Chapter 59: Exactly as Expected

All day long, Willow Lake City was exceptionally lively.

News that someone was refining the Human Elixir in the mountains spread, causing widespread panic. Whether refugees or the city’s wealthy gentry, everyone was shocked. Terrified that the evil practitioners might target them next, they all rushed back to the outskirts of Willow Lake City to weep, plead, and demand the Academy and City Governor slay the demonic evil. They surrounded the city and the Academy several layers deep, causing an uproar.

The Academy and City Governor reacted swiftly. Large numbers of Divine Generals and demon hunters penetrated deep into the mountains, slaying demons.

Batch after batch of clean-up operations and bloody battles unfolded, each incredibly fierce and brutal.

It was said that within just one day, hundreds of demons were slain. Piles of demon corpses were hauled back to Willow Lake City, stacked into small hills. The City Governor personally came forward to reassure the people, declaring that anyone who dared harm the subjects of Great Xia would be relentlessly executed…

Ordinary folk, never having witnessed so many demon corpses in their lifetime, were astonished. They hadn’t anticipated that merely coming to cry and beg a few times would be taken so seriously by the Academy teachers and the City Governor. Overcome with gratitude, they wept loudly, their cries shaking the heavens. Many even offered their hard-earned money to present plaques declaring “Slaying Demons for the People” to the Academy and the city guardhouse. City Governor Bai of Willow Lake became renowned everywhere, praised by all!

It was only afterward that people learned how unusually brutal this battle had been.

Deep in the Southern Mountains, the demon dens of Bear Ridge and Red Sand Ridge were completely annihilated, wiped utterly clean.

Especially at Bear Ridge and Red Sand Ridge, not only were the dens cleared out, but a large number of evil artifacts and human skeletons were discovered within—ironclad proof.

The fox demons of Green Fox Mountain, however, were not mentioned; they seemed uninvolved.

Because of this righteous act by the City Governor and the Academy, Willow Lake City was swept into immense jubilation.

Countless people cheered thunderously, spreading the news far and wide. Everyone praised the Academy and the City Governor for protecting the people and their swift, decisive actions in slaying the demons. Everyone extolled the wisdom, courage, and audacity of the Nanshan Alliance disciples who ventured deep into the mountains to investigate the disappearances, undaunted by the dangers.

Many others, hearing the mountain demons had been eradicated, rushed into the hills to gather herbs and clear land, making tidy profits.

Though what exactly the demonic evil deeds were, few were truly clear about.

……

Meanwhile, deep within the desolate, ancient forests, a group of disguised elderly, young, women and children struggled on. They carried bundles on their backs or hoisted their belongings, hurrying through the deep mountains in panic. Though they looked like a group of frail women on the surface, they moved swiftly and lightly. Sometimes they leaped into the air, sometimes ran as fast as arrows, traversing mountains and ridges far quicker than any ordinary person.

Looking at their frantic haste, it seemed as though ghosts pursued them. Their dresses were torn by thorns, their calves scratched by sharp rocks, yet they dared not stop. They pushed themselves to the limit to get as far away, as quickly as possible…

“Aunt Ying, I… I can’t run anymore…”

A younger maiden, unable to keep up, called out weakly to a beautiful woman ahead.

The woman turned back, hoisted the maiden onto her back, but didn’t stop. She kept walking swiftly, comforting her: “Hold on a little longer. Once we cross those mountains ahead, we’ll be beyond Willow Lake’s borders. Then, follow the Demon Spirit Stream, and we can head straight to the Southern Borderlands…”

An elderly woman wheezed exhaustedly behind, panting: “Aunt Ying, can we… really escape?”

The fox-woman, Hu Ying, turned her head and nodded firmly: “We must!”

The old woman and the other women and children felt uneasy: “Bringing down this disaster upon ourselves was already calamity enough, yet right before leaving, we deliberately sent dreams to those townsfolk. We’ve only stirred things up worse. The Qi Refiners in Willow Lake City… it’s like we tore off their scabs. How could they possibly let us go? If they issue an Immortal Decree to intercept us, what of us…”

“Don’t worry, Momo…” Hu Ying bit her lip. “The bigger the trouble we stirred, the safer we are now. That… that person said, if they don’t pursue, then fine. If they do come after us, we scatter and flee. As long as we manage to reach the Nine Immortals Sect alive… we plead before their Elders…”

“Go to the Nine Immortals Sect? Wouldn’t that be walking right into the trap?” The foxes exchanged bewildered glances, deeply confused. But since they were committed now, it was pointless to argue more. One old fox sighed wistfully: “If… if those other two branches suffered calamity anyway… then why must we… leave our ancestral land?”

“It is precisely because we left resolutely that this plan could work…” Hu Ying bit her lip. Second Young Master Fang hadn’t explained this part clearly at the time. She had to relay her own understanding to her clan: “By leaving like this, we not only escaped this senseless catastrophe, we also repay those two great demon dens for their past oppression, exclusion, repeated kidnapping, torment, and persecution of our clan! One move accomplishes two goals. Why not?”

“Ai, survival was already hard under Willow Lake City’s power…”

“……”

While sadness filled their hearts, a sudden light chirp of birdsong echoed in the mountains. Hu Ying jerked her head around sharply.

As part of the Green Fox lineage, she naturally had ways of gathering information. Unable to contain herself, excitement spread across her face.

“Heavens… it’s exactly as he said!”

Surrounded by stunned foxes, Hu Ying herself was speechless for a moment. Then, her clan erupted in joyous cries, some even embracing each other in tears.

“Second Young Master Fang… indeed, truly like an Immortal Master…”

Amidst this wave of excitement, Hu Ying’s thoughts surged chaotically, emotions nearly overwhelming her.

Yet, inexplicably, a question arose: “Back then, was it only because I happened to enter the Fang Residence and explained the Karma we have with Immortal Master Fang Chi that Second Young Master Fang gave me that wake-up call and taught me this strategy of redirecting trouble?”

“But… Xiao Ling was brought back to the residence by Second Young Master Fang earlier… Was he waiting for me all along?”

……

“Young Master, this humble servant has investigated…”

“The Academy and the City Governor are both genuinely furious this time. Two great masters, plus many prominent families from the city, make it a mighty showing. Judging by their ferocity, it seemed less like demon hunting and more like silencing witnesses. Both demon bloodlines were wiped out entirely. Countless Demon Cores and piles of human skeletons were found during the search, undeniable proof of their crimes! Demons who surrendered became demonic slaves, but more were simply executed. Only a few small demons escaped into the deep mountains; likely they won’t dare show themselves anytime soon!”

“As for Green Fox Mountain… probably consumed by guilt, they took off early and vanished without a trace! Both the Academy and City Governor declared Green Fox Mountain couldn’t be spared either. However… they captured or killed so many demons they couldn’t spare the manpower to chase them yet. So far, no arrest warrants have been issued…”

” ”

While Willow Lake City and the mountains buzzed with such activity, Fang Cun only learned the full scope of events that evening.

Having received Xiao Qingliu’s report, he nodded gently: “I imagined it would be thus.”

He lightly tapped the desk, slowly working through the threads in his mind: “The City Governor and the Academy see eye to eye on this matter. The Human Elixir affair is too serious. If the Nine Immortals Sect or the County Mansion learns of it, major trouble will follow. So, no matter what, they must put on a show—either find the actual Human Elixir refining Demonic Cultivator… or find a scapegoat.”

“The bigger the uproar, the more urgently they need a scapegoat!”

“And, wary of higher authorities learning later, this scapegoat has to bear significant weight!”

“Green Fox Mountain was the most suitable scapegoat… yet they fled promptly. They also sent dreams to the townsfolk, spreading the news about the Human Elixir and stirring up such a huge storm. That forced the Academy and city government to act swiftly… and Bear Ridge and Red Sand Ridge never stood a chance to escape.”

“As for Green Fox Mountain…”

“Now that they’ve fled, and a scapegoat has already been found… the Academy and City Governor likely won’t count them as part of the perpetrators anymore. After all, if they escape, it implies the perpetrators weren’t caught wholesale—another sign of ineptitude on their part…”

“Heh… so Green Fox Mountain won’t be hunted. On the contrary, they might even receive praise for sending warnings in dreams…”

“This matter… has already reached a tidy conclusion…”

“Bear Ridge and Red Sand Ridge became the scapegoats perfectly. Discovering piles of human skeletons within their dens served as ready-made proof. Since they were the demons the common folk feared most, destroying them quelled any further unrest…”

“The Nine Immortals Sect and the County authorities will likely be satisfied with the demons being routed, perhaps even sending commendations…”

……

After mentally unraveling this chain of events, Fang Cun sighed lightly. The faint smile on his face gradually faded.

Why… how could everything unfold exactly as he had predicted?

“Alam ding!”

Just as Fang Cun felt a touch of despondency, the crisp sound of a digital notification (likely coin payment landing) rang out.

His mind stirred. He conjured the [Celestial Merit Record], and his pupils contracted slightly.

[‘The demonic scourge has been eradicated. Awarded 10,000 Merit!’]

……

“Exactly so…” Fang Cun murmured, gazing at the [Celestial Merit Record] before him.

Earlier, outside the city, he had already received three major tasks bestowed by the Record. Each seemed impossible: Resolve the Demonic Scourge, Eliminate the Bandit Menace, Execute the Human Fiend. The three tasks loomed like mountains.

And now, the first of these—Eradicating the Demonic Scourge—was fulfilled.

Brilliantly, 10,000 Merit manifested clearly upon the [Celestial Merit Record].

“If that’s the case…” his thoughts raced. The so-called rewards and punishments of the [Celestial Merit Record] truly followed the principle of judging the outcome, not the intent, or the path taken. It didn’t care how he achieved it. All that mattered was ending the demonic menace plaguing the people around Willow Lake City. So long as they ceased harming humans, it met the requirement.

He could choose to educate the demons, making them obey rules and cease preying on humans. He could wield a sword and eradicate them all. He could even satiate their hunger so they stopped causing chaos…

Or of course… he could do as he had done now.

And now? The Green Fox Mountain demons fled. Bear Ridge and Red Sand Ridge demons, be they guilty or not, were massacred. By the end result, the demonic troubles that had plagued Willow Lake City for so long were thus cleared away. The [Celestial Merit Record] was concerned solely with the final outcome!

……

“Young Master… you seem to have another white hair…”

While deep in thought, the young maid combing his hair suddenly exclaimed, peering at his scalp.

Fang Cun paused slightly, his tone tinged with impatience: “Pluck it!”