After the Immortal Disappeared

Chapter 166: Chapter 167: Birds and Beasts, Return to Your Posts

Hee Lingchuan started, as if his hand had slipped, letting the remaining bit of scallion root fall to the ground. "What does that have to do with us?"

"The Demons stirring up trouble within the country is one thing. The greatest hidden danger lies to the north."

At these words, Mozhe Niansheng and Wu Shaoyi’s expressions tightened. They spoke almost in unison: "The Demon Kingdom!"

The one bordering Da Yuan to the north was indeed the Demon Kingdom.

The original Hee Lingchuan had loved listening to storytellers. He might not have known much about national affairs, but he’d heard plenty of strange tales and bizarre theories, many of which mentioned the Northern Demon Kingdom.

When humans established a nation, it was called a Human Kingdom. When Demons established and ran a nation, it was, of course, a Demon Kingdom.

Humans and demons have been entangled since ancient times. Humans exterminated demons, and demons ate humans, a repeating cycle. By establishing nations, humanity could gather its collective strength to resist the Demon Race. Especially after learning to use Primordial Power, lone Demons were no longer a match for humans.

So, the Demon Race also banded together, learning from humans to establish their own kingdoms.

There are many Demon Kingdoms in this world. Da Yuan has one to its north, which is also one of the most powerful in the world. Its name is the Beiga Kingdom, but the Yuan People simply call it the Northern Demon Kingdom.

The lifespans of Great Demons are generally very long, so the longevity of Demon Kingdoms often far exceeds that of Human Kingdoms.

The Northern Demon Kingdom has existed for six hundred years and still stands today, while the land beneath Hee Lingchuan’s feet has already changed hands many times.

But there are exceptions to every rule, and the appearance of the Emperor’s Liquid often breaks the norm.

"Every time the Emperor’s Liquid appears, the Demon Kingdom experiences violent upheaval, which inevitably affects its neighbors," Hee Chunhua said with a frown. "The Crocodile Demon from Immortal Spirit Lake entered the Yuan Realm and stirred up trouble in our country precisely because the Demon Kingdom changed rulers. Not long after that political shift, we’re suddenly hit with the Emperor’s Liquid. I fear their internal situation will descend into chaos upon chaos."

Just as he was speaking, someone came from outside to report, "Sir, a dispatch has arrived from Kuzhu County."

Hee Chunhua took the letter and glanced at it. "Send a reply. Tell them we will certainly be there tomorrow morning to provide support."

After the messenger left, Hee Yue asked, "Provide support? Are we performing a ritual or holding a ceremony?"

"With the appearance of the Emperor’s Liquid, the demon hordes are growing restless. Tomorrow morning, Kuzhu County will issue a proclamation to the demons," Hee Chunhua said gravely. "As an official appointed by the Royal Court, it is my duty to assist."

Madam Ying walked over. "I just heard that a village fifteen li away was attacked this morning. A Bird Demon entered a home and stole a child."

Hee Lingchuan added, "This afternoon, someone in Frost Union Town was attacked by a mongoose and lost two toes."

"And this is near the densely populated Woling Pass. I can’t imagine what it’s like in the remote areas," Mozhe Jingxuan sighed. "The arrival of the Emperor’s Liquid doesn’t only bring good things."

"That’s why Kuzhu County must draft a formal warning, to drive away the malicious demons. First, we reason with them, warning the New Demons not to run rampant. If they don’t listen, the next step is force." Hee Chunhua stood up. "Everyone get to bed early tonight. We leave before the rooster crows."

...

The next morning, the Supporting Army arrived at Fengling Ferry on time.

The common folk were already waiting, ready to spectate. The Kuzhu County Magistrate led the local gentry forward to exchange a round of pleasantries with Hee Chunhua.

Then, 7:45 AM arrived.

The Kuzhu County Magistrate ordered his men to bring five fat pigs, fifteen roosters, and nine baskets of live fish and place them by the water’s edge. He himself stood on a large rock at the ferry crossing, unfurled a Document, and began to read it aloud.

By itself, his voice wasn’t loud, and was even a little hoarse. But from the moment he began to speak, the Society Command at his waist began to emit a brilliant light.

It was a fine day with a cloudless sky and the sun hanging high. Hee Lingchuan saw a faint, barely-there mass of cyan energy gathering in the sky above Fengling Ferry.

Looking closer, he saw that this cyan energy was rising from the commoners and Village Soldiers of Kuzhu County below, as well as from the Supporting Army led by Hee Chunhua.

The Yang Qi was intense.

The Kuzhu County Magistrate suddenly let out a sharp cry of "DUO!" The soundwave blasted out in all directions, causing the sea of trees to tremble and ripple, while the surface of the Hongchuan River churned with violent waves, as if large and small whirlpools were raging beneath.

Hee Lingchuan didn’t bother to memorize exactly what the magistrate was reciting. He only knew that it was all ornate parallel prose, with perfect couplets and a sonorous rhythm. The only question was whether the birds and beasts that had become demons could even understand it.

’Seems the cultural standard is set pretty high.’

Forget the demons; even he couldn’t quite understand some of the phrases.

In any case, Hee Lingchuan’s own translation of it was simply that Kuzhu County was warning the newly-formed demons in the area not to run wild in the villagers’ territory, and especially not to eat people. That way, demons and humans could coexist peacefully. It also emphasized that the various Marsh Wardens and Water Spirits had to be more diligent in their responsibility to restrain the birds and beasts. Whoever’s territory it was, it was their job to manage it. If anyone slacked off, they’d be out of a job, and there would be no more Sacrificial Offerings or Primordial Power for them.

The more he recited, the denser the cyan energy above Fengling Ferry became.

When the Kuzhu County Magistrate finished the last few words with resounding force, he lit the Document and tossed it toward the river’s surface ahead.

The cyan energy in the sky suddenly sank, sweeping past the Document with a WHOOSH.

In that instant, the Document burst into a shower of sparks that filled the sky.

As the two met, the cyan energy caught fire, dyeing half the sky red.

Only then did Hee Lingchuan realize that it was a colossal phantom of a Cyan Kite, twenty zhang long with a wingspan of thirty zhang. After being quenched in fire, it transformed into a flaming kite burning from end to end. With a heart-shaking cry, it swept over the forests and the river.

Wherever it passed, everything burst into flames—forest, earth, stone, and water. Nothing was spared.

The place where they stood, once a scene of green hills and clear waters, was transformed in the blink of an eye into a world of blazing fire.

From the forests, beasts immediately fled in every direction. Flocks of birds took to the sky, and fish leaped from the water’s surface, all in a state of utter panic.

However, the fire kite circled once before flying up into the clouds and vanishing. The great fire at Fengling Ferry was instantly extinguished, without even a wisp of smoke rising.

Hee Lingchuan looked closely and saw that a small tree two zhang away, which had been on fire, was completely unharmed from branch to leaf.

The Kuzhu County Magistrate shouted, "Birds of the air and beasts of the field, return to your places at once!"

He repeated this three times, his voice, amplified by the Society Command, shaking the wilderness.

Miraculously, the beasts seemed to understand. They turned around and ambled slowly back to where they had come from.

Only two large bears ambled out. They opened their massive, gaping maws and let out a series of roars in all directions.

Seeing this, the surrounding commoners hastily took a few steps back.

’Those things are terrifying.’

But the two Giant Bears didn’t attack anyone. They merely nodded at the magistrate and each carried off a fat pig in its jaws.

Standing up, they were nearly two zhang tall, with sleek, glossy fur. "Sturdy" wasn’t enough to describe them. Even a nearly four-hundred-jin pig was a light and easy catch for them.

Hee Yue whispered, "Generally speaking, the ones who come out first to take the Sacrificial Offerings are the local Marsh Wardens. This means they’ve accepted the Kuzhu County Magistrate’s proclamation." ’Which means they’ll have to do their jobs properly now.’

With the Marsh Wardens setting an example, the demons of the forest came forward to take their share. A pack of wolves worked together to drag away one pig, and several weasels snatched some chickens. What baffled Hee Lingchuan the most was the large flock of mountain goats that ambled out of the woods and, right in front of everyone, devoured a dozen fish and two chickens...

"Wait, do goats eat meat now? Or do Sheep Demons just eat anything?"

Wu Shaoyi whispered, "It’s not that strange. A man from the Western Regions once told me that in their folklore, goats are just illusions created by Evil Ghosts."

The Flying Birds in the sky also descended to take the fish from the baskets. It was a huge, rushing flock, their wings stirring up the wind.

Ordinary birds would never dare to come so close to people.

Only the water remained still, with no sign of movement.

Hee Chunhua stepped forward and asked, "The Water Spirit didn’t come?"

"The Water Spirit for this section of the Hongchuan River likely perished during the great battle at Woling Pass a while ago," the Kuzhu County Magistrate sighed. "The Water Spirit Altar is broken. The divine position is vacant, and we need a new Water Spirit."

With that, he ordered the soldiers to move the remaining live animals to the nearby Five Heart Pool.

It was a lagoon, set away from the main channel of the river.

Hee Lingchuan followed and saw the soldiers walk onto a wooden plank bridge and push all the live animals into the water, leaving only one fat pig behind.

The once-calm surface of the pool suddenly began to boil.

Every so often, huge fins and mouths would break the surface, only to disappear again before anyone could get a clear look at their owners.

Large and small whirlpools appeared in the pool.

Now Hee Lingchuan understood. The Water Monsters below were fighting.

Sometimes bubbles rose to the surface. Other times, what rose was blood!

Dark red or dark green blood.

He asked Hee Yue, "Could the original Water Spirit here have been killed by our old acquaintance?"

Hee Yue gave a wry smile. "Most likely." ’The Giant Crocodile was invited by Hong Xiangqian to join the battle at Woling Pass. Although it’s an amphibious Demon, its home turf is definitely the water.’

’The original Water Spirit of the Hongchuan River was enfeoffed by the officials, so it was working against the Rebel Army. The Crocodile Demon certainly wouldn’t have tolerated it.’

’That thing is savage,’ Hee Lingchuan thought. ’It’s taken out at least two Water Spirits.’

And it had been driven out of the Northern Demon Kingdom itself. At this thought, Hee Lingchuan felt a flicker of fascination. He wondered if the incredible, world-shaking Giant Demons he’d heard about in stories truly existed in the Northern Demon Kingdom.

Hee Chunhua also turned his head, quietly joining their discussion. "The original Marsh Warden of Kuzhu County wasn’t that pair of black bears."

"The original Marsh Warden was killed too?" Hee Lingchuan was astonished. "Being a Marsh Warden or Water Spirit around here really is a high-risk profession."

"No, it wasn’t killed. It was a striped tiger."

Hee Yue asked, puzzled, "Then why didn’t it show up today?" ’That doesn’t seem right, on such an important day.’

Marsh Wardens and Water Spirits were supposed to help local officials maintain stability while also demonstrating their dominance over their territory. Only then could they intimidate the New Demons and stop them from causing trouble.

The Kuzhu County Magistrate’s earlier display—borrowing the power of the Society Command and consuming a vast amount of Primordial Power to create the fire kite spectacle—was also aimed at knocking some sense into those arrogant new Demons who didn’t know their place. It was to show them the power of humanity, so they wouldn’t dare to prey on humans again.

This wasn’t just for the sake of the officials or humanity; it also ensured their own rule would be smooth. That was why Marsh Wardens and Water Spirits were usually cooperative.

"It’s said that it resigned its post and left for the Northern Demon Kingdom."

Hee Lingchuan asked, surprised, "Why?"

"You’d have to ask it yourself," Hee Chunhua said with a small smile. "But as I would say, a hidden dragon will not dally in the abyss forever."

As they spoke, the turmoil in Five Heart Pool gradually subsided. Many ripples, and occasionally a tall fin, appeared on the surface. It seemed most of the Water Race had already left.

At that moment, a large black fish swam near the shore. Its basket-sized head faced the magistrate, unmoving.

Hee Lingchuan could see that its body was covered in wounds.

The Kuzhu County Magistrate asked it, "Have the rest of the Water Race submitted?"

The large black fish nodded its head up and down.

"Are you willing to accept the position of Water Spirit and ensure safe passage for boats on Fengling Ferry?"

The large black fish nodded again.