go check on those scholars over there. It was cold last night; see if any of them have caught a chill."

"You are quite magnanimous, sir," Lin Bao chuckled. He had seen how those scholars had snubbed Zhang Rui yesterday; he hadn't expected the magistrate to be so broad-minded.

Zhang Rui smiled without a word, looking outside. The sky had brightened, and the wind and snow seemed to have eased, but Murong Yunji had still not returned, which left him feeling deeply uneasy.

Neither the Painting Market nor the North Sea crisis had been able to trap her. What in the world was in this godforsaken place?

***

"Brother Lin? Brother Lin?"

Suddenly, a cry of alarm rang out—evidently from the group of scholars. Zhang Rui’s expression tightened. He signaled to the other two bailiffs, who understood and hurried over. Zhang Rui slowly retreated toward his family, his hand reaching for the fountain pen at his side.

"What’s going on?" Lin Bao walked over and saw that the scholars looked even worse than the drivers. In particular, the one who couldn't wake up—he remembered his name was Lin Ye—had black lips and a pale, deathly complexion. Most importantly, fine white fur was growing on his body! He looked like a corpse that had been dead for at least half a month!

Lin Bao gasped, subconsciously taking a step back.

"What did you people do yesterday?"

***

Outside the gates of the Yuzhang Academy, the students were cleaning up together. This was the tradition of the academy: a gentleman should not be lazy or ignorant of the harvest. The masters often led the way in spring plowing, and the academy’s year-end cleaning was also a collective effort by students and teachers.

Suddenly, a group of armored guards surrounded an old man in black official robes and stormed into the academy. The page at the gate didn't even have time to announce them.

"May I ask what brings the Commissioner of Education here?"

The person who came out to greet them was the vice-principal, Zhao Changqing, who was over forty. He frowned at the sight of the group.

The Commissioner of Education, like the Nine Ministers, could only be served by sorcerers. Though called an educational overseer, they were actually responsible for local supernatural incidents. Their authority was immense—even greater than that of a regional governor. In emergencies, they could directly mobilize the military, and all local martial officials of the Third Rank or below were required to cooperate.

Yuzhang Academy held a very high status; many sorcerer clans in the north sent their children there to study literature. After all, no matter how powerful a clan was, one had to pass the imperial examinations to serve in the government. No official, no matter how powerful, would dare to trouble the academy without cause. This formation meant a supernatural event had surely occurred!

"Greetings, Vice-Principal Zhao..." The lead Commissioner bowed hurriedly. "I have received news that members of the Ghost Cult are hiding within the academy. I ask for your cooperation."

"The Ghost Cult? How is that possible!" Zhao Changqing’s face turned pale with shock. That name was terrifying. In the north, no one had heard of such things for two hundred years. He had only read about how tragic the Ghost Cult incidents were in the chronicles of Yunzhou.

"Principal, there is no need to be overly alarmed. It is only some remnants," the Commissioner said with a grave expression, scanning the surroundings. "I must ask you to summon all the students who have enrolled in the past year!"

***

"Senior... you... you... did you see that?"

Outside the temple, Old Man Zeng, who had followed Murong Yunji out to investigate, was trembling, pointing forward as if he had seen a ghost.

"Shut up. I’m not blind," Murong Yunji replied coldly.

"This is trouble..." She looked at the temple that had completely vanished before them. The massive temple had simply ceased to exist right before their eyes the moment that scholar surnamed Yang walked back inside. If she had known, she would have followed him in. The little magistrate was likely in grave danger now.

"Senior... what... what is going on?" Old Man Zeng asked cautiously.

"A Desolate God..." Even Murong Yunji showed a rare trace of gravity. "I haven't seen one in many, many years..."