Chapter 78: A Secret Realm for Raising Beasts? (Please add to your favorites and follow the story)

Shanglu squatted in the thatched latrine for quite a while.

Fortunately, he possessed cultivation and had cleared several meridians; otherwise, he would surely have been dizzy and numb upon standing.

When he emerged, Third Lady had already prepared a cold bath for him.

Shanglu expressed his thanks, removed his clothes, and leapt into the bathing barrel.

The clothes he took off were gathered by Third Lady to be washed and mended.

Though Shanglu had not been injured in last night’s battle, his garments were stained with blood, sweat, and dust—filthy and foul-smelling, with a few tears here and there.

Industrious as she was, Third Lady could not abide such things.

Soaking in the cold bath, Shanglu felt his entire body relax completely.

With his cultivation advancing, he had grown ever more accustomed to these icy baths; they no longer froze him to the core as when he first started, making him want to leap out at once.

Now, he could remain in the freezing water until all fatigue was washed away.

When he finally climbed out of the barrel, he felt completely rejuvenated—both body and mind at ease.

The restorative power of the cold bath surpassed even a blissful night’s sleep.

While he bathed, Third Lady had readied a fresh set of clothes for him, placing them on a stool beside the barrel.

It was another set of black constable’s attire.

Beneath the stool lay his mended snakeskin shoes.

These shoes were remarkably sturdy—even after being bitten by a rat demon and jabbed by paper men, they remained unscathed.

Only the fabric covering the snakeskin and scales had been torn in places.

Thankfully, Third Lady’s skillful hands had sewn the uppers back together so seamlessly that even careful scrutiny would reveal no trace of repair.

Shanglu donned his clothes and shoes, lavishing her with praise.

Next, estimating that there was still time before his shift, he decided to return to Shuanggui Village to check on his parents.

Last night, while spectral disturbances had plagued Luoshui County’s city, it was hard to say whether the outlying villages had been spared any trouble with demons or ghosts.

Though Third Lady had long since set up “maps” and “teleportation points” in the temple of Shuanggui Village, enabling her to sense and rush over at once should anything befall his parents, Shanglu could not rest easy without seeing them himself.

Moreover, he wished to observe the state of Yunhua Mountain, to prepare for another venture into the strange mists in search of prey.

When Shanglu mentioned this to Third Lady, not only did she not object, but she immediately slipped into the oil-paper umbrella, so that he could take her along.

As soon as the couple left the house, the courtyard’s light dimmed.

From the old locust tree, vines dangled down like tentacles, gathering up the unfinished laundry that Third Lady had left behind, and began scrubbing them against the washboard with a splash.

After passing through several checkpoints, Shanglu finally left the county town.

The official road was deserted, so he used the Bird Flight technique, speeding at full tilt toward Shuanggui Village.

Upon arrival, he found the village safe and peaceful; the villagers were completely unaware of the chaos that had occurred in Luoshui the previous night.

Returning home, Shanglu was relieved to see his parents, Shang Mingqiu and Wu Guizhi, safe and sound.

The couple was delighted to see their son, but Shanglu did not linger; after a brief chat, he excused himself, saying he had duties in other villages, and took his leave.

His parents, suspecting nothing, merely reminded him not to focus solely on work, to look after his health, and to bring Third Lady home during rest days.

Shanglu agreed readily.

Before leaving Shuanggui Village, he made his way to the temple beneath the twin osmanthus trees at the village entrance, offering incense with the utmost respect.

He prayed that the “Old Master Spirit” would continue to protect Shuanggui Village and keep the teleportation gate open for Third Lady.

Departing the village, Shanglu once again raced full speed to the foot of Yunhua Mountain.

From afar, the mountain mists appeared even denser than a few days before.

Moreover, the mist seemed to be expanding more rapidly, covering a wider area than Shanglu had previously estimated.

Not only that, but there was now a layer of thunderclouds atop the mountain, from which thunder and lightning occasionally crashed down into the strange fog.

Beyond these visible changes, Shanglu noticed that the closer he drew to the mists, the more irritable he became.

When he approached within a dozen steps of the fog, his irritability morphed into a murderous intent.

It was as if countless voices were roaring within him, urging him to find a demon, a ghost, even a human, to kill!

Fortunately, his Liver Spirit quickly stirred, extracting wisps of black-red miasma from his body, restoring his mind to clarity.

Exhaling a long breath, Shanglu surmised that this black-red miasma, which provoked anger and bloodlust, must be some kind of baleful energy.

Lately, many in Luoshui County had fallen under the sway of such miasma.

This was evident from the dramatic rise in the constables’ workload.

But today, the miasma seeping from the mountain mists was even stronger than before!

Considering the rate at which the mists were expanding and the strange thunderclouds looming overhead, Shanglu could not help but wonder if these changes were caused by the incursion of some demon or ghost.

Had a demon or ghost entered the mysterious realm within the mists, perished there, and become nourishment to help the realm “grow”?

He was unsure whether such realms could be cultivated in this manner.

But in a world filled with bizarre and uncanny phenomena, even the deliberate nurturing of mystical realms would not surprise him.

What piqued his curiosity was this: if someone truly was raising the realm, who could it be?

Was it the sorcerer-official?

Or was the sorcerer-official merely another morsel fed to the realm, explaining his long absence?

“Third Lady, do you know what’s going on?”

Shanglu lowered his head, addressing the oil-paper umbrella.

Third Lady did, in fact, know a little.

“The snake you ate is undergoing a transformation.”

“Why would the snake’s transformation cause such dramatic changes in the realm?” Shanglu pressed.

But Third Lady was unsure.

Whenever she entered the realm, it was only to cut meat for Shanglu; she paid no heed to anything else.

The more one meddles in the uncanny, the likelier trouble becomes.

Just then, Shanglu’s ears pricked up—he heard the sounds of fighting and cursing.

The noise came from within the strange mists.

The demons and ghosts that had invaded had clearly been corrupted by the miasma, becoming irritable and quick to violence; the slightest provocation sparked murderous rage.

So, when they encountered each other within the mists, fierce battles broke out instantly.

Each believed that killing the other would eliminate a rival for fortune and treasure.

Shanglu had been contemplating entering the mists himself, now that he was here, to investigate.

But upon hearing the commotion, he quickly abandoned the idea.

Better to let the demons and ghosts fight among themselves—he would return, make preparations, and then come to reap the spoils as the fisherman profiting from others’ strife.