Three days later, Li Ji returned from Shuangcheng and saw that the town was in chaos, with rumors spreading everywhere. However, being a man who didn't believe in superstitions, his nearly forty years of materialistic education from his previous life had taken deep root. How could he possibly believe in such vague and fantastical stories of gods and demons? He figured it was nothing more than someone playing tricks and using illusions to frighten people and cover up the truth.
Even though he didn't believe it, Li Ji wasn't about to let his curiosity lead him to investigate the truth personally. This was one of his principles in life—he wouldn't bite off more than he could chew, nor take on more than he could handle. Unless there was no other choice, he would never do anything that exceeded his own abilities or that he couldn't predict.
This was the foundation of how Li Ji survived in this unfamiliar world. It was a real world, not like those online novels where people acted without thinking. Here, curiosity could get you killed, no matter how many lives you had. Just like the people and affairs of Cixi Town, it wasn't that he had no enemies—there were plenty of malicious opponents working against him in secret—but he remained patient. First, to build up his own strength, and second, to wait for the right opportunity to strike once and flee far away.
So, after arranging for men to block off the road to the estate, Li Ji contentedly stayed home to practice his swordsmanship. The only thing that puzzled him was that whether it was Xiangfu Xu Jiuhai, who usually stood on the moral high ground, or Officer Xiao Ziming, who couldn't wait to see him fail, or even the always overbearing landowner Wang, none of them objected to his indifferent stance. Normally, as the town's patrol officer responsible for maintaining peace, he would've long been ordered to deal with the situation, even if it meant risking his life. Perhaps they all thought this matter was far beyond his abilities?
Could it be because of that so-called Daoist priest? Li Ji wondered... It seemed that everyone in Cixi Town had complete confidence in the Daoist master. They calmly waited and prepared various arrangements, almost as if they were getting ready for a grand festival... It seemed that compared to the natives of this world, he was still lacking a certain understanding of their culture and history...
Pondering over this, Li Ji hurried back to the town office, only to be informed that Xiangfu and the others had already gone to the grand residence of Landowner Wang. So, he headed west to Wang's estate. This old Daoist seemed to enjoy luxury; in Cixi, Wang's residence was undoubtedly the largest and most lavish. It was Li Ji's first time entering, but with his mind preoccupied, he had no time to appreciate the ornate beams and painted columns. Led by a servant, he went straight to the small reception hall.
In the hall, seven or eight people stood respectfully. Xu Jiuhai, Xiao Ziming, Landowner Wang, and a few local elders were present. Only one figure, a small, withered, white-haired old Daoist, sat in the grand chair, his eyes half-closed, sitting cross-legged, seemingly lost in meditation.
Li Ji bowed politely and said, "Apologies, everyone. I've just learned of the master's arrival. I hope I haven't delayed any important matters?"
The people glanced at him, some with friendly eyes, others with disdain. Xiao Ziming said sarcastically, "Our patrol officer is quite important, making the master wait while you were at home playing with swords?"
Li Ji ignored him, and the Daoist didn't move a muscle or open his eyes. Seeing this, Xu Jiuhai quickly spoke up, "We haven't been here long either. The master has already made a decision on this matter. Perhaps I can explain it to you?"
"I'll trouble you then, sir…" Li Ji noticed everyone was standing, so he didn't feel it was appropriate to sit down either.
"The moment Master Chongfa heard about the situation in Cixi, he immediately rushed here from Shuangcheng, covering more than 200 miles in a single night. Truly a compassionate and righteous man of high moral character…"
After a round of flattering remarks, Xu Jiuhai got to the point.
"Before entering the town, the master already examined the ominous house and observed its aura. Based on his findings, the master has concluded that this demonic aura is currently at the stage of transformation, and there's no time to waste. Therefore, the master has decided to perform a ritual at noon tomorrow at the ominous house.
"All of the master's ritual tools are rare and mysterious items, beyond the reach of us mere mortals. The master has prepared them himself. However, there is one issue: to prevent the demon from escaping, four brave and vigorous men must hold the ritual objects at the four positions of the formation. After much deliberation, we believe that it would be most appropriate for our patrol officer to take charge of this task."
With that, Xu Jiuhai shot an almost imperceptible glance at Xiao Ziming. Li Ji immediately understood—this old scoundrel Xiao Ziming must have taken the opportunity to cause trouble for him in his absence. Before Li Ji could respond, the Daoist sitting in the chair spoke, "Vigorous blood—suitable!"
Without having said a word, Li Ji was cornered. It seemed there was no way to avoid this task. He was still skeptical about the existence of this so-called demon, and the Daoist seemed more like a charlatan. So, he wasn't too worried. After all, the Daoist would be leading the way, and there were three others involved in the formation. Even if a powerful demon did exist, his skills were far superior to those ruffians who had fled earlier. He should at least have a chance to escape, right?
As the patrol officer, supported by the people of Cixi, he had a responsibility to step up in times of crisis. So, he didn't refuse.
"The master has commanded, and how could I not comply? But as for the other three, who might they be?"
Xu Jiuhai replied, "Among the brave men of the town, only you, the patrol officer, can make the proper judgment. Perhaps you could recommend a couple of candidates?"
Cursing the old fox in his mind for not wanting to offend anyone, Li Ji glanced at Xiao Ziming, thinking about choosing someone close to the old scoundrel as a form of payback. But after thinking it over, he couldn't come up with anyone who was close to Xiao Ziming. Feeling frustrated, he had no choice but to turn his attention to Wang, the wealthiest man in town. This Wang Dahu was always overbearing, and since the incident had occurred on his estate, it would make no sense for him not to contribute. So, Li Ji turned to Wang and bowed slightly:
"The head of your household guards, Shi Dawu, is in his prime, highly skilled, and brave. He would be a suitable candidate to hold one of the positions in the formation."