Chapter 43: Affairs in Jinjiang County Settled

Zeng Zhiming swallowed hard, forcing his terror down into his belly. He tried to feign composure, but his words came out faltering and broken.
"Innocent... innocent have their heads, debts their masters. As for killing demons and slaying evil, I haven't taken part in a single affair—it's all Cai Wei's doing. If there's trouble, go find him... ah, don't hit... don't hit me."

He hadn't finished speaking when a woman rushed out from the main hall, raining blows on the fat magistrate, sending him scurrying for cover, clutching his head.
"If there's trouble, come to us, but do not harm my son!"

This woman was none other than Zeng Zhiming's sister, mother to Cai Wei, the scar-faced constable.

Wu Deyi grinned slyly, and the venomous creatures scattered off him onto the floor.
"No rush; everyone gets their share."

With a great demon wreaking havoc in the east, and the surrounding counties' constabulary forces drawn away, the interior was left vulnerable. Wu Deyi, who had hidden within the county for years, had planned to spread his venomous insects, gradually evolving them, and eventually nurturing an unparalleled centipede king, radiating out from Jinjiang County to the neighboring regions.

But unexpectedly, some "unexpected heroes" disrupted his schemes, ruining everything.
When the gods descended, had he not sensed danger and feigned death by hiding in the well, and had the divine spirit not been merely a fragment of consciousness, he too would have been wiped out like the other insects.

After the fire deity departed, he crawled from the deep well, using the household's servants and kin to cultivate fresh venomous insects, then stormed out to confront Zeng Zhiwei.
Now, while order was still unsettled, if he could parasitize the magistrate and leverage his own status as assistant magistrate, then once the demon hunters and priests left, he might yet continue to devour Jinjiang County—so long as the eastern demon remained alive, time was still on his side.

"What are you all doing? Stop him, quickly!"

Watching Wu Deyi lead his horde of venomous insects toward him, the fat magistrate Zeng Zhichang frantically commanded his constables and servants to intercept.
But the most courageous of the three squads had already been dispatched by Cai Wei, leaving only a rabble behind.
They were bullies to the townsfolk in ordinary days, but now, faced with true evil, they couldn't even hold their swords steady.
Someone loosened their grip, and a stench spread—the man had wet himself out of terror.

Clang—the long swords dropped, and the constables fell to their knees in a wave.
"Spare us, spare us..."

"You... you useless lot!"

Zeng Zhichang was utterly despairing.
But just then, footsteps sounded outside the courtyard.

The half-open gate creaked as several security guards in short jackets emblazoned with "Shunfeng Escort Agency" stormed into the manor.
At their head was a clean-faced, well-featured, lean man, holding a red-tasseled spear.
It was Yang Xian and the escort guards, stationed outside the magistrate's residence as instructed by Bai Xian.

Seeing Wu Deyi knocking on the magistrate's door alone at such a time, Yang Xian sensed trouble, so he led his men over the wall in pursuit, arriving just in time to witness the attempted parasitism.

Wasting no time, Yang Xian covered his nose and, spear in hand, swept through the crowd.
With the Six Harmonies Spear technique, he dispatched the venomous insects on the ground.
Before they parasitized, these insects were no different from ordinary centipedes—frightening to behold, but harmless unless they entered the nose or mouth.

The other guards followed his example, soon leaving the ground littered with insect corpses.

"No, no... spare my children, spare my children!"

Wu Deyi, in terror, frantically gathered the scattered insects to himself.

Yet one of the insects, either ravenous or crazed, bit Wu Deyi on the chest, leaving a blood groove the size of a fingernail.

At once, both the centipede king and Wu Deyi froze.
A faint scent of blood stirred hundreds of centipedes on his body.
They slowly raised their bodies, their compound eyes fixed on Wu Deyi.

Wu Deyi realized what was coming next.

"Eat, yes, eat me, become stronger... Ah! You traitors! I am your father—do you mean to commit patricide... Ah, help!"

The agony forced him to change his tune, but the insects, blood-frenzied, were beyond control and paid him no heed.

After a bout of writhing and struggle, Wu Deyi collapsed, motionless, while the black centipedes feasted on his flesh, his corpse visibly writhing with their movement.

The sight inspired horror in all who witnessed it.

A breeze stirred, and many insects spread their wings, intent on flying away.

But then, a graceful figure entered the courtyard.

"Wind, come!"

In an instant, strong winds gathered, pinning the venomous insects to the ground.

Bai Xian tossed the tung oil she had found along the way to Yang Xian.
He understood, pouring the oil over Wu Deyi's remains and striking a fire starter.

With a roar, the tung oil ignited.
Aided by the Wind Command Seal, a fire tornado roasted the insects.

A burnt stench spread.

Just then, a centipede king, fatter than the others, crawled from Wu Deyi's mouth, spreading its wings and rising through the flames and gale.

It was about to escape.

But Bai Xian's Dragon-Slaying Sword suddenly projected a shadow, swallowing the centipede king and its evil aura whole, then letting out a dragon's roar before returning to the sword.

Bai Xian was shocked.
The dragon spirit had acted on its own, devouring the centipede king!

If the Blue Skin Book only considered the task complete by absorbing the evil aura, how could she return to Earth?

She hurriedly opened the Blue Skin Book and saw the image on the task page gradually grow clearer.

The Blue Skin Book
Main Objective: Centipede King ×
Eliminate the target to receive a reward; complete the main objective to return to the main world for rest...

Confirming the task was accomplished, Bai Xian finally breathed easy.

By now, the tung oil had burned out, leaving only charred insect carcasses and Wu Deyi's remains.

His flesh was eaten clean, only bones remained.

Yang Xian, stunned, used his spear tip to prod the remains, discovering an ancient book.

Despite being burned for so long, it was perfectly intact.

"Bai Xian, look at this."

Bai Xian took the book, reading the four characters on the cover.

Secret Manual of Venom Arts

...

All feasts must end.

The calamity of venomous insects in Jinjiang County had been resolved.

Magistrate Zeng Zhiming rewarded all participants, including Bai Xian.

Fat Daoist Zhang Xuan, who had done the most, received a thousand taels of silver.

Outside the city

At the ancient road entrance

A few people drank the last cup of fine wine.

"My friends, the times are hard. Who knows when we shall meet again?"

Yue Wenying sat astride his steed, with Yang Xian beside him, also on horseback.

Yue Wenying was heading east to witness the battle against the great demon, and Yang Xian, having resigned from the escort agency, was joining him, returning to the familiar battlefield.

"Haha, this Daoist will surely become renowned across the land. Whenever you encounter evil, you may seek me out!"

Fat Daoist Zhang Xuan, his eyebrows and hair burned away by his spells, now looked less a Daoist and more a living Maitreya.

Beside him were He Shan and Mei’er from Spring Breeze Pavilion.

After the rewards, He Shan received a handsome sum from the constabulary, immediately used it to redeem Yang Mei, and married her in front of everyone.

Yet he still had half a centipede king left inside him.

Zhang Xuan was taking the couple to Maoshan, seeking his sect's aid in extracting the insect.

As for Cai Wei—

He had initially wanted to join Yue Wenying on his travels.

But his mother's thunderous wailing kept him in Jinjiang, and now he trailed behind the group, looking sullen.

Yue Wenying laughed, "Cai Wei, one should not travel far while one's parents live. In truth, I envy you..."

The others nodded in agreement.

The tree longs for stillness, but the wind will not cease; the child wishes to care for his parents, but they are not to be found.

In these tumultuous times, how many can truly honor their filial duty?

Cai Wei clasped his hands and smiled bitterly, "Brother Yue, please do not mock me."

As for Miss Bai Xian—

"Where is Bai Xian?"

The group suddenly noticed that she, who had been at the rear, was nowhere to be seen.

(End of Volume One)