Chapter 82: Chapter 80: A Wondrous and Bizarre Journey

In Cangling County, along the southern bank of the winding Hengshui River, an official road stretched from the southwest to the northeast, extending far into the distance.

At a bend in that road, a convoy stretching for several hundred meters emerged majestically from the edge of a city to the southwest.

On the leading Escort Flag, the name "Situong" was written in bold, fluid strokes. Below it, cloud patterns embroidered with gold thread glittered brightly in the morning sun.

Song Ciwan sat on a cargo carriage at the rear of the Situong Escort Agency’s convoy, hugging her white goose and admiring the scenery. The sight of the vast mountains, wide waters, and boundless world naturally filled her with a sense of open-mindedness and freedom.

The driver was a Female Martial Artist from the Situong Escort Agency. Master Wei had specifically arranged for Song Ciwan to sit in this carriage because the woman was, in fact, one of Master Wei’s martial nieces.

The Female Martial Artist’s name was Lan Qiuyan, and her Cultivation was at the Bone Forging Stage. She only needed to accompany the Escort Team on one or two more runs before she could officially become a Copper Medal Escort Master. By then, she would naturally no longer have to do jobs like driving a carriage.

She had a straightforward temper. While not overly warm, she was the type of person who clearly showed her likes and dislikes, which actually made her quite easy to get along with.

Master Wei had introduced her to Song Ciwan, and having shared a carriage for half a month, the two had become quite familiar with each other—

That’s right. Counting from the day they left Huailing City, Song Ciwan had been traveling with the Situong Escort Agency for over half a month.

During that half-month, the Escort Team had passed through seven cities in succession.

Some cities were close to each other, like Su Yang and Huailing, which were only a hundred li apart—a single day’s journey.

Other cities were much farther apart, often requiring two or three, or even four or five days of travel through the wilderness. In such cases, making camp in the wild required great care.

There were particular taboos at night that had to be observed.

For instance, they had to light a full nine bonfires at nightfall, and someone had to stand watch to ensure they burned all night without being extinguished.

Sometimes at night, a few mindless Gray Travel Level bizarre entities, drawn by the presence of the living, would dazedly approach the Escort Team.

At times like these, you must not make eye contact with them. You only need to guard your mind, control your emotional fluctuations, and continuously toss a plant called Fragrant Return Grass into the fire. Slowly, these Low Level bizarre entities will wander away on their own.

This was also the most effective and peaceful method for ordinary mortals to deal with Low Level bizarre entities.

Lan Qiuyan would often explain to Song Ciwan, "In the countryside, when some common folk have no choice but to travel at night, they’ll often light torches mixed with Fragrant Return Grass."

"Of course, they usually avoid traveling at night. You see those hamlets we passed? Most of them have walls built around them, and they are protected by their Ancestral Halls."

"Otherwise, they have Earth God Temples, or they worship a Mountain God. They also have to frequently visit the City God Temple in a nearby city to request Spirit Talismans to take back and enshrine."

"But if it’s one of those extremely remote, impoverished backwaters, we escorts never go to those places at all. Ah Wan, I’d advise you not to go either."

Song Ciwan nodded repeatedly as she listened. In the past half a month with the Escort Team, she felt she had her eyes opened, learned a great deal, and had what could be called a wealth of experiences.

For example, another time, the Escort Team was setting up camp at dusk.

The several hundred people were bustling about, washing up and cooking dinner. In the midst of the commotion, a pitiful-looking couple appeared on the road at the foot of a distant mountain.

The husband was blind, and the wife had a crippled leg.

The blind husband carried his crippled wife on his back while she gave him directions. The two moved as one, approaching the Escort Team with a begging bowl in hand.

The Escort Masters, lacking orders, merely watched with caution. However, a young master from the wealthy Zhang Family, who was traveling with the convoy, was moved by pity. He quickly said to his servant, "This couple may be suffering, but they are clearly full of love and loyalty. Quick, bring a basin of porridge and a basin of eggs to give to them."

He spoke so quickly that by the time the Situong Escort Agency’s Escort Masters could voice their objections, it was already too late.

The blind and crippled couple had already stepped inside the Escort Team’s protective circle. Suddenly, the wife opened her mouth, and from it shot countless long, fleshy tendrils like thin snakes, coiling toward the young master who had wanted to offer them porridge.

Fortunately, the Zhang Family was a major client of the Situong Escort Agency, and the young master was protected at all times by a Silver Medal Escort Master.

The Escort Master instantly surged with Qi Blood, drew a pair of Meteor Staffs from his waist, and batted away the incoming fleshy tendrils with a series of sharp cracks.

Then, the Escort Team engaged in a fierce battle with the uninvited guests.

Song Ciwan stood outside the circle, witnessing both the diverse fighting styles of the common Martial Artists and the bizarre and cunning nature of Demons.

That’s right. The strange couple were Demons, not bizarre entities.

There are many types of Demons. Not only can animals become Demons, but so can Artifacts, plants, and sometimes, even some inexplicably strange and peculiar things.

For example, there was the Night Watchman’s Leaking Pot that Song Ciwan had once cleansed on the Demon Refining Platform, or the Scholar’s scroll paintings and the maiden’s Copper Mirror she had heard about.

These types were all basically considered Demons formed from Artifacts.

Demons have Demonic Qi, and bizarre entities have Deceitful Qi. This is often the most fundamental way to distinguish between them.

Later, after the Escort Masters killed the crippled and blind Demon couple, the two Demons fell to the ground upon death and transformed into two sets of skeletons, tangled and bound together!

Chief Leader Kou from the Situong Escort Agency’s Su Yang Branch walked over, sighed, and said, "To think they were Demons formed from skeletons. The original owners of these two skeletons must have been deeply in love when they were alive. Dead is dead. We should give these two skeletons a proper burial."

Following his orders, the Escort Masters found a remote, empty plot of land nearby and buried the Demon couple’s remains deep in the ground.

Chief Leader Kou then personally walked to the side of the burial pit and poured a jar of Fiery Sun Wine into it. The wine made the skeletons SIZZLE and smoke, completely dispelling the scorched, foul stench of a Corpse Demon’s aura.

Only then did he have his men cover it with earth, truly laying the Demon couple to rest together.

And so, amid all sorts of unpredictable and strange encounters, the Escort Team traveled journey after journey. The snowstorms finally ceased and the sun broke through the clouds as they departed from Suiyuan City.

Suiyuan City was encircled by the Hengshui River. Another hundred li along this river was the county seat of Cangling County, Pinglan City!

At this point, relaxed smiles appeared on the faces of nearly all the Escort Masters in the Escort Team.

While driving the carriage, Lan Qiuyan also smiled and said to Song Ciwan, "Ah Wan, our Escort Team should be able to reach Pinglan before dusk today. The road from Suiyuan City to Pinglan is basically safe, so we don’t need to worry about anything anymore."

Song Ciwan smiled and nodded back. Just as she was about to reply, the convoy up ahead suddenly stopped.

Why had they stopped?

On the wide official road ahead, a "person" had appeared at some unknown time, standing with their back to the Escort Team and their hands clasped behind them.

This was no ordinary "person," but a Demon with the head of a fox and the body of a human!

This Demon stood seven chi tall, dressed in a simple, wide-sleeved Daoist robe with an apricot-yellow silk ribbon tied at its waist. He had a tall, graceful bearing, almost like an immortal.

If one were to ignore his fox head, who would ever suspect he was a Human and not a Demon?

The Fox Demon stood with his hands clasped behind his back, facing away from the crowd. His voice was gentle as he said, "Fellow travelers, I have a question that puzzles me, and I have come especially to ask for your insight."