Chapter 57: There’s Excitement to See!

Early the next morning, Fang Cun was brought to the City Governor’s office.

The matter of the Human Elixir was far too grave. If mishandled, the authorities above would surely punish them. Thus, both the Academy and the City Governor’s office reacted swiftly. Within just one day, a decision had been reached. The reason for summoning Fang Cun was that, as one of the Academy Disciples who had witnessed the events firsthand, he was called to observe and be available for questions should any details remain unclear.

Given the seriousness of the Human Elixir affair, Fang Cun had anticipated the Academy and the City Governor would act quickly.

Walking through the long corridor and entering the main hall, he felt an invisible pressure. Two rows of long chairs lined the room. Sitting at the head was a clean-shaven man with a scholarly appearance, yet clad in jet-black armor. Fang Cun had seen him before and knew this was Bai Huali, the current City Governor of Willow Lake City, and also a disciple of the Nine Immortals Sect who had taken office just fifteen years prior.

Below Bai Huali, seated in two columns: on the left were the Headmaster of the Academy, two Elder Mentors, and several Instructors. On the right were Divine Generals serving the City Governor’s office, responsible for Willow Lake City’s peace and the suppression of demons, along with a few scholarly Secretaries.

He was not the only Academy Disciple summoned. Meng Zhixue, He Zhenzhang, and the other Five Disciples of the Nanshan Alliance were also present.

As Fang Cun entered, the group glanced briefly at him before looking away. An Instructor seated on the left side spoke coldly, “Upon learning of this, the Academy launched an immediate overnight investigation. We have confirmed that not only the 209 villagers of Elm Coin Town, but also 78 missing homeless individuals from other locations, all perished in the Demon Valley. If not for the quick discovery by our Academy Disciples, that Human Elixir might have been fully refined. The elixir is now sealed. Apprehending the perpetrators and eliminating the evil is now the most urgent task!”

“Demons harming humans deserve no mercy!” a copper-armored man below the City Governor barked fiercely. “Those demons not only kidnapped commoners to refine an elixir, but also invaded the village, slaughtering wantonly—truly heinous! Now that the Human Elixir has been found, and the demons who attacked the village have been exposed, we possess both the evidence and the culprits. Though the demons who raided the village are dead, their kin and associates in the demon lair must also be held accountable…” As he spoke, he rose and bowed to the City Governor at the head of the room. “I request orders to march forth and annihilate these vile demons!”

The City Governor at the head nodded slightly without speaking, clearly indicating approval.

The others seated around—both Secretaries and Academy Instructors—also nodded subtly in agreement. Demonic rebellion, the evil act of refining a Human Elixir… such actions outraged both Heaven and Man. How could they be tolerated?

“Hold on!”

At that moment, Meng Zhixue, seated to the side, suddenly spoke up. “Divine General, may I ask which demons you intend to eliminate?”

The Divine General turned slightly and bowed to Meng Zhixue. “Naturally, the ones with the greatest suspicion are from Green Fox Mountain!”

Meng Zhixue shook her head slowly. “I believe this matter may not involve the demons of Green Fox Mountain. We have ascertained their motives: they attacked the village solely out of rage because their clan leader was injured and their spirit herb stolen, seeking revenge. While a heinous act, it is unrelated to the Human Elixir refinement. These matters should not be conflated…”

Her words plunged the hall into an abrupt silence.

Neither the City Governor, the Divine General, nor the Academy Instructors spoke hastily. Many present wore expressions of wry amusement.

After a moment, a Secretary named Xu Wenshu beneath the City Governor smiled and said, “Fairy Meng possesses exceptional talent and clarity of thought, truly worthy of our admiration. However, perhaps your understanding of worldly demons is still limited. Demons crave innate human Qi above all else, especially the fox clan. Their nature is seductive and charming; they delight in bewitching humans and stealing their Innate Qi. Yet, this pilfering is slow work. Grow impatient, and trouble inevitably follows. Furthermore, that demonic cauldron for the Human Elixir found in the evil valley… I have seen it myself. It bears the heavy taint of Demonic Qi. Therefore, regarding the Human Elixir affair, regardless of other factors, they cannot escape involvement!”

Meng Zhixue frowned. “The presence of Demonic Qi doesn’t prove demons did it, nor does it prove it was Green Fox Mountain!”

Silence fell over the hall again. The Divine General who had earlier requested orders spoke in a low voice, “Demonic evils employ countless bizarre and devious methods. Mere conjecture won’t reveal the truth. However, the demons of Green Fox Mountain implicated in this matter cannot just walk free. I propose we capture them first, interrogate them thoroughly. No matter their tricks, we will pry the truth from them…”

Murmurs of agreement rippled through the hall: “Quite right! Bring them in first for questioning; it might yield clues…”

“Naturally! If they are innocent, no false accusations shall be pressed!”

“You…!”

Seeing this, Meng Zhixue’s brow furrowed deeper.

She drew a deep breath amidst the persuasions and suddenly declared, “Are you gentlemen really capturing the demons of Green Fox Mountain to investigate the Human Elixir case?”

As if making a momentous decision, she added coldly, “While all you esteemed elders have been busy these past days, I, too, haven’t been idle. Through my own investigations over these days, I’ve discovered strange occurrences among the spirits in the mountains. Disturbances involving the bewitchment and consumption of humans happen frequently. Worse still, many spirits have infiltrated the city itself, perpetrating the evil deed of stealing human Innate Qi…”

“What perplexes me,” she continued, “is where these demons find the audacity to operate within the city, right beneath your esteemed eyes?”

“Driven by these evils, I delved deeper into my investigation. And the more I probed, the more horrifying rumors I uncovered. Beyond the Human Elixir, it is said that among the mountain demons, eight out of ten are seizing human Innate Qi to refine cores—such rampant villainy! More disturbingly, I’ve even heard rumors that many of these demon core refiners enjoy rather… intimate connections with the Qi Refiners within our own Willow Lake City…”

Shua!

Meng Zhixue’s words instantly plunged the entire hall into absolute silence, so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Every face paled. Certain Qi Refiners, in particular, now gazed at Meng Zhixue with eyes full of cold resentment. Even the City Governor at the head furrowed his brows, seemingly displeased with his niece.

Under the weight of countless stares, Meng Zhixue bit her lip, looking firmly at the assembly. Her posture conveyed an unwavering refusal to back down. She spoke each word deliberately, “Therefore, I, the junior, maintain that if demons are truly to be captured, we must apprehend all the demons from the mountains together to determine the truth!”

“Eh…”

“Haha…”

The hall lapsed into silence again before Secretary Xu Wenshu suddenly chuckled. He lightly clasped his hands towards Meng Zhixue, “Fairy Meng’s compassion and righteousness truly earn my admiration. However, tales of spirits harming humans in the mountains have been commonplace since ancient times. Among these, inevitably, some are baseless rumors, possibly even spread by the mountain spirits themselves to slander the Qi Refiners of our Willow Lake City. Fairy Meng, being young, may have been misled by such malicious words. Rest assured, if demons harm humans, we will not let them escape!”

Meng Zhixue pressed her lips tightly together, about to speak again, but Secretary Xu cut her off with a smile. “I hear you greatly admire our Great Xia’s Immortal Master Fang Chi, Young Master Meng, striving to emulate him by expelling evil, upholding righteousness, and protecting the common folk. However, I believe that while Fairy Meng is yet young, she should focus primarily on her studies at the Academy. Matters such as this are the responsibility of myself, the Instructors, and the Demon Capture Bureau to handle…”

Meng Zhixue pursed her lips, ready to retort, when Secretary Xu abruptly turned his gaze towards Fang Cun. “What does Second Young Master Fang think of my words?” he inquired, smiling amiably.

Shua!

Instantly, countless eyes in the hall turned towards Fang Cun. They looked at the young man standing by the door, his arms folded within his wide sleeves, sunlight pouring down behind him, seemingly outlining him with a border of gold. Unbidden, thoughts surfaced of that Immortal Master Fang Chi from over a decade ago. That stalwart, stubborn soul who had once stormed the Southern Mountains with his sword, hurled a tiger’s head onto the Academy grounds, and brazenly confronted the Former Academy Head in public—eventually forcing the Head’s resignation and causing the White Xiang Academy’s reputation to plummet. The mere memory cast a palpable gloom over their spirits. That one had been unyielding, inflexible. He’d cornered countless individuals with his principles over the years, causing headaches, even fear, in those who saw him. Why would Secretary Xu ask him? This Fairy Meng was already proving troublesome enough. If the second son of the Fang Family also…

“Ahem, what do I know?” Fang Cun, facing the stares, seemed mildly surprised himself. He raised a fist to his mouth, gave a light cough, then smiled. “However, listening to the esteemed elders’ discussion just now, your proposals struck me as exceedingly wise. What are a bunch of demons worth? Whether they kidnapped living people to refine elixirs or stormed villages to kill—aren’t these both capital crimes? Arresting them for interrogation seems perfectly reasonable…”

“Heh heh…”

The expressions in the hall turned subtly complex upon hearing Fang Cun’s words. Glancing at each other, a collective sigh of relief seemed to pass through them.

He is indeed not like his elder brother…

With this thought, their faces noticeably softened. They gazed knowingly back towards Meng Zhixue.

Persuasion from others might be ineffective, but a single sentence from Immortal Master Fang Chi’s brother carried more weight than a hundred words from anyone else!

“I…”

Meng Zhixue’s expression changed drastically upon hearing Fang Cun’s reply. She looked at him intently. She seemed poised to speak her mind, but suddenly her spirit dimmed. She said nothing. Standing silently in the middle of the hall, she looked utterly alone and forlorn.

This silly fairy…

Catching sight of Meng Zhixue’s state, Fang Cun sighed inwardly.

Why must you make yourself seem so pitiful?

Then, deliberately or not, his gaze drifted towards the hall entrance. He contemplated silently:

It should be time soon…

…

“Reporting to the City Governor!”

Just as smiles returned to the faces in the hall, and preparations to issue the demon arrest warrants were underway, a loud shout rang out.

Everyone looked up in surprise. Several black-armored members of the Demon Capture Bureau rushed in, their faces filled with urgency. Entering the hall, they immediately whispered urgently into Secretary Xu Wenshu’s ear. Secretary Xu’s face instantly drained of color.

“Disaster has struck!”