Chapter 6: Secret Conspiracies in the Dark of Night

"Magistrate Chen, this is the water demon that harmed Liu Da. I have captured it."

Inside the county office, Gu Xian gestured toward a spectral entity bound by ropes and spoke indifferently.

Magistrate Chen covered his nose and mouth with his sleeve, suppressing his discomfort as he replied, "The Immortal Master is truly highly skilled."

"This is the Spirit-Nurturing Pill promised to you."

After receiving the item and verifying it, Gu Xian prepared to leave with his senior sister, taking the water demon with them.

The magistrate suddenly spoke up, "Immortal Master Gu, how do you intend to dispose of this spirit?"

"Rest assured, Magistrate. I will ensure it never harms anyone again."

The man nodded with satisfaction. "Immortal Masters, it is getting late. Why not rest here at the county office for the night and continue your search for the other demons tomorrow morning?"

After a moment of consideration, Gu Xian nodded and agreed.

—

That night, in the back courtyard of the county office.

Gu Xian took out a talisman, folded it into a paper crane, and infused it with spiritual energy. The paper crane slowly began to manifest a trace of vitality. A moment later, it moved on its own and soon flew out of the room.

Elsewhere, inside the magistrate's study.

The imposing Magistrate sat in a chair, cradling a cup of hot tea. Beside him stood a sharp-featured, rat-faced clerk holding a folding fan.

Magistrate Chen said in a low voice, "With that man surnamed Lu ruining our plans, those two people who died at the estate outside the city will surely be discovered. Once this matter leaks, let alone my official hat, even my head may not remain on my shoulders."

"Tell me, what should we do now?"

The clerk spoke with confidence, "My Lord, that man surnamed Gu is only at the Fetal Breath stage. Judging by his age, he hasn't been cultivating for long. He likely only uses a few unorthodox tricks to travel the world. As for that woman surnamed Liu, she hasn't made a move, so she shouldn't be anyone formidable."

"We have some capable men under our command, and with that Lord himself intervening, if we all surround them, we can ensure they never speak again."

"In this way, the county office will be entirely our own people, and this matter will never be leaked. You, my Lord, can naturally rest easy."

The magistrate's eyes narrowed as he looked at the clerk and asked in a deep voice, "What are the odds?"

"At least eighty percent."

Magistrate Chen shook his head. "Not enough. Gu Xian is a disciple of a sect, unlike those wandering cultivators. I fear he may still have hidden cards up his sleeve."

The clerk smiled. "My Lord, there is no need for that. Wuwang Mountain is merely a declining third-rate sect. At best, they have some small reputation within our Ling Prefecture; outside, they are of no consequence."

The magistrate continued to shake his head. "We must be cautious."

The clerk sighed, pondered for a moment, and said, "Lady Qingzhu of North Mountain is free recently. Why not include her as well?"

The magistrate made his decision. "It is settled."

As they spoke, the two exchanged a smile, as if they could already see Gu Xian's corpse lying before them. Little did they know that while they were conspiring, a paper crane outside the window was recording everything they said.

On the other side, Gu Xian held the paper crane in his hand, already aware of their plot.

He whispered to himself, "I was not wrong; the waters of Nanyang City are indeed very deep."

—

Liu Suiyi, standing beside him, glanced at him, looking somewhat confused. She had spent the last few days with her junior brother and had not noticed anything wrong with Magistrate Chen.

She tapped her head in frustration. "I am truly slow-witted."

"Do not say that, Senior Sister," Gu Xian said softly. "You are going to be my key move."

He beckoned her to lean in and whispered a few words into the young woman's ear.

Upon hearing this, Liu Suiyi was stunned, then looked at Gu Xian with admiration and gave him a thumbs-up.

"Tsk tsk, Junior Brother Gu, as expected of you."

Gu Xian smiled slightly. Seeing that the paper crane still retained quite a bit of spiritual energy, he immediately wrote a letter and had the crane deliver it back to their sect.

It was not to ask for reinforcements, but simply to report his recent findings to his master and suggest that if he had the time, he should visit Nanyang City, as he had discovered a promising candidate for cultivation.

Afterward, Liu Suiyi returned to her room.

Gu Xian turned his gaze toward a corner of the room and revealed an innocent smile. There, a gruesome, disheveled water demon was floating.

This creature was guilty of many sins, and Gu Xian naturally would not spare it. Keeping it alive now was simply to ensure its death would have more value.

Under that gaze, even as a spirit, the water demon felt a tremor in its heart.

A moment later, Gu Xian said quietly, "Do you want to become stronger?"

The water demon swallowed hard. It hesitated, afraid to nod, as it felt the man's gaze was incredibly chilling. It trembled and asked, "Can I choose not to?"

Gu Xian’s lips curled into a dangerous smile. "What do you think?"

—

Early the next morning.

Gu Xian got up and went out. The two bailiffs from yesterday were already waiting at the door.

After his senior sister rose, he looked at the two bailiffs and asked indifferently, "Where are we going today?"

The lean bailiff quickly replied, "The Qi residence in the south of the city."

Half an hour later, they arrived at a grand mansion in the south of the city. A plaque above the gate was inscribed with the characters "Qi Residence."

After they knocked, an elderly man who looked like a steward opened the door. Upon seeing Gu Xian, he looked enthusiastic. "Are you the Immortal Masters Gu and Lu introduced by the Magistrate?"

"That is us."

"Truly the Immortal Masters. Please, come in."

The steward led them through corridors and courtyards, eventually arriving at a small courtyard at the back.

Upon entering, Gu Xian and his senior sister exchanged a glance, both slightly frowning, their eyes revealing a trace of surprise. The Yin energy in this residence was quite heavy.

The steward suddenly turned and said to Gu Xian and Liu Suiyi, "Two Immortal Masters, please follow me." He then turned to the two bailiffs and said, "I must trouble you two to wait here for a moment."

They pushed open the door to the room on the right.

The first thing they saw was a screen. Walking further in, there was a vanity table with a bronze mirror, rouge boxes, combs, and other items.

On the other side was a bed made of purple sandalwood, with curtains hanging on all four sides. Through the light silk curtains, one could vaguely see a dignified young lady lying inside.

The closer they got to her, the heavier the Yin energy Gu Xian felt. There was also a maidservant attending to her.

The steward asked, "How is the young lady today?"

The maidservant looked grim. "The same as before."

Just then, the woman on the bed suddenly sat up, her eyes vacant and her expression filled with madness. She pointed her slender finger in a certain direction and began to shout loudly.

"Master Xu has come! He is there! He is there, and he is about to take me away!"

"Ah, Master Xu, why are you leaving? Do you not want Qian'er anymore?"

"Master Xu, Master Xu, do not go!"

...

As she spoke, the young lady of the Qi family suddenly jumped off the bed, shoved past the steward and the maid, and rushed outside regardless of everything.

Senior Sister Liu took a step forward, pressed her fingers together, and tapped lightly on the young lady's forehead. The young lady collapsed to the floor. The maidservant then helped her back onto the bed.

The steward said with lingering fear, "Fortunately, the Immortal Master intervened in time, otherwise we truly would not have been able to stop the young lady today."

Gu Xian looked at the woman on the bed. "How long has she been like this?"

Just then, hurried footsteps came from outside the door, and an elderly couple walked in. They were dressed in luxurious clothing but looked haggard. They were clearly the parents of the Qi young lady.

As expected, as soon as the Master of the Qi family entered, he looked at Gu Xian and the others, pleading, "Immortal Masters, as long as you can save my daughter, I will spare no expense to provide a generous reward."

On the other side, the Mistress of the Qi family was already lying by the bedside, tears streaming down her face. "My daughter, my poor daughter."

Hearing this, Gu Xian nodded slightly to the Master of the Qi family. "That is easily done."

Capturing one evil spirit and receiving two rewards—one from the county office and one from the Qi residence—was a delightful prospect.

Gu Xian continued, "Has the young lady of the Qi family been out recently?"

The Master of the Qi family thought for a moment. "My daughter has always been obedient. She never leaves the house and usually stays in her room doing needlework."

Just then, the Mistress of the Qi family suddenly spoke.

"Master, have you forgotten? Qian'er went to offer incense at the White Cloud Temple outside the city a few days ago."