Chapter Fifty-Three: Little East Prefecture

One and a half months later…

In a tavern in a small town in Eastern Province.

“In such a short period, you’ve experienced so much,” Bai Qiu said slowly, draining his cup in one gulp.

Shi Qi set his wine cup on the table and smiled. “Ever since I left the little island in the South Sea, I haven’t had a moment’s peace. If it’s not one thing, it’s another. My head’s about to explode.”

Beside Shi Qi, Su Xiaomu was devouring her food, polishing off everything on the table in the blink of an eye.

Bai Qiu stared at Su Xiaomu with wide eyes.

Shi Qi chuckled. “This girl has no other interests besides eating.”

Bai Qiu praised, “A good appetite is a blessing!”

“Oh, right.” Bai Qiu asked, “You just mentioned that in the southern part of Yongzhou City, you ran into a mysterious man in black, suspected to be a member of the Evil Hand. As far as I know, the Evil Hand’s members have always been formidable cultivators, at least at the early Nascent Soul stage. How did the three of you manage to escape?”

“I know this one!” Su Xiaomu interjected eagerly. “An uncle drove him away!”

Bai Qiu repeated, “An uncle?”

Shi Qi quickly smacked Su Xiaomu lightly on the back of the head. “Eat your food quietly!”

Su Xiaomu rubbed her head, pouting, “Oh…”

Shi Qi turned to Bai Qiu. “The ‘uncle’ she mentioned is, well, you know… the president of the Yongzhou Human Alliance, Ouyang Qun.”

Bai Qiu nodded. “No wonder.”

Shi Qi felt a cold sweat break out. If that guy ever found out she’d betrayed his whereabouts to Mo Jingjing, he’d surely come after her. Best to keep that to herself for now.

Bai Qiu asked again, “Then how did you manage to repel Yuan Chengtian, the master of Dots Star Villa?”

Shi Qi shot Bai Qiu a look. “Why are you so full of questions? On the way, we ran into a strange member of the Human Alliance. I was just about to ask if you knew anything about him.”

Bai Qiu’s interest was immediately piqued. “Oh? How strange? Tell me everything.”

Shi Qi replied, “His artifact was a small white flag, apparently a replica of the Seven-Breaking Banner. What was it called again…”

Bai Qiu shouted, “Wang Yanyu!”

Shi Qi nodded. “That’s him. You know him?”

Bai Qiu gritted his teeth. “Know him? I’ve known that brat since we were kids! I even know how many birthmarks he has on his backside!”

Shi Qi was surprised. “No wonder I thought he and you had a similar air about you.”

Bai Qiu curled his lip. “Nonsense! I’d never want to be like him. That good-for-nothing spends all day pretending to be something he’s not!”

Shi Qi asked, “But his cultivation and combat skills are quite impressive. Which sect does he belong to?”

Bai Qiu said, “Calling him a good-for-nothing isn’t an exaggeration. His father is none other than the head of the Heavenly Dao Sect, Master Jiuyao, one of the Five Great Orthodox Sects.”

Shi Qi nodded, recalling that Bai Qiu had mentioned before that the Five Great Orthodox Sects were: Tianyuan Sect, Thunder Mountain Sect, Thousand Crane Gate, Mysterious Moon Palace, and Heavenly Dao Sect.

Tianyuan Sect was in Yongzhou, he had met the genius Leng Lingmeng from Mysterious Moon Palace, and now here was another young expert from Heavenly Dao Sect.

Bai Qiu continued, “Heavenly Dao Sect is in Central Province. Master Jiuyao is one of the top cultivators in the Twelve Provinces, and the sect follows the orthodox code strictly, with disciples known far and wide for their good deeds and virtue. Who would have thought that Master Jiuyao’s own offspring would turn out like this?”

Bai Qiu took a sip of wine and went on, “You saw the flag in his hand, right? He claims it’s a replica of the Seven-Breaking Banner. But do you know where the original came from?”

Shi Qi said, “I’m not too sure. I only know his flag can break swords, spells, water, evil, illusions, energy, and spirits—hence the name Seven-Breaking Banner.”

Bai Qiu nodded. “Indeed, the ancient Seven-Breaking Banner could break ten thousand spells, but don’t think that replica of his can do the same. That’s not the point. The real significance is that the Seven-Breaking Banner was once the treasure of a demon lord—an artifact of the Demon Sect.”

Shi Qi exclaimed, “Demon Sect?!”

“That’s right,” Bai Qiu replied. “Though not the current Demon Sect of the Twelve Provinces, it was its predecessor. Even though the orthodox and demon sects now coexist in peace, for a disciple of the orthodox path—one of the most respected in the Twelve Provinces—to wield a demon sect artifact, isn’t that exasperating?”

Shi Qi laughed. “He’s certainly an interesting character.”

“Enough about him,” Bai Qiu said. “Let’s finish our drinks and head to Eastern Province City. We should visit the Human Alliance branch and look into the monster beast incidents.”

Speaking of which,” Shi Qi said, “to my knowledge, monster beasts usually claim their own territories and don’t actively harm people. Why has Eastern Province seen so many attacks lately?”

Bai Qiu shook his head. “I’m not sure either. We’ll know more once we investigate.”

“To us!” Bai Qiu toasted.

…

Eastern Province City

Compared to the grand and bustling cities of Central and Yongzhou, Eastern Province City was much smaller. Perhaps because agriculture dominated the region, the locals were simple and unpretentious. Apart from a few passing grain and transport caravans, most people were residents.

Shi Qi, Bai Qiu, and Su Xiaomu entered the city and arrived at the Human Alliance branch.

Compared to the branch in Yongzhou, this place was extremely humble—just a decent building.

As they entered, Shi Qi realized the branch’s small size was due to the lack of personnel. There were no guards, no president—just a single bronze mirror in the main hall.

Shi Qi thought to herself, Seems this place can’t offer the initiation trials for joining the alliance. It’s just a station for members to pick up tasks.

The three approached and, together with Bai Qiu, examined the bronze mirror.

Aside from standard missions—wanted notices, escort tasks, treasure hunts—a new “special mission” appeared at the top.

Commission: Type: Special Mission (issued by the authorities)
Mission Description: Recently, monster beasts have been attacking people with increasing frequency in Eastern Province. The authorities have issued a special order, calling upon cultivators from all sects to drive away the creatures and uncover the truth. Human Alliance members are expected to take the lead and investigate the situation in Eastern Province.
Mission Duration: Unrestricted
Mission Requirements: Open to all Human Alliance members
Mission Reward: 2,000 Alliance Points

Shi Qi turned to Bai Qiu. “Alliance Points? What are those?”

Bai Qiu explained, “For missions commissioned by the authorities or major sects, the reward comes as Alliance Points. You can use these points at any branch to exchange for items—spirit jade, artifacts, elixirs, and so on. Privately posted missions don’t offer points.”

Shi Qi nodded. “I see.”

The two accepted the special mission and left the building.

Shi Qi asked, “How do we start investigating?”

Bai Qiu looked embarrassed. “Honestly, I just joined the Alliance myself and have no experience with this.”

Shi Qi scoffed, “You sure act like an expert, but you’re just as clueless as I am.”

Bai Qiu was speechless.

Shi Qi continued, “Let’s start by finding out where the monsters have been appearing. We should visit a scene in person.”

Bai Qiu agreed, “Yes, that was my thought too. Although it’s called ‘Eastern Province,’ the area is actually quite large. The City Lord’s mansion should be straight ahead; let’s inquire there.”

The three arrived at the City Lord’s residence. After presenting their Human Alliance badges, they were quickly ushered inside.

Entering the outer hall, they saw the city lord—a man in his fifties, seated at his desk with a troubled expression.

When he saw them, his face lit up and he hurried over.

“Greetings, honored cultivators! I am Wang Quan, the City Lord of Eastern Province City. Have you been sent as reinforcements from above?”

Bai Qiu stepped forward. “No need for formalities, Lord Wang. The three of us are Human Alliance members. We’ve accepted the special mission and are here to investigate the monster beast attacks.”

Wang Quan replied, “Excellent! I’ve been so anxious about this matter. Your arrival is truly a godsend!”

Bai Qiu said, “We’d like to ask you for more details, and if possible, visit the sites ourselves.”

“Of course,” Wang Quan said. “Here’s what happened.”

“Two months ago, a grain caravan was attacked near West Lake. When we learned of it, we immediately dispatched officers, but by the time they arrived, the entire caravan had been wiped out—dozens of mutilated corpses left behind. The coroner found the wounds were caused by beasts. For so many to die, it could not have been an ordinary wild animal.”

“Our officers searched the area for two days and nights but found nothing. The monster didn’t appear again, so they withdrew.”

“Three days later, another report came from near Little Wind Mountain. A small village outside the mountain—over a hundred people—were all killed in a single night. Only a child who’d hidden in a dry well survived.”

“We questioned the child, who said a giant beast resembling a mantis charged into the village, killing everyone it saw and wreaking havoc.”

“That’s when we realized this was beyond our abilities. We reported the matter to the imperial court, who then contacted the Human Alliance to investigate.”

Bai Qiu frowned. “A giant mantis? As far as I know, there are no mantis-like beasts among the monsters of the Twelve Provinces.”

Shi Qi nodded. “Exactly. And most monster beasts are territorial—they have their own domains and won’t attack humans unless provoked. Cross-regional attacks like this are exceedingly rare.”

Shi Qi asked, “Have there been similar incidents since then?”

Wang Quan replied, “Yes! Just three days ago, another merchant group was attacked near Liangzi Slope—no survivors. I was at my wits’ end when you arrived.”

Shi Qi asked, “How far is Liangzi Slope from here?”

Wang Quan answered, “Quite far—about two hundred li.”

Bai Qiu said, “That’s about half a day’s journey. Shi Qi, we’d best set out at once.”

Shi Qi nodded.

Wang Quan clapped his forehead. “Look at me, forgetting that your abilities are extraordinary. For us, the journey would take a day and a night at least. By the way, several other cultivators claiming to be Human Alliance members set out before you arrived. Perhaps you will cross paths.”

…