Chapter 83: Malevolent Energy and Secret Spies

After distributing the talisman charms, the tall-hatted paper figure mounted its paper bird and soared into the sky. It appeared to be patrolling and scouting overhead. The other paper figures and bean soldiers, following the tall-hatted one's departure, quickly vanished into the forested mountains.

Xu Kui, the registrar accompanying the group to Yunhua Mountain, had intended to inquire about the situation from these paper figures and bean soldiers, but found himself completely ignored. His attempts met with cold dismissal, leaving him visibly displeased. Witnessing this, the others dared not utter a word, fearing they might provoke him. Though Xu Kui was merely a registrar, he was a trusted aide of the chief clerk; to offend him meant risking trouble, for a single disparaging word in the chief clerk's ear could ruin anyone's prospects.

Moreover, the chief clerk had entrusted this mission to Xu Kui; should anyone incur his wrath, he could easily assign blame and make life difficult for the constables and local volunteers. Despite the silence, Xu Kui singled out an unfortunate soul to berate harshly. His reaction was somewhat unusual compared to his usual demeanor.

Shang Lu noticed Xu Kui's eyes were reddened, surmising that he had been affected by the baleful energy permeating the mountain, causing his inner dissatisfaction to flare uncontrollably like a wildfire. The man Xu Kui scolded was similarly influenced; murderous intent flashed in his eyes, and he gripped his weapon tightly, nearly drawing it.

Sensing impending trouble, Shang Lu hurried forward and pressed down on the man's hand. Several squad leaders noticed the anomaly and quickly surrounded the man, some restraining him, others soothing Xu Kui, successfully quelling the brewing bloodshed.

Xu Kui remained oblivious to the close call he had just escaped. Having vented his anger, he took out a map of Luoshui County from his satchel, upon which Yunhua Mountain was drawn, albeit rather crudely. He summoned the squad leaders and the heads of the local volunteers, gathered them before the map, and assigned each their respective patrol areas.

With the arrangements complete, Xu Kui looked up and irritably asked, “Got it? If you remember, move out! This damned place is unbearably hot!” The group clasped their hands in salute and responded in unison.

The patrol area assigned to the constable squad was some distance away, requiring a trek along mountain paths. Although Chief Niu was dissatisfied with the arrangement, he dared not complain in Xu Kui’s presence. Yet, after leading his squad away, perhaps due to the influence of the baleful energy, his irritation grew, and he grumbled as he walked.

Shang Lu offered a few words of comfort, reminding Chief Niu to guard his mood and not let the oppressive heat worsen his temper. Then, he cautioned the squad members to remain vigilant and not become complacent simply because they possessed talisman charms.

“If you’re careless and fail to spot lurking demons or enemy agents, and are ambushed, even with a talisman in hand, you may not have time to use it,” Shang Lu warned.

His words sobered the group. Indeed, many had relaxed too much after seeing the paper figures, bean soldiers, and receiving talismans, losing their guard.

Now, upon reflection, having a talisman did not guarantee safety. What if there was no time to use it? What if, after using it, reinforcements were slow to arrive? The constables shuddered at the thought, straightened themselves, and resumed their vigilance.

Shang Lu sent out scouts to keep watch as they advanced, ensuring they would not be ambushed by demons or enemy agents on the way to their designated area.

The mountain path was arduous; even with cultivation, it took the constables considerable time to reach their assigned sector. Fortunately, the journey was uneventful, and they encountered no intruding demons or enemy agents.

On the way, Chief Niu conferred with Shang Lu, dividing the squad into several smaller teams. Each team, led by an official constable, was tasked with patrolling a specific area. Shang Lu and Chief Niu each led a team as well, responsible not only for routine patrols but also for responding to distress signals from other constables.

Because the arrangements were settled en route, upon arrival, the constables dispersed to their respective areas and began their patrols.

Shang Lu’s team consisted of familiar faces who had recently hunted the rat demon with him. He had specifically requested this, as he and Constable Liu had developed a certain rapport.

Soon, Shang Lu and his group reached their assigned area. After a round of patrol, they found nothing amiss.

Constable Liu and the others began to relax, though the proximity to the strange mist in the mountains meant the baleful energy was stronger here. At first, they could barely restrain their irritability, but as time passed, it intensified. Not only the junior constables, but even Constable Liu began cursing—at the demons, the enemy agents, and even the sorcerer-officials. They complained that if not for being summoned, they wouldn’t have to endure the stifling heat, climbing mountains and suffering.

Seeing tempers flare, Shang Lu realized trouble was brewing. Passing a mountain stream, he ordered, “Enough. Cut the complaints. There’s a stream here—wash your faces, cool off, and take a break.”

Though the mountains were stifling, the stream was refreshingly cold. The group used the coolness to suppress their agitation, but it was only a temporary fix. As long as they remained in the mountains, the irritability would continue to intensify, eventually leading to an outburst.

Shang Lu was well aware of this, so he frowned, pondering a solution.

Before he could devise one, a faint noise caught his ear. He spun around and flung a dagger, lightning-fast, toward a thicket a dozen meters away.

He avoided using the snake scale, not wanting to reveal he had entered the strange mist before. Who could say whether there weren’t paper figures or bean soldiers lurking, watching and patrolling.

Bean soldiers were manageable, but paper figures were nimble and silent; even with his greatly enhanced hearing, Shang Lu would struggle to detect them.

But at this moment, he was certain that whoever hid in the thicket was neither paper figure nor bean soldier.

The dagger struck, producing a metallic clang.

Immediately, a man dressed as a woodcutter, axe in hand, emerged from the woods.

“So, the constables of Ba State have some skill, able to spot me,” he sneered, alone yet unafraid of Shang Lu’s group. “I had intended to let you live, but you bring death upon yourselves—don’t blame me!”

“Enemy agent! He’s an enemy agent from another state!” Constable Liu and the others cried out in alarm.

Someone shouted, “Quick, use the talisman—summon the sorcerer-official to deal with him!”

Hearing this, Shang Lu cursed their stupidity inwardly. Why not just use the talisman directly, instead of announcing it and warning the enemy?

As expected, the woodcutter-disguised agent sprang into action, leaping at Shang Lu’s group like a tiger, intent on killing them before they could use the talisman.

Fortunately, when Shang Lu threw his dagger, he already had the talisman in hand. Without hesitation, he tore it apart.

A blue flame erupted from the shredded talisman, surging toward the enemy agent dressed as a woodcutter.

Strangely, though the fire blazed fiercely, it emitted no heat—cold as death, like ghostly flames!