The next morning.
In the back hill village, about ten or so miles away from the capital city, there
was a small river in front of the village, with fine, white river mud, known as
"jade mud" by locals.
It was precisely because of the jade mud that Houqiu Village had two official
kilns, which specialized in producing various ceramics for the palace, with the
kiln's name "Houqiu" being the most favored by the previous emperor.
However, good times didn't last.
About ten years ago, the supervisor responsible for managing the two official
kilns somehow offended a high-ranking official, not only losing his own life but
also causing the official kilns in Houqiu Village to be shut down by the
government, with a ban on building any new kilns within the village
boundaries for fifty years.
From then on, the entire Houqiu Village began to decline rapidly, with the
population decreasing year by year, leaving only a few elderly and weak
villagers who couldn't even till the land, and could only make a living by selling
some jade mud.
Life was already difficult, but recently, things took a turn for the worse with
the appearance of a demon.
A fat-eared wild boar demon, not particularly powerful, but not something
ordinary people could handle, had already eaten more than ten villagers in half
a month.
The local authorities couldn't handle this kind of matter, so they reported the
situation to the higher authorities, leaving it to the Xuanjing Bureau, which
was responsible for handling strange and supernatural cases, to deal with it.
But who would have thought that just as the two "copper leaf" officials from
the Xuanjing Bureau arrived, the boar demon had already been killed?
…
"Sir Xiao, you're truly our village's savior!"
The river water was shallow but rapid, and the flow of water hitting the small,
elephant-sized boar demon's corpse sent up sparkling droplets.
Two men, each wearing a Xuanjing knife at their waist, were currently
standing in the river, examining the demon's corpse, while a group of villagers
in tattered clothes gathered on the riverbank, led by an old man with white
hair, who was speaking to a young man with gratitude.
It was likely that this person, who could even take the time to help others
while on the road, was Xiao Feng.
"Old sir, I just did what was convenient, no need to make a big deal out of it."
Xiao Feng's expression was warm and polite as he bowed slightly: "Since the
officials have arrived, I'll take my leave…"
"Wait a minute!"
The old man grabbed Xiao Feng's sleeve, turned to a young girl with a delicate
face beside him, and hastily instructed her: "Granddaughter, quickly go get the
ancestral jade plaque from our family!"
"I know, grandpa."
The girl responded and then turned to run away, her face slightly flushed.
Xiao Feng was slightly puzzled: "Old sir, what's this about?"
The old man's expression turned serious: "Sir Xiao, since you've killed the boar
demon, you're our village's savior!"
"Our village is poor and can't afford gold, silver, or jewels, but we do have an
ancestral jade plaque that's been passed down, which is said to have great
spiritual power."
"We're willing to give this jade plaque to Sir Xiao as a token of gratitude for
saving our lives!"
"This…"
Xiao Feng hesitated for a moment before nodding: "Alright, I'll accept it."
"Don't say that, Sir Xiao…"
As the main character, no matter how small the task, it would always bring
great rewards and opportunities.
It was clear that this jade plaque would naturally be a rare treasure.
Xiao Feng had already gotten used to this.
As he responded to the villagers and waited for the treasure to arrive, the
conversation between the two men with Xuanjing knives in the distance made
him frown slightly.
"Mingmu Dacheng" was a divine skill that could only be mastered by those at
the fifth rank, greatly enhancing one's visual and auditory range.
Xiao Feng was only at the seventh rank, but he had practiced a mysterious
technique, so he could still hear the conversation between the two men
clearly.
"…This boar demon had only just transformed, but that Xiao person was able
to kill it with one strike… Do you think we should bring him back to ask some
questions?"
"There's no need to ask anything; just record it in the case files and be done
with it."
"That's true… Brother Li, since we have some free time, why don't we head
back to the city and visit the Pingchang Pavilion for a drink? I heard that the
Flower Moon Building has a new, talented young performer."
"I think that's a good idea, since the officials are all at the Wei residence
celebrating… Speaking of which, the Lu family is also having a tough time,
with only one daughter, and she's even caught the eye of that demonic king,
Lu Jingyao… I heard from the brothers at the Sticky Pole Pavilion that she's
tried to commit suicide several times…"
"Be careful what you say! You're asking for trouble!"
"Hey, there's only the two of us here…"
Not long after, the two stopped talking, and Xiao Feng's facial expression
turned extremely gloomy.
He had returned to the capital this time for a great opportunity, but who
would have thought he would hear such terrible news before even entering
the city?
His dear friend had been forcibly taken away by the enemy family!
It was worth noting that Wei Xianzhi, who controlled the Suspense Mirror
Agency, was the very person who had ordered the death of his entire family!
Seventeen people had died in one night, and he was the only one who had
escaped because he was traveling outside. Although his luck had changed for
the better since then, this deep grudge could not be left unavenged!
Moreover, it was now related to Lu Jingyao.
A surge of fury rose to his heart, and Xiao Feng took a deep breath, quickly
forcing himself to calm down and not let his anger cloud his judgment.
He was clear that with his current strength, directly attacking the Wei family
would be like hitting a stone with an egg, only to end up sending himself to his
death.
Fortunately, the Wei family did not recognize his appearance, so as long as he
hid in the shadows and waited for an opportunity, he might just find a
chance…
A plan slowly took shape in his mind, and at the same time, the little girl who
had gone to fetch the jade token returned.
"Grandpa, the jade token!"
"Yes, Xiao Shaoxia, this is our village…"
The old man with white hair handed the jade token to Xiao Feng, who was
about to say something, but the latter's cold expression made him instantly
shut up.
Xiao Feng knew he couldn't have a good expression at this time, so he simply
didn't waste any words, casually putting the jade token in his pocket before
turning around and leaving quickly.
This sudden departure would normally make people unhappy, but the villagers
present, except for some surprise, didn't show any dissatisfaction.
Especially the little girl with a clear face, who even blushed and whispered:
"This is what a real man is like."
"I wonder when I can see Xiao Gege again…"
The resolute and elegant figure, the grateful villagers, and the blossoming
young girl…
If Wei Changtian were present, he would definitely curse loudly – damn the
protagonist's halo!
Besides, he might also have a hint of doubt.
Because the storyline in this village seemed to differ slightly from the novel.
It was as if the intangible heavenly way was actively correcting the fate that
had been altered by him.